US crackdown on Venezuelan cartels: Guyana needs strong, intelligent leadership – Pres Ali amid growing tensions

President Irfaan Ali has underscored the need for Guyana to have strong leadership as the region faces rising military tensions between the United States (US) and Venezuela.
The US recently deployed three warships off the coast of Venezuela as part of its crackdown on drug cartels in the Latin American and Caribbean region. Washington has stated that designated narco-terrorist organisations like Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles are using the region’s air and sea corridors to funnel drugs into the US, thus posing a direct threat to American lives and security.
According to international reports, an amphibious squadron consisting of three US Aegis-class guided missile destroyers carrying over 4500 service members could arrive off the Venezuelan coast by today.
Speaking at a public meeting on Friday evening organised by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) at Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice, the incumbent president explained that the region will be facing a serious and major challenge over the coming days.
“As such, tomorrow requires of us to have strong, intelligent leadership to navigate what will be a complex situation in the coming days. We must be able to have leadership that is respected and trusted by our partners so that when we work with them, they know that they’re working with people who they can trust and respect,” he posited.
Highlighting that this major geopolitical situation could destabilise the region and challenge Guyana’s sovereignty, Ali, who is seeking a second term in office at the September 1 General and Regional Elections, underscored the importance of having leadership that is experienced to make tough decisions.
“And these decisions… are not easy decisions. These decisions require experience. It requires international presence, and our sovereignty, our national security, our existence, our livelihood, and our country must be prepared to make and work in this new environment,” he stated, cautioning citizens that, “This is not the time to gamble with this country’s future, to gamble with this country’s sovereignty… You are seeing the reality of the complexity of the situation that confronts us.”
Only on Friday, the Guyana Government underscored the need for strengthened co-operation at the regional and hemispheric levels to tackle the threats posed to regional security from transnational crime and narco-terrorism.
In a statement, the Government expressed grave concern over the threat to peace and security in the region by transnational organised crime and narco-terrorism, including criminal networks, such as the Cartel de los Soles from Venezuela, which has been designated as a terrorist organisation by some countries in the region.
According to the missive, “Such criminal networks have the capacity to overwhelm state institutions, undermine democracy, pervert the rule of law and threaten human dignity and development. The Government of Guyana underscores the necessity for strengthened cooperation and concerted efforts at the national, regional, hemispheric and global levels to effectively combat this menace.”
To this end, the Guyana Government reaffirms its commitment to and support for a collaborative and integrated approach to tackle transnational organised crime by working with bilateral partners to dismantle criminal networks, safeguarding the region’s shared security.
These sentiments were reiterated by President Ali, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, during an engagement with reporters on Friday morning.
“As President, part of my duty is to ensure our sovereignty is maintained and that we continue to live in peace here… We’ve always said we support this region being a zone of peace, and we understand the importance of our sovereignty, and we’ll do everything to protect our sovereignty,” Ali declared.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday shared the Guyana Government’s statement on the threats to regional security – something which Ali told supporters on Friday night demonstrates the confidence and trust that the US, one of Guyana’s strongest allies, has for the country and its current leadership.
“Guyana has shown the world, this People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government has shown the world, that we are ready to provide global leadership and they can trust our leadership… We are respected. This Government doesn’t hide from challenges and problems; we confront them. So, when you vote on September 1, understand the realities that our country is faced with, understand what the complexity of the environment that we have to operate in is, and understand that this is not a normal, simple decision. This decision has gained significantly more importance in the last 72 hours, because our very survival as a nation is at stake,” the incumbent leader noted.