Guyana, other CARICOM States discuss regional priorities with US Congress Reps

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Saturday joined his CARICOM colleagues to engage the bipartisan members of the United States Congress on several critical priority areas for the region.

The high-level meeting took place in Bridgetown, Barbados, on the sidelines of the country’s 58th Anniversary of Independence celebration as well as the commemoration of the 3rd Anniversary of the Republic of Barbados and the centenary birth of Shirley Chisholm – an American politician, born to Guyanese father and Barbadian mother, who was the first Black woman to be elected to the US Congress and the first Black candidate as well as first woman to run for presidential nomination in a major party.
President Ali was accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd on the visit. They joined the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley; Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Keith Rowley, and Finance Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Camillo Gonsalves, to engage in productive discussions with the bipartisan members of the United States (US) Congress.
In a post on his social media page, President Ali said the conversations during the meeting focused on critical issues such as regional security and the importance of maintaining the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.
“We also addressed the climate crisis and its significant impact on our region, advocating for access to concessional funding based on vulnerability rather than GDP per capita.”
Additionally, the Head of State noted that they also explored the need for a transformative development and investment agenda, enhanced market access, and near-shoring initiatives to promote inclusive growth and build resilience across the Caribbean region.
“We are committed to fostering partnerships that uplift all our citizens as we work toward a more prosperous and united Caribbean,” President Ali stated in this social media post.
Similar sentiments were echoed by PM Mottley, who also stated in a social media post that her country’s milestone celebrations were more than just a reflection of its history as they provided the platform to discuss matters of mutual interest with the US Congressional officials.
“We look forward to working together in the interest of strengthening our resilience and opportunities for inclusive growth for all of our citizens,” the Barbadian Leader stated.
The congressional delegation was led by the Democratic Leader in the US House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, and included Rep Amata Coleman Radewagen, Rep Maxine Waters, Rep Gregory W Meeks, Rep Barbara Lee, Rep Steven Horsford, Rep Yvette D Clarke, Rep Joyce Beatty, Rep Robin Kelly, and Rep Stacey E Plaskett. Other US Congress members including Rep Mark Green were also in Bridgetown.
In a statement on Friday, Congressman Jeffries said the visit builds upon efforts undertaken by the Biden-Harris administration in the Caribbean and is an opportunity to continue strengthening relationships across the Western Hemisphere.
Only last year, Jeffries had led a delegation to Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, to join Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the 45th CARICOM Heads of Government Conference meeting. During that visit, President Ali and the US Congressman had a crucial interaction.
Jeffries is a US Democratic Party top leader in the House of Representatives. He is a representative of parts of Brooklyn and Queens in New York, which is home to a large Guyanese population, and had been making public statements about discrimination in Guyana – a narrative that is being peddled by the PNC-led A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition.
During a visit to Washington DC in July 2022, President Ali had invited the Congressman to a meeting but he never responded to the invite.
As such, the Guyanese Head of State used the opportunity on the sidelines of the CARICOM Meeting last year to school the US politician on the situation in Guyana. He had noted that Jeffries lent a “listening ear” during the brief encounter.
“We had repeatedly sought to educate Congressman Jeffries about Guyana and about the narrative that may have misled [him]. So, I was happy that I had the opportunity to meet him and to once again, invite him to a meeting and to seek any concerns he would have had and to educate him on Guyana. And not myself alone, I was happy that other [Caribbean] leaders were there to let him have a fuller understanding, a truer understanding, a more meaningful understanding about Guyana and what we’re about,” President Ali had told reporters following his return from Trinidad.
Prime Ministers Mottley and Dr Rowley along with Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, were present during the brief engagement between the Guyanese Leader and the US Congressman in Port-of-Spain. (G-8)