Guyana remains proud member of CARICOM, solid US partner in fight against crime – Pres Ali

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Tuesday reaffirmed Guyana’s strong commitment to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and multilateral diplomacy amid growing regional debate over security cooperation and concerns raised by some regional leaders about the bloc’s effectiveness. The President made the remarks during a live interview with journalists and students on Tuesday where he was asked to respond to comments attributed to Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister (PM) suggesting that CARICOM is no longer a reliable partner and that the regional body is deteriorating, particularly in light of increased United States (US) security operations in the Caribbean Sea targeting gun and drug trafficking.
President Ali firmly rejected that assessment, emphasising that Guyana remains a proud and committed member of CARICOM, noting that the organisation’s headquarters is located in Guyana. He said multilateralism and regionalism are central pillars of Guyana’s foreign policy and diplomatic engagement.
“Multilateralism is an important part of our diplomacy. Regionalism is an important part of our diplomacy in Guyana. And I think it’s unfair to say that and I will not speak for my colleagues, but let me say this. Collectively, I went to many CARICOM meetings where we express concerns about drug trafficking, gold smuggling and other forms of illicit activity within our region, utilising our maritime space and our airspace. There is no doubt that the entire CARICOM spoke up against this, including gun smuggling. We all ask for action to be taken,” the Guyanese Leader lamented.
He made it clear that he personally supports every action taken to eradicate drug trafficking, terrorism, gun smuggling and gold smuggling within the region, stressing that such criminal activities undermine democracy, erode freedom, fuel corruption and destroy societies. The President underscored the human cost of transnational crime, pointing to the tens of thousands of lives lost, families displaced and communities damaged by criminal networks operating across borders. He said these realities must remain at the forefront of regional and international security cooperation.

Solid and reliable partner
President Ali also reiterated that Guyana is a solid and reliable partner of the US and other international allies in the fight against organised crime, while maintaining that regional cooperation through CARICOM remains essential to achieving sustainable security and development outcomes. “This brings me to my personal position. I support completely every action taken to eradicate drug trafficking, terrorism, gold smuggling within this region. It undermines democracy. It undermines freedom. It supports corruption. It destroys societies…. so the US has a solid partner in Guyana in the fight against those forms of criminality,” he added.
Earlier this month, US Department of War officials visited Guyana to meet with senior Government and defence leaders to strengthen and expand Guyana’s strategic partnership with the US. Senior Advisor to the Secretary of War Patrick Weaver and Acting Assistant Secretary of War Joseph Humire (Americas Security Affairs) conducted key engagements, including with President Dr Irfaan Ali and Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan. In a release to the media, the US Embassy in Georgetown stated that discussions focused on US support for Guyana’s territorial integrity and collaboration to advance regional security and stability.

Combating drug trafficking
Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo has also affirmed Guyana’s support for all efforts aimed at combating drug trafficking, even amid rising regional tensions involving Venezuela and the US. The VP made the remarks earlier this month during his weekly press conference when asked about the US’ expanded maritime operations in Caribbean international waters, including the interception of a tanker reportedly carrying a Venezuelan crew as part of what has been described as a “shadow fleet”.
He stressed that he is not aware of any plans by the US to take action against the Venezuelan Government, nor would Guyana necessarily be informed in advance if such actions were contemplated. He noted that Guyana has received firm assurances from the US regarding support for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The VP cautioned against speculation however, saying that Guyana would not be privy to hypothetical military actions by another country.
Jagdeo reiterated that the presence of US assets in Guyanese waters and offshore areas is fully aligned with assurances given to the Government of Guyana regarding the protection of its territorial integrity. President Dr Irfaan Ali had previously also spoken about Guyana Government’s support of ongoing efforts to combat narcotics trafficking and other forms of smuggling in the region.