Dear Editor,
One has to salute President Ali on being one of the earliest heads of government to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In travelling around Guyana, after seeing the Irfaan-Rubio pix in yours and other media, several individuals queried when American Secretary of State Marco Rubio would visit Guyana. Some also phoned in posing the same question. I am not an insider, although I spoke with insiders in DC, and therefore have no information of an impending visit by Mr Rubio.
Guyana is very fortunate to have its President (Irfaan Ali) having a meeting with the American Secretary of State in DC so soon after he was sworn-in to office. Several world leaders and foreign ministers were invited to the swearing-in of Trump; Guyana was not.
This high-level meeting with Irfaan sends a strong message. Even a photo opportunity sends a message of the powerful relationship with Washington to internal political opponents and external enemies who are eyeing Guyana’s territory and oil.
There would have been an important reason for the meeting to take place. It is recalled that President Ali congratulated the new American President on his second term, as did nearly all other leaders of government. There was also an advertisement in the local media, and there are billboards congratulating Trump. President Ali and the VP understand Trump’s Washington well.
Only a few are in the know on how and why the meeting between Rubio and Irfaan took place. Guyana and Guyanese are better off doing business with America than with the Middle East, China and Russia. Anyone who does not play ball with USA and American companies would face dire consequences.
At their brief exchange, I am certain, President Irfaan tendered an invitation for Mr Rubio and President Trump to visit Guyana, but it is extremely unlikely that either one would visit Guyana soon. The Americans have far more important and urgent matters to address than Guyana (Middle East, Ukraine, China and Southeast Asian incursions, Iran, withdrawal from international bodies, etc). Guyana is not (as yet) on the radar of Washington, unless Venezuela makes a move on Guyana’s territory or threatens ExxonMobil’s oil production; in which case, Rubio (and the SOUTHCOM head) would promptly fly to Guyana to send a clear message to Maduro: Exxon is too important to Guyana’s development to be threatened.
President Trump and Mr. Rubio want peace in the Guyana-Caribbean region, but if peace is violated, the Americans would not hesitate to act to enforce peace on the border. The Venezuelan President is unlikely to take any hasty action on territorial incursion in Essequibo. Otherwise, the consequences for his regime would be devastating. And he knows it.
Secretary of State Rubio would not visit Guyana soon, unless there is a threat to American economic/security interests. Other ranking members of the Trump Administration would visit Guyana sooner rather than later, but they would not want to visit Guyana close to an election (likely the first Monday of November); all visits would have to occur before June.
Mr. Trump is a no-nonsense leader, and while Guyana would pique his interest in terms of oil reserves and daily production, a visit is not likely on his agenda. He is known to have visited larger countries in his first term in office.
And Secretary of State Rubio is too busy with planning for various bilateral and multi-lateral summits with far more important and powerful nations (and regions); like India, China, Japan, Europe, Korea, and Australia, etc.
Prime Minister Modi is to visit Washington soon, and President Trump is to visit Delhi for an Indo-Pacific (Quad) summit later this year . Rubio held meetings with Foreign Ministers of several powerful nations less than two weeks ago, right after Trump’s glittering swearing-in, and is due to meet them again soon to finalise President Trump’s overseas visits.
In their encounter, President Irfaan would have committed to Secretary Rubio a mutually beneficial and trusted partnership for peace, prosperity, and security; and Rubio would have emphasized the importance of American companies getting contracts for major projects in Guyana.
The diaspora wants a deeper American engagement in Guyana. Chinese companies have dominated state contracts in Guyana; Guyana must reorient towards the North, not the East. Guyana must advance a partnership with America, regardless of which party (or coalition) is in Government; and Rubio should be lobbied to visit Guyana.
Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram
