The United States has allocated US$5M to assist Venezuelans in Guyana who were forced to flee their country due to severe economic hardships and other political issues which have gripped the nation in recent years.
This announcement was made by US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, during a media briefing on Friday, following bilateral talks with President Irfaan Ali at State House in Georgetown.
“We talked about the need for democracy in Venezuela and an end to the illegitimate (Nicolas) Maduro regime; the man who is denying that very democracy that the Guyanese people so love, denying that democracy from the people of Venezuela.”
“The US has now allocated US 5M to help Venezuelans in Guyana who have had to flee from Venezuela to Guyana to escape the horrors of brutality of the Maduro regime,” Pompeo announced.
Pompeo said that it is his hope that cooperation between Guyana an US will continue in this regard, adding; “I want to express my personal appreciation for Guyana’s hosting of the Venezuelans that have crossed inside of your country.”
He noted that with the US and Guyana working together great things could be achieved. “I am confident Mr President that we will keep working together and we will do great things alongside each other. I am grateful to see that you share the importance of our relationship,” he told President Ali.
Thousands of Venezuelans continue to seek refuge in Guyana as a result of hardships they are facing in their homeland.
The situation in Venezuela has also led thousands of Guyanese who had been living in Venezuela for many years to return to Guyana.
