United States (US) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to pay a visit to Guyana this week, where he will meet with the President and other top officials in what will be one of the highest-profile visits the country has had in recent years.
The US Secretary of State’s impending visit to Guyana was revealed after a letter, sent from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, addressed to Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Godfrey Bess, was leaked to the public.
In the letter, the Ministry seeks to arrange a meeting with Bess, to discuss the security arrangements for Pompeo’s visit. The letter says that Pompeo will be visiting Guyana from September 17 to 18, 2020.
US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo
“Consequently, the Ministry should be most obliged if you could identify a representative to attend a meeting on Monday, September 14, 2020, in the main conference room of the Protocol and Consular Affairs Department,” the letter states.
“The main purpose of the meeting is to discuss with the principal stakeholders, the modalities relative to the establishment of mechanisms for the Secretary of State’s seamless entry and egress, as well as his security while in Guyana,” the Ministry also informed Bess.
When contacted by this publication, Brigadier General Bess would only say that the Guyana Defence Force stands ready to provide protection for any high-profile visit. When contacted, the United States Embassy spokesperson also could not confirm the visit.
The last high-profile visit of a world figure to Guyana’s shores was the visit of Britain’s Prince Harry in December 2016. This publication understands that Pompeo’s visit will see several agreements being signed with President Dr Irfaan Ali, as well as engagements with other officials.
Pompeo played a prominent role in pushing for democracy in Guyana, during the tumultuous five months following the March 2 elections. This role included issuing statements urging the then President David Granger to adhere to the results of the elections.
It was Pompeo who announced visa restrictions against Guyanese officials responsible for undermining democracy. He had also urged President Granger, who at the time was being kept in power by virtue of court cases filed by his party supporters, to step aside.
Earlier this month, Pompeo had reached out to President Ali to extend congratulations and to pledge the support of the US to Guyana on developmental issues. This was revealed from the official social media account of Pompeo, where he announced that he spoke with President Ali and had personally congratulated him on his victory in the March 2 General and Regional Elections.
“Democracy ultimately prevailed in Guyana. The United States stands ready to work with our Guyanese neighbour after this historic transition,” Pompeo had announced on his social media account.
Besides Pompeo, the US State Department through American Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch has also been active in ensuring that democracy prevailed in Guyana. One of the most pivotal moments after the elections was on March 13, when Lynch and her other counterpart ABCE diplomats walked out of the tabulation process for District Four at the Region Four command centre in Ashmins building. At the time, former Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo was using figures that did not correspond with the Statements of Poll (SoPs) in the possession of political party representatives and observers, to tabulate and make a declaration.
Mingo’s figures would have resulted in a win for the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC). The diplomats registered their disapproval and non-acceptance of the RO’s conduct by walking out and subsequently issuing a strongly-worded statement alerting Guyana and the world to what was happening.
The rest is history. The lack of credibility in Mingo’s two declarations resulted in then Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and then President David Granger agreeing to a National Recount, which eventually showed that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) won the elections with 233,336 votes, while the APNU/AFC coalition garnered 217,920. (G3)
