PRESIDENT Dr. Mohamed Ali, accompanied by a team of senior government officials including Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd and Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Oneidge Walrond, paid a recent visit to Washington, United States.
The visit, from all indications, was highly productive. The President met with top officials from the US State Department, including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The discussions were aimed at deepening trade and investment between the two countries.

The President also met United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, aimed at deepening bilateral relations between the two countries. Among the several issues discussed were energy security, climate change, and the shared regional impacts of Venezuela’s migration and security issues.
Guyana’s global support for Haiti was also lauded by the US National Security Advisor. Guyana has made its position clear that it will be using its membership at the United Nations Security Council to garner support for Haiti in search of a solution to the crippling political crisis in that country.

Visits to Washington by President Ali, Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo and other senior governments officials have seemingly generated a fair degree of political angst by the political opposition, especially as it provides renewed opportunity to debunk the false narrative being peddled by the APNU+AFC regarding allegations of ‘undemocratic’ elections and ethnic discrimination allegedly perpetrated by the current PPP/C administration.
It matters little to the political opposition and their US-based ‘sidekicks’ that there is not a single shred of evidence to substantiate their bogus allegations. They seem to be under the illusion that by repeating their narrative of lies and falsehoods, some of them may stick among the unsuspecting.

In this regard, they are in for a major disappointment. Guyanese, both in Guyana and overseas, are much more informed and discerning than the political opposition would give them credit for. Indeed, the entire democratic world, including Washington, is aware of what transpired during the March 2020 General and Regional Elections, having been directly involved in the efforts to thwart the attempted electoral fraud by the then APNU+AFC regime.

President Ali’s visit to Washington coincided with the observance of International Day for Democracy, as proclaimed by the United Nations. It speaks to the democratic credentials of President Ali and the PPP/C administration that a protocolary meeting by the Organisation of American States (OAS) was held at its Headquarters in Washington to welcome the Guyanese President, who has been gaining the international spotlight as a consequence of his proactive stance on critical international issues, such as climate change, food and energy security and debt relief for developing countries.

This observation was made by Secretary- General of the OAS Luis Almagro, who praised Guyana for its fast-paced development. It will be recalled that Mr. Almagro visited Guyana a mere three months ago, when he lauded President Ali for the role played by Guyana in regional and hemispheric advancement, and in critical areas of environment, food and energy security.

According to the OAS Secretary-General, the many engagements he had with senior government officials have convinced him that Guyana is creating a pathway for inclusive economic and social development. The OAS, it will be recalled, was one of the several organisations and countries, including the United States, that fielded observers in the March 2020 Elections, and witnessed first-hand the blatant attempts by the APNU+AFC coalition to rig the elections.
Having regard to the above, no amount of political posturing and grandstanding on the part of the political opposition will be enough to convince Washington, and for that matter, the international community otherwise. Indeed, Guyana, under the PPP/C administration, is today a respected member of the international comity of nations.