—President Ali says; reaffirms Guyana’s commitment to aligning with its partners to stamp out transnational crime

WITH less than nine days away from the General and Regional Elections, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has appealed to the nation, warning them not to turn the hands back on the clock of development, especially with Guyana and the wider region facing security threats.

Speaking at a public meeting in Herstelling before a mammoth crowd, the President told citizens that Guyana is on board with its international partners to fight against transnational criminal networks and narco-terrorism.

The President said that the government will not risk the nation’s sovereignty nor sacrifice its future.

The President said that the nation must be able to navigate this complex environment.

Dr. Ali firmly stated that the nation must tactically develop strategies to ensure that its partnerships, alliances and support translate into the security of Guyana, its sovereignty and the future.

“We must align ourselves with every force that is coming together to fight transnational criminal networks, because these criminal networks can destabilize our region and our economy. They can work on behalf of rogue regimes, and they can do the work of rogue regimes,” President Ali said.

Dr. Ali warned of the threat which Venezuela poses to the nation, explaining that if criminal networks operating out of there and anywhere else in this region, then Guyana needs to align and prove itself as a trusted and serious partner.

On Friday, the Government of Guyana issued a statement regarding the threat to regional security posed by transnational crime and narco- terrorism.

The Government said it views with grave concern the threat to peace and security in the region posed by transnational organised crime and narco- terrorism, often involving criminal networks such as the Cartel de los Soles of Venezuela, designated as a terrorist organisation by some countries in the region.

“Such criminal networks have the capacity to overwhelm state institutions, undermine democracy, pervert the rule of law and threaten human dignity and development.

“The Government of Guyana underscores the necessity for strengthened cooperation and concerted efforts at the national, regional, hemispheric and global levels to effectively combat this menace,” the statement read.

Guyana reaffirmed its support for a collaborative and integrated approach to tackle transnational organised crime.

It further read: “ We are committed to working with our bilateral partners to find meaningful solutions and will support regional and global initiatives aimed at dismantling criminal networks to safeguard our shared security. By confronting
transnational organised crime and narco- terrorism with unity, we reaffirm our dedication to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that the region remains a Zone of peace.”