Reference President Ali’s visit to Nimitz, the US Aircraft carrier. It is brilliant, strategic, in our national interest to visit American military ship. It is a symbolic visit to show Guyana’s solidarity with America on combating drug trafficking and a message to other powers not to meddle in regional affairs. It is a direct message to Caracas not to mess with Guyana. It is noted that leaders of other countries in the region also visited the Nimitz.
The handful of left-wing Guyanese politicians who are critical of the President’s presence on the deck of an American military ship don’t understand Washington’s geo-strategic politics and Guyana’s national interests. Guyana needs USA more now than ever before. This is not the 1950s thru the 2010s when third world leaders can be anti-American; anti American administrations knew the consequences then. The consequences are worse today. Guyana must ally with USA for security and economic interests. President Ali is smartly allying with USA and pursuing an unprecedented close relationship with Washington that no other leader ever did or thought about.
Under President Ali, strategic alliance with the United States is anchored in deep mutual interests, primarily centered on national security cooperation, energy, and economic stability. America is Guyana’s primary economic partner.
Since becoming President in August 2020, Ali has been strengthening Guyana’s security alliance and economic cooperation with the United States, marked by high-level geopolitical collaboration and high-profile visits by leading American cabinet officials and military personnel. Ali has expanded our partnership with USA. The Nimitz visit further strengthens ties between our two countries. It comes on top of Ali recently meeting President Trump in Florida to solidify security and anti narcotic cooperation. Trump pledged assistance to Guyana.
The Nimitz visit highlights deep bilateral integration between U.S Naval Forces Southern Command and Guyana’s maritime units. The USS Nimitz is a supercarrier deployed in the Southern Seas. The encounter between Americans and Guyanese on the carrier allowed our forces to align tactical operations for multi-national missions to combat drug trafficking and other threats to the region and to protect Guyana’s integrity.
The tight alliance between the Ali Administration and Washington faces criticism from left wingers and pro-Russian and pro-Chinese advocates. They forget that America was responsible for the restoration of democracy in 1992 and again in 2020. It was under the Trump Administration that democracy was protected in 2020 after repeated attempts at rigging. Russia and China did not support the struggle for restoration of democracy in Guyana or against the 2020 rigging. A handful of us lobbied Washington to intervene in Guyana to restore democratic governance in 1992 and again in 2019/2020. Washington pressured the dictatorship in Guyana from 1989-92 to pursue political and economic reforms allowing for the left wing Cheddi Jagan and the PPP to win the 1992 elections and assumed power. Rigging was abandoned in 2020 after threats of serious consequences for riggers from Trump administration.
The pro Russia and pro-China advocates also forget that American companies have invested heavily in Guyana’s economy over the last decade. Also, American troops have been protecting our border against Venezuelan threat and those huge American investments. Without Exxon investment in deep water drilling, oil and gas would not have been found. Guyana would have remained a backwater place without huge Exxon investments. Guyana’s economy would have been floundering without Exxon money. None of the development Guyana has been undergoing since 2020 would have been possible without American support. Exxon has been responsible for our growth and infrastructure development and the energy giant operations have been rapidly expanding resounding to enormous financial remunerations to continue to fund our infrastructure, cash grants, and buildings.
American’s objectives in Guyana coincide with ours. America’s top goals in Guyana are to promote inclusive growth, support human rights, combat drug trafficking, strengthen democracy, protect our border, share intelligence, provide training to our armed forces, give logistical support to dismantle transnational criminal organizations, and secure American interests in the region. Guyana benefits enormously: gains access to U.S funding, equipment, and advanced training for our armed force as well as various forms of support services.
American security investment in Guyana benefits us. Ali’s cooperation with USA serves our interests. He should ignore critics like Freddie Kissoon and others from the lunatic left who oppose the strong American military presence in Guyana and our alliance with USA.
* Dr Bisram studied American Foreign Policy and International Politics
