One has to give kudos to President Ali in being able to pull off an early engagement with American Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Secretaries tend to give priority to big states and countries that have pressing issues relating to American interests.
In traveling around Guyana, after seeing the Irfaan-Rubio pix in the media, several individuals queried when the American Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Guyana. Some also phoned posing same question. I am not an insider, although I spoke with insiders in DC, and therefore have no information of an impending visit by Mr. Rubio. Guyana (Irfaan Ali) is very fortunate to have its President having a meeting with the American Secretary of State in DC so soon after he was sworn in to office. Several world leaders and foreign ministers were invited to the swearing in of Trump; Guyana was not.
The high level meeting with Irfaan sent a strong message to foreign policy analysts. Even a photo opportunity sends a message of the powerful Washington relationship to internal political opponents and external enemies with eyes on Guyana’s territory and oil. There would have been an important reason for the meeting to take place. It is recalled President Ali congratulated the new American President on his second term as did nearly all other leaders of government. There was also an advertisement in the local media and billboards congratulating Trump; President Ali and the VP understand Trump’s Washington well.
Only a few are in the know on how and why the meeting between Rubio and Irfaan took place. Guyana and Guyanese are better off doing business with America than with the Middle East, China, and Russia. Anyone who does play not ball with USA and American companies will face dire consequences from President Trump.
At their brief exchange, I am certain President Irfaan would have tendered an invitation for Mr. Rubio and President Trump to visit Guyana. But it is extremely unlikely either one would visit Guyana soon. The Americans have far more important and urgent matters (Middle East, Ukraine, China and Southeast Asian incursions, Iran, withdrawal from international bodies, etc.) to address than Guyana. Guyana is not on the radar (as yet) for Washington unless Venezuela makes a move on Guyana’s territory or threaten Exxon Mobil oil production in which case Rubio (and Southcom head) will promptly fly to Guyana to send a clear message to Maduro. Exxon is too important to Guyana’s development to be threatened. Mr. Rubio and President Trump want peace in the Guyana-Caribbean region. But if peace is violated, the Americans would not hesitate to act to force peace on the border. The Venezuelan President is unlikely to take any hasty action on territorial incursion in Essequibo. Otherwise, the consequences for his regime would be devastating. And he knows it.
Rubio would not visit Guyana soon unless there is a threat to American economic and security interests. But other ranking members of the Trump Administration will visit Guyana sooner rather than later. They would not want to visit Guyana close to an election (likely the first Monday of November). All visits would have to occur before June.
Mr. Trump is a no-nonsense leader and while Guyana will pique his interest in terms of oil reserves and daily production, a visit is not on his agenda. He was known to visit larger countries in first term. And Secretary Rubio is too busy with planning for various (bilateral and multi-lateral) summits with far more important and powerful nations (and regions) like India, China, Japan, Europe, Korea, and Australia, etc. Prime Minister Modi is expected to visit Washington soon to be followed by a visit of Mr. Trump to Delhi for an Indo-Pacific (Quad) summit later this year. Rubio held meetings with Foreign Ministers of several powerful nations less than two weeks ago right after Trump’s glittering swearing in and is due to meet them again soon to finalize the President’s overseas visits.
In their encounter, President Irfaan would have committed to Secretary Rubio a mutually beneficial and trusted partnership for peace, prosperity, and security. And Rubio would have emphasized the importance of American companies getting contracts for major projects in Guyana. And the diaspora wants a deeper American engagement in Guyana. Chinese companies have dominated state contracts in Guyana. Guyana must reorient towards the north, not the east. Guyana must advance a partnership with America regardless of which party (or coalition) in government.
Rubio played a very significant role in protecting the democratic outcome of the 2020 Guyana elections when there were attempts at rigging. Several of us in America lobbied him to issue statements and to help influence the Trump administration to pressure the Guyana government to respect the will of the voters in the 2020 elections. Rubio should be lobbied to visit Guyana.
