New gov’t’s foreign policy steps a c
New opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Amanza Walton-Desir yesterday voiced concern over the PPP/C-led government’s recent foreign policy decisions and warned against the country being steered by the United States into foreign interventions that would be to its detriment.
During her contribution to the debate of 2020 national budget, Walton-Desir called on the government to provide answers for the intended visit to Guyana of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.”
According to the MP, very recently, there have been “unprecedented levels of interference by foreign powers in our last national and regional elections. The obviously biased and at times downright disrespectful utterances have not gone unnoticed by Guyanese.”
She described as disturbing what she said “is the silence of these same foreign powers over the last few tumultuous weeks in our nation’s existence,” while noting that she is forced to wonder whether this is a desired state of affairs.
Walton-Desir said it is to be recalled that it was the David Granger- led APNU+AFC administration which advanced the matter of the resolution of the Guyana/ Venezuela border controversy the farthest, to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and so a commitment to a bipartisan approach to the matter is welcomed.
She said the opposition is also pleased to see the current administration express its commitment to protecting Guyana’s sovereignty, but noted that this commitment is one that will be severely tested in the coming months.
Against this background, she charged that the recent foreign policy actions of the government are a cause for great concern, stating that from its departure from time-honoured international convention as evidenced by Guyana’s support of the US candidate for the Presidency of the IDB “to the fear of our citizenry that our beloved Guyana is about to be inserted front and centre into US geopolitical engagement, Mr. Speaker, our people deserve answers!”
On this point, she noted that while Guyana expects to have the highest official from the US to ever visit Guyana, it seems shrouded in secrecy, causing her to question why.
‘Departure’
Walton-Desir, an attorney, said that as a small developing nation Guyana has to ensure that it does not “become entangled in geopolitical interventions which can be detrimental to the people of Guyana.” “We fear, Mr. Speaker, a departure from the consistency in positions taken at the United Nations under the APNU+AFC