Pres. Ali on U.S. strike on Venezuelan drug boats: Peace first, crime networks must be dismantled
President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Tuesday reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to keeping the Caribbean a “zone of peace,” even as he underscored the need for regional cooperation to dismantle transnational criminal networks operating across land, sea, and air.
Speaking with reporters at the Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown, the President said Guyana’s sovereignty is non-negotiable and that the country will continue to act in its own national interest.
“Our sovereignty is our sovereignty, and what we do in relation to our sovereignty is our business,” he said. “Our priority as a government and as a people is to ensure this region remains a zone of peace.”
Pressed about tensions linked to recent U.S. operations against suspected drug traffickers and threats from Venezuela’s defence minister, Dr. Ali reiterated that peace and security must go hand in hand.
“Whilst our priority is to ensure that this region remains a zone of peace, we are also conscious of the impact of transnational crime, drug trafficking, and other forms of illicit activities and the impact it can have on our people, the region, and our economy,” he said.
The President noted that Guyana has consistently pushed within CARICOM and in talks with the United States for a coordinated approach to target criminal syndicates.
“We have made it very clear that together as a region… we emphasised the importance of fighting transnational crime and forming a coalition to target transnational crime,” he stated.
Dr. Ali also disclosed that Guyana has raised alarms over suspected narcotics flights traversing its airspace and is engaging partners to bolster monitoring.
“We have raised an alert about the overflights over Guyana of suspected narcotraffickers and drug planes… and we have been talking to our partners to help support us in terms of our air surveillance and tracking system because we don’t want our territory to be used,” he said. “We don’t want our land or sea to be used by any criminal network.”
“We have a duty and a responsibility to make the necessary investment to secure our borders, to secure our people, to secure this region, and also to contribute to every effort that will see our region remain a zone of peace,” he said.
Only on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered another military strike against a boat that he insists was carrying illegal drugs from Venezuela to the U.S., telling reporters the operation left three people dead and “big bags of cocaine and fentanyl” floating around in the ocean.
