Hakeem Jeffries to Address Conference on Guyana

NEW YORK, New York – The Democratic leader in the United States House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, and a high-level Biden administration official , are expected to address a conference on Guyana next month,  the New York-based Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) has announced.

CGID’s director of communications, Richard Millington, said his group is collaborating with Guyanese diaspora organizations here for the September 27-28 conference that will be held under the theme “Promoting Inclusive Governance and Economic Growth, Equal Justice, Social Equality & Sustainable Development for All Guyanese in the Era of Oil and Gas.”

Millington, an attorney, said several individuals and organizations in Guyana and the diaspora will attend the conference.  He said delegates will also travel to Capitol Hill to meet with key members of Congress and US Senators, and that the delegates to the conference will include members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).

“Delegates will also brief White House officials, as well as officials from the State Department, Justice Department and FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigations] and US Exim Bank on the situation in Guyana,” he said.

“This conference is convened amidst concerns by the Guyanese diaspora that US policy on Guyana has not sufficiently promoted American values such as inclusive governance, inclusive growth; equal justice; social equality and sustainable development for all Guyanese,” Millington said.

“Oil and gas revenues are not used equitably for the benefit and upliftment of all Guyanese,” he said, alleging that “billions of dollars in government contracts mostly go to the ethnic supporters of the East Indian-led and dominated People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government, essentially shutting out the African Guyanese population from government contracts, and ensuring the transfer of State wealth to one ethnicity.

“The prevailing view in Guyana and the diaspora is that the US government is unbothered that racial discrimination and racism appear to drive PPP government policies and practices,” he added.

Millington said “the Biden administration’s foreign policy on Guyana seems apathetic to these realities and indifferent to the systemic marginalization of Blacks” insisting that Guyana is also a “significant geo-political ally of the US and is important to our national interest.

“The conference is, therefore, intended to bring together Biden administration officials, members of Congress, Guyanese national and diaspora leaders, and other stakeholders, for a robust and comprehensive dialogue to foster a pragmatic US policy on Guyana that is aligned with American values and the international democratic ethos,” he added.