Criminologist, social activist and host of the ‘Straight Up’ radio and online programme, Mr. Mark Benschop slams President Irfaan Ali for being in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) “at a time when Guyanese are anxious about the upcoming referendum in Venezuela and a delegation from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights [IACHR] is here to meet with the government and other groups in society.”
President Ali, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and several Government Officials are attending a Conference on Climate Change in Dubai, UAE, which is scheduled to begin Thursday, November 30, 2023. According to a statement released by the government on Monday, the president left Monday afternoon and is expected to return on Saturday December 2, the day before Venezuelans vote on their claim to Essequibo.
The IACHR team is visiting Guyana from Tuesday November 28 to Friday December 1, 2023. The team is here on a “technical cooperation and promotional visit” with the aim of addressing public policies that focus on human rights, whilst also deepening awareness of state agents and increasing capacities of state and non-state actors to promote and respect human rights.
Benschop sees the absence of key leaders of the government as deliberate. According to him, “the visit to Dubai is a deliberate effort on their part to dodge answering the IACHR for the regime’s human rights violations, other forms of race and political discrimination, and persecution of citizens who dare speak out.”
And whilst the government promoted its trip to Dubai as an opportunity to push climate financing, forest incentives and its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), Benschop says “nonsense.” The “installed regime is running from accountability and wants to stay far away from Guyana at this time.”
In the era of zoom, the social activist feels President Ali, if he wanted to make a presentation to the Conference, could have utilised this technology. “It is not that he never used it before, but he wants a joy ride, plenty of photo opportunities at taxpayers’ expense.”
A retired diplomat and military officer shared with Village Voice News their concern about President Ali being away from Guyana at this time. The diplomat said it would have been better for the president to forego the trip. The military officer also stated it would have been better for the president to have remained in Guyana and let the vice president be the one physically in Dubai. The officer feels the government’s action could send the wrong signal to the Guyanese people, creating further speculation of its sincerity about the protection and defence of Guyana’s territorial integrity
Senior Counsel and Member of Parliament Roysdale Forde in a statement equates President Ali’s absence from Guyana as an abandonment of his post as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Services and Head of State.
Benschop is of the view that Ali, Jagdeo and the other government officials should seek asylum status and remain in Dubai. Clarifying his position for Village Voice News, he states “I would advise Mr. Ali and his posse to apply for asylum in Dubai, given the fact they have neglected the Guyanese people, and since their installation in office from August 2020 they have caused the Guyanese people nothing but pain and suffering.”
Elaborating further, the criminologist points to “a failed economic policy that has seen high cost of living, daily power outages, high unemployment, increasing malnutrition of children, falling education and health standards, increase poverty and crime.”
The talk show host has also flayed the Ali administration for what he calls “their failure to protect the borders, resulting in thousands of Venezuelan nationals arriving, including members of the Sindicato criminal group that has unleashed terror on Guyanese in Region One and other regions across Guyana.”
“Whilst Guyanese are on their knees seeking leadership that would be able to calm them in time of crisis, with Venezuela and Nicolás Maduro’s unjustified claim to most of Guyana, Ali and his posse flew out of Guyana, spending millions of taxpayers’ money, leaving the people in the hands of an inexperienced and unqualified Prime Minister, ” he opines.
When the president is out of the country, the prime minister acts in his stead. Prime Minister Ret’d Brigadier Mark Phillips is acting President.
