Why did Pompeo visit Guyana in December 2023?

Dear Editor,

Mike Pompeo has no links with the US government. He made a visit to Guyana in December and met President Irfaan Ali. Why?

Did the former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lobby President Irfaan Ali for the US$1 billion Berbice oil refinery contract to be awarded to his company ?Did Pompeo’s company bid for the project? Is his company preferred over Guyanese companies? Why have local companies been bypassed for foreign companies? Is this nationalism that is being demonstrated by President Irfaan Ali? Is the VP comfortable with not being consulted?

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo is supposed to be in charge of energy matters (oil and gas). How come he is not involved in making a decision on the refinery? Is there a shift in the power structure? Is Irfaan his own man now? Is this a harbinger of what is to come? It is not forgotten that Irfaan is President because of the choice made by Jagdeo who had several more worthy and qualified candidates. But he chose Irfaan as the Presidential candidate, blanking Anil Nandlall and Vindya Persaud. Is Irfaan now doing his own thing without VP’s approval? Remember Donald Ramotar blanked Jagdeo just months after he became President, and he lost power. Could there be a repeat next year?

Is the planned awarding of the oil refinery contract a payback for intervention in the 2020 election? Is a mining contract also in the making? If Pompeo and other investors are so interested in the development of projects in Guyana, why don’t they buy shares or stocks in companies doing business in Guyana? In so doing, there would be more liquid cash available to the other investors to complete their projects. Why can’t Pompeo allow local Guyanese companies to get a fair share of the construction projects?

When will Guyanese get their fair share of the nation’s resources and wealth? Will the VP and other politicians allow Pompeo to exploit us? Will Americans close their eyes to this exploitation? Will the Democratic government in the USA stand up and allow this bullyism of our people?

Yours truly,

Nigel Pilgrim