Dear Editor,
I’ve been in Haiti for the past seven months and would like to verify if there is a Guyana Embassy here, but it’s proving difficult.
A local man first alerted me to this ‘embassy’ when he told me that he once saw a sign which said ‘Guyana Embassy.’ I replied, “but there is no Guyana Embassy in Haiti.” The gentleman could not remember where he saw the sign but he said he was certain of it.
On two different occasions shortly thereafter, I saw a dark tinted SUV with the Guyana Coat of Arms and the words ‘Consulaire Guyana’ on the windshield driving in Port au Prince. This vehicle also had the standard Haitian government-issue front licence plates that say ‘CD’
(Corps Diplomatique). I’ve contacted various Guyana embassies and consulates around the
world and only received two replies. Canada said they had no idea and said I must contact the ministry to find out. New York said no such embassy exists. I did contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs a few months ago, but as of today I’ve not received a response.
Editor, Guyana is a very strange country where scandals and questionable deals by officials and the connected are the order of the day. We also have grand anomalies like no freedom of information and secret classification of everything. Yet some proclaim this state to be free, open and democratic.
Is it possible that someone has set up a private consulate in Port au Prince? Does this ‘embassy’ have the blessings of the current Government of Guyana? If indeed this ‘embassy’ does exist, how is it that officers in another embassy do not have such basic information at their disposal?
Or are Guyana embassies and high commissions independent contractors?
Some years ago I had cause to write about my experiences at the embassy in Washington DC; New York leaves much to be desired; Venezuela provided laughs when they questioned my identity and Guyana passport then refused me service. However, Port au Prince is beyond words. Another phantom?
Yours faithfully,
Mark Jacobs
Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett for any comment she might wish to make.
