Former United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Guyana this week where he met with President Irfaan Ali was “all personal and private,” government sources say.
The sources did not answer if Pompeo was invited by the President and would only say that discussions were private and that the visit was “not funded by the state either.”
In September of 2020 and not long after the swearing in of President Ali following the 2020 general elections impasse, Pompeo became the first sitting US Secretary of State to visit Guyana, which the US government at the time said was proof of how deeply the US values its relationship with Guyana.
Currently, Pompeo heads the Champion American Values PAC (CAVPAC), an organisation which states that it “is dedicated to advancing the conservative principles upon which America was founded and lifting to victory candidates across America who share our vision.”
“Mike currently leads Champion American Values PAC and Champion American Values Fund, organizations dedicated to pushing back against the ‘woke’ liberals who are shoving their ideology into our homes, schools, military, workplaces, and communities. His new book, ‘Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love,’ which was released in January 2023, includes stories from his heart detailing his time as Secretary of State and CIA Director and was named a New York Times bestseller,” the CAVPAC website states.
He is also a Distinguished Fellow at the Hudson Institute, which says Pompeo’s “work focuses on promoting US national security, technological leadership, and global engagement.”
The conservative think tank prides itself as “a research organization promoting American leadership for a secure, free, and prosperous future.”
“Founded in 1961 by strategist Herman Kahn, Hudson Institute challenges conventional thinking and helps manage strategic transitions through interdisciplinary studies in defense, international relations, economics, energy, technology, culture, and law. Hudson seeks to guide policymakers and global leaders in government and business through a robust program of publications, conferences, policy briefings, and recommendations,” Hudson Institute’s website states.
Last month retired four star US General Wesley K. Clark met with President Irfaan Ali and Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Omar Khan, at State House. Sources had told this newspaper that Clark was on a private visit at the invitation of President Ali. A brief statement from the Office of the President had said that discussions focused on hemispheric security and geopolitical relations within the western hemisphere. Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo was also at the meeting.
