Adverting to the arrest of social media personality, Melissa Atwell, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) has expressed concern at the actions of the United States administration which would seek to threaten the residency of legal aliens of colour in that country.
In a release yesterday, the GHRA highlighted several incidents that that it feels illustrates its afore-mentioned uneasiness.
It highlighted the recent detention of Atwell, by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and her transfer to the Richwood Correctional Centre in Louisiana. This it said is incidentally the same detention facility where Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University student protester involved in New York Gaza protests and what are referred to as other ‘high value’ detainees are kept awaiting deportation.
The release noted that Atwell, who posts on social media under the name ‘Melly Mel’, is a prolific critic of corruption in public and commercial life particularly by prominent political figures. Her numerous heated exchanges have attracted libel suits, including from the current Attorney General, Anil Nandlall. All major opposition political parties have criticised her detention, the GHRA noted.
However, the Guyana Government, in the person of Vice-President Jagdeo, claimed to be unaware of her detention which the GHRA opined, was no doubt prompted by the ruling party’s established practice of vindictiveness against its critics through the use of tax claims, libel suits and preferential business practices. The Association also stated that in this particular case, Jagdeo’s statement invites the speculation of coincidence between Atwell’s arrest and the meeting earlier in the week in Houston between President Irfaan Ali and US Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright.
According to the release, the Atwell development adds to the catalogue of “unsavoury consequences” generated in general by the Trump administration’s “xenophobic policies” aimed at ‘Making America Great Again’. “While the more bizarre threats to Canada, Greenland, and Panama, dominate international media, the campaign to ‘cleanse’ the US of ethnic, gender, and sexual diversity, are affecting a much larger number of countries, including Guyana.” It also expressed concern that under the pretext of removing illegal immigrants, people of colour, whether legal or illegal, migrant or born in the USA, are at risk.
The GHRA also reminded that it has previously publicised its concerns over the tactics employed by the US to force countries like Guyana to collaborate with its disreputable campaign to rid the country of people targeted for transfer to their countries of origin.
Bullying
The release then turned its attention to a more recent Trump administration “bullying tactic’ where English-speaking Caribbean countries were being ‘ordered’ to deport Cuban medical personnel who for decades have constituted the backbone of medical services in these territories. It pointed out that Guyana in particular has not only benefitted from medical volunteers, but the bulk of Guyana’s medical practitioners have been educated in Cuba.
In response to this ‘directive’, the release noted that Trinidad, Barbados and St. Vincent political leaders have acknowledged their debt to Cuba and made clear to the US they will not be deporting any Cuban medical personnel. Mia Mottley, the Barbados Prime Minister stated she was prepared to risk restrictions on her right to travel to the US in retaliation for resisting the dictates of that country. Dr Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent noted that 60 of his nationals would die within a week if deprived of the medical dialysis treatment provided by the Cuban doctors.
However, GHRA pointed out that despite being the country that has most benefitted from Cuban largesse, Guyana has yet to make a public statement on the matter. It posited that Guyana faces a greater risk than other Caribbean territories of offending the US due to the importance of US support over the threat of invasion from Venezuela. Moreover, the de facto ownership and control of Guyana’s oil industry by the US-based giant, ExxonMobil, further restricts its ability to distance itself from the US. The unexpected announcement earlier this week by the US Ambassador of her government’s support over the Venezuela issue reinforced awareness this reality.
The release noted, “Seen in terms of solidarity with the ruling party in Guyana, its dilemma is isolating itself both nationally and regionally. At present every decision by a public servant, every contractor, every housing application, every tax-free concession or scholarship, expects to be accompanied by cheer-leading for ‘One Guyana’ and the ruling party.”
It suggested also that Guyana should its oil resources to assist its CARICOM partners on the range of climate and financial issues confronting them, a strategy that would be conducive to solidarity with Guyana.
“Being allowed to live in peace, both for Guyana along with the rest of the world, depends on finding ways to ensure principled politics can be protected and flourish in the domestic realm. The alternative, namely, going along with disreputable solutions is to join a game which the current US administration is far better placed to win”, the GHRA said.
