GUYANA | Ali Gov't hurt by US Congressman's refusal to meet due to racism allegations; CGID responds to Gail Texeira

NEW YORK, NY, November 1, 2022 - The Guyana Government is not happy with the push-back it is receiving  receiving from some members of the powerful Congressional Black Caucus, particularly those from New York who are not happy with repeated allegations from Guyanese at home and in the Diaspora, that the Irfaan Ali/ Bharrat Jagdeo administration is corrupt and racist.

“Unfortunately, a few local officials in the USA who rely on the electorate of Brooklyn appear  to have fallen prey to the racist propaganda of extortionists and con-men,” said a rather vexed Guyana Government statement issued by Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Texeira on Monday.

Texeira was reacting to a Guyanese Diaspora Townhall Meeting on October 30, in Brooklyn, NY, addressed by the government’s “arch-enemy number One” Rickford Burke as well as New York Attorney General Letitia James and US Congressman Hakeem Jeffries.

Jeffries who is Chairman of the Democratic Caucus in Congress, has refused to meet with Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali and other elected officials as a result of their concerns.

In light of this the government has lambasted him, along with other  US politicians for refusing to meet with them. “It is rather uncharacteristic of these local elected officials to reject hearing both sides; a few  have been formally and informally invited by the Government to examine the facts but have  instead rebuffed these overtures,” said the statement that was issued through the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance.

According to Texeira, “the Guyanese Diaspora Townhall Meeting on October 30, 2022, was another Rickford Burke one-man-organization orchestrated event to rehabilitate his discredited image, after his attempt to extort $200M from a Guyanese businessman became public. The attendees were the hard core APNU supporters and a few local elected leaders,” said Texeira, belittling the positions of the New York Congressional, State and City officials who were in attendance at the town hall meeting. 

In a response to the Ali administration’s statement, the Caribbean Guyana Institute Democracy (CGID) in a statement this morning castigated Gail Texeira, who ”falsely claimed that Mr. Burke attempted to extort $200M from a Guyanese businessman and has sexual assault charges in the USA.”

According to the CGID statement, “Mr. Burke has never been accused of, arrested or convicted of a crime in the US or any other country. Mr. Burke has no criminal record. The PPP government is so scared of Rickford Burke, that they now desperately resort to fabricating nonsensical allegations to attempt to smear his character and diminish his image and popularity.” 

The CGID Statement pointed out that Teixeria “claimed that New York State Attorney General, Letitia James and other elected officials, who attended the meeting were local Brooklyn politicians seeking votes.”

Quite the contrary it pointed out…”the Attorney General is the Chief Law enforcement officer of the entire STATE of New York. After US Attorney General Merrick Garland, she is the most powerful Attorney General in the US. It is understandable why a powerful black woman will be problematic for the PPP to acknowledge.”

“Thousands of people attended the forum. The Attorney General of New York State ripped the PPP regime for its racism, discrimination and corruption. The forum was a resounding success. We welcome her acknowledgment of Mr. Burke as  a leader who can get things done for the people through powerful advocacy,” the statement noted.   

In refuting Teixeira’s claim that her PPP Government has been managing the affairs of the government transparently and inclusively, the CGID said “the empirical evidence is irrefutable. Covid-19 relief cash grants were mostly given to its East Indian PPP supporters. Farm flood relief went to East Indians PPP supporters. Additionally, only East Indians received the $250,000 GUYSUCO second severance pay, while the government refused to increase black public servants’ salaries. The regime also fired over 3000 black government workers. 99.9% of hundreds of billions of dollars in government contracts were awarded only to PPP East Indian supporters.

They also pointed out that the Ali regime has been engaged in, and encouraged ethnic land grabbing; kicking black people off of lands and facilitating the corrupt seizure of black ancestral lands. They have been trying to seize the land and property of several large black businesses like Car Care, Cevons, Caring For Others, etc.

The PPP has also been using the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to persecute black people who speak out against their racism and corruption. Today Kidackee Amsterdam was arrested for speaking out. Last Friday the Police arrested Attorney at Law Ms. Tamika Clarke for advising her client of his constitutional rights.  They join a long list of black politicians and others who are being politically harassed by this dictatorial government. The PPP government condones Police corruption and usees the GPF as mercenaries and enforcers to harass, frame, and arrest political opponents,” the CGID lamented.