The Alliance for Change is calling for full disclosure on the recently signed bilateral agreement between Guyana and the United States.
In a press statement on Thursday, the party questioned the timing of the agreement, noting that it appears to have been signed on the eve of heightened military pressure against Venezuela. The AFC pointed out that the U.S. dispatched its Assistant Secretary of War to sign what it described as “yet another bilateral agreement.”
The party is demanding clarity on the nature of the agreement and what it means for Guyana and its citizens, stressing that the sovereignty of the country is the responsibility of all Guyanese.
According to the AFC, with what appears to be imminent military action, the Government should have provided the Leader of the Opposition—had one been in place—with a full briefing on the development. Failing that, the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee should have been convened and similarly briefed.
However, the party noted that neither a Leader of the Opposition nor a functioning Foreign Affairs Committee is currently in place, due to what it described as the governing People’s Progressive Party’s refusal to hold another parliamentary sitting, citing legal challenges surrounding one individual.
The AFC further highlighted that the United States administration has already convened a session with its bipartisan Foreign Affairs Committee to provide members with a complete picture of its proposed actions. The party questioned why the PPP government has not taken similar steps to brief stakeholders in Guyana.