Top US official for talks with govt, opposition, civil society

Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 March 2022, 16:25 by Denis Chabrol

The United States Deputy Assistant Secretary for Caribbean Affairs and Haiti, Barbara A. Feinstein will this week hold wide-ranging talks with the Guyana government, opposition and civil society, the American Embassy said Wednesday.

Ms. Feinstein’s March 24-26 visit to Guyana comes against the backdrop of frequent calls by American Democratic Congressmen and President Joe Biden for “inclusive” economic growth for all races and the preservation of democracy.

“Her visit underscores the continued importance the United States places on the U.S./Guyanese partnership,” the US Embassy in Georgetown said.

Her agenda includes meetings with Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, members of the opposition, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the private sector, and civil society.

While the opposition A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change has been aggressively accusing the government of racial and political discrimination and corruption, the governing People’s Progressive Party Civic has denied those charges and has insisted that the opposition recognises it as  having been legitimately elected in March 2020. The coalition and the government have accused each other of electoral malpractices.

Ms. Feinstein most recently served as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Caribbean Affairs, Haiti, Cuba, Mexico, and Central America with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). She has held various leadership positions with USAID, including as Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for Legislative Affairs; Deputy Chief of Staff to Administrator Rajiv Shah, Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor to Acting Administrator Alonzo Fulgham; and Special Assistant to Administrator Henrietta Fore. Other assignments include service with the U.S. Departments of State and Defense.

Ms. Feinstein has served on the professional staff of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations and the House International Relations Committee of the United States Congress.

She holds a Master’s degree in International and Public Affairs from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies, Spanish and Portuguese from the University of California-Berkeley.

Ms. Feinstein speaks Spanish and Portuguese.