OPINION: The CIA in Guyana: confirms the state of the State

Last Updated on Sunday, 24 March 2024, 7:33 by Denis Chabrol

by GHK Lall

Guyana is abuzz.  The CIA came to Guyana and met with MIA but no BeeJay.  In plain sight, no clandestine ops, not a whiff of the undercover now very much embedded in the domestic scene.  I wonder what CBJ would think about this development.  Wonder what he would think of his political offspring now so obsequiously groveling before those who destroyed him.  Those PPP luminaries with such a cushy setup that they can’t stand for anything, can’t object, can’t commit to a public word at this obscene insult.  Is somebody telling me that the mighty Ali didn’t have it in him to try.  Not in March, boss.  Not in this time that honors Cheddi B. Jagan, founder, leader, inspirer.  How the times change: imagine the CIA now meeting in broad daylight with the PPP, and the PPP is the guvment.  The same government that was thrown out on its head back in the day and sent its way into the wilderness.  Today is a new day.  Thank God for Jesus, and America.  Guyana too.

I make this straight: the CIA just doesn’t drop in for a how do thee do soiree.  No siree.  The director of all people, is somebody kiddin’ me?  Who let that guy Burns through the airport?  And this before the echoes emerging out of the now hotly disputed UN Human Rights Committee powwow could even diminish into the haze of customary silence.  All those people around that table of edgy discussions, the illustrious sons of Guyana, could be assured of one thing: they figure sweetly in CIA files.  Psychological files (whose head is screwed on wrong).  Anticorruption files (who is asset, who is player).  Dead files (who are lost causes).  This is too much attention and American interest that Guyanese can absorb.  It is unhealthy, akin to if America the Beautiful is stalking Guyana the Dreadful.

So, what necessitated a visit from the distinguished William J. Burns suddenly to sunny, serene, Guyana?  Maybe he was in search of a house lot.  Or a gold concession and an oil block.  Then again, on top of his list had to be scanning the coast to check on how many Communist Chinese are here.  He would have had a fruitful touchdown with a bow to all four areas.  Nonetheless, whatever language he did speak had to have gone over the heads of most of those local stalwarts, regardless of who has what from where educationally.  From the pictures, it looked like a serious discussion; not one Guyanese was doubled over in laughter, even cracking the slightest, politest grin.  Her Excellency Theriot was all Cajun Cool; unlike her predecessor, this plenipotentiary is all on the stealth side, a rollicking CIA type from the new school of American diplomacy.  I noted serious people traveling serious miles to deliver serious messages.  At arm’s length.  Some concerns can’t be in memo form, or via secure satellite phone connection.  The Americans had to have done their own prior sweep of the meeting place.  Remotely, naturally; about who is trustworthy.  I must ponder how high in their esteem stands the big local man who likes to raise his voice and throw around his weight.

This is getting to be a can of worms, and this bigwig CIA visit out of the blue is making me nervous.  Nowadays, there is a growing pattern of guys of this caliber just showing up as if it is the most normal thing in the world.  In the good old days, there was gunboat diplomacy.  After that came diplomacy for democracy.  Of course, that was all intricately tied up with what is now recognized as oil diplomacy.  It is just not admitted publicly.  But check this out.  No sooner that a Red Notice came from Interpol about a mafiosi in close quarters to people close to the PPP Government, than there was a blue suited CIA director winging his way to here.  To direct who and about what, may I be so bold as to enquire?  For sure, this so-called courtesy visit by the CIA kingpin had to have been coordinated with one Antony J. Blinken and the right people at the White House.  The CIA does not pay courtesy calls.  All of this is getting to be too much for me.  Port security, drug duty, Interpol, UN, CIA, what the hell is going on?  Who is next, the FBI?  The NSA, though they are already overhead?  Me, I am getting worried and think about this.  I am not a target.  This is not looking good for Guyana.  It does not look good for the other fella (the conspicuously missing one), or the party.  Excellency Ali can huff and puff and bluff.  But I had repeatedly cautioned.  This is serious stuff, and these are serious people.  They can see right through him.  Just like I do.

Two things on the run.  First, I read that the honorable Vice President, the main one, wants a list of the names of people and places that wrote that disagreeable UN committee.  There is good news and bad news.  I didn’t communicate in any shape or form, or at any time, with that outstanding body.  I swear.  The bad news is that the VP would not want to know those that may have been written to and over what issues.  He would have a fit.  Likely be driven crazy.  I warned him not to mess with Texas.  I forgot to give this message to the president, vice president, and the PPP Government.  Do not play pranks with the Yanks.