US House Intelligence chair visits Guyana

Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 April 2025, 19:19 by Denis Chabrol

Chairman of the United States Congress’ House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Republican Congressman Rick Crawford, on Tuesday visited Guyana but little was said about talks between his delegation and Guyana government representatives.

“A congressional delegation, led by U.S. representative Rick Crawford, is meeting with government and business leaders to discuss areas of mutual cooperation,” an official told Demerara Waves Online News.

When contacted, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Komal Singh said there was no meeting with an American delegation.

Another official said the talks focussed on “exploring ways and means to improve and cement future relations” and demonstrated strong support for US-Guyana relations.

Mr Crawford’s visit here followed one by US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio to Guyana and Suriname on March 27, 2025 during which he made known the Trump administration’s concern about China’s presence in the region.

The Chinese Embassy here, swiftly on the same day, did not hide its displeasure apparently by President Irfaan Ali’s pledge of “different and preferential treatment” to the US in exchange for support in development, economic expansion, security and defence of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Speaking one day before Mr Rubio’s arrival in Georgetown, Congressman Crawford had told a recent select committe intelligence hearing on global security threats that he was “deeply concerned about encroachment in our Western Hemisphere” by China as well as other “adversaries” like Russia and Iran.

He also said he was concerned about Russian military cooperation in support of Venezuela and Nicaragua; Iran’s defence agreement with Bolivia, and the establishment of a technical military cooperation commission that includes Cuba, China, Russia and Iran. “I can list several more alarming examples. I’m afraid we focussed so much of our attention across the world that we’ve lost sight of our own neighbourhood leading to the anti-American regimes gaining a permanent foothold within striking distance of the Homeland,” he said.