Brooklyn, NY: The Brooklyn, New York-based Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) has strongly condemned what it describes as the “forced” termination of the agreement between Taiwan and Guyana to establish a Taiwan Office in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member state, blaming the termination at the insistence of the US Ambassador to the country, Sarah-Ann Lynch.
“The agreement was announced by the US Ambassador and not the Government of Guyana,” said CGID Director of Communications, lawyer Richard Millington, in a statement.
He said “it is an embarrassment to the Guyanese people” that the Guyanese Government “continues to allow the US Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch to dictate Guyana’s foreign policy.
“Worst, announcements of new foreign policy decisions are also made by the US Embassy, while the Government of Guyana remains silent – an act of gross disrespect to our nation,” Millington claimed.
“The PPP (People’s Progressive Party) administration has surrendered Guyana’s sovereignty to Ambassador Lynch, who continues to operate as if Guyana is her ‘cotton-picking plantation,’ and Guyanese are in servitude to her as a slave master,” he added.
Millington said that the US Embassy in Guyana made a statement on February 4, 2021, announcing that the PPP Government has agreed to establish a Taiwan Office in Guyana, stating that it was “incredibly stunning.”
“This reckless policy will severely damage Guyana’s relation with China,” Millington warned.
On Thursday, the Government of Guyana announced the termination of an agreement with Taiwan to establish an investment office in Guyana.
The announcement was made less than a day after Taiwan said it had an investment office in Georgetown. This led to questions surrounding Guyana’s commitment to the One China Policy and its diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the decision to terminate the agreement as a consequence of “miscommunication.”
“The Government of Guyana has noted various media releases on the matter of a Taiwan office in Guyana,” the statement said. “The Government of Guyana wishes to clarify that it continues to adhere to the One China Policy and its diplomatic relations remain intact with the People’s Republic of China.
“The Government has not established any diplomatic ties or relations with Taiwan and, as a result of the miscommunication of the agreement signed, this agreement has since been terminated,” added the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On Wednesday, the United States Embassy in Georgetown announced establishing a Taiwan office in Guyana and welcomed the move as Washington has long expressed growing concern about China’s deepening influence in the Caribbean and Latin America.
While there had been no formal announcement by the foreign ministry in Georgetown, Taiwan signed the agreement on January 11 and started operations on January 15.
Historically Guyana has supported China and the “One China” policy – which does not recognize Taiwan as an independent state.
On Friday, Taiwan squarely blamed China’s interference in preventing the establishment of a trade office with Guyana, stating that China had put enormous pressure on Guyana to rescind the agreement.
“Our government expresses deep regret toward this,” said the Taiwan Foreign Ministry in a statement.
“China’s bullying and efforts to isolate Taiwan and shrink its international space only emphasize more clearly its evil nature and drive the people of the two sides further apart,” it added.
Amid the confusion, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali maintained: “We very highly value our relations with China and will maintain that policy 100 percent.”
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