By Svetlana Marshall

The high-level discussions between President Irfaan Ali and U.S Special Envoy Kristi Noem during her brief visit to Guyana on Tuesday centered largely on the fight to combat the trafficking of narcotics in Guyana and by extension in the Latin America and Caribbean Region, US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot has disclosed.

In an interview that will air this Sunday on the SOURCES talk show, Ambassador Theriot said in the discussions at State House on Tuesday, President Ali and Special Envoy Noem, explored how Guyana and the US could help to confront and address challenges facing the region, with the fight against the narcotics trade being key.

Kristi Noem was appointed to the position of Special Envoy at the recent Shield of Americas Summit to oversee and coordinate the 12-Member US-led Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (ACCC).

“It was very much focused on how we can assist each other in addressing these regional challenges. We very much see Guyana as a leader in this region and we look to you to be an example for the rest of CARICOM and other parts of the region, and so, that was certainly part of the discussions on how we can work together to set that example. We also talked about narco-trafficking and how we can’t allow drug traffickers and narco-terrorists to continue to use Guyana, your airspace, your whether it is flyovers on the way to Europe or elsewhere to Suriname or to stop off in Guyana, that is unacceptable, and the President has been incredibly clear that that is unacceptable, and we are looking at ways to help you with that as well,” Ambassador Theriot explained.

Ahead of Noem’s visit on Tuesday, President Ali disclosed that the Government was in talks with the US and other partners to establish an integrated system that would help to protect the country’s airspace and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in light of the continuous use of international waters and the Exclusive Economic Zone of various countries, including Guyana by criminals.

In light of this challenge, the US and Guyana, according to the US Ambassador, have agreed to collaborate on the use of drone technology to monitor and protect the country’s airspace and EEZ.

“Given how vast your borders are, and how impenetrable, and how difficult to reach, drone technology is a perfect solution because you can’t always have people in all of those areas. So, we are just thinking of ways to be creative and use technology to address your needs and in return, you all are part of our coalition – the Shield of the Americas – and together, we are going to work with Guyana and the 11 other signatories to counter transnational crimes, to address these narco-traffickers that are just a scourge on all of our societies,” Ambassador Theriot said.

Guyana earlier this month joined the US-led coalition to fight narco-terrorism in the Americas. The move forms part of Guyana’s integrated approach to crime fighting that includes not only the US but also with other bilateral partners in the region.

During her visit to Guyana, the US Special Envoy also met and engaged with officials of ExxonMobil Guyana.

In a statement, the US Embassy said the United States is committed to supporting Guyana’s energy development, fostering economic growth that benefits all Guyanese, and ensuring that the prosperity generated by the energy sector is protected from criminal exploitation.

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