Brooklyn, NY – House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries released the following statement:
On Thursday, I hosted a meeting with Guyanese President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and a delegation of government officials from the Republic of Guyana. Several leading congressional members with expertise in foreign affairs, finance, security, and other critical issues to the Western Hemisphere and the Caribbean-American community in Brooklyn and across the United States also participated.
During the meeting, we discussed several critical issues, including regional and energy security, the climate crisis, and the importance of an inclusive society in Guyana that involved full economic participation and civic engagement by Guyanese-Africans and Guyanese-Indians. We also discussed electoral reform, strengthening democratic institutions, and the need to bolster access to banking and financial services in the Caribbean region.
In the next few weeks, a delegation of House Members, myself included, will meet with leaders of the Guyanese opposition party to continue our dialogue about the opportunities and challenges confronting the Republic of Guyana and other nations within the African diaspora in the Western Hemisphere.
We will continue to encourage the government and the opposition to work together to ensure that all Guyanese citizens, regardless of race or ethnicity, benefit from the economic growth underway in the South American nation.
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Members in the meeting were:
- Rep. Maxine Waters, Ranking Member, Committee on Financial Services
- Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member, Foreign Affairs Committee; Member, Committee on Financial Services
- Rep. Steven Horsford, Chair, Congressional Black Caucus; Member, Financial Services Committee; Member, Armed Services Committee
- Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, First Vice Chair, Congressional Black Caucus; Member, Committee on Energy and Commerce; Member, Committee on Homeland Security
- Rep. Stacey Plaskett, Ranking Member, Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government; Member, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
