U.S. will not name those ‘targeted’ with visa sanctions

Individuals whose visas have been revoked by the United States Government will be informed by the consular section of the U.S. Embassy, while those without a visa will find out when they apply and go in for an interview at the Embassy.

The visa sanctions were announced on Wednesday by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as the United States and the international community grow impatient with key officials of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the Coalition APNU+AFC who are bent on using fraudulent votes to declare the results of an election and keep David Granger and his government in office.

U.S Ambassador Sarah Ann-Lynch Thursday, speaking during a virtual press conference, said the sanctions were targeted at particular individuals.

She noted that there have been seven different elections report so far with two of them prepared with substantial alterations. She could only have been referring to the March 13 and July 11 reports of the Chief Elections Officer in which he used figures from District Four which were denounced by local and international observers as being fraudulent.

“The Guyanese people have exercised their civic right and they deserve to be heard. But due to continuing electoral improprieties, the people have not been heard after nineteen long weeks,” the Ambassador said in a statement.

It was on this basis that the visa sanctions were announced. It affects those responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Guyana and may affect the immediate family members of those persons.

She said U.S. law prohibits the naming of the persons who have been affected.

The sanctions were announced under the U.S. government’s Immigration and Nationality Act on the grounds that the entry of the persons identified into the United States would have “serious adverse foreign policy consequences.”

Ambassador Lynch stated that over 130 countries are represented through various organisations such as the OAS, the Commonwealth and CARICOM, in the call for the elections results to be declared based on the recount.

She said the events after March 02 have shown that there are “forces” that have repeatedly refused to accept the will of the people at the ballot box.

“Guyana’s non-democratic trajectory is dangerous for its citizens and for the hemisphere as a whole,” she stated, adding that she hopes Guyana’s leaders understand what is at stake if Guyana continues along this path.

She again warned of serious consequences for breaching the democratic principles Guyana is associated with key organisations such as the OAS.

The U.S. Ambassador expressed confidence in the chair of GECOM, retired Justice Claudette Singh, saying she was shocked and appalled at the dangerous statements and the actions that have seen directed at Justice Singh.

“Chairwoman Singh is a person of the utmost integrity and a distinguished jurist who has given decades of her life in service to her country.

“I hope that all Guyanese will speak out on her behalf and allow her to continue her work and bring this electoral process to closure.”