By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News |
Leader of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) and Member of Parliament, David Hinds, believes the Guyana Government is effectively left with no choice but to accept a proposed arrangement with the United States to receive third-country deportees, arguing that the administration is politically compromised and lacks leverage.
According to Dr. Hinds, recent geopolitical developments—particularly events in Venezuela—have placed Guyana in a vulnerable position, making it difficult for the government to refuse U.S. requests regarding non-nationals who have violated U.S. immigration laws.
He contends that the power imbalance between the two countries is clear: the United States has overwhelming military, political, and economic strength to protect and advance its interests, while Guyana lacks the military capacity to do the same. In his view, this disparity has enabled Washington to pressure Guyana to accept third-party deportees.
Dr. Hinds further argued that the government’s negotiating position has been weakened by what he described as its alleged corrupt and transactional approach to governance. He maintains that this has left the administration exposed to external pressure and unable to effectively safeguard national interests.
The WPA leader also criticised the government for failing to take a bipartisan approach to the issue. He said that if opposition parties had been included in negotiations from the outset, Guyana might not now find itself in its current predicament. According to Hinds, a broader political consensus could have strengthened the country’s hand and ensured that national, rather than partisan, interests were prioritised.
He accused the administration of advancing its own domestic agenda at the expense of the wider national interest, asserting that this has now come back to haunt the government as it faces demands from a far more powerful partner.
Under the proposed arrangement, Guyana would reportedly be asked to accept refugees and other migrants who have violated U.S. immigration laws and whose home countries are unwilling to receive them. The issue continues to generate debate locally, with growing calls for transparency, consultation, and the development of a comprehensive national migration policy.
