New U.S. visa sanctions target those undermining democracy

The new visa sanctions announced Thursday by the United States targets “senior officials” responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Guyana, Michael Kozak, acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Western Affairs of the U.S. State Department has said.

The U.S. first announced visa sanctions two weeks ago and followed up today with more.

Following his announcement, Kozak took to Twitter to pile further pressure on President David Granger’s and his Coalition to accept that they have lost the elections and should step aside and allow the swearing-in of the PPP’s Irfaan Ali.

In a tweet, Kozak stated Thursday night: “The U.S. will not stand by as the Granger administration continues to defy the will of the Guyanese people.

“Democracy must prevail.”

In announcing further visa sanctions today he said that the Granger administration and its allies continue to defy the will of the Guyanese people by refusing to accept the vote count.

He noted that the count has been certified as valid by international observers OAS and CARICOM, Guyana’s and the Caribbean’s highest courts.

He vowed that the United States and the rest of the Western hemisphere will not go along with the farce and “will continue to act until the Granger administration accepts the will of Guyanese voters.”