APNU Parliamentary Leader Terrence Campbell has accused the PPP/C government of failing to update Guyana’s immigration and migrant labour policies, arguing that any presence of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in the country would reflect gaps in how the administration manages migration.
Campbell made the remarks in a video responding to President Irfaan Ali’s November 12 national security address. Ali said authorities had received intelligence about the possible movement of senior members of Tren de Aragua and were examining a suspected plot to target individuals, damage property and disrupt essential services.
“If Tren de Aragua is in this country, it is because this PPP government is operating without an updated immigration policy or an updated migrant labour policy,” Campbell said.
Campbell also referred to groups known as the sindicatos and accused Ali of overlooking what he described as failures in the government’s own policies. He questioned the administration’s approach to migration, saying some Venezuelans were entering Guyana without documentation while Cuban arrivals were documented. He also criticised the government’s restrictions on Haitian arrivals, pointing to Haiti’s membership in CARICOM and the region’s efforts to facilitate visa-free travel.
“The PPP government has failed to secure this country. It has failed to have proper policies of national security,” Campbell said.
As Kiskadee Watch reported, Ali’s address followed Tuesday night’s firebombing of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) substation at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara. The President said investigators were examining whether the attack formed part of a wider plot and whether other facilities or individuals had been identified as potential targets. The reported intelligence about Tren de Aragua concerned the possible movement of its members. Authorities have yet to publicly establish a link between the gang and the Good Hope attack.
Police said on Thursday that one suspect was in custody and three others were being sought in connection with the firebombing. GPL said the attack caused no major equipment damage and electricity supply was unaffected. The utility said a successful attack could have shut down the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System, affecting more than 220,000 customers.
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