In its annual Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP), the United States slammed the Jagdeo/Ali regime for the lack of prosecution of human traffickers.
On page 261 of the report, the government of the United States of America noted: ‘Although the government meets the minimum standards, it did not convict any traffickers for the first time in four years. It did not formally approve standard operating procedures (SOPs) to identify victims, provide sufficient security for trafficking victims at shelters, provide enough Spanish-language interpreters, identify any victims among the vulnerable Haitian population, or adequately oversee recruitment agencies’.
After being placed on the ‘Tier 2 Watch List’ for three consecutive years from 2013-2015, Guyana was reclassified to a ‘Tier 1’ country in the United States’ Department of State’s 2017 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report.
Due to the work of the APNU-AFC regime, Guyana embarked on massive changes that resulted in the creation of a regime that resulted in the ‘Tier 1’ ranking. There were numerous raids on nightclubs and human traffickers could not find any shelter because government officials refused to be bribed.
In 2020, when the Jagdeo/Ali was installed, the government inherited the infrastructure to maintain the ‘Tier 1’ ranking. However, based on the complaints by this report, it appears that human traffickers are now being protected due to bribery.
The report comes on the heels of numerous reports by the United States that have flagged the lack of will to fight corruption and prosecute members of the criminal underworld. Moreover, the sentiments expressed in the report are consistent with the general trends of the Jagdeo/Ali regime.
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