Secretary of State Marco Rubio holds a press briefing with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali in Georgetown, Guyana.
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NewsTranscript
00:00You will be witnessing the signing of the MOU between Guyana and the United States this
00:07morning.
00:08I now invite the Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative, Mrs. Peggy McLennan, to give
00:13an overview.
00:17Thank you, Marcia.
00:18Your Excellency, Mr. President, members of the Cabinet, ladies and gentlemen.
00:26Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, King Hilton Claus, and Secretary
00:34of State, Marco Rubio, are signing a memorandum of understanding between our two countries
00:41to deepen security cooperation and address regional challenges, including countering
00:48narcotics trafficking and transnational organized crime.
00:53Under this mechanism, Guyana and the United States will strengthen information sharing,
01:00synthetic drug detection, transnational organized crime investigations and prosecutions, and
01:10military-to-military cooperation.
01:15Thank you very much.
01:16We now have the signing between the two nations.
01:25Thank you very much.
01:55Thank you very much, and I'll invite His Excellency to address us.
02:12Good afternoon, all.
02:14Secretary Rubio, you are no stranger to Guyana.
02:18Secretary Rubio has been and continues to be a strong advocate for Guyana's development,
02:28democracy, and peace.
02:31He has consistently demonstrated his personal commitment to the national rule of law, democracy,
02:39and security.
02:41Guyana and the United States share a long bond of friendship and partnership.
02:48Indeed, the best of partnership are those built on shared values, mutual trust, and
02:56a commitment to the rule of law and international order.
03:01This is what underpins our bilateral relationship and friendship.
03:06The United States is our trusted partner as we continue to build a stable, secure, and
03:15democratic society here.
03:18This visit has allowed us to consolidate our bilateral agenda, defining policies and outlining
03:27clear intentions in areas of security, trade, energy, investments, infrastructure, democracy,
03:38regional peace and stability, human capital deployment, and development.
03:44I am very pleased at the reassurance of the U.S. in ensuring the safeguard of our territorial
03:51integrity and sovereignty.
03:54Our partnership and joint commitment to the safeguard of this region from every disruptive
04:01force is key to the maintenance of democracy and adherence to the rule of law.
04:08The threats from Venezuela were specifically discussed.
04:13Their blatant violation of the ICJ order and Argyle Declaration were noted.
04:20Our joint commitment in enhanced partnership in combating transnational crime, inclusive
04:27of narco-trafficking, human trafficking, money laundering, and all forms of smuggling, is
04:34reflective in the enhanced MOU signed today.
04:38We have reassured our partner that we will continue to ensure all international and local
04:44labor laws are adhered to in the hiring of regional and international labor.
04:52Further, with our expanding health care system and critical shortage of human capital, we
04:59will explore areas of collaboration in filling existing gaps.
05:06We are able to identify key infrastructure that are also critical to regional development
05:12as possible areas for investment and development.
05:16We have committed to working closely together on the deployment of our energy potential,
05:22ensuring greater integration, value creation, and regional energy security.
05:28Full security and enhanced trade through joint initiatives to remove hurdles and expand
05:34existing areas of interest is key for both countries.
05:39I am confident that the outcome of this visit has further aligned our policy agendas, shared
05:46commitment, and partnership that will see enormous benefits for our two countries and
05:53the region.
05:54Let me once again thank Secretary Rubio for his personal commitment and that of the U.S.
06:00government to Guyana and this region in general.
06:04I thank you.
06:11Thank you, Mr. President.
06:12And we've been working together and interacting for some time during my time in the Senate,
06:16but I told him I wanted to wait until I was Secretary of State to visit, and so here I
06:20am.
06:21I didn't know that was going to happen, but I'm grateful for this visit and for the warm
06:25welcome we've received, and it's an exciting time to be here.
06:29I think, and to the people of Guyana, thank you for welcoming us.
06:32I hope you fully appreciate and understand this is one of the most exciting places in
06:36the world to be right now because you have the opportunity at this moment to transform
06:41this country for generations, and we want to be your partner.
06:45We want to be your partner in making that possible.
06:47We think it's a mutual benefit to see that happen.
06:50I get to visit in this job.
06:51I already have a number of countries in the nine weeks.
06:53I've only been on the job for nine weeks, so let the record reflect.
06:56After nine weeks was one of my first visits here that I've taken abroad, but we get to
07:02visit a lot of countries, and when you visit, you have some countries, unfortunately, are
07:05facing tremendous challenges, and they're just looking to stabilize.
07:09Other countries are looking to improve and make progress.
07:14This country has an opportunity to transform, and that's rare in the history of nations,
07:19to have an opportunity for transformative change, and what I mean by transformative
07:23change is not simply oil and gas fields, and that's very important.
07:27Natural resources are critical, but that is just the basic ingredient that allows prosperity
07:32to happen.
07:34One of the topics that's talked about all over the world today is data centers and the
07:38digitization of the economies, artificial intelligence.
07:42Do you know what you need in order to do that?
07:44You need to have really good scientists and engineers and technicians that know how to
07:47run it, but the most important thing you need to be a dominant presence in the world
07:52in data centers and artificial intelligence is reliable and affordable energy.
07:57That's just one example among many others.
08:01You have an opportunity to expand in a responsible way agriculture production, not just for the
08:06needs of your population, but for the region, and to do it in a way that safeguards the
08:11beauty in the natural environment that's pristine.
08:15You have an opportunity to expand in issues of ecotourism.
08:19I'm not a big fan of ecotourism.
08:21I'm not against ecotourism.
08:23I'm not an ecotourist.
08:24I like staying in hotels.
08:25I'll do it.
08:26Maybe I'll go somewhere, but there are people that love this stuff.
08:29They love it, and you have an opportunity to do that in an incredibly responsible way.
08:32I'm just touching on a few things that are opportunities before you, and that shared
08:38prosperity for your country that will come as a result of that is transformative.
08:42The lives of your children, the lives of your grandchildren, your lives are going to
08:46look very different in five to ten years under this leadership and under this vision as it
08:50continues, and we just want to be a partner.
08:52Why do we want to be a partner?
08:54Just to be frank, why does the United States care about number one?
08:57We care about it because we think it creates a level of stability in the region, which
09:03we share, which we share, not just stability here, stability for your neighbors, because
09:09we believe prosperity can become contagious.
09:12Just like instability can become contagious, stability and prosperity can become contagious.
09:18It won't just help you.
09:19It will help all of your neighboring partners in the Caribbean Basin and the region writ
09:23large, and we think that ultimately makes life in America safer and more prosperous
09:27as well, and so we want to look for every opportunity possible to partner with you,
09:32but the basic element of any of this, the basic element of progress and transformation
09:37and prosperity is always security.
09:40So number one, we want to make sure that some of the tragic regional problems that exist
09:44with crime, transnational crime, we have a huge problem in the world right now with organized
09:49gangs and narco-traffickers that destabilize societies.
09:52We want to make sure that never reaches here, and that's why today's MOU and the work
09:56we'll do together is designed not to stop it, but to prevent it from ever taking root,
10:03from ever finding its way here, because unfortunately, sometimes crime is attracted by prosperity
10:09and targets prosperity, and the other are regional threats, the regional threats based
10:14on illegitimate territorial claims by a narco-trafficking regime.
10:18And I want to be frank, and I've said this during my time as a senator, and I have full
10:22confidence in saying it now as Secretary of State, there will be consequences for adventurism.
10:29There will be consequences for aggressive actions, and that's why our partnership
10:34in that regard will be important.
10:36That is not what we want to be a feature of our relationship, but it is a necessity of
10:40our relationship, because you have a very difficult challenge on your hands with a dictator
10:45that's making illegitimate territorial claims.
10:48So you have our full commitment and support.
10:50Today we're demonstrating it, both in tangible ways, and we're going to look for ways to
10:55make it long-term in sustainable ways, to make abundantly clear that we are invested,
11:00both as a nation and from our people, in being your partner in transformation and in prosperity,
11:06and we will not allow illegitimate territorial claims to be an impediment to your dreams
11:12and to your right to develop this country into a symbol that I hope will inspire others
11:18to follow the example you set, Mr. President.
11:20So thank you.
11:21Thank you for the chance to be with me.
11:30Thank you very much, Excellency.
11:32I'm Secretary Rubio.
11:34Friends of the media, in the interest of time, we will accommodate four questions.
11:39We will take two questions from the local media and two from our visiting media.
11:44I recognize Starbrook News from the local media, as well as Ms. Kamala-Ann Campbell from the local media.
11:52From the visiting media, okay, you represent.
11:57Good, great.
11:58All right, we'll start with Marcel from Starbrook News.
12:01Hi.
12:02Good afternoon.
12:03Good afternoon.
12:04Marcel Thomas from the Starbrook News.
12:07You just spoke of consequences for aggressive actions and that the U.S. is being uninspired.
12:13Even Venezuela's unprovoked aggression towards Guyana.
12:17I want to know if your country would stand by Guyana militarily if Venezuela were to attack this country.
12:27And what would be the U.S.'s response should Venezuela attack U.S.-owned major ExxonMobil,
12:34which is operating in Guyana as well?
12:36It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they were to attack Guyana or attack ExxonMobil or anything like that.
12:42It would be a very bad day, a very bad week for them, and it would not end well for them.
12:48I'm not going to get into details of what we'll do.
12:51We're not big on those kinds of threats.
12:52I think everybody understands, and I want it to be clear.
12:54We've made this clear repeatedly.
12:56I think the U.S. Navy today is making it clear and demonstrating our ability to –
13:01we have a big Navy, and it can get almost anywhere – it can get anywhere in the world.
13:06And we have commitments that exist today with Guyana.
13:09We want to build on those, expand on those.
13:11And we'll leave it for the appropriate time.
13:13But suffice it to say that if that regime were to do something such as that, it would be a very bad move.
13:23It would be a big mistake for them.
13:27We now invite from all of us to media.
13:30Please remember to identify yourself and the media host you represent.
13:36Hello, Mr. Secretary.
13:37Hello, Mr. President.
13:38Thank you for taking questions from us.
13:40I appreciate it.
13:41Humayun from Reuters.
13:43Mr. Secretary, a Turkish student in Boston was detained and handcuffed on the street by plainclothes agents.
13:50A year ago, she wrote an opinion piece about the Gaza War.
13:53Could you help us understand what the specific action she took led to her visa being revoked?
14:00And what was your State Department's role in that process?
14:04Oh, we revoked her visa.
14:05It's an F-1 visa, I believe.
14:07We revoked it, and here's why.
14:09I'll say it again.
14:10I've said it everywhere.
14:11Let me be abundantly clear.
14:12If you go apply for a visa right now anywhere in the world, let me just send this message out.
14:16If you apply for a visa to enter the United States and be a student,
14:19and you tell us that the reason why you're coming to the United States is not just because you want to write op-eds,
14:25but because you want to participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities,
14:30harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus, we're not going to give you a visa.
14:35If you lie to us and get a visa and then enter the United States and with that visa participate in that sort of activity,
14:41we're going to take away your visa.
14:43And once you've lost your visa, you're no longer legally in the United States,
14:47and we have a right, like every country in the world has a right, to remove you from our country.
14:51So it's just that simple.
14:52I think it's crazy.
14:53I think it's stupid for any country in the world to welcome people into their country
14:57that are going to go to your universities as visitors.
15:00They're visitors.
15:01And say, I'm going to your universities to start a riot.
15:04I'm going to your universities to take over a library and harass people.
15:08I don't care what movement you're involved in.
15:10Why would any country in the world allow people to come and disrupt?
15:13We gave you a visa to come and study and get a degree,
15:16not to become a social activist that tears up our university campuses.
15:20And if we've given you a visa and then you decide to do that, we're going to take it away.
15:24I encourage every country to do that, by the way,
15:26because I think it's crazy to invite students into your country that are coming onto your campus and destabilizing it.
15:31We're just not going to have it.
15:33So we'll revoke your visa, and once your visa is revoked, you're illegally in the country and you have to leave.
15:38Every country in the world has a right to decide who comes in as a visitor and who doesn't.
15:42If you invite me into your home because you say, I want to come to your house for dinner,
15:46and I go to your house and I start putting mud on your couch and spray painting your kitchen,
15:50I bet you you're going to kick me out.
15:52Well, we're going to do the same thing if you come into the United States as a visitor and create a ruckus for us.
15:57We don't want it.
15:58We don't want it in our country.
15:59Go back and do it in your country.
16:00But you're not going to do it in our country.
16:02Sure.
16:03Just tell me your follow-up, and I'll tell everybody.
16:05Depending on your question, I'll answer it or not.
16:10Can I get her follow-up real quick?
16:12Go ahead.
16:18Maybe more.
16:19It might be more than 300 at this point.
16:20We do it every day.
16:21Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa.
16:25Sure.
16:27At some point, I hope we run out because we've gotten rid of all of them.
16:30But we're looking every day for these lunatics that are tearing things up.
16:34And by the way, we want to get rid of gang members, too.
16:36So Venezuela sent us a bunch of gang members.
16:38I'm sure you've heard of Trenaragua, Mr. President.
16:40Terrible gang, vicious gang.
16:42They flooded in there.
16:43Yesterday, just so everybody knows, yesterday, one of these gang members who was involved in New York City and attacking a police officer
16:50was deported back to Venezuela because they're now taking flights again because of some strong measures we've taken.
16:58And this guy lands.
16:59This guy's the guy that attacked a police officer in New York City and laughed about it in court with a smirk on his face.
17:04When he gets off the plane in Venezuela, he's welcomed by this character named Diosdado Cabello.
17:08I don't know if you've heard of this guy.
17:10And he welcomes him, hugging the guy.
17:12So does anybody have any doubt that these people are pushing these people into the United States to destabilize us in the region?
17:19So, yeah, we're looking for people like this, and we want to get them out of the United States.
17:22Absolutely.
17:25And I'll feed a question from the back.
17:27Kirk Campbell, Newsroom.
17:28President Allen, you've already spoken about how President Trump's plans, tariff plans for Chinese ships could affect regional trade.
17:39I just wanted to know if, in your trade talks today, if that issue was specifically discussed?
17:44Yes.
17:46I can tell you.
17:47Oh, you're asking him.
17:48I'm sorry.
17:49It's for both of you.
17:51What assurances can you give Ghana and this hemisphere in terms of stemming indirect consequences?
17:56Yes.
17:57Well, that's…
17:58Look, the goal the president has in doing so is we need to have an ability to build ships in this world that don't just come from China.
18:04Okay?
18:05I think it's just dangerous to have one country in the world building all the ships.
18:09I assure you that…
18:10And we don't want a war, but, I mean, they're not going to build ships for us if we get in trouble, right?
18:14So we need to have alternatives to Chinese ships.
18:16And we're trying to create a market and a demand for alternatives to Chinese shipping construction.
18:21And I'm the first one to admit that the United States made a terrible mistake when we de-industrialized.
18:25And we allowed all these industries to leave our country and go to other places.
18:29Now we're paying the consequences, but we have to fix it.
18:31So I do believe.
18:32I can't speak.
18:33I don't…
18:34The trade portfolio does not belong to the Department of State.
18:37But I do believe that we will take this back because we've heard this not just here, Mr. President.
18:42We've heard it throughout our visits here in the Caribbean.
18:45And we're going to take it back and explain to those who are in charge of trade policy
18:49that there are some implications to applying it to certain nations who are partners
18:55and who are seeking to develop their economies in ways that I think serve the national interest of the United States,
19:00not to mention the national interest of our partner nations, and see what can happen.
19:04So I can't make a commitment to those exemptions because that's not something we handle at the Department of State.
19:09What I can commit to is that I will most certainly raise this issue as a recurring issue in multiple places
19:14that it would have a real detrimental effect on economic development.
19:18Maybe in 10 years it won't be an issue because there's been some diversification, maybe in five.
19:22But right now it would be problematic.
19:24That message I'll take back to Washington and to my colleagues that are handling the trade portfolio,
19:29and we'll see how the president decides to proceed.
19:34But rest assured we will take that message back.
19:37Just to echo the sentiments that, yes, we did discuss it, and the region will embrace it also.
19:44But Secretary Rubio, as he said, will take this back and to see whether there can be any special initiative for the region,
19:54given our specific circumstances.
19:57But let me say also that we have a responsibility to our friends.
20:02The U.S. is a great friend of ours.
20:05The U.S. has made it very clear that they're ready to stand by us in our development, in our economic expansion,
20:12in our security, and in our defense.
20:15And I will say very boldly that such friends must have some different preferential treatment
20:21because a friend who will defend me when I need a friend to defend me
20:27must be a friend that enjoys some special place in our hearts and in our country.
20:33And that will be the case.
20:35And just quickly, illegal migration was also listed as a topic of discussion.
20:40Could you say what are the expectations from that in this regard and any discussions on third country?
20:46Well, we want to work with you on that.
20:48I think that's a problem for you as well.
20:49I mean, obviously, because of the combination of your growing economy, labor needs, and your geography,
20:54you've been a place where a lot of people have come in.
20:56And I think you want it to be the right people, right?
20:59So I think if we have information that someone has entered your country who has bad intentions,
21:04we want to be able to share that with your government because you don't want that.
21:07You don't want those.
21:08You know, if we have information on a trained Aragua gang member from Venezuela,
21:11we want to make sure that we have collaboration and we're sharing that information.
21:15If we have information that some narco-trafficker is taking up shop here
21:19and has decided to try to turn this into a base of operation,
21:22which could lead to violence and warfare here, gang warfare,
21:27we want to be able to share that with you.
21:29We want to prevent these problems from happening.
21:31So from the perspective of Guyana,
21:34which is not a source country of migration to the United States per se, illegal migration,
21:38but it is a country that receives, unfortunately, you know, you're getting a lot of people.
21:42And not everybody that comes here, I mean, most people are probably here to work hard and so forth, but not everyone.
21:46So if we have information that someone is in your country that we know is a bad person,
21:51we want to be able to share it with you.
21:52We want to be able to share it with you very quickly.
21:54So that sort of information sharing has to be a cornerstone of this security agreement that we signed today
22:00and want to continue to expand upon.
22:03We will now feed our final question from our visiting media.
22:08Hello.
22:09Hi.
22:10Vera with the Wall Street Journal.
22:12They're very tough, this Wall Street.
22:14Be careful.
22:16Secretary Rubio, when you and President Bukele, you mentioned that I was several times,
22:20when you and President Bukele negotiated the deal to transfer the U.S. deportees to his prison in Zagot,
22:26did you discuss any provisions to ensure that individuals mistakenly identified as gang members
22:31would have access to legal recourse and that they can secure the release of their own property?
22:36Yeah.
22:37That list was carefully vetted, provided to us by Homeland Security.
22:41We have confidence in it.
22:42What we negotiated is the reality that they, in El Salvador, comply with all the national—
22:49Marines at Guantanamo said these are some of the roughest people we've ever interacted with.
22:53They were worse than the al-Qaeda guys that were in their jails.
22:56Think about that.
22:57So that's who we're getting rid of, and we want to get rid of more of them.
23:02Ladies and gentlemen, members of the media, this brings the end to our media conference.
23:06I would like to invite His Excellency, Secretary Rubio, for a photo, right to the stage.
23:23Oh, they want to move the tables, huh?
23:29A clear stage, okay.
23:32That was good, right? You're happy with that?
23:33Yeah, very good.
23:36Very good.
23:40Very good.
23:42Yeah, you can just call.