GUYANA,S RULING PARTY LEADS MUSLIM COMMUNITY IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L GEORGETOWN 000008 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2019 TAGS: PGOV KISL GY SUBJECT: GUYANA,S RULING PARTY LEADS MUSLIM COMMUNITY IN GAZA PROTEST AT EMBASSY Classified By: DCM Williams for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) The ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP) led some 80 demonstrators in a peaceful event in front of the Embassy on January 9. High profile protesters included PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar, Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai, and a number of other former Ministers who are not Muslim. ¶2. (U) The protesters, of whom approximately two-thirds were Muslim, issued a statement declaring that 'attacks would not have been possible without the support, economic and military, that the United States continue to give to the murderous regime in Tel Aviv,' and 'the U.S. has the power to stop Israel's genocidal attacks on the Palestinian people.' The statement also called on 'the U.S., EU, and Russia to immediately get Israel to halt its military barbarism and to seek a political solution to the Palestinian/Israeli problem.' ¶2. (C) Comment: The fact that local Muslim leaders informed Post in advance that the PPP was organizing a protest -- and apologized for it -- attests to the positive relationship between the U.S. and the mainstream Muslim community in Guyana. Given the senior PPP in attendance, represented by the party's Moscow-educated old guard, and the low turnout by younger PPP members, it is unclear if President Jagdeo truly backed the protest or if he was just disinclined to control a vocal minority faction in his party. End Comment. Jones