In a statement which appears to point to concerns that Guyanese residing in the United States are being negatively impacted by ongoing political developments in Guyana, the Guyanese-American Chamber of Commerce (GACC) has expressed “grave concern” over what it says have been “calls for the boycott of some Guyanese-owned businesses in Brooklyn, New York, for having the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, His Excellency Irfaan Ali, visit their business establishments recently.”

While the GACC statement provides no information on the likely source of the alleged business boycott, it asserts that the development has its roots in “baseless partisan political, ethnic, religious” reasons, describing the development as “downright outrageous” whilst calling on “the people of Brooklyn, New York” to ignore these calls.

In remarks which suggest that the alleged boycott demand may have targeted “micro and small businesses,”   the statement said that such businesses are “the backbone of a nation’s economy,” given their role as “significant job creators, often providing employment opportunities to individuals who might otherwise struggle to find work including women and young people.”