Jagdeo: Govt not involved in ‘Melly Mel’ detention, opposition seems anti-Trump

Vice President (VP) and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, has reiterated that the government had no involvement in the arrest and detention of controversial figure Melissa “Melly Mel” Atwell.
Atwell was detained last week by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency and is scheduled to appear before Judge Francis Mwangi on March 28.
Dr Jagdeo made these remarks during his weekly press briefing at Freedom House, which was also broadcast live on Thursday.
A number of individuals, including senior opposition members, protested at the Square of the Revolution on Tuesday night in what they described as a “unity meeting” in support of Atwell. The protestors alleged that the government played a role in her detention.
“We’ve seen the protest at the Square of the Revolution, and it is the right of any Guyanese to stage a protest. We are not going to get sucked into the debate around Miss Atwell. Here are the facts: We do not control ICE in the United States of America. They seem to have a very high opinion of the People’s Progressive Party to think that we can control the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit… Thank you, APNU, for believing we have such powers.
“If they have a problem with the Trump administration’s policies, they should protest directly to the US government. What they are claiming, essentially, is that Miss Atwell’s human rights have been violated and that the PPP has somehow influenced the Trump administration to violate her rights… Of course, you know this is nonsense,” Dr Jagdeo stated.
He stressed that if the opposition and protestors are against Trump’s policies, they should openly declare their position instead of implicating the PPP in their criticism of the Trump administration.
Earlier this week, Attorney General Anil Nandlall also dismissed insinuations that the Guyana government played any role in Atwell’s arrest and detention.
Nandlall emphasised that the United States is a sovereign nation with the authority to enforce its laws when they are believed to have been violated.
“Those persons who are protesting must understand that they are protesting the actions of a sovereign government enforcing its laws within its own territory, as it has a legal duty to do against those whom its law enforcement agencies believe have violated the law,” he stated.
Furthermore, Nandlall suggested that Atwell’s detention may have been a consequence of her own actions, as she frequently tagged US law enforcement agencies in her Facebook posts—often using obscene or offensive language.
In a post from last November, Atwell claimed, among other things, that then-incoming US President Donald Trump could end up in jail before her.
She was responding to critics who called for her return to Guyana under Trump’s immigration enforcement policies to face criminal charges for her conduct. In that same post, Atwell used obscene language towards both President Trump and the Guyana government.
The Attorney General himself had been a target of Atwell’s attacks, as she alleged that he provided her with information about his party colleagues, as well as leaked details of Cabinet and party meetings—claims he categorically denied.
Nandlall has since filed a libel lawsuit against Atwell and noted that other individuals affected by her statements had also taken legal action.