Most pragmatic, influential and down-to-earth leader

Dear Editor,

President Dr Irfaan Ali, who is currently serving as Guyana’s 10th President, was first elected to office in August 2020 and re-elected for a second term in September 2025, and he is undoubtedly the most pragmatic, influential and down-to-earth leader in the 21st century. President Dr Ali is widely regarded as a transformative and pioneering leader for steering Guyana through its fastest period of unprecedented global visibility and an economic growth rate of approximately 45 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). During the last three years, His Excellency has gained significant recognition not only in the Caribbean and Latin America but also in the international community, especially among the Global North countries, including the United States.

President Dr Irfaan Ali has fostered a strong, strategic and purposeful partnership with the United States, rooted in shared security, energy, economic interests, and the rapid development of Guyana. Dr Ali has affirmed that Guyana’s relationship with the United States is strong in areas of regional security to combat transnational crime and economic cooperation, particularly in the expanding oil, gas and agricultural sectors. Other areas include capacity-building and systems to protect Guyana’s maritime and exclusive economic zone and human development – a people-centred approach that involved the educational and technological training of Guyanese to enhance efficiency, improve Government service delivery and sustainable, long-term growth and competitiveness. The goal is to move the country away from a reliance on external technical expertise to create local capacity that prioritises efficiency.

Under President Dr Irfaan Ali’s tenure, Guyana has emerged as the world’s newest petrostate with major oil shore discoveries estimated at 11 billion barrels, and a production capacity of between 750 and 900 thousand barrels per day has transformed the country from a net energy importer into one of the fastest-growing oil producers globally. And while some of the oil revenue is deposited in the Natural Resource Fund (NRF), much of it is being utilised to transform the economy, develop alternative sustainable energy sources, reduce the cost of living, provide free university education, increase disposable income and improve the lives of the people.

Known for his fearless and heroic stance on global issues that threaten both the ecosystems and human survival, such as severe poverty and food shortages; water and energy scarcity; violent conflicts; climate change; and environmental degradation, the Guyanese Head of State has been lauded for highlighting those issues, thus elevating the country’s profile on the global stage. His bold leadership has raised his international standing and has earned him numerous accolades, including being named by the global media brand Time Magazine as one of the most influential leaders who could shape world affairs in the future. He was honoured for leading Guyana through rapid economic growth driven by an oil boom while managing complex regional geopolitics and infrastructure development.

In 2025, President Dr Ali was awarded the esteemed Global Leadership Award for Open Innovation by the University of California, Berkeley, for his leadership in inclusive economic growth and his efforts in addressing climate change and environmental sustainability and for positioning Guyana as a leader in the global green economy. The Guyana Head of State was also bequeathed with the prestigious Global African Leadership Award for his transformational, exceptional and visionary leadership, which focused on inclusive development through his “One Guyana” philosophy, and for his dedication to regional prosperity and unity and anti-racism initiatives.

Many in the public have applauded the President for his vision of the “One Guyana” initiative, which is a national development strategy that, among other issues, focuses on fostering unity among the races. It aims to bridge the social and economic divide through infrastructure development of schools, hospitals, houses and roads. Integral to the “One Guyana” initiative is free education from nursery to tertiary (university) levels to enhance accessibility for the citizens to become more educated and productive as well as inclusivity and the equitable distribution of the country’s resources for all. regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, economic status or class, or political affiliation. Not to mention his skilful navigation of high-level diplomacy for a peaceful settlement on the Essequibo border controversy with Venezuela.

With the “One Guyana” initiative now firmly embedded in the psyche of most Guyanese, President Ali’s vision is for a thriving and prosperous Guyana aimed at fostering unity, inclusivity, and equality for all citizens where everyone, including the most vulnerable in the country, enjoys the benefits of the nation’s development. His goal is to reduce inequalities in every sector while ensuring that rapid economic transformation benefits every Guyanese. Simply put, Dr Ali is firmly committed to establishing a united Guyana that transcends divisions and a sense of belonging for all, and that no one is left behind.