Pompeo continues his South America tour with Brazil

ANKARA

US State Secretary Mike Pompeo continues his Caribbean and South American tour on Friday with his visit to Brazil after completing final diplomatic meetings in Guyana.

After meeting with Guyana's President Irfan Ali and his Cabinet on Thursday, Pompeo is scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Hugh Todd and Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Irwin LaRocque.

The 15-member regional group has indicated earlier that it has adopted a position of non-interference and non-intervention in the internal affairs of Venezuela, a stance not welcomed by the US administration.

"Secretary Pompeo will reinforce the promise of a values-based U.S. partnership rooted in inclusive governance, private-sector investment to increase prosperity for the people of Guyana, and greater rule of law, as Guyana grows its economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic," the State Department said in a statement.

The visit marked the first visit by a US secretary of state to Guyana since the country's independence in 1966 from the UK.

Then he will pay a visit to Boa Vista, the capital of the Brazilian state of Roraima, where he will discuss the Venezuelan refugees problem, security cooperation, and pandemic with the country's authorities.

On Saturday, Pompeo will be in the Colombian capital Bogota to meet President Ivan Duque to discuss the ongoing partnership, as well as efforts to confront the threats posed by narco-trafficking and terror groups.

Pompeo's tour will end with a domestic visit in the Texas state on Sunday.

His tour started Wednesday with a visit to Suriname's capital Paramaribo, where he met with the country's President Chan Santokhi and his Cabinet to discuss bilateral opportunities.