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The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) is cognizant of the shooting and stabbing incident which occurred today at the residence of His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

Threats of violence of this magnitude are extremely dangerous and cannot be ignored. The Chamber strongly condemns acts of violence against the First Family and believes that perpetrators should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We are therefore calling on law enforcement agencies to act swiftly to ensure the safety of His Excellency and to bring the named offender to justice.

The Chamber is aware of the increased inflammatory statements on social media and believes strong actions need to be taken to protect the First Family against future threats of intimidation and violence. Moreover, we wish to advise the public that resorting to violence in response to any form of disagreement is unacceptable, unjustifiable and punishable by Guyana’s laws.

GCCI wishes to emphasize that we strongly reject any form of hate speech or actions, that attempt to incite racial and religious tension and by extension division in our nation.

The Chamber commends the presidential guards for their responsiveness and bravery and wishes a speedy recovery to the security detail, currently receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The Chamber is hopeful that this ugly incident remains an isolated one as we seek to build a stronger, more unified Guyana.

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