Oops! Guyana's President tells the US to clean its own house

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http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2013/04/27/us-criticisms-of-radio-licences-corruptionclean-your-house-first-dont-lecture-us-president-ramotar/
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During a press conference at his Vlissengen Road office yesterday, Ramotar said that nobody has the right to lecture Guyana. “I don’t feel we should be lectured upon; I don’t think that anybody has the moral right to lecture upon us.”
He drew reference to the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba, a detainment and interrogation facility of the US military, which recently saw several prisoners going on a hunger strike to protest abuse.
The Head of State admitted: “We do have issues (here). We have to try to work very hard to eradicate some of the weaknesses in our system.”
The President said that Guyana has taken steps to address some of the weaknesses in the system. One of these is a move to tackle money laundering and possible financing of terrorism. The amendment Bill was recently tabled in the National Assembly and is designed to close current loopholes in the law.
There have been accusations that countless buildings, businesses and other investments are financed from the proceeds of illegal business and crime. However, there have not been many successful prosecutions or seizures of such by government.
Ramotar also pointed to the accusations that the US government has been taking prisoners to different countries and carrying out tortures such as ‘water boarding’. “…That don’t happen in Guyana. We don’t practice those types of things here in our country.”
He also spoke of the case of WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, who has been virtually held a prisoner in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for 11 months now. Assange sought refuge there after publishing a number of leaked US documents on his website, WikiLeaks. Some of the publications included embarrassing secret cables between US Ambassadors and the State Department. Guyana was mentioned, too, in the cables.
“So I think we should all work to clean up our house to strengthen our systems and make these better because those who are making the statements are no paragon of virtue either.”
According to the US in the Human Rights report, the issuance of 11 radio licences under the administration of former President Bharrat Jagdeo “lacked transparency.”
In November 2011, the very month he was leaving the Office of the President, Jagdeo handed out ten radio licences to his friends with associates being granted 15 radio frequencies.
“In 2011 the government approved applications for 10 new radio stations, although the process was controversial, lacked transparency and contained further steps needed before the new stations could begin broadcasting,” the report on Human Rights Practices stated.
However, the report noted that the government influenced print and broadcast media and continued to exert heavy control over the content of the National Communications Network (television), giving Government spokespersons extended coverage, while limiting participation of opposition figures.