GEORGETOWN, Guyana – November 10, 2026: Belizean legal practitioner Godfrey Smith, who leads Guyana’s official MV Barima Commission of Inquiry, has found himself at the center of a cross-border diplomatic controversy after U.S. immigration authorities formally revoked his travel visa to the United States, with no public explanation provided for the action to date. In a press briefing with local Guyanese journalists on Tuesday, Smith laid out the sequence of events following his discovery of the visa cancellation, noting that he immediately took proactive steps to uphold the integrity of the high-stakes public inquiry he oversees. As a matter of professional accountability, Smith stated he formally submitted an offer to step down from his chairmanship to Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, out of concern that the unexplained U.S. government action could cast unneeded doubt on the commission’s neutrality or impede its ongoing investigative work. President Ali, however, unequivocally rejected Smith’s resignation offer, issuing a public reaffirmation of full confidence in the attorney’s leadership and commitment to conducting a fair, thorough inquiry. Smith also told reporters that he has repeatedly reached out to U.S. officials, both privately and now publicly, to demand a transparent, on-the-record explanation for why his visa was invalidated, noting that all his previous requests for clarification have been dismissed outright. The veteran attorney has previously shared his belief that the visa revocation is tied to his well-documented public positions supportive of China, a stance that appears to have drawn scrutiny from U.S. diplomatic and immigration bodies. The MV Barima Commission of Inquiry was established by the Guyanese government to investigate circumstances surrounding the vessel’s recent incident, and officials have confirmed the body will continue its scheduled proceedings without disruption, with Smith remaining at its helm for the full duration of its mandate.