Geoffrey da Silva is a politician and administrator in Guyana. He was the Guyanese Minister of Trade, Tourism and Industry from 1999 to 2001 and later served as head of Guyana Investment (Go-Invest).
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Da Silva has a degree from York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[1] He was an employee of the Communist Party of Canada in the 1980s, and ran as a candidate of the Communist Party at the federal and provincial levels. He also sought election for municipal office in Toronto.[2] The Communist Party is not a strong political force in Canada, and Da Silva never came close to winning election.
Da Silva participated in the Guyanese liberation movement, seeking the return of democracy in that country.[3] He was Guyana's Consul General to Toronto in the 1990s, and was interviewed by the Toronto Star newspaper following the death of Guyanese president Cheddi Jagan in 1997.[4]
Da Silva was appointed to the cabinet of President Bharrat Jagdeo on November 19, 1999, replacing the ailing Michael Shree Chan as Minister of Trade, Tourism and Industry.[5] He participated in negotiations with Jamaica on the sale of rice in 2000.[6] Participating in the Fourth Annual Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development in the same year, he argued that the Caribbean tourism industry would have to change to reflect growing changes in ecotourism. He was quoted as saying, ""The role of the agent has to change. [Retailers] must become travel experts. New tourism trends will require new agents."[7] He also promoted sustainable tourism in the ecologically fragile area of Kaieteur, and took part in negotiations toward completing a roadway with Brazil.[8] In February 2000, he led an official delegation that met with Prince Charles of the United Kingdom in his official visit to Guyana.[9]
Da Silva was dropped from cabinet following the 2001 elections, and became head of the Guyana Investment.[10] An essay released the following year by the Guyana and Caribbean Political and Cultural Center for Popular Education argued that he significantly improved the agency's ability to attract investors.[11] He 2005, Da Silva argued that Guyana was creating jobs by diversifying its economy away from traditional crops such as bauxite and sugar.[12] He helped to organize the Guyana Trade and Investment Exposition in the same year, seeking increased Canadian investment in Guyana.[13] Notwithstanding his leftist political background, Da Silva has called for increased private-sector involvement in Guyana's food packaging industry.[14]
Ambassador to Venezuela, appointed December 2010