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MEXICO CITY (AP) \u2014 Guyana\u2019s President Irfaan Ali<\/a><\/span> was sworn in for a second term Sunday after winning last week\u2019s elections, as the South American country reaps a windfall from offshore oil and gas production.<\/p>\n The electoral commission certified Ali\u2019s win on Saturday, saying he had \u201csecured a resounding victory\u201d and his People\u2019s Progressive Party had secured a majority in Parliament, with 36 of the 65 seats.<\/p>\n Guyana, wedged between Brazil, Venezuela and Suriname, has drawn increasing attention for the vast oil reserves discovered offshore a decade ago and mineral wealth. The resource-rich Essequibo region<\/a><\/span> \u2014 administered by Guyana but claimed by Venezuela \u2014 remains a point of tension.<\/p>\n Ali has won praise for channeling some of Guyana\u2019s new oil wealth<\/a><\/span> into popular social programs. <\/p>\n In a speech after being sworn in, the 45-year-old urban planner sent a message of unity. He promised new development that would rapidly expand the economy and said he would continue social programs that \u201cbuild more prosperity in every family and every home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe next five years will be the most consequential in our nation,\u201d he said. \u201cHistory has placed our hands on the resources, the opportunities, the partnerships and the international goodwill to transform promise into reality.\u201d<\/p>\n Ali has overseen multiple construction projects, including hospitals and highways. His administration expects to start offering free college tuition this month. He also has pledged to increase the monthly minimum wage, more than double pensions to $500 for people 65 and older and cut power bills in half by next year.<\/p>\n In the election, Ali faced off against a wealthy 38-year-old businessman, Azruddin Mohamed, who has been sanctioned, along with his father and their gold-exporting company, by the U.S. Treasury Department<\/a><\/span> \u201cfor their roles in public corruption.\u201d<\/p>\n On Sunday, the U.S. State Department congratulated Ali, writing in a statement that it looked forward to working with Ali\u2019s government \u201cto advance our shared foreign policy priorities, including strengthening energy security and supporting Guyana\u2019s sovereignty and territorial integrity, particularly with respect to the Essequibo region.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n