Georgetown, Guyana – In a fiery statement released today, Rickford Burke, President of the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID), has vehemently criticized the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government of Guyana, accusing it of racial bias and misuse of state media resources. Burke’s statement comes in response to recent actions and comments made by government officials, which he describes as a direct attack on African Guyanese in the diaspora.
Burke’s statement specifically targets Kwame McCoy, Guyana’s Minister of Information, labeling him a “convicted criminal…..” He accuses McCoy of disputing a claim made on Burke’s social media regarding the Department of Public Information’s (DPI) allegedly biased broadcasting. “The post on my page is a fact,” Burke asserts, emphasizing that only speeches by PPP government ministers were featured on DPI’s Facebook page during a special sitting of the National Assembly on the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy.
Burke further accuses the PPP government of using state assets for partisan political purposes. “The assets of the State of Guyana belong to all its people, including to the opposition and its supporters, and not the PPP and its ethnic supporters only,” he stated, reaffirming his commitment to challenging what he perceives as PPP’s racial discrimination.
The statement also addresses comments made by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, whom Burke describes as “the chief racist in the apartheid PPP regime.” Burke condemns Jagdeo’s alleged use of a racial epithet, likening it to Jim Crow and KKK-era racism, aimed at stereotyping and demeaning African Guyanese and the broader Black community.
Burke’s scathing critique extends to the broader PPP leadership, whom he labels as “congenital racists,” urging not only Guyanese but also international observers, including U.S. officials and the Congressional Black Caucus, to denounce these actions.
The CGID President’s statement concludes with a provocative question regarding the alleged misconduct of both McCoy and Jagdeo, highlighting alleged corruption and moral turpitude within the PPP government.
Burke’s remarks have sparked a wave of reactions, with many in the Guyanese community and beyond awaiting the government’s response to these serious allegations. His call for a united stand against what he terms as racial injustice and misuse of state resources is likely to fuel ongoing debates about race, governance, and freedom of speech in Guyana.
