PPP Government Accused of Attempting to Silence Critics, According to Rickford Burke

Rickford Burke, president of the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID), has accused the PPP government of attempting to criminalize criticism on social media, particularly targeting Afro-Guyanese political opponents. Burke raised these concerns during a Facebook live broadcast, where he alleged that the government’s actions are part of a larger strategy to stifle dissent and intimidate critics.

Burke stated that the PPP government “announced that they will criminalize persons who criticize them on social media,” framing it as an attempt to protect citizens from online attacks. However, Burke contended that this is a tactic to suppress free speech, particularly for Afro-Guyanese critics. He said, “Who are these people? Who are these East Indian extremists in the PPP who think they should criminalize their opponents’ criticism?”

Burke also alleged that the police force has been weaponized by the PPP to serve its political interests. He stated that Afro-Guyanese contractors have been systematically excluded from lucrative contracts, while the government’s supporters receive preferential treatment. “Blacks are not getting contracts now,” Burke claimed, adding that only minor projects such as cleaning drains are awarded to Afro-Guyanese.

Burke questioned why the government appears to target its critics using the police force, noting that “the police force has never investigated or charged any East Indian person from the PPP” under the cybercrime law. He further alleged that the PPP government is attempting to create “an autocracy where the judicial system performs for them and not for the state.”

These accusations have not been addressed by the PPP government or the Guyana Police Force. The government has not issued a statement regarding the allegations of using the police to target Afro-Guyanese critics or the claims that it is moving to criminalize social media criticism.