by Randy Gopaul
Guyana is drowning in corruption, and its people are gasping for air. It is not enough for a leader to be middle-class, well-spoken, and credentialed. It is not enough for them to be charming in front of the cameras, fluent in political rhetoric, or a master of empty promises. What good are degrees and polished speeches when nearly half the country lives in poverty? When families are trapped in a cycle of daily survival, waking up each morning with no idea how they will put food on the table by nightfall?
Guyana has oil. Where is the wealth? Instead of enriching the people, the PPP government has allowed billions to line the pockets of their cronies while the masses struggle. Children are left alone as their mothers and fathers work long hours as vendors or security guards, only to earn scraps that barely cover rent and food. The elderly—who have given their lives to building this nation—are left to waste away in neglect. Young girls, desperate for financial relief, fall prey to predatory men who trade money for innocence.
The suffering is immense, but the government turns a blind eye. Instead of policies that uplift the working class, they spend billions on roads and bridges—monuments to their greed and corruption, projects designed to fatten the pockets of a select few while the people continue to starve in shacks. What use is infrastructure if the people who should be using it are too weak, too poor, or too hopeless to care?
The PPP has proven that they do not care. They have no interest in improving wages, in ensuring that no Guyanese must beg or prostitute themselves to survive. They have no vision beyond theft and self-enrichment. And yet, every election, they come armed with another round of deception, offering breadcrumbs to the poor while gorging themselves on Guyana’s oil wealth.
We need a leader who will fight for the people. A leader who will raise the minimum wage, enforce fair pay, and build strong social safety nets for the elderly, disabled, and infirmed. We need someone who will see the people’s suffering—not just hear about it in reports or dismiss it with platitudes—but feel it in their heart and act decisively.
Most importantly, we need a leader who believes in our youth—the future of Guyana. A leader who will implement policies that educate, empower, and elevate the next generation, rather than abandon them to poverty and crime. Someone who will ensure that every child has access to quality education, that young people have opportunities beyond selling water on the street or fleeing to foreign lands in search of a life they cannot build here.
Guyana cannot afford another generation of broken promises. We do not need a leader who simply criticizes the PPP’s corruption—we need a leader who proves, through action, that they are different. A leader who will fight for the people, not exploit them. A leader who will return Guyana’s wealth to its rightful owners—the citizens.
Guyana is at a crossroads. The question is: will we continue down this path of suffering, or will we demand the leadership we deserve?
