For decades, Afro-Guyanese communities have lived under the crushing weight of discrimination and brutality at the hands of the PPP government. Hundreds of extrajudicial killings , too many to name, yet none forgotten. The murder of political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing, the unjust imprisonment of Mark Benschop, the brutal killings of the Henry boys, the death of Orin Boston in his own home, the abuse of public servants, the forced evacuation of the Mocha community, these are not distant memories. They are living scars on the soul of our nation.
Through it all, the Mohameds stood firmly aligned with the PPP regime. They rose to great wealth while ordinary Guyanese, especially those in Afro-Guyanese communities, struggled for their very survival. Public procurement processes rigged against us, opportunities denied, voices silenced, and freedoms crushed. Some, like Mark Benschop, were thrown in prison for daring to speak out. Others paid with their lives.
Now, with the shadow of U.S. sanctions looming over Guyana’s political and business elite, the once-cozy relationship between the PPP government and the Mohameds appears to be broken. We welcome the fact that they have begun to see the light. We welcome any man, especially one of influence, who finds the courage to stand with the oppressed. And in truth, Azruddin Mohamed has recently shown a level of empathy toward the struggles of ordinary people that few, if any, Guyanese political figures have demonstrated.
But let us be clear, no one gets a free ride. The questions must be asked, if not for the weight of U.S. sanctions, would the PPP have turned against their longtime allies? Would the Mohameds still be enjoying privileged access and protection under the PPP’s rule? These are questions we cannot ignore.
If Azruddin Mohamed is to step into the political arena, as many expect he might, he must face these hard truths. He must answer for the years when the cries of Afro-Guyanese communities were met with silence from those in privileged positions. He must engage directly with the pain, the losses of life, of land, of opportunity, that our people have endured.
We say this not out of malice, but out of responsibility to our future. We cannot build a new Guyana without honest reckoning. We will ask the hard questions. We will demand accountability. And we will expect more than promises. We will expect action.
The future of Guyana must belong to all its people, not just to those who once benefited from power, and not just to those who arrive late to the cause of justice. Everyone is welcome in the fight for equality and progress. But no one, no matter how wealthy or well-connected, gets a free pass.
