The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) has broken its silence on the tragic death of 11-year-old Adrianna Younge, issuing a scathing critique of the Guyanese state and warning that the child’s tragic end reflects deep-seated dysfunction in the country’s governance, law enforcement, and social systems.
In a strongly worded statement released Thursday, the WPA described Adrianna as “a victim of Guyana’s dysfunctional and failing state,” asserting that her death has exposed structural rot that successive governments have failed to address. The party said it had initially chosen to withhold public comment, citing concerns over the potential for heightened tensions in the wake of the recent killing of two young men- Ronaldo Peters and Keon Fogenay- in Linden.
Now, with nationwide protests erupting and a limited state of emergency imposed, the WPA says it can no longer remain silent.
“It took the mysterious death of a child to jolt our nation into the brutal realisation that the unprofessionalism of the police force is deeply rooted in the manifest dysfunction of Guyana’s governance, human rights regime, social relations, ethno-racial relations and our general desire to fool ourselves about our progress as a unified nation of shared values,” the party stated. “Adrianna’s death has taught us the sobering lesson that Guyana is a dysfunctional state that is quickly becoming a failed state.”
Criticism of Police and Government
The statement condemned what it described as the Guyana Police Force’s immediate politicisation of Adriana’s disappearance, accusing law enforcement of prioritising elite interests over the safety of a working-class child. The WPA claimed that early narratives around the child entering a car with an adult male were not only misleading but “loaded with social, gender, and racial undertones,” and that this version of events was “planted” to shift blame.
The party also took aim at President Irfaan Ali, alleging he used his office to shield the police from scrutiny while attempting to pacify Adrianna’s grieving family. It further condemned what it called “a vicious autocratic hand,” pointing to alleged efforts to bribe the family into silence and the use of force against protestors.
A “People’s Uprising”
WPA characterised the public response — including street demonstrations, road blockades, and social media activism — as a legitimate “People’s Uprising,” ignited by cumulative frustration with systemic abuses.
“Guyanese of all stripes took to the streets… The government let loose the very offending police on its own citizens,” the statement read. “With the scent of the blood of Ronaldo Peters and Keon Fogenay fresh in the air, the public consciousness linked Adrianna’s death to the long trail of state-facilitated murder of powerless citizens.”
The party strongly rejected characterisations of the protests as the work of “looters and thugs,” instead describing the events as an expression of collective frustration and long-suppressed grief. Still, it stopped short of condoning acts of destruction or reported acid attacks on schoolchildren, calling such incidents “reprehensible” while awaiting further details.
Calls for Reform and Justice
WPA joined the growing chorus calling for the removal of the Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken and other senior officers but cautioned that personnel changes alone would be insufficient. Instead, it emphasised the need for the complete depoliticisation of the police force, something it accepts is not a straightforward issue.
The party also demanded a full, independent investigation into Adrianna’s death, expressing no confidence in state-run inquiries and warning against superficial outcomes. “Justice must not be a minimalist outcome characterised by money and crocodile tears,” it said.
Final Tribute
Closing its statement, the WPA offered condolences to Adriana’s family, honouring her as a symbol of the ongoing struggle for justice in Guyana. “May the ancestors welcome her with open arms and put her soul to work for the cause of justice,” the statement concluded.
