59 Years Later: The Struggle for a United Guyana Remains Unfinished

Today, as Guyana marks 59 years of independence, we pause not merely to celebrate, but to reflect. Independence- May 26, 1966- was not just a change of flags or the departure of colonial administrators—it was the culmination of hard-fought struggles waged by generations of men and women who believed that freedom must bring dignity, equality, and shared prosperity. It was the dream of a united Guyana, where race, class, and geography would no longer divide us.

Among those who laid the foundation for that dream was Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, the father of the Guyanese labour movement. Critchlow fought not only for workers’ rights, but for the recognition that every citizen, regardless of background, deserves a stake in the nation they build. Alongside leaders like Cheddi Jagan, Forbes Burnham, Janet Jagan, Jane Phillips-Gay, Peter D’Aguiar and Eusi Kwayana, Critchlow helped ignite the flame of independence and social justice that we commemorate today.

Yet 59 years on, that flame flickers dimly.

Today’s Guyana is richer than ever, with oil revenues that promise prosperity beyond anything Critchlow or the founding leaders could have imagined. But instead of shared upliftment, we are seeing a disturbing trend: the emergence of two Guyanas—one of privilege and power, and another of poverty and powerlessness.

President Ali’s ‘One Guyana’ initiative is seen by many as an attempt to superimpose a partisan identity onto the nation’s body politic—one that, critics argue, seeks to overshadow and dilute the constitutionally enshrined and nationally embraced motto: “One People One Nation One Destiny.” Rather than uniting the country, it has raised concerns about undermining the inclusive ideals that have long defined the national aspiration.

To this end, the vision of One People One Nation One Destiny, enshrined in our national motto, remains unrealised. Our politics are still shaped by race. Our wealth—especially oil wealth—is still concentrated in the hands of the connected few. Our working class, the very people Critchlow championed, continue to struggle to make ends meet. Teachers protest for fair wages. Nurses leave for better opportunities abroad. Families go hungry while towering hotels rise in the capital. Malnutrition grows, squatter settlements expand, and young people despair.

A recent poll revealed that 62% of Guyanese believe the country needs new leadership, while trust in both government and opposition leaders is alarmingly low. This is not just a political crisis; it is a moral one.

In face of the People’s Progressive Party Government’s performance, a wide cross section of Guyanese—ordinary citizens, civil society groups, and respected voices—have called on the Alliance For Change (AFC) and People’s National Congress  Reform (PNCR) to put aside their differences and unite behind a formidable, consensus candidate. The call is clear: form a genuine coalition not for political survival, but for national salvation. Forge a leadership that reflects the aspirations of all Guyanese and offers a credible alternative to the politics of exclusion. Build a society where the management of oil and natural resources benefits all, not just the elite.

The founding fathers and mothers, and leaders like Critchlow, dreamed of a Guyana where every person, regardless of race, class, or creed, had the chance to live with dignity. We owe it to them, and to ourselves, to make that dream real. As we near our 60th anniversary, let this be the year that we stop managing divisions and start healing them. Let us reject the creation of two Guyanas. Let us rise to the occasion and prove that independence was not in vain.

Let us make Guyana whole—finally!