By Roysdale Forde, S.C, M.P- It is increasingly evident that in Guyana, the law is not being applied equally. Under the PPP/C administration, there appears to be a growing culture of double standards, where the application of justice is seen by many as driven more by political expediency than by principle.
At the center of this concern is the government’s continued support and promotion of Mikhail Rodrigues, known as “The Guyanese Critic”—a social media personality whose frequent use of vulgar language, cyberbullying, and inflammatory commentary has become commonplace. Critics argue that this behavior is not only tolerated but seemingly encouraged by those who claim to be guardians of national decency of national decency.
This man is neither a commentator nor a journalist. Frankly, he is a menace. His online platform has become a virtual battleground where Guyanese from all walks of life are targeted, slandered, and ridiculed—sometimes to the point of psychological distress. He engages in profane rants, doxxing, verbal harassment, and character assassination with impunity. And instead of curbing this indecent descent into digital thuggery, the PPP/C government has given him legitimacy by granting him access to ministers, state events, and even using him as a proxy to attack critics and political opponents.
One would think that such behaviour would provoke action from state institutions like the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), which is tasked with promoting harmony, social cohesion, and policing conduct that undermines public order. But when it comes to “The Guyanese Critic”, the ERC remains suspiciously silent—even as his rhetoric clearly violates the spirit, if not the letter, of their mandate.
Now contrast this silence with the harsh treatment meted out to “Baby Skello”, a local artist, who recently found himself in hot water after a brief reference to a religious deity during a freestyle video. Within days, the ERC swooped in, and Skello was not only summoned, but charged and remanded to prison. Not fined, not warned. Remanded. It was only after sustained public outcry and legal intervention that Skello was released on bail a few days ago.
This gross overreach flies in the face of Article 146 of the Constitution of Guyana, which guarantees every citizen freedom of expression—a right that includes speech, artistic expression, satire, and even criticism of religious or political ideas. In my view, the law used to charge Skello is not only outdated; it is unconstitutional. It represents a direct brutal assault on democratic values, and sends a chilling message to all artists, creators, and thinkers: toe the line, or face the PPP/C’s wrath.
Meanwhile, “The Guyanese Critic”—whose words and deeds do real harm, day after day—walks free, untouched, and unregulated. Just recently, he launched a vicious, unfounded attack on the Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, spewing baseless insults and making crude allegations, all while live-streaming to thousands. And yet, not a word of rebuke from the PPP/C, not a single caution from the ERC, not even a formal statement condemning such disgraceful conduct.
Is this the society we want to live in? Where political puppets are free to abuse others with state blessings, while everyday citizens are imprisoned for expressing themselves? Is this what the PPP/C government believes democracy looks like? Perhaps, this is what the regime’s one Guyana looks like.
It is important that we understand what is actually happening here because this is not just about “Critic” or “Skello”. This is about the kind of country we are becoming. This is about the erosion of fairness, the weaponization of the law, and the death of accountability. I believe that if the ERC is truly an independent body, it must prove it.
I urge all law-abiding citizens to speak up—now. Today it’s “Skello”. Tomorrow, it could be any one of us. If we allow this hypocrisy to continue unchecked, we are not just enabling injustice—we are legitimising tyranny.
Let us remember the words of Martin Niemöller, the German Lutheran pastor and theologian who opposed the Nazi regime:
“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
Again, I call on all of our citizens to speak up speak against injustices perpetrated by this PPP/C dictatorial regime on ordinary people now; not tomorrow; now
