by Randy Gopaul
As Guyana hurtles toward its general elections on September 1, 2025, the political landscape is awash with the oily sheen of opportunism. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), long entrenched as the bastion of Indo-Guyanese interests, has suddenly discovered a newfound affection for Afro-Guyanese voters. For the first time in its storied history, the PPP is hustling, yes, hustling, for the black vote, photos are being released showing PPP leaders in African communities, parties planned, sports investment promised, and a daily parading of promises of inclusion and unity under the banner of “One Guyana.” But this pivot isn’t a sign of genuine reconciliation; it’s a disturbing spectacle, a cynical blackness draped over a campaign riddled with historical sins. It’s as if the oppressors have donned blackface to court the very communities they’ve marginalized, expropriated, and brutalized for decades.
Compounding this farce is the shadowy saga of the 2022 Population and Housing Census. Insiders at the Bureau of Statistics whisper that the results, if released, would unleash mayhem, revealing a demographic shift that could upend the PPP’s ethnic calculus. Preliminary leaks suggest a population around 812,000, including thousands of Venezuelan migrants, but the full data remains locked away amid allegations of manipulation and political interference. The Bureau denies it, insisting delays stem from “unwavering commitment to accuracy,” but as of mid-2025, the report is still “being compiled.” Why the secrecy? Could it be that the numbers expose a massively declining Indo-Guyanese majority and the influx of outsiders that the PPP has quietly courted for votes? In a nation where electoral power has historically hinged on racial headcounts, withholding this information reeks of electoral sabotage, ensuring the PPP can campaign on illusions rather than facts.
But the true tragedy here isn’t just the PPP’s hypocrisy, it’s the psychological toll on Afro-Guyanese, a people battered by generations of abuse and disenfranchisement, now bending the knee to their tormentors. This is the Stockholm syndrome of a colonized mind, bright young black men and women, stripped of confidence by systemic exclusion, choosing to grovel publicly for crumbs from the PPP’s table instead of hustling independently for their own success. We’ve seen it in the recent migration of support toward the PPP, with defections from opposition ranks and endorsements framing the party as the harbinger of prosperity. There’s nothing more depressing than witnessing this self-abasement, talented youth parading in PPP rallies, chanting for “unity” while ignoring the party’s role in their communities’ decay. It’s a cycle of trauma where the abused seek validation from the abuser, trading dignity for fleeting handouts. As one observer noted, politics should uplift lives, not reduce them to beggary. In Guyana’s oil-fueled boom, Afro-Guyanese deserve empowerment, not patronage.
And who are the faces of this campaign? Not the wealthy PPP elites, safely ensconced in their gated enclaves, reaping the rewards of oil contracts and cronyism. No, it’s the clowns, the desperate foot soldiers, the performative allies, who are trotted out to dance for the cameras. The party’s core backers, those who’ve profited handsomely from decades of favoritism, remain in the shadows, content to let the spectacle unfold. This isn’t inclusion; it’s exploitation, a minstrel show where black faces are props in the PPP’s bid to consolidate power. As the opposition fragments, AFC, ALP, and others splitting the Afro-Guyanese vote, the PPP rides high on economic narratives, touting development while glossing over inequities.
Guyanese must awaken from this disturbing charade. The PPP’s “blackness” is a veneer, thin and cracking under scrutiny. True progress lies not in stooping before oppressors but in reclaiming independence, building black-owned enterprises, demanding land restitution, and voting for leaders who honor history rather than rewrite it. As political parties prepare to hand in their lists on Monday, let us reject the groveling and embrace the hustle. Our dignity demands nothing less.
