In a moment that calls for courage, clarity, and conviction, the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party has drawn a bold line in the sand. When two commercial banks, Demerara Bank and GBTI, took it upon themselves to close the accounts of WIN candidates, allegedly because of U.S. sanctions against Azruddin Mohamed, WIN responded not with silence or fear, but with a boycott call. And rightly so.
Every citizen of Guyana knows that these closures are not neutral, nor are they mere “risk management” decisions. They are political actions cloaked in corporate-speak. GBTI’s vague statement about customer “risk profiles” fools no one. The timing is too precise, the target too consistent. These banks didn’t act when Azruddin Mohamed was sanctioned months ago. They acted after WIN submitted its list of candidates. This was coordinated suppression, an extension of the PPP government’s ongoing campaign to destroy any opposition that threatens its stranglehold on power.
What followed was even more telling. PPP supporters, in a frenzy of arrogance and malice, began circulating lists of every business linked to these banks, daring citizens to boycott them. Their message was loud and clear; “You have no power. Even your money belongs to us.”
Faced with this level of disrespect, any patriotic citizen would understand the need to push back. WIN’s boycott call is not an attack on business. It is a defense of basic rights. A defense of the right to participate in elections without being punished financially. A defense of the right to bank without political interference. A defense of national sovereignty.
The Private Sector Commission (PSC) and Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) quickly rushed to condemn the boycott, calling it “reckless” and “divisive.” But where were these so-called defenders of democracy when Mocha mothers were bulldozed from their homes? Where were they when parents in Mahdia were robbed of the funds raised for their dead children? Where is their outrage when Guyanese politicians demand bribes which contractors are forced to pay just to stay in business under this regime?
Silent. Because PSC and GCCI are not neutral institutions. They are spineless enablers of PPP rule. Their leadership circulates in the same inner circles, attends the same cocktail parties, benefits from the same contract handouts. They defend the banks today because they know their continued access to wealth depends on staying in line.
The PPP government has already politicized every inch of the public sector, from housing to education to health care. Now they want to control your bank accounts. They want to starve the opposition of oxygen, and they think the private sector will do their dirty work.
To the people of Guyana, this is not just about WIN. It is about the kind of country you want to live in. Do you want to live in a nation where political views can cost you your livelihood? Do you want your silence to fund your own oppression?
The boycott is not a call to destroy the economy. It is a call to protect it from being weaponized. It is a call to demand that businesses act ethically, independently, and fairly. It is a call to make it known that we will not fund institutions that do the PPP’s bidding.
If you value justice, if you believe in sovereignty, if you want a future where no party can dictate who can or cannot participate in the democratic process, then you must act. Don’t just speak up. Withdraw your money. Redirect your spending. Reclaim your power.
This is not a time for cowardice.This is a time for national resistance.
