LINDEN, GUYANA – In a move that has been labeled a profound act of political treachery by residents, former A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira has publicly called on the people of Region Ten to cast their votes for the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) in the upcoming general elections.
The appeal, made on his personal Facebook page generated a reaction of laughter and ridicule from the people of Linden, a historic stronghold of support for APNU and a community with a deep legacy of advocating for Afro-Guyanese rights and liberation from perceived oppression.
Figueira’s post lambasted APNU leader Aubrey Norton’s recent address in Linden as “the most shallow, unimaginative, uninspiring, visionless address ever delivered,” claiming it offered no solid plans for jobs, youth, or development. He urged Lindeners to “choose progress” and vote for President Irfaan Ali to achieve a “united prosperous, progressive… Guyana.”
For many in Linden, the plea was not a persuasive argument but a “stupid and stunning insult.” as stated by one observer who was quick to catalogue the PPP government’s alleged offenses against the region, which include:
- The withdrawal of the Small Business Development Fund from Linden, crippling local entrepreneurship.
Bearing responsibility for the uninvestigated murders of two Lindeners shot by police earlier this year and three shot down in the streets during the 2012 protest, a wound that remains raw. - The closure of the nursing school, stripping away a critical educational and employment pathway.
- The removal of the region’s ability to collect tolls, severely hampering its independent revenue generation.
- The importation of favored ‘crony’ contractors from outside the region, whose substandard work on Linden’s roads has become a symbol of neglect.
- The deliberate delay in processing land applications for residents.
The sentiment on the ground is one of raw betrayal. One longtime resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, did not mince words: “Jermaine Figueira is a betrayer of the people of Linden. He moved to the PPP out of self-interest. Calling for the support of the PPP is disrespectful to the memories of those we lost and the struggles we face daily. He should be shunned.”
The core of the outrage lies in the obvious contrast between Figueira’s new allegiance and the community’s lived experience. To ask Lindeners to support a party they accuse of systemic neglect and racial marginalization is seen as personal treachery.
“He is asking us to vote for the very party that has methodically dismantled our economy, ignored our martyrs, closed our institutions, and denied us basic development,” a community leader stated. “This isn’t about one speech by Aubrey Norton. This is about decades of action, and inaction, from the PPP that has held Linden back. Figueira has chosen his own privilege over the people he once represented.”
The controversy highlights the deep political and racial fractures in Guyana. Figueira’s defection and subsequent advocacy for the PPP is viewed by his former constituents as the ultimate validation of their deepest fears; that for some, personal advancement will always trump the collective struggle for equality and justice.
As one commentator put it, “He has not just left APNU; he has turned his back on Linden itself and we have every right to turn our backs on him”
