The October 26, 2025 bombing of a gas station in Georgetown, allegedly by a Venezuelan national and accomplices, though described by the Government as a terrorist act, has exposed the reckless approach to handling the influx of migrants into this country.
For too long, concerns have been raised that short-sightedness and self-serving political interests will destroy the country we have built through centuries of struggle. This is a country that continues to fight for peaceful coexistence under the motto “One People, One Nation, One Destiny,” despite our different historical experiences. That aspiration is now under severe stress.
While Venezuela faces its own challenges, our porous borders allow free movement without regulation. There are harrowing stories of Indigenous and other Guyanese in the hinterland regions living in fear due to the unmanaged influx of migrants, many of whom are here illegally, unmonitored, and unwilling to subject themselves to the laws of the land. This has resulted in rising violence and crime. Besieged by Venezuelan gangs, many Guyanese have been forced to abandon their homes and flee inland for safety.
Some may see the bombing as a case of the “chickens coming home to roost.” The regime is now making frantic efforts to establish an electronic identification system for residents and visitors. However, given its history of failure, there is widespread skepticism that such a programme will be managed efficiently and not collapse like many others.
Guyana today is overrun by foreigners. This is not because Guyanese are opposed to outsiders, but because the government, driven by selfishness, incompetence, and lack of foresight, has allowed the situation to reach a dangerous point.
Many citizens have been forced out of their traditional economic spaces due to uneven competition. Abandoned homes are being invaded, and new forms of commerce have sprung up in unplanned ways, while the government would harass its own but stands idly by, claiming this is “competition in a free market economy.”
This is not a free market. It is chaos. It is unplanned, unchecked and unfair. Even some of our CARICOM brothers and sisters, like the Haitians, are barred from free movement under the CSME- which allows structured and regulated free movement- while others enjoy unfettered access. What we have in Guyana is a ‘free-for-all system’ where some are favoured and others deemed undesirable.
For instance, foreigners are being enticed to work in the public sector under better conditions, receiving higher salaries and better accommodation than Guyanese workers. Each day, Guyanese walk their own streets and feel like strangers in their homeland.
Let me reiterate this- Guyanese are not against sharing space. What we oppose is a system that places the rights, safety, and well-being of Guyanese second to others. No country can function effectively when its citizens live in fear, uncertain of their government’s ability or willingness to protect them.
The situation is made worse now that Guyana is an oil-producing nation and the world’s fastest-growing economy. Naturally, this will attract people from all over, but there is no system in place to manage this influx. There is no infrastructure, no proper housing, and no assimilation policy. In 2019, before first oil, I raised concerns about this very issue. Six years later I return to the matter because nothing significant has been done.
People are arriving daily by plane and boat. The gates have been left wide open without safeguards, policies, or conditionalities. This poses a direct threat to natural-born Guyanese, our resources, and our culture.
Unplanned immigration brings serious consequences such as strain on health and education systems, housing shortages, and the creation of slums. Labour is being undersold by those desperate to work, driving down wages for local workers. Already, there are new squatting areas going up across Guyana that are being occupied primarily by Venezuelans.
We are now facing a crisis that threatens to submerge our culture, not by imperial powers this time but by uncontrolled migration. Recognising this reality does not make one xenophobic or racist. It is about protecting the socio-economic and political integrity of our nation.
If non-English-speaking persons are to be accommodated, then language must be addressed. English is our official language, and the government, supported by NGOs, must provide opportunities for migrants to learn it. This should be compulsory for both adults and children if they are to integrate.
As a nation, we will have to show compassion to some who are fleeing hardship and persecution. But compassion does not mean recklessness. The Government must develop a bipartisan strategy to manage this crisis, one that upholds our laws, protects human rights, and safeguards Guyanese interests.
Further, unchecked migration will also deepen ethnic tension. When one group feels displaced from its traditional means of livelihood, competition intensifies, resentment grows, and divisions widen. This is a dangerous road for a country where ethnic and political tensions already simmer.
The growing migrant population poses a real threat to our way of life, our security, and our culture. What we face demands urgent, responsible, and collective leadership. The Government cannot continue to look the other way while the working people of Guyana bear the burden. This is not about politics. It is about protecting our nation, our culture, and our people before Guyana becomes unrecognisable to its own citizens.
