On November 17, 2025, the Guyana Chronicle proudly posted an update titled “Strengthening Guyana’s Global Future Through Diaspora Engagement.” According to the report, Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud, ExxonMobil, and a room full of experts gathered in New York to discuss how Guyanese living overseas can help shape the country’s long-term vision for 2050. Wonderful. Beautiful. Heartwarming even.
But here at home? Those of us actually living in Guyana—yes, the ones who see the flare stacks, feel the cost of living, and drive on the roads carrying the oil trucks—well, apparently we need a visa to get that level of engagement.
Because while ExxonMobil seems to have all the time in the world to host diaspora forums in luxury New York ballrooms, those of us living right here in Guyana have been trying to engage ExxonMobil for years. And by “engage,” we mean: ask questions, raise concerns, get clarity, participate in decisions, or simply hear from the oil giant operating in our backyard.
But somehow, the company that can drill three miles into the ocean cannot seem to find its way onto a stage in Guyana to talk directly to the people who actually live here. Maybe GPS doesn’t work once you cross the Corentyne River. Or maybe ExxonMobil believes “diaspora” means “people who live anywhere except Guyana.”
The Chronicle calls the New York gathering “meaningful dialogue.” And it surely is—for those 2,500 miles away. Meanwhile, the people on the ground—the taxpayers, the residents, the small businesses, the youth seeking opportunity, the citizens living with the real-life effects of oil production—are still waiting patiently like it’s an appointment at a public clinic.
If Exxon can fly executives to New York to meet Guyanese abroad, surely they can spare an afternoon to engage Guyanese at home too. After all, it’s our shores, our environment, our local economy, and our future their operations are tied to.
It’s almost poetic, really.
Guyana is rising internationally, yes—but perhaps too high, because now all the “meaningful conversations” seem to be happening in foreign hotel conference rooms, far above the heads of the people actually living in Guyana.
Diaspora engagement is important, no doubt. But home engagement is urgent. If ExxonMobil can host forums in New York, surely they can host one in Georgetown, Berbice, or Essequibo. And if the government can champion overseas dialogue, surely it can insist that the same courtesy be extended right here on Guyanese soil.
Until then, perhaps the message is simple: If you want ExxonMobil’s attention, pack a suitcase—because apparently, you must leave Guyana to discuss Guyana.
