On the eve of President Irfaan Ali’s promised national address, expected this afternoon at 5:00 p.m., Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) Leader and Member of Parliament Amanza Walton-Desir delivered a stark and wide-ranging address of her own, warning that Guyana is dangerously unprepared for escalating geopolitical tensions in the region.
Describing the current moment as “a critical time,” Walton-Desir used a social media broadcast to the nation to challenge what she characterised as government silence, institutional paralysis and a troubling lack of national preparedness.
Her remarks were framed against rising Venezuela–U.S. tensions and their potential regional fallout. Walton-Desir said her concerns were triggered by regional contrasts, particularly developments in Trinidad and Tobago.
“My attention was caught by a headline out of the Trinidad Guardian a couple of days ago. It said that corporate leaders in Trinidad are being advised, as U.S.–Venezuelan tensions rise, to prepare for all eventualities. And it occurred to me to ask: what are our businesses, what are our corporate leaders hearing? Because there is absolute silence on this issue here in Guyana.”
That silence, she argued, reflects a deeper governance failure. In moments of uncertainty, Walton-Desir said, leadership must communicate clearly and consistently, not retreat.
“To my mind, that silence from the government is unacceptable. In moments of regional uncertainty, serious leadership does not go quiet. It plans, it communicates, it strategizes, and it communicates very clearly with its citizens. What we are seeing instead is a complete absence of that.”
She contrasted Guyana’s posture with what she described as responsible engagement in Trinidad, where corporate leaders are reportedly being encouraged to prepare for multiple scenarios.
“The difference in attitude, particularly when you look at Trinidad, is stark. There, corporate leaders are being told to prepare for all eventualities. That is, in my view, the responsible thing to do. And so we must necessarily ask: what is going on in Guyana?”
Walton-Desir rejected the notion that preparedness amounts to fear-mongering, calling it a basic function of competent government.
“We also have this mindset that talking about preparedness is fear-mongering. It really isn’t. Preparing your citizens is a normal, functional role of government.”
According to the opposition MP, uncertainty itself is not the core problem. Rather, it is the absence of structured, transparent communication.
“The problem, in my view, is not uncertainty… What is absent is structured communication. This government is silent, almost as if silence itself is their strategy. But in this context, silence is not a useful strategy.”
She questioned whether discussions with Guyana’s private sector are occurring at all and warned that even quiet consultations would be inadequate given the scale of the risks involved.
“It behooves the government to communicate with the Private Sector Commission. And if those communications are happening quietly, then we have another problem—because these matters require clear, open, transparent communication.”
A central theme of Walton-Desir’s address was resilience, which she said cannot exist without meaningful engagement with the private sector.
“The private sector is central to our national resilience… Our supply chains—fuel, logistics, food—are all tied to the private sector. So when there is silence and a lack of engagement on business continuity, it is deeply problematic.”
She warned that asking businesses to sustain the economy without information or planning support is unrealistic and dangerous.
“You cannot ask businesses to carry the economy through uncertain times while leaving them in the dark. Resilience requires information.”
Walton-Desir expanded the issue beyond geopolitics to broader emergency preparedness, arguing that Guyana lacks even basic public readiness frameworks.
“Emergency readiness does not begin after something happens… Preparation is not glamorous—it is boring, methodical work—but it is essential.”
She pointed to the absence of clear emergency protocols, even at the school level.
“If you go into a school today and ask a child what to do if there is a fire, or where to go in an emergency… there are no clear answers.”
While acknowledging that Guyana has historically been spared many natural disasters, she cautioned against complacency.
“We cannot say, ‘Because it has never happened, it will not happen.’ We are living in a time where all bets are off.”
Walton-Desir warned that silence breeds rumours and instability.
“Calm does not come from silence; calm comes from clarity. When government is silent, people turn to rumours and alternative sources of information, and that is what leads to chaos.”
She also raised alarm over the failure to convene Parliament during what she described as “seismic geopolitical shifts.”
“Can you imagine facing seismic geopolitical shifts and not calling the legislature? Parliament should meet. The foreign relations sectoral committee should meet. The security sector committee should meet. That is mature governance.”
Instead, she said, national discourse has been relegated to social media, a situation she believes damages public confidence and national psychology.
“Yes, it is Christmas, and cash grants are being announced, but we must ask: what measures are being put in place to protect what we have invested in?”
Walton-Desir accused the government of reducing resilience to rhetoric rather than action.
“Using the word ‘resilience’ as jargon does not prepare people. We are not prepared, and that is deeply concerning.”
Her critique culminated in a direct indictment of the governing PPP/C.
“Preparation is not inviting chaos. Preparation reassures… On this issue, the PPP/C government is failing miserably.”
In an emotional closing, Walton-Desir framed preparedness as both a civic duty and an act of care for the nation.
“Preparation is not panic; it is prudence.”
She issued a direct appeal to the country’s leadership.
“President Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister Mark Phillips, National Security Advisor—it is time to tackle this matter directly, so that we can help the people of Guyana remain calm and avoid chaos.”
Ending on a note of resolve and caution, Walton-Desir reminded Guyanese of the country’s strategic vulnerabilities.
“We are a small nation. We do not have an army; we have a defence force. We may be outgunned and outmanned, but we should not be out planned.”
President Ali is expected to address the nation this afternoon at 5:00 p.m., a speech that will now be closely watched for concrete guidance, reassurance and clarity in response to the concerns raised about national preparedness and regional instability.
