Dear Editor,
Minister Kwame McCoy, the government’s anointed mouthpiece on media and “public education,” took to the podium at the 2026 World Press Freedom Day Conference in Lusaka and delivered a performance worthy of the stage: a polished sermon on collaboration, trust, and the “tangible reality” of press freedom in Guyana. Yet back home, the very institutions he romanticised are being starved, muzzled, and dismantled—leaving the international audience dazzled by words while citizens suffocate on the fumes of a dying Fourth Estate.
𝐀 𝐒t𝐚g𝐞‑𝐂r𝐚f𝐭e𝐝 𝐅a𝐧t𝐚s𝐲 𝐨f P𝐫e𝐬s F𝐫e𝐞d𝐨m. Standing before global leaders, McCoy preached that press freedom is “not theoretical or rhetorical,” but a “tangible reality” under Guyana’s governance framework. He called for an end to “adversarial” relations, urged governments and media to embrace “constructive engagement,” and declared that once trust is built, the press should see itself as a “partner in national development.”
𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲, 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗵. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝘂𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗮, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘄; 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀.
S𝐭a𝐛r𝐨e𝐤 𝐍e𝐰s: 𝐓h𝐞 $8𝟒M‑S𝐢z𝐞d L𝐢e
At the very moment McCoy was hymning “mutual transparency and accountability,” Stabroek News—Guyana’s longest‑running independent newspaper—was being pushed over the cliff by a government that owes it over GYD 84 million in unpaid advertising.
This was not an accidental delay; it was a calculated financial squeeze. Year after year, the Department of Public Information (DPI) allowed invoices to stack up while the outlet continued to serve readers with critical reporting. When the debt became unmanageable, the message was clear: for challenging the executive, the price is your survival.
𝗠𝗰𝗖𝗼𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘅 𝗹𝘆𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 “𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽” 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼 “𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿” 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗸𝗲.
P𝐚r𝐥i𝐚m𝐞n𝐭’𝐬 𝐏r𝐞s𝐬 𝐋o𝐜k‑O𝐮t
To underline the absurdity of McCoy’s speech, one need only point to the Speaker’s chair in the People’s House. There, the Speaker has repeatedly acted as an extension of the executive, denying access to journalists covering sensitive debates, resorting to flimsy “security” claims, and treating the press like uninvited guests rather than guardians of public interest.
McCoy called for a shift “from adversary posture to constructive engagement.” Yet when the press seeks to witness debates that affect ordinary Guyanese, the posture is unmistakably authoritarian: gates closed, cameras barred, questions left unanswered. In Guyana, the House of the People is fast becoming a House for the Party.
𝐓h𝐞 𝐅i𝐬c𝐚l S𝐭r𝐚n𝐠u𝐥a𝐭i𝐨n o𝐟 𝐈n𝐝e𝐩e𝐧d𝐞n𝐭 𝐌e𝐝i𝐚
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗲𝗸 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱𝘆; 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀.
• 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱: 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻‑𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁‑𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲.
• 𝗟𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲: 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗲𝗸 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀, 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁.
𝗠𝗰𝗖𝗼𝘆’𝘀 𝗟𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗸𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀. 𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱, 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲‑𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹.
𝐖o𝐫l𝐝 𝐈n𝐝e𝐱 𝐯s. 𝐋o𝐜a𝐥 𝐑e𝐚l𝐢t𝐲
As McCoy stood in Lusaka, the Reporters Without Borders’ 2026 World Press Freedom Index had just positioned Guyana at 76th out of 180 countries, a clear slip from 73rd the previous year.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼:
• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗲𝗸 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟰𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀;
• 𝗔 “𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲” 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹, 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹, 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀;
• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮.
So as McCoy reassured the world that press freedom in Guyana is “tangible,” international watchdogs were documenting the exact opposite: a steady erosion of space for independent voices, masked by florid rhetoric abroad and administrative sabotage at home.
M𝐜C𝐨y P𝐮t𝐬 𝐇i𝐬 𝐅o𝐨t i𝐧 𝐇i𝐬 𝐌o𝐮t𝐡
𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘁 “𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗻,” 𝗠𝗰𝗖𝗼𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲—𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀.
He spoke of “shared goals” and “collaborative relations,” yet the government’s record is one of collaboration with yes‑men and confrontation with truth‑tellers. He spoke of “trust” while the same administration has:
• 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁‑𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆’𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿;
• 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲’𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲;
• 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁.
If this is McCoy’s “tangible reality,” Guyana’s press freedom is not a right—it is a revolving door, carefully calibrated so that only friendly voices can enter.
𝐀 𝐅i𝐧a𝐥 𝐖o𝐫d: 𝐎p𝐭i𝐨n𝐚l o𝐫 𝐄s𝐬e𝐧t𝐢a𝐥?
McCoy closed his speech with a defiant flourish: “A free, fair, responsible press is not optional … it is essential to development, stability and progress.
How poignant that such a line is delivered by the very minister whose own government is systematically dismantling the conditions for that press to exist. Development? Stability? Progress? One cannot build any of these on a foundation of unpaid debts, muzzled journalists, and closed doors.
𝗠𝗰𝗖𝗼𝘆’𝘀 𝗟𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗸𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺; 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗱‑𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴—𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱.
𝗜𝗻 𝗚𝘂𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗮, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱, 𝗮 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 “𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.”
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗰𝗖𝗼𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗲, 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿: 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝘀.
Yours truly,
Hemdutt Kumar
