Social media is awash with images of Afro-Guyanese individuals who seem to believe that the only way to escape the personal victimization they face from the PPP government is through flattery and appeasement of various ministers. These attempts at ingratiation reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of PPP leadership, rooted in insecurity, fear of Afro-Guyanese excellence, and unwavering loyalty to Bharrat Jagdeo, who orchestrates their every move. Even those within the PPP who might wish to do right by Afro-Guyanese are stymied by their allegiance to a leader whose sociopathic tendencies prioritize control and subjugation over progress and equity.
For over 30 years, successive PPP governments have sought to dismantle the legacy of Burnham’s vision and excellence, seeing him as a shadow over all their endeavors. Not a month goes by without his name being invoked, a testament to the indelible mark he left on Guyana. Their efforts to erase his contributions and love for the country have been in vain. In contrast to Burnham’s vision, the PPP leaders have never demonstrated a genuine love for Guyana; for them, the nation is merely a means to an end.
Their ambition to be seen as visionary and brilliant has repeatedly been undermined by their failures. Every major project under their watch has floundered, revealing a pattern of incompetence and mismanagement. Today, their intentions are clear: to plunder Guyana’s wealth, subjugate Afro-Guyanese, ignore the needs of indigenous peoples, and funnel the nation’s resources to their friends, family, and favored associates.
Tokenism is rampant in the PPP’s strategy. A handful of middle-class Afro-Guyanese are paraded at events, smiling and playing the part, only to be granted superficial opportunities. These gestures are mere window dressing, with no substantial benefits or lasting change. Oil claims allocated to them will never come to fruition, while lucrative and consistent government contracts, like those awarded to social media influencers and cronies, will always bypass them. The PPP will exploit these individuals, using them to undermine their own communities, only to discard them when they are no longer useful.
The reality is that sucking up to the PPP will yield nothing. Afro-Guyanese must recognize this futility and instead stand together, demanding their fair share of opportunities and resources. Unity and collective action will achieve far more than any amount of obsequiousness. The time has come to reject the false promises and empty gestures of the PPP and to fight for a future where all Guyanese, regardless of ethnicity, can prosper equally.
