Mark Benschop, prominent social activist, has fiercely criticised the junior minister in the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, for what he perceives as hypocrisy and a failure to address the systemic problems faced by young people under the current People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration.
Rodrigues, who recently made public statements about the government’s supposed achievements for youth, is now facing strong backlash for what Benschop describes as her “disconnected” and “credibility-lacking” position, especially considering the deepening challenges faced by Guyana’s youth under the PPP.
Benschop, speaking with Village Voice News expressed disbelief at Rodrigues’ remarks claiming that President Irfaan Ali and his administration have done so much for young people since coming to power. He categorically rejected these claims, calling them “absurd” and “out of touch with reality.”
According to Benschop, the truth is that the PPP has consistently neglected the youth, with a legacy of racial and political discrimination in government practices, particularly in the distribution of housing and land.
He argued that under Rodrigues’ leadership, young people have been subjected to systemic injustice, particularly in the housing sector.
“There has been widespread favouritism, cronyism, and political discrimination in the allocation of house lots,” Benschop charged, noting that close friends and family members of PPP operatives were prioritised over deserving young people, many of whom remain without opportunities for homeownership.
Benschop pointed out that young people have been subjected to “gross neglect” since the PPP returned to power, citing how many have been denied their rightful opportunities for basic needs, such as affordable housing. “Young people have been denied house lots in the hundreds while PPP cronies get multiple parcels,” he said. “How can Minister Rodrigues sit there and claim the PPP government has been good to our youth, when they’ve given everything to their friends, family, and political affiliates?”
Additionally, Benschop lashed out at President Irfaan Ali’s record, pointing to the president’s infamous condescending remarks towards a young reporter, Shervin Belgrave. Last June, President Ali publicly belittled the young reporter for asking a tough question, dismissing his contributions to the nation, which Benschop described as “an insult to every young person in this country.”
Benschop went further, citing a dark chapter from the past under the PPP, when young people were subjected to extreme violence and brutality. He recalled the torture of 15-year-old Tywon Thomas in 2009, a case that has never been properly addressed by the state. Thomas was severely beaten and tortured at the hands of police officers, a crime that Benschop said symbolized the brutal disregard for young lives under the PPP. The case remains one of the most infamous instances of police brutality during the Jagdeo administration.
“The brutal torture of young people like Tywon Thomas was just the tip of the iceberg,” Benschop said. “From Yohance Douglas to the countless others who were tortured, murdered, or incarcerated for minor offenses, the PPP’s history of atrocities against young people is undeniable. Yet Minister Rodrigues, in all her ignorance, dares to speak of what the government has done for young people.”
Benschop also raised concerns about recent cases of police violence under the current regime, such as the shooting death of Quindon Bacchus, where the family won a case against the state, only for the government to appeal the decision, undermining justice once again.
“The PPP has destroyed the lives of thousands of young people all across this country,” Benschop added. He has destroyed young people the minute the PPP took away free tuition at the university level for almost 25 years; they have destroyed thousands of young people from 1992 until 2015, Benschop recalled.
Under PPP regime scores of young people were murdered, scores of young people were tortured, scores of young people were incarcerated for very minor crimes, some even for trumped up charges; all of this and more under the social activist intoned.
“The sad truth is that for many, there is no hope, no future under this government. No matter how much they pretend, the PPP does not care about young people. They care only about staying in power, enriching their families and friends, and perpetuating a system of inequality.”
Benschop’s remarks serve as a critical reminder that, despite the government’s public statements, the systemic issues affecting young people in Guyana remain largely unaddressed. With an administration focused on self-interest and political favouritism, it seems that the future for young Guyanese under the PPP remains uncertain, with little hope for true reform or opportunity.
