The world watches as Venezuela continues its aggressive attempts to claim Guyana’s Essequibo region, threatening our sovereignty and stability. Venezuela’s actions—its political bullying, economic warfare, and disregard for international law—are clear acts of abuse. Yet, as we rightfully condemn these violations, we must also recognize an uncomfortable truth: the Guyana government, led by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), inflicts similar abuses on its own citizens—especially African Guyanese, through political discrimination, economic marginalization, and systemic oppression.
Despite clear international rulings, Venezuela insists that Essequibo belongs to them, fueling instability and creating economic uncertainty in Guyana. Venezuelan leaders have made veiled and explicit threats of military intervention, undermining Guyana’s right to self-determination. By discouraging foreign investment in Essequibo and disrupting Guyana’s economic activities, Venezuela seeks to weaken Guyana’s ability to develop its own resources. At the diplomatic level, Venezuela continuously ignores international treaties and court rulings, attempting to strong-arm Guyana into negotiations that would compromise national sovereignty. The Venezuelan government spreads false narratives to justify its territorial ambitions and mislead its own people about Guyana’s historical and legal claims. These actions are violations of international law and principles of sovereignty. But while Guyana’s government rightly resists Venezuela’s aggression, it exhibits a disturbingly similar pattern of abuse toward its own African Guyanese citizens.
Under the PPP government, African Guyanese face systemic economic marginalization. Contracts, resources, and economic opportunities are disproportionately allocated to the government’s supporters while African Guyanese businesses and entrepreneurs are sidelined. Discriminatory employment practices have resulted in the systematic removal of African Guyanese professionals from key government positions, replaced instead with PPP loyalists, limiting economic mobility. Police brutality and state violence disproportionately target African Guyanese communities, and extrajudicial killings go largely unpunished. Political suppression is a growing problem as activists, journalists, and opposition members who speak out against government corruption and discrimination face harassment, surveillance, and imprisonment. African Guyanese communities receive disproportionately less government funding for infrastructure, education, and healthcare, creating a cycle of poverty and disenfranchisement. The government manipulates electoral systems, judiciary processes, and state institutions to consolidate power, reflecting authoritarian tendencies similar to those seen in Venezuela. Just as Venezuela distorts historical facts to justify its claims, the PPP government spreads propaganda to portray itself as a champion of democracy while actively suppressing dissent and opposition.
The PPP government fiercely opposes Venezuela’s territorial aggression, and rightfully so. But how can it claim to defend justice and sovereignty abroad while denying these same principles to its own citizens? It is hypocritical to condemn Venezuela’s bullying while simultaneously employing state mechanisms to oppress, marginalize, and silence a large segment of the Guyanese population. The abuses may differ in scale, but the intent is the same: to consolidate power, suppress opposition, and maintain control through economic, political, and institutional means. Just as Venezuela disregards Guyana’s sovereignty, the PPP government disregards the dignity and rights of its own African Guyanese citizens.
If Guyana is to stand against Venezuela’s aggression, it must first confront and dismantle the oppression within its own borders. Economic justice must be a priority, ensuring fair and transparent economic opportunities for all Guyanese, not just those aligned with the ruling party. African Guyanese professionals must be reinstated and given equal opportunities in government and business. Extrajudicial killings, police brutality, and political oppression must be independently investigated, and perpetrators held accountable. Free speech and political opposition must be protected, not criminalized. The Guyanese people must demand the same respect, fairness, and dignity from their own government that Guyana demands from Venezuela. Oppression at home weakens our moral authority to challenge aggression abroad. The struggle for sovereignty must begin within our own borders.
