I thought it dangerously absurd, in some ways even laughable, when Attorney General Anil Nandlall began recklessly branding Afro-Guyanese protesters as “terrorists.” These were citizens, young, old, angry, and grieving, calling for justice in a society where justice is often rationed by race and politics. But Nandlall, with smug defiance, stood before the nation and invoked the harshest of legal tools, slapping terrorism charges on dissenters with no bail, no decency, and no shame.
He was glib when civil society demanded answers. He was arrogant when the opposition challenged the selective abuse of the justice system. And now, in the cruelest twist of irony, actual terrorism has arrived, and the government’s silence and confusion are deafening.
A bomb exploded on the compound of the East Ruimveldt Police Station Outpost. Eyewitnesses report that the blast echoed for miles. Yet, it detonated not in the heart of a bustling city center, not amid civilians or officers, but at the gate of a state property, at a time when only one policewoman was curiously on duty, safely inside the outpost building.
The setup is so clean, so convenient, it begs disbelief. Was it the Venezuelans, an external threat designed to destabilize Guyana from outside? Was it the work of a madman with access to explosives and a need to terrify the public? Or was it, dare I say it, a staged distraction, engineered to justify a crackdown, shift the headlines, or test the waters for more authoritarian action?
Let’s be honest. Who in Guyana actually has the knowledge and resources to build and plant a bomb? That list is short; the police, the army, a few private security firms, quarry companies and perhaps foreign operatives with a motive. That’s it. The average Guyanese youth from Agricola or Berbice doesn’t have a stockpile of explosives or military-grade detonators and the average Guyanese want nothing to do with explosives. So why the convenient lack of suspects? Why no immediate manhunt, no footage, no national address calling for calm and vigilance?
Because, I fear, we’re not meant to find out who did this.
The foreign investor community ought to be rattled. Diplomats in their ivory towers should feel the tremor beneath their feet. This is not business as usual. This is not the land of Eldorado they were promised. This is a fragile, flammable state governed by a regime that has shown its willingness to abuse anti-terrorism laws against teenagers and activists, while fumbling the response to real threats when they explode on their doorstep.
And what happens next?
This government is already a master of the controlled crisis, manufacturing just enough chaos to tighten their grip on power. Today it’s a “terrorist” protester. Tomorrow, a curfew. Next week, a declaration of emergency powers. Don’t blink.
Let me be clear, it is not beyond the realm of possibilities that this bomb will be the first of many. The nation is at a cross-roads and the government of Guyana must act to assuage the fears of citizens. It is my own view that If this were coordinated terrorism, we would be seeing fires, evacuations, and a country brought to its knees. But instead, we get one strange, isolated incident with no casualties and no perpetrators. Suspicious? You bet.
To the people of Guyana, be vigilant. To the international community, wake up. And to investors, be very concerned. When regimes begin to weaponize fear and suppress dissent with labels like “terrorist,” while turning a blind eye, or worse, a complicit eye, to real explosions, democracy is in danger.
This is not the Guyana we deserve. This is not the future we fought for.
Pray for our beloved country. But more than that, ask the hard questions. Because if we don’t, the next explosion may not be so conveniently placed.
