As a concerned citizen of Guyana, I am deeply saddened and disturbed by the recent attack allegedly carried out by a Venezuelan national, which claimed the life of an innocent child and left others injured and traumatized. My heart goes out to the grieving family and everyone affected by this senseless act of violence.
In moments like these, our nation should be coming together to heal and protect one another, not rushing into new policies that might create more fear and division. While I understand the need for proper systems to manage migrants, I believe the Government’s decision to move ahead with the Electronic Identification (E-ID) registration for Venezuelan migrants at this time is poorly timed and lacking compassion.
We must be honest, many Venezuelans have come here seeking a better life, fleeing hardship and danger. They deserve to be treated with dignity and fairness. But at the same time, our leaders must ensure that those entering our borders are properly screened, so that law-abiding citizens and peaceful migrants alike can feel safe.
I urge the Government to pause this registration process until a full and transparent review is done. Let’s make sure our systems are guided by both security and humanity. Protecting our citizens and showing compassion to others are not opposing values, both are essential to the kind of country we want Guyana to be.
Lorenzo Joseph
United Workers Party(UWP)
Activist
Region# 10
