RECENTLY, I overheard a conversation between two Guyanese on the streets. They were talking about race, Amerindians and politics. One man said he noted that the PPP/C government had done so much for the Amerindians over their collective time in office and more so now. He proudly spoke of the progress and development emphasising that this group has come a long way. He said they were now treated with dignity and respect by the government, mentioning that the Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai knows what she is doing.
“I do not know much about what dem spending or how much. I see the Amerindian’s development. This time nah like lang time. Is the PPP who help the Amerindians,” the man said.
He continued praising the government and stated his satisfaction that tomorrow the leaders of the communities and villages were going to be having very spirited conversations about their futures at the conference centre.
The other man looked at the man unhappily. He was angered at the position he took and started to upbraid the man.
“Propaganda. You don’t even know what you’re talking boss. PPP kept Amerindians in shackles. Them people are being fooled. The PPP tekking all of the people’s money. Sukhai and Jagdeo aren’t doing anything good for them people. I hear Norton say that. Boy, you best wake up,” this man alleged.
They continued for half an hour with each holding firm to their position. Both have good arguments but only one of them is speaking the truth. And that’s the first man I overheard. Though he did not have the facts, the general essence of the state of Amerindians was captured. I think the other man, respectfully, spoke from a place of ignorance. He was peddling misinformation and was happy to repeat it. He was happy to tell a big lie because he heard it from the opposition politicians. Of course, in his world, politicians are always truthful, factual, and credible when they are talking about money, perceived corruption, accountability and transparency.
This man, unfortunately, is just like some Guyanese who are falling prey to the chorus of PPP haters who criticise successive PPP governments and do not ever give credit to the PPP for the wave of steady, focused and fast development. They are suffering from a bout of ‘lying-getis” because they twist the narrative and obscure the facts when talking about Amerindians and Amerindian development. They can only see growth, progress, and transformation if it’s happening under the PNC, AFC or APNU+AFC Coalition Government.
They team up with so-called non-governmental organisations like the Amerindian Peoples Association and civil society, to fight against Amerindian and Indigenous development. They make it seem as if they are fighting the perceived injustice on behalf of the Amerindians, all the while strategically playing dirty, wastewater, and puerile politics. They are not interested in any village’s growth and expansion in Guyana. They are interested in furthering their self-aggrandisement schemes at the expense of donors, government and international organisations.
The truth is that the lives of Amerindians have been transformed since the PPP/C took office in 1992. Throughout the PPP/C tenure in office, Amerindians are treated as a priority. They are treated with respect and decency. The PPP has always consulted with this group whenever decisions are to be made about the development of their lives.
Importantly, the PPP always respects the laws of our country and the tenets of the Amerindian Act which it pioneered throughout a tumultuous process in the National Assembly back in the 2005 to 2006 period. The media selectively recalls this and is very unfair and biased in its coverage today of PPP with regards to the question of Amerindian Rights and Amerindians.
Let’s give credit where credit is due. Successive PPP/C governments have done a remarkable job at Amerindian development and growth. The governments continue to lift the Amerindians out of poverty through their very strategic and focused rural, hinterland and urban policies. No one is left behind and no Amerindian can claim discrimination or neglect.
In 2022, President Irfaan Ali said that $10 billion was spent on Amerindian development. This was spent to further advance the welfare and livelihoods of Amerindians. Of this total, he explained that $5 billion went directly to hinterland roads and bridges to cater to the much-needed economic expansion.
Dr. Ali reassured us that everything promised in the PPP/C five-year manifesto will be accomplished in full. He said too that “Every single region; every single group in this country will and must benefit from the prosperity that will come our way. Amerindian people should not be at a disadvantage; we must invest and create an even platform in which every child must have the same equitable access to the same future in the same country. That is the future we want.”
Since then, constant and focused policies and measures have gone into making sure the Amerindians had access to the same opportunities as the rest of the country. Over the past four years, the government has negotiated a deal for 30% of our forest carbon for $750 million. The Amerindian communities—242 of them—already received $22.5 billion in the first tranche last year, and they completed over 800 projects in these communities with $4.7 billion.
This year, the second tranche will be USD 87.5 million, of which 15% will be USD 13.1 million, which is $2.7 billion going to these communities again. That’s $7.4 billion in two years.
If we look at the next eight years, they will get $16 billion—112 million USD, which is 15% of USD 750 million. No party has ever done this for Amerindians in Guyana’s history. Could the APA or Norton speak to this? And don’t tell me about consultations and fairness.
Did the APNU or AFC have a consultation before they fired the 2000 Amerindian CSOs, making them unemployed and sending their families into chaos? Was it fair when the APNU or AFC scrapped the Amerindian Land Titling Programme at the Ministry? Where was the very vocal APA then? Let’s start there first.
From that same initiative, Guyanese Amerindians could expect US$638 million in the next eight years to spend on infrastructure and adaptation in this country. Not a single cent of this is coming from the treasury.
It is approximately 1,200 projects in 242 villages in just two years, using only these resources.
Additionally, Amerindian Welfare has steadily improved. More Amerindians are working and accessing loans to build their homes. Businesses are being set up with Amerindians accessing loans from the Government’s Small Business Bureau. The government has rehired the CSOs who were fired and taken the number to 3,000, creating jobs for young Amerindians.
Consequently, the National Toshaos Conference which begins on Monday could not come at a better time. Those Amerindian leaders cannot deny the fact that the government has changed the state of Amerindians in Guyana through deliberate and focused policy and measures. Those sceptics are just being hypocritical and in denial. They are those who would not want to face the facts. Amerindians are way better under the current leadership of President Ali and the PPP.
There is no doubt of this reality, in the minds of every objective and analytical Guyanese.
Finally, this notion that Amerindians could be ‘bought, sold or owned’ is foolish and dangerous. They are an intellectual group of Guyanese that can make their own decisions about which government or political party has their interest at heart. They are smart and will never allow themselves to be taken advantage of.
So, it is the second man who has been fooled and brainwashed with the opposition propaganda. He must wake up or be left to sleep in ignorance. But, the Amerindians and PPP/C are moving forward and are a force to be reckoned with.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.