The Promise Kept: Why Guyana’s First Peoples Continue to Trust the PPP

EVERY year, the National Toshaos Conference (NTC) reminds Guyanese of an important truth: our Indigenous communities are not an afterthought in national development. They are central to it. The gathering is more than a conference — it is the largest democratic forum of Indigenous leaders in Guyana, where Toshaos speak directly to the government about the needs, aspirations and future of their villages.
This year’s National Toshaos Conference 2026 once again demonstrates a political reality that has become increasingly difficult for the opposition to deny: no government in Guyana’s modern history has invested more in the livelihoods, education, health, infrastructure, land rights and economic empowerment of Amerindian communities than the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
The evidence is overwhelming.
For decades, Indigenous communities had complained of neglect, poor roads, limited health care, weak educational opportunities and inadequate government attention.
Today, while challenges remain, there is measurable progress backed by billions of dollars in investment and hundreds of completed projects across Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine.
Unlike political parties that only remember Amerindian communities during election campaigns, the PPP has made Indigenous development a permanent national priority.
The National Toshaos Council has become a genuine platform for consultation rather than a ceremonial event. Government ministers, permanent secretaries and technical officials remain available to answer questions, resolve problems and incorporate village priorities into national planning. This is participatory democracy in action.
Perhaps the clearest example of the government’s commitment lies in economic investment.
Over recent years, more than $60 billion has been invested in Amerindian, hinterland and riverain communities, including over $50 billion in capital expenditure alone. These investments have improved health care, education, transportation, water access, electricity, internet connectivity and housing.
These are not promises written in a manifesto, they are projects visible in villages across Guyana.
One of the most transformational achievements has been the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).
For generations, Indigenous communities protected Guyana’s forests without receiving meaningful financial recognition. The PPP government changed that.
Fifteen per cent of Guyana’s carbon-credit revenues have been transferred directly to Indigenous villages. More than $4.7 billion was distributed to over 240 villages, while the community share later increased to 26.5 per cent, preserving transfers exceeding US$23 million and supporting more than 800 community projects.
This represents something unprecedented.
Rather than outsiders benefitting from Guyana’s forests, the people who have protected those forests for centuries are now receiving direct financial returns to invest in agriculture, tourism, community enterprises and village infrastructure.
Land rights have also advanced significantly.
Almost 8,700 Amerindians have benefitted from legal land titles under the current administration, while additional villages have received certificates of title and completed demarcation exercises.
Land ownership is not simply about geography. It is about dignity, security and preserving Indigenous heritage for future generations.
Education has equally become one of the strongest pillars of government policy.
Nearly 5,000 GOAL scholarships have been awarded to students from hinterland communities, representing about 16 per cent of all scholarships issued. Seventy-nine new hinterland schools have been built, dozens more renovated and additional secondary schools are under construction.
Teacher training has expanded dramatically. The proportion of fully trained teachers across Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine has risen from less than 43 per cent in 2020 to 83 per cent by the end of 2024.
Millions of textbooks have reached students.
Hundreds of schools now enjoy high-speed internet. Libraries continue to be expanded.
These are investments in opportunity. Health care tells an equally compelling story. Thirty-two hinterland health facilities have been upgraded. Six hundred additional health workers now serve remote communities. Medicine availability has improved substantially. Telemedicine now connects dozens of villages with specialists. More than 1,500 medical evacuation flights have saved lives.
In Region Nine, surgeries once available only in Georgetown are increasingly performed locally. In Region One, malaria cases have fallen dramatically, while surgery capacity continues to be expanded. Regions Seven and Eight have similarly recorded improvements in outreach services, medicine availability and specialist care.
Infrastructural development has transformed everyday life. Thousands of kilometres of hinterland roads have been maintained and upgraded.
Billions have been invested in road construction. Water coverage has increased significantly through new wells and water systems.
Thirty thousand solar home systems have been distributed, bringing electricity to families previously living without reliable power.
Government Wi-Fi now reaches 140 hinterland communities. For many Indigenous children, internet access is no longer a luxury but a reality.
Agriculture has likewise received sustained investment. More than $4.5 billion has supported food-security initiatives involving cassava, rice, corn, peanuts, pineapples, honey, coffee, cocoa, spices, fish farming and agro-processing.
Nearly 200 tractors and agricultural implements have been distributed, while approximately 10,000 farmers have benefitted from expanded support programmes.
This is genuine rural economic development. Social protection has not been ignored.
Community Service Officers have been restored and expanded.
Thousands of Indigenous pensioners and vulnerable residents continue receiving government assistance.
The Because We Care cash grant has been restored and increased, easing financial pressure on families preparing children for school.
Young people continue benefitting from employment opportunities, tourism initiatives and skills training.
Culture has also received unprecedented recognition. Indigenous fashion, eco-tourism, heritage preservation and cultural identity are increasingly viewed not as historical relics, but as important contributors to Guyana’s national development.
This represents a fundamental shift in national thinking.
The contrast with previous administrations is impossible to ignore.
During the APNU+AFC administration, the coalition proudly pointed to having three Amerindian ministers and an Amerindian Vice President.
Representation, however, is meaningful only when it delivers measurable results.
Indigenous communities judge governments not by photographs or political appointments but by roads built, schools opened, medicines delivered, land titles granted, jobs created and opportunities expanded.
Those measurable outcomes simply did not occur on the scale witnessed since 2020.
The existence of Amerindian ministers did not automatically translate into transformational development across hinterland communities.
Likewise, newer political movements such as WIN frequently present themselves as defenders of Indigenous peoples. Yet slogans and social media campaigns cannot substitute for sustained investment.
Too often, Amerindian communities become convenient political backdrops during election seasons, only to fade from public attention afterwards.
The people of the hinterland deserve more than symbolic visits and political speeches.
They deserve long-term partnerships. That is precisely what the National Toshaos Conference continues to represent.
It reflects a government willing to sit with Indigenous leaders, answer difficult questions, receive criticism where necessary and commit resources to solving problems.
No one suggests that every challenge has disappeared.
There are still villages requiring better roads, expanded health services, stronger telecommunications and additional economic opportunities.
Development is an ongoing journey. But no honest observer can deny the direction of travel.
Billions invested. Thousands of jobs supported. Thousands of scholarships awarded. Improved schools. Improved hospitals. Expanded internet. Land titles secured. Carbon revenues shared. Communities empowered.
The story of Indigenous development in Guyana is no longer defined by neglect.
It is increasingly defined by partnership.
As Guyana continues its remarkable transformation, one lesson from the National Toshaos Conference remains unmistakably clear: when Indigenous communities are treated as partners in nation-building rather than spectators to development, the entire country moves forward together.
That, more than any political slogan, explains why so many Amerindian leaders continue to view the PPP/C government as the administration that has done the most to place their livelihoods, communities and future at the centre of Guyana’s national development.
Putting People First means when they win, Guyana wins. When our Indigenous people are placed first, as they should always be, Guyana wins!