Dear Editor,
Nestled between Brazil and Venezuela, Guyana can easily go unnoticed. It has about 750,000 inhabitants and a per capita income of $4,300, half the regional average, qualifying it as the hemisphere’s third poorest nation.
However at the moment Guyana also might be the luckiest country, having struck huge oil deposits offshore since 2015. With that said it could make Guyana one of richest Latin American producers in less than a decade. Are we ready and prepared to manage this great resource?
I challenge us all to band together – government and opposition – to purposefully, skilfully and honestly put Guyana and its people first.
I close with Nelson Mandela’s words: “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.” Let us unite and build Guyana as one people, one nation with one destiny.
Yours faithfully,
Ivan Bentham
Regional Councillor
APNU+AFC
Regional Democratic Council
Region Four
