Dear Editor,
Mrs Patricia Rodney’s recent call for the Government of Guyana to make public the COI report into Walter Rodney’s death has led to a flurry of letters in the Guyana media, a few from the WPA.
One issue that came up in Mrs Rodney’s London speech concerns events surrounding the government in 2005 agreeing to have an inquiry into Walter’s death. Mrs Rodney was in Guyana in 2005 for the 25th anniversary of Walter’s assassination, this is what she said in her London speech “I was in Guyana attending an international conference on Walter, it was agreed that, yes, we would have a commission of inquiry; by the time I got back to Atlanta, I don’t know what happened, but it was quashed”.
Mrs Rodney in her usual dignified manner did not point a finger or mention names. But it is public knowledge that Rupert Roopnaraine, a leading WPA member was tasked with developing the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the inquiry. It is well known that the WPA was consistent in its call from 1980 for an inquiry in Walter’s death. The burning questing is why did Dr Roopnaraine not carry out this vital task; why was the intended inquiry quashed’?
Various commentators in Guyana have accused the WPA of betrayal, suggesting that the inquiry in 2005 was deliberately sabotaged by the WPA. The reason suggested for this ‘betrayal’ of Rodney was the WPA’s desire, at the time, to form an alliance with the PNC.
This is a very serious accusation that, to our knowledge, was never seriously dealt with by the WPA.
If the WPA is serious in its contention that it remains a Rodneyite party, it needs to properly address this issue.
We also note that Mrs Rodney made some other demands in her London speech, which need to be reinforced:
• Walter’s death certificate states that he was unemployed. This should be corrected as he was not unemployed at the time of his assassination.
• The fraudulent Inquest in 1988 held by the Hoyte Government concluded that Walter died of misadventure. We know from the 2014 COI that his death was a state sponsored killing. This too should be corrected.
• The conviction of Donald Rodney, which still stands, should be removed.
• There should be compensation for Rodney’s immediate family, including Donald Rodney.
Yours faithfully,
Leland De Cambra and Anne Braithwaite
Founding members, former WPA Support Group UK
