Dear Editor,
The First Peoples of our beloved country are presently undergoing political and ethical dilemmas, lacking in genuine and sincere representation and sub-standard leadership by the state’s senior officials. The National Toshoas’ Council and the Indigenous Peoples Commission have gone into dormancy and while in deep sleep, have become voiceless when very serious human rights violation are perpetrated against our Indigenous peoples. Land rights’ issues on the other hand, in most instances, are placed on the back burner, by the government, who portray to care for the Indigenous peoples of this country. The Ministers of Amerindian Affairs and Human Services and Social Protection are not given the prerogative to speak on behalf of the afflicted and affected First Peoples. Other advocacy bodies, agencies and indigenous NGO’s who go in defence of the First Peoples, when they are abandoned by the state, are unjustly perceived as potential enemies to the PPP government.
Leadership positions taken up by Amerindians, under the present administration, such as REOs, DDOs, CDOs and toshoas in the hinterland regions, have found themselves in ethical dilemmas from bad handling of funds to false accounting practices in state sponsored projects, such as contracts etc., and in some instances, criminally involved in sexual harassment. These anti-social behavioural patterns, mirrored in these capacities, in most instances, are allowed to go unnoticed by the authorities. Editor, the present state of affairs in most indigenous communities, as related to good governance, is far from what was promised when the PPP was re-elected into office in 2020. The smooth talking politicians and speeches, often times delivered in Parliament, by ministers of government, while capitalizing on the name “Amerindian brothers and sisters” is nothing short of “Parlia-mentary boffoonery”.
The Indigenous People of this oil rich and precious minerals’ country are now feeling the full impact of the effects of climate change. Many homes are facing hardships to put food on the table, due to the prolonged dry spell of El Nino in the Rupununi; as a result, their cassava farms, being devastated and consumed by extreme heat, coupled with savannah and forests fires, have placed them in a sense of hopelessness and despair while the President and his Ministers are busy paying attention to mega-projects and commissioning of multimillion dollar businesses on the coastlands, enjoying a lifestyle with an appetite for cocktails and buffet while the poor are perishing. Editor, while the El Nino phenomenon has put a brakes on the livelihood of the most vulnerable, who are left on their own to bear the full brunt of punishment, where water is fast disappearing from wells, creeks and rivers have dropped to alarming levels, many Rupununi villagers are totally dissatisfied with the present state of affairs.
Editor, the Indigenous Peoples of Guyana are now becoming fully aware of the neglect and discriminatory practices that are being used to oppress them, particularly, with the unfair distribution of the LCDF funds, and with the unavoidable truth, where proof exists now, that many Amerindians will be looking to form an alliance with an emerging third force at the upcoming general elections in 2025. Betta must come!
Sincerely,
Mark Anthony Rodrigues