GUYANA | The Time for Change Is Not Tomorrow—It Is Now !

GEORGETOWN,  Guyana, May 7, 2025 - In recent days, we have mourned the loss of citizens whose constitutional right to life was brutally violated. Yet, even in grief, a powerful unity emerged—across race, religion, and politics—reminding us of a timeless truth: a nation united cannot be defeated.

Adrianna Younge (11); Waveney LaCruz and her daughters, Maline and Sueann; Ronaldo Peters; Keon Fogenay; Kenesha Vaughn; and all who have fallen to injustice, abuse, and neglect, their names must not fade. Their deaths must not be in vain.

In a law-abiding society, the police are not merely enforcers; they are protectors of justice. Their duty is sacred: to serve without bias and uphold the law with integrity. But in Guyana, the Guyana Police Force has repeatedly failed this duty. Instead of trust, it has bred fear. Instead of justice, it has enabled injustice through corruption, abuse of power, and disregard for human rights. The people of Guyana deserve a police force that protects, not preys.

Without urgent reform, real accountability, professionalism, and respect for rights, the Force will remain a symbol of betrayal, not justice. The time for change is not tomorrow. It is now. These moments demand bold action. The constitutional right to life must be more than ink on paper. Law and order must be restored as pillars of a just society, supported by institutions that uphold, not undermine democracy.

The promise of inclusionary democracy under Article 13 must be fulfilled, not when convenient, but now. We must confront and crush the barriers that hold us back—pettiness, tribalism, division, and the poisonous games of political mischief.

Workers carry the weight of this nation yet are treated as invisible. Collective bargaining is ignored. Court rulings in their favour are evaded. A nation cannot rise if its workers are kept on their knees. The State must treat them not as obstacles but as partners in development.

Let us state the facts: We are the citizens of this Republic and the financiers of the State. Guyana is ours. Governance must reflect the voices, needs, and dreams of all Guyanese—not just a privileged few. That is not a favour; it is a right.

The absence of checks and balances has turned governance into political theatre, marked by impunity, lawlessness, and exclusion. In a healthy democracy, the minority is not an afterthought. In a just society, law and order are sacred, not selective.

To those in power: this land is not the property of your party or dynasty. The taxes you spend are not gifts, they are the people’s money, and they must serve all the people. Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) believes real development is impossible without justice. Guyana is rich in resources, but what it lacks is the political will to do what is right. The promise of shared prosperity must become reality.

And so we ask: what does the so-called fastest-growing economy in the world mean to the single mother in Berbice? The jobless graduate in Linden?  The nurses, teachers, public servants, bauxite workers? The sugar worker in West Demerara? The pensioner living day to day? Where is their share of the wealth?

The Constitution is not optional. Article 13 demands equity, inclusion, and representation. We acknowledge the restoration of free education, won through years of struggle, not as charity, but as people-powered victory. And we say to the regime: you cannot claim credit while ignoring the debt owed. Tens of thousands paid tuition they never should have.

The GTUC demands full cancellation of outstanding tuition debt and refunds to those who paid. That is not kindness; it is reparative justice. We cannot demand reparations from colonial powers while denying justice to our own people.

When we proposed cash transfers, it was to ensure fairness and dignity—not political patronage. We call on the government to publish a full accounting of all disbursements. Let the people judge the truth.

We re-submit our 15-Point National Plan- a blueprint for inclusion, justice, and prosperity, presented every year since 2019-calls for the full implementation of Article 13 and the establishment of all constitutional commissions, alongside the devolution of power to local and regional governments.

It proposes a minimum 60% parliamentary approval for the national budget and the introduction of affirmative action to ensure equal access to jobs and contracts. The Plan includes both direct and indirect cash transfers from oil revenue, including a $5,000 annual household grant, elimination of PAYE, and the introduction of unemployment benefits via the NIS.

GTUC demands protection of union rights, enforcement of collective bargaining agreements, and the expansion of nationwide school feeding programmes. Further, it calls for regional trauma centres and improved healthcare, reduced cost of living, restored public transport, soft loans for housing, politically independent NIS reform, and expanded access to vocational and tertiary education.

This is not a wishlist. This is a demand for dignity, grounded in rights—not favours.

We envision a Guyana where every citizen has a seat at the table; where justice is a right, not a privilege; and where democracy is participatory, inclusive, and real.

We call on the government to uphold the Constitution, restore the people’s rights, and guarantee free, fair, and credible elections. Not staged contests but real choices that reflect the will of the people.

Let us unite, like Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow did, to build a nation where justice, equality, and democracy are lived realities.

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