GUYANA | Justice is Not Immaturity – It's Leadership: Hughes Fires Back at Nandlall

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, April 25, 2025 - In a blistering response to accusations of "recklessness" and "immaturity," Alliance for Change (AFC) leader Nigel Hughes has doubled down on his criticism of the government's handling of recent police-involved killings in Linden, declaring that "speaking truth about state violence is not immaturity—it's leadership grounded in principle."

The war of words erupted after Attorney General Anil Nandlall lambasted Hughes during Tuesday's "Issues in the News" broadcast, claiming the AFC leader was "without the sense of maturity...the presence of mind" to govern and accusing him of inflaming public sentiment following a string of fatal police shootings in the mining town.

Far from backing down, Hughes has thrown the gauntlet back at the government's feet, pointing to a bloody trail of unresolved police violence that stretches back more than a decade.

"The blood spilled in Linden's streets demands more than platitudes," Hughes said in a statement that methodically dismantled Nandlall's accusations. "When citizens are gunned down by those sworn to protect them, leadership requires accountability, not deflection."

At issue are the recent police killings of three Linden residents—21-year-old Ronaldo Peters on April 7, followed by Dan Johnson and Keon Fogenay just a day later. These deaths have rekindled painful memories of July 2012, when police fatally shot several citizens during peaceful protests in the same community.

Hughes pointed to the government's failure to implement any recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry (COI) established after the 2012 killings—including proposals for an independent investigative body for police shootings and stricter protocols on lethal force.

"Instead of strengthening trust between the state and the people, the government ignored the COI's findings," Hughes said. "The result? History repeats itself in the most tragic way possible."

The AFC leader rejected Nandlall's characterization of his advocacy as political opportunism, suggesting instead that true political maturity lies in holding power accountable. "The people of Guyana are wiser than that. They know what maturity looks like: it is the courage to speak truth to power, to stand with victims, and to demand change—not just in words, but in action."

For the people of Linden, promises of justice have proven empty before. "They were promised accountability once," Hughes noted grimly. "They will not be fooled again when the same police force, unchanged and unrestrained, continues to execute citizens with impunity."

As election season approaches, Hughes has positioned the AFC's campaign as one centered on clean governance and accountability, where respect for every community stands paramount. His parting shot left little room for misinterpretation: "I stand with Linden. I stand for justice. And I stand by my words."

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