Creating…

…mayhem

In the wake of the MV Barima tragedy, WPA’s rep in APNU’s Parliamentary delegation, Black Pudding Man Hinds, thundered, “It’s time to make this country ungovernable. The right to resistance is our constitutional right.” While he then insisted his remarks weren’t a call to violence – “There are ways we can protest and resist without killing each other. I don’t want Guyanese killing Guyanese” – he would know that words have histories!!
Every nation has phrases that carry a weight beyond their dictionary meaning. In Guyana, “make the country ungovernable” is one of them. It ain’t just a slogan – it’s a phrase burdened with the baggage of memory!! Now don’t get your Eyewitness wrong – political leaders – even of the four-man, geriatric WPA!! – have every right to organise peaceful protests of Governmental failures and demand accountability. Those are essential features of constitutional democracy.
But responsible politics requires an appreciation not only of what words are supposedly intended to mean but also of how they are LIKELY to be heard!! Guyana has lived through periods – again and again – when inflammatory political rhetoric ignited passions to launch actions acquiring a life of their own!! Many Guyanese still remember that one previous call was followed by disturbances that culminated in attacks on Indian-owned businesses – including their destruction – at Mon Repos Market!! Families who’d spent years building modest enterprises watched their livelihoods disappear in hours. The consequences weren’t borne by Governments or political parties – but by ordinary citizens whose only offence was belonging to the “wrong” community at the wrong moment!!
Whether Black Pudding man intended those outcomes remains politically debatable. What’s beyond dispute is that the emotional and social scars endured long after the speeches had faded!! That history imposes a special responsibility on today’s political leaders. Leadership is measured not only by one’s ability to mobilise supporters but also by one’s ability to restrain them!! It requires language that leaves no room for ambiguity – particularly in a society where ethnic insecurities remain close to the surface and where social media can amplify emotion with frightening speed!!
The tragedy of the MV Barima should unite Guyanese in grief and in demanding answers. It should produce rigorous investigations, accountability where negligence is established, and reforms to ensure such a catastrophe is never repeated. It should not become the catalyst for another cycle of political confrontation in which innocent citizens again become collateral damage.
History is an unforgiving teacher. It reminds us that words can outlive the intentions of those who utter them. Guyana has paid too dearly for political language that outran political control.
Black Pudding Man should’ve learnt by now that while Governments may survive unrest, it’s ordinary people who bear its deepest costs!!

…defence and offence
As soon as your Eyewitness heard about the MV Barima’s sinking, he thought about rescue efforts and asked, “Last December when the US multimillion-dollar Bell 429 and Bell 407 helicopters arrived, the head honcho promised they ‘strengthened Guyana’s ability to respond rapidly to emergencies, provided access to remote hinterland and riverain communities, and supported disaster response, medical evacuation, search and rescue, and other civil operations.’ Where were they for the Barima?!”
They could’ve reached the site of the sunken MV Barima in an hour – and at least dropped life jackets!! Well, he got an answer that there was some problem with the ground power supply unit that had burnt critical parts of both choppers!! But how long ago was this?? When will the choppers be repaired – in case Venezuela attacks?!
But another question arose: where’s that shiny, new GDF Coast Guard Metal Shark 115 Defiant patrol vessel acquired in 2024??
The write-up assured us, “Its adaptable design allows it to effectively coordinate search and rescue or disaster response operations”!!

…confusion
Your Eyewitness noticed APNU’s Parliamentary leader Chicken Man Campbell calling for Parliament to determine the composition of the COI into the Barima tragedy. But how’s this gonna happen with his colleague’s call to “make the country ungovernable”??!!