Just recently, a crew member of a visiting UK cruise ship was beaten and robbed by bandits in Georgetown. He was one of scores of tourists who visited here in keeping with efforts to boost Guyana’s tourism potential. Based on reports, it appears that he took the opportunity to experience the City’s vibrant night life, as tourists do during their stay in various countries.
Such outings are expected to be pleasant, allowing for encouraging tales and posts with memories — factors in determining a possible return visit. Based upon that person’s experience, the tales and postings could be far from encouraging, and a return visit may not be within the realm of immediate consideration.
A few days after that incident, a teen footballer was gunned down, also in the City. In between those two incidents, a young mother was brutally murdered by her spouse in Berbice. Criminal activities continue unabated, despite public relations efforts to console, with promises to stem the flow of what seems an unstoppable wave.
Sometime last year, the Prime Minister was quoted in a release from the Government information arm as saying that “Guyana has never been safer”. The ordinary people are expected to interpret that as they and their families are much safer now under this Government, when compared to the situation that obtained under the last administration.
From what transpires through both reported and unreported incidents of criminal activities, that statement can be seen as grossly misleading, and as nothing short of a public relations stunt by the Government in an endeavour to convey the impression that its crime-fighting interventions are reaping success.
Reportedly, the statement of the country now being safer was echoed by the Minister of Public Security. Just to remind: under his tenure, seventeen prisoners died in a fire at the Camp Street Prison; months afterwards, the facility itself was completely destroyed, also by fire set by inmates. Subsequently, a number of prisoners escaped from the Lusignan facility; juveniles are breaking out from the New Opportunity Corps, and crime continues.
Those incidents strongly suggest that the subject minister has no ground to make such utterances regarding people’s safety. Many have since called for him to resign, given what they believe to be his abysmal failure despite his not having to carry the full load of the Ministry, as his predecessor under the last administration had to do. Another minister is now entrusted with some of the responsibilities.
In the one case of the cruise ship member being robbed, the expectation and the believed traditional operational procedure is for increased security to be placed around the docking area, and for tours to be arranged for around the City. The length of stay of the ship would have been known in advance, allowing for necessary planning.
The heightened security in these circumstances is to ensure the prevention of the robbery in question, given the high stakes with regard to the nation’s tourism drive.
This is often done seemingly at the expense of the locals here, in an effort to safeguard the country’s image. From reports, the ship docked for three days, as per prior arrangement. What, then, may have been responsible for the perceived lack of security coverage? The embarrassment on the international tourism scene could lead to a reluctance of tourists to visit the country, and can therefore create a major setback. This begs the question of prior planning, or role played by the Ministry of Public Security.
From an international perspective, one may rightfully be tempted to ask if such tourism efforts are priorities of that said Ministry. From a local standpoint, questions pertaining to the security of residents also arise. The latter would clearly have more reasons to ask — in the context that the current Government, while in the Opposition, openly boasted of its ability to effectively combat crime and to protect the citizens across the country. It was a campaign priority which may have won crossover votes, as people believed the boasts primarily because of the many security experts on the electoral ticket.
The current reality of high crimes may have rendered such boasts as an April fool’s exercise at the expense of the populace. Even if the Government were to try and say that the pronouncements of the Prime Minister and the Public Security Minister are vindicated by just one less incident of crime since its tenure, when compared to the previous Administration, its effect in combating crime would still be a tremendous failure in the context of its boasts. Its inability to curb the ongoing crime wave is an indictment of its policies, or lack thereof.
Guyanese continue to live in fear, and those overseas are in a constant state of worry for their loved ones here. Many who are seeking opportunities overseas have cited crime as a major factor to flee. From the standpoint of the ordinary citizens, the reality seems obviously different from that of the Government, as expounded by the two senior officials mentioned. The former is premised on pain, suffering, and being victims; the latter on a desire to stay in office, while remaining oblivious to the plight of the former. April fool’s jokes are eventually unravelled.
