Murder of Ridley Joseph: To use the tragic end of Toshao’s life as a political weapon is unconscionable – Teixeira

…slams Opposition MP for exploiting tragedy

Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister and Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Geographic Member of Parliament for Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Gail Teixeira, has slammed the opposition’s Geographic Member of Parliament for the region, Dawn Hastings, for using the Toshao’s death as a political weapon.
Teixeria in a statement expressed sadness following the tragic death of Toshao Ridley Joseph, who was recently elected to lead the village of Tasserene, and who was murdered on Monday at a hotel in Georgetown.
In a statement, Teixeira praised Joseph’s straightforwardness and dedication to resolving issues in his community and the Middle Mazaruni sub-district.
However, Teixeira also condemned the actions of the opposition’s Geographic MP for Region Seven, Dawn Hastings, who, in a video aired hours after Joseph’s death, attempted to politicise the tragedy. Teixeira accused Hastings of opportunistically linking Joseph’s murder to the Mahdia Dorm fire, which occurred in May 2023 and of making irresponsible statements regarding the investigation into that tragedy, despite the Commission of Inquiry report being publicly available since January 2024.

“In true APNU+AFC fashion, Mrs Hasting tries to master the art of putting on a show only when tragedy strikes. To use the tragic end of Toshao Ridley Joseph’s life as a political weapon is unconscionable,” Teixeira said on Monday.
Teixeira also criticised Hastings for invoking the “good old Burnham days,” pointing out that during the era of Forbes Burnham, Toshaos were manipulated and restricted from freely interacting with others, especially members of the People’s PPP/C.
Teixeira responded to Hastings’ comments on the state of the country, asserting that Guyanese are witnessing the ongoing transformation of their nation, particularly in Amerindian communities. She highlighted advancements such as the construction of new schools, expanded communications infrastructure, and the revitalisation of the solar household electrification programme, which benefits thousands of Amerindian families. Additionally, she pointed to over $9 billion in carbon credits revenue shared with more than 240 Amerindian communities and the increase in stipends for Toshaos.
Teixeira further reminded Hastings of her party’s poor track record regarding Amerindian rights and welfare, particularly during their time in Government from 1966-1992 and from 2015-2020. She referenced actions such as the termination of nearly 2,000 young Amerindian Community Support Officers and the dismantling of the Amerindian Land Titling Unit, which she said left Amerindian communities vulnerable and underfunded.
“If I were Mrs Hastings, I would have kept quiet because the track record of her party between 1966-1992 was so abysmally bad with regards to the Amerindian people: poverty, isolation and neglect, coupled with the rigging of Toshaos’ elections to keep them under the control of the ruling party, her party. At one time Aishalton had two village councils, one with the Burnham appointed Toshao and council and the other elected by the community. The former was recognised and received their stipends etc. while the other was not. And let’s look at more recent times: 2015- 2020, no different! Their first assault took place a few months after taking office, terminating 1,972 young Amerindian Community Support Officers in one swoop, sending their families into greater poverty,” the Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister said.
Teixeira also emphasised that the opposition’s attempts to exploit Joseph’s tragic death for political gain were hypocritical, noting that their party’s policies and actions had long undermined the rights and wellbeing of Amerindian communities. She concluded by reaffirming that Toshao Ridley Joseph’s legacy deserved more respect than to be used for political point-scoring, and that the people of Region Seven deserve leaders who serve their communities with sincerity, not exploitation.
“Please don’t cry caiman tears and posture you cared. You were in Government and you know very well what was not done for or in some cases taken away from Amerindian people and their communities, and from your statements in Parliament you defended all of these assaults on our Amerindian peoples. To now posture as a champion of Amerindian people while using the murder of a young leader to score political points is the height of hypocrisy and vulgarity,” Teixeira added.