Just over 260 years ago, one of the first and biggest slave rebellions in the Caribbean took place in Berbice, Guyana. After initial success, the white slave masters took back brutal control of the colony. But this rebellion nearly overthrew slavery in Guyana, perhaps even inspiring Toussaint Louverture in Haiti, who led the rebellion that made Haiti an independent state several years later.
Descendants of the maroons still dominate the population of Bara Cara, a small village of about 150 small, modest homes on the Canje River. Since 1763, Bara Cara has never had as much attention as it has been getting in the last three years. Guyana’s present President has visited twice, Guyana’s Vice President has visited once, several ministers of Government, including the Ministers of Agriculture, Infrastructure, Housing and several others, have visited Bara Cara. For the first time in its history, Bara Cara believes somebody cares.
Their President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, came and was given a rock star glorious welcome. The people of Bara Cara, all of them, came out to embrace their President. They praised him; they sang and danced with him; they spoke out loud and clear, letting him know that he is their President. They spoke, and addressed not only their fellow sisters and brothers, but to the rest of Guyana and to the “millions in the world”, they spoke that they love their President.
President Irfaan Ali, the People’s President, made his second visit to Bara Cara, a village deep in the Canje River, some seventy-five miles away from New Amsterdam. This was President Ali’s second visit to Bara Cara. During his first visit, he promised the people he would return. He kept his promise. Traditionally, this community has never voted for the PPP, the President’s party. They have overwhelmingly voted in the past for the PNC. In the 2020 General Elections, Bara Cara voted almost 100% for the PNC and for David Granger. Yet, Bara Cara has never received as much support as it is now receiving. The People’s President made it pellucidly clear that he is the President for all Guyanese, no matter race, no matter where people live, and no matter whom they vote for. As he left Bara Cara, he promised that he would be back. The people of Bara Cara have no doubt that he would be back. They believe him because he has kept all his promises to the people.
President Ali is the first President of Guyana to visit Bara Cara more than once. During this second visit, President Ali made arrangements for the people to get 150 solar panels, one for each home, making sure that people have access to some electricity. He made arrangements for them to receive a tractor and a plough, so they could prepare 400 acres of land for red beans production. In his first visit on August 11, 2022, he had helped them to start 25 acres of red beans production. He made arrangements for them to have a solar freezer, so that they could store fresh water fish, when their catch is excessive, for use in times of low catch. He made arrangements for more assistance to increase production of livestock and to start aquaculture. President Ali spoke of recreation, promising to help build a recreation ground and facilities. The Government, meanwhile, has improved health care and schools in the village.
During his first visit in 2022, President Ali had made arrangements for clearing the creek, and villagers have earned more than $10M from that project. Again, in his second trip, he has given the go-ahead to clear two creeks, and the villagers will earn more money.
Bara Cara has never enjoyed as much economic and social growth as it has since August 2020. Indeed, as far as we are aware, only one other President has visited Bara Cara. In 2015, early in his presidency, David Granger became the first President to visit Bara Cara. They voted for the PNC’s Forbes Burnham and deified him. He did not bother to rig the votes in Bara Cara, because he knew the people of Bara Cara voted for him 100%. But he ignored them, and did nothing to improve their lives. They voted for the PNC’s Desmond Hoyte, and like Burnham, he ignored them. They voted for all the PNC presidential candidates. They voted for David Granger in 2011, and again in 2015. David Granger did acknowledge them by visiting them in 2015.
The PNC’s Granger visited Bara Cara on December 13, 2015. He received a military welcome by the people who had voted almost 100% for him and the APNU/AFC coalition. He took with him some Christmas gifts for the children, and lots of promises for the people. He promised them that Bara Cara would no longer be neglected, implicitly acknowledging that the PNC, which had always enjoyed 100% support from the descendants of maroons, had neglected the community before. He had stated that he “cannot allow Bara Cara to be left behind” anymore. But he had brought nothing to give to the people, other than empty promises.
He promised them equipment for agro-processing, a bus, a boat, and to purchase all of their agriculture produce. He promised to return. He never returned, and no minister ever went back. The agro-processing equipment never arrived. The bus never arrived. Not one red bean was purchased. Like Burnham and Hoyte did, Granger betrayed the people of Bara Cara.
The people know who has their welfare at heart, that they are better off with the PPP. They celebrated the fact that President Ali is a man of his word. Bara Cara knows that the People’s President has treated them as equal Guyanese.
