Tourism Minister slams Opposition MPs xenophobic remarks on Venezuelan migrants

…as MPs clash over Venezuelan migration, sovereignty

In a fiery exchange in the National Assembly on Monday, Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond defended the Government’s stance on migration and foreign policy, particularly addressing Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Amanza Walton-Desir’s remarks on Venezuelan migrants, which she accused her of fueling xenophobic fears regarding these persons.
Walrond took aim at Walton-Desir’s criticisms, which she had voiced both inside and outside the House. The Opposition MP had expressed concerns over the increasing Venezuelan migrant population and what she claimed is the lack of clear migration policy to manage the growing influx of migrants.
In particular, Walton-Desir accused the Government of neglecting the issue of migration, which she claimed posed risks to the country’s national security and sovereignty.
“Mr Speaker, the truth is that most of the Venezuelans who are here are of Guyanese descent. That is the truth,” Walrond declared, pushing back against what she described as unfounded fears being spread by the opposition. She argued that the current discussions on migration, particularly regarding Venezuelan migrants, were being manipulated to create unnecessary panic.
In her response, Walrond also criticised the opposition’s approach, calling their arguments “empty” and “vacuous.” She highlighted the previous administration’s record, pointing out that many of the social benefits that had been introduced under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, such as school grants, pensions, and subsidies for electricity and water, had been removed by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Coalition Government.
Walrond emphasised that these measures had been enacted without oil revenues, a stark contrast to the arguments made by the opposition, which claimed the Government’s ability to fund such programmes was only possible due to the newfound oil wealth.
“The Honourable Member Desir said outside of the House, and I quote, how much a Government gives to its people, it’s directly related to how much it has to give, and went on to say that our Government has, and I quote, unprecedented fiscal space. This sounds plausible enough on its face, Mr Speaker, but let us examine this argument a little more closely. Mr Speaker, before 2015, without even the prospect of oil resources within this fiscal space available, the PPPC Government found the money to pay cash grants of $15,000 per year to schoolchildren”.
“The APNU-AFC came into office, riding the wave of first oil discovery in 2015, and took that grant away,” the Minister said.
“The opposition has done nothing. They have no solutions. Nothing of substance,” Walrond said, urging the nation to focus on the real issues at hand rather than engaging in divisive rhetoric.
Meanwhile, on the topic of Venezuela, Walton-Desir raised concerns about the recent actions by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, particularly the completion of a bridge to Ankoko Island and plans to appoint a Governor to the Essequibo region. She called for more proactive and decisive action, urging the Government to step up its diplomatic efforts and engage with the international community to safeguard Guyana’s territorial integrity.
“Mr Speaker, these actions constitute a dangerous escalation of aggression that cannot go unchallenged. We must now move, Mr Speaker, beyond the lodging of formal protests, to more proactive and decisive action. We, on this side of the House, are on record as making a number of recommendations to the PPP/C Administration, including the full mobilisation of our diplomatic apparatus to secure continued international support, and that that apparatus will emphasise the justness and the rightness of our cause. We continue to stress the importance of a robust international public relations campaign, and of course the engagement of the Guyanese diaspora in advocating for our sovereignty,” Walton-Desir.
In conclusion, Walton-Desir called for a “Guyana and Guyanese-first migration policy,” which would focus on the welfare of Guyanese citizens while responsibly managing migration to ensure the country’s long-term stability and growth.

“The PPPC Government likes to say that we are invoking fear in the people of Guyana, but no less a person than their national security advisor is on record as expressing the concern that we do not know who we are letting into the country, that there are military men of age in our country, and we have no way of tracking them and no way of knowing their whereabouts”.
“Further, refugees and migrants must only be granted temporary status until they can return to their homelands with a clear and explicit provision against voting rights. I repeat, with a clear and explicit provision against voting rights. Guyanese citizenship must remain a privilege and not a pathway to manipulation or long-term instability,” the Opposition Parliamentarian added.
In 2024, it was disclosed by Government that approximately 28,000 Venezuelan migrants currently residing in Guyana- looking to secure employment to provide a better life for their families.
Nevertheless, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn had revealed that Venezuelan migrants comprise the largest group of migrant prisoners in Guyana’s prison system.
As it stands, a total of 2,240 males and over 60 females are currently incarcerated in prisons across the country. And of that number, some 23 Venezuelan nationals are serving time for crimes committed, ranging from the possession of illegal firearms to ammunition and narcotics, as well as murder, among other crimes. (G1)