Trump’s executive orders mirror those issued by Caricom nations (Part 1)

Dear Editor,
With its meteoric rise, Guyana has become “the most beloved country” to all of its Caribbean neighbours. This is evident in the drastic change in the way our peoples are being treated in those countries. It marks a 180-degree turnaround from previous years, when we were met with the most hostile attitudes from the leadership and residents of those Caricom countries.
But before I discuss the sudden change in the fortunes of the Guyanese people, let me take us down memory lane. Just a few short years ago, Guyanese were seen as refugees; a bunch of repulsive fugitives who were turning up at other Caricom ports. I here make use of the creole term to say we were a group of “Deh bad people” who were seeking asylum anywhere. Yes! Anywhere possible, other than Guyana.
Those were horrible times. Those were the worst of times. Those were the times when persons were ashamed to be called Guyanese because that word inevitably resulted in ridicule and bad treatment. We were the rejects of the Caribbean!
Certain Caricom territories can be called out for dishonourable mention where the ill-treatment of our peoples is concerned, and I name a few: St Lucia, Antigua, Trinidad & Tobago, The Bahamas, and Barbados. Whichever of those countries you name, the Guyanese experience there had been very bad. The last-named country was the most notorious of them all. Barbados had the most inhumane policies against nationals from my country.
Every Guyanese who has travelled to that island could attest to the hostile encounters they had had with Bajan Immigration. Everyone can attest to the rows of red chairs that had greeted them, and to the nationality of the persons who frequented that special area. That was the way we had been treated.
Many Caribbean nations are now speaking out against President Trump’s executive orders, and are accusing him of being a narcissist and an inhumane person, yet they fail to remember that those same draconian measures were meted out to their very own right here in the Caribbean.
With every executive order Trump makes that speaks to deportation of non-nationals, Caribbean governments must face the reality that those were the same draconian measures they had instituted against Guyanese in their countries. They cannot run away from the sure fact that Trump’s measures are a direct reflection of their own policies when Guyanese were fleeing poverty from their homeland.
The turnaround came at the advent of oil; now every Caricom nation speaks of us in endearing terms such as: Guyanese are our brothers and sisters. They now know that Guyana is a “Sister Caricom Country.”
In my next missive, I shall reveal to you the root causes for their prior actions.

Respectfully,
Neil Adams