The APA has betrayed the very people it professes to be representing

Feb 23, 2025 Letters

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Editor,

Long positioned as an advocate for Indigenous rights, the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) does not reflect reality as it claims. In recent years, it has become evident that the APA is no longer a neutral body acting in the best interest of Guyana’s Indigenous people. Instead, it has become a political institution identifying itself with the opposition coalition (APNU+AFC).

Pictures of an APA executive with coalition leaders at opposition-led outreaches clearly show that the group is now part of the opposition machinery, purposefully working against national development projects benefiting Indigenous people. Although the coalition has a well-documented history of ignoring Amerindians, the APA was especially quiet throughout its tenure. The APA now aggressively disseminates false information about government initiatives, particularly the carbon credit scheme.

The APA’s strategic relationship with APNU+AFC is not haphazard. The opposing coalition has traditionally seen Amerindians as political instruments rather than equal citizens entitled to development. This helps to understand why APNU+AFC achieved nothing significant for Indigenous people throughout their tenure in government. Instead, they withdrew vital funds, halted efforts at land titling, and closed the Community Support Officers (CSO) programme, therefore depriving thousands of Indigenous young people of work.

The APA was silent despite these overt assaults on Indigenous advancement. Now claiming to advocate Indigenous rights, they were quiet when the APNU+AFC established a Commission of Inquiry (COI) to investigate Amerindian lands, a move generally regarded as an attempt to undermine Indigenous land claims in favour of foreign interests.

The APA’s silence following a top APNU+AFC government minister referring to Amerindians as “avaricious”—that is, greedy—an absolute insult to Indigenous people—was even more shameful. Quick to criticize the PPP/C government over unfounded allegations, the APA did not publish a single statement denouncing this provocative comment.

This selective outrage validates what many previously suspected: the APA is an extension of the opposition working against Indigenous development while disguising itself as an advocate for Amerindians.

Apart from its political ties, the APA’s greatest betrayal is its use of Amerindians to draw foreign financing. The APA has perfected the skill of making outrageous and sometimes incorrect assertions about Indigenous conflicts to get funding from foreign NGOs, international agencies, and environmental campaigning groups.

Their dishonesty operates as follows:

The APA consistently presents a misleading picture of Amerindian communities as being mistreated and neglected, fabricating or exaggerating crises. It purposefully overlooks the enormous expenditures the PPP/C administration has made in Indigenous development, including land titling, education, healthcare, and economic empowerment initiatives.

The APA vigorously opposes the carbon credit program, erroneously asserting that monies are being squandered and that Amerindians were not consulted. This money flows straight to villages where Indigenous leaders and the people decide on community investments.

Though many Amerindian leaders oppose the APA’s divisive strategy, the APA positions itself as the only “genuine” voice for Indigenous people; thus, using Amerindians as props for funding becomes imperative. It appeals for foreign donations using pictures of underprivileged areas, but there is little proof that these monies directly assist the people they claim to be helping.

When the PPP/C is in government, the APA loses relevance when Indigenous people grow prosperous and self-sufficient. This is the reason it opposes government-led development projects since these programmes empower Indigenous people and reveal APA dishonesty.

APNU+AFC keeps attacking any project helping Indigenous people while the APA gets foreign money under pretenses. Taken together, they create a hazardous alliance to maintain Amerindians in a constant condition of political manipulation and economic dependency.

Editor, let’s review the coalition’s history on Indigenous development:

1. Cut financing for the Amerindian Development Fund (ADF) during their tenure, limiting communities’ initiatives.
2. Discontinued the CSO initiative, leaving Indigenous young people unemployed.
3. Refused to involve Indigenous leaders, therefore undermining the National Toshaos Council (NTC); stopped the land titling process, so postponing legitimate land ownership for Indigenous people.

Now, in opposition, APNU+AFC uses the APA to highlight its erroneous narratives while posing as concerned about Amerindians. One can see the hypocrisy.

The PPP/C government is dedicated to actual, long-lasting development for Amerindians while the APA and the coalition carry on their misinformation campaign.

Editor, when the PPP/C assumed office in 2020, the following commitments to the Amerindians were delivered:

1. Revived and expanded the CSO programme, giving thousands of Indigenous young people work.
2. Accelerated Amerindian Land Titling guarantees Indigenous people their rightful ownership.
3. Made investments in infrastructure like roads, bridges, schools, and healthcare facilities to enhance the quality of life among Indigenous people.
4. Offered scholarships and enhanced educational possibilities to guarantee Indigenous people access to more advanced knowledge.
5. Executed the carbon credit scheme to ensure Amerindians gain from environmental preservation.

Unlike the APA and the opposition, which feed on political games and dishonesty, the PPP/C government makes real progress in empowering Amerindian people.

The APA has betrayed the very people it professes to be representing. Its priority is not Indigenous development but political relevance, as seen by matching with the opposition and using Amerindians.

Guyanese, especially Amerindians, have to start seeing this dishonesty. The APA opposes Indigenous rights and does not stand for them anymore. It coexists with the same opposition alliance that overtook Amerindian communities under its administration.

Only the PPP/C government has committed to Indigenous development, generating possibilities and guaranteeing a brighter future for Amerindians. Amerindians are experiencing development under the PPP/C administration. It is time to reject the APA and coalition’s false information and advance with the PPP/C government that serves Indigenous people.

Regards,

Hon. Alister Charlie, MBA

Indigenous Member of Parliament.

 (The APA has betrayed the very people it professes to be representing)

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• Amerindian Peoples Association, APA dishonesty, Indigenous rights, neutral body, opposition coalition

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