Jagan and his views on Cuba

Mar 19, 2026 Letters

Dear Editor,

Much has been said and written by persons who seemingly have some claim to predictive knowledge about how former President Dr. Cheddi Jagan would have responded to current developments in the world today, were he still alive. These are merely speculative and in no way reflective of the changing dynamics of the global environment.

There are for example speculations on how he may have responded to the current situations in Cuba and Venezuela, both of which are currently experiencing severe economic and social challenges following the extradition of President Maduro and his wife to the United States. Cuba, which relied heavily on Venezuelan oil, has now become a major casualty, with the country’s energy grid almost grinding to a halt.

It is true that Dr. Jagan was sympathetic to the cause of the Cuban revolution. But he was also someone who understood ‘realpolitik’ especially in the context of a changing global dispensation after the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the collapse of the world socialist system in the late 1980’s. After the return of democracy to Guyana in October 1992, Dr. Jagan recognised the role of the market ‘as the engine of growth’ and embraced a national democratic state as the way forward for Guyana.

His New Global Human Order which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007 was premised on the creation of a fair and equitable distribution of global resources, people-centered development and greater interdependence between the developed North and the underdeveloped South. But even more significant from a developmental perspective was his strong advocacy for democracy and an end to authoritarian forms of governance.

He attributed the fall of the Soviet Union to ‘command and control’ methods of rule and the absence of ‘grassroots’ involvement in the governance processes. I thought of sharing some thoughts on this subject especially at this time when Guyanese from all walks of life celebrate his life and work and his monumental contributions to the cause of a better world.

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