Freedom of Press’ is not unrestrained freedom

May 19, 2026 Letters

Dear Editor,

I can fully attest that “press freedom (is) a ‘tangible reality’ in Guyana” Here is just a quick hint, and readers can check for themselves. The following few pieces prove that anyone and everyone, trained or not, has access to ‘let lose’ their pens, even if it means a later retraction, or it is simply a suspicion, or pseudo-analysis.

Apology and retraction to Mr. Devindra:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Devindra+Kissoon-Guyana+News&rlz=1C1GCEA_enCA1007CA1007&oq=Devindra+Kissoon-Guyana+News&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigAdIBCjEwMjk4ajBqMTWoAgiwAgHxBdG4d8Mys5hs&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#:~:text=Web%20results,CH4%C2%A0…Read%20more

Blunt: https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/category/editorial/#:~:text=THE%20BLUNT%20OF%20THE%20DAY

GTE and secret payment:

https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/category/editorial/#:~:text=GTE%20and%20secret,president.%20The%20Prime…

So, for sure, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy, was quite in order, when he “… clearly asserted that press freedom in Guyana is neither theoretical nor rhetorical. Rather, it is a tangible reality.” This came out at the closing session of the 2026 World Press Freedom Day Conference, hosted at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, Zambia. On this said occasion, McCoy poignantly “… emphasised that Guyana’s governance framework supports the free, responsible and diverse nature of Media in every form; a support that aligns perfectly with global democratic principles recognising a free Press as essential to transparency, accountability and sustainable development.”

This pronouncement was in sharp contrast to what ‘used to obtain’ pre-1992, particularly up to the LFS Burnham presidency, which was cut short in 1985. Under the late Burnham, ‘Press Freedom’ was in utter obsolescence. I recall the infamous State monopoly on newsprint and printing equipment, as a diabolical Burnham, at his brutal best, but not via ‘direct red-inking of articles’ but by the controlling of raw materials. For example, still fresh in the memory was that distasteful newsprint blockade, as the then People’s National Congress (PNC) Government refused to grant import licences for newsprint, and thus the Mirror (the newspaper of the opposition People’s Progressive Party) and the Catholic Standard (a prominent critical religious publication) were forced to drastically reduce their page counts, print on cheap scrap paper, or suspend operations entirely because the State refused to sell them paper.

I think also of physical intimidation and violence that led to the 1979 killing of Father Bernard Darke, a photographer and journalist for the Catholic Standard, who was publicly stabbed to death by members of the House of Israel, a religious cult operating as a pro-Burnham paramilitary group. The killer was ‘well-taken care of’ in a Kangaroo court with a ‘joke’ sentence, which according to many, allowed him civilian privileges.

This kind of milieu, post 1992, then was at the heart of McCoy’s presentation, as he implored that relationships, reciprocity and mutuality between any government and all media must be fostered in an ambience of cordiality. I intimated already, and McCoy’s supported that “… that suspicion has frequently characterised this relationship … However, he called on both sides to transition away from doubt and toward mutual transparency and accountability.”

Editor, “Freedom of the press gives individuals and organisations the right to express, publish, and share information, ideas, and opinions without fear of censorship or government interference.” This is a reality in Guyana, and I did mention that in my preamble. However, this does not mean that there can be ‘free course’ to defamation, hate speech, and incitement to violence. Modern technologies and the rise of AI then must have a concomitant caveat, and the Minister’s ‘word to the wise was that “While acknowledging the opportunities presented by these technologies, several grave risks including mis-information/dis-information and erosion of editorial standards…” must be confined to good ethics and legal prohibitions.

My dream to be able to speak with authenticity is now here and hopefully we treasure this in Guyana.

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