Latest update October 30th, 2026 10:24 AM
What if
Hard truths…
(Kaieteur News) – Brace for what’s coming, my fellow Guyanese. A bit off the beaten track. Here goes.
What if the U.S. as a matter of immigration policy would experiment with visa-free travel for Guyanese? A kind of seasonal work permit, along the lines that used to be extended to agricultural workers. Or a special type of HB-1 visa geared towards Guyanese. What could be a better mark, one of respect for Guyanese, to give vigor to the special relationship between the U.S. and Guyana? Imagine the frenzy here. Imagine further. The mob scenes almost all over.
This place would be empty in a hurry, before one could count to three. The only ones left would be the political, bureaucratic, and infrastructural self-enrichers (running bandits). What would they do then? Where are the voters? Where are the workers? I have good news for the government, the likes of Drs. Ali, Jagdeo, Phillips, Nandlall, and others of that illustrious cast. I wouldn’t be going anywhere. But Guyanese would, and by the droves. American Airlines would have to call on United Airlines, and Delta Airlines would have to come back. Now consider this. Visa-free travel to the U.S. would lead to a stampede for Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Alanta, and Maimi. Even New Orleans and Baton Rouge, the current U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, old stomping grounds, could be blessed by a Guyanese or two. Donald Trump or no Donald Trump, Guyanese would be coming in from the cold. Better make that to the cold from the heat. If this is the child (El Nino), I want nothing to do with El Padre (the father).
Which Guyanese would be slow on the draw in taking advantage of visa-free travel (and temporary stay) to Uncle Sam? Who cares about the outcome of the midterms, where the winds swing, who’s in charge? All the armies of poor, hungry, distressed, oppressed, suppressed Guyanese know is that they would welcome any opportunity to get out of here. Local Content, what about it? Hasn’t trickled down in any sustained way to the small people (especially if their color coding is off). Let Exxon and the others fill the gaps with Cubans and Venezuelans. If the latter can be in charge of the big Wales gas-to-electricity moonshot, why not oil rigs and transportation and heavy labour? If the Cubans are picky, or language is an obstacle, then bring in Americans and Europeans and give Guyana the bill. No one on the Guyana side of bill payment has been complaining or questioning those too much, if at all.
It’s enough to send Guyanese into flights of ecstasy. Imagine turning up at John F. Kennedy and being waived through with a warm smile, then passing through Customs without earning a hard look. Ali and Jagdeo can keep their oil (how much of a difference has that made)? Nandlall can thrill to his Facebook posts about the law and its unsullied majesty (where is it, and when last was that seen and felt)? The oil hasn’t meant much. Democracy has been a stranger, and a gimpy one, when seen occasionally. Freedom has been a two-edged sword: there to be used, but be ready to get abused. See what I mean, when I assert that Donald Trump for all his big bad boy behaviour is vastly more preferred to the malicious mandarins that Guyanese have had to live with, and who hog all the oil money fuh dem self and dem own peeple.
I have always insisted that if there was inclusive and generous sharing out the oil money, (properly disciplined and honestly so), then America would have had to exclude Guyana from its immigrant projections. Since the money squeeze, the mental squeeze, the price squeeze, and the overall environmental squeeze are all at unbearable levels, Donald Trump now looks angelic, the return of Moses. Guyanese must be Free! And American is the place for Guyanese to be. Even I got a little carried away there. Imagine again: visa-free to the U.S. Country and government would be in shambles. Like foreign currency, there may have to be restrictions on movement. Have a splendid day reflecting, everyone.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
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I have a better idea
Let the USA take over Guyana
A colony like Puerto Rico and make the Guyanese us citizen turn the President into a governor with voting rights in congress and the us senate
The Jews refused to accept Guyana as refuge in 1948
They will be or is at this moment crying blood