On the betrayal of Walter Rodney by the WPA
IN Shakespeare’s play ‘Julius Caesar’, the most dramatic scene was where Julius Caesar was set upon by the assassins, including his trusted friend Brutus. Caesar, upon recognizing Brutus as one of the conspirators, exclaimed “Et tu Brute” and offered no further resistance because his spirit was broken.
And so there seems to be a parallel, two thousand years later. What would Walter Rodney say if he were to recognize his trusted comrades collaborating with his assassins today?
It is apparent that the criticism of Rupert Roopnarine and the WPA for joining forces with the PNC is touching some raw nerves and has elicited a response from David Hinds, full of invectives against the PPP, in Stabroek News of Friday 11th November, 2011. Hinds has, however, studiously avoided the criticisms that were made.
In the first place, the WPA, including Roopnarine, Hinds and others, along with the PPP and the broad masses, locally and internationally, all concluded that the PNC, not the PNC government, since they were operating under the philosophy of the paramountcy of the party, assassinated Walter Rodney. The PNC has never apologized for their actions in that period, when they unleashed state terrorism on our country. Rodney was the most famous of their victims, but we also had Ohini Kuama, Father Darke, Dublin, and many others.
Roopnarine, in preparing the ground to walk across to the PNC, taking Hinds, Oguyseye and others, prepared carefully, beginning several years ago. One would recall that Roopnarine wrote a letter to Dr. Luncheon in 2006, stopping the PPP/C Government from launching an investigation into Rodney’s assassination.
Of great interest also was that Roopnarine, probably speaking on behalf of the WPA, in a recent interview, stated, for the first time, that Rodney had been accumulating weapons to fight the PNC. The implication is that if the PNC did not kill Rodney, then Rodney would have killed them, and the intended logic seems to allow Roopnarine, Hinds and other WPA members to walk over to the PNC. It is as though Roopnarine did not only stab Rodney, but twisted the knife when he pulled it out. As Mark Anthony in ‘Julius Caesar’ said, “this was the unkindest cut of all”.
This was long in coming, since we have seen that, following Rodney’s death, the WPA degenerated into a racist group. They sided with criminals who held Buxton at ransom, committing all manner of atrocities on the East Coast of Demerara and beyond. It was this group that provided the appellation of “Freedom Fighters” to the criminals. The notable exception in this group was Brother Eusi Kwayana, who wrote against the others, resulting in him exiting Buxton when it became unsafe for him.
David Hinds was comfortably entrenched there at that time. Some of the worst espousals of racism are emanating from leaders of WPA, reflecting their descent to basic instincts.
Let us now examine some of Hinds unsubstantiated attacks on the PPP.
The PPP used its resources to help the WPA to grow under Rodney, because it found a lot in common with him. Of course there were also differences.
All the early WPA meetings utilized PPP’s equipment. The PPP involved the WPA in several of its activities. In fact, one of the most famous images of Rodney which circled the world was Rodney speaking at a sponsored activity at John Ford Car Park in 1979, commemorating the sixth anniversary of the massive rigging of the 1973 elections.
Hinds wrote that the PPP was trying to keep Rodney from going into Indo Guyanese communities. That is an unmitigated lie.
The PPP never had any problem with Rodney going into its strongholds. Indeed, Rodney obtained great receptions in the Indo Guyanese communities, because his ideological position and line closely approximated that of the PPP.
It was the Afro Guyanese population that was not so influenced because of the racism and opportunism of the PNC. One, therefore, did not have to suggest to Rodney that it was imperative that he focus his efforts in Afro Guyanese communities.
This was not at the exclusion of Rodney going to Indo Guyanese communities. In fact, in providing solidarity with Arnold Rampersaud, we jointly went into all communities.
It is instructive to note that, following the PPP’s introduction of the motion in parliament to mount an investigation into Rodney’s murder, the PNC and the WPA collaborated to water down the motion. The PPP consequently abstained in protest of the deletion of the reference to the fact that Rodney was “assassinated”.
It is clear now that the betrayal of Rodney by the WPA had started a long time ago. What we see now is the culmination of a long series of measures to join with Rodney’s assassins. We can actually hear Rodney’s lamentations.
The other statements in Hinds’ letter are so blatantly untrue that they ought not to be dignified with a response.

Minister Robert Persaud
People’s Progressive Party/Civic