TURBULENT political times can sharpen our awareness of ideas, issues and interests like the situation in Linden, Guyana’s current political mayhem in the interior has had the opposite effect on food, fuel and survival. Throughout the protest and disturbances in Linden, the people of Lethem and interior locations acted with great responsibility and restraint. They consistently and regularly appealed to the government and the protesters to find a solution so their lives can go on. The protesters and some leaders of Linden had planned to ‘shut down’ the government and business beyond Linden if their request was not met on the increased electricity tariff which was introduced on July 1st, 2012.
Since then, nothing of great significance overtly took place in bringing the situation to an end or other fields with respect to the controversy. After prolonged negotiation exchanges between the government and the stakeholders of Linden and the business leaders, the matter could not be resolved.  Food prices and the prices of other basic items  continue to skyrocket, the government has to give urgent consideration to the question of the continuing blockade of the interior.
The government must ensure that the people have an adequate, regular and varied supply of food and fuel at this time. The people in the interior have again warned of a food and fuel crisis which will afflict their communities and beyond in the future. Apart from the self-sufficiency objectives, government must be able to expand food and fuel supplies in these areas. In the first place, current projections are that in the years ahead more disturbances will take place and food prices will raise more sharply.
We therefore have a duty as a government to use our potential to strengthen the food security situation in the affected regions. For the people of Lethem and the interior locations food and fuel must not be a weapon, but defensive armour for us and the region. But in a wider context, as government of the people, we also have a duty to use our potential to help alleviate the suffering which is endemic in a shortage of food in the affected regions.
Indications are that the economy is slowing down as a result of internal factors. We are faced with revenue shortfalls due to the blockade emanating from the protest. This could lead to a no-win situation.