Dear Editor,

THERE is a pandemic that has engulfed this earth that we live in, and it has already visited over 80 countries. Positioned east, west, north and south, it has no vaccination. Covid-19 does not discriminate, and I will get straight to the point I want to make. Let the ‘powerful countries’ with their deadly weapons upon their warships and their missiles of destruction challenge Covid-19. Covid-19 is an enemy of Mankind; the ABC countries and world powers cannot see this. It is not visible, so Covid-19 cannot be another Osama Bin Laden.
These mighty countries came to my country in 2020 and sent their people to see that Guyana conduct a free and fair election. They came, they saw, and they insulted our intelligence, getting into the political business of a sovereign country.

Personally and individually speaking, whatever comes out of this present fiasco in Guyana will be the result of Guyanese with their colonial and foreign mentality, looking to ‘massa’ to solve our problems. It is because of massa’s interference in the 60s that my country and its people are where they are today. They came, they ‘observed’ and went back and gave politicians seeking power the conception that they have all the answers. If they are so powerful, let them sanction Covid-19, and cease what is going on in Italy (they like to pelt black-foot zillions with banana skins). I was a young political activist 19 to 20 years old when those colonialists and imperialists put their mouth in my country’s political affairs in the 60s. Today, in 2020, they are doing the same thing, at the expense of our populace. I say to the outsiders who interfere, keep out and stop threatening to isolate my country. If you are so powerful, why not go and ‘isolate’ Covid-19!

There are so many instances of eye-pass perpetuated by these powers on my country that I wonder how Mr. Granger could have sat down and cut cake with the colonial ambassador in celebration of the Queen’s birthday about two years ago. And as an historian, you should have known better.

I am one of those who were in the streets; in the trenches, fighting for independence for our country. Independence was not given to us on a platter. The Worcestershire Regiment, Queens Fusiliers, Black Watch, and Argylls, these four military regiments were on the streets of Georgetown. They were on the dams with their long guns, with bayonets affixed in the 60s, telling us the people of Cheddi and Burnham that between 6pm and 6am, we must not be out of our homes. We of that era fought them in many ways to show our resentment for their disrespect.

Today, they are doing the same; today, 60 years after, they are telling us, a sovereign nation, how to run our affairs. I am not taking sides; I am speaking as a proud Guyanese, who saw the atrocities of the super ‘big countries’ who perceive themselves to be so powerful and cannot find a cure for Covid-19.

Guyanese leaders, stop looking for political turf, and find a solution for the present standoff that now exists in our country! Bharrat, I still remember the first national holiday we celebrated, when you became President of Guyana in the 90s. Remember when ‘Six-Head’ beat James Page for the World Title back in 2001? You Bharrat gave that holiday. I remember because the next day, which was a Sunday morning, I was speaking at a public meeting outside of the LaPenitence Market. Also speaking at that meeting was Manzoor Nadir, then leader of TUF; not Peter D’Aguiar’s UF. Present political leaders, let us have pride in ourselves.
Regards,
Murtland ‘Slugger’ Williams
Veteran political activist