–in 2023 report to New York Senate Delegation

FOLLOWING New York State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud’s revelation that the narratives being pushed by the Opposition and its affiliated activists are false, the People’s National Congress-Reform (PNC-R) is now dodging questions about the veracity of its claims.
During a recent engagement with the diaspora at the Hills Restaurant in Brooklyn, New York, the New York Senator said that the narratives being advanced by detractors have led many to assume the “worst” of Guyana.
But they had the chance to see Guyana’s impressive development, up close, when she, a US-based Guyanese, led a visiting team, which consisted of Senator Kevin Parker and Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman, here last year October.
The delegation comprised members of both the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly.

At a press conference on Friday, the Guyana Chronicle questioned PNC-R General Secretary Sherwin Benjamin on whether the party’s report submitted to the New York Senate Delegation last year failed to portray a balanced representation of Guyana’s progress.
However, the party’s General Secretary declined to answer, and the party’s press conference restricted questioning unless it was on its prepared and rehearsed press statement.
On October 28, 2023, PNC- R Leader Aubrey Norton and team had met with the delegation and made presentations on varying claims such as: Racial and political discrimination, and the general lack of good governance in the country, among other things.
The Opposition has constantly alleged claims of discrimination and poor governance; however, this has never been supported by solid evidence.

But even with all of the “noise”, as the New York Senator puts it, Guyana’s development and the prudent management of the economy by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government could not be clouded by detractors’ rhetoric.
Senator Persaud, during the recent engagement, said: “Last October, we went to Guyana as a delegation for four days, to see Guyana, to take people who were not Guyanese to see what Guyana is about, to hear what the buzz is about, and to find out for themselves; to make their own decision as to what they see in Guyana.

“And so, we came back to the United States, and everyone who participated on that trip was impressed by what they saw.”
Responding to the far-fetched claims being made by critics about Guyana, she said: “…When they [delegation] got there and experienced it for themselves, they came back with a different impression, so that they are asking us to back to Guyana again…”
Persaud also extended gratitude to President, Dr. Irfaan Ali and the Cabinet ministers for putting Guyana’s high-quality development on exhibition.

The Opposition has continuously been called out for using “race-baiting” tactics to divide Guyana and not being concerned with fostering unity among the people.
In fact, Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo has constantly highlighted the tactic utilised by the PNC-R-led APNU/AFC opposition to use racism to cause division among Guyanese.
He has also pointed out that there are mechanisms in place to address any instances of discrimination in Guyana.

One such mechanism is the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), which was sworn in with a mandate to promote ethnic harmony and security in Guyana.
Dr Jagdeo, during a previous press conference, said that despite the multitude of accusations of racial discrimination hurled by the opposition, there is no such report before the ERC, even though the body is constitutionally empowered to investigate complaints of racial discrimination in Guyana and make recommendations.