THE Alliance For Change (AFC) is misrepresenting the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government’s extensive work in securing Amerindian rights to land ownership.
Although the AFC prime ministerial candidate, Laura George, claimed that ‘Indigenous rights and lands are denied,’ these assertions fly in the face of verifiable facts. The truth is, the PPPC

administration has made significant efforts to acknowledge the rights of the First Peoples, increase land ownership and support communities nationwide.
Far from denying rights, Amerindian land ownership accounts for about 16 percent of Guyana’s territory, a testament to the PPP/C’s commitment to prioritising this critical initiative.
Achievements include:

• The Amerindian Land Titling (ALT) Project, funded through the Guyana-Norway Agreement, is actively advancing demarcation and extension of lands with full community consultation.
• 33,241 Amerindians have secured land ownership through the ALT Project since its inception.

• Over 13,363 square miles of land are legally titled, safeguarding Indigenous heritage for future generations.
• Before the ALT project began, 96 absolute grants and 70 Certificates of Title had been issued. The project targets an additional 45 Absolute Grants and 67 Certificates of Title. As of today, the project has reached about 50% of its target, with 21 Absolute Grants and 30 Certificates of Title.

• Between 2020–2024, 15 villages were demarcated; 10 have received Certificates of Title (COTs), with five pending finalisation by the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC).
It must be noted that under the APNU+AFC coalition (2015-2020), one of the political parties that Laura is aligned with, critical investigative reports and demarcation processes initiated before 2015 were completely ignored, halting progress on Amerindian land rights and betraying the very communities they now claim to defend.

The AFC’s use of divisive rhetoric, juxtaposed with the real progress being achieved under the PPP/C administration, reveals an undisputable attempt to deploy misinformation for political gains. (DPI)