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The observance of the anniversary of emancipation stands as one of the most significant moments in Guyana’s national calendar. It commemorates the abolition of slavery in the British colonies on August 1, 1838, when thousands of enslaved Africans, after centuries of brutal exploitation and four years of forced apprenticeship, were finally granted their legal freedom. That historic achievement represented far more than the end of an oppressive labour system.
The institution of slavery has existed in different forms throughout history, but the transatlantic slave trade introduced one of the most systematic and inhumane manifestations of human exploitation ever recorded. Millions of Africans were forcibly removed from their homeland, transported across the Atlantic under horrific conditions, and reduced to chattel – treated as property rather than as human beings. Families were separated, cultures were disrupted, identities were stripped away, and generations endured unimaginable suffering in pursuit of economic gain for colonial empires.
The transatlantic slave trade also reshaped global perceptions of humanity in ways that continue to influence societies, centuries later. To justify the enslavement of Africans, colonial powers developed and promoted racial ideologies that assigned human value according to physical characteristics. These false doctrines were reinforced by sections of the political, religious, and intellectual establishments of the time, creating a framework that portrayed Africans as inherently inferior and legitimised their oppression.
Such ideas extended beyond slavery, and they evolved into elaborate racial hierarchies that influenced laws, education, religion, and public policy across the colonial world. Concepts of racial superiority and inferiority became deeply embedded in many societies, leaving legacies that persisted long after slavery was abolished. These beliefs fuelled discrimination, segregation and unequal treatment, while also encouraging many colonised peoples to internalise distorted perceptions of themselves and others.
Guyana’s own history bears the unmistakable imprint of these colonial policies. The plantation economy depended upon division as much as it depended upon labour. Following emancipation, many formerly enslaved Africans sought economic independence through village development, land ownership and entrepreneurship rather than continued plantation employment. In response, colonial authorities expanded the importation of indentured labourers from India, Portugal, China, and other regions to sustain plantation production. While each of these groups made invaluable contributions to Guyana’s development, the colonial administration often fostered separation rather than solidarity, ensuring that competition and mistrust served the interests of the ruling class.
The consequences of those policies did not disappear with independence. Historical divisions based upon ethnicity, economic opportunity, and political competition had continued to influence national life. Although Guyana has made considerable progress in building democratic institutions and promoting equal rights, remnants of colonial thinking can sometimes still surface in public discourse and social interactions.
Emancipation Day therefore carries significance far beyond the remembrance of slavery. It is a national occasion that calls for reflection on the enduring values of justice, equality, and human dignity. The courage displayed by enslaved Africans in resisting oppression and preserving their humanity laid an important foundation for the freedoms enjoyed today. Their struggles also serve as a reminder that liberty is never guaranteed by legislation alone. It must be protected through institutions that uphold fairness, equal opportunity, and respect for every citizen.
The observance also provides an opportunity to recognise the rich cultural heritage that Africans and their descendants have contributed to Guyana. Their influence is evident in language, religion, music, cuisine, literature, education, public service, and countless other aspects of national life. These contributions form an inseparable part of Guyana’s identity and deserve continued recognition and celebration.
The 188th anniversary of emancipation should therefore inspire both remembrance and resolve. Remembrance honours the sacrifices of those who endured one of history’s greatest injustices. Resolve commits the nation to rejecting the divisive ideologies inherited from colonialism and embracing a future founded on mutual respect, equality, and national unity.

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…oil cavalry?

For years, your Eyewitness and John Public were informed that the US’s great strategic objective was Venezuela’s oil!! Forget democracy, forget geopolitics, forget all the lofty speeches. President Trump himself candidly admitted that removing Mad Maduro was about ensuring American control over the world’s largest proven petroleum reserves. Fair enough – at least his honesty is refreshing compared to dithering Joe Biden – and he must be complimented for this!!
But there’s just one tiny problem – where the heck are the oil companies that we’re told are pulling the strings of American foreign policy and prompted Mad Maduro’s extraction?? Six months have passed, and not a single convoy of hard-hatted petroleum engineers out of Texas has thundered triumphantly across the Orinoco!! No flotillas of drilling rigs appearing on the horizon across the Caribbean Sea!! Exxon, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and the rest of America’s oil aristocracy descended from the old Seven Sisters seem to’ve misplaced the memo announcing their imperial appointment!!
Your Eyewitness can just see the executives around a table in Houston staring nervously at spreadsheets in front of them: “Yes, Venezuela has enormous reserves…But can we actually get the oil out and make money to please our shareholders?” Numbing silence!! Turns out that conquering an oil field in political speeches is considerably easier than extracting heavy crude from ageing infrastructure after decades of underinvestment!! Oil – especially the tar-like Venezuelan kind – inconveniently refuses to respond to campaign rhetoric or agendas!!
Perhaps the oil honchos have discovered that reserves ain’t the same thing as production!! Those 300 billion barrels buried underground remain stubbornly unimpressed by press conferences!! Pipelines still need repairs; drilling rigs gotta be derusted, and wells still demand expensive infusions of mud!! Not to mention reimbursement for previous nationalised assets!! Geology, unlike politics, can’t be bullied into submission!!
The whole affair is beginning to resemble Texas Barons of yore buying the world’s largest cattle ranch only to discover that cows require feeding!! For years, Venezuela’s oil was portrayed as the glittering prize that would sustain American energy dominance into the next century! Instead, the promised petroleum bonanza has become a waiting game worthy of Godot – waiting for Big Oil!!
Perhaps the majors are simply waiting for another committee, another feasibility study, another investment guarantee, another liability waiver, another election, another Government, another excuse?? Or perhaps they know what experienced petroleum engineers have always known: owning oil on paper and producing it profitably are two entirely different propositions or enterprises! In the meantime, the world’s largest oil reserves continue to sit patiently beneath Venezuelan soil, apparently unaware that they’ve already been conquered in Washington!!
Unlike Devious Delcy, who’s busy kissing bambsies, the oil, it seems, hasn’t yet received the liberation memo!

…Emancipation?
One of the remarkable achievements of our ancestors after Emancipation in 1838 was their spontaneous foundation of villages where they could live out what they felt was the meaning of freedom!!  It’s important to note that they started out with building their own homes – away from the N****r Yards as Martin Carter reminded us:
“Leaping from the Oppressors’ hate and the scorn of myself; from the agony of the dark hut in the shadow and the hurt of things; from the long days of cruelty and the long nights of pain down to the wide streets of tomorrow, of the next day, leaping, I come; who cannot see will hear.”
Sadly, that great movement soon petered out under the onslaught of the colonial state, who were determined to make freedom an illusion, and they were pushed into the city. Carter continued, “So was I born again stubborn and fierce, screaming in a slum. It was a city and coffin space for home, a river running, prisons, hospitals, men drunk and dying, Judges full of scorn, and priests and parsons fooling Gods with words.”

…new hope?
But at long last we have the opportunity for a real emancipation – once again starting with villages made possible by the Government funding a hundred thousand homes!!

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The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) extends warm greetings to all Guyanese, particularly our Afro-Guyanese brothers and sisters, as we commemorate the 188th anniversary of the abolition of slavery. This historic occasion reminds us of the immense sacrifices, resilience, and unwavering determination of the thousands of enslaved Africans who endured unimaginable suffering while never surrendering their hope for freedom, dignity, and justice. Their courage and resistance laid an enduring foundation for the values of equality and human rights that continue to shape our nation.
We pay tribute to our ancestors whose struggles and sacrifices paved the way for future generations and honour the invaluable contributions of Afro-Guyanese to Guyana’s political, economic, social, cultural, educational, and sporting development. Their achievements have enriched our national identity and remain an integral part of our country’s progress. The observance of Emancipation is not only a celebration of freedom but also a reminder of our collective responsibility to reject division, discrimination, and hatred in all their forms.
Together, we must continue to build a society founded on mutual respect, equality, and shared prosperity. On this 188th anniversary of the abolition of slavery, the People’s Progressive Party honours the legacy of our fore parents and calls on all Guyanese to draw inspiration from their courage as we work together to secure a brighter, more united, and prosperous future for generations to come.
Happy Emancipation Day!

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