Global Voices » Guyana

Guyana: Send in the Clowns

Janine Mendes-Franco — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:32:35 +0000

“Every morning then, without fail, the clown put on she joie de vivre and tumble out”: Guyana-Gyal tries to keep a smile on her face despite her mother's diagnosis.

Barbados, Guyana: “Fearless” Freddie

Janine Mendes-Franco — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:33:20 +0000

Barbados Underground has been “following closely what is happening to the man we have dubbed the ‘Fearless Journalist’ Professor Freddie Kissoon,” adding: “The silence of regional media and governments is unacceptable on this matter.”

Guyana: Protest at University

Janine Mendes-Franco — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:47:40 +0000

Bloggers report on protests against the firing of journalist and lecturer Freddie Kissoon from the national university, here and here.

Guyana: Kissoon Firing as “Rodney Redux”

Janine Mendes-Franco — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:41:58 +0000

“The government and its sycophantic outliers may argue from now until the cows come home that the days of Burnham are over, but this is essentially Walter Rodney redux…”: The Minority Report adds its voice to the outcry over the firing of Freddie Kissoon from the University of Guyana.

Guyana: “Controversial” Kissoon

Janine Mendes-Franco — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:40:08 +0000

Bloggers report on the recent firing of journalist and political science lecturer Freddie Kissoon from the University of Guyana.

Guyana: First Female Colonel

Janine Mendes-Franco — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:19:43 +0000

Repeating Islands notes that “in a history making moment, the promotion of Guyana’s first female Colonel was today announced. She is the region’s first serving female colonel.”

Guyana: All Kinds of Cowards

Janine Mendes-Franco — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:22:33 +0000

“I’s afflicted with the kinda cringing-minging-tiptoeing timidity that people don’t take seriously”: Guyana-Gyal “decide[s] to embrace [her] Inner Coward.”

Guyana: Considering Corruption

Janine Mendes-Franco — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:47:16 +0000

“To invest, you got to pay your dues. Self-righteous people does call it ‘bribe'”: Guyana-Gyal is “balk[ing] ‘n’ squawk[ing] against paying the staff in the birth certificate office.”

Caribbean: Looking Back on 2011

Janine Mendes-Franco — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:31:25 +0000

The regional blogosphere in 2011 saw a few territories, most notably Cuba, taking front and centre - especially when it came to digital activism. The rest of the Caribbean meanwhile, grappled with everything from homophobia to states of emergency, weathered hurricanes and questioned the boundaries of online privacy, discussed a plane crash and World AIDS Day and became ardent fans of Project Runway.

Here's a quick look at what our Spanish Language Editor, Firuzeh Shokooh Valle and I agreed was noteworthy this year…

Haiti - Earthquake recovery, Aristide & elections

As physically and economically ravaged Haiti struggled to find its bearings a year after the January 12, 2010 earthquake, Twitter was full of tweets bearing the hashtags #remember #Haiti as netizens recalled the devastation and spared a thought for earthquake victims and survivors alike.

The country was soon to face another strange reality in the form of ousted dictator Jean Claude Duvalier's curiously timed return to his homeland. There was soon talk of an impending arrest for acts of corruption during his tenure, but although charges were filed, the case soon appeared to fall by the wayside, reportedly because the statute of limitations had expired.

Tent city, Juvenat, by caribbeanfreephoto, used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic Creative Commons License.

A couple of months later, the country's elections took centre stage, with reports of election threats and subsequent violence. As it turned out, the candidate accused of leveling those threats, Michel Martelly, popularly known by the moniker “Sweet Micky”, went on to claim victory in the polls.

Throughout the earthquake and election turmoil, frustration continued to mount against the United Nations presence in Haiti (MINUSTAH), partly as a result of its troops being responsible for an outbreak of cholera that killed thousands of Haitians, and partly for their crimes against the Haitian people.

Cuba - Deaths of dissident and Las Damas leader and reforms

The (albeit measured) jubilation over the release of Cuban political prisoners in 2010 soon turned to sadness following the death of opposition member Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia. Local dissidents insisted that he had been beaten by police, while the government maintained that Soto's “acute pancreatitis…led to multiple organ failure”, even calling the allegations of police brutality a “'smear campaign' aimed at weakening the Cuban revolution.”

The incident called into question modus operandi of the Cuban government, especially considering its routine crackdowns on Las Damas de Blanco, one of the most respected opposition movements on the island, whose members comprise the wives of prisoners of conscience.

The Ladies in White were soon thrust into the spotlight again - this time because of the hospitalization of the group's vibrant leader, Laura Pollan, who subsequently passed away. The official cause of death was an unidentified infection that reportedly turned out to be dengue fever, but some camps suggested that her treatment may have been sub-standard because of her political stance.

Even as tributes poured in for the late human rights activist, bloggers expressed concern for the safety of other Cuban dissidents, given the climate of apparent state-sanctioned aggression against them.

: #TwitHab 2011. Photo by Elaine Díaz.

One of the high points in the Cuban blogosphere this year was the first meeting of users of the social network Twitter #TwitHab, held last July in Havana at 23rd and 12th of the Vedado district and in the Pabellón Cuba.

The event hosted almost 100 people, mostly young journalism students, administrators, professors, journalists and bloggers, among others. The event was not free of controversy; nevertheless, Twitter has evidently served as an interesting venue for expression, debate and solidarity.

The sixth congress of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), held in Havana from April 16-19, marked a turning point for the Cuban economic system, and for Cuban society at large. Party members approved measures to institute term limits for top party and government leaders, legalize home ownership and sales, and restructure state salaries so that they will be determined in part by the amount and quality of labor performed by workers.

Dominican Republic - Drugs, hurricanes and gold medals

Last November, the Partido de la Liberación Dominicana (PLD-Dominican Liberation Party) nominated Margarita Cedeño, the wife of current president Leonel Fernández, to run for vice-president in the next elections. The drug connection between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico has also made headlines this year: September saw was the sentencing of the infamous Figueroa Acosta case [es], considered one of the most scandalous cases of drug trafficking in both these islands.

At the start of the hurricane season, Hurricane Irene devastated the north coast of Dominican Republic [es] leaving approximately 30,000 affected and 11,000 people displaced. (The storm also affected the Bahamas).

Finally, it was a great year in sports: the Dominican Republic achieved a historical record of medals [es] in the past edition of the Pan-American Games held in Guadalajara, Mexico, with seven gold, nine silver, and 17 bronze medals in 26 events.

Trinidad and Tobago - State of emergency

In August, many netizens were taken aback at the unexpected declaration of a state of emergency, ostensibly to deal with the country's rising crime rate. Nicholas Laughlin summed up the general feeling by pointing out that “this legal step, which affects a broad range of civil rights, has triggered widespread debate about the roots of violent crime in Trinidad and Tobago and the implications of the government's latest strategy.”

The government's gaffes resulted in confusion and mounting frustration; bloggers vented online here and here. When the state of emergency finally came to an end and as expected, violent crime rebounded, the citizenry was left wondering what it achieved, if anything at all.

Puerto Rico - Domestic violence and crime, the arts and sports

The year 2011 was the most violent in the Island’s history with 1,136 murders as of early in the day December 31 [es], a 15% increase from 2010. Twenty-six women were murdered (eight cases are still under investigation) by their partners or ex-partners, one of the highest rates in years.

The feminist movement and a group of active feminist bloggers [es] have been at the forefront, denouncing the state’s lack of action against domestic violence. The United States Justice Department also accused the Puerto Rico Police Department of a pattern of civil rights violations and illegal practices.

On the other hand, it was a wonderful year for the arts and sports. The Puerto Rican hip hop duo Calle 13 achieved a record in the most recent Latin Grammy Awards where they won nine awards for their most recent album “Entren los que quieran” for a record of a total of 19 Latin Grammys in their career. Their beautiful song “Latinoamérica” has already become a kind of an anthem for Latin Americans all over the world.

In sports, the Puerto Rican professional basketball player José Juan Barea became one of the most beloved national icons after winning the 2011 US National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Championship playing for the Mavericks team from Dallas, Texas (check this short video on Barea’s life).

Farewells

Finally, Caribbean bloggers were eloquent in their farewells to some luminary people, both home-grown and international. Trinidad and Tobago lost an environmental champion with the passing of Professor Julian Kenny, as well as an important cultural icon with the death of Dr. Pat Bishop. Remembrances also poured in as tech-minded bloggers learned of the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and wrote about how his visionary products helped to transform their work and their lives.

The human rights activist Sonia Pierre died on December 4. She was 48. Pierre dedicated her life to advocate for the rights of Haitians living in the Dominican Republic and of Dominicans of Haitian origin. Pierre was the founder of MUDHA — Movimiento De Mujeres Dominico-Haitiana or Movement of Dominican Haitian Women. She is remembered as a courageous activist who fought against racism and sexism all her life.

More to look forward to

We have no doubt that in 2012, Caribbean bloggers will have a lot more to talk about - the outcome of Jamaica's recently-held general elections is just one topic that comes to mind - and we look forward to following the regional blogosphere as we continue to strive to facilitate a meaningful exchange of ideas.

Firuzeh Shokooh Valle contributed to this post. In the Cuba section, excerpts from posts by GV authors Ellery Biddle and Elaine Díaz are included. Thanks to Emil Rodríguez Garabot for his help on the section on Dominican Republic.

Guyana: crime and insecurity

Nicholas Laughlin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:32:38 +0000

“Travel around coastland Guyana and you will see it too,” writes Imran Khan: “burglar bars, grillwork, heavily armed company security forces, reinforced doors, guard huts, watchmen, security lights, CCTV cameras.” He muses on the relationship between crime, underdevelopment, and political leadership.

Guyana: politics and egg-pelting

Nicholas Laughlin — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:34:28 +0000

Guyana-Gyal gives a wry account of a recent political protest in Guyana, involving an egg-pelting incident. “No-bady, noooobady can do politics like Turd Whirl people. We should call it Frolitics.”

Guyana: Rape Allegations against Police Chief

Janine Mendes-Franco — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:17:00 +0000

Save Guyana reports on rape allegations being brought against the police commissioner, explaining: “The Alliance For Change…has called for [his] dismissal or at least interdiction from duty…and is viewing the matter as the first real test of the Donald Ramotar administration.”

Guyana: Police Versus Protesters

Janine Mendes-Franco — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:08:56 +0000

A new president has taken his place at the helm of Guyanese government following the country's recent general elections, but while the (predominantly Indian-backed) incumbent People's Progressive Party got re-elected, it also lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in nearly twenty years. There are concerns as to whether Donald Ramoutar's “new” government will be able to garner opposition support in the house in order to actually get things done.

In the wake of the postponement of election results, the national mood was edgy. Guyana-Gyal vocalized the unspoken tensions in this post:

A thin thread o’ fear been tightening ‘round town since election date announce.

Veggie vendor tell me in pure Creolese, Me nah wha’ go happen to ahbee. I don’t know what will happen to us.

What gon happen if the government party win and some people who don’t like the result take to protesting, beating up citizens, burning shops, looting and so on and so forth.

She went on to say, though that “nothing bad is going to happen” and explained why:

Because the people who used to promote the violence are now sick or getting sick; others have one leg in life and the next leg in the grave, and others are dead. Besides, the young people of this country are just not into that sort of behaviour.

They are way too cool and way too hip, and they’re friends with each other, lots of intermarrying going on now. They don’t have time for that sort of nonsense. And look at the political parties today. All mixed up racially. Besides, our last elections was so peaceful, not a sign of trouble.

She did, however, issue one caveat:

I say all this knowing that I can be wrong.

The violence unexpectedly came after the new president was already sworn into office. Bloggers were yesterday talking about an incident in which “police opened fire with rubber bullets and teargas on supporters of the opposition coalition APNU who proceeded on a march down Brickdam without the required permission to do so.” Demerara Waves posted an account of what transpired here, while Live in Guyana republished the official police statement about the confrontation in this post.

In a show of solidarity, Barbados Underground republished a message sent to them by Lincoln Lewis, the General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress:

December 6, 2011 is another dark day in the history of this country and coming less than a week after Mr. Donald Ramotar promised this nation ‘peace and unity.'

There is an inhumane, naked intolerance for dissent and the rights of citizens of this country. Guyana is not moving forward but sits in the abyss of socio-economic and political decay caused by human greed, repressive management and an outdated political system unsuited to our need for peaceful co-existence and development.

For those who hold the view that the march was illegal, thereby giving credence to the police turning their guns on citizens, let it be known that where any infraction of the law exists (perceived or real), it is the court that determines guilt and penalty, not the police who sought to do so by shooting citizens.

Such political intolerance in these modern times are unacceptable. It symbolises what Guyanese are being forced to accept and live with even as the rest of the world opens up.

It remains to be seen whether Guyanese bloggers themselves will open up about the issue; most of them have remained deafeningly silent.

The thumbnail image used in this post, “Flag Guyana”, is by erjkprunczyk, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) license. Visit erjkprunczyk's flickr photostream.

Guyana: Still Waiting on Election Results

Janine Mendes-Franco — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:10:37 +0000

Even as the votes are still being counted following Guyana's general election, Guyana-Gyal says: “Some might forget that they ain’t God, they gon want to dictate how the poor and the rich must live or die, how days must end and darkness begin…when all is said and done, good health and love is the only things that matter.”

Guyana: Calling Violence Against Women by Name

Janine Mendes-Franco — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:47:32 +0000

CODE RED “felt very frustrated yesterday when someone told [her] that to say ‘violence against women' is discriminatory, that it should be called ‘relationship violence'”, explaining: “There are a range of gendered ways in which women are targeted for violence, not all of which are ‘domestic'. Erasing the language feminists have invented to describe the harms women disproportionately face is an attempt at silencing women.”