Hamilton Green Calls for Greater Sovereignty Over Oil Wealth as Guyana Marks 60 Years of Independence
By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA – As Guyana prepares to celebrate its 60th Independence Anniversary on May 26, 2026, former Prime Minister Elder Hamilton Green is issuing a clarion call for national sovereignty, arguing that true independence is incompatible with allowing foreign corporations to dictate the distribution of the nation’s oil wealth.
In a compelling interview with Nightly News, the elder statesman delivered a firm message: Guyana’s burgeoning oil resources must benefit its people first and foremost, rather than being managed at the whim of expatriates and multi-national giants like ExxonMobil.
Invoking the historical legacies of Guyana’s founding fathers, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham and Dr. Cheddi Jagan, Green emphasized that the only way to secure a “big slice of the cake” is through national unity.
“If we sit together as Burnham and Jagan once attempted to do,” Green stated, “we can tell those who plunder… that we want not a small slice but a big slice of this cake we have.” He argued that a divided populace allows foreign entities to exploit resources with little resistance, whereas a united front would force a renegotiation of how wealth is shared.
While acknowledging the visible investments in infrastructure across the country, the former Mayor of Georgetown pivoted the conversation toward human development. He recalled that during the Burnham era—despite a lack of current oil revenues—the government introduced free education from nursery to university.
“There is no reason why Guyanese could not be the richest on this earth,” Green declared, suggesting that with current oil revenues and a population of fewer than one million, the standard of living should be drastically higher. He insisted that the development of human resources is the ultimate litmus test for the prudent management of the country’s natural wealth.
Political scientist Dr. David Hinds echoed aspects of Green’s sentiment, noting a growing disconnect between the citizenry and the current administration. Hinds warned that if the populace does not feel a meaningful sense of ownership or engagement with the management of oil resources, the social fabric of the country could falter despite the economic boom.
As the nation pauses to reflect on sixty years of self-rule, Green’s comments highlight a pivotal debate regarding the modern definition of independence. For the former Prime Minister, the milestone serves as a reminder that the struggle for sovereignty did not end in 1966—it continues today in the boardrooms where the future of Guyana’s oil is decided.
