APNU Candidate Promises Stronger Support for Indigenous Communities
By Antonio Day | HGP Nightly News.
A government must ensure proper roads, 24-hour electricity, and access to clean water. That was the message from Juretha Fernandes, ministerial candidate for the APNU+AFC, as she addressed a public rally in Lethem, Region 9, on Tuesday.
Fernandes, who could become Guyana’s first Indigenous Prime Minister if her party is elected, criticized the PPP/C administration for what she described as years of neglect of hinterland communities.
She highlighted persistent hardships faced by Indigenous villages, including poor infrastructure, inadequate healthcare, and weak education systems.
“There is no Indigenous community in Guyana receiving quality healthcare under this government. They have been failing you, not because there is no money, but because they do not care,” Fernandes declared.
The APNU candidate pledged a people-centered development plan, including:
- The creation of an Amerindian Heritage Fund to preserve Indigenous culture, language, traditions, and crafts.
- An increase in carbon credit payments from 15% to 50%, directed towards Indigenous villages.
- Renewed commitments to improving living conditions and expanding opportunities across hinterland regions.
Fernandes stressed that these are commitments, not promises, saying the party intends to build on the development started between 2015 and 2020.
