GEORGETOWN, GUYANA – Vice President and PPP General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has accused the opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) of using racism as a tool to keep Afro-Guyanese feeling excluded from the country’s development. Speaking on the Starting Point podcast, Jagdeo argued that APNU’s claims of discrimination are a “poisonous glass” designed to foster victimhood and division.
“[They use] racism and negative propaganda to make our people believe they are victims of discrimination and exclusion,” Jagdeo said.
He described this approach as hypocritical, pointing to Linden—a predominantly Afro-Guyanese community—where development stalled under the APNU-AFC administration. By contrast, Jagdeo highlighted billions of dollars in investment under the PPP/C government in recent years, including empowering nearly 700 local contractors for public works.
Jagdeo suggested APNU treats Afro-Guyanese as dependent and incapable of independent decision-making. “Some of the most educated people in our country are Afro-Guyanese…so to think they can’t make choices based on facts is deeply disparaging,” he said.
He added that Afro-Guyanese who support parties other than APNU face harsh personal attacks, often worse than criticisms aimed at other groups.
Despite the challenges, Jagdeo reaffirmed the PPP/C’s commitment to inclusive development and national unity, promising to continue these efforts if re-elected on September 1.
