By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — As His Majesty King Charles III touches down in Georgetown on Thursday for a historic two-day State Visit marking 60 years of formal bilateral ties, his presence has pushed a profound, unresolved regional question to the forefront: can an expression of imperial regret ever substantiate the centuries of barbarity, torture, and forced labor inflicted upon enslaved Africans during the Transatlantic Slave Trade?
While Buckingham Palace and the executive arm have framed the monarch’s visit around green diplomacy, trade, and biodiversity ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda, grassroots civil society organizations and reparations advocates are demanding that Britain’s royal establishment move beyond symbolic gestures to concrete reparatory justice.
At the same time, the royal itinerary has triggered domestic political friction. Opposition Member of Parliament Gobin Harbhajan, representing We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), welcomed the Monarch to Guyana but raised sharp concerns over the exclusion of Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed from the official schedule, urging the British High Commission and State House to add an engagement with the parliamentary opposition to demonstrate genuine respect for democratic inclusion.
The Call for Reparations: ‘215 Years in Guyana Without Compensation’
Speaking in an exclusive interview with HGP Nightly News, Kibwe Copeland, National Organiser for The Repair Campaign, insisted that the dialogue surrounding the horrors of chattel slavery must not be reduced to diplomatic pleasantries or watered-down apologies:
- Generations of Brutality: Copeland highlighted that the systemic horrors endured by enslaved ancestors—centuries of uncompensated labor, forced starvation, brutal whippings, castration, and sexual violence—continue to drive modern socio-economic inequality across the Caribbean and Guyana.
- Ending Passive ‘Shop Talk’: He argued that both governing and opposition politicians will face accountability from the electorate in future general elections if they fail to deliver meaningful reparatory frameworks.
“Some for 400 years and in Guyana is 215 years no compensation. You ate what you were given. You were whipped if you misbehaved. You were castrated if you are a man… raped if you are a woman… It is affecting what is happening today.”
“It has to involve the government, the opposition, the ground is going to make the noise. Those same politicians are going to go and ask for votes in 2030… They must deliver for people.”
More in Common Poll: Growing British Support Ahead of CHOGM
Backing the call for reparatory justice, a public opinion poll commissioned by The Repair Campaign and conducted by research firm More in Common—released on October 28, 2026—shows shifting attitudes within the United Kingdom:
- British Public Backs Talks: The study revealed that 40 per cent of the British public actively supports formal UK-Caribbean discussions on reparatory justice ahead of CHOGM, with 19 per cent undecided.
- Youth and Political Demographics: Support surged to 60 per cent among youth aged 18–24 and 51 per cent among those aged 25–34. Politically, 58 per cent of Labour Party voters and 57 per cent of Liberal Democrat voters endorsed official bilateral negotiations.
- Critique of Samoa Commitments: Denis O’Brien of The Repair Campaign cited CHOGM as a decisive window for the British Government to engage Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders. He criticized the persistent absence of concrete action following earlier expressions of sorrow, pointing to unfulfilled commitments from the previous CHOGM in Samoa and warning that ongoing reluctance risks fracturing diplomatic solidarity across the 56-member Commonwealth.
The State Itinerary: Green Diplomacy and Coastal Resilience
King Charles III’s packed two-day mission, hosted at the invitation of President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, centers on ecological preservation and bilateral commerce:
- Day One Ceremonials: Commencing with bilateral discussions at State House and an evening diplomatic reception, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Georgetown (Rabbit Walk) War Memorial, high-level talks with the National Toshaos Council (NTC), and engagements with youth environmental activists at the Botanical Gardens.
- Day Two Green Economy: A morning business roundtable with British investors, followed by presentations at the Global Biodiversity Alliance (GBA) Conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre alongside researchers from the Iwokrama International Centre. The tour concludes along the Georgetown seawall to evaluate urban drainage, sea defense fortifications, and coastal mangrove restoration.
Opposition Excluded: MP Harbhajan Calls for Democratic Inclusion
While the diplomatic program engages state agencies, WIN Member of Parliament Gobin Harbhajan emphasized that a truly comprehensive state visit must reflect Guyana’s entire parliamentary landscape:
- Democratic Representation: Harbhajan underscored that as the constitutional head of the parliamentary opposition, Azruddin Mohamed represents a substantial segment of the Guyanese populace.
- Preserving Democratic Balance: The MP argued that including the Opposition Leader in the royal itinerary would signal the British Crown’s and the UK Government’s respect for democratic engagement, checks and balances, and multi-party representation.
As Guyana welcomes the British Monarch after a 26-year absence, the visit underscores an evolving post-colonial dynamic: one where environmental partnerships share the stage with mounting public demands for reparatory justice and inclusive democratic accountability.
