Opinion

by GHK Lall May all Guyanese make the best of Emancipation Day 2024. Closing in on 200 years since the abolition of slavery by the British, and considering the incomparable blunt traumas inflicted on Africans, a special hand of warmth is extended to Guyanese of that historical heritage on this their extraordinarily sacred day. Emancipation Day, what can I say? ...

By Dr. Randy Persaud, Professor Emeritus In practical politics as in everyday life, theory is a bad word. You know the refrain – “that’s just theoretical” – meaning that there is little useful wisdom in what is being said or written. Academics in foreign affairs face quite an uphill task because of this bias against theoretical analysis. If fact, no ...

by GHK Lall After all the hype, all the calculations and projections, there is the Venezuelan elections result. After all the rhetoric, there is reality. Incumbent President Nicholás Maduro is the winner. It fulfills a mantra that I have learned the hard way, forced to factor into my considerations: expect the expected. Control of the election’s machinery, coziness (possibly conspiracies) ...

by United States-based Venezuelan Political Scientist, Alexandra Panzarelli During my many years as a Venezuelan ex-pat, I’ve delved into the remarkable connection between an authoritarian and populist leader–Hugo Chávez, and his people following his 1992 coup attempt. How can one explain such devotion to a leader whose violence and corruption ravaged a country, triggered an unprecedented migratory crisis, and plundered ...

by R. Evan Ellis As Venezuela moves toward promised national elections on July 28, my heart is with the hopes of Venezuelans for a miracle that will translate their courageous act of voting, into a restoration of democracy. Everything I have seen unfold in the country over the past 25 years of my career in government and the private sector following Venezuela leads me to ...

By GHK Lall US Vice President Kamala Harris is the woman of the moment. Ms. Harris could be a strong contender for Woman of the Year, depending on November. Once that barrier is scaled and the rest falls into place, pursuant to democratic norms, she could qualify to be Woman of the Decade. I stop there for now, but circumstances ...

By Dr. Randy Persaud, Professor Emeritus For the past several months, columnist GHK Lall has been trying to make a case against the PPP on economic grounds. He tried everything in his repertoire but came up empty-handed. The truth is the Guyanese economy is roaring both at the level of macro-economic fundamentals, and also at the level of individuals and ...

by GHK Lall President Joe Biden should go gracefully to pasture. If he is as is today, there is no telling how he will be a year from now. The odds of better are remote to nonexistent, even staying the same are uphill. Former president Donald Trump was hanging by a thread, but the attempt on his life has made ...

by GHK Lall Whenever America plants its flag in underdeveloped countries, it usually succeeds in recruiting a special kind of local, starting with a leader, to push their program. Some of the locals are detectable immediately, others take time. When they are found out, realization comes about how low some Guyanese have sunk, how slick Exxon is, and what this ...

By Nigel Westmaas The last time I saw Ramon was in August 2023. As usual, I gave him a call, and he picked me up in his aged car, which had broken side mirrors and numerous non-functioning parts, except for the engine. Yet, he still managed to drive like an “espionage” agent through the perilous traffic of the East Bank ...