An act of hate, vindictiveness on part of PNC-led regime

Dear Editor,
The APNU/AFC regime has had the name of Walter Rodney expunged from our National Archives. This is a political decision, and could not have been made without direction from the very top.

This is an act of hate and vindictiveness on the part of this PNC-led regime. It is a clear reflection that the regime wants to wipe Rodney’s name from our history. Rodney was brutally assassinated in 1980 because of his fight to restore democracy to Guyana.

He was opposed to the PNC dictatorship, and publicly condemned and exposed the racism of the PNC. He made an important contribution to the struggle against racism in Guyana. His opposition to the PNC dictatorship and his advocacy for freedom and equality were the reason he was assassinated by the PNC regime.

Professionally, he was, without doubt, the most outstanding historian in the Caribbean, and one of the best internationally. His contribution to historical studies transcends the borders of the region. Indeed, his works in Africa have become classics.

Today, more than 39 years after his killing, the PNC/ APNU leaders, some of whom clearly have important information and were probably involved in the assassination, are showing that their hatred for this great Guyanese has not diminished. Since taking power, they have halted the Commission of Inquiry on the circumstances of his death, and now they are attempting to erase his name from our history.

Many of his colleagues who associated with him in his lifetime have abandoned the cause he fought for. They are now ensconced in the APNU/AFC regime, and their silence is deafening. The words of Martin Carter, that “the mouth is muzzled by the food it eats to live”, are now reverberating.

However, it is time for all peace-loving and democratically-minded Guyanese to express their opposition to this latest outrage and demand the re-installment of Walter Rodney’s name on our National Archives.

Sincerely,
Donald Ramotar
Former President