Dear Editor,

A visceral manifestation of geopolitical gravity unfolded on a sidewalk in Queens Village amongst the diaspora. The relentless autumn wind did nothing to deter the hundreds who stood tightly queued for over two hours, waiting for a fleeting chance to squeeze inside a packed community ballroom. They were not there for a standard diaspora campaign rally; they were waiting to hear their visiting President. The image on that cool, windy Thursday night of some 2,000 people waiting for over two hours on a long winding virtually stagnant line to get into a small ballroom in one of the heartland areas of the Guyanese diaspora, to “meet and greet” visiting President Irfaan Ali, says something about the message they wish to send to the President and about their renewed interest in and strong ties with their former homeland and about their President, his likability and popularity and also the issues they have and would like to be addressed. The most revealing aspect of the engagement was not the president inside speaking to the gathering. It was the line outside!  I was at multiple events in which Irfaan Jagdeo, Ramotar, Jagan, Janet, Michael Manley, Basdeo Panday, Maurice Bishop, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, ANR Robinson, Patrick Manning, Keith Rowley, Edward Seaga, Bruce Golding, PJ Patterson, Portia Simpson engaged their diasporas. Manley and Jagan pulled huge crowds. I never saw such a crowd and such long lines to meet and greet a ruler as that for Irfaan. 

There has been a growing emotional relationship between Guyana and its diaspora ever since the country discovered and started producing oil by Exxon resulting in the fastest growing economy. It is not merely a story about the crowded small room and the long line of so many and the inconvenient, patiently waiting outside or of the logistical challenge of accommodating such a large audience in a room that could accommodate only 200, stretched to 250. It is a picture of a community demonstrating, in very physical terms, that a distance of 2500 miles has not diminished their interest in the country they left behind. They wanted to meet their President as they did in many engagements over the decades. 

A large crowd waiting hours to meet Irfaan presented a striking picture against his earlier engagements. People do not stand in a line for that length of time simply because a politician happens to be in town. For many in the Guyanese diaspora, meeting the president represented an opportunity to connect personally with him and the homeland. They wanted to hear directly about what is happening in Guyana, as previous Presidents or Prime Ministers related during their visits. They always spoke the language that their bases wanted to hear. Some in the audience came to challenge the President on issues that they feel matter to them and their families and to other Guyanese and a couple did, I was told. Some came at the open public event to meet the leader of their country who they never met or to offer support or to experience the rare moment when the highest office in their country comes within reach. And there were a few who came to protest (as they did outside the venue across the street under the protection of the New York police) and some protesters or opponents came inside the hall and voiced concerns.

The extraordinary size of the crowd, the largest I observed at any engagement of a Caribbean ruler, reflects the diaspora’s interest in their homeland as well as Guyana’s changing place in the world, all because of oil and Exxon’s role in it. The country has undergone a dramatic economic transformation over the last seven years since the production of major offshore oil reserves by Exxon. Thousands of jobs have been created over the last seven years. President Ali has made infrastructure, healthcare, education and economic development central themes of his administration, arguing that oil revenues should be translated into tangible improvements in people’s lives. He has given out two national cash grants in addition to various grants to targeted recipients (children, retirees, workers, and seniors).

For Guyanese observing from abroad or at home, the transformation of their country carries a particular fascination. Many left a country that was economically very different, poor, backward, unpaved streets, little food, tensions, during the 1960s to 2020 from the Guyana being discussed today. They now see new roads, bridges, the longest (Dr Jagdeo) bridge over a river in the Caribbean, highways, hospitals, housing projects, unlimited food, and other developments being promoted as evidence of a more prosperous future. Whether every government promise or the country’s real potential is ultimately fulfilled is a legitimate question, but the sheer interest in hearing about Guyana’s development direction is unmistakable.

But there is a more symbolic lesson as well. A crowd of this size should not be understood automatically as a political endorsement. People attend political gatherings for many different reasons. Some may be enthusiastic supporters. Some may be curious. Some may want to raise concerns. Others may simply want to see the president of their ancestral homeland. And a few came to protest on the other side of the hall. What it unquestionably demonstrates is that Guyanese diaspora is paying attention to their former country or the homeland of their fore-parents; there were many born Americans there. That matters because the diaspora has occupied a unique position in the country’s development. Guyanese abroad have contributed since the 1960s through remittances, investments, rehabilitation of homes, family support as well as funding of community projects including schools, professional expertise and cultural connections. 

The responsibility of the government now is to ensure that such enthusiasm is met with meaningful engagement — questions, answers, accountability and continued conversation after the ballroom empties. 

Yours truly,

Vishnu Bisram