Difference between revisions of "Guyana"

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|description=The only UK colony on the mainland on South America.
 
|description=The only UK colony on the mainland on South America.
 
|location=South America
 
|location=South America
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|logo=Flag of Guyana.svg
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|leaders=Guyana/President
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|map=Guyana_(orthographic_projection).svg
 
|sourcewatch=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Guyana
 
|sourcewatch=http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Guyana
 
}}
 
}}
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'''Guyana''' is a country on the northern mainland of South America and the capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Brazil to the south and southwest, Venezuela to the west, and Suriname to the east.
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==COVID-19==
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{{FA|Guyana/COVID-19 Vaccines Task Force}}
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==Population==
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[[image:Guyana population density.png|thumbnail|right|200px|Guyana's population density in 2005 (people per km2)]]
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The chief majority (about 90%) of Guyana's 744,000 population lives along a narrow coastal strip which ranges from a width of {{convert|10|to|40|mi|order=flip}} inland and which makes up approximately only 10% of the nation's total land area.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20100411064504/http://www.geographia.com/Guyana/geninfo.html</ref>
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The population of Guyana is racially and ethnically heterogeneous, with ethnic groups originating from [[India]], [[Africa]], [[Europe]], and [[China]], as well as indigenous or aboriginal peoples. Despite their diverse ethnic backgrounds, these groups share two common languages: English and Creole.
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The largest ethnic group is the [[Indo-Guyanese]] (also known as [[Indo-Caribbeans|East Indians]]), the descendants of indentured laborers from India, who make up 43.5% of the population, according to the 2002 census. They are followed by the [[Afro-Guyanese]], the descendants of slaves from Africa, who constitute 30.2%. The Guyanese of mixed heritage make up 16.7%, while the indigenous peoples (known locally as [[Amerindians]]) make up 9.1%. The two largest groups, the Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Guyanese, have experienced some racial tension.<ref>"[https://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2005/09/050920_guyana_race.shtml Guyana turns attention to racism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202071027/http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2005/09/050920_guyana_race.shtml |date=2 December 2010 }}". BBC News. 20 September 2005.</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20101202013914/http://www.guyana.org/features/conflicts_indiansandblacks.html</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20120715075007/http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/265657/20111212/guyana-politics-election-blacks-indians-ramotar-ppp.htm</ref>
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==Regime Change==
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{{FA|Cheddi Jagan}}
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From 1953-64, the UK and the US went to great lengths to prevent a democratically elected leader of British Guiana/Guyana from governing. [[Cheddi Jagan]] had tried to remain neutral and independent and was elected three times. Using a variety of tactics including general strikes and disinformation to "terrorism" and British legalisms, the U.S. and Britain finally forced Jagan out in 1964. [[John F. Kennedy]] had given a direct order for his ouster, as, presumably, had [[Eisenhower]].
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One of the better-off countries in the region under Jagan, Guyana, by the [[1980s]], was one of the poorest. Its principal export became people.<ref>A Brief History of U.S. Interventions 1945 to the Present by [[William Blum]] - Z magazine, June 1999.</ref>
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==Forbes Burnham==
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After their preferred leader, Afro-Guyanese [[Forbes Burnham]], received power in 1964, conditions in the colony began to stabilize after the regime change effort. The new coalition administration broke diplomatic ties with [[Cuba]] and implemented policies that favored the local elite and foreign industry.
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On February 23, 1970, Guyana, still under Burnham, swung leftward and declared itself a "cooperative republic" and cut all ties to the British monarchy. The governor general was replaced as head of state by a ceremonial president. Relations with [[Cuba]] were improved, and Guyana became a force in the [[Nonaligned Movement]]. In August 1972, Burnham hosted the Conference of Foreign Ministers of Nonaligned Countries in Georgetown, where he spoke on [[imperialism]] and the need to support African liberation movements in southern Africa. Burnham also let Cuban troops use Guyana as a transit point on their way to the war in [[Angola]] in the mid-1970s.
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In the early 1970s, electoral fraud became blatant in Guyana. PNC victories always included overseas voters, who consistently and overwhelmingly voted for the ruling party. The police and military intimidated the Indo-Guyanese. The army was accused of tampering with ballot boxes.
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==Jonestown==
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{{FA|Jonestown}}
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Burnham's control over Guyana began to weaken when the 1978 [[Jonestown massacre]] brought unwanted international attention. In the 1970s, [[Jim Jones]], leader of the [[People's Temple of Christ]], moved more than 1,000 of his followers from [[San Francisco]] to form [[Jonestown]], a [[utopian]] agricultural community near [[Port Kaituma]] in western Guyana. The People's Temple of Christ was regarded by members of the Guyanese government as a model agricultural community that shared its vision of settling the hinterland and its view of cooperative socialism. The [[People's Temple of Christ]] and [[Jim Jones]] have still unclear ties to the [[CIA]].
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==Brassington family==
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The powerful [[Brassington family]], old [[sugar plantation]] owners, were "rumored, suspected, and finally proven to be involved in [[international drug trafficking]]." The family, in control of privatization of state assets, made a huge amount of money "through the simple expedient of treating the country's resources as their own, by selling the country's [[bauxite]] to Russian billionaire [[Oleg Deripaska]]<ref>https://www.madcowprod.com/2017/03/30/russian-oligarch-oleg-deripaska-me/</ref>
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According to [[Daniel Hopsicker]], "[[Michael Francis Brassington]] is the family's most infamous son, a professional pilot with a sordid criminal career in international drug trafficking. According to [[DEA]] affidavits and court testimony, Brassington flew co-pilot on 39 weekly round trips on [[Wally Hilliard]]'s Learjet in the year [[2000]] before getting busted. Each time the Learjet flew from [[Florida]] to [[Venezuela]] and back, before heading north to end at [[Teterboro Airport]] outside [[New York]]. Wally Hilliard was the owner of the flight school where [[Mohamed Atta]] and [[Marwan Al-Shehhi]] began learning to fly on July 3, 2000."<ref>https://www.madcowprod.com/2013/03/06/source-rudi-dekkers-drug-case-will-never-go-to-trial</ref>
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== Border dispute ==
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{{FA|Guayana Esequiba}}
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Guyana and Venezuela have a long history of debate surrounding their border,<ref>http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-14587.html</ref> an issue that became of geopolitical importance after suspected large oil deposits were discovered.
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{{SMWDocs}}
 
{{SMWDocs}}
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{{Stub}}
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==References==
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{{reflist}}

Latest revision as of 05:19, 20 January 2024

Group.png Guyana   SourcewatchRdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
Guyana (orthographic projection).svg
Flag of Guyana.svg
LocationSouth America
LeaderGuyana/President
TypeUnited Nations Members.svg nation state
Member ofCommonwealth of Nations, International Criminal Court, Organisation of American States, UN
Subpage•Guyana/COVID-19 Vaccines Task Force
•Guyana/President
The only UK colony on the mainland on South America.

Guyana is a country on the northern mainland of South America and the capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Brazil to the south and southwest, Venezuela to the west, and Suriname to the east.

COVID-19

Full article: Guyana/COVID-19 Vaccines Task Force

Population

Guyana's population density in 2005 (people per km2)

The chief majority (about 90%) of Guyana's 744,000 population lives along a narrow coastal strip which ranges from a width of 16 to 64 kilometres (10 to 40 mi) inland and which makes up approximately only 10% of the nation's total land area.[1]

The population of Guyana is racially and ethnically heterogeneous, with ethnic groups originating from India, Africa, Europe, and China, as well as indigenous or aboriginal peoples. Despite their diverse ethnic backgrounds, these groups share two common languages: English and Creole.

The largest ethnic group is the Indo-Guyanese (also known as East Indians), the descendants of indentured laborers from India, who make up 43.5% of the population, according to the 2002 census. They are followed by the Afro-Guyanese, the descendants of slaves from Africa, who constitute 30.2%. The Guyanese of mixed heritage make up 16.7%, while the indigenous peoples (known locally as Amerindians) make up 9.1%. The two largest groups, the Indo-Guyanese and Afro-Guyanese, have experienced some racial tension.[2][3][4]

Regime Change

Full article: Cheddi Jagan

From 1953-64, the UK and the US went to great lengths to prevent a democratically elected leader of British Guiana/Guyana from governing. Cheddi Jagan had tried to remain neutral and independent and was elected three times. Using a variety of tactics including general strikes and disinformation to "terrorism" and British legalisms, the U.S. and Britain finally forced Jagan out in 1964. John F. Kennedy had given a direct order for his ouster, as, presumably, had Eisenhower.

One of the better-off countries in the region under Jagan, Guyana, by the 1980s, was one of the poorest. Its principal export became people.[5]

Forbes Burnham

After their preferred leader, Afro-Guyanese Forbes Burnham, received power in 1964, conditions in the colony began to stabilize after the regime change effort. The new coalition administration broke diplomatic ties with Cuba and implemented policies that favored the local elite and foreign industry.

On February 23, 1970, Guyana, still under Burnham, swung leftward and declared itself a "cooperative republic" and cut all ties to the British monarchy. The governor general was replaced as head of state by a ceremonial president. Relations with Cuba were improved, and Guyana became a force in the Nonaligned Movement. In August 1972, Burnham hosted the Conference of Foreign Ministers of Nonaligned Countries in Georgetown, where he spoke on imperialism and the need to support African liberation movements in southern Africa. Burnham also let Cuban troops use Guyana as a transit point on their way to the war in Angola in the mid-1970s.

In the early 1970s, electoral fraud became blatant in Guyana. PNC victories always included overseas voters, who consistently and overwhelmingly voted for the ruling party. The police and military intimidated the Indo-Guyanese. The army was accused of tampering with ballot boxes.

Jonestown

Full article: Jonestown

Burnham's control over Guyana began to weaken when the 1978 Jonestown massacre brought unwanted international attention. In the 1970s, Jim Jones, leader of the People's Temple of Christ, moved more than 1,000 of his followers from San Francisco to form Jonestown, a utopian agricultural community near Port Kaituma in western Guyana. The People's Temple of Christ was regarded by members of the Guyanese government as a model agricultural community that shared its vision of settling the hinterland and its view of cooperative socialism. The People's Temple of Christ and Jim Jones have still unclear ties to the CIA.


Brassington family

The powerful Brassington family, old sugar plantation owners, were "rumored, suspected, and finally proven to be involved in international drug trafficking." The family, in control of privatization of state assets, made a huge amount of money "through the simple expedient of treating the country's resources as their own, by selling the country's bauxite to Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska[6]

According to Daniel Hopsicker, "Michael Francis Brassington is the family's most infamous son, a professional pilot with a sordid criminal career in international drug trafficking. According to DEA affidavits and court testimony, Brassington flew co-pilot on 39 weekly round trips on Wally Hilliard's Learjet in the year 2000 before getting busted. Each time the Learjet flew from Florida to Venezuela and back, before heading north to end at Teterboro Airport outside New York. Wally Hilliard was the owner of the flight school where Mohamed Atta and Marwan Al-Shehhi began learning to fly on July 3, 2000."[7]

Border dispute

Full article: Guayana Esequiba

Guyana and Venezuela have a long history of debate surrounding their border,[8] an issue that became of geopolitical importance after suspected large oil deposits were discovered.


 

Event

EventDescription
JonestownThe People's Temple cult, in Jonestown, lead by Jim Jones. In 1978 hundreds of members were poisoned by drinking a cyanide laced drink.

 

Job here

EventJobAppointedEnd
Richard WelchGuyana Chief of Station19671969

 

A citizen of Guyana on Wikispooks

TitleDescription
Gerald A. PerreiraGuyanese political activist, educator, writer and commentator, and a committed Pan-Africanist.

 

Related Documents

TitleTypePublication dateAuthor(s)Description
Document:British Intervention in British Guiana 1953book extract12 February 2007Mark Curtis
Document:What’s Not Being Said About the Venezuela Oil WarArticle17 February 2019William EngdahlThe Venezuela Oil War Is Really About Huge Oil Reserves in the District of Guayana Esequiba
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References

  1. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20100411064504/http://www.geographia.com/Guyana/geninfo.html
  2. ↑ "Guyana turns attention to racism Archived 2 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine.". BBC News. 20 September 2005.
  3. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20101202013914/http://www.guyana.org/features/conflicts_indiansandblacks.html
  4. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120715075007/http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/265657/20111212/guyana-politics-election-blacks-indians-ramotar-ppp.htm
  5. ↑ A Brief History of U.S. Interventions 1945 to the Present by William Blum - Z magazine, June 1999.
  6. ↑ https://www.madcowprod.com/2017/03/30/russian-oligarch-oleg-deripaska-me/
  7. ↑ https://www.madcowprod.com/2013/03/06/source-rudi-dekkers-drug-case-will-never-go-to-trial
  8. ↑ http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-14587.html
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