Hemispheric securityGuyana faces "creeping coup"

Published 15 February 2019

Venezuela is not the only country in South America facing political instability and crisis:  After losing a parliamentary vote of non-confidence on December 21st, in the small neighboring country of Guyana, the government of President David Granger has refused to resign or schedule elections, in clear violation of the constitution.

Venezuela is not the only country in South America facing political instability and crisis:  After losing a parliamentary vote of non-confidence on December 21st, in the small neighboring country of Guyana, the government of President David Granger has refused to resign or schedule elections, in clear violation of the constitution.

Critics of the Granger government have called his and his party’s attempts to illegally hold power, a “creeping coup,” and a “constitutional crisis.” Despite the Assembly Speaker Barton Scotland accepting the non-confidence vote; and a judicial ruling by the Chief Justice that the non-confidence vote was valid and Granger must resign and hold immediate elections, Granger still refuses to schedule elections or surrender power.

International election groups, including the Atlanta-based Carter Center, were in Guyana this past week for emergency meetings to monitor the crisis, with Granger - and his appointees on the Guyana Elections Commission - refusing to commit to or schedule the mandated elections.

Former Guyana President Bharrat Jagdeo denounced Granger as being “hell bent” on violating the law, and added that “There has been no good faith effort by this [Granger] government to meet the constitutional deadline… they are pushing us into a ‘constitutional crisis.’”

Guyana is at a critical crossroads, with Exxon and Hess making huge oil discoveries in the offshore waters of Guyana.  Oil production is scheduled to commence in 2020, and Guyana could soon produce more oil than OPEC member Venezuela.  Guyana’s oil production is projected to reach 750,000 BOPD, by 2025, according to Oil News.

Guyana is a small country - about the size of Great Britain - just east of Venezuela on the north coast of South America.  A former British colony, it has a small population of 750,000, divided 50 percent East Indians (descended from sugar workers brought from British India); 35 percent Africans (descend from slaves brought by the British and Dutch); and 10 percent native Amerindians. There is also a small European population, and an increasing Brazilian immigration.

The post-WWII political history of Guyana has been marred by racial polarization, with the East Indian community largely backing the Peoples Progressive Party (“PPP”), and the African community backing the rival Peoples National Congress (“PNC”).