PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo defended the government’s record on Indigenous development on Friday, stating that more than $14 billion from the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) has been handed directly to Amerindian villages over the past three years for community-driven projects.
Speaking at his party’s final press conference ahead of Monday’s elections, Jagdeo rejected criticism that Indigenous people are treated as passive recipients of aid, saying the administration has instead entrusted villages with significant resources and decision-making power.
“Two hundred and forty villages have received $14 billion from the LCDS alone, leaving out the tractors, the 36,000 solar panels, the presidential grants, and the billions spent on roads,” Jagdeo stated. “These funds are not managed by us in Georgetown—they go to the councils and the people of the villages, who themselves design and approve their development plans.”
He explained that village development plans must be approved at general meetings where at least 60 percent of residents are present, ensuring accountability and community participation. More than 2,000 projects have already been implemented under this system, covering infrastructure, agriculture, and renewable energy initiatives.
“This is not passive handouts. It is respect for the leadership and capability of Amerindian communities to manage their own affairs. They have been spending, accounting for, and delivering projects that are transforming their villages,” Jagdeo emphasized.
The PPP General Secretary also criticized sections of the media for attempting to downplay progress in hinterland regions by focusing on isolated cases of squatting or unemployment.
“You cannot judge Amerindian development by visiting one community of 25 households and ignoring the thousands of jobs, schools, hospitals, paved roads, tractors, and major projects that have reshaped the lives of Indigenous people across Regions One, Seven, Eight, Nine, and beyond,” he said.
Jagdeo noted that, in addition to the 20 percent of LCDS funds going directly to Amerindian villages, the remaining 80 percent is being used for national climate resilience projects, including initiatives to protect coastal communities from flooding.
As Guyana heads to the polls, he called on Indigenous voters to reflect on the tangible improvements under the PPP government compared with the previous APNU+AFC administration.
“If you go to Mabaruma, Lethem, or villages across the Rupununi, you will see the transformation for yourselves,” he told reporters.
