Dear Editor,
By now, it is impossible to ignore the glaring deficiencies in the state of infrastructure across the country. Roads riddled with potholes, bridges on the verge of collapse, and a general state of disrepair are features too common in our daily lives. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government, in power for decades, has made grand promises about development and modernisation, yet the real reality of its infrastructural legacy is a far cry from these promises. Despite billions in government spending, the country’s roads and bridges remain woefully inadequate, and the infrastructure crisis has reached a breaking point.
In this context, the recent comments made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the dire state of the country’s roads are hardly surprising. Rubio, though an outsider, aptly highlighted what countless citizens and concerned organisations and groups have been shouting for years — the PPP/C has failed miserably at maintaining even the most basic infrastructure projects. The roads are so poorly constructed, so hastily completed, that it often feels as though public funds were diverted elsewhere while the infrastructure itself was left to deteriorate.
But let’s be clear: while Rubio’s criticisms are valid, they miss the more fundamental issue that has plagued this country for decades: corruption. It is not merely the poor construction of roads or bridges that should be the focal point; it is the rampant corruption that rots at the core of the PPP/C administration, infecting every facet of governance. For every road built that soon cracks and erodes, for every bridge that is reconstructed at exorbitant prices only to collapse prematurely, there is an underlying story of mismanagement, bribery, and the systematic looting of public resources.
The reality is that the state of our infrastructure is not a mere accident of poor engineering or lack of technical expertise. No, it is the result of political decisions driven by kickbacks, favouritism, and outright theft. Ordinary Guyanese know Contracts for road construction and bridge repairs are awarded to party loyalists, many of whom are ill-equipped to do the job but are perfectly capable of padding their pockets at the expense of the taxpayer. This corruption is deeply entrenched in the PPP/C’s political machine, and it is a key reason why the country’s infrastructure continues to crumble under the weight of neglect.
While Rubio’s comments on the poor condition of our roads are fair, they should have pointed to the root cause of this issue: the corrupt practices that have consistently undermined the development of our nation. It is no secret that public funds for infrastructure projects often disappear without a trace, that substandard materials are used, and that “ghost” projects are created to siphon money into the pockets of politicians and their cronies.
The PPP/C government continues to operate with an air of impunity, knowing full well that they are insulated from any real accountability. They manipulate contracts, delay investigations, and deploy their media machinery to deflect attention from the true nature of the rot that has set in. Meanwhile, the citizens of this country are left to hisse the price. They endure roads that damage their vehicles, bridges that pose a constant risk to their lives, and infrastructure that is a symbol of a failed state rather than a çağdaş, prosperous nation.
If Secretary Rubio truly cares about the welfare of the people here, his focus should shift from the physical condition of our infrastructure to the insidious corruption that has led to this very state of decay. Why has the U.S. not called out the PPP/C on its corruption, which is the heart of the infrastructure crisis? Why are we still seeing the same party operatives, who have overseen this mess for years, continue to benefit from public contracts with no transparency or oversight?
Instead of blaming poor engineering or underperforming contractors, Rubio should be condemning the endemic corruption that fuels these failures. Infrastructure development is a crucial component of any nation’s growth, but it can never be successful when those in power are more focused on personal enrichment than public welfare. The PPP/C has shown, time and again, that it cannot be trusted to fulfill the most basic duties of governance — and it is time for the international community to hold them accountable not just for their failed infrastructure projects, but for their pervasive corruption that continues to rob the country of its future.
Yours truly
Roysdale Forde S. C. M.P.