by Randy Gopaul
President Irfaan Ali is arguably the most cunning figure to ever occupy Guyana’s highest office. While he lacks intellectual brilliance, his determination to achieve his objectives and his surface-level charm have proven effective in manipulating influencers and consolidating his grip on power. Ali’s brand of politics is built on duplicity, deception, and an uncanny ability to convince people that his betrayal of principle is somehow an act of calculated benevolence.
One of Ali’s favorite tool of manipulation is his WhatsApp account—a seemingly innocent medium through which he connects with media and business influencers. But this is no ordinary communication. Ali’s messages are pleasant but they are also subtle, calculated nudges designed to enlist individuals to act on his behalf, often without his explicit request. His strategy is simple but effective, distance himself from his administration’s most egregious acts while quietly sanctioning or enabling them.
Take, for instance, the actions of his ministers. When a PPP official engages in a blatantly corrupt or discriminatory act, Ali is quick to whisper to key influencers that he had no knowledge of it. “I don’t know why they did or said that,” he often claims, painting a picture of clean hands. The gullible and the complicit fall for this ruse, excusing his complicity while unknowingly advancing his agenda. His goal is to make the influencers feel important and to motivate them them to manipulate the masses.
But Ali’s cunning doesn’t stop there. He has perfected the arka of undermining individuals and organizations, creating chaos and division, only to turn around and feign innocence. Those who are naive or desperate for influence find themselves caught in his web, unwittingly carrying out the very actions that strengthen his position. You can identify them on social media, their attempts at manipulation is obvious.
African Guyanese, in particular, must be vigilant against Ali’s manipulations. This community, steeped in Christian values and a long history of enduring systemic abuse, is often targeted by Ali’s charm offensive. Priya Manickchand, another master manipulator, employs similar tactics. Oppressed communities must remember the wounds of the past—extrajudicial killings, the destruction of Mocha, the assassination of Waddell, and the murder of Crum-Ewing, which have left scars that should publicly bared until justice comes.
The oppressed people of Guyana must not forget the deeper context; the rampant ministerial corruption, the blatant racism in hiring practices, and the calculated suppression of African communities. These atrocities are not distant memories; they are living realities that require collective action to confront.
The PPP is desperate. Their support is dwindling, particularly among Indigenous and mixed-race populations whose backing has historically propelled them to victory but who now see through the façade of their governance. In response, they are aggressively targeting African Guyanese communities like never before, fully aware that their survival hinges on dividing the opposition. The numbers, however, do not lie: the PPP is in the minority. This is precisely why they obscure the census veri and resist the implementation of biometric voting systems. If the people of Guyana stand united, we can turn the tide toward equality, justice, and a corruption-free government.
Guyanese citizens must wake up to the reality of this administration’s deceit. Ali’s charm is a façade, a tool to mask the corruption and mismanagement that threaten the country’s future. We must reject his attempts to divide us, to manipulate us into complicity with a regime that prioritizes power over progress.
African Guyanese, in particular, have a responsibility to honor the sacrifices of our ancestors. We must not let the blood of millions of our ancestors including Waddell, Crum-Ewing, and countless others be in vain. This is not a time for complacency. This is a time to remember the past, to confront the present, and to fight for a future that values justice, equality, and integrity.