🇬🇾 UNCLE RAMESH’S TAKE 🇬🇾 Your Uncle from the Diaspora Who Actually Reads Past the Headlines

Greetings from Queens, where it cold like ice but my blood pressure hot from reading the nonsense the opposition talking in Parliament this week! Pull up a chair and leh me explain what really happening in Guyana.

🪖 PRESIDENT ALI AT THE GDF CONFERENCE — THIS IS WHAT LEADERSHIP LOOKS LIKE

You know what impressed me? The President didn’t just talk tough about Venezuela. He told the GDF to think BIGGER — beyond the battlefield. Cybersecurity. Environmental protection. Technology infrastructure. Undersea cables. The man is building a modern defence force, not just a garrison.

And let me tell you something the Brief didn’t emphasize enough — the GDF is getting NEW BOATS arriving end of this month, expanding drone operations, and the Brigadier himself said border defence is “non-negotiable.” This is a government that’s investing in security, not just talking about it.

When APNU was in power, what did they do for the GDF? Give them expired rations and broken trucks? President Ali is modernizing the entire force while keeping the diplomatic channels open. THAT is how a small country navigates big threats.

💰 THE BUDGET DEBATE: OPPOSITION HAS NO PLAN, JUST COMPLAINTS

Four days of debate and not ONE alternative budget from the opposition. Not one. They come to Parliament, complain about everything, and offer what exactly? Dr. Mahadeo was right — “come here informed!”

Let me give you the facts they conveniently ignore:

• Telemedicine sites: From 4 in 2022 to 130 now. That’s a 3,150% increase!
• Heart surgeries: Over 100 in 2025, up from about 20 before 2019
• Medical drones: Being tested for hinterland deliveries
• Unemployment: Cut by MORE THAN HALF — from 12.8% to 6.8%
• Jobs created: 104,000 between 2020 and 2024

And Minister Teixeira put it perfectly — this country has done a trajectory “never seen before” in all its years of independence. We celebrating 60 years of independence this year, and for the FIRST TIME Guyanese can feel genuine national pride about where the economy is heading.

✈️ TOURISM BOOMING — 34,923 VISITORS IN JANUARY ALONE

The Brief made jokes about tourism. Let me give you the REAL story. January 2026 saw a 17.2% increase in visitor arrivals. The GTA projects 550,000 by year end — up from 453,489 in 2025, which was ALREADY a record year.

And the government is smart about it — removing residency requirements for destination weddings, cutting vehicle costs for hinterland transport, eliminating all import duties on ATVs. They’re building the infrastructure for a tourism INDUSTRY, not just hoping people show up.

The US, Caribbean, and Latin America are the top source markets. Guyana is becoming a BRAND. And that doesn’t happen by accident — it happens because a government has a strategy and executes it.

🏗️ WHAT THE BRIEF MISSED

The Brief didn’t mention these important stories:

$6 Billion for Sports Development — The Cricket Board praised the budget allocation. Six Guyanese players selected for West Indies T20 World Cup squad! Two in the U-19 team for the Youth World Cup! Guyana is becoming a sporting powerhouse.

CPL 2026 Finals Tickets on Sale TODAY — Republic Bank CPL finals going on general sale. Guyana hosting, Guyana winning, Guyana GROWING.

Guyana Digital School expanding — The outreach programme is visiting schools across the country. This is how you build a modern education system — not by complaining in Parliament, but by going to the schools and registering students one by one.

David Dabydeen Nominated for Nobel Prize — A Guyanese writer nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature! This is the kind of international recognition that makes every Guyanese proud, no matter which party you support.

🤔 A WORD ABOUT THE “GHOST GRANT” STORY

Kaieteur running stories about 30,000 “missing” cash grant recipients. Let me explain something simple. Population figures get UPDATED. Registration drives capture people who then move, pass away, or don’t qualify for various reasons. The difference between $63 billion and $60 billion could be explained by a dozen administrative factors. But no — Kaieteur wants to turn basic budget adjustment into an election conspiracy.

You know what ISN’T a conspiracy? 600,000 Guyanese adults receiving $100,000 each. SIXTY BILLION DOLLARS going directly into household pockets. Show me another country in the Caribbean doing that. I’ll wait.

📋 UNCLE RAMESH’S FRIDAY VERDICT

Have a blessed Friday, Guyana. The country moving forward whether the opposition likes it or not. And remember — the next time somebody from the diaspora tells you Guyana not progressing, send them the tourism numbers, the employment stats, and the budget allocations. Facts don’t care about feelings.

Uncle Ramesh signing off from Queens. Stay warm, stay blessed, stay Guyanese! 🇬🇾

Uncle Ramesh is a fictional satirical character representing a pro-government perspective from the Guyanese diaspora. All opinions are for entertainment purposes. This column targets policies and positions, never individuals.