Guyana Times letter disputes claims about ‘One Guyana’ and government contracts
In a September 26 letter responding to Aubrey Reteymer, Kit Nascimento said the One Guyana initiative reinforces Guyana’s national motto. Nascimento also challenged Reteymer’s claims about the governing party and government contracts, citing Cabinet composition and a UN nomination as counterpoints; the letter does not independently verify the disputed claims.
Guyana Times published a letter by Kit Nascimento on September 26, 2026, responding to Aubrey Reteymer’s September 23 letter. Reteymer alleged that President Irfaan Ali was trying to change the national motto. Nascimento said One Guyana reinforces the motto rather than replacing it. Reteymer also accused the governing party of discrimination, racism and corruption, and alleged that 97 percent of government contracts went to people connected to the President, Cabinet members or PPP supporters. Nascimento said Reteymer offered no examples for the accusations against the governing party and no evidence for the contracts statistic.
As counterpoints to Reteymer’s claim that Afro and Amerindian Guyanese were excluded, Nascimento cited a 27-member Cabinet that he said includes 10 people who are not of Indian descent. He also pointed to Guyana’s nomination of Indigenous Guyanese Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett for UN secretary-general. These are arguments and figures presented in Nascimento’s letter; the Guyana Times item does not independently verify the disputed allegations or the cited counterpoints.