#pemon

Falling apart

It’s complicated to frame it so bluntly when most of us are “mulatos”, combinations of Europeans, Natives and Blacks. But, of course, that doesn’t make us impervious to racism.     

However, what is troubling is the fact that, while framing the Venezuelan crisis as a White-Venezuelans vs. Black-Venezuelans thing, not only are they erasing us, mulatos, completely. They’re also blatantly ignoring how the Government of Venezuela has mistreated and deceived Natives repeatedly.

Just today, as everyone prepares to receive the humanitarian aid, Maduro’s goons attacked the Pemon (a local group of indigenous people), with a toll of 13 wounded and one killed. 

But Boots Riley, Danny Glover, Roger Waters... they don’t care about that. That isn’t convenient for their White vs. Black discourse. 

Nope.

They’ll never tell you that the Government tried to ban the three indigenous deputies, using it as an excuse to declare the National Assembly in contempt. 

That the Government has abandoned indigenous communities, only visiting the natives every once in a while, just in time for elections. But otherwise, their lives have barely improved. 

Or that the Government has repeatedly allowed terrorists and miners to destroy their ecosystem and murder the natives.

That the Government arrested over 70 minors for protesting, including a 14-year old native girl.

It’s a curious way of acting when you’re supposedly not racist, and better than the Governments that came before,... yet repeatedly ignore, use or mistreat the indigenous, whenever you see fit.  

It’s better to support a murderous regime by painting them as the victims of a “racist” attack from “White” supremacists. 

And yet, to our foreign friends, oppressing and using indigenous communities is not racism. Or -what’s worst- our foreign friends will find a way to blame the US somehow for the deaths produced by Maduro’s soldiers. 

The Pemón Indigenous communities in the Canaima National Park (western Venezuela) were the target of a violent attack during a two-day military operation, for which there was no justification. The communities fear for their safety in the context of these operations and the militarization of their ancestral territory ordered by the national government. The operation took place in the context of the Orinoco Arco Mining megaproject – under which the area was declared a "National Strategic Development Zone" to promote the exploitation of mineral resources by companies – and the Tepuy Protection Plan (Plan Tepuy Protector) to stop illegal mining. During the operation on 8 December, young Indigenous member Charly Peñaloza was killed and three other members of the Pemón Indigenous people were injured. According to survivors and the statements of the Council of Chiefs of the Pemón People, none of them was armed.  

TAKE ACTION NOW                                                                                               

Please write urgently, in Spanish or in English, to Venezuelan authorities:

Calling for a thorough, immediate and impartial investigation into the circumstances in which Charly Peñaloza was killed and other members of the Pemón Indigenous communities were injured; for the findings to be made public and for those responsible to be brought to justice;

Urging the authorities to take the necessary measures to guarantee the physical integrity of the Pemón Indigenous communities of the Canaima National Park and other areas where the Tepuy Protection Plan is being implemented, with the full participation of the Indigenous people of the area, respecting their traditional authorities and special jurisdiction as established in national and international law.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 30 JANUARY 2019 TO: 

Guyana 🇬🇾

Basic facts

Official name: Cooperative Republic of Guyana

Capital city: Georgetown

Population: 813,834 (2023)

Demonym: Guyanese

Type of government: unitary parliamentary republic

Head of state: Irfaan Ali (President)

Head of government: Mark Phillips (Prime Minister)

Gross domestic product (purchasing power parity): $63.82 billion (2023)

Gini coefficient of wealth inequality: 44.6% (medium) (2007)

Human Development Index: 0.742 (high) (2022)

Currency: Guyanese dollar (GYD)

Fun fact: It is home to the largest single-drop waterfall in the world.

Etymology

The country’s name comes from an indigenous word meaning “land of many waters”.

Geography

Guyana is located in South America and borders the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Suriname to the east, Brazil to the south, and Venezuela to the west.

There are three main climates: tropical rainforest in the north and southwest, tropical monsoon in the east and southeast, and dry-winter tropical savanna in the west. Temperatures range from 22 °C (71.6 °F) in winter to 33 °C (91.4 °F) in spring. The average annual temperature is 27.2 °C (80.9 °F).

The country is divided into ten regions. The largest cities in Guyana are Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam, Corriverton, and Bartica.

History

1581-1689: Colony of Pomeroon

1621-1812: Colony of Essequibo

1627-1831: Colony of Berbice

1745-1812: Colony of Demerara

1763: Berbice Rebellion

1812-1831: Colony of Demerara-Essequibo

1819-1831: Gran Colombia

1823: Demerara Rebellion

1831-1966: British Guiana

1966-1970: Guyana

1970-present: Cooperative Republic of Guyana

Economy

Guyana mainly imports from Singapore, the United States, and Trinidad and Tobago and exports to the United States, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. Its top exports are crude oil, rice, and alcohol.

It has significant bauxite, gold, and oil reserves. Services represent 69.3% of the GDP, followed by agriculture (15.4%) and industry (15.3%).

Guyana is a member of the Association of Caribbean States, the Caribbean Community, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organization of American States, and the Union of South American Nations.

Demographics

39.8% of the population has Indian origins, 29.3% descends from Africans, 19.9% is multiracial, and 10.5% identifies as indigenous. The main religion is Christianity, practiced by 54.2% of the population, 55.6% of which is Protestant.

It has a negative net migration rate and a fertility rate of 2.3 children per woman. 27.2% of the population lives in urban areas. Life expectancy is 70.3 years and the median age is 26.2 years. The literacy rate is 90%.

Languages

The official language of the country is English, but Guyanese Creole is widely spoken. Arawak, Carib, Kapóng, Macushi, Mawayana, Pemon, Waiwai, Wapishana, and Warao are recognized regional languages.

Culture

Guyanese culture is more similar to Caribbean than South American culture. It contains a blend of African and Indian traditions.

Men traditionally wear a loose shirt and loose pants. Indian women wear a robe attached to the waist and shoulder (sari), loose pants (shalwar), and headscarf (orhni), while Afro-Guyanese women wear colorful dresses with patterns and a headwrap.

Architecture

Traditional houses in Guyana have painted wooden walls, tin roofs, and porches and balconies.

Cuisine

The Guyanese diet is based on fish, meat, rice, and vegetables. Typical dishes include catalina (a flattened cake made of coconut wheat flour), creamed shrimps (fried shrimps in a mixture of cream, eggs, and sherry with rice), fricasé (meat and vegetables pieces in egg or cream sauce), metemgee (a stew of banana and root vegetables in coconut milk), and pepper pot (a stew with cassareep, meat, and chili peppers).

Holidays and festivals

Like other Christian, Hindu, and Muslim countries, Guyana celebrates Holi, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Diwali, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Mawlid, and Eid al-Adha. It also commemorates New Year’s Day and Labor Day.

Specific Guyanese holidays include Republic Day on February 23, Indian Arrival Day on May 5, Independence Day on May 26, CARICOM Day on the first Monday of July, and Emancipation Day on August 1.

Indian Arrival Day

Other celebrations include the Bartica Regatta; Mashramani, which features float parades and masquerades, and the Rupununi Rodeo, where rodeo competitions are held.

Mashramani

Landmarks

There are no UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Landmarks include Fort Zeelandia, the Georgetown City Hall, Shell Beach, St. George’s Cathedral, and the Stabroek Market.

Stabroek Market

Famous people

Aliann Pompey - athlete

Clive Lloyd - cricket player

Cyril Dabydeen - writer

Jan Shinebourne - writer

Letitia Wright - actress

Mahadai Das - poet

Marc Gomes - actor

Oscar Abrams - architect

Ramona Persaud - moviemaker and photographer

Rawle Marshall - basketball player

Cyril Dabydeen

"There are some benders among my followers," Amon said, watching Pema's face intently.

The woman's face registered no surprise whatsoever—not even a single emotion as she nodded once: "Of all three elements?" she asked.

Amon smirked a little at her omission of airbenders; it was apparently too large a taboo to assume her own children would side with the Equalists.

So he watched her face again as he answered her: "Are there not four elements?"