Dear Editor,
With reference to the letter `People have assumed Lethem is duty-free port’ in SN Oct 10, 2008, I am a law abiding citizen but if there is no system in place what do you expect the people to do? Wait until the government sets up a border/immigration system? It is the port of Lethem (not to mention the open border zones), among others, that kept Guyana with supplies of banned flour and other banned foodstuff during the tough time of the 80’s.
As matter of fact when the government air transportation stopped, the residents of the entire Rupununi were cut off and they solely depended on the ‘free trade’ with Brazil for basic food items that government was not able to supply.
Following this cut-off era, persons with trucks ventured through rough jungle, swamps and monkey bridges to take goods to Lethem and bring foods from Brazil.
Businessmen/women and students attending high schools/technical institutes/teachers college/UG risked their lives on those trucks.
What are they going to do now – build a wall along the Brazilian border so that we can go and come through ‘the golden bridge’ at Lethem?
What about the Venezuelan and the Surinamese borders?
In the meantime let’s (Lethemians and Bon Fimians) continue to enjoy the ‘free trade’.
Yours faithfully,
Guy Marco
(Comment extracted from Stabroek News website)
