-A Meeting of Bernie’s Bandits
Ordinary, working-class, proletarian, salt-of–the-earth Guyanese citizens often miss media reports of some significant events taking place here.
After all, many of the developments do not impact upon their own personal struggles to survive in their beautiful but blighted hand.
Or so they (might) think!
Fourteen days ago the topmost representative of the USA here, Ambassador Brent Hardt, concluded (modified) agreements with our government which would provide us with funding for various vitally needed programmes. One has to do with law enforcement, especially as it relates to narcotics trafficking and detection. Okay, we’ve heard about such things before. Grand assistance but continued trafficking as once-innocent Guyana improves its “image” as a leading cocaine trans-shipment location.
But this agreement attracted my attention for two reasons mainly.
Assistance in local hands
Firstly this is another manifestation of the old CBI. It is now the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative whereby the Americans give funding, on a bilateral basis sometimes. (Incidentally, I love how these deals are described as “co-operation.”) So Guyana has just received millions to promote ”… law enforcement professionalization support, strengthen counter-narcotics control capabilities… collecting, analyzing and presenting forensic evidence in criminal investigations and prosecution; justice reform to enhance our ability to address narcotics trafficking and trans-national crime”
This latest “gift” also reportedly, caters for a “vetted unit” to be used in the narco-trafficking battles. “Elite” members will be “polygraphed” before hand! Thank America who I mentioned before, is a most lucrative “drug” market. But do they monitor how effectively these specific funds are being used in Georgetown? You-all tell me about the Guyanese professional narcotics agents – and his human, vulnerable side.
If the D.E.A comes…
Government spokesman Dr Roger Luncheon can explain to us why a US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Office is not yet welcome in Georgetown, in this sovereign state. Just as he can readily justify why this Sovereign State needs and accepts the type of American assistance described above. My second reason.
Let’s assume a DEA presence is here. I found out a few basics about their approaches and status. Being a Sovereign State, Guyana will require DEA agents to operate within the provisions of new or existing treaties and agreements which will, invariably, guarantee the Americans working under Guyana law and Guyanese Anti- Narcotic agencies already in existence.
Even any special DEA unit established by our DEA expert-friends will be subject to strict bi-lateral operations and equal parity. Maximum authority will always reside with the locals. Unless invited in for collaboration, foreign agencies – CIA, FBI, DEA, e.g. – had no authority beyond most countries’ airport!
Frankly Speaking, I suspect this balance between our sovereignty and the need for foreign (DEA) assistance to minimize the Guyana Narcotics Enterprise, benefits the crooks and their Big Baron Sponsors. So until a DEA office can come to offer even more expertise, intelligence, training, on-site surveillance and other equipment, our Barons are sighing with understandable relief. I wonder how locals will “tolerate” DEA ‘Knowledge”?
For the DEA knows about the organized, high-level support and sponsorship for the Barons here. They have names, locations, techniques. The DEA even knows why Delta Airlines might actually pack up, in the face of the origin of the Queens, New York deal to get here, the manipulation of seats- and the fines related to drugs found on its aircraft. More in coming columns.
When Bernie’s Bandits Meet
You readers can decide how much of the following is fact – or fiction.
At forty-six, Bernie is a most bitter ex-GDF rank. The army dismissed him for repeated misdemeanors which his high IQ-active mind conjured up and executed during his eleven years of service. He was in the military whilst he was between twenty-one and thirty years old.
For his last fourteen years, Bernie has been using his intelligence and expertise to lead a band of two categories of bandits in Georgetown and the Hinterland.
At yesterday’s meeting he outlined, succinctly, the following:’ “Gentlemen- well, I don’t mean all ten of you, but fellas, here are the latest facts.
Dis country continues to be ours for the taking because, whether is Boysie’s Boys in town or along the East Coast in terms of robberies and burglary – or Robbie’s men with strategic connections with the hinterland Backdam Mines people or police, de Guyanese people remain ignorant about anticipating attacks, doan care ’bout real tight security or expert protection, along with the needs the law enforcement, the prosecutors, the whole system, have.
All de tings I outline laas meeting still exist, y’all remember: Silly ignorant residents, many needy, crooked unprofessional police, even some wukking in de courts, inexperienced prosecutors, victims poor and willing to tek compensation or don’t show up in court, nuff police who is we family, dem friendly warders in jail and mines people wid info fuh we, easy stations wid no transportation or staff.
Y’all get de idea ”No light in de village, easy business and nuff bush.”
His audience was receptive. They were expert at various levels of both physical and strategic banditry and all-round criminality.
Just consider Bernie’s intellectual leadership until next time.
But just who is Bernie? This ex-army man? Ah! Recall other ex-army fellas – Eye-Lash? Jungle Commando? Soldier Smith? Craig-New York? Blackie? Connelly? Bagot? Douglas? Until…
Ponder…
.1) No Guyanese workers at the Marriott Construction is bad enough. But remember the Bigger Picture- They shouldn’t be using Guyanese Taxpayers’ cash to build it in the first place. So if they employ Guyanese, that principle is compromised?
.2) My age-and-stage now releases me from the 2013 Soca’s. I find most of them utterly puerile, with one popular one bordering on vulgarity! Even to me who still appreciates some “wining” and naughty moves! But I’ve had it this year.
I’m also beginning to understand why a surfeit of this type of soca can turn off a segment of the population. But that is not all there is to the anniversary festival.
’Til next week!
(allanafenty@yahoo.com)
