Introduction
In Guyana, inequality and poverty have a lot to do with people’s perception of these. Thus to the poor struggling masses, the perception of an inexorable rise in the flaunting opulence of the newly-rich amongst us leads not only to resentment, but also to feelings of societal marginalization and exclusion. How we may ask can it be otherwise, given the smallness of the country and its communities and the burgeoning rise of palatial residences and other ostentatious displays? Politics, economics, culture, ethnicity and ideology all contribute towards these depressing outcomes. This therefore makes 1) a focus on the gap between the poor and rich or the depth of poverty, and 2) establishing the severity of poverty in Guyana essential to my exploration of the theme inequality and poverty in Guyana. This topic is considered in
