The United States renewed its Level 2 travel advisory on Guyana last Thursday. It advised travellers to exercise increased caution, which is the same level of caution that Guyanese would normally exercise. The US’ four travel advisories range from ‘exercising normal caution’ to ‘do not travel.’
Most who live or work in Georgetown avoid certain areas and exercise increased caution even when not in those areas. Most do not wear jewellery or they keep it safely hidden on their person. It is not safe for women to walk with handbags or for men to have easily accessible wallets, which are easy targets for pickpockets. Reports of harrowing incidents fill our daily news and these are only the tip of the iceberg of what happens every day in our streets and homes. Many overseas Guyanese, particularly from Berbice, do not visit Guyana on holiday because of crime. All Guyanese know that visiting relatives are an invitation to bandits, as the Norton Street incident, in which three home invaders were killed, demonstrates.
