In his July 5 Eye on Guyana column, “Workers Must Wake Up Before They Become Strangers in Their Own Country,“ published by Village Voice News, Lewis contends that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has failed to deliver on its promise that Guyanese workers would be the principal beneficiaries of the nation’s petroleum wealth.

“The wealth generated from Guyana’s oil must improve the lives of Guyanese workers first,” Lewis wrote. “Development cannot be measured solely by economic growth statistics or impressive infrastructure. It must also be measured by whether workers enjoy secure jobs, fair wages, safe workplaces and the protection of their rights.”

Guyana has become one of the world’s fastest-growing economies since first oil in December 2019, generating billions of US dollars in petroleum revenues and financing record national budgets. Yet Lewis argues that the prosperity celebrated in government reports has not translated into meaningful improvements for the country’s working class.