Dear Editor,
The planting of a bomb at a gasoline station is a terrorist act that must be addressed swiftly and condignly, because if this deadly act is not addressed in a conclusive way, it sets the stage for future strikes, which have the capacity to create mass killings and massive destruction. At this stage of our development, we cannot allow our country to suffer setbacks of this nature. In this regard the authorities must stand guard to defend our nation against terrorism.
Terrorism, by definition, is the use of violence and intimidation against innocent civilians in pursuit of political gains. And this is precisely the point: all acts of terrorism in Guyana follow a distinct pattern; that is, they occur either before or after an election. There is no question about that. The latest deadly event is a case in point where the elections have been concluded and the first runner-up is dissatisfied with the results; he is also a soon-to-be-extradited individual.
So, are we to conclude that this latest terrorist act was as a result of the above reason/s? The answer is pellucidly obvious. Now, who can deny the fact that a Venezuelan who hardly speaks a word of English could come into this country with a bomb and head straight to the gasoline station on Regent Street to plant his device? The answer is no one can, even if he were clairvoyant. So, there is clear evidence that this was an intentional act that was well planned and carefully executed, an act that was meant to create mass casualties, panic and mayhem.
What is even more egregious is the local involvement in the deadly attack; you cannot lose sight of the fact that the terrorist himself was helped by local counterparts. In my view, the local subversives led by their political operatives were the masterminds behind this attack, and the punishment meted out to them, all of them, should be swift and condign. We cannot tolerate terrorism on our soil, and every effort must be put into eradicating it.
Hanging as a means of punishment for terrorist acts is justly appropriate and should be applied in this case. For information, hanging is still on the statute books, and on such an occasion its use is fair and morally correct. We must put our stamp of disapproval; the time is now!