Dear Editor,
The Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) is saddened by the news that the Stabroek Newspaper will soon cease printing. As one of the leading independent newspapers in Guyana, we view this as a great loss to investigative and balanced news reporting and would like to extend our gratitude for your publication’s almost four decades of fearless reporting. Over the years, Stabroek News has provided coverage and a space for the APA to have a voice, and we remain deeply grateful for that.
Stabroek News has been particularly significant for the Indigenous Peoples and communities across Guyana’s hinterland in publicising issues and stories that would generally not be covered. By doing so, Stabroek News contributed meaningfully to greater awareness, accountability, and dialogue around Indigenous rights and development issues in Guyana. Whether reporting on land rights, environmental protection, governance within Indigenous communities, or the social and economic challenges faced in hinterland regions, Stabroek News ensured that these stories reached the wider public. The newspaper’s willingness to engage with these issues helped to bring national attention to matters that directly affect the lives, cultures, and rights of Indigenous Peoples. Too often, these very issues remain underreported, unreported, or misunderstood in national media spaces, but your publication made deliberate efforts to highlight those voices, struggles, and aspirations. Today, we are much poorer in this regard with Stabroek News’ exit from the local media landscape.
Beyond Indigenous issues, your steadfast commitment to fearless, independent reporting on national matters has helped shape public understanding of governance, transparency, and accountability, fostering conversations at all levels. In times when truth and responsible journalism are most needed, Stabroek News consistently demonstrated the value of a free and principled press. The Amerindian Peoples Association thanks the editors, journalists, and staff, past and present, for their dedication and professionalism in covering news stories generally. Your work has made an enduring contribution to Guyana and to the visibility of Indigenous peoples and issues. We hope that the legacy of Stabroek News will continue to inspire strong, independent journalism in Guyana for generations to come.