In an emotional and politically charged address, Unity Labour Party (ULP) leader Ralph Gonsalves has detailed the deepening struggles of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens, claiming the current New Democratic Party (NDP) government has shown a “wicked” lack of empathy for the poor. Gonsalves framed the current economic state as “dead,” pointing to empty streets and struggling small business owners as evidence of a growing crisis.
Sharing personal anecdotes, Gonsalves read a message from a single mother who described her life as a constant stream of “tears”. According to the message, she lost her job shortly after the NDP took power and is now unable to pay basic utility bills or her son’s graduation fees. Gonsalves used this example to argue that “ordinary people” are being ignored by a government that lacks “love in their hearts for poor people”.
He further highlighted a “routine” but devastating bureaucratic hurdle: the government’s alleged refusal to provide simple letters required for electricity connections,. Gonsalves warned that without power, children in poor households cannot use laptops for their school-based assessments, creating a lasting “educational deficit” for the next generation.
Gonsalves did not mince words regarding the political situation, telling his supporters that while it is a democratic right to make a mistake, it is an “obligation” to fix it. He called on those who voted for the NDP or stayed home during the last election to recognize their “error” and prepare to return the ULP to power at the earliest opportunity,.
“The poor are suffering tremendously,” Gonsalves stated, asserting that the ULP is the only force capable of organizing the population to ensure the current administration does not last beyond a single term,.
A significant portion of Gonsalves’ concern focused on the government’s interactions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He warned that the NDP is moving toward an “austerity program” that he described as a “wrong and dangerous idea”,. He claimed this program would not only “make the poor poorer” but would also drag those who recently moved into the middle class back into poverty,.
Gonsalves expressed particular fear over the potential privatization of “marketable assets” like Vinlec (electricity) and CWSA (water), arguing that such moves would lead to “rapacious groups” bleeding the country and further burdening the poor with higher costs,.
Contrasting himself with the current leadership, Gonsalves shared a story of a recent visit to the Byera and Pamelasburg Primary Schools, where he sat with children and shared a meal of “traditional pelau”,. He emphasized his “close connection” to the community, suggesting that his leadership style remains rooted in the daily lives of his constituents.
He concluded by urging the public to stay “alive and alert” and not to be distracted by political “sideshows,” focusing instead on the “main events” of economic survival and national policy.