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In a revealing interview on Straight Up with host Mark Benschop, former President of Guyana, David Granger, described drug trafficking as a “total disease” affecting every layer of Guyanese society and dubbed the pervasive phenomenon the “Shaheed Syndrome.” Granger drew on his experiences as both a former president and national security advisor to detail how drug trafficking has escalated and corrupted various aspects of the nation since the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) returned to office in August 2020. He voiced concerns over the spread of this “syndrome,” its destructive economic effects, and the apparent lack of political will to address it, casting Guyana’s future under an unsettling shadow.
“What we saw in the early years of this century,” Granger explained, “was drugs, guns, and murders … they all go together.” He described the intertwined relationship between the drug trade and public corruption, arguing that narco-trafficking has led to a cycle of criminality, with local officials sometimes being “bought out” by those involved in the trade. According to Granger, this corruption has extended into law enforcement and judicial offices, undermining both legal systems and community safety.
Granger also emphasized the profound social consequences of drug trafficking. He recounted how drug-related violence has become prevalent in East Coast and East Bank Demerara, areas with high populations that have been historically targeted as both drug distribution centers and consumer markets. “The effect just destroys society. It just destroys families, destroys the economy, and it corrupts the law enforcement agencies,” he said, illustrating how young people, in particular, fall victim to addiction, which strains families and exacerbates cycles of poverty.
Discussing the broader impact of the drug trade on the economy, Granger said the narcotics industry has introduced severe distortions, where “dirty money would tend to attract more business,” driving people away from food production toward more lucrative but illegal drug crops. The implications for the agricultural sector, according to Granger, are dire: “If you imagine that those farmlands could have been producing food, we’d have no food problem in Guyana.”
With regard to international relations, Granger warned that the narcotics trade threatens Guyana’s image abroad and deters foreign investment. “We are perceived increasingly as becoming a narco-state,” he stated, noting that while Guyana’s burgeoning oil industry may invite international business, the concurrent growth of drug trafficking “keeps business out,” particularly from companies wary of associating with countries embroiled in organized crime and corruption.
Granger contrasted the current state of affairs with his own administration’s approach to tackling drug crime. Under his leadership, he said, the government attempted to implement anti-narcotics measures, like establishing the National Anti-Narcotics Agency (NANA), which sought to create a law-abiding environment and enforce policies with integrity. “You go to war with the troops you have, not the troops you want,” he remarked, acknowledging that while his administration faced structural challenges, it focused on transparency and professional conduct.
Granger called on the government to curb the “Shaheed Syndrome” by enforcing anti-corruption measures, strengthening law enforcement, and offering legitimate economic opportunities to citizens. Without these steps, he warned, the drug trade’s grip on Guyana would continue to deepen, jeopardizing the future of its communities and its economy.
