BB-2-a-1
Sharon Amos
Minister [Vibert] MIngo 8 June, 1978 ([Mike] Prokes, Sharon, Debbie [Touchette])
-we talked to him about the Venezelan Colonel, he said Venezuela does have a strong intelligence division and could be working with the US. However, when we mentioned that we need to be able to defend ourselves, he said that Guyana doesn’t have the might to take on Venezuela. We said that we didn’t expect them to but if we could just defend ourselves and try to defend Guyana in the event of an actual attack/ we wouldn’t be taking on Venezuela. He said that he appreciated our willingness to stand for Guyana but “we can’t start an incident.” We reiterated again it was not to start an incident but to protect ourselves and Guyana. He said that “no government could risk aiming non-citizens.” He said he could never sell this. He said it is the responsibility of the State to protect us. He said that what we already asked for in terms of arms is reasonable and in the letter we had mentioned it was for the purpose of hunting. He knew it wouldn’t be enough for defense. I asked him if that had gone through / he said he thought it had but would look into it.
-He said no government would arm you to the teeth.
-he said it might look like a “citadel to certain people”
-we said what would we do if attacked/ he said we could notify them, asked if our radio could make contact/ we said sometimes it is not able to make contact and besides we can’t contact their stations. Mike said he had been trying to get 24 hr a day contact for emergencies/ Mingo said Narraine [Steve Naraine] handles that/ and we should see him. I asked him if he could make the appt. He called Narraine up and arranged tht we should see him Monday at 10:00AM.
-we talked about the local harassments, saying our truck was tearing up the road, the woodchipper coming back broken, Joyce’s medical program being stopped and that [Desmond] Hoyte was [crossed out: “def”] trying to start trouble again. He said that Hoyte could only try to bother us in his area, but the Venezuelan thing was a different story as that wasn’t within Hoyte’s area. I said that if Hoyte could irritate us locally when we are trying to be productive and no-one interferes how could we be assured that we’d have people to stand up for us when it is on a larger level involving a more difficult issue. I said that I couldn’t believe that Dr. [Ptolemy] Reid and the PM [Prime Minister Forbes Burnham] with their goals of productivity could want Hoyte to be so petty and jealous and get away with it. Mingo said that if he were in the position he were in, he’d feel the same way about Hoyte
-but he said he didn’t know what he could do about it himself as he is a very small pillar
-I asked what he thought was Hoyte’s motivation for harassing us/ he said that Hoyte might be nervous and may wish he’d stay a successful lawyer with all the pressures in government right now.
-I repeated again, “why isn’t something done to stop him from bothering us”, he said “we’re too free here. That’s why there is a difference with us and you, that’s why you are so disciplined.”
-when we mentioned the situation with Joyce and that we were told in [Hamilton] Green’s department that is was a question of legality (insurance), he said “legality doesn’t impress me” (in other words, he doesn’t think that’s the issue)
-he asked if Nurse Noel had agreed with our work in Kaituma originally and we told him yes she did
-he said that despite the harassments we’ve gotten, he knows Min. Green likes u and it is he that would be helping us not Mingo.
Nike [Mike] asked why he couldn’thave written a statement for us to clarify the Kathy Hunter situation/ he showed her an article and the rediculous charges/ Mingo said it wasn’t his job to write such a statement, it was up to the attorney general. Mike said that Kirton wanted a statement to add facts to his article. I asked Mingo if Kirton could at least check with him by phone or come in and talk to him and he said yes (tho Mike didn’t seem to think tht would be a good idea???)
-Mike asked if we could see him weekly/ he said he was too busy now for that, but said we could see him the 17th. We asked him o tell Dr. Reid about the medical situation and he said he would.
(OVER)
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BB-2-a-2
Sharon Amos
MINGO telephone call 9/6/78
(told him about how [Fitz] Carmichael and [W.D.] Wyatt embarrassed us in front of the local PNC meeting – they made light of medical care to a Guyanese child (seed in the nose) and said that people traveling to Jonestown, it would be risky and they would no longer provide transportation for people coming to Jonestown, even if for emergency care) and Carmichael said he was a long standing Guyanese citizen but you…..)
Mingo said he would have to talk to Carmichael, I asked when and he said Carmichael would be coming in to Georgetown in a week and he’d talk to him then/ I said couldn’t you call him before that (in Mathews Ridge) and he said he would do that/ I asked if he could talk to Hoyte as that was were it started and he said “Minister Hoyte, as if considering it, or as if he didn’t want to talk to Hoyte” but he said he would (not with that much conviction)
-he did mention when I said it was at the PNC meeting, “You mean in front of people at the PNC meeting” as if he didn’t approve of that