Peace Without Poison

Between 1970 and 1990, Guyana pursued an aggressive policy of population control and hasused a variety of covert depopulation measures. That Guyana could not have possibly achieved adrop in fertility from 5.8 to 2.5 children per woman in the two decades from 1970 to 1990legitimately is amply demonstrated by the low contraceptive prevalence rate, which in the 1970swas below 20% and in the 1980s was below 30%. Furthermore, at around 25% abortion doesplay a role but cannot explain Guyana’s drop in fertility.Covert depopulation measures were kick-started by Prime Minister Forbes Burnham (1964-1980) and continued by Ptolemy Reid (1980-1984), Desmond Hoyte (1984-1985), and HamiltonGreen (1985-1992). Prime Minister Sam Hinds (1992-1997, 1997-1999, incumbent since 1999)relaxed them for a while and the total fertility rate bounced up to 2.5 until 2005 when heintensified them to reach replacement level fertility, which Guyana did in 2010.With a contraceptive prevalence rate that never exceeded 43% and that has been below 35% untilsix years ago, Guyana could not have possibly lowered let alone reached replacement level323 | P a g e