Dr. Walter Anthony Rodney, was 38 years old when he was assassinated on June 13, 1980. He was a co-leader in the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) which organized to challenge the government on its policies and practices that oppressed working people in Guyana. Dr. Rodney was at the forefront of change in Guyana - his message was a new trajectory, aligning and uniting the people of Guyana regardless of race, class, gender, religion, or political ideology.

Dr. Rodney had sourced a walkie-talkie in order for party members to communicate with each other since they were constantly under political attack and physical threat. Unbeknown to Dr. Rodney, the state instructed Gregory Smith, an electronics expert with the Guyana Defense Force (GDF), to outfit the walkie-talkie with a bomb. The bomb that the government placed in the walkie-talkie was detonated and instantly killed Walter Rodney at 8:00 p.m on June 13, 1980. Donald Rodney, who was driving the car, escaped the blast with numerous injuries.

The government propaganda was that Dr. Rodney was going to use the bomb concealed in the walkie-talkie to blow up the Georgetown prison to free prisoners who would then join Dr. Rodney and the WPA in “acts of sabotage”. The Government stated that the bomb went off accidentally but since Walter and Donald Rodney were responsible for the bomb, they were also responsible for their own death and injuries - it was “death by misadventure”.

The Rodney Family and Donald Rodney (living eyewitness and victim of the explosion) opposed this narrative for over 40 years, insisting that Dr. Walter Rodney was killed because he was a direct threat to the existence of the Burnham regime.

A breakthrough was made in 2014 with the appointment of a Presidential Commission of Inquiry (COI) by President Donald Ramotar. The COI was prematurely terminated by the Granger administration when it took power in 2016.

Notwithstanding, the Commissioner’s issued their 2016 COI Report which concluded that Dr. Walter Rodney’s murder was a “conspiracy and collaboration in the killing of Dr. Walter Rodney by, between or among the State officials, the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Defense Force (GDF) and Gregory Smith.” It was “a State-organized assassination with the knowledge of Prime Minister [Forbes] Burnham,” and “an act of violence for political purposes.”

Then, on April 13, 2021, the Guyana Court of Appeal set aside Donald Rodney’s conviction and prison sentence for unlawful possession of explosives, noting that his constitutional rights had been breached as there was no evidence against him at trial, and for other deficiencies, in light of the nearly 40 years it had taken for the appeal to be heard.

On June 10, 2021, the Government of Guyana admitted to a far-reaching state conspiracy that lasted decades. The Government of Guyana admitted that its then PNC government assassinated Dr. Walter Rodney, and also admitted that it had falsely charged and convicted Donald Rodney. The announcement was made by Attorney General Anil Nandlall, on behalf of President of Guyana, His Excellency Irfaan Ali. The government accepted the findings of the 2016 COI Report, issued a formal apology to the Rodney Family, and made a number of commitments to correct the historical record.