GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC—The central opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) says “political power” was used to detain the US-based social media personality Melissa “Melly Mel” Atwell-Holder pending deportation from the country.
PNCR and Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton told a public meeting here on Tuesday night that an international campaign would be started to help ensure the release of Atwell-Holder, who has been in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
According to the ICE records, Atwell-Holder is due to appear before an immigration judge, Richard Jacobs, on June 25 for a hearing.
A post on her Facebook page last weekend confirmed that she was detained and that she needed donations to pay for her legal fees to secure her freedom. She is being held at the Richwood Correctional Center in Louisiana.
Norton told the public meeting that relatives and friends in the United States (US) should lobby American lawmakers to release the Guyanese pro-opposition social media personality.
“This fight is also in the United States and, therefore, all of you must call your families, your friends and ask them to write the Senators and Congressmen in the United States to get help for Melissa… So we need to work to have an international campaign to help Melissa Atwell,” he said.
Norton blamed the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) administration for Atwell-Holder’s arrest because she had exposed government crime and corruption.
He said efforts to silence US-based critics started when the government attempted to issue a summons to Rickford Burke in New York last year.
Norton has warned the government to keep its hands off Atwell-Holder if she returns to Guyana, saying, “If perchance she is deported, she has support at home, and the government must know any attempt to touch her will mean touching all of us.”
Norton said the ruling party was losing the battle on social media, which he described as “a new dimension in political struggle.” He urged supporters to replicate Atwell-Holder’s activism in exposing alleged corruption.
“The PPP has been unhappy that they are losing the social media war, and they believe that by taking Melissa out, they will succeed. Many more Melissas must emerge home here. The more emerges, the better for Melissa,” he said.
The PNCR is planning a similar event for next Tuesday, and Norton urged supporters to come out in their hundreds to build on “another phase of the struggle” to remove the PPP from office.
Opposition legislator Amanza Walton-Desir, who also addressed the public meeting, accused the government of “procuring” Atwell-Holder’s arrest.
“It was political power that was used to get her where she is and, therefore, we have to respond and ensure we undermine the political power of the People’s Progressive Party in this country and to undermine that power, one way of doing it is to show solidarity and support for Melissa,” he said. Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall has dismissed allegations that the Irfaan Ali government played a hand in securing the detention of the social media activist.
“It has nothing to do with the government of Guyana,” Nandlall said on Tuesday night on his weekly “Issues in the News” Facebook program.
“This is a matter of US law enforcement handling immigration violations, not anything related to Guyana’s government,” he said, adding that those protesting in Guyana should be directing their frustrations towards the United States government, not the Guyana Government.
“It’s the US government enforcing their immigration laws, not us. They should be protesting the US government, not us,” Nandlall said, telling viewers that the detention was part of the broader US effort to crack down on immigration violations, a policy vigorously pursued since President Donald Trump’s return to office.
Nandlall said Atwell-Holder, who is also facing two civil defamation lawsuits filed by him and the Public Infrastructure Minister, Deodat Indar, had made false claims and accusations against several people.
“I have never met her, communicated with her, or interacted with her in any way. Yet she posted about me, making false claims about what I supposedly said about my colleagues in government,” Nandlall said, confirming that while he had taken legal action against Atwell for defamation, it was not to stifle her right to free speech but to seek redress for the damage to his reputation.
“It is not about freedom of speech, but rather about protecting individuals from lies, defamation, and personal attacks,” Nandlall said, adding that while he respects the right to free speech, there is a limit when it comes to false and damaging allegations.
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