1972 – Guyana Nationalizes Its Bauxite Industry

On May 25, 1972, Guyana, under Prime Minister Forbes Burnham, nationalized its bauxite industry—one of the nation’s most valuable natural resources. This bold move was part of a broader push for economic self-reliance and socialist transformation in the post-colonial Caribbean. By reclaiming control from foreign multinationals, primarily Canadian and American, Guyana aimed to redirect wealth toward national development. This act of economic sovereignty resonated across the Global South, inspiring similar resource reclamation efforts. May 25 became a symbolic date in Guyanese and Caribbean history, reflecting Black and brown nations’ fight to own and benefit from their land and labor. The nationalization of bauxite was also deeply tied to Pan-African and anti-imperialist ideologies of the time, reinforcing the broader theme of economic liberation. Today, it is studied as a pivotal example of resource nationalism in the Black world.