Posted on 12/08/2024 2:48:27 PM PST by Libloather
GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Guyana is revisiting a dark history nearly half a century after US Rev. Jim Jones and more than 900 of his followers died in the rural interior of the South American country.
It was the largest suicide-murder in recent history, and a government-backed tour operator wants to open the former commune now shrouded by lush vegetation to visitors, a proposal that is reopening old wounds, with critics saying it would disrespect victims and dig up a sordid past.
Jordan Vilchez, who grew up in California and was moved into the Peoples Temple commune at age 14, told The Associated Press in a phone interview from the US that she has mixed feelings about the tour.
She was in Guyana’s capital the day Jones ordered hundreds of his followers to drink a poisoned grape-flavored drink that was given to children first. Her two sisters and two nephews were among the victims.
“I just missed dying by one day,” she recalled.
Vilchez, 67, said Guyana has every right to profit from any plans related to Jonestown.
“Then on the other hand, I just feel like any situation where people were manipulated into their deaths should be treated with respect,” she said.
Vilchez added that she hopes the tour operator would provide context and explain why so many people went to Guyana trusting they would find a better life.
The tour would ferry visitors to the far-flung village of Port Kaituma nestled in the lush jungles of northern Guyana. It’s a trip available only by boat, helicopter or plane; rivers instead of roads connect Guyana’s interior. Once there, it’s another six miles via a rough and overgrown dirt trail to the abandoned commune and former agricultural settlement.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
,,, I hope they’ll have “drink the KoolAid” t-shirts.
Thank you I knew that from many moons ago, Jim Jones was in tight with all the Leftists in California, makes the View toads look like dish water..
If they talk to Joe Pedo, he’d probably be willing to turn it into a US NPS National Monument like he did the Japanese internment camp. Pedo Joe loves trashing America and Americans.
Cherry Kool-Aid at the snack bar, no doubt
I fear Trump will continue the war and send more aide to Zelenskyy. Maybe set up the No Fly Zone and challenge Russia to use a nuke. You become what you hate. Many other good men have been seduced by the Deep State.
London has a Jack the Ripper museum, many ys cities offer walking tours where serial killers did their deeds. Even Alcatraz is a museum. People love the macabre.
I can’t tell the joke about this because the punchline is too long.
I see what you did there.
Only if you mention one of Jones’ other big supporters, Willie Brown.
Maybe they could put in a comedy club. They have all the jokes but no punch lines.
Tourists get a glass when they visit.
SOUNDS LIKE MORE LUNATICS STILL ARE ROAMING AROUND
Heck. Just rent the 1994 series “The Stand” by Stephen King...as a bonus, you get to hear Blue Oyster Cult play “Don’t Fear The Reaper” while viewing the casualties!
“Avoid Guyana.”
Yikes! I don’t think I have ever seen a report on Guyana before. Not that I had it on any upcoming itinerary anyway, but certainly I will steer far from that perilous place at all costs.
I’m glad you escaped with your life after two years there.
The best way to avoid repeating bad history is to learn the lessons of history. I think its very helpful for people to learn and understand what went wrong with Jonestown. If this will do more to help with that then good for Guyana.
They can sell Kool-aid at the snack bar.
Wow, I didn’t know that. It sounds worse than Haiti.
But other than that, how was your stay?
I’ve been told that out of all of the former New World British colonies that got their independence (Jamaica, Belize, Trinidad, etc.), Guyana turned out to be the worst of the lot.
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