Bharrat Jagdeo (23 January 1964-) was Prime Minister of Guyana from 9 to 11 August 1999 (interrupting Sam Hinds' terms) and President of Guyana from 11 August 1999 to 3 December 2011 (succeeding Janet Jagan and preceding Donald Ramotar).
Biography[]
Bharrat Jagdeo was born in Unity Village, British Guiana in 1964, the son of Hindu Indian parents. He was raised in the youth wing of the PPP/C before becoming a local leader, and he was educated in Soviet Russia during the 1980s. He worked as an economist in Guyana before becoming a member of the PPP/C's central committee in 1993. He served as Finance Minister from 1995 to 1997, as Prime Minister in 1999, and as President from 1999 to 2011, making him one of the youngest heads of state in the world at the age of 35. Jagdeo oversaw five consecutive years of strong economic growth, halved external debt, and tripled reserves, while improving access to education, housing, and transportation. In 2020, however, he was investigated for accepting bribes from Chinese businessmen; his views on Chinese investment in mining and energy projects were at odds with his pledges' to address the climate and biodiversity crises.