People of Portuguese descent were mainly introduced to Guyana as indentured labourers to make up for the exodus of former slaves who left the sugar plantations upon emancipation. The first groups arrived in 1835 until 1882, most having arrived by the 1860s. Most Portuguese trace their ancestry to the North Atlantic island of
Madeira, which already had a long history of sugar production, but was beset with economic depression and political issues. Those who stayed on after their indenture made up a Guyanese middle class, and were an important part of the commercial sector.
A Liberdade,
O Lusitano,
Chronica Semanal and
The Watchman. Some have advanced the idea that the Portuguese presence in
the Guianas predates 1834. Portuguese
Sephardic Jews had settled in neighbouring
Dutch Guiana in the 17th century before the Dutch arrived.
Portuguese Jewish communities also exist in
Aruba,
Barbados, and
Curaçao, some of whom had come from
Dutch Brazil. Some of the Portuguese in Guyana may have their origins in these Dutch-speaking Portuguese groups. They were known as the "Curaçao Portuguese" within the larger Portuguese community. The number of Portuguese Guyanese (4.3% of the population in 1891) has been declining constantly over the decades. Many Portuguese Guyanese have since emigrated onward Even though being of European ancestry, they are viewed as a distinct from British Europeans for their language, religion, and former-indentured status. == Notable Portuguese Guyanese==