Kaieteur news

GDFyettoreachcrashsiteafter24hours

Apicture of the GDF rescue team preparing for take off to the crash site

More than 24 hours after anAir Services Limited (ASL) aircraft crashed in the rugged Region Eight jungle, rescue teamsarestillbattlingtoreachthesite,raisingconcernsasthe clockticksforthemissingpilot TheGuyanaDefenceForce (GDF)deployedaspecialforcesgroundteamonFridayshortly after aerial searches confirmed the wreckage However, treacherous mountainous terrain, dense forest, and steep escarpmentshavesignificantlyslowedprogress

AccordingtoGuyanaCivilAviationAuthorityheadEgbert Field,theaircraftappearstohavecrashedalongamountainside, complicatingaccess Despitethedelays,theGDFmaintainsthat itsteamisnowwithinvisualproximityofthesite,supported byaerialassetsincludingaBell429helicopter

TheGDFinastatementearlySaturdayassuredthatitsspecial forces members are “in close proximity of the crash site as operationscontinue” ASkyvanAircraftandtheGDF’sBell429 helicopter-equippedwithahoistandspecialisedsearchand rescuecapabilities-arebeingusedintheongoingoperations, the army said. “A ground team from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) 31 Special Forces Squadron has been successfullyinsertedintothegeneralareaandhassincereach apositionwithinvisualproximityoftheconfirmedcrashsite of the aircraft 8R-YAC”, The GDF further stated while assuring that further updates will be given as the operation progresses. The GDF noted too that the team is navigating difficultterrainandthepresenceofescarpment.

Meanwhile, the country’s opposition leader, Azruddin Mohamed has criticized GDF’s rescue efforts calling it “unfortunate and unacceptable”. In a Facebook post he wrote, “$418 billion was budgeted to the Guyana Defence Force, with access to modern aircraft and equipment, yet when it matters most, the response appears slow, disjointed, and ineffective”. He continued that “instead of deploying advanced aerial capabilities”, the GDF “search and rescue team” comprises of only a dozen GDF officers “trekking through dense forested terrain in a situation where every minutecounts”.

He described the officers as brave and thanked them for theirhardworkbutsaid,“WithhelicopterssuchastheBell407 and Bell 429 at their disposal, along with access to offshore aviation resources equipped for rapid response and extraction,thereisnoexcuseforthisdelay”.Theopposition leaderarguedthatthedelayinthemissionpointstothe“lack oftrainedpersonnelandoperationalreadiness”.

Ontheotherhand,theAviationOperators’Associationof Guyana (AOAG) assured in a press release that “all private aircraft operators are rendering full assistance to the national operation in the conduct of the search and now rescue operation”

“TheAOAGremainscloselyincommunicationandactive supportwiththeGuyanaDefenceForceandoffersitsprayers forasuccessfulandsaferescueofthepilotoftheaircraft”,the association stated The plane was reportedly being flown byaNicaraguanNationalwhenitcrashedwhileinenroute toImbaimadiafromMahdia TheGCAAhadstatedthatthe aircraft departed Madhia at 08:10hrs with one person on boardandwasduetoarriveatImbaimadaiat08:40hrs”,but itneverdid

“Itfailedtoreportarrival,promptingaflightprogresscheck at08:44hrs,”theGCAAsaidwhilenotingthat“weatherinthe areaincludedheavyrainfallandreducedvisibility”

Guyana already funding pipeline through cost recovery, country to buy 375 billion cubic feet of Gas from Exxon for 20 Years

ByDavinaBagot

Afterrelentlesslyridiculingthe former Coalition government for hiding the country’s Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with ExxonMobil, the PPP government hasdonenodifferentwhenitcomes to the contracts signed for the controversialWalesGas-to-Energy (GTE)project,thecountry’ssingle most expensive infrastructure developmentonrecord.

Although the pipeline and two gas plants alone are likely to cost this nation about US$2B- more than this country’s total national debtin2018whichwasjustaround US$1 8B- the government continues to treat the project as a personal scheme, with questions ignored, contracts concealed and costsburied.

The closely guarded contracts however spell more financial calamity for Guyana, perhaps the only justification for keeping the documentsunderlockandkey Sources close to the ongoing Wales project have revealed damning elements of the contract between ExxonMobil and the

Country Manager, Alistair Routledge all shared different perspectives on the project and its financing.

While Exxon claimed that repaymentforthepipelinewillnot commence until the project comes online, sources said that the associated expenditure is already being deducted through cost recovery.Guyanahasalsosigneda take-or-pay agreement with the company to purchase gas from Exxon Simply put, this

government wanted a Gas Supply Agreement, given the political statements of “gas being free” which are untrue. Gas production fallsunderthePSA,andproducing Gas impacts the recovery of Oil of theco-venturers,soultimatelythey arrived at a Gas Sales Agreement (GSA).”

Sources were clear that the agreement between GoG and Exxon is a commercial gas contract,andnotarepaymentofan investment.Aspartofthecontract,

the contractor During a press conference in June 2022 he told reporters,“Wellthepipelinewillbe fundedfromcostoil,andwewould have to repay that over 20 years. But the gas is free, and this is crucial; it is one of the things we were arguing for from the beginning.”

Meanwhile, Exxon’s Country Manager explained that the GoG will purchase the gas to repay the companyforitsinvestment.

“The gas that will come on

completion of the pipeline or will take effect after commissioning of theNGLandpowerplantatWales.

ALookatSECFilingsof HessandExxonMobil

AreviewofExxonMobil’s(and its partner Hess’s) official SEC filingsandregionalinvestorreports (such as the ExxonMobil Guyana Annual Reports for 2023 and 2024),thehighlyspecifictermsofa “US$55millionannualrepayment” arenotpresent.

Here is exactly what is

Government of Guyana (GoG), which contradict the assurances given by both the contractor and governmentovertheyears.

Untruthsabouttheproject?

Fed with information that can only be corroborated with the hidden agreements, government and Exxon continue to spread details about the project which multiple sources close to government indicate are far from thefact.

Former GTE Task Force Head turnedConsultanttotheMinistryof Natural Resources, Winston Brassington, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and ExxonMobil

arrangement means whether Guyana ever uses the gas or Lindsayca ever finishes Gas to Energy, ExxonMobil’s investment is secured. The contract did not specify the cost that Guyana will payfortheresources.

Citizens were told that the gas in the Stabroek Block will be free, however the secret lies in the inception of the Heads of Agreement between former ExxonMobil VP Jesus Bronchalo, nowconsultantfortheGovernment as CEO and Owner of Fulcrum LNG, and government’s consultant,WinstonBrassington.

Sources said, “Initially the

Guyanahasagreedtopurchasethe gas in the Stabroek Block from Exxon,amovewhichstakeholders question since the resources in the Stabroek Block should be the nation’sproperty

In 2023, Brassington told the world at Guyana’s International Energy Conference that the GoG will be paying Exxon US$55 million annually for 20 years to clear the costs associated with constructinga12-inchpipelinethat willbeusedtotransportnaturalgas fromtheLizaFieldsoffshoretothe Walesdevelopmentsite.

On the other hand, VP Jagdeo presented a different plan to repay

shore,inessence,thatdevelopment is just gonna pay for the pipeline cost.Nothingmore…thegasitself, we are selling the full 50 million cubic feet a day to the government oragovernmententitythatisbeing established in order to receive the gas and put it through the power station,”Routledgeexplained.

Sourceshoweverindicatedthat thisisthetruetake-or-pay,inwhich ExxonMobil is guaranteed that the GoG will pay for the gas volumes, regardless of utilization and riskfree as cost-oil becomes its recovery mechanism. It is unclear whether the gas payment agreement commenced upon

disclosed in the official filings and how the repayment is actually structured from the corporate accountingperspective: 1.Theinvestmentisconfirmed at$1Billion

In the ExxonMobil Guyana Limited Annual Report, the company explicitly confirms the capitalexpenditure:

• “ExxonMobil Guyana, Hess andCNOOCplannedinvestmentis approximately US$1 Billion to construct the 130-mile pipeline network that will transport ~50 million standard cubic feet of naturalgasdailytotheonshore

Continued on page 42

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur News

Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: DR. GLENN LALL - TEL: 624-6456

Editor-In-Chief: NIGEL WILLIAMS

Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Guyanatakenforgranted

When companies need a new beginning, they come to Guyana. When companies seek to rid themselves of their burdens,enjoyaneasygoing,helpful,environment,thereis no better place than Guyana. Newfound oil wealth that generatesmanyrichopportunities,andagovernmentthatis the best there is in welcoming those interested in easy pickings. Struggling US-based Lindsayca-CH4 is a prime example of a company that struck a rich vein of prosperity from Guyana’s oil, and a PPPC Government that is either comfortablewithitsfinancialexploitations,orisapartofits specialwaysofdoingbusiness.

Guyana’sPresidentAli,themaninchargeofanoceanof oil, flies commercial to many parts of the world to market Guyana’soil. Flyingcommercialisbelowthestandardsand dignityofthegeneralsandotherbigshotsatLindsayca-CH4. Onlyprivatejetwilldoforthepeople.That’sthiscountry’s choiceofacontractortoconstructLiquifiedNaturalGasand powergenerationplantsfortheUS$2BWalesgas-to-energy project. Bill Guyana and it will pay, since money is not a consideration, which proves that old adage: a fool and his money is soon parted. Truth be told, Linsayca-CH4 has done just that to Guyana, with the unbelievable almost commonplace:cargoisjettedintothiscountryintheluxury holds of private jets. There is a pattern to the US millions alreadybilledtoGuyana,withmorecomingtolight,thanks tothediggingofthispaper

HavingsucceededinwrestingUS$82MfromGuyana’s coffers, through the decision of a Dispute Adjudication Board, the company has plans afoot to grab another US$250MinadditionalcoststogettheWalesprojectdone. Foreigncompaniesheldoutasvibrantandtrustedoilandgas partnersbythePPPCGovernmentaretreatingthiscountry like a low harlot. Do whatever is pleasing, for there is confidencethatsuchconductcanbegottenawaywith,since there are no consequences. Behind closed doors, schemes areputforwardbyLindsayca-CH4toshakedownandgouge Guyanasomemore. Oneiscost-pluscontract,whichbinds this country to guaranteeing a stated profit amount, regardlessofwhatthefinalcostfortheWalesgas-to-energy ends up being. We are on record as calling that financial extortion, which is a polite way of summarizing what is happening.

Why is Lindsayca-CH4 preparing to tack on another US$250M to the Wales GtE project, when US$170M is needed to move closer to completion, according to project insiders? Who in Guyana, who in the PPPC Government, could be a partner, in what smells of a fix, in that extra US$80Mattached? WhywasLindsayca-CH4awardedthe contracttobuildthetwoplantsatWales,whenitshouldhave been the last bidder to succeed or, worse, not even recognized as a qualified bidder? The company’s history shouldhavebeenawarningsigntotheWalesTaskforcebid evaluators, and ruled it out as bad, if not the worse, for Guyana. In a country where extortion is quite the culture, why open the door for another layer to be introduced? Whatever the answer to these questions, Guyana is now seeminglyhelplesslystuckwithLindsayca-CH4.

Itdoesn’thavetobe,norshouldtheGuyanaGovernment maintain its silence and hands-off approach. If the PPPC Governmentdecisionmakersprefertopretendthattheydid not know before, this paper has provided a road map of all that is in play with the Wales project. This paper has published a series of articles that reveals what kind of contractor and partner Guyana has recruited in LindsaycaCH4. IfdecisionmakersinthePPPCGovernmentinsiston silence,thenwhataretheyafraidof,andwhatcouldtheybe desperately trying to coverup? PPPC Government leaders do not have the luxury of keeping their distance, given the exposures of the company’s expensive practices. If they continue to do so, the spotlight would shift to them, with concernsofwheretheystandonLindsayca-CH4,howthey aregoingtodealwiththis,andwhytheyareholdingback.

It seems that in selecting Lindsayca-CH4, the governmenthasdugyetanotherdeepholeforGuyana. This companywillgraballitcan,untilit’sstopped.

When Reality Flicks the Switch: GPL’s Renewables Turn and the Waning Shine of the Gas-to-Energy Dream

DEAREDITOR,

There’s an old saying in energy economics:youcan’ttalkyourwayout of physics, or costs. After years of political chest-thumping over the Gasto-Energy (GtE) project, Guyana’s power planners appear to have been joltedbyasoberingdoseofboth.

The latest Memorandum of Understanding between the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) and the Linden Electricity Company Inc (LECI) focused squarely on integrating renewable energy and battery storage into Linden’s grid — speaks volumes, even if the press releasedidn’tsayitoutright.

For months, the Gas-to-Energy megaproject has been pitched as the flagship solution to tame the nation’s chronic power with near challenges, definition GPL acknowledging

that independent experts flagged long ago: natural gas may be a bridge fuel, butit’snotthedestination.

The Linden partnership signals a pivot—oratleast,thebeginningofone. Utility-scalesolarphotovoltaicsystems andbatteryenergystorage—precisely the setup planned for Linden representthemostimmediate,scalable, andeconomicallyresilientstepstoward a diversified energy mix. For GPL to formalize this in a public MoU is both symbolic and strategic. It tells citizens thatevenasthegovernmentclingstoits gas narrative, the utility arm is bracing for a world where renewables will shoulder far more of the load than originallyplanned.

If the GtE project is the grand

promise that got caught in its own shadow, then GPL’s renewable drive is the counterpoint of realism — less glamorous, but grounded. The region’s energy trends are not waiting for Guyana to sort its project management woes. Across the Caribbean, solarbatteryintegrationisprovingitsworth, delivering stability to grids that once depended on erratic fuel shipments or aging diesel generators. Linden, long knownmoreforitsmininghistorythan energyinnovation,mightnowbecomea provinggroundforGuyana’spragmatic energyfuture.

The shift isn’t ideological; it’s thermodynamic and fiscal Every kilowatt-hourgeneratedfromsunlight

Continued on page 5

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox

Harbhajan speaks with a confidence that is as misplaced as it is alarming

DEAREDITOR,

T

he Ministry of Agriculturehastakennoteof statements made by Mr Gobin Harbhajan on the currentstateofGuyana’srice industry These utterances are extremely misleading, betraying either a complete lackofunderstandingofhow Guyana’s rice industry functions or a reckless willingness to mislead rice farmers for cheap political mileage.Equallytroubling is the reckless narrative being pushed by Mr Harbhajan aboutwidespreadlossesdue torainfall.

To date, no acreage has been officially reported as lost.Fieldsarebeingactively monitored by extension officers from the Guyana Rice Development Board, and any proper assessment can only be conducted after water has fully receded Having recognized Guyana’s vulnerability because of climate change and its geographic location, President Irfaan Ali successfully secured a crop insurance product for Guyana. This mechanism is in place and functioning, with 4,433 rice farmers registered to date. Earlier rainfall events have resulted infarmersalreadybenefiting from a payout, with two additional payouts pending. Whiletherewerenolossesin those instances, rainfall levels exceeded the agreed threshold, making way for payments to be made. For decades, the Government’s role has been to create an enabling environment for rice cultivation in Guyana through strategic policies, infrastructure development, research, and continuous e n g a g e m e n t w i t h stakeholders. It does not determine the price for paddy. Paddy is sold to millers,andthosemillers,in turn, sell rice on the international market where prices are dictated by global supply and demand. While Government policies and interventions can influence paddyprices,anysuggestion thattheGovernmentdirectly determines those prices is fundamentally incorrect and reflects a deliberate attempt to mislead farmers.If it has not been made clear enough in the past, it must be reiterated that Guyana is a price taker in the global rice market. Over the last two to three crops, major riceproducing and exporting

nations such as India, Vietnam, and Brazil have recorded increased production and significant stockpiles, placing downward pressure on internationalprices.Guyana, as an export-oriented riceproducing nation, is directly impacted by these global developmentsandcannotbe insulated from them Furthermore, Minister Mustaphahasbeenengaging millers at every stage of the crop to ensure farmers receivethebestprices.These engagements are still ongoing. Since returning to office in 2020, the PPP/C Government has injected billions of dollars into the rice sector to cushion farmers and strengthen production Over $3 1 billion in fertilizer support has been provided, more than $96 million in seed paddy distributed, and additional resources deployed to combat paddy bug infestations When prices fell during the first cropof2025,theGovernment intervened decisively with a $300 per bag subsidy, ensuringfarmersreceivedno less than $4,000 per bag.

This amounted to approximately$1.9billionin direct support It is this support and investment into theindustrythatsawGuyana surpass the 700,000-tonne production mark in 2024, having produced 725,282 tonnes, with rice production expected to surpass 820,000 tonnes in 2026, having produced 810,299 tonnes in 2025.

In addition to direct

financial support, the G o v e r n m e n t h a s implemented a range of measures to strengthen the industry These include the reduction and eventual removal of commissions paid to the Guyana Rice Development Board on exportedrice,thereversalof increased land rental and drainage and irrigation charges imposed by the previous administration, the provision of seed paddy and improved rice varieties, and substantial investments in paddybugcontrol,aswellas drainage and irrigation infrastructure, including dam rehabilitation and maintenance. At the same time, the Government has continued to implement practical measures to build resilience within the industry Hope-like canals are being constructed in RegionsThree,Five,andSix to improve drainage and reduce flooding Drying floors and storage facilities have been developed to enhance p

harvest handling, while farmers are beingorganizedintoclusters to better manage machinery p r o v i d e d b y t h e Government, ensuring efficiencyandsharedaccess. Investment is also ongoing in research to develop new and improved rice varieties, while extension services are being modernized to provide fa

y, technology-driven support. Farm-to-market roads are

a s e transportation challenges, and new markets are continuously being secured through government-to-

governmentarrangementsto guarantee demand for Guyana’s rice Mr Harbhajan should also familiarize himself with the current policies to improve the rice sector that are being implemented by the Government under the leadership of H.E. President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali. Through the Ministry of Agriculture, President Ali has advanced a structured diversification strategy to strengthen resilience in the riceindustry

Central to this approach is engaging farmers to convertoneacreoutofevery ten acres of rice cultivation into alternative, high-value ventures, reducing farmers’ exposure to fluctuations in a single commodity Farmers are being encouraged to explore opportunities such as cage farming for crabs, aquaculture, and expansion into other livestock and agricultural products,

alongside the cultivation of high-value crops, including coconuts, spices, cocoa, coffee, hemp, and millet.

This is being supported by investments in modern storage infrastructure, improvements in the rice

grading system, and mechanisms to stabilize pricesandmanagevolatility

At the same time, the Government is rolling out technology-drivenextension services to provide farmers with real-time access to information on weather

patterns and disease management via mobile platforms, while targeted support continues through fertilizer assistance and directfinancialinterventions

aimed at redu

productioncosts.

Mr Harbhajan speaks with a confidence that is as misplaced as it is alarming.

Such statements are designed to mislead rather than inform, and they

underminetheconfidenceof farmers who deserve accurate and responsible communication. While challenges with flooding due to prolonged rainfall and the decline in rice prices are not unique to Guyana, the PPP/C Government has responded with strong, targeted, and sustained interventions to cushion farmers and promote the long-term viabilityofthericeindustry Mr Harbhajan’s attempt to paintapictureofcollapseisa clear example of political opportunism at its worst. Guyana’s rice industry will continuetoexpand,withthe government remaining committedandresoluteinits efforts to improve the technology, invest in new varieties, upgrade drainage systems, and make more land available for cultivation.

Regards, MinistryofAgriculture

When Reality Flicks the

Frompage4 reducesthedependencyonimportedorflared gas, cuts line losses linked to fuel transport, and evades the currency risks embedded in fuel-based generation. Every battery bank deployedbringsresilience—somethingthat the GtE project’s delayed power lines can’t yet deliver In truth, what’s happening isn’t abandonmentofthegasdream,butthedawn of energy realism. GPL’s move may be less about public posturing and more about quiet

Switch...

adaptation — a tacit admission that the real energyrevolutionwon’tbeinboastingabout megaprojects, but in distributing smaller, smartersourcesoflightacrossthecountry Guyana’s leaders may still be selling the storyofgasasprogress,butdowninthefield, the engineers and managers appear to be writingadifferentscript—onepowerednot byrhetoric,butsunlight.

Respectfully, HemduttKumar

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox

The President is fulfilling his mandate

DEAREDITOR,

In recent days, public discourse has been momentarily diverted by commentarysurroundingthe personal accessories of the Head of State specifically, a watch he wears and its allegedvalue.

T h e s e r e m a r k s , amplified through partisan social media platforms and echoedbyfigureswithinthe parliamentary opposition, attempt to construct a narrative of impropriety based on speculation rather than substantiated evidence. Such engagements are not

only, juvenile and intellectually thin but ultimately distract from the very important and

substantive national conversations that Guyana both deserves and urgently requires.

At its core, this infantile line of attack reflects a troubling deficiency in the quality of the majority

political opposition Allegations of corruption, particularly in a modern democratic state, must be

anchored in verifiable facts, credibledocumentation,and pursued through appropriate institutionalchannels. To do otherwise is to reduce serious governance issues to conjecture and spectacle. It is, therefore, bothironic,absorbandmost concerning when such claimsemergefromquarters that themselves have faced credible scrutiny on matters of integrity at the international level This contradiction weakens not only the argument being made but also the moral authorityofthoseadvancing it.

Ourcountrytodaystands at a pivotal juncture in its soon-to-be 60th year of independent history The country is experiencing a period of accelerated t r a n

y, and socially Acrosssectorssuch as energy, housing, healthcare, education, and publicworks,thereisvisible and measurable progress This trajectory is not

accidental; it is the result of deliberate policy direction, coordinatedgovernance,and aleadershipapproachbythe President and his team that has prioritized both national development and citizen engagement.

The President has distinguished himself not merely through policy execution but through his accessibility, humility, and grounded connection to the people.

In contrast to more distant leadership styles of the not so distant past, his approach has been defined by visibility, simplicity, and aconsistentpresenceamong ordinary citizens. This c o m b i n a t i o n o f administrative action and personal relatability has contributed to a renewed sense of national optimism andconfidence.Itis,inmany respects, a rare convergence of effective governance and authenticleadership. However, the strength of any democracy is not determined solely by the performance of its

government but equally by the caliber of its opposition. A functional opposition is not an adversary for its own sake; it is an essential pillar o f d e m o c r a t i c accountability Its role is to scrutinize, to challenge, and mostimportantlytopropose. It must elevate national discourse by offering alternative policies, innovative solutions, and constructive criticism grounded in evidence and expertise.

WhatGuyanarequiresat this stage is an opposition thatengagesthegovernment on matters of substance: What are the alternative strategies for improving education outcomes? How should healthcare delivery be strengthened and expanded? What innovative housing models can be introduced for low- and middle-income families? How will the youth be meaningfullyintegratedinto the evolving economy? What reforms are necessary within the mining and agriculturalsectorstoensure sustainability, greater improvement and equity? And critically, what is the opposition’s comprehensive

vision for the national economy in an era of unprecedentedopportunity?

These are the questions that matter These are the issues that impact the daily lives of citizens. And these are the areas where a credible, a sensible opposition can make a meaningful contribution to nationaldevelopment.

Instead, we have an

trivialities personal attacks, speculative claims, and performativeoutragesignals a retreat from responsibility. Itsuggestsapoliticalposture more concerned with optics

aggrandisement and selfpreservation than public service. This is not only inadequate; it is a disservice to the electorate and to the democraticprocessitself.

If there are legitimate c

Ultimately, Guyana’s progresscannotbesustained bygovernmentactionalone. It requires a mature, disciplined, and forwardthinkingopposition,onethat recognizes its duty not merely to oppose, but to contribute The time has come for a shift in posture: fromrhetorictopolicy,from accusation to articulation, fromspectacletosubstance.

The President, by all visiblemeasures,isfulfilling the mandate entrusted to him, driving development, engaging citizens, and positioning Guyana for a future of expanded opportunity It is now incumbent upon the oppositiontorisetothesame standard of seriousness and purpose Democracy demandsnoless.

Its time to man up and stop winning about insignificant things like a watchandsuchlike.

Yoursrespectfully, Jermaine Figueira Former Member of Parliament

governance,theConstitution provides clear mechanisms forredress.Evidenceshould be presented before the courts, investigations pursued through established institutions, and arguments made within the framework of law and due process. Anything less undermines both the credibility of the claimandtheintegrityofthe system.

Ganjaseizedin

Mahdia,noarrestsyet

The plastic bag containing the suspected cannabis, weighing approximately 100 grammes.

Policeareinvestigatingthediscoveryof a quantity of suspected cannabis found during an operation at Mahdia Arcade, Region Eight, on Friday, April 10, 2026, between09:00hrsand10:50hrs.

According to a statement from the police, ranks carried out searches in and around the Mahdia Arcade when they discovered a bulky black plastic bag

concealedinanabandonedareabeneathold woodandplastic. The bag contained leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis The suspectednarcoticwastakentotheMahdia Police Station, where it was weighed and amountedto100gramsbeforebeinglodged. No arrests have been made, and investigationsareongoing,policesaid.

Nortonrejects foreigndeportees

…saysGuyanamustnotimportcrime

Chairman of the A Partnership for National Unity(APNU)andleaderof the PNCR - Aubrey Norton hasfirmlyrejectedanymove forGuyanatoacceptforeign criminal deportees, warning that the country is already strugglingtomanageitsown crimechallenges.

Speaking at a APNU’s weeklypressconferencelast Friday, Norton stressed that while Guyana has an obligation to accept its own nationals, bringing in nonGuyanese offenders is “unacceptable” and against the country’s best interests. He argued that the nation lacks the capacity, systems, and rehabilitation structures to manage such individuals effectively

Calling it unacceptable he went on to say that the country is unprepared for this and as a small developing state the costs outweighs the benefits Additionally, he does not feel it would be a sensible move, as when the justice systemislookedat,whilethe government continues to speak about reformation thereisnonehappening.

“This constitutes to an added danger, as once the deporteesdowhatevertimes is needed, when they are released they can very well cause problems for the country.” Nortonsaidwhile itisacknowledgedthatthere is a human resource shortage, and shortages in other aspects in the economy, there is no programme to ensure that persons will be screened for the skills needed and regularised.

He stressed that the government, “…seem only willing to concede to the U.S. and whatever the U.S. wants. “That is dangerous because and like I’ve said before we are not antiUnited States, we are pro-

Guyanese. We believe our interestmustcomefirst,and itcannotbeinourinterestfor us to take deportees from anothercountryinGuyana.” Norton previously had called on the government to halt all discussions with the United States (U S ) regarding the acceptance of third-country nationals. He said then that Guyana’s oil wealth must be managed prudently, warning that current geopolitical developments in Latin America and the Caribbean could further strain the country’seconomy

Back in January Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud said Guyana is in talks with the U.S. to accept thirdcountry nationals. Persaud also confirmed that the government is engaged in consultations with the U.S. on an arrangement to facilitate the transfer of third-countrynationals.

“Specific details and operating procedures includingtheresponsibilities ofthesendingandreceiving parties are still being discussed both bilaterally andinternally,toensurethat the ar

l compliance of international legal obligations and nationallawsandpoliciesof Guyana,” Persaud had stated.

He also noted that the U.S.isastrategicpartnerfor Guyana and that the two countries will continue to work closely to strengthen bilateral relations through increased cooperation in areas such as security, defence, migration, trade, investment and energy However,Persaudnotedthat because consultations are ongoing between the two countries,itisnotpossibleat this time to provide specific details on the third-country nationals.

The rebirth of David Granger’s vision

There is something small-minded and, frankly, wastefulaboutagovernment that spends more time tearing down the ideas of its predecessors than building onwhatactuallyworks.

InGuyana,thishabithas become all too familiar

Instead of treating developmentasacontinuous national effort, we see a troubling pattern where initiatives are judged not by theirvaluetocitizens,butby which political party introducedthem.

The result? Good ideas are abandoned, public money is wasted, and ordinary people, especially children,paytheprice.Take the “3B” initiative of David Granger Buses, Boats, and Bicycles Whatever one’s political loyalties, it is hard to deny the basic sense behind it. Many children in Guyana,particularlyinrural and riverine communities, face long and difficult journeys to get to school. Transportation is not a luxury in these areas. It is a necessity The David Granger administration recognized this reality and tookstepstoaddressit.

Under that initiative, at least 30 school buses were acquired, largely through donations This meant taxpayers did not have to bear the burden of purchasingthevehicles.The recurrent costs fuel and drivers—were managed at

the regional level, a modest investment for a service that helped children attend schoolregularlyandsafely Y e t w h e n t h e government changed in 2020, so did the attitude towards the initiative Instead of maintaining and expanding the programme, many of these buses were simply abandoned A practical, beneficial initiative was left to decay Not because it failed, but becauseofwhostartedit. Now, in an almost ironic twist, the same petty PPPC government has had to reintroduce school buses in two regions This quiet reversalspeaksvolumes.Itis anadmission,whetherstated or not, that the original idea of David Granger had considerable merit. But why dismantleitinthefirstplace, only to rebuild it later? That is not governance; that is political pettiness at the public’sexpense. Even more frustrating is the missed opportunity. Rather than doling out the Because WeCarecashgrant to both rich and poor, multimillionaires and paupers alike, the government could have invested more directly in services like free school transportation. The Because We Care Cash Grant is inequitable David Granger’s3Bsinitiativewas targeted. It targeted those whoneededtransportationto

Dem Boys Seh...

get to and from school – a major challenge for many families.

In many parts of the country, especially in the countryside, children must travel miles to attend secondary school Transportation costs and availability can determine whether a child attends regularly or falls behind. Expandinga nationalschool bus programme, possibly managed in part by ParentTeacherAssociations,would have been a more targeted andlastingsolution.Itwould notonlyimproveattendance but also ease the burden on families in a meaningful way Moreover,anationwide schooltransportationsystem could reduce the number of private vehicles on the road, easingtrafficcongestionand improvingsafety Thisisnot just about education; it is about smarter planning overall.

Instead of expanding Granger’s 3Bs initiative, the PPPC government left most ofthebusestobeabandoned. The same pattern of neglect can be seen in the case of the Durban Park Development Project Whatevercriticismsonemay have had about its construction, the fact remains that it exists. It is a public asset. Yet instead of maintainingandrepurposing it for community benefit, it has largely been left to deteriorate.

Guyana tek win when it comes to littering

Dem boys seh Georgetown gat a new official name: Garbage City No need fuh ceremonyorribboncutting.Justwalkdown any street after a lil rain and yuh go see the grandunveiling.

But leh we nah fool weself. Is not only Georgetown catching this title. The whole coastlandquietlyapplyingfuhmembership. Dem boys seh every village got dem trusty side-line dam—the canal that supposed to carry water, not people whole life history

Butinsteadofwaterflowingnice-nice,isold fridge, broken chair, rust-up drum and mattress floating like dem got permanent residency If archaeologist ever dig up dem canal, dem gon think we worship appliances. When some people seh “taking out the garbage,” what dem really mean is “findadam,trench,roadside,orquietcorner and dash it.” No ceremony, no shame, no conscience. Plastic bottle? Throw it. Old stove? Throw it. Whole living room set? Whynot—launchit.

Down by the seawall, is another story SomefolkstreatingtheAtlanticOceanlikeit is a giant garbage bin with waves to carry awayevidence.Demboyssehifthefishstart protesting, nobody should be surprised.

The stands at Durban Park, for example, could have been relocated to community grounds across the country—areas that are in desperate need of proper seating for sports and recreationalevents.

Instead, the facility has been allowed to decay, almostasifneglectitselfisa political strategy Let it fall apart, and then point to it as evidenceofpastfailure.That may score points in partisan debates, but it does nothing for the people who could have benefited from its use. Now there is talk of turning the area into a museum and art gallery While cultural institutions are important, this proposal raises serious concerns.DurbanParkisone of the few remaining green s

Georgetown, an area with a densepopulationandlimited recreational options Converting it into a built-up facility would take away a valuable open space that families and communities need.

Even the tide looking confused, bringing backhalfthethingspeoplethrowawaylike itsaying,“nah,thisisyours.”

And then we got the roadside exhibitions.Garbagepileuplikemodernart installation Alleyways does turn into obstacle course You walking and wonderingifyouindumpsite.

Now everybody quick fuh blame drainage. “The trench ain’t running!” dem cry But dem boys seh how water gon run whenitgottofightthroughsofa,fridgeand twobicycleframe?Drainageain’tmagician. Itcan’tdisappeargarbageliketrick.

Truthissimple,evenifitbitter:Guyana problem ain’t just drainage. It is the nasty habit of treating every open space like dumping ground. Until people stop this “throw it anywhere” lifestyle, no pump, no canal,nobigprojectgonsavewe.

Dem boys noticing that some of the foreign immigrants joining the littering bandwagon Dem drinking dem better outside dem supermarket and dumping de bottleinthegutter.Demboyssehistimefuh clean up more than trench. We got to clean upweself.

Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

Good ideas should be recognized, refined, and expanded—no matter their origin.When politics gets in the way of practicality, it is thenationthatloses.Guyana deserves better than this cycle of discard and rediscovery It deserves leadership that puts people beforeprideandprogress.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

A more sensible approach would be to preserve Durban Park for recreational use and locate any new museum or gallery in the northern part of the c i t y, w h e r e s u c h developments may be more appropriate. Urban planning s h o u l d p r i o r i t i z e balance ensuring that cultural, recreational, and environmental needs are all met.At its core, this issue is not about one party versus another It is about maturity in governance. A country cannot move forward if every new administration feels compelled to erase what came before. Progress is built step by step, not by constantlystartingover

Lindsayca-CH4: What the hell

Itissaidthathindsightis perfect vision. Given what Guyaneseknownow,whyis Lindsayca-CH4inGuyana?

Thiscompanyshouldnot be here to help a blind man walk across the road. He would still be blind on reachingtheothersideofthe road,butitwouldtakesome time to discover what he is missing.

This is my concern, my bone of contention about, this grand presence in Guyana called LindsaycaCH4 that is really not grand at all, but merely a phantom relative to visions, to expectations,reitsabilityto

deliver

Everything that could be wrong, with a blinding, screaming siren against an entity such as LindsaycaCH4 being here were at full blast, and yet, it is here and involvedinconstructingtwo plants to get the Wales gasto-energyprojectworking. How come? How in God’s name? Forget God, leaveGodoutofthiskindof slack,slushy,businesssetup. What happened to the vaunted Wales Energy Taskforce? Okay, so, it lost itssenseofsight. Butdidits members and leader, lose their sense of smell (the

odors) and their sense of balance and direction (what had/was, happening), like airline pilots trapped in a timewarp?

Indeed, hindsight is 20/20, an optometrist’s worstnightmareconsidering theimpactsonbusiness. But what kind of business went on in the reviewing and analyzing of LindsaycaCH4’spackageforwardedto supportitsbidtobuilda300MWpower generation plant andanaturalgasconversion plantatWales?

No one could be so obtuse, so handicapped, so uselesstothiscountryandits peoples, that an entity with the shoddy and slippery background of LindsaycaCH4 could have marched past. It is obvious (to me) that the screeners had scales coveringtheireyes,forlook at the quality of the scrutiny that the Guyanese people got?

Oh, it is now going to cost them more. A US$82 million arbitration loss by this country is a big dent. But, based on Lindsayca-

CH4’s dogeared, fleainfested, credentials, this countryisinformorelosses thanitknows.

So, what did the Wales Taskforce know about LIndsayca-CH4, or didn’t caretoknow? Andwhenthe Taskforce did know, why didn’t it do anything with what should have given a polite push to LindsaycaCH4’sbehindthattumbledit straightoutthedoor? Imust ask the question, given hindsight: was LindsaycaCH4 part of a fix, another sharp, enriching, PPP Govt scheme?

A partnership that pulls the wool over the eyes of Guyanese, with picking of their pockets resulting? What else is there left to think, when the track record of the PPP Govt. itself is so riddledwithsleaziness?

TheWalesTaskforcehas competentpeople,nomatter how marginal, no matter howmanymassivemistakes they have made in the past. Theycouldn’thavebeenthat incompetent,sosuperlaxon a review job that didn’t

require too much intellectual power, noranybigexpertise.

If what LindsaycaCH4 did in Venezuela to Gazprom was missed (or glossed over, given a wink), there was Columbia and its hard, bitter, experience with thesameLindsayca-CH4.

With the Wales project, all of US$2 billion and counting,andtheheatthatit attracted on Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo’s head, the t’s had to be crossed, the i’s dotted,thendoublechecked.

TheTaskforce’smindset, its burning ambition, had to havebeenthis:thesereviews for these two parts of the project cannot be mucked up, or there will be hell to pay. If only to give some value to the Guyanese people for their US$759 million now seemingly in jeopardy I said forget God before; now I say forget aboutGuyanese.

TheWalesTaskforcehad to think and build their a n a l y s i s a n d recommendations to make the project mastermind and

project champion, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, look good, by doing what was good for him. Perhaps,theTaskforce did,onlyGuyanesehaveyet toperceiveinwhatformthat beautycametolife.

In hindsight, a first year UGstudentwouldhavedone better in examining and delivering a true bill on L i n d s a y c a - C H 4 Everything that could be wrong about the record of a companywaswrong,andby the wheelbarrow. Just ask t h e Ve n e z u e l a n s , Columbians, andAmericans at the US Dept. of Treasury. Now, here Guyanese find themselves weighing what really went on, and how muchmoretheycanabsorb.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCIES!

In case you haven’t heard, please be informed that as part of our continued effort to channel positive changes in our country, our publisher, Mr. Glenn Lall, has dedicated our Page Seven to be “BLUNT” about on-going indecencies in our land that should matter, not only to us at this publication, but the entire nation.

MONDAY – APRIL 06, 2026

Guyana too must rise

On this Easter Monday, as kites rise over Guyana’s skies, we are reminded of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a triumph of hope over despair,life over death.

The soaring kite becomes more than tradition; it is a symbol of a people yearning to lift above burdens that weigh heavily upon us.Today,our nation faces harsh realities: an oppressive Exxon contract, a crushing cost of living, corruption and the daily tragedy of lives lost on our roads T hese are not just headlines they are wounds in the body of our society.

Yet Easter calls us to rise As Christ rose,so too must we We must demand integrity, pursue justice, and rebuild with courage and faith.

Let our kites not only dance in the wind, but remind us that Guyana, too, m u s t r i s e We c a n n o t i g n o re mismanagement that erodes trust daily

TUESDAY – APRIL 07, 2026

Cheaper bids rejected I n G u y a n a , t h e p a t t e r n i s becoming painfully familiar:cheaper bids appear, and somehow, they va n i s h i n t o t h e g raveya rd o f “rejections,” while the costlier option survives and thrives.

The latest revelation—published by this newspaper on Monday that three lower Chinese bids were tossed aside for the Wales gas project raises more questions than answers. On what grounds were these bids dismissed? Who benefits from the

higher price tag?

The administration of Irfaan Ali and Bharrat Jagdeo owes this nation clarity, not convenience At over US$2B and counting, this project is no small undertaking;it is a generational burden Transparency cannot be promised tomorrow, it must be delivered today When taxpayers are forced to pay more, silence is not governance;it is complicity

FRIDAY – APRIL 10, 2026

The GtE gamble

The questions surrounding the award of a US$759 million contract to Lindsayca-CH4 demand urgent, t ra n s p a re n t a n s we r s . W h e n a company with a troubled track record is entrusted with critical components of Guyana’s flagship gas-to-energy project, scrutiny is not optional—it is essential.

This is not merely about one contractor; it is about governance, due diligence, and accountability

T h e Wa l e s p ro j e c t p ro m i s e s affordable, reliable power, yet rising costs, delays, and secrecy threaten to undermine that vision.

Public trust erodes when key decisions appear opaque and riskladen. Guyanese deserve clarity on how such a firm was approved, and whether proper safeguards were applied. If this project is to succeed, the gover nment must replace s e c re c y w i t h o p e n n e s s , a n d defensiveness with accountability

O t h e r w i s e, wh a t s h o u l d b e a transformative national investment r isks becoming an expensive cautionary tale

overWaterStreetproperty

The Mayor and City Councilhasmoved to the Courts seeking an injunction against the Government of Guyana, over the City Constabulary Training Complex at Water Street.

Mayor of Georgetown Alfred Mentore made the disclosure during Friday’s presconferencehostedbythe A Partnership for National Unity(APNU).

Providing insight on the legalsubmissiontothemedia hesaidthat,thecouncil’smain argument on the matter is to address the trespass, and the government’sattemptstotake over the asset, owned by the CityCouncil.

“So, we’ve moved for injunctive relief, to ask the court to ask them for themtograntusthenecessary relief. So that we could have back our property and so that we could be able to have

access and be able to determinewhatisthebestuse for that property So, the injunctivereliefinitself,we’ll be praying to the court to remove government from the property,”hesaid.

Mentore went on to explainthattheCouncilisalso hoping that the security firm Roshan Khan Security Services, who has been providing guard services can also be removed, and the AttorneyGeneralbacksoffof the matter, since the property

will remain in the City’s possession.

He clarified, “Well yes firstly we’ll have to get the injunctiverelief.So,whenthe injunctive relief is hopefully granted by the courts, taking into consideration the facts that was presented by our attorneyinthesematters,they could then look at how else they want to continue in the pursuit of dealing with this matter. But as it stands the position is we are moving for injunctive relief to remove those persons that happen to be there and to gain back the accesstoourproperty.”

Mentore stressed that the Councildoesnotwantatugof war, hence it is asking the courtstodealwiththematters, and allow good sense to prevail.

“One who alleges must prove, and if one is claiming ownership of a property then the title must be provided What we are saying is, that is oursandisthepropertyofthe Mayor and City Council and we have provided whatever titletowardsthisproperty,and that is what will be the contention. So, our attorneys will be relying on such evidence, relying on such factstobeabletoprovidethat evidence to the court, and to eraseanydoubtsasitrelatesto who owns the property and who it concerns,” the mayor added.

On March 28 this

publication reported the dramatic standoff between city officials and members of theGuyanaPoliceForceatthe property

Thetensescenedeveloped afterCouncilorClaytonHinds attempted to enter the facility but was stopped by officers stationed at the entrance. A “no trespassing” sign had been erected, and police maintainedafirmpositionthat no one would be allowed inside.

Mentore later arrived on the day and questioned the authority under which the restriction was imposed, insisting that the property belongstothecouncilandthat no approval had been granted forsuchaction.

His attempts to get answersfromtheofficerswere unsuccessful. A senior police officialonsitestatedonlythat he was acting on “directives from above,” refusing to identify who issued the orders.Hemaintainedthatthe sign would remain in place and access would continue to bedenied.

Mentore had condemned what he described as an alarmingabuseofstatepower “I just want people to understand the nature of the government that we’re dealing with… This bullyism that is in the school, is the same bullyism that is there nationally,” the mayor said then.

Walking backwards into the future:

How newspapers can survive the AI shock

ByAnthonyPaul (Chairman of the Lloyd Best Institute of the Caribbean)

There is a small but telling detail on the website of theTrinidad Express. Many of its online stories include a voice transcription add-on. You can press a button and listen insteadofread.Butitisbarelyadvertised. That quiet feature may point to the industry’sfuture.

At the very moment newspapers are fightingforsurvival,theyaresittingontools thatcouldhelpthemadapt-ifonlytheywould leanintothem.Thelessonisnotnew Itisthe lessonofmajorretailersSearsandAmazonin theUSA.

ARegionalWarning,

NotanIsolatedEvent

Wesley Gibbings made that point from a Caribbean angle in his Trinidad Guardian article on February 18th, 2o26: “Caribbean media reckoning”. Recent media closures across the English-speaking Caribbean, he argued, are not random business accidents. They expose deep vulnerabilities in an industry that has been under strain for years, first from mechanisation, then from digitalisation, and now from artificial intelligence.Healsomadeaharderpoint:old media are not the only casualties. Even digital-first ventures have struggled to build sustainableprofessionaljournalismonline.

Thatisasignificantobservation.Itmeans the problem is larger than printing presses, newsprintcosts,ornostalgiaforthemorning paper The crisis is structural. Algorithmic distribution rewards speed, sensation, controversy, and endless scrolling. Balanced coverage, editorial judgment, and professional standards often travel more slowly Meanwhile, the same digital environmentiscrowdedwithfakenewssites, trolls, bots, propaganda, andAI-manipulated contentthatcanbehardertodetectthanever Gibbings also points to something else that deserves emphasis: legacy media still serveasprotectorsofthepublicinterest.That role becomes more important, not less, in an age when trust is scarce and information is cheap. The question, then, is not whether newspapersstillmatter Itiswhethertheycan redesign themselves quickly enough to survivelongenoughtokeepmattering.

TheSearsMistake

WhenAmazon was rising, Sears already possessed much of what made Amazon powerful: vast supplier relationships, warehousingcapacity,distributionnetworks, a trusted national catalogue, and decades of customerdata.

What Sears lacked was not assets - it lackedtechnologicalimagination.

It failed to invest meaningfully in ecommerceinfrastructureanddigitallogistics. Ittreatedtheinternetasanadd-onratherthan a reinvention.Amazon, meanwhile, built the technology layer that sat atop the same fundamentals Sears had mastered Eventually, Amazon acquired many of the operationalelementsSearsoncedominated.

Thenewspaperindustrytodaystandsina similarposition.

Newspapersstillpossessreportingtalent, credibility and brand recognition, investigative capability, editorial judgment, andinstitutionalmemory

Whattheylack-atscale-istechnological reinvention.

TheAudienceDidNotDisappear

Thedemandfornewshasnotcollapsed.If

anything,ithasintensified.

Peopleareconsumingenormousvolumes ofcontent.Theysimplyaccessitdifferently: through short-form video, podcasts, livestreams,andalgorithm-drivenfeeds.

Socialmediaplatformsdistributecontent at unprecedented speed - but they depend on content created elsewhere. Newspapers are stillamongtheprimaryoriginatorsofverified reporting.

Yetaudiencesincreasinglydonotwantto read.Theywanttolisten.Orwatch.

Thisiswherethatsmall,under-advertised voicefeaturebecomessymbolic.

Ifreadersarescrollingonmobiledevices during commutes, workouts, or late at night, the friction of reading long-form text becomes a barrier.Audio eliminates friction. Videoeliminatesevenmore.

TheDeepfakeParadox

Consider Yanis Varoufakis, one of the most frequently deep-faked public figures online. In a widely viewed interview on YouTube, he recounts how convincingly realisticsyntheticvideosofhimcirculate-so realisticthatinoneinstanceitreportedlytook him nearly two minutes to realise the video wasnotauthentic.

Thisisalarming.

Butitisalsorevealing.

If synthetic audio and video are now so sophisticated that even the subject struggles todetectfabrication,thenthetechnologyhas crossedathreshold.Itisbroadcast-quality.It holds attention. It mimics cadence, accent, personality,andfacialmicro-expression.

Thedangerisobvious:misinformationat scale.

But the opportunity is equally obvious: distributionatscale.

UsingtheTechnologyinReverse Newspapers could useAI not to deceive, buttoamplifytruth.

Imagine every written story instantly available in natural, human-sounding audio; thesamestoryrenderedasshort,high-quality animatedvideo;visualsgeneratedtoillustrate complexnarratives;andmultiplevoicestyles tailoredtodifferentaudiencesegments.

A single investigative piece could be delivered as a long-form read for traditional audiences,athree-minuteanimatedexplainer for social media, a podcast segment, and a short-form vertical video optimised for mobilefeeds.

The content remains identical in substance.Thedeliverychanges.

Thisiswhatitmeanstowalkbackwards.

Insteadofaskingaudiencestocomeback to the newspaper format, newspapers go to whereaudiencesalreadyare.

ProofThatAdaptationWorks

MajorpublicationssuchasTheNewYork Timeshavebuiltsignificantpodcastaudiences, turningaudiojournalismintoarevenuestream The Guardian of the UK has expanded multimedia storytelling to strengthen global digital reach. The Washington Post has invested heavily in video and interactive storytelling to capture younger audiences Broadcasters like the BBC convert written reportingintomultimediaformatsrapidlyand systematically

Theseinstitutionstreatwrittenjournalism as the core intellectual property - then multiplyitsformats.

The intellectual capital is created once. Thedistributionlayerisdiversified. ThatisthetechnologicalpivotSearsnever made.

Continued on page 14

How newspapers can survive the AI...

Frompage13

TheEconomicsofFree Audiences increasingly expect free access. Social platforms trained them that way

The sustainable model maynotbepaywallsalone.It may include tiered access, sponsored multimedia formats, audio and video

tis

ng, branded investigative partnerships, and licensing of AI-driven contentdistributiontools.

Newspapers cannot outcompete social media in

credibility

Andcredibility,inanage of misinformation, becomes apremiumasset.

TheCompetitive Advantage:Trust

As misinformation proliferates, attention is abundantbuttrustisscarce.

If AI can generate persuasive synthetic personalities, the institution behindthemessagebecomes even more critical The b r a n d g u a r a n t e e s authenticity

In a world of deepfakes, verifiedjournalismbecomes more-notless-valuable.

But it must travel in the formatspeopleconsume.

TheWiderThreat Technology, however, is only part of the challenge. Gibbingsisrighttowarnthat media viability is also shaped by the wider environment:legalpressure, regulatory design, cyber laws, strategic litigation, partisan commercial interests, international platform power, and what some in the press freedom world call media capture. These forces can weaken journalism even before the marketfinishesthejob.

That is why survival cannot mean chasing clicks atanycost.Newspapersthat abandonstandardstoimitate the worst of the algorithmic marketplace may buy time, but they surrender the very thing that makes them defensible The strategic taskisharder:preservetrust, while modernising distribution.

TheWalmartParallel Sears faded. But Walmartadapted.Itinvested aggressivelyine-commerce, logistics technology, and omnichannel distribution. It did not abandon physical stores - it integrated them withdigitalsystems.

Newspapers can do the same: keep the newsroom,

keep investigative depth, keepeditorialstandards,and addAI-powereddistribution layers.

The newsroom becomes the content engine Technology becomes the multiplier

AnimatetheNarrative AI can now generate lifelike voices, animate still images, create synthetic anchors, and translate content across languages instantly

Rather than fear this shift,newspaperscanleadit. They can clearly label AIgenerated visuals, maintain transparency, establish ethical standards, and become trusted authorities onsyntheticmediaitself.

The same technology that spreads misinformation can carry verified reporting fartherthaneverbefore.

ANarrowWindow

If newspapers wait, platforms will absorb the distribution function entirely Social media companies will use AI to summarise, narrate, and repackage news without compensating the original reportinginstitutions.

Ifnewspapersmovefirst, they control the narrative layer

The question is not whether AI will reshape storytelling.Italreadyis.

The question is whether newspaperswilltreatAIasa side feature - or as the foundation of a new distributionstrategy

TheNewspaperThat WalksBackwardsWins Walking backwards means starting with how audiences consume content, designing distribution first, adaptingformattoplatform, and preserving substance at thecore.

Demandfornewshasnot disappeared It has fragmented.

The newspaper that learns to convert every paragraph into audio, video, animation, and platformnative storytelling will not vanish.Itwillmultiply

The opportunity is not extinction.Itisreinvention.

Reference

Wesley Gibbings, ‘ C a r i b b e a n m e d i a reckoning, ’ Trinidad Guardian,18February2026. Incorporated here as a regional framing source on m e d i a c l o s u r e s , sustainability pressures, and the public-interest role of legacyjournalism.

Caribbeanunitestofixprisonintake,breakcrimecycle

Caribbean prison officials are moving to modernise how inmates are assessed and rehabilitated, signalling a shift toward smarter, fairer justice systems. Through collaborationwiththeUNDP’sPACEJustice projectandELPACCTO2.0,representatives from 13 countries met in Barbados to overhaulprisonintake—thecriticalfirststep whenindividualsentercustody

InastatementonThursdayUNDPsaidthat theofficialsmetinBridgetownBarbadosfrom March 25-27 this year for a workshop spanningthreedays HeldattheLloydErskine Sandiford Centre it brought together representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago,TheBahamas,Grenada,SaintVincent andtheGrenadines,JamaicaandSuriname

“Thefocusofthetrainingwasimproving prisonintakeandassessmentprocesses–the

firststepstakenwhenapersonenterscustody

Getting these steps right helps authorities understand an individual’s risks and needs early,makebetterdecisionsaboutdetentionor alternatives,reduceadministrativedelays,and support pathways to rehabilitation from the start Strong intake systems also help reduce overcrowding and unnecessary pre-trial detention,”thestatementsaid

“Aproperintakeassessmentprocesscan significantly improve a prisoner’s experience within the facility and, ultimately, their reintegration into society

In short, it can help break the cycle of crime,”saidVanessaUntiedt,PACEJustice ProjectSpecialist,UNDP

Angela Dixon Director of the Barbados Probation Service and President of the Caribbean Association of Probation and Parole, highlighted the importance of probation services She noted that probation

plays a key role when understanding the backgrounds, risks, and community connections of individuals These aspects are importantforinformeddecision-making

“Probation’s defining value is continuity ofknowledgeabouttheindividual.Noother servicecarriesthesamedepthofpre-existing relationship, community intelligence, and riskhistory,”Dixonadded.

EL PACCTO 2.0’s Field Officer for the Caribbean, Luuk Bruijn, emphasized the value of regional cooperation “The development of a standard procedure for intakeassessmentinprisonsallowsforlocal adaptations to a regionally agreed framework,takingintoaccountbestpractices and expertise from across the Caribbean, ultimately strengthening the overall managementofpenitentiarysystems.”

By the conclusion of the workshop, all participants agreed on a shared regional

framework for prison intake and assessment, which is to be supported by country specific approaches This marks an important step toward more consistent, fair and effective practicesacrosstheregion Thenextphasewill focusonturningthisframeworkintopractical Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that canbeusedbyprisonandprobationstaff

There are also work plans to explore a simple digital tool, which will support intake processes, improve the way records are kept currentlyandstrengtheninformationsharing Additionally,specialemphasiswillbeplaced on the improvement of coordination with probation and parole services that will be supporting evidence-based decisions This activity ensures that PACE Justice project continuestosupportfair,effectiveandhuman rights–based correctional systems across the Caribbean,recognisingthatsaferprisonshelp buildsafercommunities

Park to transform National Stadium for Play Land 2026

transform National Stadium for Land 2026

Organisers promise an unforgettable experience for children of all ages

'I kept trying until I finally won'

Miss Bartica Regatta Queen

Bailey Nazeema

Hailing from the community of Angoy's Avenue in Berbice, is the gorgeous Nazeema Britney Bailey Nazeema recently copped 2nd runner-up prize of the 2026 Miss Guyana Teen with a Purpose Pageant. This week's belle is a young entrepreneur with a passion for drawing and painting and pageantry. Nazeema is the owner of three businesses: Brits Onlineshopping, Quiet Crown's Junk Case, and Brits Blooms (ribbon rose bouquets). As a student at Berbice Educational Institute Nazeema is an aspiring accountant who firmly believes in the popular motivational phrase, “Quitter is never a winner and a winner is not a quitter.”

The Cost of Netanyahu’s Wars

BySirRonaldSanders

When the two-week ceasefire betweentheUnitedStatesand Iran was announced on 7th April, 2026, the immediate reaction across muchoftheworldwasrelief.By8 April,that th reliefwasreflectedinasharpfallinoilprices after weeks in which conflict had shaken energy markets, threatened Gulf States, and unsettledthewiderglobaleconomy Markets movedquickly,buttheywereonlyregistering a deeper reality People everywhere prefer peace to war, stability to fear, and developmenttodestruction.

Thatinstincthasbeenplainlyatoddswith the conduct of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, whose political coursehasbeenoneofwideningconflict,not containingit.

It is important to recognise, that the regime of the Ayatollahs in Iran has been deeply repressive toward its own people. Recent United Nations reporting and human rightsorganisationshavedocumentedsevere restrictions on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, arbitrary detention, persecution of women, girls and minorities, and the excessive use of force against civilians and protesters.At the same time, it is well established that Tehran has long provided material backing to both Hezbollah and Hamas as part of its regional strategyagainstIsrael.

No fair-minded account can ignore the th horror of Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October, 2023. That attack was murderous andindefensible.

But what followed in Gaza has long ceased to be explicable as a proportionate exerciseofself-defence.Tensofthousandsof Palestinianshavebeenkilled,includinggreat numbers of children, and vast areas of Gaza havebeenreducedtoruin.Whatevermilitary claims Israel has made about Hamas using civilians as cover, the resulting devastation has been immense and morally indefensible initsscale.

Nor has the violence been confined to Gaza.Israel’sgovernmenthasalsopursueda

harder line in the occupiedWest Bank while massively escalating operations against HezbollahinLebanon.

Even as Washington and Tehran moved th towardsatruceon8 April,Israellaunchedits heaviest strikes yet on Lebanon. The United Nations condemned the casualty reports as “appalling”, and Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, described the destruction and deaths as“horrific”.

The day the United States-Iran ceasefire was announced, many hoped the region mightbesteppingbackfromawiderwar

It is regrettable that there appears to be continuing disagreement over whether Lebanonwascoveredbythatceasefire.Israel andtheUnitedStateshavesaidthatLebanon was not part of the arrangement, while Iran and a number of other governments have takenthecontraryview

What is clear is that Israel continued bombing Lebanon after the ceasefire was announced. According to Lebanon’s Civil Defence,atleast254peoplewerekilled,and 1,165otherswerewoundedintheattackson th8 April,alone.

These attacks have placed further strain on an already fragile truce. Recent analysis has described Israel as digging in for a “forever war” through buffer zones in Gaza, SyriaandLebanon.

It is in that context that Netanyahu’s conduct must be assessed. Chatham House has said plainly that he has taken a bet that war will improve his chances of political survival in Israel. Recent reporting has also noted that, with the halt in attacks on Iran, Netanyahu’scorruptiontrialwillresume,and that his coalition is predicted to lose the Octoberelections.Thereasonableconclusion is that the prolongation and widening of conflict have served Netanyahu politically, even as they have damaged Israel strategicallyandmorally

This also explains why the broader confrontation involving Iran appeared to offer political advantage to Netanyahu. A regional crisis provided diplomatic cover, widened military latitude, and shifted

international attention. It created space for continued operations in Gaza and Lebanon andreducedimmediatepressureforrestraint.

It is difficult to argue that this course enjoys broad international support. Public language may be measured, and some governments may be silent, but growing unease and widespread alarm at the scale of civilian suffering are evident across the world.

The gap between formal diplomatic caution and underlying global sentiment has becomeincreasinglyclear

In many parts of the Caribbean, we have lived a unique experience Jewish communitieshavebeenpartofCaribbeanlife since the seventeenth century, and Lebanese communities have also been established in theregionforwelloveracentury Theyhave lived among us and contributed to our societies without religious or communal clashes between them becoming a feature of Caribbeanlife.

That equilibrium matters. We have no desire to see it disturbed by hostilities imported from the Middle East. Our own experience affirms that people of different histories, faiths and traditions can live togetherinpeace,andthathard-wonbalance shouldbeprotected.

The peoples of the world understand something that ideologues too often ignore. War consumes lives, distorts priorities, and robs whole societies of a future. The market reaction to the United States-Iran ceasefire was only the most visible sign of a deeper human instinct People want resources

devoted to human developm ent, not destruction.

T h e International

C r i m i n a l CourthasissuedarrestwarrantsforBenjamin Netanyahu.

TheCourtstatesthatthewarrantsconcern alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity,includingstarvationasamethodof warfare, murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts. These are not findings of guilt. But they do represent a judicial determination that there are reasonable groundstobelievethatsuchcrimeshadbeen committed.

In more normal circumstances, such a development would have triggered farreaching diplomatic consequences. That it has not done so to the full extent reflects the realities of contemporary geopolitics rather thananyabsenceofconcern.

The destruction of Gaza, the spread of conflictbeyondit,theglobaldisruptionithas caused, and the loss of tens of thousands of lives point to one unmistakable conclusion: thesewarshavenotstrengthenedIsrael.They have diminished it morally, weakened it diplomatically, and made its long-term securitymoreuncertain.

(The author is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS and Chancellor of the University of Guyana. The viewsexpressedarehisown.)

WEEK-IN-REVIEW

SUNDAY Bankrupt,lackof experienceandfacedwith mountinglawsuits–Lindsayca awardedmulti-million U.S.contractinGuyana

When Lindsayca – supposedly an American energy company –landed an almost billion -dollar contract in Guyana to construct a NaturalGasLiquids(NGL)facility and 300 -megawatt (MW) power plant, the entity was bankrupt, faced with several lawsuits, over allegations of money laundering and other questionable business dealings. Research also shows that Lindsayca lacked a basic requirement to qualify for the project–experienceinconstructing aprojectofsuchmagnitude.

Thefinancials

A careful examination of the company’s financials between 2016 and 2019 revealed that Lindsaycawasdrowningindebtto the tune of millions of US-dollars. Lindsayca, as per the prequalification and bidding process that started with the Request For Proposals (RFP) in September 2021 and concluded with bid submissions in September 2022 was required to submit three years of financial statements to the Government of Guyana (GoG) to ensure the company was in good standing.

An independent commentator, Chartered Accountant and Attorney, Christopher Ram reviewedthefinancialsseenbythis newspaper and concluded that the company was under “significant financialstrain,withissues thatgo directly to liquidity, sustainability, and the reliability of what is being reported.”

Ram raised concerns over the company’s persistent negative operating cash flows in both 2017 and 2018, which he says indicates thatthebusinesswasnotgenerating enoughcashtosupportitself.

“I am also troubled by the extent to which the Company depends on related parties. The balance sheet shows large receivables from related entities, but even more significant payables to those sameparties,withrelated-party liabilities exceeding $35 million. On top of that, a material portion of revenue comes from related-party transactions,” the Chartered Accountant said on Friday

Company could face immediate difficulty,accordingtohim.

From an earnings perspective, Ram said the position was not reassuring “Despite growth in revenue, the Company recorded a netlossin2018,andearlierprofits appeartohavebeendrivenbyoneoff items rather than sustainable

exceeding gross profit, which suggested that the underlying businessmodelisweak.

“More importantly, the audit opinionfor2018wasqualified.The auditorscouldnotobtainsufficient evidence for certain subsidiaries and for a material portion of r

accounting records That, in my

view, is a serious red flag and undermines confidence in the financialstatements,”Ramadded.

He said that level of interdependence raises real questions about the commercial substance of the transactions, whether those receivables are recoverable, and whether the reported performance reflects genuine arm’s length activity It alsomeansthatifthatrelated-party support were withdrawn, the

Finally, he raised concern over the quality of the assets and the broaderriskprofile.TheChartered Accountant explained that a significant portion of the assets consistofrelated-partyreceivables

and other amounts whose recoverability is uncertain, along with substantial investment in assets not yet placed into service. He also cited a large, deferred tax asset that depends on future

profitability,whichwasnotevident atthetime.

Consequently, he concluded that these opinions when put together, along with concentration risk and operations in higher-risk jurisdictions, “this is a high-risk financial profile with real uncertainty about stability and reliability”.

Ram’sreviewofthecompany’s financialsandfindingssharedwith this newspaper therefore raises serious questions about the due diligenceconductedbytheGoGin awarding such a large project to a company.

Theprojectiscurrentlydelayed with sources indicating that the companyisoutofcash.Assuch,the GTE Task Force is considering an additional US$180 million payment that will increase the initialcontractsumofUS$759M.

If past behaviour predicts futureperformance,itwouldonly mean that the company, which started bidding for the project while in a loss, will continue to demand more money from Guyanatocoveritslosses.

But sparking deeper concerns about the award is the number of lawsuits Lindsayca and the associated Group of bidders were facing at the time it applied for the contractinGuyanaandwon.

The group, along with its partner,CH4notonlysubmittedthe highest bid to the GoG but also lacked experience in constructing suchamegaproject.Neitherentity had ever in its history delivered a turbine power plant, nor did they evenparticipateasasub-contractor worldwide.

was not the company’s lawyer at thetime.

The company went to arbitration with the government, but the outcome was never reported, similar to Guyana’s case. LindsaycaleftColombiaandnever deliveredonthatproject.

Meanwhile, Lindsayca’s business partner’s Financial Entity in Puerto Rico, Banco San Juan Internacional (BSJI) (who delivered a multimillion financing proposal for Gas to Energy in support of CH4) is owned by the Venezuelan Bellosta Family BSJI in 2019 was raided by the FBI in Puerto Rico for suspicious activities related to financial sanctions evasion and money launderingtiedtoVenezuela.

The company just two years latersubmittedabidtotheGoGfor the gas project, raising questions about whether the administration conducted a simple Google search orproperduediligencetoverifythe company’s and its owners track record.

Lawsuits

It was reported that Lindsayca, aVenezuelancorporation,wassued by Gazprom – a natural gas company,for$8,781,196(bolivars) plus interest and legal fees in connection with a service contract fortheconstructionandinstallation of $43M natural gas compression plantforGazprominVenezuela.

Gazprom in 2013 claimed that the company was overpaid for services that were never approved, not provided or performed below industryandcontractualstandards.

Meanwhile,in2015,Lindsayca wasawardedacontracttoconstruct a gas compression facility in Colombia With the aid of a translator, this newspaper learned that the company was flagged for several irregularities and the contract was terminated according to ‘Noticias Caracol’ Colombia’s largestprivatenewsentity

The 120-million contract was firstsignedinDecember2015.

The Colombian government initially agreed to pay $500,000 monthlyfor20-yearstoLindsayca. Inthecontract,thecompanystated its address, but when journalists turned up at the site, another company was operating there Further, they were informed that the company works virtually from the address and only receives correspondenceatthelocation

The lawyer for the company said they were not obligated to be presentattheaddressbutshouldbe there to sign the contract and complete their job The lawyer couldnotsaywhythecompanydid not have office space at the time whenthecontractwassignedashe

With no trace of any project of similarnaturecompletedanywhere else, stakeholders continue to question how the GTE Taskforce evaluated the bids and ranked Lindsayca/ CH4 the best bidder in terms of technical capabilities, financial resources, and both their legal and technical track record to deliver Guyana’s single largest onshoreinvestmentinitshistory

On Friday, Kaieteur News revealed that the GoG lost an arbitration with the contractor and was required to pay an additional US$82millionthatwasnevermade public.

Kidnappingaccusedkilledin crashonMandelaAvenue

A 34-year-old man, who was previously charged in a highprofile abduction case, died on Saturday after crashing into a parked truck along Mandela Avenue,Georgetown.

DeadisDamionBarlow,called ‘Dangles’, of Lot 2, 61B Field Sophia, Georgetown. Barlow was charged in 2024 for the abduction of Joshua David, also known as ‘Bricks’.

Barlow was accused of abductingDavidonSeptember26, 2024, along Main Street, Georgetown, with the intent to secretly and wrongfully confine him.Davidisyettobefound.

Reports indicate that Barlow was speeding when he lost control of the vehicle, skidded over the median, and crashed into a parked truck on the opposite side of the road.Barlowwaspronounceddead atthescene.

An investigation into the crash isongoing.

Barlow, along with six others, were charged in connection with theabduction.However,dueto Continued on page 21

Frompage20 insufficient evidence at the t i m e a n d o n g o i n g investigations, a Magistrate granted each of the accused $500,000bail.

MONDAY

Govt.rejectedthree cheaperChinese bidstofinance, constructgasplant …optedforinexperienced contractorcostingUS$ hundredsofmillionsmore

Lindsayca/ CH4 was awarded a US$759 million contracttoconstructtwogas plants at Wales, West Bank Demerara- a project which largelyreliedonaloanfrom the United States Export Import(USEXIM)Bank.

But increasing this country’s debt by close to another billion-USD was a deliberate act, one which may haunt Guyana in the future as the project continues to face significant delays and cost overruns Already, the Government of Guyana (GoG) has forked out about US$80M to secretly settle a dispute with the contractors, pushing the cost up to about US$841 million.

Lindsayca’s bid, at the time it was submitted, was the highest among five internationalcompanieswho had placed bids for the project in September 2022. Thejointventurehadplaced itsbidtothetuneofUS$898 million,butlaterreducedthe sum to US$759 million in negotiationswiththeGoG.

Sources close to the processhoweverleakedbids thatwerefiledbynotone,or two, but three reputable Chinese firms that were not only interested in constructing the project at a lower sum, but were willing to provide financing to the government.

P o w e r C h i n a International Group Limited (PCIGL) in its financial proposalofferedtoconstruct the integrated facility for U S $ 7 0 4 M ($703,652,256 29) - a whopping US$194 million cheaper than the initial bid submitted by Lindsayca/ CH4.

PowerChinawasalready hired in Guyana and was experienced in delivering power projects similar to Guyana’s intended structures.

Additionally, PCIGL offeredtofinanceupto85% of the contract cost, with a 12-year repayment period,

through Swiss Export Risk Insurance(SERV).

Meanwhile, China

Machinery Engineering Inc. made a financial proposal to construct the integrated facility at just US$696 million. The company was also willing to finance the development, through JP MorganandSERV

Another experienced Chinese entity, China Energy Int’l Group Co

Limited submitted an even lower bid- US$467 million and offered to finance the project through Siemens Energy A proposal addressed to the Ministry of NaturalResourcesanddated August 31, 2022 indicated thatthecompanywaswilling to provide up to 85% of the financing required for the project.

Since its inception,

government has been extremely selective with the informationitshareswiththe publiconthisproject. Its strategy has often been questioned by not only members of the political opposition but members of c i v i l s o c i e t y a n d internationalorganisations.

On Sunday, this newspaper reported that when the GoG hired Lindsayca,thecompanywas under significant financial strain as explained by chartered accountant and attorney, Christopher Ram who reviewed its financials between2016and2019.

As per the Request For Bids (RFB) issued in 2021, companies were required to submit three years of financial statements to the GoG to ensure the company wasingoodstanding.

Ram however raised concernsoverthecompany’s persistentnegativeoperating cash flows in both 2017 and 2018, which he says indicates that the business was not generating enough cashtosupportitself.

“Iamalsotroubledbythe extenttowhichthecompany depends on related parties. The balance sheet shows

large receivables from related entities, but even more significant payables to those same parties, with related-party liabilities exceeding $35 million. On topofthat,amaterialportion of revenue comes from related-party transactions,” thecharteredaccountantsaid onFriday

From an earnings perspective, Ram said the position was not reassuring.

“Despite growth in revenue, the company recorded a net loss in 2018, and earlier profits appear to have been driven by one-off items rather than sustainable operations,” he explained Operating expenses are consistently absorbing or exceeding gross profit, which suggested that the underlyingbusinessmodelis weak.

AsfortheUSEXIMloan andUScontent,sourcesand documentsshowthatindeed during the US vetting process, the consortium leaned heavily on an image o f “ A m e r i c a n exceptionalism.”

The documents show that an American company, Lindsayca Solutions, and its principals were listed as the p r o j e c t

submittedtowinthecontract

n, projecting a facade of strict U S corporate governance and reliability to secure the billion-dollardeal.

However, once the ink wasdryandtheinitialfunds were secured, the facade crumbled. By January 2023, shortly after the Guyanese gov

ssued a massive down-payment of approximately $150 million forGTE,theLindsayca-CH4 cons

an to aggressively morph In a swift man

ing of corporate structure, two of the original four companies that made up the trusted consortiumwerekickedout:

t

n Engineering Firm and the local civil contractor hired

also admitted to attempting to strangle her one-year, nine-month-old son Ethan, butdidnotsucceed.

It was reported that after carrying out the deed, she tried to take her own life by slitting the veins behind her ankles. She and the children were taken to the Port Mourant Public Hospital, where Isabella was pronounceddeadonarrival.

forvitallocalworks.

Questions therefore remain on the selection process for this country’s single largest financial projectinhistory

Corentynemomkills 7-year-olddaughter, injuresinfantson

Residents of Fyrish Village, Corentyne were thrown into shock on Sunday, after a 26-year-old woman allegedly killed her seven-year-olddaughterand attempted to take the life of herinfantson.

Dead is seven-year-old Isabella Dabadial, a pupil of Cooper Primary School, Corentyne,Berbice.

Police reports have confirmed that the woman, SarahElizabethShivpersaud committed the act at about 11:30. She is reportedly a ten-day worker of Fyrish Road,Corentyne,Berbice.

Based on reports, S h i v p e r s a u d w a s experiencing domestic problemswithherhusband.

Initial investigations revealed that her husband had left the home several days ago and had refused to return, leading to her f r u s t r a t i o n . W h e n questioned, Shivpersaud toldpolicethatsheawokeon Sunday and found there was nothing in the home to eat. She said the situation led to her suffocating Isabella Policestatedthatthemother

T h e m o t h e r w a s admitted, treated, and sutured, and is reportedly in a stable condition at the institution under police guard.

Attentionwasbroughtto a post the woman made on Facebook, where she hinted that she would commit the acts A Facebook profile under the username ‘Sarah El’wasassessed,withapost which read “Me and my babies last pic! I’m sorry! MayGodforgiveme!”

Father devastated over daughter’sdeath

Meanwhile, pushing back against claims of negligence, Shivpersaud’s husband, Trevor Dabadial said he never left his wife andchildrentostarve.

The shattered 30-yearoldmantoldthispublication on Sunday that he was deeply disturbed and anguished over the tragedy whichhasnowlefthimwith one child He said he is unaware of what pushed his wifetocommittheact.

“Child Care went in the kitchenandtakeoutpictures ofthekitchenandeverything and proved that she had things to eat,” he stated, in relation to the agency’s visit to the home on Sunday afternoon.

He said he was planning to end the relationship because of her alleged infidelity The couple has beenmarriedforeightyears, Dabadial said, but the relationship was far from smooth. According to him,

he would visit his mother’s home to “cool off”, but Shivpersaudwouldonmany occasions threaten that she would kill the children and herself. He said fear of her followingthroughwiththose threats kept him in the relationship.

“She would cheat, and thenusethekids,orthreaten to harm herself and them kids to manipulate me to come back home, ” he expressed.

Following news of the incident, Shivpersaud’s mother, Lalita Brijlall said her daughter called her at around 08:00hrs on Saturday, complaining that her husband, who works at theAlbion Sugar Estate, left home since Thursday after receivinghissalaryandwent to his mother’s home A c c o r d i n g t o h e r, Shivpersaud confirmed that she was ok and that she was goingto“lockupandsleep.”

“Thismorningnow,meh callshephoneandaskifshe husband come home, she saidno,hesehhegon’come later I asked her if she want metocome,shesaidno,she said she going and cook pumpkin.”

The mother was on her way to church in Canje at around 10:30, when a niece asked her if she saw Shivpersaud’s social media post, in which she hinted at doing something harmful Soon after, she received multiple calls from other personsaboutherdaughter’s post. Concerned, Brijlall rerouted to Fyrish, where uponarrival,sheknockedon thedoorbutgotnoresponse. Shegainedentrytothehome withthehelpofaneighbor

“When I watch, I see bloodonthebed….whenwe goinnow,Istarttoshakeup all of them, lashing up all of them, but only the baby, the lil boy, he raise he foot and respondtowe,butthelilgirl,

Continued on page 22

Frompage21 she not responding to

nothing, neither she

(Shivpersaud), ” the distraughtwomanrelated.

Thepolicewerecalledin and her daughter and granddaughterweretakento the Port Mourant Hospital, where her granddaughter was pronounced dead on arrival.

“I can’t even tell people howIfeel.I’mfeelingmore for my granddaughter She wassoattachedtome.Also, my daughter to, but meh daughteralreadybig.Butshe issoyoung.Shejuststartlife and she does make everybody happy She always make anybody happy,” the grieving woman stated.

SadandHeartbreaking Minister of Human ServicesandSocialSecurity,

Dr Vindhya Persaud, described Isabella’s tragic d e a t h a s “ s a d a n d heartbreaking,”assheurged greater awareness and support for mental health challenges.

In a statement, the minister said, “A little child has lost her life most horrifically at the hands of her mother This is hard for anyonetocomprehend.”

…”There will be more clarity as to why this happened,butapparentlythe mother did not reach out for assistance,”Persaudstated.

Theministeremphasised that the incident serves as a sobering reminder of how quickly situations can spiral out of control, and the devastating consequences thatcanfollow.

“Mental health is fragile for many people, and often individuals do not reach out tothehealthsystemforhelp for various reasons,” she said.

Persaudcalledonsociety to be less judgmental and m o r e s u p p o r t i v e , encouragingthoseindistress to seek help without fear of stigma.

She pointed out that the Ministry of Health has systems in place to address mental health and suicide, and urged persons to utilise theseserviceswhenneeded.

Shealsostressedtherole o f f a m i l i e s a n d communities, particularly whenchildrenareinvolved.

“If families are aware of what is happening, they should step in with help

Where children are concerned, there must be checks to ensure their safety,”shesaid.

ACH4-affiliated private jet (Registration N27VQ) sits on the tarmac at OgleAirport in Georgetown.

Atwin-engine plane (Venezuelan RegistrationYV1643) associated with Lindsayca, also photographed at OgleAirport.

Persaudaddedthatwhile the full circumstances remain unclear, compassion andsupportarecriticalatthis time.

“No one knows how thesesituationswillturnout. Kindness and support are essential,”shenoted.

She urged the public to be patient as investigations continue and to extend prayers and support to the grieving family

TUESDAY

Gasplantcontractor drainingUS$70,000 fromGuyanaweekly onluxuryflights …seeking additional US$250M to complete project

WhileGuyanesecitizens

endure back-to-back b l a c k o u t s a n d t h e government scrambles to rent emergency generators, executivesofLindsayca-the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) contractor-travelsinluxury, flying weekly out of Georgetownonaprivatejet, costingGuyanaUS$70,000.

T h e f i n a n c i a l extravagance was recently brought to the attention of Kaieteur News, by an

unnamed source, who providedproofoftheluxury travel for Lindsayca executives Perhaps more disrespectful to Guyana, is thefactthatthecontractoris not only misusing project

funds to fly its top executives, but also source materials for the project at muchhigherfreightcosts.

Sources confirmed,

“Since October 2022, top executives have utilized privatejetstoflyonaweekly basis from Houston, Texas, refueling in Puerto Rico, before touching down in Georgetown.Aconservative calculation of this weekly

commute exposes a staggering drain on project resources.”

By breaking down the flightroutes,thetruescaleof this extravagance becomes clear Seetableforflightcost formula.

To put this gross misuse offundsintoperspective:the President of Guyana routinely flies commercial airlines around the world to c

nd international summits Yet, foreign contractors hired to deliver affordable energy to a developing nation are treating its sovereign wealth like a limitless expense accountforprivateluxury It is a severe insult to the G u y a n e s e taxpayer millions of dollars evaporating into the atmospherewhilethepeople on the ground remain in the dark.

TheCargoJetAbsurdity

The financial bleeding does not stop at executive joyrides Official customs declarations and flight manifests recently obtained by this publication expose a logisticalpracticesogrossly wasteful it defies basic engineeringeconomics.

Records show that Lindsayca is actively utilizing these same private luxuryjetstoimportboxesof

handoverdisputesandminor projects surrounding the GTE Despite failing to deliver the power plant on time,theconsortiumwonthe dispute, walking away with anadditionalUS$82million awarded in liquidated damages due to government delays—a massive windfall strictly to the benefit of Lindsayca.

Yet, even after these massive cash injections, the consortium’s coffers are supposedly empty again They are now actively negotiating a staggering US$250 million in additionalfundstofinishthe job, which they were contractedtodo.

not be the extravagance itself, but the silence surrounding it Sources speaking exclusively to this outlet confirm that the highest levels of the Guyanese government are fully aware of LindsaycaCH4’scontinuousprivatejet use at both the Eugene F CorreiaInternationalAirport (Ogle)andtheCheddiJagan InternationalAirport(CJIA).

construction parts and equipment for the GTE project.Ratherthanutilizing standard, cost-effective commercial air freight or maritime shipping routes as is standard industry practice for billiondollar infrastructure builds the consortium is flyingindustrialcomponents into the Ogle Airport via privatecharter

A source said, “This practice is the definition of gross mismanagement Ferrying metal parts and constructionmaterialsinthe cabin of a high-end jet astronomically inflates the freight cost, passing the ultimate burden of this logisticalincompetenceonto the Guyanese project budget.”

BleedingGuyanaDry: Ballooningproject costwithaTask ForceCover-Up

Thisblatantdisregardfor project funds is part of a broader, systemic pattern of financial extortion The original US$759 million pricetagwassupposedtobe afirmcommitment.Instead, Lindsayca-CH4 has weaponizeditsowndelaysto extractmorecapital.

Beyondtheinitialproject costKaieteurNewswastold that ExxonMobil- the pipeline contractor- paid Lindsayca an additional US$50M to complete the GTEsite.

Furthermore, the consortium dragged the Government of Guyana b e f o r e a D i s p u t e AdjudicationBoardoversite

More interesting is the oversight mechanisms meant to protect Guyana are failing—or worse, actively colluding. Sources indicate thatinFebruaryofthisyear, a closed-door progress and schedule audit took place at ExxonMobilheadquartersat Ogle During this highly sensitive meeting, members of Guyana’s Gas-to-Energy Task Force presented an alarming proposal to ExxonMobil executives: allowingLindsaycatofinish the project on an “openbook,cost-plusbasis.”

A cost-plus contract effectively removes all financial risk from the contractor, guaranteeing them a profit margin on top of whatever exorbitant e x p e n s e s t h e y i n c u r i n c l u d i n g , presumably, their private jets.Duringthemeeting,the Task Force reportedly arguedthatwhiletheUS250 million demanded by the contractor,thattheybelieved a figure of 170 million “shoulddothejob.”

This proposition deeply alarmed several individuals intheclosedroom.

The source argued, “Why is the body entrusted with safeguarding Guyana’s energyfuturevolunteeringto write a blank check? The public deserves to know: Why is the Gas-to-Energy Task Force continually running interference and covering up for Lindsayca’s gross incompetence? And why are they so adamant about rewarding a failing, financially opaque consortium with extra time, reduced risk, and hundreds of millions in additional taxpayermoney?”

TheSilenceattheTop:A GovernmentCover-Up?

The most damning aspect of this scandal may

Dossiers containing detailed flight manifests, timestampedphotographsof the aircraft, and copies of executive passports have been provided to us by unnamed sources deeply familiar with on-the-ground airport authorities This i

exactly how project funds arebeingburned.

This begs the ultimate question: If the government hasthemanifestsandknows millionsarebeingwastedon private jets and chartered cargo, why have they not made this gross misuse of taxpayer funds public? Who are they protecting, and at what cost to the Guyanese people?

TheFlightoftheCabal ofGuyanaPowerBrokers

The cozy relationship between the contractors and the decision-makers extends far beyond closed-door boardroom meetings The most chilling evidence of this deep-seated collusion was captured on a flight manifest dated February 21, 2026 ju

r the conclusion of the Guyana EnergyExpo. According to documents provided by sources, a Lindsayca private jet a H

d as N17TV departed from Ogle Airport (SYCJ) bound for Opa Locka, Miami (KOPF). Aboard this single luxury flight was a veritable cabal of energy power brokers: J

Fulcrum LNG Until his

Commercial Vice President of ExxonMobil Guyana,

PresidentAlistair Routledge and the Houston Board Almost immediately after leaving Exxon, Bronchalo incorporated Fulcrum LNG in the US as a virtual “oneman show,” which the Guyanese government controversiallyhiredto Continued on page 32

In our six-part series on datingformarriage,wemust understand that dating has a single core objective. I am datingyoutoseeifyouhave thequalitiesIamlookingfor in a life partner, then verify the same. In other words, I amlookingforsomeonewho matches my qualities so that we can build a healthy marriage and family for the restofourlives.Whendating for marriage, prioritise core charactertraitsoversurfacelevel attraction. If you are preoccupied with showing your good side, you are pretending, and most likely accept your partner’s pretencetoo.

Qualitiesreflectourselfvalues and self-worth; they also reflect our self-esteem and self-confidence The most important earthly partnership you can engage inismarriage.Itsetsyouup for the biggest success of your life or depletes you to the point of being nothing worth mentioning. Here is a general list of personal qualities, character traits, and status you should look forinyourpartnerandmusthave qualities, if you are dating for marriage, but not limited.

M e n t a l l y a n d emotionally stable Your . partner must have a sound track record of maintaining mental and emotional balance. It is essential for building healthy, lasting connections and protecting one’spersonalwell-being.It acts as a foundation that allows individuals to navigate the complexities of modern family life, such as rejection, uncertainty, and high emotions, without losing their sense of self or self-worth. It also reduces burnout, builds resilience, prevents emotional overwhelm, maintains individuality, enhances communication, improves decision-making, reduces conflict, manages daily life, and promotes greater stability

Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy is a valuable tool in modern dating for marriage. I am not talking a b o u t p r e m a r i t a l counselling Psychological sessions that deal with the core of you, trauma, and its impact, formation into who youarenow,anditspotential towards your success or destruction in the future. To

Towardsabetterlifewithyourpsychologist What you should know about dating for marriage Part III

navigate the complexities of emotional baggage, attachment styles, and highstress dating environments. It helps individuals build self-awareness, improve communication, and break toxic cycles, ensuring they enter relationships with a stronger sense of self and clearer intentions

Psychotherapy shows and addresses mental illness, personality disorders and other psychological imbalancesthatarehiddenin the relationship dynamics.

Psychotherapy offers to highlightandhelpindividuals understand their attachment style (e g , anxious, avoidant)shapedearlyinlife duetoabsentoremotionally unavailable parent(s), the impact of neglect and abuse very early in childhood, allowing them to manage reactions to stressors like rejection or intimacy Break unhealthypatterns, The qualities you are looking for in your partner are shaped by healthy, balanced individuality or by unresolved trauma. These arecalledtraumaqualities

The reality is that if one marries because of trauma qualities If they address their trauma during marriage, those qualities are no longer relevant. They would now have developed qualities related to health, self-esteem, and self-worth. This reality results in many relationship / marriages fallingapart. Onepartyisno longer toxic and does not subscribe to the toxic mindset of a relationship. The excuse given is that we havegrownapart.

ConflictResolutionskills

In relationships, fighting about ideas, opinions, choices,andpreferencesisa must.Thisdoesnotmeanthe relationship is weak. In fact, conflictinarelationshipisa sign of a healthy relationship; once it’s resolved, every time

Conflict resolution skills in relationships are essential for building a healthy, longterm foundation, as they transform disagreements into opportunities for growth, emotional intimacy,

and increased trust. Conflict resolution builds security every time it’s used Developing these skills helps couples move from fear of confrontation to constructive problemsolving, preventing minor issuesfrombecomingmajor, relationship-ending divides. ItStrengthensRelationships, Builds Compatibility Insight,PromotesEmotional Safety, Increases Intimacy, andPreventsResentment.

OtherImportantQualities

Shared Faith:Alignment on spiritual beliefs is crucial for navigating life’s challengestogether

I n t e g r i t y a n d

Trustworthiness: Look for someone whose actions consistently match their words, demonstrating honestyandreliability

K i n d n e s s a n d

Compassion: The person shouldshowgenuinecarefor you and others, offering emotionalsupport.

H u m i l i t y a n d

Forgiveness:Agood partner can admit when they are wrong, apologise, and extend grace, rather than holdinggrudges.Forme,this is a deal breaker, and so it must be for you, too Marrying an unforgiving person will cost you the rest ofyourlife.

E f f e c t i v e

Communication: The ability to discuss difficult topics openly and listen actively is vital

Emotional SelfRegulation: Ability to manage their own emotions, handle stress, and take responsibility for actions, rather than displaying unhealthybehaviours.

Respectful:They respect your time, opinions, friends, andpersonalboundaries.

Responsibility and Diligence: They show commitment in handling p

depending on you, and have astrongworkethic.

Family Orientation: A willingnesstohonourfamily commitments and work toward creating a loving household.

Empathy: They should

be able to recognise and validate your feelings, even when they don’t fully understandthem.

Vulnerability: The willingness to share fears and weaknesses is what creates deep emotional safety

Consistency: Their behaviour should remain steady across different situations and over time, proving they are who they claim to be. And so must yours Before expecting consistency, you must demonstrate to others and

yourself.

F

D i s c i p l i n e :

Disagreements over money are a leading causeofdivorce;ensure you are on the same page regarding spendingandsaving.

By Dr. Telford Layne Jr. PsyD, MSc. Postgrad, BSc. Clinical

Deep Friendship: You both have been good friends long before dating for marriage became a reality

Couples with a strong foundation of friendship have the highest long-term satisfaction.

Accountability:Acritical

trait is admitting when w r o n g , s i n c e r e l y apologising, and actively working to change problematic behaviour This should be a deal breaker

Inability to be accountable reflects inner inferiority and anundevelopedsenseofself. Tobecontinued.

Everywhere you go in Guyana,youseeexamplesof complete disdain for collaboration. You see it on the road, in the minibus, in the marketplace, in our communities, in politics, in business, and sometimes even in the way institutions relate to the people they are meant to serve. Too often, our instinct is not to work with others, but to dominate them.

That is both a cultural flaw and a development problem.

The OECD defines collaboration as a social process in which people work together toward clear objectives, resulting in shared products, consensus, or decisions. It identifies communication, conflict resolution, sharing resources, and social interdependence as part of thatprocess.Inotherwords, collaboration moves beyond some soft, vague ideal, to a practical human capacity It is how serious societies solvedifficultproblems.

Andyet,fromtheearliest years, many of our children are shaped by a culture that rewards comparison far more than cooperation. Beat the other child. Bring first. Get into Queen’s College. If you bring fifth, then next time you must bring first. In toomanycases,theobjective is not to develop mastery, character, confidence, or teamwork. It is to outrank everyoneelse.

Thenthereistheshaming and the licks, designed to embarrass, undermine, and ridicule, often by educators who seem to have little appreciation for the lasting damage these behaviors can do Recently, a student related to me that when she was in second form, she volunteered to go to the board to work out a math problem and mixed up a sign,whichledtothewrong answer She said the teacher ridiculed and shamed her and asked whether she was “stupid ” This is not an isolated story.This behavior continues today, even at the university level, by far too many educators who should knowbetter

What many learners experienced in school under

Failure to collaborate may be to Guyana’s undoing

the guise of discipline was often a reward-andpunishment culture built around fear, shame, status, andpubliccomparison.That kind of environment may produce obedience, compliance, and sometimes even strong short-term performance.Butitdoesnot reliablyproduceemotionally healthy, collaborative, reflective citizens It producesadultswhobecome highly sensitive to rank, embarrassment, defeat, and power

And that is exactly what wenowseearoundus.

We see streams of disrespect, bullying, and domination in places where diplomacy, collaboration, andfindingcommonground wouldbefarmoreuseful.We see people treating compromise as weakness. We see consensus treated as if it were surrender We see too many people equating leadership with force, volume, humiliation, and control In Guyana, collaboration too often feels topeoplelikelosing.

Thatisaseriousproblem for a country trying to developatspeed.

Harvard Business Review published Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s famous a r g u m e n t a b o u t “collaborative advantage,”

t h e i d e a t h a t a n organization’s ability to create and sustain fruitful collaborations gives it a significant competitive edge. That insight applies notonlytocompanies,butto countries. Nations that learn how to align talent, institutions, sectors, and communities around shared goals move faster and waste less energy Nations that default to ego battles, territorialism, and internal sabotagedonot.

Guyanaistoosmallfora national strategy of domination.

And domination is, in any case, a costly strategy When power is used to disenfranchise bright people, capable people, independent people, those peopledonotsimplyvanish. They regroup. They find another path. They build around the obstacle. They prevail elsewhere. So while

domination may feel satisfying to the bully in the moment, it almost always requires more resources, more enforcement, more vigilance, and more conflict overtime.Thebullymaywin the encounter, but often weakens the entire ecosystem.

That is one of the great tragedies of immature leadership. It may secure obedience, but it rarely builds durable capacity It also creates the conditions foralong-termfight.

The modern world has already moved on from this way of thinking. UNESCO continues to emphasize the importance of transversal competencies, including critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication. These are the skills societies now recognize as necessary for citizens to function productivelyincomplexand changingenvironments.

Even employers are makingthepoint.TheWorld Economic Forum’s 2025 Future of Jobs work highlights leadership and social influence, resilience, flexibility, and related human capacities as increasingly important These are skills for an interconnected world. They are not nurtured well in cultures that teach children to see every peer as a rival and every disagreement as a battleforsupremacy

That should give us pauseinGuyana.

Becauseifchildrengrow up in environments where public humiliation is normalized,wheremarksare read aloud, where status is constantlyreinforced,where “bringing first” is elevated above learning how to work withothers,weshouldnotbe surprisedbytheadultsthose systemsproduce.Weshould notbesurprisedwhenpublic life becomes harsh, when workplaces become territorial, when politics becomes vindictive, and when communities fracture around ego and exclusion ratherthansharedpurpose.

Of course, this is not the wholestory Thereareleaders inGuyana,especiallyinparts oftheprivatesector,whoare doingthingsdifferently They

collaborate They build partnerships They lead without spectacle They do not seem threatened by other capable people They know that bringing others in can strengthenthewhole Anditis refreshing when you see it, because it stands in such sharp contrast to the national habitofdomination

But those examples are stilltoorare.

For Guyana to develop effectively, efficiently, and fairly,weneedanecosystem builtonjustice,fairness,and the globally recognized capabilitiesthathelpnations thrive; collaboration, communication, creativity,

c r i t i c a l t h i n k i n g , adaptability, resilience, leadership, and social influence These cannot remain words in speeches, workshops, and school banners They must be woven into our cultural framework, our institutions, andoureducationsystem.

Otherwise, we will continuetoraisegenerations that view domination as preferable, conflict as a reason to destroy enemies, anddisagreementasathreat ratherthananopportunityto solve problems We will continue to waste national energyonsmallness.Andwe will weaken our own ability

to develop rapidly and intelligently, even while sitting on extraordinary naturalwealth.

We simply must build a Guyana in which our children can thrive without being trained to crush one another first. We must teach them how to listen, how to negotiate, how to share credit, how to disagree without contempt, and how to build something larger than themselves; because in the end, the countries that rise are not always the ones withthemostresources. They are often the ones that encourage citizens to worktogether

GNBSINFOCUS

Safety Standard - Advancing Safety in Laboratories across Guyana

As we continue to observe Occupational Safety and Health month, let’s be reminded that safe laboratory practices are essential to theintegrityoflaboratoryworkandthewellbeing of everyone who operates within laboratory environments daily Recognising this, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) is encouraging laboratories across Guyana to acquire and implement the National Standard, GYS 235:2024-GeneralRequirementsforSafety inLaboratories.

ThisNationalStandardoffersastructured andpracticalapproachtomanagingsafetyin laboratories across the country, as it clearly outlines requirements for implementing a laboratorysafetymanagementsystem.Italso guides laboratories in developing comprehensivesafetypoliciesandobjectives

whileensuringalignmentwithrelevantlegal andregulatoryobligations.

Additionally,thestandardallowsusersto focusontheidentificationofhazardsandthe management of risks within their control, which significantly reduces incidents and fosters safer working environments for employees,clientsandvisitorsalike.

The importance of the GYS 235:2024 Standard lies in its practical and extensive approach to occupational safety and health. The document specifically addresses critical areas such as sanitation, staff training and competence, effective communication, the proper use of personal protective equipment and the safe handling and transportation of samples These elements are vital for minimising workplace risks, preventing accidentsandfatalities,andmaintaininghigh

standardsoflaboratoryperformance.

Beyond meeting compliance requirements,thisstandardplaysakeyrolein boosting the credibility and reliability of laboratory operations and results Laboratories that adopt GYS 235 demonstrate a strong commitment to safety and quality, which can improve customer confidence,supportaccreditationeffortsand foster a culture of continuous improvement. In environments where accuracy and safety are paramount, the implementation of this standard is not only beneficial but also necessary In addition to strengthening their internal systems and safeguarding their employees, laboratories implementing GYS 235 contribute to a safer and more robust nationallaboratoryinfrastructure.

Importantly,GNBSalsohasthecapacity toprovidetrainingonthisNationalStandard. So far this year, two training sessions have been conducted for stakeholders desirous of implementing the requirements. Firstly, as part of its ongoing plans and capacitybuilding efforts, the National Taskforce on

Sound Management of Laboratory ChemicalsinSchoolsbenefittedfromatwoday training course in January This training targetedthesafestorage,handlinganduseof chemicalswithineducationalinstitutions.

Participants included senior science teachersandrepresentativesfromkeyagencies suchastheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency (EPA), the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB) and the National CentreforEducationalResourceDevelopment (NCERD) Thesecondsession,heldinMarch, saw participation from quality managers and laboratorytechniciansfrompublicandprivate laboratoriesacrossthecountry GNBS welcomes more individuals working in laboratory environments to participate in its training programme to gain the knowledge required to implement this safety standard to ensure best practices are appliedwithintheirlaboratories.

For further information, contact GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0064-66 or 2190066,WhatsApp692-4627orvisittheGNBS website:www gnbsgy.org

U.S. Alumni–led community programme celebrates first cohort of graduates

The Brighter Future Skills Initiative, (BFSI) a U S A l u m n i – l e d community programme, successfully hosted its first Certificate Presentation Ceremony onApril 4, 2026, at The Outlook, Peters Hall, marking the completion of its inaugural cohort of participants.

BFSI is a community empowerment programme connecting women and young adults with certified skills training that builds confidence, independence,

T h e B F S I w a s established to provide fully sponsored

ning opportunitiesforindividuals whomaynototherwisehave access to affordable skills development programmes

The initiative aims to equip participants with both technical and soft skills needed to improve their employment prospects, income-earning potential, andoverallqualityoflife.

For its first cohort, p

and brighter tomorrows

The initiative is led by U.S. Alumni Mrs Carolyn Caesar-Murray, Founder; Ms Benita Davis, Monitoring, Evaluation and Feedback Lead; and Ms. Shevon Wood, Programme Operations and Participant SupportCoordinator

Together, the team worked collaboratively to design and deliver a programme focused on practical skills training, personal development, and entrepreneurship.

training in Graphic Design, Makeup Artistry, and Manicure and Pedicure. In addition to technical

participated in Soft Skills Development sessions, whichcoveredareassuchas p

management,andworkplace behaviour, as well as Entrepreneurship training designedtohelpparticipants start or expand small businesses.Founder of the

initiative, Mrs Carolyn Caesar-Murray, noted that theprogrammewasinspired by her experiences growing up in underserved communities, where many individuals possessed talent but lacked access to guidance, certification, and structured opportunities for development.

“This initiative is about creating pathways,” Mrs Caesar-Murray stated “Many people have skills, but without guidance, training, and support, those s k i l l s a r e o f t e n underutilized.

T h r o u g h t h i s programme, we are not only providing training, but also building confidence and helping individuals see the p o t e n t i a l w i t h i n t h e m s e l v e s ”

The ceremony featured remarks from programme facilitators and invited guests,includingDr Felicity White, who delivered the Soft Skills training component,andMs.Lyndell

certificatesrecognizingtheir successfulcompletionofthe programme. T h e e v e n t a l s o highlighted the importance of community collaboration and the role of U.S.Alumni in supporting development ini

aimed at empowering individuals through skills training and education.

The Brighter Future Skills Initiative intends to expand its reach in future cohorts, offering additional training opportunities and continuing its mission of empowering individuals through accessible and i m p a c t f u l s k i l l s developmentprogrammes.

“This is only the beginning,” Mrs CaesarMurrayadded.

“We are committed to buildingastrongnetworkof trained individuals who can grow, support each other, andcontributemeaningfully to their communities ”

SYNERGY WEIGHT LOSS CENTRE & MEDICAL SPA AMONG SEVERAL BUSINESSES GNBS GYS 901 CERTIFIED

TheGuyanaNationalBureauof Standards (GNBS) is pleased to announce that, Synergy Weight Loss Centre & Medical Spa is one ofthenine(9)businessesthathave achieved certification to the GYS 901 Quality Management System Standard so far for the year On April 02, Synergy Weight Loss attainedcertificationtothenational standard that was designed to supportMicro,SmallandMediumSizedEnterprises(MSMEs).

SynergyWeightLossCentre& Medical Spa is a modern medical spa that offers a range of services focused on wellness, beauty and weight management. The Centre providesaestheticcare,facialsand weightlosstherapy,includingbody contouring, non-surgical tummy tucks, liposuction and butt lift procedures By combining

professional expertise with clientcentred care, the Centre has positioned itself as a trusted provider of health and aesthetic services in Guyana. Notably, it is thefirstmedicalspatobecertified undertheGYS901programme.

This milestone reflects the Centre's commitment to maintaining a strong business structure, ensuring operational consistency, enhancing customer satisfactionandpursuingcontinual improvement.

Thecertificatewaspresentedto ChiefExecutiveOfficer(CEO),Dr Mareshah Yorrick, by GNBS Technical Officer, Rachel Cecil. Thepresentationwaswitnessedby GNBS Executive Director, Trevor Bassoo; Head (ag) of the CertificationServicesDepartment, Keon Rankin; Lead Esthetician,

recognising the importance of delivering quality services, particularly as more people are becominghealth-conscious. He further emphasised that certification not only strengthens consumer confidence but also enhances the company's competitiveness in the marketplace.

(L-R) Spa ManagerAlyda Dodson, Chief Executive Officer of Synergy Weight Loss Centre & Medical Spa, Dr. Mareshah Yorrick and Lead Esthetician Kenessa Williams

andother

In his remarks, Mr Bassoo

commended the company for taking the necessary steps to achieve certification and for

Mr Bassooadded,“Youshould f e e l p r o u d o f y o u r accomplishment...Onceyouhavea good product and provide an exceptional service, people will continue to return and recommend others to come to you. This is the first step; you must now maintain the certification and uphold excellentcustomerservice.” Meanwhile, Dr Yorrick underscored the importance of the (Continuedonpage48)

Chhangur Memorial Int'l Ministries opens doors in Berbice

A spirit of celebration, faith, and renewed purpose filled the community of Fyrish, Corentyne, Berbice, as Chhangur Memorial International Ministries (CMIM) officially opened its doors at Lot 68, Main Road. The grand opening ceremony, held on Easter Sunday,April 5, 2026, drew congregants, community leaders, and well-wishers from across the region and internationally, marking a significant milestone in the spiritual landscape of Guyana.

TheopeningofCMIM,a

Christianchurch,standsasa testament to the lifelong visionofMs.Verne“Candy” Chhangur and continues the Chhangurfamily'slegacyof teachingtheWordofGodat the very location where the churchnowstands.

The church's mission is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, make disciples ofallnations,andpositively impact the community.

Leading up to the inauguration, during the event, and afterward, the church has been actively distributing supplies to residents. By God's grace

At left Dr. Mark Vasconcellos, Pastor atAll Nations Church in Raleigh, North Carolina and Dr. Devanand Tika, Pastor of Christian Life Centre, Enterprise, ECD

andthecontinuedsupportof organizations such as Victory International, Project Life, All Nations Church, New Life Baptist Church, and others, the grand opening was a success.

In observance of Easter Sunday, Rev Dr Mark S. Vasconcellos delivered a sermononthe“Resurrection ofChrist”fromMark16.He reminded those in attendance—both in person and online of the hope found in Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead as promised, ascended after 40 days, and will one day return.

Attendees included Rev Dr Devanand Tika, Mrs. Candida Tika, Joshua Sudial, Pastor Joel Beckham, Mrs Karyn Vasconcellos, Dr Enoch Holloway, Dr Marion Holloway, Pastor Ken Porter, Ambassador Rudy Collins, members of the Chhangur family (Errol and Brian), community leaders,

Leaders and special attendees of the Chhangur Memorial Int'l Ministries in Fryish Corentyne

and family and friends from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Jamaica, andbeyond.

CMIM aims to bring people together through f a i t h , p r o m o t e understandingandunity,and inspire transformation both

locally and globally As the doors of the new church opens so too begins a new chapterofhopeandspiritual growth for the Berbice community Community members expressed optimism that the (Continuedonpage48)

Stand with Me Foundation

launches campaign to promote inclusion and empower amputees

In observance of L i m b L o s s Awareness Month thisApril,theStandwithMe Foundation has launched a four-week public awareness campaigntitled“MoreThan My Disability,” aimed at reshapinghowsocietyviews personslivingwithlimbloss while promoting inclusion, dignity,andself-worth.

The initiative seeks to shift public perception by highlighting the identity, strength, and resilience of

amputees, encouraging both personal storytelling and w i d e r c o m m u n i t y engagement.

Participants are invited to complete the statement and share their personal stories,photos,orvideosasa wayofaffirmingidentityand i n s p i r i n g others.Submissions can be sent via Fa

book Messenger, WhatsApp at 681 7552, or by tagging the foundation's page, after which entries will be shared

publiclyonitsplatforms.

Waterfallsthatthecampaign is designed to amplify real experiences and foster a growing movement that celebratesabilityratherthan limitation.

The four-week initiative will feature weekly themes focusing on id personal stren inclusivespaces,and c o m m u n

t y building.Through

Registered amputees share a special evening of fellowship and support during a dinner hosted by the foundation

hese themes, the campaign aims to elevate voices of persons with disabilities whileencouragingthewider

inclusion.

Open to both persons living with disabilities and the general public, the campaign uses social media storytelling and hashtags to challenge stereotypes and promote a more balanced understandingofdisability

AccordingtoHetemeyer, the campaign directly addresses longstanding misconceptions about persons with limb loss, who are often viewed through lenses of pity, limitation, or dependence.

Instead, the initiative emphasises that amputees aredefinednotbywhatthey have lost, but by who they areandwhattheycontinueto achieve By showcasing abilities, sharing lived experiences, and increasing visibility,thecampaignaims to normalise disability and promote a more inclusive society

Ultimately, she said the goal is to move beyond a w a r e n e s s t o w a r d

(Continuedonpage48)

CourtsDeepensNationalFootprintwith StrategicExpansionintoRegionThree

Courts Guyana, through Unicomer Guyana,hasexpandedintoRegion3withthe opening of its new Vreed-en-Hoop branch, bringing its full retail and service offering closer to communities along the West Coast Demeraracorridor

As economic activity and residential expansion continues to increase along the West Coast, the new location places Courts withinreachofagrowingcustomerbasethat is no longer centred solely around Georgetown.

This new opening also builds on Unicomer'slongstandingpresencewithinthe community Foryears,thecompanyoperated aLuckyDollaroutlet,servingcustomersata different scale. The development of this full Courtsbranchexpandsonthatfoundationby introducing a broader product range and a morecompletein-storeexperience.

Delivering the feature address at the opening ceremony, the Honourable Susan Rodrigues,MinisterofTourism,Industryand Commerce, underscored the significance of

private sector investment in supporting balancednationalgrowth.

“Today'sopeningrepresentsfarmorethan the expansion of a retail brand; it brings an enhanced and expanded retail experience to theregion.Ascommunitiescontinuetogrow, thereisaneedtoincreaseaccessintheregion. WecommendUnicomerforthisinvestment.”

With a legacy that spans over a century globally and decades across the Caribbean, Courtshaslongpositioneditselfatthecentre of everyday life for households across the region,builtonamodelthatcombinesaccess, affordabilityandscale.

The opening of the Vreed-en-Hoop branch is a continuation of that strategy, aligning the company's growth with the changing needs of communities in Region Three, where development is increasingly redefining how and where people live and shop.

ManagingDirectorofUnicomerGuyana, Ms. Gillian Matthews, emphasised that the (Continuedonpage48)

From where I stand... DecidingtoteachGuyanesehistoryis theeasypart-teachingithonestlyisnot

T

he call to teach Guyanese history in our schoolsisanecessaryone.It isalsolongoverdue.

That call came into sharper public focus during the Before the Red Dot

conversation series,

o r g a n i s e d b y TEDxTurkeyen, where historian Dr Estherine AdamsandformerPresident Donald Ramotar both emphasized the importance of embedding Guyanese history into our education system.

Their intervention

reflects a growing recognition that as Guyana m o v e s f o r w a r d ; economically, politically, and socially, we must also deepenourunderstandingof who we are and how we got here.

But if we are serious about it and I’m hoping we are; then we have to move beyond the call itself and begin asking the harder questions: what would it actuallytaketodothiswell?

To my mind, calling for history to be taught is the easypart.

Designing how it is taught; what is included, whose perspectives are centered, and how students are encouraged to engage with it, will be far more complex This of course

requires curriculum development, a strong body of scholarship, trained

educators, and a level of institutional and political maturity that we must be honest about whether we currentlypossess.

History in Guyana has never been neutral. It has been interpreted, shaped, andattimescontested;often along political, ethnic, and sociallines.Thatrealitydoes not disappear simply because we decide to formalise it within a curriculum. If anything, it becomesmorepronounced.

During that same conversation,Ifoundmyself reflecting on something I have said before: that the narratives we inherit about ourselves do not always persistbyaccident.

I n G u y a n a , o u r understanding of race, identity,andhistoryhasbeen shaped not only by our colonial past, but by the ways those narratives have been preserved, repeated, and at times reinforced over time.And it is worth asking whether there are still incentives for certain versions of our history to remaindominant,evennow;

because unexamined narratives can become useful, not just historically, but politically And what is useful is rarely surrendered easily

If we are to teach G u y a n e s e h i s t o r y meaningfully, we must also be prepared to teach it

honestly; even when it is uncomfortable.

The idea of “One Guyana” has been advanced asaunifyingnationalvision. But unity cannot be built on slogans alone. It requires a sharedunderstandingofwho weare,wherewecomefrom, and what we have each experienced individually

and collectively as

G u y a n e s e T h a t understanding does not happen organically It has to be taught, and it has to be engagedwithcritically

From where I stand, teachingGuyanesehistoryin schools is not the challenge. Buildingthesystemstoteach ithonestlyandeffectivelyis.

Countries like Belize havetakendeliberatestepsto embed national history and identity into their education systems as a structured part of nation-building That process required curriculum development, institutional coordination, and a willingness to engage with historyinawaythatreflects the complexity of national identity

ForGuyana,thepathwill benodifferent.

Do we have the body of scholarly work required to support a comprehensive curriculum? In some areas, yes; in others, less; it is also worth asking why some of ourmostinfluentialthinkers, such as Walter Rodney, are

s t u d i e d i n d e p t h

internationally; yet remain only lightly engaged within ourownclassrooms.

Beyond content, there is alsothequestionofdelivery Areourteachersequippedto facilitate discussions around complex and, at times, sensitive aspects of our history? Do we have the trainingstructuresinplaceto support that kind of engagement? These are not minor considerations. They go to the heart of whether this effort succeeds or becomes another wellintentioned but poorly executedinitiative.

Inmanyways,thisisthe workIhavebeentryingtodo through the Before Us project: documenting lived experiences, capturing oral histories, and preserving the kinds of knowledge that rarely make it into formal systems. Because history is not only found in textbooks. It lives in people, in communities, in memory

Anyseriousattempttoteach Guyanesehistorymustfinda

waytobridgethosespaces

Atthesametime,thereis an opportunity here for leadership.

Withtheadvancementof the One Guyana initiative and the appointment of an advisor to guide it, there is now a framework within which these efforts can be meaningfully situated. Six monthsin,itwouldbeuseful tounderstandhowinitiatives such as a national history curriculum fit into that broader vision, and what stepsarebeingtakentomove f r o m c o n c e p t t o implementation. To date, I have not heard of a single activity/effort from the officeoftheadvisor.Iamof course,opentocorrection.

Ultimately,thisisnotjust an educational issue. It is a

By Janelle Persaud

developmentalone.

The kind of society we a r e t r y i n g t o build—particularlyatatime of rapid economic change requires skilled and grounded citizens i.e. peoplewhounderstandtheir history, who can think critically about it, and who areabletoengagewitheach other from a place of knowledge rather than assumption.

Therefore, teaching Guyanese history is no longeramatterofthepast.It isnowaboutthefuture.

And if we are serious about building One Guyana, then we must be equally s e r i o u s a b o u t understanding fully and honestly—the histories that shapedus.

Frompage22

develop the national Gas Plans for Berbice.

Hector Fuentes: The

Venezuelan CEO and owner of Lindsayca, the very company currently bleeding the Wales Gasto-Energyprojectdry

NelsonDrake:TheChairmanof theGTEprojectsinceitsinception, and the man who has repeatedly promised the delivery of GTE PhaseI.

Joaquin Vazquez Higuera: Program Director from KBR. His presence is no coincidence—KBR is currently bidding alongside LindsaycaforthelucrativeGuyana Ammonia and Urea Plant (GAUP) slatedforWales.

Whattiesthishigh-flyinggroup together? Fulcrum LNG (Berbice Gas),Lindsayca(GTEWales),and KBR (GAUP Wales) are all executingorbiddingonthenation’s most critical infrastructure projects. And all of them answer directly to the Gas-to-Energy Task Force, led by consultant Winston Brassington under the Ministry of NaturalResources.

This singular flight exposes a terrifying reality: the supposedly independent bids and separate energy projects shaping Guyana’s future are being coordinated by a tight-knit circle sharing the same cabin. How big will this cabal get, and will the Gas-to-Energy Task Force effectively hand over the sovereign wealth and energy independenceofanentirenationto ahandfulofmenoperatingoutofa privatejet?

TheRevolvingDoor: WilltheCabal InheritPhaseII?

As these damning revelations cometolight—themillionsburned on private jets, the logistical absurdity of chartered cargo, the astronomicalcostoverruns,andthe s e c r e t b o a r d r o o m negotiations—oneglaringquestion remains Will the Gas-to-Energy Task Force and the leaders in government actually consider allowing Lindsayca to participate in, let alone win, Phase II of the Gas-to-Energyproject(GTEII)?

Public records already show that Lindsayca submitted a bid to design, construct, and operate the secondphaseoftheproject,aiming to secure another massive payout. Given the sheer scale of the ongoing financial hemorrhage and the deeply entrenched cabal operating out of shared luxury cabins, the public must demand answers. Is there a revolving door between these foreign contractors and the very government officials meanttoregulatethem?

Rewarding this consortium with yet another multi-milliondollar contract after such gross mismanagement and delays would not just be a failure of oversight; it would be a clear signal that the system is entirely compromised,

handing over the nation’s energy sovereigntytothehighestflyers.

11childrenmissing intwomonths - Human Services minister urges parents to take responsibility

An alarming wave of child disappearances has gripped Guyana, with at least 11 children reported missing in just two months, prompting urgent concern a n d r e n e w e d c a l l s f o r accountability Minister of Human Services Dr Vindhya Persaud says the government is now moving to strengthen its response, announcing new initiatives aimed specificallyattacklingthegrowing crisis.

In a video message on Sunday posted on her Facebook page, Dr Persaud said: “We have a missing children policy at the ministry We will also be working to roll out a fewmoreprogrammestodealwith missing children You will be hearing about that,” she informed, adding, “But we can’t do this alone.”

She stressed that parents, guardians and caregivers have a responsibility to take account of theirchildren’swhereabouts.“Iam seeing a lot of children are going missing…Youneedtoknowwhere your children are Parents and caregivers can be charged for negligence,” she expressed “Everyone looks for someone to blame, but at the end of the day, these children have parents and guardians who must take responsibility,”shecontinued.

Persaud explained that parents and other adults can be charged if they have knowledge of what the children are doing but are remaining silent. “They can be chargediftheyknowthattheirchild is going with big men, adults; sleeping out, having a relationship with older people,” she said, adding, “You really need to pay attentionbecausetoooften,wesee these girls going missing They dress,theygotoschool,butareyou payingattention?Thereisalawout thereandthelawcanbeenforced.”

As for the perpetrators, she reminded that any sexual activity with a child under 16 constitutes statutory rape “Once that child speaks up and does the forensic interview and calls you out, you will get yourself in trouble; you couldgetyourselfjailed.” Whena child goes missing, she said, the GuyanaPoliceForcetakesthelead in the investigation, while the Childcare and Protection Agency works alongside them to provide supportandfollow-up.

She encouraged parents and guardians to build strong relationships with teachers, headteachers, and welfare officers in schools so they can stay informed and ensure their children are attending school Persaud’s

comments came a couple of days after APNU Parliamentarian TerrenceCampbellraisedtheissue of a growing crisis in child safety and highlighting the number of cases of missing children lately “Never in my lifetime have I ever seen so many cases of missing children in such a short time,” he expressed, noting that these cases underscore the urgent need for stronger child protection systems, community awareness, and coordinatedaction.

He observed that there have been no visible reports of individuals being prosecuted in cases involving underage pregnancies, raising concerns about accountability and enforcement of the law While the Ministry of Human Services had announced the establishment of a rapid response team to address child abuse and neglect, he noted thatthecountryisnowfacingwhat he described as an epidemic of missingchildren.

Campbell emphasised the need for a dedicated response team specifically focused on cases of missing children, along with the vigorous prosecution of perpetrators involved in abuse and exploitation. He also called for the creation of a national missing persons database to improve

tracking and coordination

Additionally,heexpressedconcern that while missing persons reports arefrequentlymadepublic,thereis often little to no follow-up information. He stressed that the public should be informed when each and every missing child is found.

Based on information he presented, around 1st February, Unita Girdharie, 16, of Enterprise, wasreportedmissing.Justtwodays rd later,on3 February,KevinJames, 13, was also reported missing Fifteen-year-oldDurgaSinghwent missing from a child protection agency, raising serious concerns about the safety and oversight withininstitutionsmeanttoprotect vulnerablechildren.

Also in February, 14-year-old Aleena Preetam died just one month after giving birth, drawing attention to issues on teenage pregnancy and access to maternal care for young girls On 24th February, Tianna Chapman, 15, was stabbed more than 25 times allegedlybythefatherofherchild. th On 10 March, Runica Gittens, 16, from Linden, was reported missing; on 17 March, Jada Adrian, 13, was reported missing, followedbyJasmineMahadeo,12, th nd on18 March.By22 March,Jania De Costa, 13, had also been th reportedmissing. 24 Marchsawa clusterofcases:RomiaMoore,14; Aniah Stuart, 15; and Akelia George, 15, were all reported missing The following day, 25 March, ShellonAllen, 13, of Kuru Kuru,wasalsoreportedmissing.

WEDNESDAY

WalesgasProject Directorislinkedtocorruption scandalinVenezuela

As Guyana races to establish itself as a modern petro-state, the apparent lack of vetting regarding the individuals managing its most piece of critical infrastructure ever pursued presents a glaring contradiction.

In this article, Kaieteur News exposes the tainted track record of

theProjectDirector,RubenFiguera currently employed by Lindsayca, the company hired to construct a NaturalGasLiquids(NGL)facility and 300-megawatt power plant for Guyana.

The project is already facing delays and cost overruns as the contract award to Lindsayca/CH4 continuestoraiseeyebrows.

From frozen bank accounts in Andorra to securing a top managementroleinaU.S.-backed, billion-dollar mega-project— now likely to secure Phase Two of the development, the scandal remains either invisible or ignored by local authorities.

Guyana’s landmark Gas-toEnergy (GTE) project at Wales, West Bank Demerara, is championed by the Guyanese governmentandactivelyadvocated by the U.S. State Department as a cornerstone of the nation’s e c o n o m i c a n d e n e r g y transformation However, a troubling shadow looms over the billion-dollar initiative regarding RubenFiguera,theprojectdirector representingLindsaycaInc.,whose pastisinextricablylinkedtosevere corruptionscandalsinneighboring Venezuela.

Before leading operations for the U S -based contractor in Guyana, Figuera served as a highranking Venezuelan government official within ex-president, Nicolás Maduro’s regime His tenure at the state-owned oil company, PDVSA, was notably marked by his powerful position presiding over lucrative joint ventures between Venezuela and theRussianenergygiant,Gazprom. Bribery,money-launderingand frozenbankaccounts Investigative records and international financial probes reveal a stark conflict of interest during his time in Caracas. While overseeing the PDVSA-Gazprom partnerships, Figuera was instrumental in facilitating multimillion-dollar contracts to Lindsayca Inc.The transition from awarding these massive contracts toLindsaycaasapublicofficial,to Continued on page 33

Frompage32 later emerging as a top executive for the very same private company, highlights a brazen “revolving door” scenario fueled by illicit kickbacks.

During the height of the Venezuelan oil crisis, international authorities

began tracking illicit financial flows bled from PDVSA. Investigations into his tenure revealed that he received massive kickbacks

tied directly to the

Lindsayca-Gazprom contracts. The money trail

ultimately led to the European principality of Andorra, a jurisdiction historically favored as a secretive banking haven Authorities in Andorra subsequently froze millions of dollars in Figuera’s bank

a c c o u n t s , c i t i n g overwhelming evidence of bribery and money laundering.

Despite this welldocumented history of financial crimes and his integral role in the Maduro regime’s plundering of state assets, Figuera managed to seamlessly reinvent himself in the private sector Today, heoperatesfreelyinGuyana as the Project Director for Lindsayca, overseeing the very infrastructure project the U.S. State Department views as a beacon for regionalenergysecurity Figuera’sroleinGuyana

K a i e t e u r N e w s understands that Figuera is directing operations at the Wales site, operating as the public face of the project’s on-the-groundexecution.He previouslyupdatedthepress on progress of the site and provided labour statistics, boasting that “some 75 per centofthecurrentworkforce areGuyanese.”

He has also been a primary executive addressing the multimilliondollar financial claims Lindsayca filed against the Guyanese government over unexpectedsoilstabilization works.

This raises serious accountability questions for the Guyanese government

The Gas-to-Energy Task Force, led by Winston Brassington, awarded the initial infrastructure megacontract to the consortium featuring Lindsayca Was any substantive due diligence performed on Lindsayca and its executive leadership before entrusting them with Guyana’s most critical de

lopment project?

Sources close to the processalsorevealedthatthe geopoliticalimplicationsare equally troubling Official advocacyrequestdocuments submitted to the U S Departments of Commerce and State reveal heavy diplomatic lobbying for the GTEproject.

The big question remains: Is Washington knowingly endorsing an initiative whose daily execution is managed by a former Maduro-era official whose illicit wealth was seizedinEuropeanbanks? Willthebleeding continue?

Despitetheseglaringred flags, the operation continues to expand st unabated.On31 March,the government accepted bids forPhaseTwooftheGas-toE n e r g y p r o j e c t Astonishingly, Lindsayca waspermittedtosubmitabid for this massive secondphase expansion, despite its lack of experience and glaring mishandling of PhaseOne.

In the official bid document submitted by Lindsayca for GTE Phase Two, and seen by this newspaper,RubenFiguerais once again prominently listedastheprojectdirector

The Trojan Horse: How Lindsayca Swapped American Exceptionalism for Venezuelan Corrupt Officials to Lead their Project Sources indicated to this newspaper that the presence ofFigueraatthehelmofthis mega-project is not a mere oversight.

Official documents obtained by this newspaper fromtheinitialGTEPhaseI bid reveal that what the consortium presented to the Guyanese government was vastly different from the entityoperatingtoday

During the vetting process, the consortium leaned heavily on an image

o f “ A m e r i c a n

exceptionalism ” The documents show that an American company, Lindsayca Solutions, and its principals were listed as the P r o j e c t L e a d T h e

organizational chart submittedtowinthecontract was 80% American, projecting a facade of strict U S corporate governance and reliability to secure the billion-dollardeal. However, once the ink wasdryandtheinitialfunds were secured, the facade

crumbled. By January 2023, shortly after the Guyanese government issued a massive down payment of approximately $150 million for GTE I, the LindsaycaCH4 consortium began to aggressively morph In a swift manoeuvring of corporate structure, two of the original four companies that made up the trusted consortiumwerekickedout: the primary American Engineering Firm and the local civil contractor hired forvitallocalworks.

Fastforwardto2025,and the Trojan Horse strategy reached its final stage Lindsayca utilized the Dispute Adjudication Board (DAB) to successfully remove its remaining primarypartner,CH4.

With the original vetted consortium entirely hollowed out, Lindsayca installed Ruben Figuera as the new Project Director TheAmerican-led team that the government believed it had hired was effectively replaced by a leadership structure heavily influenced by former Venezuelan officials.

The deception is poised to continue. This outlet has received confidential documents detailing the “Key Personnel Proposed” fortheupcomingPhaseTwo of the project (GTE II). At the very top of that list, Ruben Figuera is firmly entrenched as “GTE PROJECTDIRECTOR.”

Guyanagets US$761Minoilrevenue infirstquarterof2026

Guyana has earned over US$761M in the first three months of 2026, a new milestone since production activities commenced in December2019.

Thefirstquarterearnings were published by the Ministry of Finance earlier this month in accordance with the provisions of the Natural Resource Fund Act of2021.

According to the Petroleum receipt seen by this newspaper, Guyana’s quarterly earnings reached its highest on record, as oil pricesremainaboveUS$100 perbarrel.

The document indicates that a total of 10 profit oil payments were made betweenDecember30,2025 andMarch31,2026.During the period, one royalty payment, relating to 2025 fourth quarter production was made, amounting to 110,893,513.30.

Total profit payments during the quarter reached US$650,822,819.62.

Overall flows into the NRF,includingprofitoiland r o y a l t y w a s US$761,716,332.92.

In accordance with the 2016 PetroleumAgreement, Guyana receives 2% royalty and 12.5% of profit oil as 75% is deducted by Exxon for costs and enjoys another 12.5%asprofits.

Currently, Guyana has four Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessels (FPSOs) producing oil in the Stabroek Block. The vessels are producing a combined total of about 916,000barrelsofoilperday (bpd) according to the contractor and operator of the block, ExxonMobil GuyanaLimited(EMGL).

The Liza One project, operated by the Destiny FPSOiscurrentlyproducing about130,000bpd,whilethe Liza Unity FPSO is producing about 265,000 bpd.

Prosperity, the third FPSO, according to data

revenues into the Natural Resource Fund from the Stabroek production and revenues, what will happen is that percentage will significantlyincrease.”

THURSDAY

HumanServicesminister blastspolice,othersfor ‘pusharound’ofsexual assaultvictims - demands stronger case reports

publishedbytheMinistryof Natural Resources is producing approximately 265,000 bpd and finally, the One Guyana FPSO at the Ye

260,000bpd.

Lastmonth,ExxonMobil revealed plans to further increaseoilproductionatthe fourth project, which came onlineinAugustlastyear

Asaresultofthehighoil prices, Exxon has said that the country has been repaying costs faster, which will result in the country receivingahigherportionof revenuefromcrudesales.

The 2016 PSA states at Article11thattheContractor (ExxonMobil)shallbearand pay all costs incurred in carrying out petroleum operations and shall recover these costs on a monthly basisatarateof75%oftotal production.

Following the recovery of all costs, Article 11 4 provides “The balance of crude oil…shall be shared between the Government and the Contractor for each Field in the following proportions:Contractorfifty percent (50%) and Minister fiftypercent(50%).”

So far, ExxonMobil has expended U S $40B to develop the seven oil projects approved to date Currently, U.S.$5B remains in the cost bank to be recoveredbythecompany

TheCountryManagerof ExxonMobil, Alistair Routledge said, “If you stay atthecurrentoilpricethenit will happen this year based on the level of expenditures and the production that we anticipate so that’s a significant acceleration Whatthatthenmeansisthat instead roughly the 14 and a half percent that the country hasbeenreceivingbywayof

Minister of Human ServicesandSocialSecurity, VindhyaPersaud,hasissued a stern warning to frontline officers in Region Five, calling for urgent improvementsinhowsexual assault and domestic violence cases are handled, particularly the preparation ofmedicalsandcasereports.

During a high-level meeting on Tuesday with police ranks, regional health officials, and childcare officers, the minister zeroed in on what she described as “critical gaps” that continue to undermine justice for victims The meeting focused heavily on the delays in conducting medical examinations for victims, both adults and children, as well as the need for detailed and properly documentedcasereports.

The ministry in a statement noted that Minister Persaud firmly stressed that any delay or rescheduling of medical examinations places victims at further risk, potentially leading to the loss of crucial evidenceand,insomecases, discouraging survivors from continuing with the process altogether

During the meeting, she made it clear that such practices are unacceptable and must be corrected immediately, emphasising that the system cannot continue to fail those it is meant to protect “We do knowwhentherearecasesof childabuseorthereareadult cases of violence, medical reports need to be done withinacertaintimeframe.If they are not done within a certaintimeframe,theyhave novalue,”shestated.

The minister said that what has been happening is thatthereisa“pusharound” w h e n c h i l d r e n o r complainant come forward, togetamedicalespeciallyin sexualassaultcases.

“So we need to do better with this.The intention is to makethecasereportstrong.

Continued on page 34

Frompage33

Reporthastogotoacourt,if a report has gaps, if a report is not sound, the case goes downhill before anything happens Too many cases go downhill because of poorly written reports and medicals done long after the fact.So,Ithinkthisneedsto be fixed now, we can’t wait, thishastobefixednow,”she told officers on Tuesday Persaud also called on both

police and medical professionals to ensure that all reports are thorough, accurate, and reflective of every critical detail, so that cases brought before the courtsarestrongandcapable of securing justice for victims.

Guyanarampsup advocacyagainst CorentyneRivercharges

President Irfaan Ali said Guyana will intensify its advocacy efforts to resolve

ongoing issues with Suriname over controversial charges imposed for the use oftheCorentyneRiver

The move comes amid growing concern from river operators,who,accordingto the Upper Corentyne Chamber of Commerce and Industry,arenowfacingfees of up to US$2,500 per trip. Brokers are also being charged between US$1,000 and US$1,500 under what are being classified as “pilot licences.”

These combined costs, stakeholders warn, are placing a severe financial burden on river users and threatening to disrupt crossbordertrade.

Speakingtothemediaon Wednesday, President Ali saidthematterremainsatop priority

“This is a matter that we have placed tremendous emphasis on. It’s a priority matter for the Ministry of ForeignAffairs,soeveryday you’re engaged on it,” he said.

While noting that his recent visit to Suriname was primarily to pay respects at the funeral service of President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, the Guyanese leader confirmed that the issue was raised with Surinameseofficials.

“…in another few days, wewillstepupouradvocacy ingettingthismattersorted,” heassured.

Drone shot of the Wales site from Tuesday evening reveals a total standstill. Kaieteur News observed that all heavy equipment remained parked with no sign of workers on the ground.

The president has also warnedthatthenewcharges, particularly affecting the timber and quarry sectors, risk undermining long-

arrangements and eroding

neighbouringstates.

Lastweek,theUCCIsaid communitiessuchasOrealla and Siparuta, which rely heavily on the river to transpo

ssential commodities like sand, loam, and timber, will be particularlyhard-hit.

“The additional cost of doing business will be passed on to purchasers, making operations less competitive in the open market,” the statement warned, predicting “catastrophicrepercussions” forthelocaleconomy

The issue has already triggered a diplomatic response President Ali confirmed that Guyana has formally protested the charges, noting that Surinamese businesses have historically operated in Guyana without similar restrictions.

The Suriname-Guyana Chamber of Commerce has also called for direct engagementbetweenthetwo governments to safeguard the investment climate and support major initiatives such as the proposed CorentyneRiverBridge.

FRIDAY

No24-hourwork ongoingatWalesgasplant despitePMclaims

Is the Government of Guyana(GoG)unawarethat the contractor halts all constructionactivitiesofthe Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility and power plant at

Wales,WestBankDemerara aftersundown?

OnTuesday,theOfficeof the Prime Minister (OPM) issued a glowing press release dismissing recent reports of d

h e transformative Wales Gasto-Energy project is “advancing swiftly ” The government painted a picture of a bustling, roundthe-clock operation with majorequipmentalreadyset instone.

H o w e v e r , a n independent, on-the-ground investigation by Kaieteur News paints a starkly different picture that reveals se

government is claiming and whatisactuallyhappeningat Wales, raising questions about whether the GoG is actually unaware or being misguided regarding the progress of the construction activitiesatWales.

The“24-Hour” WorkMyth

In its attempt to reassure the public, the OPM explicitly stated, “Work on many aspects of the construction is proceeding ona24-hourbasis.”

Ourinvestigationreveals this to be entirely false. The reality on the ground is that the daily shift at the Wales site ends abruptly at 6:00 PM. By 6:30 PM, the vast majority of the workforce can be seen queuing at the bus stop near the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge,headinghomeforthe night.

To corroborate this, our team deployed drones over

the project site during nighttime hours on Tuesday evening, just moments after the statement came from government Instead of a bustling, illuminated operationexecutinga“triple shift,” the aerial footage showedadeadstop.Thesite was dark and completely inactive, flatly contradicting the government’s narrative of a relentless, 24/7 construction effort (See v i d e o : https://youtu.be/G 6QJW vmaSk). TheEmbellished TransformerClaims

The press release also made bold claims regarding the project’s infrastructure milestones,explicitlystating that“Alltransformersforthe substation have been placed onfoundation.”

This, too, is a glaring misrepresentation Recent video evidence obtained by this outlet clearly shows empty foundational pads

Additionally, sources informedthisnewspaperthat not only are all the transformers not placed on theirfoundations,butseveral ofthemdonotevenappearto be on the physical job site yet. Pictures posted online by Lindsayca Social Media Team on Thursday, showed only a partial set of the transformersareinplaceand some foundation work seemstobeincomplete.

Further, industry analysts consulted by this publication believe that the Prime Minister’s office is conflatingtwoverydifferent milestones “It is highly likely that the transformers have simply arrived in the

Kaieteur News was told that it took a visit from the Consultant, Winston Brassington to Houston in the week of March 12th to Lindsayca Headquarters to review major equipment to beshippedtoGuyana.

Localsourcesrevealthat past payment delays and disputes with at least one shipping company and includingonelocalport,had stalled some deliveries to Guyana Given this prolonged storage period and the sudden rush to demonstrate progress, it remains questionable whether the manufacturer, ENERFLEX, was able to conduct the requisite final inspections and quality checksbeforetheequipment wasshipped.

GovernmentConsultant, WinstonBrassington

country, and are slowly beingsentandplacedonsite, b u t t h e O P M h a s embellished the level of completion to make the project appear further along thanitactuallyis.Arrivingat a port in Georgetown is vastly different from being successfully mounted on a completed substation foundation in Wales,” sources familiar to the project execution and general substation work havesaid.

TheTrueTimeline

Beyond the exaggerated daily progress and equipment placement, the most pressing concern for the Guyanese public is the timeline for actual power delivery The government continues to project an optimistic timeline, but the professionals in the industry working behind the scenes telladifferentstory

People in the energy and construction industries consultedbythisoutlethave expressed deep skepticism regarding the government’s currenttargets.Accordingto these experts, given the c u r r e n t p a c e o f work—which is undeniably stalled at night there is virtually no chance that the facilitywilldeliverpowerto theGuyanaPowerandLight (GPL)gridbytheendofthis year

Furthermore, serious q u e s t i o n s r e m a i n unanswered regarding the NGL facility Sources

indicate that critical components of the NGL facilitywereleftsittinginan open air storage yard in the USA for many months

While the government boaststhatNGLbullettanks are arriving, industry insiders are now openly questioning the condition of this unverified equipment and when the NGL facility will actually be capable of processing and dispatching by the Goverment-backed deadline. Questions remain on the liquidated damages according to the original contract, and if the penalties stay in place to enforce on the contractor a timely delivery MissingtheMarket:The EconomicCostofDelay

Thecostoftheseongoing delays is not merely logistical; it represents a massive loss of potential revenue for the nation A recent report in The Economist (April 5, 2026) highlighted the current windfall Guyana is experiencing from surging global oil prices. Sadly, this financial boom entirely misses out on NGL production.

While prices for light liquids and cooking gas continue to increase across the region, Guyana remains sidelined.IftheNGLfacility were operational and on schedule, the country could currently be exporting these highly valued commodities to a hungry market. Instead, due to the project’s stalled p r o g r e s s a n d t h e aforementioned equipment concerns,Guyanaismissing a critical window, leaving significant realized value on thetable.

With billions of USdollars committed to the GTE project, Guyana d e s e r v e s a b s o l u t e transparency instead of exaggeratedpressreleases

Continued on page 35

Frompage34 designed to save face amid ongoing contractor disputes andevidentdelays.

Thisnewspaperwastold the project will not meet its year-end deadline and is more likely come online by mid-2027. Industry experts

are calling on the administration to provide a realistic, unembellished timeline for when the country will finally enjoy a 50% reduction on their electricity bills and reap the full economic benefits of its gasreserves.

Delays will continue costing this country at least $126M monthly for the rental of two power ships to supplementthenationalgrid. Not only that, but the contractor can also seek additional funds to meet expenses related to the project which government will be forced to supply to deliver lower cost electricity to the country as promised.

Itisimportanttonotethat government has hired an independent consultant, Engineers India Limited (EIL) to supervise the GTE projectonbehalfofGuyana. The company is being paid US$22Mforitsservices,yet the government is being grossly misguided by the contractor while the Consultant secures its paymentunchecked.

SATURDAY

U.S.EXIMBanksignals interestinmajorBerbice Deep-WaterPortproject

TheUnitedStatesExport Import(USEXIM)Bankhas signaled its interest in another key infrastructure development to Guyana, the deep-waterport,expectedto beconstructedinBerbice.

During a meeting with President Irfaan Ali and other Cabinet members at State House, Chairman of the US EXIM Bank, John Jovanovic said a letter of interest was issued to the leader

This was disclosed by one of the members of the visiting delegation of the bank during a video statement shared by PresidentAli.

Accordingtotheofficial, “One of the highlights from the lunch was our chairman issuingaletterofinterestfor the deep-water ports and so this is yet another project in which we can support the infrastructure requirements oftheGuyanesepeople.”

Astill view of the suspected crash site taken from one of planes involved in the search on Friday morning

The US EXIM Bank has providedtheGovernmentof Guyana (GoG) with a US$527 million loan to finance the Wales Gas-toEnergy(GTE)project.

In a statement, the US Embassy noted that the leaders discussed exciting opportunitiesahead.“EXIM stands ready to finance additional development projects that align with Guyana’snationalpriorities, b r i n g i n g t h e s a m e transparency, competitive terms, and reliability that c h a r a c t e r i s e U S partnership,” the embassy explained.

In April last year, PresidentAliannouncedthat anadditional1,000jobswill be created in East BerbiceC o r e n t y n e a s t h e government prepares to turn the sod for the US$285 millionBerbicePortproject. At the time, he said that local shipping competitors, Muneshwers Limited and John Fernandes Limited, will be investing in the project.

“They want to turn the sodinthecomingweeks.[It] will be an investment of US$285 million [and] will create 1,000 jobs,” the president said.According to the president, the Berbice Port complements the developmentofadeep-water port in the region. He noted that the government is

working with international company Bechtel to finalise plans for the deep-water port Bechtel has a significant presence in the d e v e l o p m e n t a n d management of deep-water ports. They have experience indesigning,permitting,and managing the construction of such ports, as well as overseeing operations Bechtelhasbeeninvolvedin numerous deep-water port projects globally, including ones in Saudi Arabia, the UnitedStates,Australia,and theUnitedArabEmirates.

President Ali informed his audience that this deepwater port aims to facilitate the development of Guyana’ssecondgasproject.

“That port will open up tremendous opportunities for transport, logistics, accommodation, real estate, [and] construction,” he furtherrevealed.

A modern, high-span four-lane bridge will also be constructed across the Berbice River, and when completed, commuters will no longer be required to pay atollfee.

ASLaircraftcrashesin Region8;GDFlaunches rescuemission

AnAir Services Limited (ASL) aircraft crashed on Friday in the mountainous and dense Region 8 jungle

aircraft bearing registration number 8R-YAC was enroutetoImbaimadaiwhen itwentdown.

Kaieteur News learnt thatthepilotisaNicaraguan nationalandwasbelievedto be the only person onboard whenitcrashed.

The GCAA stated that theaircraftdepartedMadhia at 08:10hrs with one person on board and was due to arrive at Imbaimadai at 08:40hrs”,butitneverdid.

“It failed to report arrival, prompting a flight progresscheckat08:44hrs,” theGCAAsaidwhilenoting that “weather in the area included heavy rainfall and reducedvisibility”.

after taking off from the MahdiaAirstrip.

The Guyana Civil AviationAuthority (GCAA) inapressstatementsaidthat the Cessna single engine

A search effort was immediately launched after they could not make contact withtheplane.

Those efforts, according totheGCAA,laterledtothe siting by two Trans Guyana

Cessna Caravans and a Britten-NormanIslanderofa suspectedcrashsite.

AGuyanaDefenceForce (GDF) rescue team, including special forces and medical personnel was dispatchedtothearea.

TheGCAAinformedthe press that the situation remains active and “all information is preliminary p e n d i n g o n - s i t e verification”.

Meanwhile, theAviation Operators’ Association of Guyana (AOAG) confirmed that it was aware of the incident,notingthatafullair search-and-rescue operation wasimmediatelymounted.

The association said private aircraft operators have been assisting national efforts and remain in close communication with the GDF, expressing hope for a successful rescue of the pilot.

The Panda Who Learned to Climb Again

Highinapeaceful mountain forest filled with tall bamboo trees lived a young pandanamedBao.Baoloved climbingbamboo.Everyday he would climb higher and higher to reach the freshest leaves and enjoy the beautiful view of the valley below From the top of the bamboo, Bao felt proud and brave, and climbing was his favoritethingtodo.

One day, while Bao was climbing very high to reach some delicious leaves, a strongwindblewthroughthe forest The tall bamboo began to sway from side to side. Suddenly the branch Baowasstandingonbenttoo far and snapped. Bao tumbled down through the leavesandlandedonthesoft ground below Although he was not badly hurt, the fall frightenedhim.

After that day, Bao became afraid to climb again. Whenever he looked up at the tall bamboo trees, he remembered the fall and felt nervous His friends continued climbing and enjoyingthefreshleaves,but Bao stayed on the ground. Even though he missed climbing, he was too scared totryagain.

Bao'smothernoticedthat hehadstoppedclimbingand asked him what was wrong.

Bao admitted that he was afraid of falling again. His mother listened and gently told him that everyone falls sometimes, but falling can teach us to be more careful a n d s t r o n g e r S h e encouraged Bao to start again by climbing a smaller bambootree.

Thenextday,Baoslowly climbedashortbambootree.

At first he was nervous, but he climbed a little higher each day As time passed,

Bao's confidence grew and his fear began to fade Eventually he was able to climb tall bamboo trees again.

One morning Bao decided to climb the tallest bambootreeintheforest,the sameonehehadfallenfrom before.Carefullyandslowly, heclimbedhigherandhigher until he reached the top Looking out over the valley onceagain,Baofeltproudof himself He realized that being brave does not mean never falling but having the courage to try again after a fall.

3D Hot Air Balloon Craft

CraftSupplies:

• ColouredPaper

• WhitePaper

• Tissue Paper Heart Confetti

• MiniPopsicleSticks

• MarkerPen

• Scissors

• Glue

HowToMakeaHotAir Balloon

1 – To start, cut some fluffy white clouds from whitepaperandgluethemon

to a sheet of blue paper or cardstock.

We let our clouds over laptheedgeofthepage.

2

– To make the hot air

balloon basket, glue 6 mini popsicle sticks in a row vertically, towards the bottom of the blue sheet Then glue three more mini popsicle sticks horizontally acrossthem.

Thisgivestheimpression ofawovenballoonbasket.

3 – Now you can make theprettyballoon.Todothis, cut a large heart shape from colouredpaper It can be any colour you

like.

We made a pink hot air balloon and also a yellow one.

4

– Next, cover the heart

Reading

hot air balloon with little tissue paper heart confetti. You can buy this or just cut your own if you have tissue paperandaheartcutter

5 – Then glue the two sideedgesofthehearthotair balloon onto the blue paper towardsthetop.

Leave a gap under the balloonsothatitliftsoffthe pageandlooks3D.

6–Finishoffyourhotair balloon craft by drawing on

some ropes connecting the basket and balloon together You can also draw on some little birds flying past too in youwantto.

by Uncle Roy

TherearemanythingsIneedtodo Tohelpmeinmylearning, ButtheoneIlovemostofall Ismakingahabitofreading.

Readingmakesmelearnnewthings, Aswellastospeakandwrite; Ifindlessonsatschoolsomucheasier, AsIgetmoreofmyworkright.

lessons

Storybookscanbesomuchfun, Aswellasteachnewthings; Newspapersalsomakemehappy Withalltheinformationtheybring. W

Somakethetimetoreadeachday, day Andyouwillfeelsomuchbetter; Youwillbecomemoreconfidentofyourself, Asyourworkatschoolbecomesapleasure.

Avoid the Distractions that can impede your path to progress A Life of

The things that we indulge in that keep us off the track towards the goals that we have prioritised are probably the biggest obstacles facing any young personwhoistryingtomake itinthemodernworld.

There are so many things that can keep your attention away from the thingsthatyoureallyneedto dothatyoucanwastealotof energy, time and resources in getting involved in these a n d move in the wrongdirection. The unfortunate things is that we find many people who are otherwise keen on working towards attaining their goals getting distracted,sometimesjustto pleaseothers,believingthat they themselves need this time to idle and enjoy the pleasure that these bring, or eventhinkingthattheyhave enough time and resources attheirdisposaltospendon uselessactivities.

Itistruethateachofus needstospendsometimein enjoying life and the

BRIDGES

pleasuresthatcankeepusin agoodmood,butwehaveto carefully balance this time with what is needed to achieve progress towards the goals that we have determinedtomakethebest ofourlives.

There is a great philosophical theory that says: Whatever you place your undivided attention to grows.

Thismeansthat,aslong as we are serious about attending to the really necessary things in our lives,thenwecanbeassured that we will see progress in these.

Keep telling yourself nottolettheTV,cell-phone, idle friends, and useless activities get in the way of your ambitions, both short andlongterm.

Once you do this earnestly, then you can be assured that your intuition will always guide you to do therightthingeverytime.

Connect these islands with bridges until each island can be reached from any other island, and each island has as manyoutgoing bridges as its number. You may only connect islands vertically or horizontally and bridges may not cross. Theremay be one or two bridges connecting pairs of islands, but no more than two. Each puzzle has a unique solution that canbe found without making guesses.

Alifeofservicereallyisathingthatyoushouldtreasure, Foryouwillmakeadifferencetothisworldthatlastsforever; Forthosewhoarearound,someonewhoselifehasgoodintent Willalwaysandforeverbeaffectedbytheirscent.

Whileyoumayhumblyfailtoseethepermeatingheat Thatcomesfromallyourkindnesstothepeoplethatyoumeet, Yetothers do appreciatetheblessingsthatyoubring; Itaddsaglowtolife,justasthesunshinedoesinspring.

Youmaynotevernoticeit,youmaynoteverknow, Thebeautyofyourlife'swork,whenhumblyputonshow;. So,neverfeelresentment,guardyourheartasifit'sgold; Justwearthebeltofkindness,andletGod'struthunfold.

Don'trelyongratitudeforallthethingsyoudo, ButasktheLordforgracetohelpyouseethemthrough; Enjoyyourspecialroleandknowtheprivilegeisyours: GodchoosesworkerscarefullytocomplimentHiscause.

Beassuredthatmanyoftheseedsyousowwillroot, Andinyourabsencewillgoontoflourishandbearfruit, Soliveinhumbleservitude,contentthatGodabove Iswatchingwithafather'spridetoshoweryouwithlove.

Always remember the Guyanese proverb: You can't eat and blow whistle at the same time.

Solutions to last week’s

MindYour Business

How language, history, and culture shape a tendency toward negativity NegativebyNatureorNurture?

By Dr. Eon Andre George, PhD, EdD

In many of our everyday conversations, negativity is not an interruption. It is the starting point.It slips into greetings, shapes the way questions are asked, and quietly frames how situations are understood before they even unfold. A greeting on the streets of Georgetown might sound like, “What’s up big head?” or“Hey,bignose.”Itissaid jokingly, often with familiarity, but the language itself carries a negative framing Even simple questions follow a similar pattern. Instead of asking, “Are you coming?” the question becomes, “You not coming?” Instead of “Did you finish?” it becomes, “Youdidn’tfinishyet?”

Over time, this way of speakingbecomesnormal.It feels natural and is rarely questioned. Yet beneath it lies a psychological pattern that shapes how people think, interpret, and respond totheworld.Tounderstandit fully, we must go beyond languageandlookatwhereit comesfrom.

WhereThis PatternComesFrom

This tendency did not emerge in isolation. It developedwithinahistorical environment shaped by hardship, control, and uncertainty In plantation societies, survival often depended on caution, anticipation, and reading s

Expectingtheworst was not pessimism It was protection.

Over generations, that mindset became embedded in everyday thinking Language began to reflect this orientation. Questions leaned toward doubt Statements leaned toward caution.Humoritselfcarried a sharp edge, often built around pointing out flaws rather than affirming strengths. In environments where resources were limited and outcomes uncertain, optimism was not always rewarded. Realism, even when negative, felt safer That orientation did not disappear It was passed down, normalized, and eventually became part of culturalexpression.

HowNegativity BecomesLearned Negativity is not always intentional.Inmanycases,it is learned and reinforced over time Psychologists refer to this as learned

me accustomed to expecting negative outcomes based on repeated exposure to certain ways of thinking. Learned pessimism is not something people are born with. It develops over time through repeated exposure to negative experiences, language, and expectations. The mind, in its effort to protect itself, begins to anticipate unfavorable outcomes based on what it

has repeatedly encountered. What starts as adaptation gradually becomes a default way of thinking. Instead of approaching situations with openness, individuals begin to expect what could go wrong before considering what could go right. This patternisreinforcedthrough what psychologists describe as negative cognitive framing, where everyday language and interpretation subtly assume absence, failure, or limitation. Over time, the brain internalizes thisasnormal.

Languageplaysacentral roleinthisprocess Theway questions are framed influenceshowsituationsare perceived When a question begins with a negative assumption,itsubtlysuggests that something is already wrong or unlikely For example, asking “You not going?” carries a different psychologicaltonethan“Are you going?” The first assumesabsence Thesecond invites possibility These differencesmayseemsmall, but repeated over time, they shape expectation. Children raised in environments where language consistently leans negative begin to internalize that tone. It becomespartoftheirmental framework,influencinghow they interpret both themselvesandothers.

ThePowerof CognitiveFraming

This is where cognitive framing comes into play The way a question is asked

or a situation is described d o e s m o r e t h a n communicateinformation.It quietly shapes expectation before the moment even unfolds When language consistently leans toward what is missing, what is wrong, or what is unlikely, themindbegins to approach life from that same starting point.

Think about it. When someone asks, “You not going?” the assumption is already set. The mind does notbeginfrompossibility It begins from absence. That subtle shift matters more than it seems. Over time, repeated exposure to this type of framing trains the brain to expect limitation ratherthanopportunity

This process works a l o n g s i d e w h a t psychologistscallthebrain’s natural negative bias, its tendency to give more attention to negative information than positive. When both forces are combined, negative framing and negative bias, the effect becomes powerful The mind becomes quicker to noticewhatiswrong,slower to recognize what is right, andmoreinclinedtoprepare for disappointment than possibility.

Consider a simple scenario A student completes an assignment andgetsmostofitcorrectbut makes one mistake. If the focus immediately shifts to the error, the mind begins to learn a pattern. It starts to associate performance with what is lacking rather than whatisachieved.Overtime, thisbecomesautomatic.The individualbeginstoscanfor flaws, not because they are naturally negative, but because they have been conditioned to see that way What begins as language becomes perception, and what becomes perception beginstoshapereality

Humor,Familiarity, andHiddenImpact

Much of this language is wrapped in humor and familiarity Callingsomeone “big head” or “big nose” is often playful, not malicious. Withincloserelationships,it signals comfort. However, repetition matters When identity is consistently framed through negative descriptors,evenjokingly,it can influence self-

Dr.

Andre George, PhD, EdD

perception A child repeatedly addressed in this waymaybegintointernalize thoselabels,especiallywhen reinforced across different spaces What begins as humor can quietly shape identity

FromLanguageto Mindset

As these patterns continue, they extend beyondspeechintomindset.

Individuals begin to ant

g

outcomes before positive ones Optimism becomes cautious Hope becomes measured When an opportunity arises, the first thought may not be, “This could work,” but rather, “Let’s see how this goes wrong.”Thisreflectslearned pessimism at work, where expectation is shaped more bypastpatternsthanpresent possibilities. This mindset can influence decision making, risk taking, and confidence. It becomes a silent filter through which lifeisinterpreted.

TheEmotionalImpact

Over time, this tendency affects emotional health. Constant negative framing can increase anxiety, as the mind remains alert for what might go wrong It can

reduce motivation, particularly when effort is not expected to produce positive outcomes. In many cases, this pattern connects to a deeper psychological stance Expecting less becomes a way to avoid disappointment.Itfeelssafer to prepare for failure than to risk hope However, this same strategy can limit growth. When expectations are consistently low, action oftenfollows.

This pattern continues becauseitisnormalized.Itis reinforced in homes, schools, conversations, and social spaces. It is passed down without being questioned because it feels familiar.It also persists because it works in certain ways It protects against disappointment. It prepares

individuals for difficulty It creates a sense of realism. The problem is not that it exists. The problem is when itbecomesdominant. UnderstandingBehavior throughContext Correction does not require abandoning culture or humor It begins with awareness. Small shifts in language can produce meaningful changes in thinking. Asking “Are you coming?” instead of “You not coming?” changes the starting point from doubt to possibility Acknowledging effort alongside correction creates balance instead of constantcritique. Parentsandadultsplaya key role. The language used aroundchildrenbecomesthe language children use internally Reframing how wespeakgraduallyreshapes how we think.At a broader level, it requires intentional efforttobalancerealismwith possibility Not blind optimism, but conscious awarenessofhownegativity influences perception. Over time, these small adjustments can shift both languageandmindset.

When these patterns are viewed more closely, it becomes clear that negativity is not simply a personalitytrait.Itislearned, reinforced, and embedded within historical and social context What appears as pessimism may be inherited expectation.Whatappearsas negativity may be habitual framing. What appears as doubt may be a form of psychological protection shaped by generations of experience Recognizing this allows for change. It creates space to move from automatic negativity to intentional awareness Because in the end, the way wespeakshapesthewaywe think, and the way we think shapesthewaywelive.

Every belief has a history

Everyreactionhasaroot.

Understanding them is wherewisdombegins.

Safari-themedPlayParktotransform

NationalStadiumforPlayLand2026

Children get to showcase their style and talent

Families across

Guyana are being invited to take part in what Event Manager Natalya Thomas describes as one of the largest children's entertainment events ever staged in the country - the Play Land Carnival Children Show, set for Sunday, May 31, 2026, at the Guyana National Stadium.

Runningfrom1:00PM to 8:00 PM, the event promises a full day of activities, with patrons encouraged to arrive early to experience the wide arrayofattractionsplanned throughoutthevenue.

The stadium's tarmac will be transformed into a safari-themed play park, featuring multiple interactive zones tailored for children between the agesofthreeand16.

The event is being organised by DACCO Guyana in collaboration withKidsFest592,bothof which aim to deliver a world-class entertainment experienceforfamilies.

Thomas shared that the entire space will be utilised,with participation frommajorchildren'sevent rentalprovidersnationwide toensureadiverselineupof attractions.

She said children and families can look forward t o a v a r i e t y o f entertainment options, including bouncy castles, trampolines, novelty games,andinteractiveplay zones.

The event will also featurego-kartracing,SIM racing, sports car displays, andaKidsFestPageant.

Additional highlights include appearances by popularcartooncharacters, akidsspaexperience,anda DIY Creative Zone offering hands-on arts, crafts, and building activities.

A specially designed

“Squid Game Experience (Kidsedition)”willpresent interactive versions of challenge-style games adapted for younger audiences.

According to Thomas, the day's activities will conclude with a major concertfeaturingmorethan 15 performers, including former youth competition winners,withsupportfrom the Ministry of Culture, YouthandSports.

Play Land 2026 is also being recognised as an official children's event commemorating Guyana's 60th Independence Anniversary In a push to ensure widespread participation, Thomas said organisershavelauncheda nationwide ticket distribution initiative aimed at reaching children from underserved communities.

Corporate sponsors are being encouraged to contribute through a donation program that will provide access to those who might otherwise be unabletoattend.

“Forover12years,I've been planning events in Guyana, and Play Land represents a major step toward expanding our reach,”Thomassaid.“This event was created to give children from every corner of Guyana a safe and exciting space where they can freely enjoy rides and attractions.”

She added that all unused areas of the venue will be secured and that organisers have worked extensively to maintain a controlled and safe environment throughout theday

Families are being urged to take advantage of early bird specials while supplieslastandorganizers are stressing that arriving early will allow patrons to fully enjoy the extensive lineupofactivities.

Organisers promise an unforgettable experience for children of all ages

'I kept trying until I finally won' -Miss Bartica Regatta Queen

ByTeleshaRamnarine

Novita Pawelae's love for pageantrydatesbackasfaras shecanremember Atjust12 yearsold,shecompetedintheLittleMiss Batavia Heritage Pageant However, afterrepeatedattemptswithoutcapturing a crown, she considered giving it one final try at the Miss Bartica Regatta pageant held earlier this month before steppingawayforgood.

She couldn't be happier that she did because this time around, she was crowned queen. Born and raised in B a t a v i a , R e g i o n S e v e n (Cuyuni/Mazaruni),the21-year-oldsaid shecriedonstagewhensherealisedthat she won because it had always been her goaltobequeen.

Pawelae,thefourthofninechildrenin a close-knit family, grew up in the riverine community and like many other young people from hinterland areas, she hadtomakesacrificestobeabletogetan education.Soat18,shemovedtoBartica, seekingreliableinternetaccesstosupport herstudies,somethingthatwaslackingin hervillageatthattime.

She now resides on the West Coast Demerara, balancing work as an administrative assistant with a quarry company headquartered in Georgetown, alongside her academic pursuits, supportedbyaGOALscholarship.

In an interview with The Waterfalls, Pawelae recalled how her passion for pageantry stemmed not only from the glitzandglamofdressingupandwalking on stage, but in being able to use her platformtohelpothers,especiallyyoung peoplelikeherself.

So apart from immersing herself in pageantry, singing, dancing, and modelling, she took note of the ills that were present in her village and thought aboutwhatshecandotoaddresssomeof them.

Pawelae shared that she competed in multiple pageants and often faced the

harsh realities that are present behind the scenes such as financial strain from sponsorship and travel costs, emotional fatigue, and the repeated disappointment of not winning “After competing five times, most of them back-to-back and only placing as a runner-up, my passion began to fade. I faced numerous challenges, made many mistakes, and shed countless tears. I started to question myself, wondering, 'Maybe I'm not meant for this,'” she shared.

Stepping away for two years, she said she watched from the sidelines. It wasn't a retreat but it was a period she used to improve quietly She studied other contestants, refined her craft, and reconnectedwiththeessenceofwhyshe loved pageantry in the first place. In the meantime, she said she focused on other passions, rebuilt her confidence, and reconnectedwithherloveforpageantry

Withhopeandhelpfromherteamof supporters, Pawelae decided to try one final time. This time, she said she approached it differently “I consulted withpeoplewhohavebeenwithmesince Istartedpageantryandwewereskeptical because of the all the negativity we experienced. But we made sure we got thebestdesignersandthebesttrainersto gettheresultsthatwewouldwant.”

She added: “I committed fully, no matterthesacrifice.Isurroundedmyself with an incredible team who believed in me, understood my journey, and knew howmuchthismomentmeant.Together, weworkedtirelesslytoensureeverything wasinplacesoIcouldsteponstagewith confidenceandfocus.”

Her platform is protecting Bartica's youth through drug awareness and positive alternatives. Inspired by her experiences growing up in indigenous communities, she said she witnessed the devastating impact of drug abuse on

younglives.

“Thishasbeenmyplatformformost of my previous pageants and it was somethingthatIsawatfirstinindigenous communities because that's where I'm from. I saw how drug abuse can really affect someone's mental health and impact their future. So that's where that passion came from; I always wanted to make a change and give back to my community.”

So she is hoping to host workshops, collaborate with schools, and partner with government officials to raise awareness and create safe spaces for youthdevelopment.

Lookingahead,shehashersightsset on even greater stages, including the Amerindian Heritage Pageant and the Caribbean Culture Queen competition. Her message to others is simple: never stoppursuingwhatyoulove.“BecauseI love pageantry is why I kept going, competing in different pageants even though I lost so many times,” she expressed.

“To finally capture the crown, it means everything Knowing the struggles,thesetbacks,andthegrowthit took to get here makes this victory even more special. I promise to fulfill my duties with purpose and passion, and to be remembered as a queen who made a differenceinBartica,”shesaid.

Construction activities ongoing during the night shift (PC: Lindsayca Guyana)

AfterKaieteurNews’expose...

Lindsayca says 80 professionals working night shift at Wales gas project

LindsaycaGuyana,thefirmhiredtocompletetwokeygas plants at Wales, West Bank Demerara on Saturday said 80 professionalsaresupportingthenightshiftoperations.

Thedisclosurebythecompanycomesontheheelsofan independentinvestigationbyKaieteurNewswhichfoundthat although the Office of the Prime Minister said that 24-hour work was ongoing at the site, all activities came to a screechinghaltby6:00pm.

On Tuesday evening our team deployed drones over the project site during nighttime hours, just moments after the statement came from government. Instead of a bustling, illuminated operation executing a “triple shift,” the aerial footageshowedadeadstop.Thesitewasdarkandcompletely inactive, flatly contradicting the government’s narrative of a relentless, 24/7 construction effort (See video: https://youtu.be/G_6QJWvmaS)

While Lindsayca did not issue a direct response to the article by this newspaper, the company in a video on its facebookpagesaid,“AttheGastoEnergyProject,Walessite, work continues across multiple areas, including night shift activitiesfocusedonfabricationandfoundations.”

It added that reinforcing steel fabrication, formwork installation, mass concrete placements, and backfilling are part of the ongoing work supporting the project. The GTE project was initially slated for completion by the end of December2024.Itwasdelayedto2025butisnowscheduled tocomeonlinebytheendof2026.

Thisnewspaperwastoldtheprojectwillnotmeetitsyearend deadline and is more likely come online by mid-2027. Industryexpertsarecallingontheadministrationtoprovidea realistic, unembellished timeline for when the country will finallyenjoya50%reductionontheirelectricitybillsandreap thefulleconomicbenefitsofitsgasreserves.

Delayswillcontinuecostingthiscountryatleast$126M monthly for the rental of two power ships to supplement the national grid. Not only that, but the contractor can also seek additionalfundstomeetexpensesrelatedtotheprojectwhich government will be forced to supply to deliver lower cost electricitytothecountryaspromised.

Thecostoftheseongoingdelaysisnotmerelylogistical;it representsamassivelossofpotentialrevenueforthenation.A recentreportinTheEconomist(April5,2026)highlightedthe currentwindfallGuyanaisexperiencingfromsurgingglobal oil prices. Sadly, this financial boom entirely misses out on NGLproduction.

Whilepricesforlightliquidsandcookinggascontinueto increase across the region, Guyana remains sidelined. If the NGLfacility were operational and on schedule, the country couldcurrentlybeexportingthesehighlyvaluedcommodities to a hungry market. Instead, due to the project’s stalled progress and the aforementioned equipment concerns, Guyana is missing a critical window, leaving significant realizedvalueonthetable.

Guyana already funding pipeline through cost recovery...

Frompage3 processingfacility.”

2 Repayment is via “CostOil”,NotCash

The Hess SEC filings and regional annual reports clarify that Hess and ExxonMobilSECfilingsare not carrying this investment as a cash loan or receivable

from the Guyanese government Instead, the pipeline’sconstructioncosts

nd recovered through the Stabroek Block Production SharingAgreement(PSA).

• The Mechanism: The investor reports outline that ExxonMobil recoups its capital investments through

“Cost Oil.” Under the PSA, theconsortiumisallowedto allocate up to 75% of the total oil produced and sold from the Stabroek block to recover their development costs (including the Gas-toEnergypipeline).

• Corporate Accounting

R e a l i t y : F r o m ExxonMobil’s perspective (and under U S GAAP reporting to the SEC), the pipeline is treated as upstream infrastructure Theyrecovertheir$1billion investment by lifting and selling oil, not by collecting a fixed yearly cheque from Georgetown.

3. Why the $55 Million Figure Isn’t in the SEC Filings

“Because ExxonMobil recoversthepipelinecostsin barrels of oil rather than a fixed cash annuity, you won’t find a 20-year amortization schedule for $55 million in their consolidated U.S. financial statements, ” sources explained.

Instead, “The $55 million figure is actually a Guyanese government budgeting calculation To explaintothepublichowthe pipeline impacts national revenues, the government mathematicallymodeled the $1billionpipelinededuction over20years,equatingittoa notional“unitcost”of$2.40 per MMBTU, which translatestoaUS$55million annual reduction in Guyana’sshareofprofitoil,” anofficialnoted.

The SEC filings confirm the US$1 billion investment andthe50millioncubicfeet per day volume, but report the repayment simply as a standard cost-recovery deduction from offshore oil production, rather than a

standalone financial loan.

Hess in its SEC filings registeraSalesCommitment of 375 billion cubic feet of gastotheGoGfor20years.

Shiftingresponsibility-A politicalwebdesignedto lockawaytheagreements

Since the end of 2022, the political opposition b e g a n r e q u e s t i n g agreements signed between theGoGandExxonbelaidin the National Assembly These requests were met with the simple explanation thatthetimewasnotright.

Former Opposition MP, David Patterson had asked whether any agreements were signed with Exxon in connection with the Wales project and if yes, for the subject Minister to supply theHousewithacopyofthe saidagreement.

During a Sitting of the National Assembly in December 2022, the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat in a written response admitted that GoG signed a Heads ofAgreement (HOA) with the Stabroek Coventures on June 30, 2022.

“Thisagreementsetsoutthe principlesandconditionsfor the commercial and technical arrangements of the Gas-to-Energy Project,” Bharratsaid.

However, he explained, “Thereareotheragreements on supply, buyer’s a g r e e m e n t , f i e l d development, licensing conditions, onshore works, and land matters that are currently being drafted. The respective agreements and policy documents will be p r e s e n t e d t o t h i s HonourableHouse when they have been agreed upon and executed All agreementsarebeingdonein

a timely manner to meet the Final Investment Decision which will allow for the project to be completed by our committed deadline of December2024.”

A l t h o u g h t h e commitment was made for the documents to be laid in Parliament, no official agreementwiththeGoGand thecontractor,relatingtothe projectwaseverpresentedto the House. When Kaieteur Newsbeganrequestingthese documents, responsibility for the project shuffled between government officials, a ploy that continuestoday

Facedwithquestions,VP Jagdeosaid,“Maybesoon,I don’t know I don’t know That’s for Gail Teixeira and theothers”whenaskedwhen theagreementswouldbelaid in Parliament. Kaieteur News days later caught up w i t h M i n i s t e r o f Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira who explained, “I am not awarethatthedocumentsare ready.”

Whenaskedtocomment, Natural Resources Minister said he was busy and the question could be sent to him. This newspaper was however recently informed by Bharrat that the Prime Minister’s office is now handling the project. When contacted, Prime Minister, Mark Philips advised KaieteurNewstocontactthe project consultant, Winston Brassington who continues to read and ignore queries sent by this publication. It was reported that PM Phillips for third time in November 2024 promised theNationalAssemblytolay over the agreement signed withExxonandotherrelated documents.

GFC and GGGI host capacity building workshop to strengthen forest monitoring and reporting

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in collaboration with the G u y a n a F o r e s t r y Commission (GFC) hosted

a capacity-building workshop on monitoring forest loss and information sharing.

Over 70 key technical, policy-basedandregulatory stakeholders attended the hybrid session organized with support from the UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (UK PACT) through the project Strengthening Capacity of Guyana’s Monitoring, Reporting and Verification System (MRVS), GGGI saidinapressrelease.

Edward Goberdhan, Guyana’s Commissioner of Forests, said, “We are very thankful for the support of the UK Government through the UK PACT program and GGGI in the work of the Guyana Forestry Commission and the Government of Guyana in terms of expanding the MRVSsystem.”

Building stakeholder capacity allows Guyana’s MRVStoexpandandcover land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) for the first time. Previously, the MRVS focused on reducing emissions on deforestation and forest degradation(REDD+).This broader scope improves the transparency and accuracy

of LULUCF reporting, supportingaccesstoclimate finance.

AlainArchibald,Acting D e p u t y H e a d Commissioner,BritishHigh Commission to Guyana, noted “By supporting skills d e v e l o p m e n t a n d reinforcing technical systems,wearecollectively advancing evidence-based decision-making and fortifying the foundations for long-term sustainable development.”

Thetrainings,ledbythe consultants, Indufor and Durham University, highlighted the importance of using advanced digital tools and approaches to improve forest governance and align with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) requirements set under the Paris Agreement. A session on Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) also emphasized inclusive and accessibleforestmonitoring processes.

Hansrajie Sukhdeo, GGGI Guyana Program Manager stated, “By equipping national stakeholders with the right tools, skills, and systems, we are supporting more robust, transparent, and inclusive forest monitoring that underpins Guyana’s long-term climate and developmentobjectives.”

GCCItoM&CC:Enforcethelawonstreetlittering

“The GCCI strongly condemns individuals who participate in littering theonusisontheMayorandCity Council to monitor these activities and to enforceourlawsagainstthesepractices”

This was the firm stance taken by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry(GCCI)inresponsetoaquestion by KN regarding reports that businesses along the Regent Street commercial hub have been engaging in improper waste disposal. The allegations suggest that some proprietors have been seen or photographed by Waste Management

Director Walter Narine during his outreachespayinghomelessindividualsto dump refuse directly onto the streets. Efforts to contact MayorAlfred Mentore foracommentprovedfutile.

The Chamber’s statement shifts the spotlight toward the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), suggesting that while theprivatesectorcanadvocateforchange, only the municipality has the power to penalizeoffenders.Despitetheallegations involving the business community, the GCCI maintained that it remains dedicated to fostering a culture of

environmental responsibility The organization noted that it has “continuously conducted activities and engagements geared towards ensuring that our members engage in responsible business practices, including proper garbagedisposal.”

To combat the city’s persistent sanitation issues, the Chamber highlightedseveralongoingeffortsaimed at member education and community service for example hosting webinars focusedonrecyclingtechniquesand Continued on page 46

The GCCI has strongly urged all businesses in Georgetown to adhere to proper garbage disposal methods

Ask the Consul Installment 26-04

Visitor Visa Myths vs. Reality

Misinformation about U.S. visitor visas can create unnecessary confusion for applicants. In this edition of our Ask-theConsul, we will dispel some of those myths and clear the air on some common misconceptions.

MYTH: Consular sections have daily quotas for visitor visas and once they’re met, all remaining applicants receive denials.

FACT: Daily,monthly,oryearlyquotas DO NOTexist for business/tourist (B1/B2) visas.

Consular officers approve every qualifiedapplicant,regardlessofhowmany visas they’ve already issued that day Whether your interview is first thing in the morning or at the end of the day, you will receivethesamefairconsiderationbasedon yourindividualqualifications.

MYTH: A letter of recommendation from a government official or prominent person will help me get approved for a visitorvisa.

FACT: Letters of recommendation or support from government officials, business leaders, or other prominent individuals written in a personal capacity have no influence on visa decisions. Consular officers base their determinations solely on whetheryoumeetthelegalrequirementsfora visitor visa, not on who you know or who writes on your behalf. Letters are only appropriate when they document official government travel or when a business is sending you as their representative for legitimate business purposes. Personal endorsements, even from well-intentioned individuals, do not demonstrate your ties to your home country or your intent to return afteryourvisit. Instead,focusonproviding evidence of your own qualifications, circumstances, and travel plans rather than relyingonthird-partyendorsements.

MYTH: It’s not a big deal to exaggerate or inflate my ties to my home countryinordertoqualifyforavisa.

FACT: Providing false or misleading information during the visa application process is fraud and has serious consequences. If a Consular officer discovers that you willfully misrepresented your circumstances, such as inflating your income, fabricating employment, exaggerating property ownership, or

providing false documentation, your visa application will be denied More importantly, visa fraud can result in a permanent bar from receiving any U.S. visa in the future. Honesty is essential throughout the application and interview process. Present your actual circumstances truthfully,evenifyou’reconcernedtheymay not seem strong enough. Consular officers evaluate many factors and approve applicants with varying backgrounds every day,sodon’tbecaughtinalie!

MYTH: If I keep reapplying for a visitor visa, I’ll eventually find an officer whowillapproveme.

FACT: Repeatedly applying for a visa without a meaningful change in your life’s circumstances will not lead to a different outcome. All Consular officers apply the same legal standards when evaluating visa applications, so simply reapplying multiple timesto“tryadifferentofficer”won’tresult in approval. Before reapplying, consider if anythingsignificanthaschangedinyourlife since your last interview Submitting multiple applications without any notable change in your circumstances only wastes timeandmoney

MYTH: You must be wealthy to qualifyforavisitorvisa.

FACT: Consular officers issue visitor visas to applicants across all income levels daily Financial status represents just one consideration among many, including your trip’s purpose, ties to your home country, employment, family connections, and travel history Whileyoumustdemonstrateability tocoverU.S.expenses,wealthitselfisnota requirement.

MYTH: I have a valid visitor visa, so I’mguaranteedentryintotheU.S.

FACT: Avalidvisaallowsyoutotravel toaU.S.portofentryandrequestpermission toenter,butitdoesnotguaranteeadmission. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the port of entry make the final decisionaboutwhethertoadmityouandfor how long you may stay. CBP officers will askaboutyourtrip’spurposeandmayreview yourcircumstancestoensureyoustillqualify forentryasavisitor. Iftheydetermineyou’re inadmissible,forexample,ifyourintentions have changed or you cannot demonstrate you’lldepartasrequired,theymaydenyyou entry even with a valid visa. Always be

CarolJosephsackedas Oppositionchiefscrutineer

Leader of the Opposition Azruddin Mohamed has terminatedtheappointmentof PNCR member Carol SmithJosephasChiefScrutineerfor the Opposition with immediate effect, citing a “broader review” of the office’sappointments.

T h e d e c i s i o n , communicated via a letter dated April 8, 2026, has prompted an immediate legal and political challenge from Member of Parliament and Attorney-at-Law Dexter Todd,whoquestionedthestatutoryauthority behindthedismissal.

PNCR Member, Carol Smith-Joseph

preparedtoexplainyourtravelplanshonestly toCBPofficersuponarrival.

MYTH: If I’m renewing my visitor visa,Iautomaticallyqualify.

FACT: Visa renewals are not automatic approvals Consular officers must assess whether you continue to meet all legal requirements for a visitor visa, and they will review how you used your previous visa If you misused your prior visa, such as overstaying your authorized period, working without authorization, or violating other visa terms, your renewal application may be denied Proper use of previous visas is essential and demonstrates that you respect US immigration laws However, even applicantswithcleantravelrecordsmustshow theystillqualifyundercurrentcircumstances, assituationscanchangeovertime

MYTH: Hiring a visa consultant improvesyourapprovalchances.

FACT: Visa consultants cannot influence decisions and have no special Embassy connections. Consular officers determineeligibilitybasedsolelyonthevisa interview The application process is relatively simple, and we encourage applicantstocompletetheirownapplications a n d f e e p a y m e n t s Vi s i t https://gy usembassy gov/visas/ for

comprehensiv e information aboutourvisa services and fees. Ifyouchoosetouseaconsultant,verify that all information they enter on your application and appointment request is accurateandcompletebeforesubmission. ***

“Ask the Consul” is a monthly column from the U.S. Embassy answering questions about U.S. immigration law and other Consulartopics. Detailedinformationabout v i s a s c a n b e v i e w e d a t https://gy.usembassy.gov/, https://ais.usvisainfo com/ and https://travel state gov/ InformationaboutAmericanCitizenServices can be found at https://gy.usembassy.gov/us-citizen-services/.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to prepare their own documents and avoid third-party advice. Consular processes change frequently, and non-U.S. government advisors often provide inadequate or inaccurate information. Please contact our Visa Information Service Center using the contact information at https://ais.usvisainfo com/en-gy/niv/information/contact us ifyouhavegeneralvisaquestions.

In the correspondence, Mohamed informed Smith-Joseph that her role,

originally an appointment made under the leadership of Aubrey Norton, was revoked as part of a restructuring exercise “I write in my capacity as the Leader of the Oppositiontoformallyadvise you that your appointment as Chief Scrutineer for the Opposition, which was made by then Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, is hereby terminated with immediate effect,” the letter stated.

The document further clarifiedtherationaleforthedismissal:“This decision has been taken as part of a broader reviewandreconstitutionofappointments Continued on page 46

WinningfromtheInside:AJourneyofPurposeandPresence

AsIpromisedlastweek,I want to share a little more about my recent trip to Michigan What began as a visit has now become something far deeper, more meaningful, and truly unforgettable.

This journey was not just about travel It was about purpose It was about alignment Andinmanyways, itwasaboutreflection.

Therewasatimeinmylife whenIwouldoftenreflecton the words, many rivers to cross.Today,thatmeaninghas evolved. It is no longer just about rivers, but about the many cities and countries I nownavigateonthisjourney ofpurpose.

This trip alone took me from Guyana to Barbados, to NewYork,thentoDetroit,and finally to Lansing; three countriesandfiveairports,all within three days And yet, beyond the physical movement, there was somethingdeeperhappening within me There was stillness. There was clarity Therewaspurpose.

Oneofthemostimpactful momentsformewasmyvisit to Lansing Community College, where I was graciously invited by Ms TanyaMcCain

FromthemomentIwalked intothecollege,Iwasmetwith something that truly touched me There,onamonitor,wasa

video displaying my photos, my bio, and images of my work. In that moment, I was taken back, not to a runway, nottoastage,buttowhereit allbegan.Asmallvillage,one square mile, seven avenues andninestreets;thatmoment groundedme Itremindedme that no matter how far we travel, we must never forget wherewestarted. Standing before the students, sharing my journey, my passion, and my message of confidence and purpose, was both humbling and energizing They were engaged, thoughtful, and curious They asked questions that reflected a

genuine desire to grow, to understand, and to become more.

Reflecting on the experience, Ms Tanya McCainshared:“Thankyouis not enough I truly appreciate youtakingthetimetobewith our students today ‘Confide

T

ough Fashion’ was not just a concept, it was something they experienced. You led them on a personal journey inward, and we witnessed real transformation. You are amazing,andIamsogladto knowyou.”Andthat,forme, isalwaysthemostrewarding part.Lansingwasablessing. Itwasanawakening.

A reminder, when we show up authentically and speakfromtheheart,wecreate space for transformation, not just for others, but for ourselvesaswell

I left that space feeling inspired and deeply grateful; gratefulfortheopportunityto connect, grateful for the students’ openness, and grateful for the possibility of continuing to contribute to that community here in Michigan and in other parts oftheworld.

Ms. Tanya McCain, who made this visit possible, is a dynamic leader whose work reflects both excellence and service As Director of the MartinLutherKingJr Equity

Center at Lansing Community College, she continues to create meaningful impact through her commitment to inclusion, leadership, and community development Her journey is a powerful reflection of purpose in action.

This experience aligns beautifully with the work we are doing through the Empowerment Institute for Michigan

As we prepare for the launch of Empowerment Through Fashion: Winning from the Inside, a six-week program beginning this summer,Iamhonoredtoserve in this transformational space.

This program is rooted in a value-based and faith-centered foundation that runs throughouttheentiresix weeks It is designed to help participants develop not only their external presence but alsotheirinternalalignment.

Becausebeforewepresent ourselves to the world, we mustfirstunderstandwhowe are.

Throughout the program, mental health and wellness will be a key component, guided by LaTonya Demps, whose work supports individuals in building emotional awareness, resilience, and well-being. This creates a safe and intentional space for participants to explore their innerworld.

From there, the journey continuesintodeeperareasof identity, mindset, leadership, and personal values Participantsareencouragedto reflect on who they are, what they believe, and how they choose to show up in the world.

They begin to understand that confidence is not something we put on It is somethingwecultivate Leadership is not about position It is about presence And that true empowerment beginsfromwithin AsIengagedmoredeeply with the Institute during this visit,Iwasalsoinspiredbythe

GCCItoM&CC:Enforcethelaw...

Frompage44 modernwastemanagementstrategies.Aswellasmobilizing members to participate in frequent clean-up campaigns acrossthecapital.

RegentStreethaslongstruggledwithwasteaccumulation, a problem exacerbated by high foot traffic and heavy commercial activity The report of businesses utilizing the city’s vulnerable population to bypass official disposal methodshasovertheyearssparkedconcernsregardingpublic healthandtheaestheticsofthe“GardenCity”

CarolJosephsackedas...

Frompage45 madeundertheOfficeoftheLeaderoftheOpposition.”

MohameddirectedSmith-Josephto“ceaseperformingany functions,duties,orresponsibilitiesassociatedwiththeposition” andexpressedgratitudeforherserviceduringhertenure

The move was met with swift condemnation from Todd, whoarguedthattheLeaderoftheOppositiondoesnotpossess the legal power to terminate a position tied to the Guyana ElectionsCommission(GECOM)framework Inastatement posted to his Facebook page, Todd called for GECOM’s immediate intervention to clarify the law “GECOM must speak,theLeaderoftheOppositionissurelymisinformedand misled,”Toddwrote “Thisisnotanappointmentbylawthata leader of the opposition can make, therefore how can you terminate Is leader now an employee of GECOM?” Efforts madetocontactGECOMCEOVishnuPersaud,provedfutile

strength of the leadership guidingthiswork Iamexcited to be working alongside individuals like Amy J Partin, Chief Operating OfficeroftheEmpowerment Institute for Michigan, who brings a wealth of experienceacrossthepublic, private, and nonprofit sectors.

Amy’s leadership reflects a deep commitment to empowering individuals and buildingthrivingcommunities through civic engagement, leadership development, and public service. Her presence adds both strength and intentionality to the work beingdone.

Reflecting on the Institute’smissionandimpact, Amyshared:

“AstheInstituteopensits arms to serve emerging leaders, leaders, and organizations in Lansing and acrossthestateofMichigan,I am humbled by the opportunity to be part of it. Practically speaking, we offer evaluation, training, a n d w o r k f o r c e empowerment strategies to h e l p p e o p l e a n d organizationsthrive.Iseeso many in need here in my homestate,andIbelievethis Joy at Work framework, which has already impacted thousands across the world, w i l l b e t r u l y transformational for Michigan.”

Herwordsreflectnotonly vision, but a genuine passion forserviceandtransformation, valuesthataredeeplyaligned withtheheartofthiswork

Whatmakesthisprogram so impactful is its intentional design It does not rush the process It honors the importanceofdoingtheinner workfirst Becausebeforewe clothe our bodies, we must clotheourcharacter

Andwhenthatinnerwork is done, the outer expression becomes effortless, authentic, andaligned

This is where fashion becomes powerful Not as performance but as expression Notaspressurebut aspurpose

As I reflect on this past week, from the launch of the institutetomytimeatLansing Community College, I am reminded that this work is biggerthananyonemoment

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Chhangur Memorial Int’l Ministries opens...

From page 28 ministry will serve as a beacon of light, fostering unity, compassion,andfaithforgenerations to come.

The church is led by Rev Dr. Mark S. Vasconcellos, a Guyanese-born international pastorwhoseworkhasearned widespread respect in theological circles, humanitarian efforts,andthepursuitofjustice.

Hisleadershipbringsboth globalexperienceandadeeprooted connection to his homeland.

Dr Vasconcellos serves as an Elder and International Pastor at All Nations Church inRaleigh,NorthCarolina.He is an ordained minister in North Carolina and an ordainedbishopinGuyana.His ministryreflectsastrongcommitmenttobothlocaloutreach and global missions, having shared the Gospel across five continents, including Belgium,Brazil,Canada,England,

France,Germany,Guyana,India,Israel,Jamaica,theNetherlands, Morocco, Nepal, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United States.

A distinguished pastor, church planter, and speaker, Dr Vasconcelloshaslectured internationally, including engagements in North and South India. In late 2025, he deliveredlecturesontheHistory of the NationalAssociation for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at North Carolina State University.

His work integrates faith, education,andsocial awareness, emphasizing the role of the Church in addressing both spiritual and societal needs.

His dedication to service has been widely recognized. In2024,hereceivedU.S.CongressionalRecognitionforhis advocacy and contributions

tocommunitydevelopmentin NorthCarolina.In2015,former President and Prime Minister ofGuyanaSamuelHindsrecognizedhimforhisserviceto theGuyanesepeople.In2003, hereceivedthe“Ambassador for Peace” award in South Florida.

Dr Vasconcellos holds a Doctorate and a Master’s degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in WakeForest,NorthCarolina, a Bachelor’s degree from Florida International University, and anAssociate degree fromMiamiDadeCollege.

His theological training includes studies in Biblical Geography Study in Israel andcourseworkinBuddhism andIslaminChiangMai,Thailand.

Beyond the pulpit, Dr Vasconsellos is also an experienced educator and trainer, with a professional background that includes serving asalawenforcementinstruc-

tor This experience has shaped his disciplined approachtoleadershipandministry. Fluent in English and Spanish, he continues to impact lives through teaching, mentorship, and service.

On Wednesday, April 8, Dr.Vasconsellos and Mr Joshua Sudial visited Sarah Elisabeth Shivpersaud (the mother charged with murder and attempted murder of her children) at Port Mourant Hospital.

They prayed for her, emphasizing forgiveness and peace through Jesus Christ, and promised to bring her a Biblelaterthatweek.Healso reminded her that a brief moment in her life does not define who she is. Later that evening, he led a Bible study for adults and children, and all attendees received supplies.Thelargeconcretecross in front of the church has become a landmark for those traveling to Fyrish.

StandwithMeFoundationlaunchescampaign...

From page 30 acceptance, respect, and meaningfulinclusion.

The Stand With Me Foundation was established onApril27,2024,byeducator,motivationalspeaker,and amputee Hetemeyer, whose personal experience of limb loss inspired the creation of the organisation.

Hetemeyer shared that the foundation was born from a desire to transform personal tragedy into purpose by creating a space

where amputees can be seen, heard,andempowered.

She explained that the campaign also responds to the emotional and psychological challenges many amputees face, including issues ofself-worth,confidence,and acceptance.

“At the same time, there was a clear need to educate society,” she noted. “We wanttochallengemisconceptions, encourage empathy, and promote inclusion by helping others understand

CourtsDeepens

From page 30

decision to invest in Vreeden-Hoop was grounded in a clearshiftinhowthecommunity is growing and what it now demands.

“For years, this location served the community in a

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Air & B on E.C.D. 1 & 2 rooms,kitchen,livingroom, parking. Daily $50US, Longterm. Call: 609-1191, 622-8985,1-347-841-5872.

thatdisabilitydoesnotdefine aperson’sabilitytolivefully and contribute meaningfully.”

Since its establishment, the foundation has undertaken several initiatives to support amputees, including the distribution of Christmas vouchers in 2024, provision of a wheelchair to a beneficiaryduringthesameperiod, a dinner for registered amputees, and a fundraising luncheon.

Through“MoreThanMy

Disability,” Hetemeyer said thefoundationiscontinuing itsmissionofempowerment, advocacy, and community building,whileencouraging Guyanese society to rethink disability and embrace a moreinclusivefuture.

Apart from Hetemeyer, theteamcomprisesSheantta Henry,VicePresident;Crystal Gill, Secretary; Rocala Williams, Treasurer; Dr Vasana Henry, Fundraising Director;andFionaRassoul, ProgrammeCoordinator

NationalFootprintwithStrategic...

different capacity, but as the area evolved, so too did expectations. Customers were askingformore—greatervariety, improved quality and a more comprehensive shoppingexperience.Thisinvestmentisourdirectresponseto that.”

She added that Courts’ model has always extended beyond retail, focusing on enabling access and supportinglong-termimprovementin qualityoflife.

The Vreed-en-Hoop branch offers an expanded rangeoffurniture,appliances andelectronics,alongsideintegrated optical services, reflecting a more comprehensive approach to meeting both lifestyle and essential needs within a single location.

Director of Sales, Ms. Katty-Ann Lewis, noted that the expansion is anchored in a broader commitment to communityconnection.

“We are not here merely as a retailer, but as a partner in everyday life.As the communitycontinuestogrow,we are committed to growing alongside it.”

The opening also reinforces Courts’ role within Guyana and its evolving retail landscape; one that is increasingly shaped by decentralisation,accessibility andtheneedtomeetcustomers within the communities theycallhome.

SYNERGY WEIGHT LOSS CENTRE &...

From page 27 achievement, noting that the certificationhasenhancedthe company’s internal systems and reinforced its commitment to providing high-quality, consistent services to its clients.

TheGYS901Certification Programme is designed to support MSMEs by providingapracticalframeworkfor improvinginternalprocesses and overall business performance. It enables businesses to enhance operational efficiency, establish clear procedures, and consistently meet customer and regulatory re-

quirements.

Key benefits of the programmeincludeimproved market access for products and services, increased efficiency,clearlydefinedoperational standards, opportunities for innovation, and greater customer confidence in businesses that demonstrate compliance with quality,environmental,andoccupational safety and health requirements.

Additionally,thecertification helps to position local businesses to compete in regionalandinternationalmarkets.

Other businesses that have attained certification so farareSatroMedicalCentre, Evolve Business Solutions Inc., Maliyah’s Kitchen, Qualitest,AshdelEnterprise, Safe Space Solutions, J&W Training and Consultancy and Guyana Small Business ResourceCentre.

The GNBS encourages othersmallandmedium-sized enterprisestotakeadvantage of the GYS 901 Certification Programmeasastrategictool to strengthen operations, improve competitiveness and unlock new growth opportunities.

Pres. Ali pushes bold Guyana-T&T reset

President Dr Mohamed IrfaanAliiscallingforabold reset in regional economic thinking, urging deeper, results-driven collaboration

between Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago to unlocksharedprosperityand globalcompetitiveness.

Delivering the feature address at the Trinidad and TobagoChamberofIndustry and Commerce Annual Business Meeting Outlook 2026/2027 in Port of Spain, the president underscored that the long-standing partnership between the two nationsmustnowevolveinto a future-focused alliance grounded in innovation, integration, and strategic investment.

“We are not here to decide whether it is curry chickenorchickencurry,we are here to agree that we must have curry,” President Ali said, using humour to emphasisetheneedforunity andsharedpurpose.

— urges integration over isolation

energy, agriculture, and manufacturing, urging regional stakeholders to leverage capital, natural resources, and expertise to build globally competitive industries.

The president further outlined Guyana’s development trajectory, describing it as an emerging petrostate pursuing aggressive diversification

Henotedthatrevenuesfrom the oil and gas sector are being channelled into

highlighted investments in digitalisation, artificial intelligence,andthecreation ofamodern,efficientpublic s e c t o r t o r e d u c e inefficiencies and improve service delivery He also pointed to Guyana’s leadership in environmental services, including the monetisation of forest carbon credits and the establishment of a global biodiversityalliance.

environments that inspire investorconfidence.

He encouraged Trinidad and Tobago’s private sector to deepen its engagement in Guyana beyond traditional sectors, calling for long-

investments that can drive regional food security, energy integration, and

“Protectionism cannot and will not make us successful in the new world,” the presidentasserted.“Theonly

The head of state highlighted that the Guyana–Trinidad and

A team working during Saturday’s clean-up exercise.

Tobago relationship is deeply rooted in history, culture, and trade, from traditional“suitcasetrading” to longstanding commercial exchanges, but stressed that the next phase must be anchoredinforward-looking p o l i c i e s a n d competitiveness “This partnership cannot be advanced by inefficiency or by systems that delay

progress,” he stated, adding that regional economies must be re-engineered to

competition and global marketconditions.

PresidentAliemphasised the importance of shifting

g development strategies to o

n g , opportunity-driven models. He pointed to untapped potential in sectors such as

The National Enhancement Committee onSaturdayconductedanationwideexercise that saw widespread participation from citizens,organisations,andtheJointServices acrosseveryregion.

The Committee, chaired by Minister DeodatIndar,mobilisedresourcesacrossthe country and massive volumes of garbage werecollectedandtransportedtothelandfill, reflecting the spirit of collective action and nationalpridethatdefinedtoday’seffort,the DepartmentofPublicInformation(DPI)said inapressrelease.

“The National Enhancement Committee extendsitsgratitudetotheHonourablePrime MinisterandMembersofCabinet,whowere all hands on deck, spearheading operations across various regions and locations throughoutthecountry Theirpresenceonthe groundsentaclearsignalthatenvironmental stewardship is a national priority at the highest levels of government,” the release added.

According to the release, the scale of Saturday’sachievementwouldnothavebeen possiblewithouttheremarkablecontribution of youth and civil society groups, organisations, mandirs, mosques, churches, community bodies, and a wide coalition of privatesectorcompaniesandpublicagencies across the regions who mobilised and

Countrywide clean-up exercise hail a success

donated equipment, vehicles, personnel, and logistical support to the initiative. Their initiativeandwillingnesstoactreinforcedthe truly national character of today’s exercise.

“Today showed exactly what Guyanese can accomplish when we come together with a shared purpose,” said Minister Indar “The volume of waste removed in a single day speakstotheresolveofourpeople.Iwantto extendmydeepestthankstoeveryvolunteer, every organisation, and every company that made this happen ” The National EnhancementCommitteewishestoformally recogniseandextendsinceregratitudetothe following organisations whose generous contributions of equipment, vehicles, personnel, and resources were instrumental totoday’ssuccess:GAICO;Zeebo andSons Construction; Japarts; Puran Brothers; Cevons Waste Management; SAWA Investment Inc.; Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Private Sector Commission; Guyana Defence Force; Men on Mission; Ministry of Local Government; Chinese Association of Guyana; XL Engineering; S. Joree and Sons; M & B Construction;R.PersidConstruction;Macro Investment Inc.; Tiger Tanks; ENVIRO Waste Management Services; Lions Club of Guyana and Regional private sector groups acrossRegions1to10.

agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare, and technology Among key initiatives, he

President Ali stressed thatfuture-proofingregional economies will require sustained investments in innovation, human capital, andinfrastructure,aswellas the creation of stable,

integration, and building a common platform that allows our region to thrive both within and beyond our borders.”(DPI)

Mocha men arrested over Goed Fortuin robbery, Eccles burglary

Police have arrested two young menfollowinganintelligence-led operation carried out on Friday, April10,2026,between15:00hrsand17:00 hrsatMocha,EastBankDemerara.

Thesuspects,a22-year-oldvendoranda 21-year-old construction worker, both of Barnwell North, Mocha, were taken into custodyinconnectionwithseparaterobbery underarmsandbreak-and-enterandlarceny incidentsreportedearlierthismonth.

Investigators allege, according to a police press release, that the duo was involvedinthearmedrobberyofaChineseowned supermarket at Goed Fortuin, West

CoastDemerara,onApril6,2026.Theyare also suspected to have participated in a break-and-enterandlarcenyataresidencein Eccles, East Bank Demerara, on the same date.

Following their arrest, the men were escorted to the Providence Police Station, where they were questioned and subsequentlydetained.

Police said that CCTVfootage obtained from both crime scenes was reviewed and playedakeyroleinidentifyingandlocating thesuspects.

The two suspects remain in police custodyasinvestigationscontinue.

Armed bandits invade Eccles home, rob three foreign nationals

Police in Regional Division 4 ‘B’ have launched an investigation into an alleged armedrobberythatoccurredonFriday,April 10, 2026, at approximately 15:53 hrs at a residenceinEccles,EastBankDemerara.

Accordingtoastatementfromthepolice, three Chinese nationals had just returned homeandwereintheprocessofexitingtheir motor vehicle in the garage when they were confronted by four identifiable male suspects.

Oneofthesuspectswasreportedlyarmed with a handgun. The perpetrators allegedly

forcedthevictimsintothehouse,wherethey proceeded to ransack both the upper and lowerflats.

Thestatementsaidduringtheordeal,the victimswererelievedofatotalof$500,000in Guyana currency, US$900, 1,000 Mexican pesos, 200 Hong Kong dollars, as well as a Chinese identification card and other personaldocuments.Investigatorshavesince retrieved CCTV footage from security cameras installed at the property, which is expected to aid in identifying and apprehendingthesuspects,policereported.

U.S.-Irantalkspausefornow,disagreementsremain

ISLAMABAD, April 12

(Reuters) - Negotiations between theUnitedStatesandIranappeared to have concluded for now, Iran’s government said early on Sunday, afteraseriesoftalksinPakistanto end the six-week war between WashingtonandTehran.

ThetalksinIslamabadwerethe first U.S.-Iranian meeting in more thanadecadeandthehighest-level discussions since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The outcome could determine the fate of the fragile two-week ceasefire and the reopeningoftheStraitofHormuz,a chokepointforabout20%ofglobal energy supplies that Iran has blocked since the war began. The conflict has sent global oil prices soaring and killed thousands of people.

In a post on X, Iran’s governmentsaidthatafter14hours, the talks had concluded and technical experts from both sides would exchange documents “Negotiationswillcontinuedespite some remaining differences,” the post added, though it did not say whentheywouldrestart.

Aman walks past a billboard near the media centre as delegations from the United States and Iran are expected to hold peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-inlaw Jared Kushner met Iranian Parliamentary S

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and ForeignMinisterAbbasAraqchifor two hours before a rest, according toasourcefrommediatorPakistan.

The Trump administration had not yet commented on whether the negotiations had concluded and what, if any, differences remain. The Iranian delegation arrived on Friday dressed in black in mourning for late Supreme Leader AyatollahAliKhameneiandothers killedinthewar Theycarriedshoes

and bags of some students killed during the U.S. bombing of a schoolnexttoamilitarycompound, the Iranian government said. The Pentagon has said the strike is underinvestigationbutReutershas reported that military investigators believe the U S was likely responsible for it. “There were mood swings from the two sides and the temperature went up and downduringthemeeting,”another Pakistanisourceinreferencetothe first round of talks. For the U.S.Irantalks,Islamabad,acityofmore than 2 million people, was locked down with thousands of paramilitary personnel and army troops on the streets. Pakistan’s mediating role is a remarkable transformationforanationthatwas adiplomaticoutcastayearago.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ

As the talks started, the U.S. military said it was “setting the conditions” to start clearing the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is central to the ceasefire talks.TheU.S.militarysaidtwoof itswarshipshadpassedthroughthe straitandconditionswerebeingset

to clear mines, while Iran’s state media denied any U.S. ships had transitedthewaterway Beforethetalksbegan,asenior IraniansourcetoldReuterstheU.S. had agreed to release frozen assets inQatarandotherforeignbanks.A U.S. official denied agreeing to release the money As well as the release of assets abroad, Tehran is demanding control of the Strait of Hormuz, payment of war reparations and a ceasefire across the region including in Lebanon, according to Iranian state TV and officials. Tehran also wants to collect transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz.Trump’sstatedgoalshave shifted,butasaminimumhewants free passage for global shipping throughthestraitandthe crippling of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme to ensure it cannot produceanatomicbomb.U.S.ally Israel, which joined the February 28attacksonIranthatlaunchedthe war,hasalsobeenbombingTehranbacked Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and says that conflict is not part of the Iran-U.S. ceasefire. Mutualdistrustishigh.

OPED - A Dangerous Shift in the Use of State Power

ByAmanzaWalton,MP

Over the past several weeks, I have watched with growingconcernasthetone, and now the conduct, of public authority in Guyana hasshiftedinadirectionthat should trouble every Guyanesecitizen.

Remarks emanating from various quarters in the Executive can no longer be taken in isolation. What we are seeing is a pattern, in language, in posture, and increasingly,inaction.

When the President, Irfaan Ali, speaks about publishing lists of citizens tied to irregular driver’s licences and warns of prosecution and public exposure, that is not simply a d m i n i s t r a t i v e communication, it is deterrence through fear and publicshaming.

When the Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, moves from legal

clarification to statements like “ignorance is no excuse,” delivered with public scolding and denunciation, that is not just guidance, it is admonition fromapositionofpower

When the Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, tells citizens that structures will be removed the same day, with no compensation andinsomecasesnonotice,

that is not orderly g o v e r n a n c e , i t i s enforcement delivered as threat.

W h e n P r i y a Manickchandsuggeststhata municipality had no right to speak in a way that conflicted with her position, and that this has been met withatakeoverofcitystreets by central government, it d o e s n o t r e a d a s coordination. It reads as a demonstrationofpower,and a warning that opposition willbemetwithpunishment. And now we are seeing

something even more serious.

The takeover of municipal roads and facilities, long under the stewardship of local democratic bodies, has not been accompanied by a transparent process or a cooperative transition.What we are seeing instead is assertion, displacement, and warning. Public statements andsignagehavegonesofar as to suggest that local government officials may face arrest or prosecution if they attempt to access or operate within spaces that arestillmunicipalproperty

Pause and think on this. Elected local officials, representativesofthepeople at the community level, being warned away under threatofarrestfromfacilities tiedtotheirmandate.

T h a t i s n o t administrative coordination.

T h a t i s n o t intergovernmental cooperation. That is central authority overriding local governance through intimidation.Itisbullyingby theState.

Government is not a landlordbarkinginstructions

at tenants neither is Government an enforcer seeking compliance at any cost Government is a servant of the people, entrusted with authority but bound by responsibility, the r e s p o n s i b i l i t y t o communicate clearly, to act lawfully,andtotreatcitizens andinstitutionswithdignity. Yes, the law must be enforced. Yes, illegal s

a d d r e s s e d Y e s , infrastructure must be d e v e l o p e d Ye s , jurisdictionalquestionsmust beresolved.

But how this is done matters!

Whatismissinghereisa clear commitment to due process and legal clarity, to propernoticeandreasonable timelines,torespectforlocal democratic institutions, and togivingpeopleapathwayto comply before they are punished.

Instead, what we are increasingly seeing is a shift toward zero tolerance

without explanation, immediate enforcement without structured process, public exposure instead of quiet administration, and threats in place of engagement.

The PPP Government is expressing its insecurity in the way it wields power A confident government does not need to threaten its peopleoritsinstitutionsinto compliance. It persuades, it informs, it builds trust, and when enforcement becomes necessary, it does so firmly, lawfully, and without spectacle.

We must also be honest about the signal this sends. When senior officials communicate and act in this way, it normalizes a culture in which authority speaks down, institutions are overridden rather than respected, citizens and local representatives are expected tosubmitratherthanengage, and fear becomes a tool of governance.

History has shown us time and again that this is

how societies begin to drift, quietly and incrementally, toward something far more dangerous.

Guyana stands at a defining moment, but developmentisnotaslogan, norisitmeasuredonlyinoil revenues or new roads and bridges.Itismeasuredinthe strength of our institutions, the balance of our governance, and the respect showntoourpeopleatevery level.

We cannot build a modern Guyana on a foundation of intimidation, whether that intimidation is directedatcitizensoratlocal governmentbodies.Wemust build it on respect, on transparency, on due process, and on mature leadership.

We can enforce the law without humiliating people. We can correct behaviour without threatening livelihoods overnight. We can resolve jurisdictional disputes without sidelining elected local authorities and we can lead without resorting to language and actions that diminish those wearemeanttoserve.

The people of Guyana deservebetterthanthistone, and better than this approach.

Andtothoseinpositions of authority, I say this plainly Power is not proven by how forcefully you can act against the public or its institutions. It is proven by how responsibly, how lawfully, and how respectfullyyoulead.

Sod turned for Bartica Regional Hospital

…tobecompletedin24months

TheMinistryofHealthon Saturday celebrated a major milestone with the sod-turning ceremony for the constructionofanew,state-of-theart regional hospital in Bartica, RegionSeven.

The facility, which is expected tobecompletedintwoyears,forms part of the government’s ongoing efforts to modernise and expand healthcareaccessacrossGuyana.

Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, in his feature address, described the occasion as a “memorable and long-anticipated moment”, noting that the project reflects the government’s commitment to strengthening the national health system following the challenges exposed during the COVID-19pandemic.

Since2020,thegovernmenthas made substantial investments in healthcare, including the construction of nearly 25 health centres and posts nationwide. The government has also commission six new regional hospitals in areas such as Lima, De Kinderen, Diamond, Enmore, Bath, and No. 75Village.Thesefacilitiesarefully operationalandstaffedwithtrained

medical professionals, including specialists.

The minister explained that after careful assessment, the government opted to construct the new hospital on a fresh site rather than retrofitting the existing facility The new location spans approximately ten acres, allowing room for future expansion, improved patient access, and enhanced emergency response capabilities,includingproximityto the airstrip for medical evacuations.“Whenthishospitalis completed, people in Bartica and surrounding communities will be able to access high-quality,

specialised services right here, without having to travel to Georgetown,”henoted.

The new Bartica Regional Hospital will be equipped with a widerangeofmodernservicesand technologies. These include a 24hour accident and emergency department, pharmacy, and diagnosticunitfeaturingdigitalXrays, ultrasound, and a modern CT scanner

The facility will also incorporate advanced artificial intelligence systems to assist with rapid interpretation of medical imaging, enabling quicker and moreaccuratediagnoses.

Additionalfeatureswillinclude afullyequippedlaboratorycapable of conducting over 100 types of tests, a modern blood bank, and approximately50inpatientbedsin self-contained, air-conditioned roomsdesignedforpatientcomfort andprivacy

“We

ses, technicians, and other healthcare workers in this hospital to come from Bartica and surrounding communities, and we are asking residentstoworkwithustoidentify and train young people for these opportunities, ” he urged Specialised services will also be available on-site, including

dentistry with dedicated dental imaging, audiology services with access to hearing aids, speech therapy,andtwomodernoperating theatres capable of supporting a widerangeofsurgicalprocedures. Adedicatedmaternitywardand neonatal unit will further enhance care for mothers and newborns. Upon completion, the hospital is expected to employ a minimum of 46doctors,includingspecialistsin obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery, internal medicine, paediatrics, and emergency medicine, significantly enhancing the level of care available within theregion.(DPI)

Govt. seeking contractors to build new access road & parking apron for Parika Port

The government through the Ministry of Public

Works is seeking contractors to build a new stelling access road and parking apron as part of the Parika Waterfront Development Project in Region Three.

This is according to a recent invitation for bids issued by the ministry which states that they are also seeking the supply and installationofavehicularscale.

Thetenderdocumentstatesthat bids are expected to open at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB)

officeonMay6,2026.

KaieteurNewsreportedthatthe new Parika Port Facility is an approximately$10.5billionproject being undertaken by the Ministry ofPublicWorksandisexpectedto becompletedin2029.

This newspaper previously reported that phase one of the project which is being undertaken by GAICO Construction, Toolsie Persaud and A&S General Contractors is already underway.

P

reclamationandseaDefenceonthe North and South sides of the

construction of the main concrete stelling, all totaling under $5billion.

During a multi- stakeholder engagement and consultation meeting with residents, business owners and other stakeholders at theParikaMarkettarmaclastyear, PublicWorksMinisterJuanEdghill notedthattheoperationoftheferry and water taxi services will not be interruptedduringtheconstruction phase.

Government said that the project will transform the Parika stelling into a major regional hub

socioeconomic activities and enhance operational efficiency, prioritise safety and guarantee commuters’comfort.

Additionally, the new modern portisaimedatincreasingtradeand tourismalongtheEssequiboCoast. KaieteurNewsunderstandsthatthe upgrading of the stelling is also to facilitate the arrival of the new Regional Ferry Service that will operateoutofGuyanafromParika.

President IrfaanAli announced last year, that the new facility will include the construction of a marina to support the country’s tourism sector Notably, he said to

supporttheport,theyhavetoinvest insomekeyinfrastructureatParika which would include the construction of a modern Customs and Immigration office, a modern FireService,amodernCoastGuard building, a modern Police Service, and importantly to support the farmers, they intend to invest in a modernstoragefacility The Parika Stelling, which borders the Essequibo River, serves not only as a passenger loading and offloading area, but alsoasawaterfrontwherefarmers take their produce from the hinterlandtosell

SixWardsreceiveuniformsandballsfromMinistryofSport...

Frompage57 being staged during the Linden Town Week celebrations,areFriday,24th April, the first of four playing days, Monday 27th April,withsemifinalssetfor Wednesday 29th April with thefinalbilledforFriday,1st May This tournament is being played at the just completedBayrockNational StadiuminWismar,Linden.

Muhammed, the longtime football promoter,

noted that his K & S Organisation began in 1989 promoting football in the townofLinden,but“weleft Linden because we did not havetherightfacilities.Now we have the Mackenzie Sports Club and Bayrock facilities. So, we will be returning with football on both the Mackenzie and Wismarshores.”

Hehighlightedthatthere are only two wards from the Mackenzie side of Linden,

and the four others are from the west of Linden Muhammed’s suggestion to addoneotherwardfromthe fourtomakeitthreefromthe Mackenzie shore from an open draw, was accepted by the majority of the wards present.

P r e s e n t a t t h e presentationwastheUDFA’s PRO Ms. Reycia Nedd who thanked the K & S Organisation for partnering with the UDFA to have the

returnoffootballtoLinden.

She indicated that the K &SOrganisationwillalsobe working on helping with more sponsorship for the UDFA, which they appreciated, and are looking forward to future collaboration towards the promotion of this popular sport back in the mining townofLinden.

Ms Nedd added that once completed, the Mackenzie Sports Club ground with the Bayrock facility will be used for tournaments such as the UDFA league, which is set for September and will continue to the end of this year

Sunday April 12, 2026

ARIES(Mar 21–Apr 19)

Some pretty heavy soul searchingcouldrevealthatthe timehascometomakeuseofa talent you may have always hadbutneverdeveloped.This could involve nothing more thanalittlepractice.

TAURUS(Apr 20–May20)

You'relookinggoodandyour social skills are at their peak. Therefore, social events and groupactivitiesthatyoumight attendtodaycouldwellbethe mostsatisfyingandbeneficial you'veknowninalongtime.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Todayyoucouldfindyourself brainstorming a way to put your inventiveness and ingenuity to work so that you can advance your career by leapsandboundsandincrease yourincome.

CANCER(June21–July22)

An intense study of philosophy, religion, or some other exalted school of thought could find you involved with a group that shares your interest in the subject.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Sex and romance should be at thetopofyourprioritylisttoday Youshouldbefeelingespecially warm, loving, and passionate Romantic novels could be especiallyappealing,ascouldan intimateeveningwithalover!

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

A lack of communication on the part of your mate or perhapsabusinesspartnercan cause you to feel uncertainty about the relationship. Use y o u r w a r m t h a n d understanding to open up the communicationbetweenyou.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

The right moment to ask for a raise or apply for a promotion or new job could come your way today, but you'd better make use of it or the opportunitycouldpassyouby A chance for a romantic encounter or fun evening with friendscouldalsocomeup.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)

Love and romance are definitely on the agenda for today,Scorpio,andyoushould be feeling warm, passionate, and particularly sexy You're likely to be looking quite attractive,too,

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

A friend or family member could be feeling rather grim, taciturn, and not open to communication He or she could have you wondering if you'vedonesomethingwrong, orthey'reangrywithyou.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

A warm, loving phone call or letter could come your way today from a lover or close friend who's presently out of town.You'llwishwithallyour heart that he or she could be home!

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

Today you could discover a talent for investment, real estate, or other form of money management that you never thought you had. You might wanttodosomereading.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

You might wake up today feeling a little grumpy and out of sorts, Pisces. You could aspire to nothing more strenuous than spending the day without any distractions otherthanagoodbook.

wereaddressedaccordingly

Theuniformsalongwith two balls each for teams, complimentsoftheMinistry of Culture,Youth and Sport, were presented to the six ward managers, with the understanding that after the tournament is completed, they will be return the uniforms to the UDFA, for use in future tournaments, where uniforms could be a challengeforteams.

The three wards thereforeinGroupAthatwill playeachothertoseewhich will advance to the final are Central Mackenzie / South Mackenzie/Mines,Amelia’s Ward/ Kara Kara/, and One Mile/ Half Mile/ Scheme, with Group B having Block 22/ Scheme, Blueberry Hill/ A l l e y s / Va l l e y s / Christianburg, and the other isSilvertown/WestWatooka /CanvasCity

The rules for this interward competition were read t o a l l t h e w a r d representatives and queries

GBF3x3 Championship...

Frompage59 groups of five, with each group engaging in roundrobin play Following the preliminary phase, the top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals.

The winners of those matchups will then progress to the final, where the inaugural champion of the eventwillbecrowned.

Beyond the immediate

m

significant importance for the development of the sport locally

According to GBF Vice President Rawle Toney, the event forms a critical part of Guyana’s preparation for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

Guyanaissettomakeits historic debut in 3x3 basketball at the Games, which will be held in Glasgow As such, today’s championship provides a valuableplatformforplayers toshowcasetheirtalent,gain competitive experience, and position themselves for nationalselection.

$10MNitroKartClashtakingshape

Withexactlyaweektothemega karting event locally known as the Nitro Kart Clash, the track is nearingcompletion.

The event, set forApril 18 and 19 at the National Stadium Providence Parking Lot, is being touted as one of the biggest motorsport events and the biggest karting event locally, with over $10Mdollarsincashandprizeson offer.And with the clock counting down, organisers have confirmed that the track layout is complete,

with the final touches expected to beputinplacetoday

“We are almost complete with gettingthetracksetup.Wewanted togivethepotentialcompetitorsas much time as possible to learn the layout. To get familiar with the surfaceandtheundulationsthatthe Nitro Kart Klash round one will bring,”aspokesmansaid.

“So far, we’ve had our graphic artists and rendering team put the basic layout on track, but there are going to be some added surprises

when the drivers and riders take to thetrack;wewon’tletitoutofthe bagjustyet.”

The .6KM track will be home next weekend to several classes of racing, namely the 200cc 4 Stroke Honda, Briggs 206 Heavy, Briggs 206 Light, Briggs 206 Jr, Briggs 206 Cadet, 125cc IAME, Time Attack Open and SUPERMOTO

Senior The event will also see the addition of several new classes, including the Briggs Rookie Over 35 (Non-Pro Racers), Briggs

Venue opens for practice sessions from Monday

Female, Supermoto Jr’s and ElectricScooterRace.

The Jumbo Jet Events brainchild will also include a kids’ zone, complete with trampolines, bouncy castles and other attractions. “We have a full food court and concession area with gamesandsuchsetuptoensurethat theeventisafullfamilyfundayfor everyone.Wewantpeopletoknow that we are catering for everyone because it’s a full family fun day too,”thespokesmansaid.

The event has the support of Banks DIH, AJM Enterprise, KP Jagdeo General Contractors, J’s Supermarket, SCI (Sawh’s Construction Inc ), Precision Service Centre, and Ramchand’s Autobody

Gates open from 13:00hrs on Saturday, with qualifying and free runs scheduled, and from 08:00hrs onSunday,whenracingactiongets going. Admission is $3,000 for adults, and Children under 12 are free.

Six Wards receive uniforms and balls from Ministry of Sport ahead of Kickoff UDFA/K&S Organisation Linden Town Week Inter Ward Football…

The stage is now set for the return of competitive football in the mining town of Linden, and plans are going well for the staging of this year’s Linden Town Week football championship using the inter ward teams.

The six wards were handed the rules for thetournamentwherequeriesweremadelast Friday at the tournament venue, Bayrock National Stadium, where Co-Director of the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation, Kashif Muhammed, outlined their plans as coordinators of this championship, which will be in association with the Upper

Ward representatives display uniform tops as UDFA’s PRO Ms.

Nedd and K & S Kashif Muhammad lift the winners’trophy after the presentation last Friday at the Bayrock National Stadium.

DemeraraFootballAssociation(UDFA). Muhammed told the gathering of coaches, players and team managers; “we want the rich legacy that is in Linden

(football) that has been for years to come back.”

Thedatesforthistournament,whichis Continued on page 55

Renegades South crowned Reliance Hustlers Sports Club T10 Blast champion

Renegades South crowned the champion at the 2026 Reliance Hustlers Sports Club EasterSundayT10Blasthavingdefeatedthe hosts by 12 runs in the final played at Reliance Sports ground, Essequibo Coast, Region2(Pomeroon-Supenaam).

RenegadesSouthreceived$150,000anda trophywhileHustlerscollected$75,000anda trophy, compliments of Guyana Breweries under the 592 brand (beer) Renegades South

took first strike at the invitation of Reliance Hustlersandreachedachallenging57-8from the allotted 8-overs tapeball cricket Hustlers were left strangled at 45-6 when the 8-overs experienced David Williams hit a top-score for Renegades South of 23 runs and was named player-of-the-match for his batting effort.Williamstookhomeatrophy

Medium-pacerCarlusYhapwasvotedas the player-of-the-tournament after taking

seven wickets having represented Reliance HustlersSportsClub.Fiveteamsparticipated in the annual competition with Evolution, Young Achievers and Reliance Sports Club theothercompetingsides.Itwasinitiallyset forasix-teamhard-ballextravaganzabutdue tosteadyrainfall,theorganizerswereforced to play tape-ball which turned out to be successful. One of the organizers Trevis Simon expressed satisfaction with the day’s

eventwhichalsomarkedthesixthedition.

Simon, who is also the president of Reliance Hustlers Sports Club, thanked all the sides for their participation and echoed similar sentiments to Guyana Breweries and everyonetosupportthefund-raisingevent.

According to Simon, funds raised from thebar-b-quesaleswillgotowardstheclub’s cricket academy and their forthcoming tour ofTrinidadandTobago.

Charlestown Sec’ edges

Good Hope, as West R/veldt remain unbeaten

Part of the action between West Ruimveldt Secondary and Zeeburg Secondary …West climbs to top of the group with a third consecutive win. - Petra-Massy Distribution 12th Annual Schools Under-18 Football continues

The Massy Distribution Under-18 Secondary Schools Football Tournament delivered another electrifying day of action on Saturday at the Queen’s College ground, asthethirdroundedgedclosertoitsdramatic conclusion.

Charlestown Secondary stamped their authoritywithahard-fought2-1victoryover Good Hope Secondary in one of the day’s standout encounters After an early breakthrough in the 15th minute from NicholasNieuelder,whoexpertlyturnedand fired into the back of the net; Charlestown looked poised for control. But Good Hope clawed their way back before halftime, with StandfordGlenburyingapowerfulfreekick tolevelthescoresat1-1.

The second half saw Charlestown dig deep,andAdionMarksemergedasthehero, slicingthroughthedefenceinthe50thminute torestorehisside’slead.Despitealatesurge from Good Hope, Charlestown held firm to secureacrucialwinandstrengthentheirpush towardqualification.

Meanwhile, West Ruimveldt Secondary continued their relentless march through the tournament, brushing aside Zeeburg Secondary 2-0 for their third consecutive victory Dellon Philladelphia lit up the early stages with a stunning fourth-minute strike, setting the tone for a dominant display

DefensivedisciplineensuredWestRuimveldt rarely looked threatened, and Donovan Welcome sealed the deal with a decisive second-half finish, keeping his side perfect withninepointsfromthreematches.

Patentia Secondary also maintained their unbeaten run with a composed 2-1 win over AnnaReginaSecondary GoalsfromMalachi Hunte and Gerony Wells were enough to secure back-to-back victories, keeping Patentiafirmlyinthehunt.

In an unlikely occurrence, a wave of walkovers saw Yarrokabra, East Ruimveldt, Lodge,Brickdam,andDolphinSecondaryall collect maximum points without kicking a ball—an unusual twist that reshaped the standings.

Thursday’s lone fixture saw Santa Rosa Secondary deliver a statement performance, demolishing West Demerara Secondary 7-0 tocontinuetheirimpressivecampaign.

Withthethirdroundsettowrapuptoday at the same Queen’s College venue, the race for qualification is intensifying as teams battleforeverypoint.

The tournament, sponsored by Massy Distribution with support from the Ministry of Education and Demerara Mutual Group, continuestoshowcasethenextgenerationof footballtalent,deliveringexcitementatevery turn.

Demerara, Berbice, Essequibo and Select XI squads named for GCB U-19 Inter-County C/ship

The Guyana Cricket Boardannouncedthesquads foritsannualUnder-19InterCountyChampionship,setto bowlofftodaywithmatches across Essequibo and Demerara.

The tournament commences with a doubleheader, as Essequibo face Demerara at the Joe Jagmohan Ground, while Berbice take on the Select XIatthePoliceSportsClub Ground Demerara will be led by Dave Mohabir, with Parmeshwar Ram as Vice Captain, and includes K h u s h S e e g o b i n , Emmanuel Lewis, Shamar Apple, Arvind Suknanand, Johnathon Mentore, Dhanesh Persaud, Arun Gainda, Reyaz Latif, Vijai Kalpu,ShanePrince,Patrice Fraser, Tashant Argyle and RavaldoPereira.

Essequibo’s squad includes NicholasLovellas captain, Darwin Joseph, Elesia Ramdat, Jathniel Nurse, Darius Pearson,

Romario Bholo, Eron Benjamin, Justin Dowlin, BomeshLall,MuraliSeodat, Dennis Crossman, Ravesh Singh, Shazim Mohamed, Navendra Sankar and ZandonRose.

Berbicewillbecaptained byRomarioRamdeholl,with Adrian Hetymer as Vice Captain, and features Antonio DePaul, Vishal Williams, Shoaib Gaffoor, Nathaniel Ramsammy, Richard Ramdeholl, Thierry Henry, Feaz Baksh, Gilbert

Griffith, Asif Marimutoo, Arif Khan, Rafeal McKenzie, Razam Koobeer andMicahAmsterdam.

The GCB Select XI will be led by Joshua Budram, withTameshwarDeonandan as his deputy, alongside Munesh Outar, Rupie Rajaram, Robin Seecharran, Yannick Newton, Munesh Rampersuad, Gibran Yacoob, Lakeraj Hemraj, Javhayden Rohler, Amit Rajran,MichealNewlandJr, Linsdyl Harris, Reiad Ramnarine, Shazim Basheer andMarkDaniels.

Action resumes Tuesday with Demerara opposing the Select XI at Lusignan and Berbice meeting Essequibo atPoliceSportsClub.

Following a rest day on Wednesday, Demerara clash withBerbiceonThursdayat Police Sports Club, while EssequibofacetheSelectXI atLusignan.

The tournament will conclude with the final on Saturday,April18,2026.

GBF 3x3 Championship tips off today at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall GBF 3x3 Championship tips off today at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall Travis Belgrave will lead team Renegades in the GBF 3x3 Championship.

The Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF)issettoignitethelocalbasketball scene today (Sunday) with its highly anticipatedNational3x3Championship, scheduled to tip off from 2:00 pm at the CliffAndersonSportsHall.

Atotalof10teamswillbattlefortop honours in what promises to be an excitingandcompetitiveshowcaseofthe fast-pacedformat.Atstakeisalucrative prize pool, with the champions set to walkawaywith$300,000,whilesecond and third place finishers will earn $200,000and$100,000respectively

The tournament will feature a structured format designed to maximise competitionandentertainment. Teamshavebeendividedintotwo Continued on page 55