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AttackskillfourasGazaHealthMinistrycondemns‘heinous’ strikeonmedicinestores,daysafterdisarmamentdeal. Israeli strikes kill four across Gaza, destroy medical supply warehouse ...nowseeksbidstosalvagesunkenvessel ‘Billions flow overseas while Guyana ...Glenn Lall says in fresh
Businessman Glenn Lall has launched another scathing attack on the management of Guyana’s natural resources, arguing that foreign companies have earnedbillionsofUSdollars from the country’s oil and goldassetswhileGuyanahas
nothing” from the lucrative corporatetransactions.
c
In his latest social media
country’s vast natural wealth, despite Guyana now ranking among the world’s
producers and possessing significantgoldreserves.
“Sometimes I ask myself whether I am still living in the oil- and mineral-rich Guyana that I have loved all my life,” Lall said, lamenting what he describedasanationblessed with abundant resources but still plagued by debt and economichardship.
Referring to a recent Kaieteur News report on a multibillion-dollar gold transaction, Lall said a Canadian company received
Businessman Glenn Lall
approximatelyUS2.2billion changed hands,” he said.
“And what did Guyana receive? Nothing Absolutelynothing.Notone cent.”
Lall argued that while foreign corporations continuetorealiseenormous profits from Guyana’s mineral wealth, many Guyanese families remain burdened by rising living costsandfinancialhardship.
“Hereisacountrywhere familiesarestillstrugglingto put food on the table and parents worry about paying thenextbill,yetourmineral
wealth is being handed to foreigncompaniesthatgoon tomakebillions,”hesaid.
The businessman contendedthattheCanadian gold transaction was not an isolatedcasebutpartofwhat he described as a longstanding pattern under successiveadministrations.
According to Lall, ownership of Guyana’s oil and mineral assets has repeatedlychangedhandsin deals worth billions of US dollars, with citizens learning about many of the transactions only after they are disclosed to foreign
shareholders.
He accused both the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the former APNU+AFC Coalition of failing to keep the public fully informed about the transfer of the country’s strategic natural resources.
Lall also turned his attention to Guyana’s gold
companies now control some of the country’s most p r o s p e c t i v e g o l d concessions.
He said that based on public disclosures made to shareholders, 12 companies have collectively reported discoveries totalling approximately 16 million ouncesofgoldinGuyana.
Using a gold price of about US 64 billion in
...Glenn Lall says in fresh broadside against gold deals
potentialvalue.
“The question every Guyanese should be asking is,whatdoesallofthatmean forGuyana?”hesaid.
Lallreservedsomeofhis strongest criticism for the StabroekBlock,arguingthat billions of US dollars changed hands when ExxonMobilsoldinterestsin the offshore licence to partners before commercial productionbegan.
He also referenced Hess Corporation’s sale of its Guyana assets to Chevron, saying another multibilliondollar transaction had taken place because of resources locatedinGuyana.
“What did Guyana receivefromthosecorporate transactions?” Lall asked. “Nothing.”
He made similar claims regarding the Kaieteur and
Canje offshore oil blocks, contending that companies wereabletoacquireandlater dispose of interests for substantial sums while Guyana did not share in the proceeds from t
corporatesales.
C o n c l u d i n g h i s commentary, Lall urged Guyanese to reflect on whether the country’s natural wealth is being managed in a manner that safeguards the interests of futuregenerations.
“Are you satisfied with the way your country’s wealth is being managed?” he asked “Are you convinced your children’s future is being protected, or has Guyana become a country where the resources belongtothepeople,butthe riches belong to everyone else?”
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
When one of the world’s most influential financial publicationssoundsthealarmaboutGuyana’sfuture,thosein authority would do well to listen instead of dismissing criticismastheworkofpoliticalopponentsorso-calledantidevelopmentvoices.
Bloomberg Opinion’s recent analysis, Oil’s Curse Is Hanging Over the World’s Fastest-Growing Economy, shouldserveasawake-upcall.Itisnotapartisandocument.It istheassessmentofaninternationallyrespectedpublication that examined Guyana through the eyes of investors, economists and governance experts. Its conclusions are striking because they echo concerns Kaieteur News has repeatedlyraisedovertheyears.
Foryears,thisnewspaperhaswarnedthatrapideconomic growthmeanslittleiftheinstitutionschargedwithprotecting thenation’swealthremainweak.Wehavequestionedthelack of transparency in public procurement, the secrecy surrounding major projects, the concentration of decisionmakinginahandfulofofficials,andtherefusaltostrengthen oversightinstitutions.
We have repeatedly argued that oil wealth without accountability is an invitation to corruption. Bloomberg has nowreachedasimilarconclusion.
The article warns that Guyana displays many of the classicsymptomsassociatedwiththe“resourcecurse”weak institutions, inadequate transparency, labour shortages, widening inequality and growing political power concentrated around the State These are not new observations.KaieteurNewshasconsistentlyarguedthatoil revenues alone cannot transform Guyana unless accompaniedbystrongergovernance,independentoversight andpublicaccountability
Bloomberg’swarningisespeciallysignificantbecauseit comes from outside Guyana’s political battlefield. It cannot be dismissed as opposition propaganda or newspaper sensationalism. International investors read Bloomberg. Governments read Bloomberg. Global financial institutions readBloomberg.Itsreputationrestsonrigorousreportingand informed analysis. When Bloomberg questions whether Guyana is drifting towards the same path travelled by Venezuela, Nigeria and Angola, policymakers should take notice.
This newspaper has repeatedly highlighted Guyana’s weak bargaining position in the petroleum sector We have consistently questioned the lopsided 2016 Production Sharing Agreement, the failure to aggressively pursue disputedoilcostsandtherefusaltoreopenpublicdebateon whether the country is receiving fair value for its resources. As this newspaper stated in its editorial on the US$214 million disputed audit costs, “Guyana’s oil wealth ought to serveitspeoplefirst.”Yetfiveyearsafterauditorsidentified disputedexpenses,thematterremainsunresolved.
Bloombergalsoquestionswhetherthebenefitsoftheoil boomarereachingordinaryGuyanese.Thatconcernmirrors what citizens experience daily.While GDPfigures continue to break records, many communities still endure unreliable electricity,inadequatehealthcare,poordrainage,risingfood prices and housing shortages Economic growth is meaningful only when it improves the quality of life for the average citizen, not merely the balance sheets of multinational corporations and politically connected contractors.
A country cannot effectively manage billions of US dollars while withholding critical information from its citizens.Delaysinpublishingstatistics,reluctancetodisclose contracts,andresistancetoindependentscrutinyonlydeepen public suspicion.Transparency is not a favour governments grant;itisademocraticobligation.
Perhaps Bloomberg’s most sobering observation is that Guyanastillhastimetoavoidbecominganotherfailedpetrostate.Thatopportunityremains,butthewindowisnarrowing. Strong institutions must be built before oil revenues
DEAREDITOR,
Without prejudice to the intent of PresidentAli in his appointment of the fiveperson Commission of Inquiry into the MV Barima capsizing; and the actual disposition of the appointees, I wish to apply theadage:“Itisnotmerelyof some importance but is of fundamentalimportancethat justice should not only be done, but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to
Commissioners, and the
implication for Justice ‘seen tobedone’.
The adage has its origin inthedecisionhandeddown, by Lord Hewart, in the case of Rex v Sussex Justices, [1924]1KB256.Inthatcase a previous decision was being appealed on the grounds of Conflict of Interest because the Deputy Clerk, the brother of the Clerk to the Justices, who wasanassociateofoneofthe firmsrepresentingoneofthe parties
– Cites legal principle that justice must be seen to be done
he case, ‘deputized for his brother, and retired with the Judges, inChamber,toconsidertheir decision’.
The affected party appealed the decision on the grounds that “it was improperforthedeputyclerk to have retired with the justices before they deliveredtheirverdict.”“He contended that he was a partner of the very law firm which was engaged to sue him for damages … thereforeitwasimproperfor such a partner to also retire with the justices “In response to that argument
“the Sussex Justices argued that the deputy merely retired with the judges to
theirchambersbuthedidnot take any part in their deliberations. Therefore, his presence would not invalidatetheconviction[the decision]and,atbest,wasan irregularity.”
Lord Hewart, in handing down his decision did not dispute the argument of the defendants. But in handing down his decision, ‘quashed the original conviction by observing“Itisnotmerelyof some importance but is of fundamentalimportancethat justice should not only be done,butshouldmanifestly
Continued on page 6
overwhelm them. Parliament must function independently Procurementmustbetransparent.Oversightagenciesmustbe fearless. Corruption must be confronted without regard to politicalaffiliation.
Guyana’s oil wealth should become the foundation for lastingprosperity,notthesourceoffutureregret.Bloomberg hasconfirmedwhatKaieteurNewshaslongmaintained:the greatest threat to Guyana is not the absence of oil, but the absence of the governance required to manage it wisely Historyhasalreadywrittenthestoryofcountriesthatignored such warnings. Guyana must not become another chapter in thattragicbook.
The MV Barima tragedy has left Guyana mourning. Families continue to endure unimaginableanguish,many still waiting for answers while hoping against hope thattheirlovedonesmayyet be found. In moments such as these, the nation’s foremost obligation should be compassion, dignity, and unity
Itisagainstthatbackdrop thatIfinditdeeplytroubling that images of those who perished were displayed in Parliament as part of a political demonstration While every Member of Parliament has not only the right but the constitutional dutytoholdtheGovernment accountable, accountability must never come at the expenseofthedignityofthe deceased or the emotional well-being of grieving families.
Thephotographsofthose who lost their lives are not political symbols. They are cherished sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, relatives,and friends whose absence has left an immeasurable void in the lives of those who loved them Before employing such images in political protest, one ought to ask whethertheaffectedfamilies would have welcomed their loved ones’ final images becoming instruments in a parliamentaryconfrontation. Public representatives must be especially mindful thatgriefbelongsfirsttothe families. It should never be appropriatedinamannerthat may unintentionally deepen theirpain.
No one should mistake this position as an argument against accountability. On the contrary, accountability is precisely what the nation deserves. The President has already publicly committed to the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into theMVBarimatragedy Commissioners have already been identified and entrusted with a mandate to
surrounding this national disaster Thefocusnowmust be on ensuring that the Commission is allowed to
, professionally, objectively, transparently and fairly, free frompoliticalinterferenceor preconceivedconclusions.
Equally,theCommission mustnotbecomeanexercise in finding convenient scapegoats. The Guyanese peopledeserveaprocessthat follows the evidence
Responsibility must not be shiftedsolelyontothe“small
responsible for policy, regulation, oversight, enforcement, operational management or executive decision-making escape scrutiny If failures occurred at any l
n accountability must extend to every individual whose
ons contributed to this tragedy, regardless of rank, office or influence.Justicecommands publicconfidenceonlywhen it is impartial and applied equally
Equally concerning was the manner in which the parliamentary protest unfolded Loud deskbanging, shouting at the top ofone’svoiceandprolonged disorder may generate headlines, but history has repeatedlydemonstratedthat such tactics rarely alter a government’s legislative agenda.
Having served as a Member of Parliament myself, I learned that Parliament offers something far more valuable than political theatre. It provides representatives with an opportunity to permanently place on the parliamentary recordtheirideas,criticisms, recommendations and alternative policies. Those contributionsbecomepartof the nation’s democratic history and frequently influence future policy discussions long after the
day’s political drama has faded.
Regrettably,bychoosing disruption over debate, the opposition missed several significant opportunities to advance the interests of the very people they were electedtorepresent.
They forfeited the opportunity to mak
substantive contributions to the National Development Bank Bill, a transformative initiative that has the potentialtoexpandaccessto aff
nancing, encourage entrepreneurship, stimulatesmallandmediumsized enterprises, strengthen agriculture, empower young people and create genuine economic opportunities for thousandsofGuyanese.
They also missed the opportunity to rigorously examine the Supplementary Budget by asking probing questions, challenging
necessary, demanding explanations from ministers
deficiencies were identified. That is one of Parliament’s
responsibilities: ensuring that every dollar of public expenditure is subjected to meaningful scrutiny on behalfofthetaxpayers.
These were not merely m i s s e d p
i c a l opportunities; they were missed opportunities to represent the people’s interestsinoneofthehighest decision-making forums of ourdemocracy
The opposition’s constitutional responsibility is not simply to oppose. It is to persuade, to scrutinize, to
strengthenpublicconfidence
Continued on page 6
Family members,
friends, neighbors, supporters,blockassociation members, politicians, police officers, priests, firefighters, andclergygatheredMonday evening outside the Ozone Park home (96th Street and 133rdAve) of Sarah Angel Rampersad for a collective prayer candlelight vigil, offeringwordsoffaith,hope, and solidarity during a difficulttime.
There was a public display of faith and solidarity. Candles illuminatedthestreetoutside the family’s home. Organizers said the event was intended not only to provide comfort to Angel’s familybutalsotoremindthe family that they are not facingthisordealalone.
SergeantRampersadwas killed in Jordan by an attack from Iran almost two weeks ago. She will be interred on Friday July 31 after church service.
Rampersad was born in Trinidad and migrated to USA with her mother and sister Her family lives in greater Ozone Park with Guyaneseneighbors.
SheattendedForestHills high school and John Jay College.ShejoinedtheUSA army and was posted at different locations including in Germany and lastly in Jordanwhereshewaskilled. She was promoted posthumously to Staff Sergeant as announced during the vigil on Monday night.
Police closed off traffic nearthehome.Asthesunset, hundreds stood together in reflection, many holding candles while prayers were offered for Angel and her
family Religious leaders, politicians, community members spoke about the importance of remaining united and supporting the Rampersadfamily
The press had a large presence from all the major mediahouses,electronicand written.
The ceremony included prayers, a moment of silence, cadets standing honorguard,andtherelease of white doves as the communityrememberedthe 28-year-old Army sergeant and offered support to her family.
The vigil reflected the close-knit nature of the OzoneParkcommunity The gathering drew residents f r o m a c r o s s t h e neighborhood, not only Indians, Guyanese, and Trinis, demonstrating the strong sense of community that has formed around the family Thereweremourners of all ethnicities and ages.
Speakerssharedmessagesof encouragement, and called on the public to continue keepingAngelandherloved ones in their thoughts and prayers and to support the family
Several elected officials offered brief remarks honoring Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad and expressing supportforherfamily
Speakers emphasized hope and resilience. They thanked the family for the roleandserviceprovidedby Rampersad.
They also thanked v
, and community members who have provided support since thesearchbegan.
Congressman Gregory Meeks praised Rampersad’s
commitment to the nation, stating, “We all stand together for her bravery and for her loyalty and dedication. We will never forgether.”
Healsoannouncedthata U.S. flag had been flown overtheCapitolinherhonor and of others killed in the Iranwarthathernamewould be entered into the CongressionalRecordsoher s e r v i c e w o u l d b e permanentlymemorialized.
NYS Attorney General Letitia James emphasized thevalueofmilitaryservice, saying,“Freedomisnotfree. It’s important we recognize herservicetoothers.”
NYC Public Advocate JumaaneWilliamsaddressed the family directly, saying, “I’msosorryforyourloss.I canonlyimagineyourpain.” Hepresentedacitationtothe family
Boro President Donovan Richards described Rampersadas“theAmerican dream”and“atrueAmerican hero,”addingthatherlegacy wouldendureinQueensand beyond.
He also noted her talents as a drummer, singer and athlete, and has proposed namingastreetandpossibly aschoolinherhonor Congresswoman Grace Meng stated: “Our borough and nation are heartbroken over the loss of Sgt. Angel Rampersad.
She bravely served our countrywithhonorandmade the ultimate sacrifice in defenseofourfreedoms.We are forever grateful for her service,andshewillneverbe forgotten”.
Others also spoke at the movingceremony
Yourstruly, VishnuBisram
DEAREDITOR,
Events in relation to the terrible incident of the MV Barima seem to be heading towardsanotherdisaster,that is the dismantling and destruction of what remains ofourdemocracyandasense ofdecency.
We have dealt with the highly improper manner in
w h i c h t h e f i v e commissioners were named, ex cathedra by our Head of state. As if this was not
e
reportedly sworn in at a ceremonytowhichmembers of the independent media were not invited Three cheersforthosewhoboastof a ‘free press’, but what is egregiousiswehavearticles published questioning, with tones of expertise, the feasibility of attempting to raise the ill-fated MV Barima Of course, one writergoesoutofthewayto question the character of the Leader of the Opposition, completely irrelevant to the
issue at hand, which is the bringingtothesurfaceofthe MV Barima. Salvaging the vessel with the hull intact or damaged, can help us find someanswers,notall,ofthe factors that caused the greatest of maritime tragediesinGuyana.Inother words, every effort, every avenue, must be pursued with due haste to raise the Barima. This must be a sine quanon,nosand-dancing,no suggesting it cannot, or ought not to be proceeded with. This is not a time for prophetsofdome,notatime for procrastination which will take us further away from knowing the whole story, and the prospects of avoidingfurthermistakes.
Notingrecentthingssaid and done by the top brass, it isnotdifficulttoassumethat we are in a silly season orchestrated by a wellorganised professional information outfit An example; we appoint five c o m m i s s i o n e r s t o investigate the Barima
tragedy, yet as I dictate this letter, we are yet to learn detailsofthespecificsofthe terms of reference, and the costtotaxpayers.
Next, we have Captain Kevin Price, of the Barima vessel and two crew members charged, not for manslaughter, not for dereliction of duties, not for incompetence, not for causing death by dangerous captaincy,butformurder,the most serious of offences, in circumstances where they are likely for their own protection, using American jargon, to “plead the fifth amendment”. I believe as part of the process of deception, deflection or distraction, these innocent men were charged for an offense where they were not required to plea when taken tocourt. Ifourastutepolice are serious, how could they chargethreepersons,injusta few days after the incident, for 72 counts of murder? I congratulate the police for their unusual swiftness. The
trio was taken to the Magistrate Court in Georgetown, the city from which the ill-fated vessel departed, now the next hearing is in a Court at Charity in the Pomeroon, away from the glare of Georgetown where the majority of citizens reside and have an interest in this matter.This indictment, as a layman,givestheimpression that some oracle has already determined the cause of death, so why spend money foracommission?
I am a simple man, but I ponder why, even the suggestiontomaketheplace where the vessel capsized a sort of memorial site, is maybe another case of deliberate deception, deflection or distraction.We are fond of looking to the North, the Pearl Harbour attack took place on December7,1941,wherethe Japanese used 360 aircrafts which destroyed and damaged several US warships, but it wasn’t until
Frompage5 indemocraticinstitutions.
There are more dignified and potentiallymoreeffectivewaystoplace pressure on any government while honouring those affected by tragedy These include presenting substantive motions, proposing legislative reforms to strengthen maritime safety, demanding regular ministerial reports, utilising parliamentary committees to examine witnesses and evidence, engaging victims’ families and technical experts in consultations, and ensuring that every recommendation arisingfromtheCommissionofInquiry is debated and monitored through Parliament.
Outside Parliament, Members can organise respectful vigils, memorial
services, public consultations and national forums where affected families, should they so choose, can havetheirvoicesheardwithdignityand respect. Such approaches honour the victimswhilestrengtheningthenational demandforjusticeandreform.
Strong opposition is indispensable todemocracy Butstrengthshouldnever be measured by the volume of one’s voiceortheforcewithwhichonestrikes a desk. It should be measured by the quality of one’s arguments, the seriousness of one’s proposals, the effectivenessofone’soversightandthe lastingvalueofone’scontributiontothe nation.
The families affected by the MV Barima tragedy deserve justice. They
accountabilityateverylevel.Aboveall, they deserve the assurance that even amid political disagreement, the memoryoftheirlovedoneswillalways betreatedwithdignity,compassionand humanity
In moments of profound national grief, Parliament must rise above spectacle and reflect the very highest idealsofpublicservice.Letthememory of those we lost inspire not political theatre, but principled leadership,
accountability and a renewed commitment to ensuring that such a tragedyneveroccursagain.
Yoursrespectfully,
JermaineFigueira FormerMemberofParliament
May30,1962whenthePearl Harbour Memorial site was dedicated as part USS Arizona Memorial and not untilMarch12,2019whenit was officially established under its current standalone Pearl Harbour National Memorial. So, what is the hurry?Ismellarat. In Guyana, are we serious or are we pursuing a path that later generations maydeemcollectivelunacy? We buy new vessels, but sendoneoftheoldest,ifnot the oldest, on the most challenging journey We have evidence that this boat shouldhavebeenindrydock. There are reports that modern and available emergencysystemswerenot allinplace.Afterthetragedy thefirstnarrativewasthatwe didn’t need external help,
with hundreds of people overboard;lopsidedlogic,or lunacy?Wealsoheardthatit was a “big wave” that cause the vessel to capsize. It was ordinary fishermen who helped to locate where the Barimawas.
But dear editor, as noted earlier, this avoidable tragedy is being used by the powersthatbe,asdeception, deflection and distraction.
But I truly believe that there isadeeperproblemfacingus in Guyana, which is, the existence of the Peter Principle beginning at the very top, that is a condition where reasonable persons promoted, become ineffective or a disaster to function at a higher level.
Thinkaboutit.
Sincerely,
ElderHamiltonGreen
Frompage4 andundoubtedlybeseentobedone”.
By virtue of that decision Lord Hewart laid down a precedent in Common Law Jurisprudence and established a BestPracticefordeliberativebodies.
IntheinstanceoftheestablishmentoftheCommissionof InquiryintothecapsizingoftheMVBarima,concernand/or objection has been raised about the persons who have been identified to be commissioners.That concern is greater than theirpassivepresence,whichwasthebasisforLordHewart‘s decision.Itisamatterofactualparticipation(activepresence) inthecoreactivity,thedeterminationofthematter
One objection is that one of the commissioners was the electoralagentfortheUNCofTrinidadandTobago,whichis a fraternal party of, and close ally to, the governing party, under whose governorship the Inquiry is being articulated, constitutedandconvened.Anotherissaidtobeashareholder in a marine enterprise that is regulated by MARDS, a local regulator, which should be of interest to the Inquiry All of theseconcernsandmore,whetherfactualornot,arescenarios where persons have expressed suspicious [AH1] about the presenceanddispositionofsuchpersons.Thisisanalogousto theconcernthatwasidentifiedasthegraveissueinthecaseof Rex v Sussex. The issue is not one of fact. It is one of perception,asLordHewartarticulated:“justiceshouldnotbe done, but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done.”Noroomshouldbeleftfordoubtorsuspicion[AH2] about the presence of actors in the process. In the attending circumstances whereby, it appears that there is no public disclosure or acknowledgement of the extant or existent interest or association held by the proposed members of the commissionwhomaybearoutcircumstancesthatcanleadto public suspicion, we are about to embark on a potentially contaminatedsojourn.Notwithstanding,disclosurewouldnot purifytheirappointmentoritspurpose.
The political environment in Guyana is extremely toxic with any and everything taking on antagonistic political dimensions. In such circumstances, transparency, inclusion and openness, are essential to the detoxing of the environment,andthelegitimizingoftheactionsofthestate. Thesebenchmarksarebothcontemporaneousanduniversal. PrecedentsandBestPracticesshouldalwaysplayamajorrole in the decision-making processes. In setting up of the CommissionofInquiry,thegovernmentshouldleavenostone unturned in the pursuit of legitimacy In his wisdom, Lord Heartprofferedthat“Nothingistobedonewhichcreateseven asuspicionthattherehasbeenanimproperinterferencewith thecourseofjustice”.Wecauseharmtothecredibilityofour legal system, the public interest, and our overall governance framework in general, and the particular case, whenever we ignorethissalutaryprinciple.
Yourstruly,
Guyana outrun the mismanagement and corruption that have afflicted so many other petro-states?
ByJuanPabloSpinetto
Bloomberg
Opinion
(July 29, 2026) - It was a night of remembrance.
Guyana was celebrating the anniversary of its independence from the UK, and the most solemn moment was approaching: the raising of its flag at midnight, to mark the historic handover on May 26, 1966 The president, foreign dignitaries and members of the diplomatic corps stood mute before the massive Golden Arrowhead bannerasamilitarybanddrummed toaclimax Alightraindriftedacross Fort Island, in the middle of the EssequiboRiver,avenuechosento signalGuyana’ssovereigntyovera territory long claimed by Venezuela.
Yet as the minutes passed, somethingwasgoingawry:Theflag wasstuck Whoops
Despite repeated efforts by soldiers of the Guyana Defence Force, the colors would not rise Others rushed in to help Nothing worked After about 45 minutes of haplessstruggle,theflagwasleftat half-mast, illuminated against a burstoffireworks
While the malfunction could be dismissedashorribleluck,thesame could not be said of the chaos that followed the ceremony’s conclusion Ministers, top guests and ordinary citizens scrambled to boardtheferrybacktothemainland through a narrow entrance, a bottleneck that quickly descended into angry disorder. I was lucky to catchaseatonaspeedboat,butsome VIPs did not make it home until 5 am
That fiasco was more than an embarrassment For a nation awash innewfoundoilwealth,withproven crude reserves of nearly 11 billion barrels, it was a small but telling reminder of the enormous organizational challenges behind what is arguably the world’s most extraordinary nation-building experiment Billions of dollars are pouring into what was once one of the Western Hemisphere’s poorest and most isolated nations, offering its 950,000 people a once-in-alifetime opportunity to escape decades of underdevelopment Gross domestic product has billowed sixfold since 2019, when a consortium led by ExxonMobil Holdings Corp. began producing crude. Guyana is not only the world’s fastest-growing economy; it’salsothelargestoilproducerper capita and the first and only member of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative to reach high-incomestatus.
Thecountryisalreadyattracting attention from oil majors, infrastructure developers, banks, hotelchainsandlogisticsfirmseager toridetheboom IfGuyanamanages
thiswindfallstrategically,itwillnot only build a more prosperous and equitable society at home The ascent of the so-called Land of Six Peoples,adiverse,English-speaking country that has long seen itself as culturally, historically and even aesthetically rooted in the Caribbean, could reshape this corner of South America, in both geopolitical and cultural terms.As an energy powerhouse, it has the potential to forge new regional links, deepening its integration with northern Brazil and the Caribbean as well as diversifying its economy into sectors such as tourism, food production and criticalminerals.
geopolitical allies to global corporations, and learn to navigate the tensions inherent in such relationships None of that will be easy
Thecountrystillhastimetobeat the odds and avoid the malaise that has mired nations such as Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria and its neighbor Venezuela Yet after recently spending a week in Georgetown speaking with everyone from President Irfaan Ali to opposition leaders, business executives, academics and newly arrived Cuban migrants, I came away less optimistic Nobody expectsGuyanatobecomethenew Norway overnight, or frankly,
numbers amid a real estate frenzy Even the country’s first padel club isnearingcompletion. Thatdoesn’tmeanGeorgetown, which the Nobel Prize-winning author VS Naipaul lauded in the 1960sasthe“mostexquisitecityin the British Caribbean” for its distinctive colonial wooden homes, isabouttobecomethenextDubai,as some hyperbolic commentators suggest For starters, the tallest modern building in the country is about a dozen stories high, a dwarf byMiddleEasternluxurystandards
Guyana has never issued an international sovereign bond, and itsstockexchangeisstillsoilliquid thatittradesonlyonceaweek.My
Yet looming over those economic superlatives and lofty ambitions is the so-called resource curse that has plagued so many nations suddenly blessed with a mineral bonanza Like them,
G u y a n a h a s p r o f o u n d vulnerabilities: weak state capacity, fragile institutions, labor shortages and geopolitical uncertainty Its history of bitter political divisions, racial tensions and stark inequality, moreover,hascreatedfaultlinesthat vastnewwealth could reopen.The decades following independence brought economic decline, strife andrepression,triggeringwavesof emigration throughout the 1970s and1980s.Today,Guyanastillhas oneoftheworld’slargestdiasporas relative to its native-born population.
For the future to overcome the past, Guyana must dramatically strengthen governance and transparency, build a capable bureaucracy,trainitsworkforceand resist the authoritarian and populist temptationsthatsooftenaccompany commoditybooms Itwillalsoneed to cultivate partners, from
ever. But its current trajectory could easily make it yet another place where oil proved not to be salvation but an economic and moral catastrophe, benefiting a connectedelitewhileleavingmost ofthepopulationbehind.
While its new energy riches remainlargelyoutofsight,pumped fromdeepbeneaththeAtlanticabout 120milesoffthecoast,signsofthe oilboomareeverywhere I’venever seensomanyexcavatorsanddump trucks in one place Acrucial $262 million, four-lane bridge over the DemeraraRiveropenedinOctober, linking the country’s two most populous regions and sharply cutting traffic and travel times CitigroupInc recentlyestablisheda representative office in the capital, while France opened an embassy last year, following Qatar in 2023, as geopolitical interest in the country grows. New branches of American restaurant franchises have sprouted, from Wendy’s to Papa John’s and Starbucks, where the smallest latte costs almost $6. Hotels are being added to accommodate rising visitor
shutdownoftheStraitofHormuzin April, Guyana even experienced a fuel shortage due to logistical disruptions and a lack of refining capacity
Future-ProofingtheEconomy?
Against this complex backdrop, the government’s biggest challenge is convincing the public that the oil windfall is reaching ordinary citizensratherthanmainlyenriching connected politicians and multinational corporations like Exxon and its partners, Chevron Corp and China’s Cnooc Ltd That means building a modern state capableofdeliveringprosperityina country where public services and infrastructure have long been deficient It also explains the government’s fixation on highly visible projects, from bridges, highwaysandportstoanewarrival terminal at Cheddi Jagan International Airport. Healthcare and education have also become a priority: University tuition was made free last year, while cash transfers of about $500 reached almosthalfamillionGuyanese.
At first glance, this looks like exactly the kind of development strategy that draws praise from international consultants Ali, the energetic46-year-oldpresidentwho wonreelectioninSeptemberforhis center-left People’s Progressive Party/Civic, or PPP/C, has ambitiousplanstoturnGuyanainto amajorglobalenergysupplierwhile diversifying the economy. His futurist vision encompasses everything from AI investment, digitization and technology to producingNetflixInc.series.
conversations with local and foreign businesspeople seesawed between enormous excitement about Guyana’s rapid economic transformation and concerns over soaring costs, the shortage of skilled workers, limited access to US dollars for international operations and a lack of transparencyinpublicprocurement andconcessions.
Ialsosawplentyofremindersof the hardships that many Guyanese still endure: nine families crammed into a small upper-floor apartment just blocks from the presidential palace and open sewage running alongside the city’s main market amid banners celebrating Guyana’s journey“fromsugar&ricetooil& gas” In a corner of Georgetown’s Cummingsburg district, residents live wedged between piles of garbage and the base of one of Exxon’s largest local contractors. The $500-a-night Marriott hotel where I stayed, the nerve center of thebusinesscommunity,ranoutof water while I was there; power outages in parts of the country remain a fact of life. During the
“All of these areas are working together in future-proofing the economy, so the economy is not dependentinanyway,shapeorform on one area of growth,” he told me during a conversation at the bar of theMarriott “Itisbroad Itishighly integrated,andit’swhatIwouldsay progressive”
As part of that plan, the governmentislaunchingtheGuyana Development Bank with more than $200 million in initial funding to finance venture projects, including start-ups that require no collateral During our interview, Ali also left thedooropentocreatinganational oil company that would participate directly in the country’s energy industry,dependingontheoutcome of an ongoing assessment of offshore prospects “If the data shows us that there is a great possibilityofadevelopmentwhere every Guyanese can be involved withthestate,withthegovernment, then we’ll definitely examine that in a comprehensive way,” he told me.
Italllooksimpressiveonpaper Butmuchofitsoundslikeacarefully rehearsedTEDTalk Guyanais Continued on page 12
MONDAY–JULY27,2026
TariffofHypocrisy
Guyana has every reason tofeelbetrayed Afterbowing toWashington’spressureand ending Cuba’s decades-old medical cooperation programme over allegations of forced labour, the country hasnowbeenrewardedwitha 125% US tariff under that verysamejustification Ifthis is not diplomatic hypocrisy, whatis?
Guyana sacrificed access to experienced Cuban healthcare workers to satisfy American demands, only to be lumped together with countriesaccusedoffailingto tackle forced labour The message from Washington is unmistakable: compliance guaranteesnothing
This should be a wake-up callforthePresidentIrfaanAli administration Foreign policy cannot be built on blind obedience to any superpower Gu
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 ongoing indecencies in our land that should matter, not only to us at this publication, but the entire nation.
relationships based on its own nationalinterest,nottheshifting politicalwindsofWashington Respect is earned through principled independence, not by constantly yielding to externalpressure
TUESDAY–JULY28,2026
WestIndiesfailures
Forthesecondsuccessive ODI World Cup cycle, West Indies have failed to secure automatic qualification It is another painful reminder of how far the once-mighty Caribbean side has fallen Evenmorehumiliatingisthe memory of missing the 2023 World Cup altogether after crashingoutinthequalifiers, the first time the two-time champions failed to reach thetournament.
The excuses have worn thin Caribbean supporters deservemorethanpromisesof rebuilding while results continue to deteriorate The question that demands an answer is simple: What is CricketWestIndies’long-term development plan? Where is the investment in youth, firstclass cricket, coaching and playerretention?
West Indies cricket was once the global standard Today it is fighting merely to qualify That should alarm every administrator Without urgentreform,theregionrisks becominganostalgicfootnote ratherthanarespectedforcein worldcricket
THURSDAY–JULY30,2026
Raisetheboat
Thegovernment’ssudden declaration that the families of the MV Barima victims willdecidewhetherthewreck is raised reeks more of political convenience than compassion IttookOppositionLeader Azruddin Mohamed’s public offer to finance a salvage operation be
n acknowledgedthatraisingthe vessel was even an option. Until then, the nation was being conditioned to accept the Atlantic seabed as a permanentgrave. If government truly has “nothing to hide,” as Prime Minister Mark Phillips insists,thenthewreckshould berecovered Thevesselmay hold the answers to whether safety equipment failed, whether the ferry was overloaded, and whether negligenceclaimeddozensof lives Thosequestionscannot simplybeburiedunderwater Families deserve closure, butGuyanaalsodeservesthe truth A memorial without accountability would only stand as a monument to unansweredquestions.
FRIDAY–JULY31,2026
Theoilcurse Bloomberg’s opinion on Guyana’s management of its oil resources has merely amplified what this newspaper has been warning foryears
When an internationally r
n concludes that Guyana is exhibitingmanyoftheclassic symptoms of the resource curse weak institutions, poor transparency, growing inequality and th
concentration of power, the Government can no longer dismiss such concerns as partisanattacks.
Bloomberg’s assessment should be taken seriously because it comes from independent observation, not political allegiance Kaieteur News has repeatedly raised questions about governance, procurement, accountability, thelopsidedoilcontract,and the widening gap between spectaculareconomicgrowth and the daily struggles of ordinaryGuyanese.
Oil wealth alone cannot build a nation; strong institutions can If these warnings continue to be ignored, Guyana risks becomingyetanotherpetro-
state where billions flow through the economy while too many citizens remain spectators instead of beneficiaries. The time for complacencyhaspassed.
SATURDAY–AUGUST01,2026
Scandalsuponscandals The scandal over President Irfaan Ali’s sprawling farm on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway has quietly slipped from the headlines, not because the questionswereanswered,but because another national crisisarrived Guyanalurchesfromone controversy to the next, leaving yesterday’s scandal buried beneath today’s disaster Beforethedustcould settle on Ali’s farm came revelations about mining concessions linked to AgricultureMinisterZulfikar Mustapha’s family Then cametheMVBarimatragedy, consuming the nation’s attention It is an all-too-familiar p a t t e r n . T h e P P P Governmentsurvivesnotby resolving controversies, but bybeingrescuedbythenext one.Themedia,civilsociety and the Opposition barely havetimetopursueoneissue before another erupts In Guyana, scandals are not buried by answers; they are buriedbynewerscandals.
There was a time when the PPP/C would have greeted an IMF report and certainly its familiar neoliberal prescriptions with suspicionandcaution.These prescriptions embodied fiscal austerity, restraint in p u b l i c s p e n d i n g , privatization and market liberalization.
How times change Today, an IMF report s
perfo
mance can be expected to be received almost as an official certificate of good housekeeping. And, on the surface,thelatestassessment provides plenty of material forsuchcelebration.
The numbers are spectacular Real GDP grew by more than 19 percent in 2025, following average growth of almost 40 percent in 2023–24. Oil production exceeded 900,000 barrels per day by the end of 2025. Even more encouragingly, thenon-oileconomygrewby about 14 percent Unemployment fell to 6.2 percent, while average inflationremainedrelatively containedat3.3percent.
ButanIMFreportshould not be read merely for its compliments. Its real value o f t e n l i e s i n t h e qualifications, warnings and recommendations tucked beneath the diplomatic language. And when one reads this report that way, a rather different picture emerges.
The first elephant in the
room is oil Guyana’s extraordinary growth is still overwhelmingly connected to the expansion of petroleum production. The IMF projects continued increasesasnewfieldscome on stream, with larger oil revenues eventually flowing into the Natural Resource Fund as operators complete costrecovery
Thatisgoodnews,butit is also a warning. Guyana’s economic transformation
an exhaustible resource The IMF itself acknowledges that higher oil prices could
g pressures and cause real exchange-rateappreciation.
In other words, the very thing producing today’s abundance can create the conditions that make other sectors less competitive tomorrow Thisistheclassic resource-curse dilemma, even if the report does not employthatdramaticphrase. The second concern is the quality and composition
of growth The IMF celebrates the non-oil economy’s 14 percent expansion, but construction remains its largest driver If construction is being propelled substantially by massive public expenditure, the real test is what happens when the extraordinary public investment cycle slows.
The IMF therefore
repeatedly stresses “productivity-enhancing”
expenditure This is
Dem boys seh dem confused. Real confused.
Becausedemboysbeenhearinghowthe whole nation paralyzed with grief after the boatdisaster Tears,mourning,condolences, solemn faces and speeches about a national tragedy. But dem boys looking around and wondering,“Whereisthegrief?”
Because while the country supposedly mourning, an international T20 cricket tournament going on full blast. Crowds cheering, sixes disappearing into de stands and when Amazon Warriors win, people behavinglikedemjustwinIndependence. Andnow?Sold-outfinal.
Dem boys seh this looking like somebody decide to throw a big birthday partyrightinthemiddleofafuneral.
Oneminutepeoplepostingblackribbons and saying “Never Forget.” Next minute deminthestandsshouting,“Catchhe!Catch he!”Thensomebodyhittingasixandhalfthe stadium jumping up like Lazarus just come backfromdegrave. Anddebars?Open.Music?Playing.
diplomaticIMFlanguagefor saying that the money is producingdurableeconomic capacity
The report also quietly raises a red flag over the fiscal position. The overall deficit narrowed to 5 5 percentofGDP,butthenonoil primary deficit was equivalent to one-third of non-oilGDP
Itmeansthatbeneaththe comfortable oil-funded fiscal position lies a non-oil economywhosegovernment spending and revenue relationship remains deeply imbalanced.Oilrevenuesare therefore helping sustain a fiscal structure that would look considerably less comfortable if petroleum revenuesdisappeared.
The IMF notes that strong foreign exchange demand particularly from private investment with heavy import content has kept the market tight Saying that the market is tight, simp
s the difficulties importers face in obtaining foreign currency and the high cost of foreign exchange.
Whatthisalsosuggestsis that while investment is booming, but much of that investment requires imports without an equally impressive expansion of domestic productive capacity
The IMF recommends that broad price-mitigating measures eventually be phased out because they can weaken price signals and should be better targeted.
That is essentially an argument for moving away from universal subsidies towards more targeted assistance.Thiscouldleadto an increase in the cost of electricityandwater
The report also raises eyebrows about old grouses such as public enterprises, p r o c u r e m e n t a n d expenditure oversight It callsforstrongermonitoring of spending outcomes and greater oversight of public enterprises It urges continued strengthening of procurement practices and consistent compliance with theprocurementframework. Thesearewarnings.
The IMF highlights the need to resolve outstanding cost-oil audits, strengthen audit capacity in the oil and gas sector, improve the timeliness of financial accounts of public enterprises and agencies, enhance beneficialownership transparency and strengthen enforcement of a s s e t - d e c l a r a t i o n requirements.
More indicting is what the IMF says about official statistics. The IMF calls for regular labour-force surveys
andanewhouseholdbudget survey Since APNU+AFC departed, reports of the labour-force surveys have been virtually absent from the website of the Bureau of Statistics.
This begs the question about how can a country properly determine whether its extraordinary growth is improving living standards, reducing inequality or transforming the productive structure if its statistical systems are themselves still lagging behind economic transformation?
And then there is the housing market. The IMF specifically says rapid housing-market growth warrants monitoring and recommends developing a real-estate price index. It also wants better data on corporate and household balance sheets and stronger cybersecurity standards These are the sorts of recommendationsthatdonot makepoliticalheadlines,but they tell us where the technocrats believe vulnerabilities could emerge.
Roads?Stillbehavingliketheroadcode is merely a suggestion from somebody who never drive before. Drivers still overtaking on blind corners, motorcyclists still flying between vehicles, minibuses still stopping wherever dem please and pedestrians still crossing highways with the confidence of peoplewhobelieveGodpersonallyassigned demaguardianangel.
So, what exactly happened to grief?
Because grief apparently now got office hours.From8to10indemorning:National Mourning. 10 to 12: Commercial Break. 12 to7:Businessasusual.7to10:Cricket.After 10:Party
Dem boys not saying people must stop living. Life does continue. But there is a difference between continuing to live and pretending nothing happened. A tragedy of thismagnitudesupposedtoleaveamarkon thenationalpsyche.
Instead, Guyana looking like the show must go on—and apparently the show got tickets,floodlights,DJsandasold-outfinal. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.
Yes, Guyana is growing spectacularly.Yes, the fiscal and external positions have improved. Yes, debt distress is assessed as low Yes, the banking system is well capitalised And yes, the outlookishighlyfavourable.
But underneath those achievements are questions aboutdependenceonoil,the sustainability of public spending,theproductivityof investment, the strength of domestic production, foreign-exchange pressures, subsidies,publicenterprises, procurement, data quality andtheabilityofthestateto manage unprecedented petroleumwealth.
The IMF is essentially saying that Guyana has won the first round. The harder roundsareahead.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
The report’s central message, therefore, is more n u a n c e d t h a n t h e government’s anticipated celebratory reading may suggest.
The resource curse (also known as the paradox of plenty), according to the N a t u r a l R e s o u r c e
Governance Institute (NRGI) refers to the failure of many resource-rich countries to benefit fully from their natural resource wealth,andforgovernments inthesecountriestorespond
effectively to public welfare needs. Citizens in resource-rich states often look forward to improved development outcomes after natural resources are discovered These nations however tend to have higher rates of c o n f l i c t a n d authoritarianism, and lower rates of economic stability and economic growth,
compared to their nonresource-richneighbors.
AND EFFECTSOFTHE RESOURCECURSE
Political scientists and economists argue that oil, mineral and gas wealth is distinct from other types of wealth because of its large upfront costs, long production timeline, sitespecific nature, scale
(sometimes referred to as large rents), price and production volatility, nonrenewable nature, and the secrecy of the industry The following are some of the causesoftheresourcecurse.
Democracy: Natural resourcewealth,particularly oilwealth,hasmadeitmore likely for governments to become or remain authoritarianoverthepast30
years Politicians and governmentofficialsarealso less directly tied to citizen requests or demands Further, when resource revenues are secret, citizens do not have a clear sense of whether the resource revenues are being spent wellornot.
Those who outline this theory suggest that the t e n d e n c y t o w a r d authoritarianism can be mitigated by increasing transparency of revenues and strengthening the links between government and citizens through citizen participationinbudgetingor direct distribution of wealth (e.g.,cashtransfers).
Conflicts: Another symptom of the resource curse is internal conflicts as different groups fight for control of the resources or use natural resources to finance their fighting. Since 1990, oil-producing countrieshavebeentwiceas likely to have a civil war compared with non-oilproducingcountries.
Political scientists point to examples of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,theNigerDelta,Iraq, Libya and Angola to illustrate this tendency
Petro-aggression, the tendencyofoil-richstatesto instigate or be targets of international conflict, has beenobservedinsomecases, such as with Iraq’s invasion of Iran and Kuwait, but researchers debate whether the data supports the conclusion that resourcerich countries do this at a greater rate than nonresource-richcountries.
Inefficient spending and borrowing: Revenue fluctuation from oil and gas can cause governments to overspend on legacy projects,suchasairportsand monuments, when revenues are rising, then be forced to make painful cuts when revenueflowdeclines.
RGI said resource-rich governments have a tendency to over-spend on government salaries, inefficientfuelsubsidiesand large monuments and to underspend on health, education and other social services.
Weaker institutional development: Some researchers argue that institutions are weaker in resource-rich countries becauseitiseasyforelitesto captureortakelargesumsof cash. The theory suggests that large single-point sources of revenue, such as an oil project, can be managed outside the normal budget process and are relatively easily captured by powerfulelites.
Examples of tools used to capture revenues include sovereign wealth funds, national oil companies and contractors for extractive operations.
“Assuch,elitesinnatural resource-rich countries are less likely to invest in productive enterprises, such a s j o b - c r e a t i n g manufacturing industries, and instead pursue rentseeking, that is, fight for control of these resources,” RGIexplained.
Additionally, the Institute said in some cases, politicians or government officials have also purposefully dismantled societal checks or created newregulationstogetaccess to these resources or to provide access to friends or family,aprocessnicknamed rent-seizing.
“Some argue that elite focus on rent-seeking and rent-seizing promotes corruption and is damaging toinstitutionaldevelopment. In turn, the theory suggests thatcountrieswitheliterentseekersandrent-seizerstend to have weaker institutions and lower levels of public service delivery Examples were noted in Afghanistan, SierraLeoneandTunisia.
Dutch disease: A large increase in natural resource revenues can hurt other sectors of the economy, particularly export-based manufacturing, by causing inflation or exchange rate appreciation and shifting labor and capital from the non-resource sector to the resource sector, RGI explained.
Thisisknownas“Dutch disease.”Whileinflationand exchange rate appreciation can harm large swathes of the economy within a few years, their impacts can be feltfordecades.
Thedetrimentaleffectof natural resources on other industries has been well documented in Iran, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela,allofwhichhave eitherstuntedmanufacturing sectors or saw a precipitous declineinmanufacturing.
Inaddition,governments often over-borrow because they have improved creditworthiness when revenues are high This type of behaviour led to debt crises when revenues declined in Mexico, Nigeria and Venezuela in the 1980s.The private sector can be similarly impacted, as it can over-invest in boom times and then experience widespread bankruptcy duringbusts.
President Dr Irfaan Ali marked Emancipation Day
2026 with a message honoring the resilience of Guyana’s African ancestors and calling on citizens to build a more unified nation intheirmemory
In his address, President Ali described slavery as history’scruelestsystem,but stressed that formerly
enslaved Guyanese responded to freedom not with bitterness but with vision. He said they “fixed their gaze steadily upon the future,” working to build a better life for generations to come.
ThePresidenttracedthis legacy through the Village Movement, in which freed Africanspooledresourcesto buy land and establish selfsustaining communities, communities he called “the bedrock of resilience” and “seedbeds of nationhood ”
He credited AfricanGuyanese contributions
a c r o s s e d u c a t i o n , agriculture, mining, sports, arts, and politics as foundationaltothecountry’s development, saying their efforts represent “the very pillars upon which modern Guyanastands.”
Alialsourgedcitizensto drawlessonsfromhowtheir ancestors handled hardship, noting they “transformed their sorrow into solidarity and their pain into purpose”
rather than allowing sufferingtobreedhatred.
Looking to the present, the President called for national unity, urging Guyanesetorejectsuspicion anddivision.Hesaidthebest tribute to African ancestors lies in fostering “mutual
Corruption benefits the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor. Say no to it.
respect, genuine equality, and shared prosperity,” and in building bridges across differences.
President Ali closed his message by invoking the spirit of the ancestors as a guide for the nation’s
continued pursuit of freedom, prosperity, and justiceforallGuyanese. “May the spirit of our
African ancestors guide us. May their resilience inspire us.Andmaytheirdreamofa united, dignified, and
sovereign people live on in our hearts and hands today, and always,” the president said.
Frompage7
trying to leap several stages of development at once. It’s fair to wonder whether delusions of grandeur have overtaken execution. Grand visions usually stumble where they matter most: implementation. Guyana’s weak bureaucracy, fragile institutions and shortage of skilled workers poserealobstaclestoitspresident’s sweepingplans.
The well-documented pathogenesis of the resource curse also offers ample reason for skepticism. In poor countries that suddenly strike oil thanks to advances in offshore drilling, newly enriched governments acquire overwhelming power relativetoeveryotherinstitutionor group in society That creates extraordinary opportunities to transform a nation and equally extraordinary opportunities to abusesuchpower,saysMichaelL. Ross, a political science professor at UCLA and one of the world’s leadingexpertsonnatural-resource politics.
As unprecedented revenues beginpouringin,oilwealthcreates a strong temptation to sideline independent institutions and concentrate decisions in the hands of a well-connected elite. Then comes the practical challenge of finding enough skilled officials to negotiate with and oversee companies like Exxon, which has spent more than a century perfecting the art of maximizing profits, securing favorable contracts and limiting transparency
“These countries start with weakinstitutionsandoftenoilturns them worse. Wealth is getting concentrated Investment in infrastructure or education gets behind.Thereisalotofcorruption. This is something that happens periodically,” Ross told me, citing Venezuela, Nigeria and Chad as examples. “Guyana’s trajectory is probably neither the best-case nor theworst-caseoutcome.”
Indeed,thecountryoffersamix ofencouragingandworryingsigns. Politics in Guyana has long followed ethnic lines, with the country’stwomainpartiesdrawing most of their support either from citizens of Indian or African descent, fueling recurring tensions and occasional bouts of violence. Yet despite a traumatic attempt to rig the 2020 vote, Guyana remains a democracy, and last year’s election saw the surprising emergence of Azruddin Mohamed’s We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, which captured 16 out of 65 seats in the unicameral National Assembly despite being only three months old. The result broke the historic
duopolybetweenthePPP/C,which largely represents Indo-Guyanese voters, and the People’s National Congress, which draws AfroGuyanese support, signaling that the global trend toward backing fresh political faces has also reachedGuyana’sshores.
Atthesametime,thegoverning partystillretainsmorethanhalfthe seatsintheassembly,givingittight control over the legislature, so much so that it remained shut for several months, only reconvening in early June after gentle pressure from Western diplomats The Carter Center’s report on the electionflagsmultipleareaswhere Guyana needs to improve to recover public trust in its democracy, from increasing political representation and strengthening the independence of electoral authorities to boosting transparency in campaign finance, akeysourceofelectoralinequality Corruption remains a recurring complaint.Guyanaranks84outof 182 nations in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, with little improvementinrecentyears.
The government has so far navigated corruption allegations largely unscathed, but a new controversyhasraisedthepolitical stakes In early July, WIN’s Mohamed revealed that President Aliownsa150-acreranchsouthof Georgetown, alleging conflicts of interest and personal enrichment and calling on him to resign. Ali acknowledgedowningtheproperty but said he purchased it before becoming president and properly disclosedittotheauthorities.Even so,thelingeringquestionformany is how members of the political elite managed to amass such vast wealth in such a short time Meanwhile,Mohamed,whoisone of Guyana’s richest persons, and his father have themselves been sanctioned by the US and indicted on allegations that they evaded millions of dollars in taxes and royalties through fraudulent gold exports and related moneylaunderingschemes.
C o m p o u n d i n g t h e government’s problems is the deadliest maritime disaster in Guyana’s history An 87-year-old state-run ferry carrying an
estimated 179 passengers capsized off the Essequibo coast on July 18 while sailing from Georgetown to PortKaituma,aremoteIndigenous community near the Venezuelan border Authorities estimate that about 100 people may have died. The vessel’s age and the poor emergency response, with some survivors reportedly left adrift for hours, sparked public outrage and protests. In a revealing display of the authorities’ low tolerance for dissent, three civil activists were briefly arrested for staging a peaceful demonstration during a vigilinsolidaritywiththevictims.
AusefulwaytojudgeGuyana’s trajectory is to see how it fares on the dozen benchmarks laid out in theNaturalResourceCharter,aset ofprinciplesdevelopedin2010by economists and policy experts to help resource-rich countries turn commodity booms into lasting prosperity
As an experiment, I asked ClaudetoscoreGuyanaagainstthe charter Its verdict: The country meets four principles on accountable public decisionmaking, investing revenue for citizens, smoothing revenue volatility, and international harmonization; it partially fulfills those on building an inclusive national strategy, state enterprise accountability, public spending efficiency and diversification; and it falls short on transparent and competitiverightsallocation,local content participation, upholding the highest co
e environmental, social and human rightsstandards,andstructuringtax and contract terms to capture the fullvalueofitsresources.
That broadly matches the findings of the 2021 Resource Governance Index, a diagnostic toolcreatedbytheNewYork-based Natural Resource Governance Institute to assess how commodity producers manage their resources. It placed Guyana in the “weak” performance category, with an aggregated score of 56 out of 100.
“Asanewproducer,Guyanaisstill developing the institutional framework to successfully govern its oil and gas sector. With weakness evident in value realization, revenue management
environment, the government should prioritize the development of a robust resource governance framework,”thereportconcluded.
Where does Guyana come up short? The biggest gaps are institutional Creating a stateowned oil company, for instance, couldhelpthegovernmentcapture alargershareofoilrents.Butdoing sobeforethenecessaryinstitutions are in place risks creating another vehicle for waste, political favoritism and graft. Moreover, executing megaprojects requires meticulous, long-term planning, something that Guyana isn’t yet fully equipped to do. Take the flagship $1.9 billion gas-to-energy project, the country’s largest infrastructure initiative. It aims to bring offshore natural gas ashore through a pipeline to fuel a 300megawatt power plant, cutting electricitycostsandemissions.The project is running about two years behindscheduleandhasseencosts escalate after encountering major soilchallenges.
Construction of the specialized Paediatric and Maternal Hospital, one of the 12 state-of-the-art hospitals the government hopes to complete by 2028, has also been delayed, reportedly because of changes of ownership in the construction company And while
underscore Guyana’s chronic shortage of healthcare workers, many of whom have for years emigrated to better-paying destinations.
Thatshortageisbeingeased,in part, by thousands of irregular Cuban and Venezuelan workers, who are easy to spot on the streets ofGeorgetownbytheSpanishthey speak.Theybringtechnicalskills,a strongworkethicandawillingness totakejobsthecountrydesperately needsfilled.
But I wonder how they’ll integrate over the long run into a smallsocietythatalreadyhasmore than its share of ethnic tensions. (Locals dismiss virtually anyone from South America as “Spanish” even, at times, the Brazilians with whom they share a 1,000-mile border.) For businesses, migrants are the quickest way to meet soaring demand. Many Guyanese,
however, may see them as unfair competition for jobs they themselves struggle to access. The sameappliestoforeignoilworkers earning salaries well above local standards,agapthatcaneasilyfuel resentment.
TheRisksofOverpromising Poor transparency is compoundedbythelackofreliable statistics. Positive signs abound in the economic data, from booming vehiclesalestoarapidlyexpanding mortgage market Yet the government took three years to publish a preliminary report from the2022censusanditsfinalresults are still pending Even more bafflingistheabsenceofanofficial povertyestimatecoveringtheyears ofextraordinaryeconomicgrowth.
WhenIaskedFinanceMinister Ashni Singh about this, he argued that poverty should be measured across multiple dimensions, including access to healthcare, education and sanitation, all of which he said have reached record levels of coverage. Fair enough. But when poverty estimates range from 58%, according to the InterAmerican Development Bank, to just18%to20%,accordingtosome localeconomists,thecountry’sdata compassappearsbroken.
My suspicion is that the government may be reluctant to publish such figures for fear of handing the opposition a powerful political narrative. That would be short-sighted. Citizens, investors and anyone trying to understand Guyana’s transformation need betterdataandgreatertransparency tojudgewherethecountryisreally headed.
In that respect, the government’s biggest political risk may be overpromising and underdelivering, raising expectations to such levels that even genuine progress cannot satisfyvoters.Someofthattension shows up in a recent poll by the University of Guyana’s GREEN Institute. Just over 42% of respondents said they were somewhatorveryoptimisticabout thecountry’soutlookoverthenext 20 years, while 40% described themselves as somewhat or very pessimistic—notexactlyapicture ofeuphoria.
Continued on page 13
Frompage12
The survey cautions that its sample overrepresents the more educated segments of society and part of the diaspora Even so, the findings suggest a complex public mood:About 43% said the benefits of growth are real but unevenly distributed,whileanother27%said the economy being built is simply not the kind of society they want Foreign oil companies, meanwhile, were considered the least trusted institutionsincludedinthesurvey
The emerging picture is one in which oil wealth could sharpen not only ethnic divisions but class disparities Especially during periods of high oil prices, governments can be tempted to channel jobs, contracts, flagship projectsorsubsidiestowardpolitical supporters and allied regions rather thanwheretheygeneratethegreatest public benefit, creating fertile ground for patronage and corruption
This risk isn’t just theoretical: It’s what happened next door in VenezuelaafterHugoChávezcame to power in 1999 and soaring oil prices flooded the country with petrodollarsthatwereusedtofulfill unmet social demands and geopolitical goals Guyana is not destinedtofollowthesamepath If anything, the government appears acutely aware of those dangers and the population knows firsthand the perils of copying its neighbor’s disastrous Chavista model But the risk will remain as long as the oil money keeps flowing without clear oversight
The company is by far the country’s largest investor and taxpayer, having committed more than $60 billion with its partners to develop seven approved offshore projectsplusaneighthpendingone that together will lift production capacityto17millionbarrelsaday by 2030, from roughly 900,000 today That investment alone is nearlydoubleGuyana’scurrent$34 billion GDP, giving Exxon an outsized influence over the country’s economy and, inevitably, itspolitics
Thatisanuneasypositionforthe American producer Since oil production began in 2019, the company has paid more than $9 billion into Guyana’s Natural Resource Fund, helping finance many of the country’s transformative projects (The fund held $364 billion at the end of the first quarter, after the government madelargewithdrawals)Yetifthis unprecedented flow of money and profits fails to translate into better living standards, Exxon will likely becomeatargetofpublicfrustration
Fairly or not, many Guyanese view Exxon as a power behind the scenes, giving the company the unofficial role of arbiter of modern Guyana That perception could fuel public resentment and demands to rewrite the favorable contract the company secured in 2016 Production-sharing contracts in neighboring Suriname generally imposea625%royaltyongrossoil
output;Guyanachargesjust2%
“The contract is not necessarily in the best interest of Guyanese,” said Odessa Primus, a member of Parliamentandsecretary-generalof WIN “Exxon has to look out for their best interest And they have done so very well Clearly whoever’sgettingpaidoverthereto negotiatethesecontractsdeservesa raisetopay”
Exxontoldmeroyaltiesareonly one component of the petroleum agreementandshouldnotbeviewed in isolation “The agreement was negotiated with the Government of Guyana and reflected competitive terms at a time when there were significant exploration, technical and price risks,” a company spokesperson said “The success of explorationinGuyanaalsolowered exploration risk in Suriname, leading to different terms in later contracts”
In any case, beyond the government’s reassurances, geopoliticsalsoshieldsExxonfrom changes to Guyana’s contractual terms. Consider the impact of Guyana’s legal case in its territorial controversywithVenezuelaoverthe disputed Essequibo region, which representsabout70%ofitsterritory and is adjacent to its offshore oil deposits VirtuallyeveryoneIspoke to in Georgetown agreed that the
diplomatic support to deter Venezuelan adventurism That realitycreatesanotherconstrainton policymaking Anyefforttoimpose tougher conditions on foreign oil producers, including a possible carbon tax, risks colliding with a broader strategic calculation: Guyana benefits from having powerful American interests investedinitsstabilityandsecurity With Venezuela’s dramatic political U-turn under acting
The disputed Essequibo region boasts more than just oil, including Kaieteur, the world’s largest single drop waterfall. Photographer: Martin Silva/AFP/Getty Images
In both scenarios, Guyana has gone from enjoying unconditional US backing to a more ambiguous situationinwhichVenezuelaatleast has Washington’s ear And if Venezuela’s oil industry eventually recovers with US support, that renewed economic strength could translate into greater pressure on Georgetown
TornBetweenTwoLovers
Thesecondgeopoliticalhotspot
InternationalCourtofJustice,which is expected to rule in the coming months, is highly unlikely to invalidate the definitive 1899 settlement agreement that established the boundary and confirmedUKsovereigntyoverthe territory that became present-day Guyana
YetforGeorgetown,theproblem is increasingly political Guyana remains militarily vulnerable it doesn’t have a single fighter jet or warship, despite rising defense spending and depends on US
president Delcy Rodríguez and her surprisingrapportwithWashington, the US may now find itself mediating between two supposed allies Donald Trump might well pressure Georgetown into offering some form of compensation to Caracas, allowing Rodríguez to claim a political victory Alternatively, a Venezuelan regime desperate to recover its domestic p
Washington’sintentionsandlaunch some form of armed incursion, much as the Argentine junta did in
is China’s deep involvement in Guyana’s infrastructure and logistics projects, part of a cumulative$13billionininvestment throughtheendof2025 Thatisthe kind of strategic footprint Washingtonwouldliketoexpunge
The Demerara River bridge illustrates why China succeeds where American and European firmsoftenstruggle:costandspeed
To add insult to injury, the Chinese government donated a superb recreational park on the bridge’s western bank for families and
children Lowprofileandsoftpower can be more effective than swaggeringrhetoric
Asthingsstand,Chinacontinues to underbid everyone, placing Guyana’s government in the uncomfortable position faced by many of its regional peers: Accept dramaticallylowercostsunderBelt and Road cooperation at the risk of upsetting Washington? Or choose pricierWestern-backedprojectsand potentiallyslowdevelopment?
Thebiggesttestmaycomewith the planned auction for a strategic deepwater port in Berbice, in the country’s east China is rumored to haveofferedtobuildtheprojectfor roughly$500million,lessthanhalf ofwhatBechtelGroupInc,whichis conducting the port studies, estimates it would cost When I asked Ali about this, he denied receiving a Chinese proposal and said the government was instead in talks with American, Qatari and Saudigroups
If this were purely about price, China would win the contract But after the alarms the US raised over the Chancay Port in Peru, Georgetown is unlikely to casually hand Beijing control of a strategic asset like the country’s first largescale port. What is clear is that Washingtonispayingcloseattention to Guyana. Several US delegations haverecentlyvisitedonfact-finding missions, particularly about the country’s vast critical minerals potential
As Guyana grows richer, more strategically important and more deeplyintegratedintoglobalenergy markets, these geopolitical and economic tensions will intensify For now, it can afford mistakes As production rises, the initial cost of developing the projects is cleared and higher prices prevail, oil will generate billions of dollars in additional revenue Turmoil in the Middle East has also reinforced the advantage of the country’s unfettered maritime access But in theend,Guyana’sfuturewilldepend lessonwhatMotherNatureprovides than on whether its institutions and society can keep pace with the extraordinary opportunities and pressures that her bounty has unleashed
Mounting pressure from stakeholders across Guyana have forced the government to take steps towards salvaging the 87-year-old MV Barima that capsized and sank off the country’s coastonJuly18.
Thetragicincidenthasso far resulted in the loss of 73 lives,withatleast30persons still missing. Government said that 77 persons were rescued, but one survivor subsequentlydied.
The Government of Guyana (GoG) was mulling the creation of a memorial sitewherethevesselsankto honour the lives of those who drowned but family members of the victims strongly condemned the idea, insisting instead that they prefer the “bones” or “dust”oftheirlovedones.
This sparked protest actionlastweekwiththejoint opposition parties joining families in calling on the government to bring the vesseltoshore Theybelieve salvagingthevesselmayhold crucial evidence to the investigationintothetragedy
On Saturday, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) and the Ministry of Public Utilities andAviation issued a Request For Proposals (RFPs)tosalvagethesunken MVBarima.
According to the document,thegovernmentis seeking qualified and experienced marine salvage contractors to submit Expressions of Interest
(EOI) to recover the vessel that is currently lying as a wreck, in soft mud, in water depthsofabout13-15meters (42-49feet).
The RFP stated,
“Visibility at the wreck site is poor and strong currents and tidal streams may be encountered at times, necessitatingsuitablyrobust procedures and equipment forsaleoperations.”
It explained that the MV Barima is a passenger and cargoferryofapproximately 38.6 meters length overall, 8.9 meters beam and 2.9 metres depth, registered in Georgetown, Guyana and fitted with twin Caterpillar C18dieselmainenginesand Caterpillar diesel generator sets.
InitsEOI,thecontractor must propose methods and sequences for all stages of the operation. Additionally, the reputable salvage companies must have a proven track record of
successful vessel salvage operations in Guyanese or wider Caribbean waters, particularly environments characterized by strong currents and restricted visibility
MARAD stated that interested companies should submit the (1) corporate profile, including ownership, principal place of business and years of operation in marine salvage; (2) evidence of relevant experience over thelast5-10years,including a track record of successful salvage operations in the regionwithabriefdescription oflocation,depth,vesseltype and size, method used, and client references; (3) description of the proposed technical approach for the MV Barima salvage with emphasis on the measures to protect and document forensic evidence for use by the Commission of Inquiry and identify measures for p r o t e c t i o n o f t h e
Companies are also required to (4) outline key personnelandequipmenttobe deployed; (5) estimated timeline to commence and complete operations; (6) be able to stow the salvaged vessel upright on a barge for several weeks; confirm capacity to operate under “no cure, no pay” or other commercial agreements and finally submit statements regardinginsurancecoverage, health, safety and environmental management systems and compliance with Guyana’s maritime, procurementandoccupational safetyregulations
EOIs should be submitted via email to procurement@marad govg y by August 14, 2026 Government made it clear that proposals issued after this time may not be considered.
It explained, “Following review of EOIs, MARAD
reservestherighttoshortlist firms and issue a detailed Request for Proposals TenderDocument,including technical specifications, site data, contractual conditions and commercial terms, to selectedcompaniesonly.”
Further, the Ministry of PublicUtilitiesandAviation andMARADstatedthatthey do not bind themselves to accept any Expression of Interestandreservethenight to annul the process or readvertise at their sole discretion.
The Leader of the Opposition, Azruddin Mohamedfirstmadeapublic appealtotheGoGtobegiven permissiontoraisethevessel atnoexpensetogovernment, using the assistance of internationalexperts
Mohamed has critisised the administration, deeming anymovetoleavethevessel at the Atlantic Sea floor as “prematureandwicked”and an “act of cruelty” to
grieving families. “Families have reached out to me saying they want the bodies of their loved ones, even if all that remain are bones. It will bring closure, ” Mohamed stated “The government did not exhaust every possible option. They have not sought out international help with the expertise and equipment to recoverthatvessel.Yet,they are already talking about turningitintoamemorial.” Mohamed questioned
transparency, alleging that authorities are attempting to
negligence and safety breaches.Heallegedthatthe MV Barima had been transporting construction materialsandothercargofor big businessmen and those with major projects in Region 1, cargo that should o
n transported by a barge Furthermore,heciteddetails coming from the captain who was arrested and charged with murder, asserting that the vessel had no functioning emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB), no search and rescue transponder (SART), an inoperable anchor,nooperationalradar, and life rafts that had been expired since 2022. He also claimed that one of the
overloaded vessel needs both engines, especially to navigateroughwaters.
BySirRonaldSanders
Daniel Ortega has now said openly what his regime has demonstrated for years: the peopleofNicaraguaarenottobepermittedto removetheirrulersthroughelections.
During celebrations marking the 47th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution, Ortegadeclaredthattherewouldbe“nomore elections” through which opposition parties could attempt to take power He also promisedalegislative“wall”againstpersons his government labels coup plotters and traitors. The irony is stark.Arevolution that overthrew the Somoza family dictatorship hasproducedanotherdynasticsystem,ledby Ortegaandhiswifeandco-president,Rosario Murillo.
IrespondedimmediatelyonX,tweeting: “I unequivocally condemn Ortega’s outrageous announcement that Nicaragua will end elections. This is an assault on democracyandhumanrights.Allresponsible governments should condemn this unacceptable act. The people of Nicaragua havesufferedlongenough.”
However, Ortega’s declaration changed the official rhetoric more than the reality. Elections had already become a gimmick preserving the appearance, but not the substance,ofpopularchoice.Beforethe2021 election, opposition parties were outlawed and prospective presidential candidates arrested Media and civil society organisations were closed or forced into exile. The latest declaration removes the remainingpretenceofelectoralcompetition.
Several member states of the OrganizationofAmericanStates(OAS)have condemned Ortega’s announcement SecretaryGeneralAlbertRamdinhasrightly described the elimination of elections as a denial of the Nicaraguan people’s sovereign righttochoosetheirgovernment.Neitherthe Secretary General nor individual governmentscan,bythemselves,expressthe collectivepositionoftheOAS.And,whilea month ago, the OAS General Assembly
issued a declaration on the deterioration in Nicaragua, the OAS has not responded collectivelytoOrtega’ssubsequentedict.
The delegations of Canada and Chile sought to remedy this silence by preparing a statement for member states.As Dean of the OAS Corps of Ambassadors, I contributed language to that statement, firmly condemning Ortega’s actions and calling for genuinemulti-partyelections.
At the time of writing, that text has not been considered by the Permanent Council, and the United States has since proposed a separate resolution that is also awaiting consideration. The central issue now before the OAS is how Ortega’s actions should be characterised.
WhatishappeninginNicaraguaisacrisis of representative democracy, human rights and the rule of law The Ortega-Murillo government continues to deprive Nicaraguansoftheirrights,deepeninstability and fear, and drive people to escape repression through irregular migration, creating pressures for receiving states. But this does not transform an internal human rightscrisisintoathreattohemisphericpeace andsecurity.Nicaraguansfleeingpersecution are victims, not security threats to the countriesinwhichtheyseeksafety
Thisdistinctionalsomatterslegally Nicaragua withdrew from the OAS in November 2023. I was President of the Permanent Council when the withdrawal took effect We made clear that the withdrawal did not erase the international human rights obligations applicable to Nicaragua, including those arising from the AmericanConventiononHumanRights.
Thegovernmentchosewithdrawalaftera majority of member states resisted its violations of democracy and the rule of law andwhilesuspensionundertheOASCharter and the Inter-American Democratic Charter remained possible Those suspension provisions apply only to member states and therefore no longer provide a course of action.
This does not mean that the OAS must remain silent or inactive. It means that the organisation must distinguish between political and human rights measures within its competence and any coercive measures which would require a different legal basis thatisoutsideitsauthority
Within the inter-American system, bindingcollectivesanctionswouldhavetobe pursued,ifatall,bystatespartiestotheInterAmericanTreatyofReciprocalAssistance,or the Rio Treaty This separate procedure is available only to parties to that Treaty and requires a credible determination that the peaceoftheAmericasisendangered.Notall OAS members are parties, and Nicaragua is nolongerone.
Moreimportantly,Ortega’soppressionof the Nicaraguan people, while reprehensible, does not constitute an armed attack upon another state or justify claiming that Nicaragua presently threatens hemispheric peace and security. The law cannot be stretched merely because the political conduct being condemned is offensive. Doingsowouldweakentherules-basedorder thatdefendersofdemocracyseektouphold.
There are, nevertheless, meaningful actionsthattheOAScanandshouldtake.
ThePermanentCouncilcanadoptaclear resolution condemning the elimination of meaningful electoral competition and rejecting the exclusion of candidates or organisations solely because they peacefully oppose the government. It can demand the release of political prisoners, the restoration ofcivilandpoliticalrights,andthereopening of space for independent media and civil society
It can keep Nicaragua under sustained consideration pursuant to the June General Assembly declaration. It can receive regular briefings from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and support the Commission’s monitoring, hearings and precautionarymeasures.
The OAS can call upon Nicaragua to comply with decisions and provisional
measures of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The Secretary General can offer good offices, even if the government refuses to engage. Member states can also supportcivilsocietyinexile,cooperatewith United Nations mechanisms to preserve evidence,andprotectthoseforcedtoflee.
Individual governments may consider their own lawful diplomatic measures. But these should be identified honestly as national decisions, not represented as collective OAS action unless authorised by theorganisation’scompetentorgans.
ThemessagetoOrtegaandMurillomust therefore be unmistakable. Nicaragua’s withdrawalfromtheOAShasnotplacedtheir regime beyond scrutiny or accountability. The OAS must maintain constant vigilance, document continuing abuses through its human rights institutions, and keep Nicaragua under sustained consideration by its political organs. It must insist that those responsible for violations are held accountable under applicable international law
Ortega may have abandoned the ballot because he fears the verdict of his own people, but the Inter-American community mustneithernormalisehisconductnorallow ittodisappearfromhemisphericattention.Its response should be united, persistent and unambiguous, while remaining firmly groundedintheruleoflaw
(The author is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the OAS.HeisalsoChancelloroftheUniversity of Guyana. The views expressed are his own)
Aftersixyearsofpumpingoil, Guyana’sdebtincreasedsixfold
Guyana is being strangled ever since oil was discovered and gold price began soaring And the saddest part is that, no one is comingtoourrescue.
Not the Government, not the opposition, not the institutions, or the citizens themselves trying to breakfreefromthischokeholdthat is tightening around this nation’s wealth.
Eversincewebeganextracting oil in 2019 and gold price jumped up, Guyanese should have been breathing prosperity. Instead, the nationisstrugglingtobreathe.
Everywhere you turn in the world, people are saying the same thing:
Guyana is booming, Guyana is becomingfilthyrich.Guyanaisone of the fastest-growing economies on Earth. Those are the headlines. Thosearetheinternationalreports. Those are the conversations taking place in boardrooms, investment
conferences, and financial institutionsacrosstheglobe.
Well, somebody please explain thistome.Beforethefirstbarrelof oil was pumped in 2019, Guyana was struggling to meet its yearly national debt payments of just US$1.7BBackthenthecountryhad to borrow and tighten its belt to survive. Fastforwardto2026,after morethanUS$100billionworthof oil has been extracted from our ocean,thecountry’sdebthassoared passUS$10B.
We should all for a moment pauseandthinkaboutthat,ourdebt did not double, did not triple, nor quadruple, but rather it increased sixtimesinsixyears.
The more oil we pumped; the moredebtscameonourbacks.
Commonsense would tell you that after producing more than, US$100 billion worth of oil, that debt burden should have shrunk to nothing, instead it has grown six timeslarger
Howdoesthathappen? …how does a country with a. US$1.7B debt in 2019, produced over
US$100B in oil, sinks itself into debtsixtimesthatUS$1.7Binsix years.
How do we generate more wealththanatanyothertimeinour history, yet borrow more than ever before? Back in 2019, Guyana wasn’t known as an oil giant Nobody called us an energy powerhouse. Nobody described us asoneoftherichestcountriesinthe making.Weweresimplyknownfor exporting rice, sugar, timber, bauxite, fish, and gold Earning underoneandhalfbillionU.S.that used to keep businesses, its people and the country floating above water. At that time, the exchange rate was $200 to US$1, with no complaintsofshortages.
Todayin2026,we’reexporting tensofbillionsofUSdollars’worth of oil, along with billions more from gold, bauxite, manganese, diamondandtimber TheUSdollar istradingnowbetweenG$230and G$240 for US$1, and it’s hard to get Talk to importers Talk to manufacturers. Talk to retailers. Talk to companies trying to pay their overseas suppliers, they will tellyousomeofthesaddeststories ever told to mankind, the hassle theygothroughtogetUS$tomeet theirpayments.
The more wealth we extract from the ground and beneath the sea, the scarcer the US dollar becomes, and the nation sinks deeperanddeeperintodebtstoget by Are we are heading like Venezuela, Trinidad, Africa and Asianoilcountrieshere?
Ahandfulofuswalked13days, none stop from Berbice to Essequibo in that blazing sun and pouringrain,justtostopthisnation from ending up exactly where it is today,swimmingindebts.
We didn’t march only for ourselves. Wediditforeverychild, everyfamily,everybusiness,every Guyanese,andourcountry
And while we were on those lonelyroads,manyofyouwatched from behind your doors and windows. You knew why we were walking. You knew it was about Guyana’sfuture.
Yet party loyalty was stronger than the love for your country Political colours became more important than your children’s future.
Today,manyofyoucelebrating a cash grant, a cash grant that is coming to you from loans, yes borrowed money, that your kids will scream to repay Come on Guyanese, you deserve better, and let’stakeastandtowardsthat.
Pres.Alinames5-member COItoinvestigate MVBarimadisaster …sidesteps calls for opposition, Parliament oversight
OneweekaftertheMVBarima capsized en
leaving73deadandatleast30still missing, President Irfaan Ali has namedafive-memberCommission of Inquiry (COI) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the capsizingandsinkingofthevessel.
InavideostatementonSunday, the head-of-state named Justice Godfrey Phillip Smith of Belize to serve as chair of the COI. Smith previously served as a member of the COI team that investigated the 2ndMarch,2020generalelections. He serves as a CARICOM HighLevel Representative for Law and Criminal Justice and an Ad-Hoc Justice of the Eastern Caribbean CourtofAppeal.
Othermembersare:Dr.Andrzej Jasionowski of Poland, Naval Architect and Marine Engineer, who has advised on investigations into several major maritime disasters; Captain Hamada Fouda, Senior Maritime Surveyor and Compliance Auditor with the Maritime Authority of Jamaica; Nyree Dawn Alfonso of Trinidad andTobago,attorneywithexpertise in Admirality and Maritime Law and Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Hayden A Pritchard of Trinidad and Tobago, a distinguished professional with decades of experience in maritime operations andmaritimesecurity
According to PresidentAli, the commissionwilldetermineitsown procedures and methods of work consistent with its mandate He statedthatthetermsofreferenceof COI will be establishing the full circumstances surrounding the tragedy, including the causes and all other factors relating to the loading of the vessel, the boarding ofpassengers,conditionsonboard, thecapsizingandsinkingoftheMV Barima, and any other related matters.
The task is to review comprehensively all aspects of the search, rescue, and recovery operations,includingtheadequacy, coordination, and effectiveness of the response by all agencies and stakeholders involved The COI members will also evaluate the extent to which applicable laws, regulations, standards, and operating procedures governing ferries were complied with, determining whether any acts of negligence, misconduct, derelictionofduty,orotherfailures by any individual entity or institutioncontributedtoorcaused thedisaster
The MV Barima capsized on 18th July while travelling to Port Kaituma,withsome179peopleon board. To date, 76 persons have been rescued and 73 bodies recovered,while at least 30 people remain unaccounted for Since the tragedy,questionshavebeenraised about the 87-year-old vessel’s maintenance, seaworthiness, regulatory oversight, the manifest and whether the vessel was overloaded with passengers and
cargo.
President Ali outlined that the COI members are tasked with inspecting the condition and maintenance history of the vessel, including its seaworthiness, analysingtheinfluenceofweather, sea conditions, tides, currents, navigation, communications, and otherenvironmentaloroperational factorsthatmayhavecontributedto theincident.
Other aspects include appraising the competence, qualification,training,andconduct of the vessel’s master and crew, including compliance with established maritime safety and emergencyprocedures.
The COI members will also scrutinise the management, including embarkation procedures andmanifestpreparation.
PresidentAlisaidtheteamwill also investigate, “the possible overcrowding of the vessel, the stowage of cargo, the availability and use of life-saving equipment, andadherencetothepercentageof safetyrequirementsrecommending any legislative, regulatory, institutional, and operational reforms, together with any other measures necessary to strengthen maritime safety, improve emergency preparedness and response,andreducethelikelihood ofsimilartragediesoccurringinthe future.”
“The necessary legal instruments required to give effect to this decision are currently being formalised. Upon completion, the Commission will commence its
work in accordance with the provisionsofthelaw,”Aliadded. No consultation with opposition
Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition,AzruddinMohamedon S
announcement by the president which he said was made without any consultation with opposition membersofparliament(MPs).
The leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party pointed out that reports for previous COIs have been hidden from the public, which he hopes does not recur in this matter Mohamed expressed hope that the commission would function independently and conduct its work transparently, with the full inquiry being livestreamedgivenitsnationaland internationalimpact.Additionally, Continued on page 21
Frompage20 he made it clear that the full final report must be released to the public.
The Opposition Leader also suggested that as a member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Guyana should seek the involvement of appropriate international maritime experts and institutions to support thisinvestigation.
Parliamentaryinvolvement
Meanwhile, in a separate statement on Saturday, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) expressed concern that President Ali did not consult with the Parliamentary Opposition despite the group represents a substantial portion of Guyanese. It said reports indicate that the Commissionwasselectedsolelyby the Head of State, contrary to widespreadcallsfromcivilsociety and the opposition for an inclusive process.
To this end, the party made it clear that a COI can only enjoy publicconfidenceifitisgenuinely independent and visibly free from politicalinfluence.Assuch,itnoted that“excludingtheoppositionfrom the process undermines that confidence from the outset and creates the unfortunate perception that this exercise is designed to manage public outrage rather than establishthefulltruth.”
APNU argued that the families ofthosewholostlovedonesaswell assurvivorsandthenationdeserves answers instead of a process that seems predetermined or carefully controlled by the very administration whose agencies are nowunderscrutiny
APNU Member of Parliament, Dr. Terrence Campbell, had stressed that there are many unanswered questions surrounding the MV Barima tragedy and believes the next sitting of the National Assembly should be dedicatedtoaddressingthem.
Dr Campbell argued that parliament should first determine the way forward, including the compositionandscopeoftheCOI.
“This is the biggest disaster in Guyana’s history ” he added, noting that while the Jonestown tragedy claimed hundreds of lives, veryfewwereGuyanese.
“So,thebiggesttragedyfroma single event in Guyana’s history, this needs to be addressed at the levelofthenationalassembly This type of incident and the path forward to avoid any recurrence must be addressed at the level of national assembly,” Dr Campbell stated.
He maintained that the MV Barimatragedyshouldbeplacedat the top of parliament’s agenda, arguing that the country’s focus mustbeonensuringsuchadisaster neverhappensagain.
Dr Campbell said Guyanese need more than assurances that a
Commission of Inquiry will be established; they need confidence that it will be independent and transparent.
“So, we need to have proper termsofreferenceandsoon.Ithink thedecisions,theparliamentneeds to have a say in the decision going forward as to Commission Of Inquiryandallotherstepsthatmust be taken and questions must be asked, hard questions must be asked,”hesaid.
Canadianfirmeyesacquisition ofcompanycontrolling QuartzstoneGoldProject …weeks after another company inks US$5M deal with Guyanese subsidiary
Weeks after Canadian mining company Fortuna Mining Corp entered into a more than US$5 millionagreementwithaGuyanese company for the Quartzstone Gold Project which covers 296 square kilometres of contiguous mining lands – another Canadian firm, XAU Resources Inc signed a definitiveagreementtoacquirethe Barbados-incorporated parent companythatownsthatsubsidiary
This publication reported that Fortuna entered an earn-in agreement with Guyanese company Qstone Inc for the Quartzstone Project, a 73,143-acre (296 square kilometres) concession Upon signing the agreement, Fortuna paid Qstone a non-refundable US$5 million cash option premium, marking its entry intoGuyana’sminingsector Asper the agreement, the company can earn an initial 51 per cent stake by funding exploration and completing 60,000 metres of
drillingwithinfouryears,andmay increaseitsinterestto70percentby solely funding a feasibility study withinthreeyearsofexercisingthe first option and continuing to pay alllicensefees.
After Fortuna made the announcement, Toronto-based XAUResourcesInc.disclosedthat it has entered into a definitive businesscombinationagreementto acquire QS Holdings Inc , a company incorporated under the lawsofBarbados.
QS Holdings has a 100% interest in Qstone Inc., a private Guyanese company, which is the registeredowneroftheQuartzstone GoldProjectthrough83contiguous medium-scale mining permits in the Cuyuni/Mazaruni mining district, Region Seven QS Holdings is the sole beneficial owner of all of the issued and outstanding share capital of Qstone, which is incorporated underthelawsoftheGuyana,with its registered office located at Lot 143A Robin’s Place West, Bel Air Park, Georgetown, Guyana Audited financial statements for Qstone as of 31st December, 2025 reveals that the company has not yetcommencedoperationsandhas norevenues.
XAU Resources acquisition of QS Holding will be completed through a three-cornered amalgamation under Barbados’ CompaniesAct,withXAUissuing shares to acquire all of QS Holdings.BasedonXAU’smarket price of C$0 50 per share, the transaction values QS Holdings at C$70 million Notably, the Acquisition is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of all
4.79 g/t Au for 294,500 ounces of gold Inferred. Further drilling and economic modelling is required to maketheresourcecurrent. While the project’s historical MRE is relevant for understanding the general scale and style of mineralisation, it was explained that its reliability is limited due to t h e u s e o f e s t i m a t i o n methodologies. However, it was stated that the mineralised zones remain open, and ongoing exploration has the potential to expandtheknownmineralisationin additiontomakingnewdiscoveries on multiple, untested strikeextensive structures, which could addtotheresourceatQuartzstone.
Fortuna operates mining assets across Latin America and West Africa, and said the agreement represents a strategic expansion into the Guiana Shield, one of the world’s most prospective goldproducingregions.
required regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the third quarterof2026.
ItwasdisclosedthatneitherQS Holdings nor Qstone Inc has conducted any exploration or development work on the Property sinceitsacquisitionoftheProperty in 2025 XAU Resources in a statement made note of the earn-in agreement Fortuna entered into withQstoneInc.
It was also disclosed that directors of XAU Peter Hambro andGaryBayarealsoshareholders of QS Holdings. Accordingly, the acquisition does not constitute an “Arm’s Length Transaction” and may constitute a “related party transaction” or “business combination”.
TheQuartzstoneGoldProjectis anadvanced-stagegoldexploration property located in the CuyuniMazaruni Region of north-central Guyana, approximately 120 kilometreswestofGeorgetown.
The Property comprises 83 medium-scale mining permits covering approximately 29,570 hectares. Historical drilling by the prior owner included 183 diamond drill holes totalling over 23,000 metres, with significant (un-cut) gold intersections Drilling has tested less than 5 kilometres of strike of the 25+ kilometre long granite contact structure In addition,severaltrenchesalongthe mainnorth-southstructurereturned exceptional (un-cut) gold intersections which have not yet beendrill-tested.
The Property hosts a historical MineralResourceEstimate(MRE) toconsistof933,000tonnesat5.44 g/t Au for 163,200 ounces of gold Indicated plus 1,911,000 tonnes at
The company’s initial exploration programme, budgeted at approximately US$5.5 million, will focus on advancing priority targets already defined at Quartzstone, while generating additional targets along the highly prospective 26-kilometer main shearzone.
Plannedworkincludesairborne magnetic surveys to develop a detailed structural framework, supported by high-resolution satellite imagery and digital elevation modelling Field programmes will include infill geochemical sampling, auger drilling, and detailed geological and regolith mapping over prospectivegeophysicaltargetsand knownanomalousareas.
Aninitial5,000-meterdiamond drilling programme is planned to testhistoricaltargetsandworkings, as well as priority structural corridors along the main contact and northeast-trending intersections In addition to royalties payable to the State, the projectisalsosubjectedtoa4.5per cent net smelter returns royalty payabletoapreviousowner
TUESDAY
ProtesteruptsinParliament asoppositiondemands Edghill,Indarresign overMVBarimatragedy
As the National Assembly convened on Monday to approve nearly $55 billion to advance the government’s development projectsandprogrammes,thejoint opposition staged a protest, insisting that it should not be business as usual following Guyana’s deadliest maritime disaster
The MV Barima capsised just over a week ago while en route to PortKaituma,RegionOne,leaving 73 people confirmed dead and at least30peoplemissingatsea. Continued on page 22
Frompage21
OppositionMembersofParliament (MPs)calledfortheresignationsof Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill and Minister of Public UtilitiesandAviationDeodatIndar over the July 18 MV Barima tragedy The joint opposition’s protest began outside the Arthur ChungConferenceCentre(ACCC) aheadoftheparliamentarysitting.
Despite the protest outside and inside the National Assembly by MPsfromWeInvestinNationhood (WIN),APartnership for National Unity (APNU) and Forward Movement Guyana (FGM), Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, successfully piloted the government’s first supplementary budget totalling $54 9 billion, months after the $1 558 trillion 2026 National Budget was approved. Several other bills were alsopassed.
Outside the ACCC, opposition MPswerejoinedbymembersofthe AllianceForChange(AFC)andthe Vigilant Political Action Committee (VPAC), who chanted for the removal of Edghill and Indar
WIN Chief Whip Tabitha Sarabo-Halley said that while she does not believe removing the ministers would be enough, it would be a first step. “You first have to acknowledge that somethingwasdonewrongandthe subject minister that was in charge of that particular vessel should be thefirsttogo,”theMPsaid.
She alleged that the PPP administrationisgoodat“covering for their own,” adding, “So I don’t haveanyrealhopethatontheirown that they will hold anybody accountable. But that is why the people have to stand up and speak fortheright.Ithinkit’snowonthe people.”
Sarabo-Halley pointed to the Mahdia tragedy that claimed the livesof20childrenandthedeathof AdrianaYounge, noting, “Now we haveanothertragedywithover100 personsthathavedied.Whatarewe going to do as a people. Are we goingtoacceptitorarewegoingto sayenoughisenough?”
Parliamentary Leader of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Dr Terrence Campbell, toldreportersthattheoppositionis united on the tragedy particularly that the Irfaan Ali-led administrationhasnotbeenknown to respond even in the most egregioussituations.
“We’ve had theAdrianaYoung situation and this government just brushed it aside and now we have this situation where so far 72 Guyanese have died,” the APNU MPnoted.
He said information made public has raised questions about the87-year-oldvesselandconcerns that the MV Barima was
overloaded.
Dr Campbell also referenced comments made by Minister EdghillonJuly19.“Wehadarush tojudgmentbyMinisterEdghill,in an attempt to shut down what was the biggest tragedy in Guyana’s recent history, claiming that the killer wave came across the boat. Thankfullywehavesurvivorswho tellaboutexcessivecargo,whotell aboutwatercomingontheboat,”he noted.
The MP stressed that there are many unanswered questions surrounding the MV Barima tragedy and highlighted that the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) falls under Minister Edghill’s portfolio and he shouldaddressconcerns,especially regarding the vessel’s seaworthiness.
Meanwhile, Dr Campbell said he believes there is absolutely no way the truth surrounding the tragedy can be uncovered if MinistersEdghillandIndarremain in office. He said, “If these two ministers continue to sit in office, thosewhowork,theirsubordinates will be afraid to speak about the truth. We met with employees of TransportsandHarborswhotoldus thattheyweretoldthattheyarenot to speak to you. They are not to speaktothepress…Theyarenotto speak to us. So, we cannot get a proper investigation for as long as those two ministers remain in place.”
Dr Campbell reiterated that Guyana follows the Westminster systemofdemocracyandthatwhen a disaster occurs, the responsible minister should demonstrate accountability by resigning. “You move off because you accept responsibility and accountability for what is taking place because it hasoccurredonyourwatchandwe need to move Guyana back to that
place. It cannot be that incidents take place and it remains that nobodyistakingaccountability.”
APNUMPSherodDuncansaid the opposition believes the Irfaan Ali administration should first relieveMinistersEdghillandIndar of their portfolios “This is a continuous process we want justiceforthem,thisisacontinuous processusingallofthetoolsinour arsenal as a parliamentary opposition as a combine opposition,”Duncansaid.
Theprotestlatermovedintothe National Assembly, where opposition MPs held placards calling for the ministers’ removal. Some MPs also displayed photographs of victims of the MV Barimatragedy.
Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir was forcedtobrieflysuspendthesitting amid loud and relentless chants demanding that Ministers Edghill and Indar resign. Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips was greeted by protests as he entered the chamber, while Minister Edghill briefly exited the dome before returning, appearing unbothered by the opposition’s demonstration.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, and Prime Minister Phillips were met with protests as they addressed the House on the MV Barima tragedy, with opposition MPs surrounding the podium while continuing their chants.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Azruddin Mohamed insistedthatitshouldnothavebeen business as usual in the National Assembly Henotedthatgivenhow recentthetragedywas,heexpected thesittingtobepostponed.Instead, hesaid,heobservedministerswith grins on their faces in response to theoppositionprotest.
mounting calls for the resignation or dismissal of the ministers, particularly Edghill, while an independent investigation is conducted Supporters have also pointed to examples from other countrieswhereseniorgovernment officials stepped down following majormaritimedisasters,accepting ministerial responsibility even before investigations
concluded.
Govt.passes$55B supplementarybudget amidparliamentary protestbyOpposition …PM says activity irresponsible, reckless
Amid loud chants for the resignationoftwosittingministers of government, a $54.9B request for supplementary funding was approvedintheNationalAssembly onMondayafternoon.
Hestatethatinthefaceofsucha tragedy, the PPP administration proceeded with the parliamentary sittingtoseekapprovalforbillions of dollars in supplementary spending and pass additional bills. The Opposition Leader further said, “Money is everything for the PPP They don’t care about lives. They don’t care about the poor people of this country They came for that money, about five or six bills. They speed through the bills withlightningspeedbecauseofthe noise, we weren’t paying attention.”
Before entering the chamber, MohamedhadtoldKaieteurNews, “Today’s sitting won’t go on becausewewon’tsitandallowthis wicked and deceitful and treacherous administration to trampleontherightsofourbrothers andsistersinthiscountry Over100 families affected Over 100 families affected. They lost loved ones, newborn babies as young as onemonthold.”
“We will stand in there and we will continue to make noise for Edghill and Indar to resign. They must go. They must go. Because theyaretheonesthatgottoensure that the vessel is of the standard.
TheMVBarimaistheoldestvessel in this country, 87 years old. The journeyisthelongestjourney With the longest journey, you got to ensureyourvesselsareuptodate,” hesaid.
Since the tragedy, questions havebeenraisedaboutthevessel’s maintenance, seaworthiness, regulatoryoversight,thepassenger manifest and whether it was overloaded with passengers and cargo While survivors and relatives of victims have alleged that the vessel was overloaded, government authorities have deniedthoseclaims.
The incident has fuelled
As the first business on the agenda, Financial Paper Number One of 2026 to the tune of $54,889,259,163 was approved without any scrutiny from the opposition benches Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) were at the time protesting in the dome of the Arthur Chung Conference Center (ACCC), Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown demanding the resignation of Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill and Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar
As the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs concludedprayersandattemptedto move to messages from the President, the opposition MPs bounced out of their seats, and begancallingfortheresignationof EdghillandIndar.
The activity was met with silence by the government side whichdidnotrespondtoanyofthe criticisms from the opposite side regardingthetragiclossofliveson July18whentheMVBarimasank off Guyana’s coast To date 73 personshavebeenconfirmeddead, 76 have been rescued and dozens arestillunaccountedfor
With a Commission of Inquiry (COI) to soon commence to investigatethecircumstancesofthe disaster, Opposition MPs banged on desks, circled the dome of the ACCC and shouted for the ministers to resign to allow for a credible probe of the tragedy The MPs held placards calling for the ministers to resign while some wore images of victims on their clothing. Their efforts did not stop theSpeakeroftheHouse,Manzoor Nadir from proceeding with the FinancialPaper,aseachagencygot approvalforadditionalresources.
In an invited comment, Opposition Leader, Azruddin Mohamed told Kaieteur News that themovewasademonstrationof Continued on page 32
ThesinkingoftheMVBarima on July 18, 2026, was not only a maritimedisaster;itwasaprofound psychological wound. The tragedy produced fear, anger, helplessness, guilt and a deep loss of trust. As I provide psychological care for some survivors, relatives and people of the wider Guyanese society, many are experiencing acutegrief,acutestressreactionsor post-traumatic stress disorder Complex PTSD is commonly associated with prolonged, repeated or multiple traumatic experiences from which escape feels difficult or impossible. The Barima disaster contributed to complex trauma when it interacts with earlier abuse, violence, neglect, previous bereavement, institutional betrayal or prolonged
mains unresolved, which has become a Guyanesewayoflife.
ComplexPost-Traumatic StressDisorder
Complex PTSD is reexperiencing the trauma through intrusive memories, nightmares, flashbacks;avoidingremindersof the event; and living with a persistentsenseofcurrentdanger It also includes three major disturbances in self-organisation: severe difficulty regulating emotions, a persistently negative view of oneself, and continuing problems forming or sustaining relationships.
A person may appear to have physically survived while remaining psychologically trapped bythedisaster Thebodycontinues to behave as though the danger is still present. A boat engine, news bulletin, photograph, telephone call, rainstorm, river journey, or discussion of the tragedy may trigger panic, shaking, anger, numbness,ordissociation.
Some survivors will blame themselves for living when others died Relatives may repeatedly imagine the final moments of their loved ones. Rescue workers, healthcare professionals, police officers, journalists, fishermen and volunteers may also experience secondaryorvicarioustraumafrom witnessing suffering, recovering bodies or listening repeatedly to accountsofdeath.
SymptomsinChildren Children rarely express trauma through words. Their distress will appear in their bodies, behaviour, play, school performance and relationships Younger children becomeunusuallyclingy,fearfulof separation, afraid of water, darkness, or unable to sleep alone. They may experience nightmares, bed-wetting, stomach aches, headaches, crying spells or developmental regression. Some may repeatedly recreate sinking, drowning, rescue or death scenes
through drawings and play unconsciously Children may lose concentration, forget lessons, withdraw from friends, become irritable or aggressive. Some will become preoccupied with whether their parents will return home safely Others may refuse to travel byboat,repeatedlycheckthenews or feel guilty about laughing, playingorsurvivingaftersomeone elsedied.
Adolescents affected will display anger, emotional numbness, risky behaviour, substance use, self-harm, hopelessness or distrust of adults and institutions Children with previous trauma, unstable caregiving or earlier losses will be particularlyvulnerablebecausethe Barima tragedy reactivate older
fears of abandonment and helplessness. Complex trauma in children is frequently associated withdifficultyidentifyingfeelings, regulating emotions, trusting caregivers and calming down after remindersofdanger
SymptomsinAdults
Adults may experience intrusiveimages,nightmares,panic attacks, insomnia, hypervigilance and exaggerated startle responses. They will avoid the waterfront, ferries, funerals, conversations or mediacoverage.Somewillbecome emotionally detached, unable to experience joy or unable to speak about what happened. Others will become intensely angry, blaming themselves, government officials, crewmembers,relativesorGod.
Complextraumacanalsoaltera person’s identity. A survivor may think, “I should have saved them,” “I do not deserve to live,” or “No one can be trusted.” Bereaved parents can lose their sense of purpose. Spouses, struggle with intimacy Workers become unable to concentrate or return to their normalduties.
Some people will misuse alcoholorothersubstancestosleep, suppress memories or manage anxiety Physical symptoms may include chest tightness, headaches, gastrointestinal problems and exhaustion and unexplained physical pain Trauma-related disorders also present through anxiety, depression, substance misuse,andsuicidalthoughts.
SignificanceofGrieving
Griefisnotweaknessormental illness. It is the natural human responsetoattachmentandloss. It starts with shock, denial, anger, depression, bargaining and acceptance. For some, this is the process; for others, this process is complex.
Traumatic grief becomes more difficult when the horror of how someone died overwhelms the memory of how that person lived. Children and adults may become stuckonquestionssuchas:Didthey suffer? Could they have been saved?Whoisresponsible?Where isthebody?Whywasthisallowed to happen? When these questions remain unresolved, the mind may r
circumstancesofthedisasterrather than moving among mourning, remembrance,andrestoration.
The Commission of Inquiry should be transparent, allow survivors and families to testify safely, publish its terms of reference and produce an accessible final report with deadlines for implementing its recommendations. Closure will depend on whether its findings leadtoactualchange.
WhatNationalClosure ShouldLookLike
First, closure requires truth Families and the nation need a reliableaccountofwhowasaboard and what happened. Conflicting figures, political defensiveness, rumours and delayed information intensify traumatic stress because uncertaintypreventsthemindfrom organisingwhathappened.
Second, closure requires recognition Every person who died or remains missing must be treated as a human being, not merely a number Their names, photographs, stories, communities and contributions should become partofGuyana’snationalmemory
Survivors also require recognition. Many may carry guilt for living when others died, recurring images of the disaster, fearofwaterortravel,nightmares, emotional numbness, anger and difficultyreturningtoordinarylife.
Third, closure requires accountability and institutional repair People must see that negligence, corruption, unsafe
systems or professional misconduct—whereproven—have consequences Accountability shouldnotbecomepoliticaltheatre or premature scapegoating It should identify both individual decisions and systemic failures, protectwitnesses,publishevidence andproduceenforceablereforms.
Closure involves the recovery of the boat, and identification of remains, dignified funerals, memorials, honest explanations. Where people remain missing,
closure remains incomplete
Families can experience ambiguous loss, suspended painfully between hope and mourning.
HowGovernmentIsRetraumatisingtheNation
Agovernmentcanhelpregulate a traumatised society or intensify its distress. Traumatisation occurs whenofficialactionsreproducethe original experiences of danger, helplessness, humiliation or abandonment.
Contradictory information, unexplained delays, and long periods of official silence deepen anxiety Familiesshouldnothaveto learn major developments through rumors or social media Communication must be regular, factual, compassionate, and honest aboutwhatremainsunknown.
Minimising the loss, defending institutions,ortreatingpublicanger as political disloyalty makes citizens feel unseen Traumainformedleadershipacknowledges pain without becoming defensive. Trustworthiness and transparency are recognised principles of trauma-informedinstitutionalcare.
Politicising funerals, compensation, counselling or investigationsdividemournersinto party camps. Bereaved families must never be used for political advantage or pressured on the government. Blaming victims or repeatedly questioning survivors cancreateshameandsurvivorguilt.
Investigations should be confidential, respectful and sensitive to trauma Children should not be repeatedly interviewed by untrained officials orexposedunnecessarilytographic photographsanddetails.
Rushing the country towards “closure” before remains are recovered, facts are established, and responsibility is addressed can become another form of emotional abandonment. Memorial services are important, but ceremonies c a n n o t s u b s t i t u t e f o r accountability, safety reform, and long-termpsychologicalcare.
Ending counselling, financial assistance, and community outreach after public attention fadesmayrepeattheexperienceof beingleftalone.Traumasymptoms often emerge or intensify weeks or months later Support must therefore extend beyond the emergencyperiod.
WhatCitizensCanDoWhen GovernmentFails
Citizenscancreatecommunitybased healing. Faith communities, psychological and medical associations, schools, village councils, diaspora organisations, and civil society groups can organise memorials, grief circles, survivorsupportgroups,children’s programs, practical assistance, and
By Dr. Telford Layne Jr. PsyD, MSc. Postgrad, BSc. Clinical
referralnetworks.Thesegatherings should allow sadness, anger, silence and difficult questions without pressuring people to forgive prematurely, suppress criticismorappearstrong.
Communities can preserve the truth by recording survivor testimonieswithinformedconsent, collecting names and photographs, buildingapublicmemorialarchive and documenting official statements This prevents the victims from disappearing into statistics and protects the national memoryfrompoliticalrevision.
Journalists and citizens should resist spreading unverified names, graphic images, conspiracy theories or recordings of people at their most vulnerable. Traumainformed communication protects humandignity
Citizens can also organise lawful, non-partisan advocacy through petitions, public forums, independent technical reviews, parliamentary submissions and sustained demands for publication andimplementationoftheinquiry’s recommendations. The objective shouldbetruthandreform.
At the individual level, people should limit repeated exposure to disturbing footage, maintain consistent sleep and eating routines,speakwithtrustedpeople, participate in meaningful religious or cultural rituals, and seek professional help when distress persists or disrupts daily functioning. Adults should give children honest, age-appropriate explanations, protect their routines andrepeatedlyreassurethemabout whowillcareforthem.
Guyana will not achieve closure by forgetting the MV Barima Closure will emerge whenthedeadarehonoured,the missing are not abandoned, the boat is salvaged, survivors are supported, families receive truthful answers, responsible individuals and systems are held accountable, and concrete reforms make future travellers safer
A nation heals when grief is permitted to speak and when that grief is transformed into memory, justiceandprotectionfortheliving. Truth is pursued, responsibility is accepted, children feel safe again, survivors are not abandoned, and publicinstitutionsdemonstratethat the lives lost have permanently changed how Guyana protects its people.
Labour That Built a Nation Endurance. Adaptation. Survival.
EveryyearonAugust1,littleMayaloved watching the colourful celebrations The air filled with the sound of drums. People wore beautiful African clothing, danced with joyfulsmiles,andshareddeliciousfood.
One year, Maya asked her grandmother, "WhydowecelebrateEmancipationDay?"
Grandma smiled and reached for an old wooden drum that had been in the family for generations
"This drum," she said softly, "has heard a veryimportantstory"
As Grandma gently tapped the drum, Maya imagined the sound carrying her back throughtime
Long, long ago, the land we now call Guyana was covered with large sugar and cotton plantations Many people had been taken from their homes inAfrica and forced to work there as enslaved people They worked from sunrise to sunset without freedom.
"But did they ever give up?" Maya whispered Grandmashookherhead
"No,mydear Bravepeopleneverstopped hoping"
Many stood together and fought for freedom In 1763, a courageous man named Cuffy led a great uprising in Berbice Although the rebellion was defeated, it showed that the people would never stop believingtheydeservedtobefree.
leader
namedQuaminainspiredpeopleonth EastCoastofDemeraratostanduponce again.Theircouragereachedacrossthe ocean and helped convince others that slaveryhadtoend.
Thedrumbeatgrewlouder.
Finally, onAugust 1, 1834, slavery wasofficiallyabolished.Buttherewasa problem.
"Thepeoplestillweren'tcompletely free,"Grandmaexplained."Manyhadto continue working for their former masters in a system called apprenticeship."
Mayafrowned "Sotheystillhadto wait?"
"They did," Grandma replied "But theyneverstoppedbelieving"
Fouryearslater,onAugust1,1838, thewaitfinallyended
"This was called Full Free," Grandma said with a smile "At last, familiescouldchoosetheirownfuture"
Mayaimaginedchildrenlaughing,parents smiling, and families walking away from the plantationstogether
"But where did they go?" she asked Grandma'seyessparkled
"Thatisthemostamazingpart"
Thenewlyfreedmenandwomenworked hard and saved every coin they could Then, something incredible happened In 1839, eighty-three freed men and women joined their savings together and bought an entire plantationcalledNorthbrook.Theyrenamed itVictoria.
"Theyboughttheverylandwheretheyhad once been forced to work," Grandma said proudly
"Theyownedit?"Mayagasped
"Theydid Together"
Soon, people in other communities followed their example They joined their money, bought more plantations, and built peaceful villages where families could live, farm,learn,andworshipfreely Villageslike Victoria, Buxton, Beterverwagting, Plaisance, and Friendship became symbols of hope. Children went to school, churches were built, crops were planted, and neighbourshelpedoneanother
"Theydidn'tjustwinfreedom,"Grandma said "Theybuiltafuture"
by Uncle Roy
Thesoundofthedrumslowlyfaded Maya lookedaround Shecouldhearrealdrumsfrom the Emancipation celebration outside Familieslaughed,dancerstwirled in bright African clothing, and delicious food filled the air with wonderfulsmells.Shesmiled.
I used to think some work was too hard, And so did not even try; This is because I had tried before, And gave up when I could not get by
But then I looked around my class, And saw others doing swell, When I thought I was brighter than them, And felt I could do just as well.
So I decided to never give up, And to always feel I could do better; I put my whole mind to my work, And soon everything got so much easier.
Frozen cubes tinted with food colouring melt slowly on paper, leaving watery trails that shift and blend as they glide. The cold temperatureaddsasurprisingsensorylayer
MaterialsNeeded
12siliconeicecubetrays
1/2cupwater
6dropsredfoodcolouring
6dropsyellowfoodcolouring
6dropsbluefoodcolouring
A4whitedrawingpaper,4sheets
Largeshallowtray
HowtoMakeIt
1. Fill each ice cube compartment with water and add two drops of one colour per section,thenfreezefor6hours.
2. Place a sheet of drawing paper in the shallow tray and hand your toddler three frozencubesofdifferentcolours.
Use the letters H, E, A, and T to complete the puzzle. For each category, write one word or phrase that begins with each letter. You should have four answers per category, one starting with H, one with E, one with A, and one with T. Each answer must match the category and may only be used once.
"Soeverydrumbeatremindsus ofthebravepeoplewhonevergave up?"
Grandmanodded
"Exactly EmancipationDayis more than a celebration It is a thank-youtothosewhodreamedof freedom, worked together, and built villages where future generations including you—couldgrow."
Maya stood proudly as the drumsechoedthroughthepark
"I'llremembertheirstory,"she promised "Andoneday,"Grandmasaid, takingMaya'shand,"you'lltellitto someoneelse"
Asthedrumscontinuedtoplay, Maya knew that courage, unity, and hope would always be part of Guyana'sstory TheEnd
In the past weeks, we have been tryingtoencourageyoutodevelopyour unique sense of purpose. When we believe that we each have been born with a special purpose to fulfil in this life then we will make the effort to searchforthatforwhichwehavecome intothisworld.
When we also know that we have been gifted with the things we need to make that intention come true, we will go forward confidently to make it a reality, with a sense of direction towardsachievingyourgoals.
Whenyoustriveforthisfulfilment, you will go through your life with a vision and the determination and passion to fulfil what you see as your uniquemission. Itwillmakeyoustrive relentlessly to develop the power and the willingness to make a difference in theworldaroundyou.
Your problem now is to search for and identify that unique purpose. To start this effort, you need to first
check yourself for the things that you excel in, the things that you feel best when you are doing them, and the thingsthataddvaluetowhatisgoingon around you and what tends to make othershappyandsuccessful.
When you live to fulfil your unique purpose your way will be smoothly paved
to achieve all your life goals.
Connect these islands with bridges until each island can be reached from any other island, and each island has as many outgoing bridges as its number.You may only connect islands vertically or horizontally and bridges may not cross. There may be one or two bridges connecting pairs of islands, but no more than two. Each puzzle has A unique solution that can be found without making guesses.
The first stages of this at this point ofyourlifemustbetocarryonandget the best education you can so as to develop your special talents to the fullest, whichwillinturnenable you to embark on a successful career to makeuseofthesetalents in making a positive
differenceinyourenvironmentandthe worldasawhole.
Ifyoulookaroundyou,youwillsee so many people, even some close to you,whoseemtobedriftingaimlessly along without any set purpose, which makes them lack the will and the strengthtodothebesttheycanintheir studies and their careers. This must make you more determined to embark on this effort to find and fulfil your specialpurpose. Go for it and you will realise true fulfilment, and also all the success and happinessthatwillmakeyourlifeworth living.
You have what it takes
You have what it takes to succeed, You have within you everything you need to become anything you want to be, And the zeal to approach your tasks enthusiastically You have power within you to apply yourself energetically; You have wisdom within you to wisely take the necessary steps to your good; You have all within you to answer the call to be whatever you want to be; You have imagination within you to see in your mind what you want manifested; You have love within you to be loving in all your methods and ways; You have life within you to pursue the happiness that is your birthright; You have strength within you to hold and pursue true ideas; You have intelligence within you to renounce every bad thought and action; You have faith within you to fulfil your destiny and make the most of yourself; You now need to make use of all your qualities To make yourself the best you can be.
Cream M a z e
By Dr. Karen Abrams, MBA, AA
On Emancipation
Day, we honour the men and women who endured one of themostbrutalsystemsever constructed. We remember the rebellions, uprisings and heroic figures whose names havesurvivedinourhistory
Yet there is another story of resistancethatdeservestobe told.
Itisthestoryofordinary enslaved people who resistedinquieterways,day after day, often with no expectation that freedom would come within their lifetime.
Theyresistedbyrunning awayforafewhoursordays. They arrived late, worked slowly,lefttasksunfinished, protected one another, sheltered runaways, visited relatives without permission and refused demands they consideredunreasonable.
They complained about inadequate food, excessive punishment, forced labour while ill, denial of rest and separation from their families.
Somewalkedformilesto placetheirgrievancesbefore colonial officials, knowing theymightbedismissedand returnedtotheplantationfor
furtherpunishment. Their resistance did not always take the form of
Sometimesitwassimplythe decision not to surrender everyremainingfragmentof theirhumanity
This is one of the most powerful lessons found in the historical complaints of enslaved people in nineteenth-century Berbice. Preservedincolonialrecords and examined by historian Trevor Burnard in Hearing SlavesSpeak,theseaccounts allow us to hear, however imperfectly, the voices of enslaved Guyanese challenging the daily exerciseofplantationpower
The records describe thousands of alleged offences involving “bad work,” unfinished tasks, absence, lateness, disobedience and refusal to work.
These were categories created by slave owners and colonial authorities, so they must be interpreted carefully
What a manager called “badwork”mighthavebeen exhaustion, illness or an impossible assignment. Yet thesheernumberofdisputes
revealsconstanttensionover how much labour could be extractedfrompeoplewhose bodies were treated as property
One enslaved man, Frederick, expressed this struggle with remarkable clarity After working throughout the week, he believed that Sunday belongedtotheenslaved.He andothersvisitedfriendson a neighbouring estate on Sundays, for which they wereplacedinthestocksand flogged.
Still, they complained. Their assertion that Sunday belonged to them was a
t rightfullyowneveryhourof theirexistence.
At Plantation Highbury, sixteen women cutting cane stopped at eleven o’clock to cookandrest.Whenordered to resume working, they insisted upon the two-hour break they believed was theirs and collectively withheld their labour These women possessed no trade union, constitutional protection or independent court to which they could confidently appeal Nevertheless, they acted
together and asserted a boundary
Making a complaint was alsoresistance.During1824 and 1825, hundreds of enslaved people in Berbice brought complaints against those who controlled them. They knew the authorities werepartofthesamesystem thatoppressedthem.
They understood that they might not be believed. Yet they appeared, named the wrongs committed against them, called witnesses and demanded to beheard.
The records show that e n s l a v e d p e o p l e continuously contested the extentofthemaster’spower Even when they could not dismantle the system, they resisted its demand for complete submission. They preservedwhateverpiecesof freedom, dignity and selfdetermination they could claim, often at tremendous personalrisk.
That is among the most important lessons our ancestors left for us. Their courage demands more than r e m e m b r a n c e o n Emancipation Day It places a responsibility upon those of us who inherited the freedom for which they struggled.
Modern Guyanese are notlivingunderslavery,and we should never trivialise our ancestors’ suffering t h r o u g h c a r e l e s s comparisons We possess constitutional rights, the vote, access to courts, independent organisations and the ability to speak publicly
Yetformalfreedomdoes not automatically remove fear from a society If our ancestors found ways to resist when speaking could bringthewhip,thestocksor death, we owe it to them to guard our freedom against the quieter forces that persuade citizens to remain silenttoday
Too many Guyanese believe that breaking unwritten social or political r u l e s c a n b r i n g consequences. A paper may remain unprocessed. An approval may never be granted.
disappear A business may encounter unexplained difficulties An employee may fear for a job A professional may worry that speaking honestly will close future opportunities A family may remain silent because someone depends upontheState.
Whether every fear is justifiedisalmostbesidethe point.Whenenoughcitizens believe criticism brings punishment, fear begins to govern behaviour People censor themselves before anyone has to silence them. They whisper what they are afraid to say publicly, wait for someone else to speak first and calculate what telling the truth might cost them.
Following the sinking of the MV Barima, citizens have called for the resignation of ministers whom they believe should a c c e p t p o l i t i c a l responsibility Others disagree. That disagreement islegitimateinademocracy Citizens have the right to demand resignations, and ministers have the right to defend their records Evidencemustbeexamined; investigations must be credible and responsibility must be determined fairly The larger democratic
question is whether Guyanese feel free to participate in that debate withoutfearingretaliation.
Thiscolumnisanappeal to the conscience of the nation, including those who hold power today and those whomayholditinthefuture.
G o v e r n m e n t s a r e strengthened when citizens can identify failures without fear. Public institutions improve when professionals can give honest advice, journalists can investigate, workers can report unsafe practices and families can demandanswers.
Silence may protect officialsfromdiscomfortfor a time, but it can also allow weaknesses to deepen until the consequences become catastrophic.
Our ancestors resisted in circumstances far more dangerous than ours. They didnotalwaysresistbecause they believed victory was
near They resisted because there were parts of themselves, they refused to surrender
This is the inheritance Emancipation Day places before us Freedom is weakened whenever fear becomes the price of participationinnationallife. It is weakened when professionals know something is unsafe but remain silent, when public servants are afraid to place proper advice on the record and when citizens believe they must choose between conscienceandlivelihood.
Those who speak must also act responsibly Freedom of expression does not excuse recklessness, dishonesty or cruelty We must seek evidence, correct mistakes and respect the humanity of those with whom we disagree But responsibility cannot mean silence, and civility cannot require citizens to abandon legitimate demands for accountability
Emancipation was declared on a particular day, but freedom was built through generations of resistance.
It was built in the great uprisings remembered by history and in thousands of smaller acts that history nearly forgot; an unfinished row,aSundayvisit,ahidden runaway, a mother protecting her child, a sick worker refusing the field, sixteenwomenputtingdown their tools, and an enslaved person walking miles to makeacomplaintthatmight notbebelieved.
Ourancestorsdidnotyet possess freedom, but they practised it whenever and however they could. One hundred and eighty-eight y e a r s a f t e r f u l l Emancipation, that responsibility belongs to us. We honour our ancestors through celebration, remembrance and cultural pride.We honour them even moredeeplywhenwerefuse to surrender the rights for which they risked everything.
Iftheyfoundthecourage to speak under slavery, we must find the courage to speakinfreedom.
ByDr.TerrenceRichardBlackman Co-Founder, the Blackman-Waddell Summer Math Institute; Professor & Chair of Mathematics, Medgar Evers College, City University of New York
OnMondaymorning,agirlfromBartica sealed a guess inside an envelope. She had beenshownaquestionnoonehadtaughther toanswer,howmanyofthenumbersfrom1 to2,026sharenocommonfactorwith2,026? and asked to commit, in writing, before any instruction, to what she believed. On Friday morning, at the Centre for Local Business Development on South Road, that envelope was opened.The girl who opened it was not quite the girl who sealed it. In between lay fivedays—and,inasense,tenyears.
This past Friday, July 31st, the summer mathematics programme founded in Georgetown in 2016 as the Queen’s College Summer Mathematics Institute closed its tenth-anniversary edition and opened its second decade under a new name: the Blackman-Waddell Summer Math Institute, under the auspices of STEM Guyana Seventeen certificates were presented. The studentswhoearnedthemcamefromsixteen schools,includingQueen’sCollegeandSaint Stanislaus,butalsoBladenHallMultilateral, North Georgetown Secondary, Mae’s, St. JosephHigh,St.Rose’sHigh,AustinCastello Tutorial,andChase’sAcademicFoundation, from Georgetown to Berbice to Bartica. SomearrivedwithA’sinmathematics.Some came to strengthen a foundation. By Friday, those starting distinctions no longer defined theroomandthatwasthepoint.
The programme rests on a conviction I have carried for a long time: mathematical talent exists in every community; opportunity does not. I learned it in Central Brooklyn, where the Frank Ragland Math Masters Institute at Medgar Evers College, a mathematics circle in the great Eastern European tradition, proved it year after year with children whose mathematical potential the system had too often underestimated. Elevenyearsago,onJuly31st,2015,weheld that institute’s closing ceremony in New York. One year later, on July 31st, 2016, we closed our first camp on home soil in Georgetown. This past Friday, the date kept faithwithusathirdtime.Somedates,itturns
out,areloyal.
What do the students actually do for a week? Serious mathematics, taught as discovery rather than drill. This year’s curriculum, “Five Days, Five Ideas,” carried themfromprimenumberstocryptographyto mathematicalmodelling,proof,andstatistical literacy They computed, by hand, the remainderwhen7raisedtothepower2,026,a number with 1,713 digits, too large ever to writedown,isdividedby11 Theydiscovered for themselves the modular arithmetic that underpins modern public-key cryptography Theyworkedwithasimplifiedscenariobased on Guyana’s oil-revenue growth, built three differentfuturesfromthesametwofacts,and learnedthequestionseverycitizenshouldask ofeveryprojectionandeverypercentage:what does it assume, and what evidence supports thatassumption?Andtheylearnedtobewrong outloud Inourrooms,beingwrongoutloud onthewaytobeingrightisnotafailure Itisthe method Everymathematicianwhoeverlived gottherethatway
Thisisnotremediation,anditisnotexam preparation. It is a wager on our children’s mindsanditcoststheirfamiliesnothing.
Theanniversaryweekwasitselfalesson inwhatthiscountrycandowhenitdecidesto. When we needed rooms, Guyana’s institutions opened them: the World Trade
CentreGeorgetownandtheCentreforLocal BusinessDevelopmenthostedourstudentsin the very spaces where the nation’s commercial future is negotiated, fitting classrooms, we told the children, for who theyarebecoming.Guestspeakersgavetheir mornings and afternoons. A programme alumna, now a young professional in the energy sector, returned to address the cohort she once sat in. Another alumnus studies engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteinNewYork;hisyoungerbrothersat inthisyear’sroom.Andinoneoftheweek’s moststirringhours,STEMGuyana’snational robotics team, now preparing for internationalcompetition,demonstratedtheir machinesforthestudents.Threemembersof thatteamareformermathcampers.In2016, STEM Guyana brought robotics to our children; in 2026, our children are the robotics team. That is what a decade looks like:thecircleclosingandwideningatonce.
Dr Cleveland Waddell, my co-founder, wasoncemystudentatQueen’sCollege Heis today an applied mathematician and Senior Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia NationalLaboratoriesintheUnitedStatesand every July he comes home to hold the door open behind him The Institute now carries both our names not as a monument but as a promise about generations: one lifts the next,
nowcarryingthis workforwardwithus,thesameSTEMGuyana that first brought robotics to our campers in 2016,thatpromisehasaninstitutionalhome
Why does a mathematics programme mattertoGuyana,now,inthisconsequential season of our national life? Because sovereignty is not only a flag and a constitution Sovereignty, practically understood, is the capacity of a people to read, verify, and contest the numbers that govern their national life, the contracts, the models, the budgets, the percentages in the headlines. A nation that must permanently importthatcapacityisnotfullysovereign;it is a spectator to its own arithmetic. Some of thepeoplewhowillauditGuyana’scontracts in2035areapproximatelyfourteenyearsold today A few of them, I am glad to report, spent last week sealing and opening envelopesonSouthRoad.
Sohereiswhatcomesnext,saidplainly: not only will we keep this going, we will expand the offerings We intend more students, more schools, and, as partners join us, more regions and more weeks. To the corporate community that stepped forward thisyear,toouralumniacrossGuyanaandthe diaspora, to teachers with a summer to give and parents with a child who lights up at a puzzle:theseconddecadehasroomforyou, andweareeasytofind.
On Friday, before the certificates, each student completed one sentence on a card:
“ThequestionIwillnowaskofeverynumber is…”Theiranswersbelongtothem.ButIwill tellyouthis:acountrywhosefourteen-yearolds are asking those questions is a country whose future is in better hands than its headlines sometimes suggest. In a season when this nation has known real sorrow, seventeen young Guyanese spent a week provingwhatisstillpossiblehere.
The envelopes are open. The second decadehasbegun.AndJuly31st,wetrust, willkeepfaithwithusagain.
Dr Terrence Richard Blackman is Professor and Chair of the Department of Mathematics at Medgar Evers College, CUNY, and co-founder, with Dr Cleveland Waddell, of the Blackman-Waddell Summer Math Institute, presented under the auspices o f S T E M G u y a n a C o n t a c t : tblackman@mec.cuny.edu.
As parents and g u a r d i a n s prepare children for the new school term, selecting the right footwear is about more than meeting school dress code requirements Comfort, protection, durability, and proper fit are equally
important to support children’s health and wellbeing throughout the school year
Tohelpconsumersmake informed purchasing decisionsduringtheback-toschool shopping season, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) is encouraging the public to purchase footwear that complies with the National Standard, GYS 9-4:2003 –Specification for Labelling of Commodities – Part 4: LabellingofFootwear
The Standard sets out requirements for the labelling and sizing of footwear to ensure quality, safety, and consumer
protection.
The GNBS uses this Standard to monitor both imported and locally manufactured footwear at ports of entry, retail outlets, and manufacturers’ warehouses to verify compliance.
Importers of footwear are required to register annuallywiththeGNBSand are issued a certificate of registration upon meeting the necessary requirements. Buyers and sellers are encouraged ask for these certificates.
Properlabellingprovides consumers with essential information needed to make informed purchasing decisions. This includes the country of origin, manufacturer’s name or b r a n d , s h o e s i z e , composition of materials, care instructions, and any special features relevant to thefootwear’sintendeduse.
As the back-to-school season progresses and
retailers offer discounts and promotions, parents and guardians are encouraged to carefully inspect footwear before making a purchase. Takingafewextramoments to check the label, structure, and fit can help avoid unnecessary costs while reducing the risk of discomfortorinjury
Consumers may also request to see the business’s GNBS reg
tion certificatetoconfirmthatthe footwear was inspected by theGNBS.
B o n u s t i p s f o r purchasingfootwear
Whether shopping for children or adults, consumers should keep the followingtipsinmind:
·Fitbothfeet.Sinceone foot is often slightly larger than the other, choose shoes t h a t c o m f o r t a b l y accommodate the larger foot.
· Prioritise comfort. Children wear school shoes forlongperiodseachdayand
are highly active Shoes should provide adequate support and comfort to help prevent foot pain and injuries.
· Walk before you buy. Trywalkingseveralstepson a hard surface when trying onnewshoes.Softcarpeting can make shoes feel more comfortable than they actuallyare.
Allow room for growth.Chooseshoeswitha small amount of extra space at the front to accommodate socks and natural foot growth during the school year
· Purchase reputable brands. Established brands often provide greater assurance of quality and durability Consumers should also be cautious of counterfeit or substandard footwear, which may prove morecostlyovertimedueto poor performance and prematurewear
Through its Product ComplianceDepartment,the GNBSalsomonitorssixteen other categories of products to ensure compliance with national standards These include electrical and electronic appliances,
weighing and measuring devices, textiles, garments, safety helmets, safety matches, tyres, gas stoves, cigarettes, PVC pipes, furniture, toys and playthings, Christmas trees and decorative lighting, cellular phones, gold articles, and electrical equipmentandfittings.
For further information, contact the GNBS at 2190064/65/66 or send a WhatsApp message to 6924627 You can also visit our website at gnbsgyorg or e m a i l u s a t info@gnbsgy.org.
Frompage22
utter “carelessness” by the government side. “They don’t care about the people of this country I was surprised when we started to protest in theAssembly how these ministershadsmilesontheirfaces. Its like business as usual, nothing happened They were regarding Edghill.”
Mohamed said today’s activity
should have prompted the immediate resignation of the ministers over the tragic boat accident. Instead, the Opposition Leaderinsisted,“Theyjustcometo this Parliament to get the $55B for more corruption This money is everything for the PPP.They don’t care about lives. They don’t care about the poor people of this country.”
Meanwhile, for his part, Prime Minister, Mark Phillips described the opposition-led protest as “irresponsible, a reckless behaviour by the Opposition, childish,immature.”
Whenaskedforhisviewsonthe calls by opposition MPs for the ministerstostepdown,pendingthe outcome of the investigation so as to avoid any prejudices, the PM said, “No, no, no, that’s not what they were calling for They disrupted the house today Regardless of their chants they disruptedthehouse.”
When asked if he believes the ministers remaining in office can influence the investigation in any way, he responded, “No they will not influence the investigation because this is an independent, internationallyselectedpeoplewho will be on this Commission of Inquiry Everybody is outside of Guyana…thisisnotadepartmental investigation that was ordered by the minister. This is the president using the Commission of inquiry Act and order an independent investigation that is staffed by internationally recognised and respectedexperts.”
In a brief invited comment for hisreactiontotheprotest,Minister JuanEdghilltoldthisnewspaper,“I have repeatedly said I will speak aboutthismatterattheappropriate time.”
Minister Indar did not respond to an invitation to comment on the protestactionforhimtoresign.
The supplementary budget includes $19 billion more for the controversial Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project in Wales, under the office of the prime minister The financial paper explains that the additionalfundsareto“facilitatean acceleratedworkprogramme.”
The request for more financing to support the project comes after some $10 billion was allocated in thisyear’sbudget.Thisrequestwas the largest sum approved on Monday
In addition to the prime minister’s office, the Ministry of Agriculture got approval for $4.5
billion more for the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA); $8.5 billion more for the Ministry of Public Works; $496.3 million more for the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviationspecifically for coastal water supply and maintenance of hinterlandandcoastalairstrips.
Meanwhile, the second largest chunk of the supplementary provision went to the Ministry of Housing- some $17.5 billion to” facilitate an expanded work programme”.
TheMinistryofHealthhasalso received $337.9 million more to facilitate rental of buildings while the Ministry of Home Affairs obtained approval for $60 million in additional resources for an acceleratedworkprogramme.
The approval of the additional resources for the GoG has increased this year’s budget to a staggering $1 613 trillion or approximatelyUS$8billion.
WEDNESDAY
Captain,crewmemberscharged with72countsofmurder
…DPPsaysdecisionto institutemurdercharges backedbyevidence
Thecaptainoftheill-fatedMV Barima and two other crew members were on Tuesday jointly chargedwith72countsofmurderin connection with the deadly ferry disaster
Captain Kevin Price, called “KP”, 40, of Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara; Chief Mate Rondell Dwayne Roberts, 42, of Meadow Grove Public Road, East Bank Demerara; and Goods Superintendent Delon Granderson, 33, of Fellowship, West Coast Demerara, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, where they were remanded to prison.
The MV Barima capsized on the evening of 18th July,2026, while en route to Port Kaituma, Region One, leaving more than 70 peopleconfirmeddeadandatleast 30othersstillmissingatsea.
The indictable charge alleges
thaton18thJuly,2026,atapoint9.3 nauticalmilesonabearingof040° off the Essequibo Coast at Devonshire Castle, the trio murdered: Kevin Wilson, Claymont King, Oxwell John, Roma Mendonca, Nathaniel Matabheek, Nathalia Matabheek, Rachel Wells Matabheek, Ezekiel Matabheek, Cheriannys Valenzuela, Orin Clarke, Edith Gordon, Omar Harris, Paul Seapersaud, Andriel Bautista, YoulandaMarks,GwenetteMarks, Shenira Smith, Cleiveliz Fraser, Vivianna Saddurddin, Argelys Kelly Williams, Devon Mars, Robina Hernandez, Tendhi Standford, Adans Williams, Ranaldo Poon, Aarave Daniels, Marcia Beharry, Leonard Persaud, Mariam Bernard, Ravindra Singh, Shivana LaCruz Ramsindo, Christiani Rodrigues, Annalisa Murray, Owen Arthur, Loveisa Bovell, Joshua Arthur, Ranaldo Pickering, Bibi Mohamed, Sylvester Peters, Shawn John, Akelah Rodrigues, Vishawn Ramjattan, Nelly Duesberry, Samara Manoharlall, Sherlon Joseph,TimarManoharlall,Dellon Gaskin, Percy France, Alicia Atkinson, Dwyane Forbes, Orin Europe, Orwin Europe, Justin Mury, Odessa Mury, Reshana David, Kishana Sam, Tiona Sam, ElizebethBowin,ArganyWilliams, Omarions Europe, Jacob Jerome, Mark Abrams, Ashleena Bovell, Kyle Thomas, Carlton Bennett, Navessa Bovell, Martin Ishmeal andJasonHeadley
The statement of offence further states that the accused also murdered “other persons unknown.”Thechargewasreadto the trio by Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman, who remanded them to prison.
The matter was transferred to the Charity Magistrates’Court and adjournedto3rdAugust,2026.
The charges come as President Irfaan Ali recently established a Commission of Inquiry (COI) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the capsizing and sinking of the MV Barima and related matters Among other
policyconsiderations.
The statement also addressed concerns that the impending CommissionofInquirycouldaffect the criminal proceedings, stating that both processes can proceed simultaneously “Theycanproceed simultaneously as was done in the cases of the piracy charges in the Berbice matter in 2018, and the fraudchargesinthe2020Regional and General Elections. Given the unprecedented magnitude of this matter,coupledwithpublicinterest factors, the prosecution will be conducted with due consideration of the work of the Commission of Inquiry,”theDPP’sChamberssaid.
things, the commission has been tasked with examining the vessel’s
preparation of the passenger manifest, possible overcrowding, t
availability and use of life-saving equipment, and compliance with safetyrequirements.
In a statement announcing the charges, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said that, following legal advice from Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar AliHack, SC, the three employees of the Transport and Harbours Department(T&HD)werecharged with murder, contrary to common law, in relation to the deaths of passengers and fellow crew membersaboardtheMVBarima.
DPPdefendsdecision
Amid widespread criticism over the decision to institute murder charges, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) issued a statement outlining thebasisforitsadvice.
The DPP’s Chambers first notedthat,underArticle187ofthe Constitutionof Guyana, the Office of the DPP is not subject to the direction or control of any other personorauthority Itfurtherstated that the DPP is empowered to institute and undertake criminal proceedingsagainstanypersonfor offencesunderthelawsofGuyana wheneveritconsidersitdesirableto do so, and to exercise control over suchproceedings.
“In the exercise of those powers, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions reviewed a file in relation to the MV Barima tragedy of the investigations done by the Guyana Police Force in relation thereto, and duly advised the institution of the charges of murder,”thestatementsaid.
According to the DPP’s Chambers,theadvicewasbasedon careful consideration of the evidence presented, the applicable legal principles, case law from the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth jurisdictions, decisionsoftheEuropeanCourtof Human Rights, and broader public
Mohamed’soffertoraiseMV Barima,pushesGovt.tosay victims’relativeswilldecide
Following a proposal by Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed to independently fund and undertake the salvage of the sunken ferry MV Barima, governmenthasannouncedthatthe final decision on whether to raise thevesselordeclarewreckagearea amemorialsitewillbeleftentirely tothefamiliesofthevictims.
Mohamed has critisised the
administration, deeming any move to leave the vessel at the Atlantic sea floor as “premature and wicked” and an “act of cruelty” to grieving families. “Families have reachedouttomesayingtheywant thebodiesoftheirlovedones,even if all that remain are bones. It will bring closure,” Mohamed stated. “The government did not exhaust every possible option. They have not sought out international help withtheexpertiseandequipmentto recover that vessel. Yet, they are alreadytalkingaboutturningitinto amemorial.”
Mohamed questioned the government’s transparency, alleging that authorities are attempting to cover up systemic negligenceandsafetybreaches.He alleged that the MV Barima had been transporting construction materials and other cargo for big businessmen and those with major projectsinRegion1,cargothat Continued on page 33
Frompage32 should otherwise have been transported by a barge Furthermore, he cited details coming from the captain who was arrested and charged with murder,assertingthatthevessel had no functioning emergency positionindicatingradiobeacon (EPIRB), no search and rescue
transponder (SART), an inoperable anchor, no operational radar, and life rafts that had been expired since 2022. He also claimed that one of the engines was down, emphasisingthatanoverloaded vessel needs both engines, especially to navigate rough waters.
Addressing the vessel’s capacity, Mohamed directly challenged Public Works
Minister Juan Edghill’s statements He argued that Minister Edghill referred to gross tonnage, which is a measure of internal volume used for regulatory purposes rather than deadweight, which represents the maximum combined weight of passengers, cargo, fuel, water, and other loads a vessel can safely carry MohamednotedthattheMV Barima’sdeadweightwas198tons, yet Minister Edghill stated there were 268 tons on board “Therefore, based on Edghill’s explanation, the vessel was carryingabout70tonsmorethanits dead weight capacity It is Edghill whoshouldhavebeenarrestedand remanded to prison,” Mohamed asserted.
DefenceForce(GDF),andDeputy Commissioner
GuyanaPoliceForce.
explainedthatdivingoperationsfor s
Expressing his readiness to intervene directly, Mohamed declared his full commitment to floating the vessel. “Let me make my position clear. I, Azruddin Mohammed, leader of the opposition, am prepared to undertake this salvage operation. I havealreadyengagedinternational partnerswhohaveassuredmethey have the equipment, expertise, and capabilitytobringtheMVBurima tothesurface,”hestated.“Giveme thepermissiontofloatthisvessel.I will recover the vessel so that the COI can be properly conducted. I will do everything possible to recover the remains of those still trapped, provide families with the closure they deserve, and ensure that every piece of evidence is preserved. If the government truly has nothing to hide, then there should be no objection to bringing uptheMVBarima.”
GovernmentPosition:Families WillHavetheFinalSay
A few hours after Mohamed’s salvage proposal, Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips convened a press conference alongside key security and searchand-rescue officials, including Captain Flores from the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordinating Center, Colonel Roberts, Colonel General Staff of the Guyana
suspended due to the extreme difficulties faced by the divers, leaving two clear paths forward: either the vessel remains in its currentposition,orthegovernment entertains one of the incoming salvage offers “Well, there are several offers… been submitted to government several proposals for salvaging the vessel. As I speak withyou,inadditiontothoseoffers to salvage the vessels, it is the wishes of the family that are important at this stage,” Prime Minister Phillips stated. “Because if there is any indication from the family that they prefer to have the area be deemed a memorial site, then we go with that option. The issueofsalvagingthevessel,ifthe families feel that we should go ahead and salvage the vessel, the government is likely to honour the wishes of the family. So you have twooptionsthere,right?”
Crucialevidence
Addressing concerns regarding whether leaving the vessel submerged would compromise crucial evidence, such as the condition of the engine and navigational aids, needed for an upcoming Commission of Inquiry (COI), Prime Minister Phillips reiteratedthattheadministrationis committed to the truth while b a l a n c i n g e m o t i o n a l considerations. “We want to get to the truth, but we want to also honour the wishes of the family A commission of inquiry, if we are unable to salvage the vessel, a commission of inquiry will still be done. That is the reality,” Phillips stated.“Governmenthasnothingto hide. Government has nothing to hide. I can tell you up front. We havenothingtohide.”
Phillips confirmed that President Irfaan Ali was actively
engaging families directly in Mabaruma to discuss these developments and gather their inputthroughaformaldocument.
Swaydecisions
Respondingtomediaquestions aboutwhetherthegovernmentwas attempting to sway decisions, Phillips firmly denied the notion, stating,“No,no,Governmentisnot trying to convince anybody to say anything here.” He added that the idea of a memorial site originated directly from community discussions, explaining, “That came out from some discussion with the families of the survivors who were still missing… As we seek to bring closure, we want to respectthewishesofthefamiliesof those who have passed during this terribleincident.”
During the press briefing, PrimeMinisterPhillipsprovidedan operational status report on the search and recovery efforts He detailed that a total of 18 assets remain actively deployed, comprising three aircraft and 15 maritime vessels maintaining continuous coverage across a searchgridextendingwesttoWaini PointandeasttoAdventure.
Deathtoll
Regarding the human toll, Phillips reported that 77 persons were initially rescued, though one survivor subsequently died, bringing the count of survivors to 76 The number of recovered bodies stands at 73, while an estimated 30 persons remain unaccounted for or deemed missing Of the 73 recovered bodies, five have not yet been positively identified, prompting appealsfromtheMinistryofHealth forpublicassistancesotheremains can be released to relatives for interment.All positively identified bodies have been handed over to theirrespectivefamiliesforburial.
When questioned about the legal proceedings and why the captain and crew members were charged with murder instead of
manslaughter, Phillips declined to comment directly, directing reporterstothepressreleaseissued
Prosecutions (DPP). Furthermore, when asked about reputable global salvage companies offering assistance, he noted that proposals have come in from international firms, though he did not disclose specific company names
Addressing long-term maritime infrastructure, Prime Minister Phillips revealed that corrective work at Port Kaituma is projected tobecompletedearliestbyJanuary 2027.
Canadianfirmpockets US$2.2BonGuyanagold field,countrygetsnothing
Canadian firms G Mining Ventures Corp. (GMIN) and G2 Goldfields Inc. have finalised the US$2.2billionacquisitionthatwas firstannouncedinApril,tocreatea tier-1goldminingprojectinoneof Guyana’shottestminingdistricts.
The announcement of the successful completion of the arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act was made on Wednesday by both companies.
GMIN and G2 are both
Canadian firms that own gold projects in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) The deal allows the companies to consolidate the two adjacentgoldproperties,G2’sOkoGhanie project with GMIN’s fully permitted and fully financed Oko Westproject.
ThearrangementallowsGMIN to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of G2 andforG2tocompletethespin-out of a new company, G3 Goldfields Inc – which will hold G2’s remaining properties not included intheacquisition.
GMIN’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President, Louis-Pierre Gignac commenting
on the completion of the arrangement noted that the acquisition of G2 further strengthens GMIN’s position into a leading multi-asset intermediategoldproducerinthe Americas.
“By bringing together two adjacent deposits that form part of the same mineralized system underasingleoperation,wehave created a large-scale, low-cost, fully permitted and fully financed tier-one gold mining complex in one of the world’s most prospective gold districts. The combination is expected to generate substantial near- and long-term va
o
our shareholders through significant op
a
ional and capital synergies, including shared infrastructure, optimized mine planning, enhanced operational flexibility, and increased processingcapacity,”headded.
The a
sition en
es planned production at Oko West GoldProjecttoincreasethemine’s annualproductionfrom350,000to reach approximately 500,000 ounces of gold per year over a minimumminelifeof15years. By itself, the Oko West project is expected to produce about 350,000 ounces of gold annually overa12.3-yearminelife.GMIN’s explorationtodatehasoutlined5.4 million ounces of indicated gold resourcesand0.4millionouncesof inferred material In relation to proven and probable reserves, the OkoWestisestimatedtohold4.64 million ounces of gold at an averagegradeof1.89gramsofgold pertonne.
Meanwhile,accordingtoG2,its Oko-Ghanie gold project average annual output is expected to reach 281,000ouncesannuallyduringthe mine’s peak years-with a total production of approximately 3 2 millionouncesofgoldoverthelife of mine. In relation to the OkoGhanie project, GMIN clarified that the project’s mineral resource included in the initial joint press release do not represent, from GMIN’s perspective, a “current” mineral resource estimate of the Oko-GhanieProject.Rather,itwas stated that it was provided by GMIN as a “historical estimate” within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of DisclosureforMineralProjects(NI 43-101).
Consolidating the projects will bring the Combined Measured & IndicatedMineralResourcesof7.0 million ounces and Inferred Mineral Resources of 2.3 million ounces. The deal will also expand GMIN’s footprint in Guyana by 293 square kilometers (km²), creating a combined contiguous landpackageofover362km².
GMIN’sentryintoGuyanawas securedin2024throughabusiness combinationwithanother Continued on page 34
Frompage33
Canadian company, Reunion Gold Corp., valued at US$638 million. GMIN’s deal with Reunion added the Oko West Gold Project to its portfolio.
DuringaMaypressconference, President Irfaan Ali was asked whether the growing trend of foreign firms ‘flipping’large-scale mining assets in Guyana is a concern to his administration, and whether government believes stronger policies are needed to ensurethecountrybenefitsdirectly from when those transactions occur Alihasdefendedthetransfer and sale of Guyana’s mineral properties among foreign mining companies, arguing that such transactions are part of the global mining industry and not unique to Guyana.
KaieteurNewsreportedthatthe OkoWestGoldprojectmovedfrom environmental permit approval to mining licence approval and the commencement of construction withinapproximately12months.
Early 2025, GMIN received an interim permit which allowed the company to begin early works at Oko West project which included the development of a wharf on the Cuyuni River, access roads, and construction of the permanent camp. BySeptember2025,GMIN announced that the Environmental ProtectionAgency(EPA)approved the environmental permit for the project.
The five-year permit is valid throughJuly2030.Itauthorisesthe construction and operation of Oko West. By the end of 2025, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) in 2025 granted GMIN a 20-year mining licencefortheproject.Thelicence, whichtookeffecton5thDecember, 2025, authorises full development, operation and commercial productionatthesite.
FirstgoldpourattheOkoWest Gold Project is targeted for the second half of 2027 and commercialproductionisexpected by January 2028. Notably, GMIN has already revealed that it anticipates three to four flights weekly from the Oko West gold project site to transport gold from the interior, as well as facilitate otherbusinessandemergencies.
Moreover, now that the arrangement is completed, it is expectedthattheG2shareswillbe delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and withdrawn fromquotationontheOTCQXBest MarketoftheOTCMarketsGroup (OTCQX)andthatG2willceaseto beareportingissuer(orequivalent) under applicable Canadian securitieslaws.
Further,G3hasappliedtolistits common shares for trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE), with listing subject to G3 meetingthelistingrequirementsof theCSE.
CCJclearswayfor extraditioncasetoproceed inMagistrates’Court
TheCaribbeanCourtofJustice (CCJ) has cleared the path for United States (U S ) extradition proceedings against Guyana’s Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamedandhisfather,prominent businessman Nazar ‘Shell’ Mohamed,tomoveforward.
In a judgment delivered on Wednesday (CCJ Application No. GYACV 001 of 2026), the Trinidad-based regional appellate court unanimously dismissed the Mohameds’ substantive appeal against the Minister of Home Affairs, the Attorney General, and Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman.
The ruling formally lifts an interimstayimposedonMarch25, 2026, allowing committal proceedings to resume before Principal Magistrate Latchman in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. While the court granted specialleavetoappeal,itultimately dismissed the substantive challengeandruledthateachparty mustbeartheirownlegalcosts.The bench noted that no costs were awardedtothegovernmentbecause the proceedings sat at the intersection of public and criminal law, served a significant public interest, and brought critical clarificationstothelaw
Court rebukes officials, cites apparentbias
Despite the appeal’s dismissal, the landmark 256-page judgment contained sharp rebukes for highranking government officials and overturned key legal premises previously upheld by Guyana’s HighCourtandCourtofAppeal.
The regional court rejected arguments presented by Attorney General Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, which claimed that the rule against bias could not apply to a Minister’sissuanceofanAuthority to Proceed (ATP), and that the judicial review application was premature. Justices Rajnauth-Lee, Jamadar, and Bulkan ruled there
orders levied against the Mohameds by Guyana’s lower courts should be maintained or overturned. With the interim stay now lifted, all eyes return to the Georgetown Magistrates’Court as the extradition committal process getsunderway Backgroundtothelegalbattle
The legal battle stems from generalelectionsheldinGuyanaon September 1, 2025, in which AzruddinMohamedwaselectedas Leader of the Opposition before takinghisoathofofficeinJanuary 2026. On October 28, 2025, the UnitedStatesgovernmentformally requested the extradition of both men to face an 11-count criminal indictment alleging conspiracy, mail and wire fraud, and money laundering.
was “no basis in law” preventing theapplicantsfromseekingjudicial review at the start of extradition proceedings, noting “pragmatic good sense” in raising bias allegationsearly Furthermore, the CCJ addressed public statements made by Nandlall and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo. Justices RajnauthLee, Jamadar, and Bulkan determined that the Attorney General’s public remarks crossed the threshold into apparent bias, stating his comments ran “afoul of constitutional imperatives” regarding the presumption of innocence However, the court ultimately concluded this apparent bias did not sufficiently contaminate the Minister of Home Affairs’ decision to invalidate the ATP In separate opinions, Justices Ononaiwu and Eboe-Osuji, along with the broader bench, issued strong warnings against public commentary by executive leaders that could exert undue political pressure or undermine the independenceofthejudiciary.
Following the decision, the legal team representing the Mohameds, comprising Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, Siand Dhurjon, and Damien Da Silva, released a public statement acknowledgingthejudgment.
While noting the ultimate dismissaloftheappeal,thedefense highlighted the ruling as a victory for constitutional rights and procedural fairness in extradition matters across the Commonwealth Caribbean.
“The judgment represents a significant clarification of the law governing extradition proceedings inGuyanaandtheCommonwealth Caribbean.The Court has resolved severalimportantlegalquestionsin theApplicants’favor and, in doing so, has corrected material errors made by both the High Court and the Court of Appeal,” the defense statementread.
The defense counsel also confirmed that the CCJ intends to convene further hearings to determine whether previous costs
Justice Peter Jamadar, Mr Justice Arif Bulkan, Justice Chantal Ononaiwu, and Mr Justice Chile Eboe-Osuji.
Senior Counsel Mr Fayyad Hosein and Senior Counsel Mr Roysdale Forde, alongside attorneys Siand Dhurjohn, Sasha Bridgemohan Singh, Damien Da Silva,andAdamHussein,appeared fortheMohameds.SeniorCounsel DouglasMendesandClayHackett appeared for Minister Walrond; Attorney General Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, Solicitor General Nigel Hawke, Shoshana Lall, DeshaunPrasad,andJoshuaCullen appearedfortheAG;whileseparate counsel represented Magistrate Latchman.
Threefoldcourtruling
Two days later, on October 30, 2025, Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond issued an Authority to Proceed (ATP) under Section 12 of the Fugitive Offenders Act, directing the magistrate to proceed with committal hearings Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman issued arrest warrants the following day, formally initiating court proceedings.
In December 2025, the Mohameds launched judicial review proceedings in the High CourtseekingtoquashtheATPand stay the committal hearings. They contended that Minister Walrond’s decision was tainted with bias due toheraffiliationwiththegoverning People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), whose top leadership, including the President, Vice President, and Attorney General, had publicly referred to them in derogatory terms during the election campaign. They also argued that the ATP was defective becausetheMinisterhadconsulted with the Attorney General, whom theyallegedwasalsobiased.
Dismissalsindomesticcourts
Chief Justice Navindra Singh dismissed the application in the High Court on February 4, 2026, ruling that the Minister exercised an executive rather than a judicial function, meaning the rule against biasdidnotapplyinfull.Headded that comments by cabinet colleagues could not be attributed totheMinistertotaintherdecision.
TheCourtofAppealupheldthat dismissal on March 17, 2026, finding that issuing anATPwas an administrative function where bias didnotarise,andthatafair-minded observer would recognise theATP asmerelyapreliminarystep.
The Mohameds then appealed to the CCJ, which granted an interim stay on March 25, 2026, andheardthesubstantiveappealon April 21, 2026 The full panel comprised CCJ President Mr. Justice Winston Anderson, Mr Justice Denys Barrow, Madam JusticeMaureenRajnauth-Lee,Mr Justice Adrian Saunders, Mr
The apex court delivered three separate judgments detailing its decision. In the lead joint opinion authored by President Anderson and Justice Barrow, the court held thatwhiletheruleagainstbiasdoes apply to the ministerial grant of an ATP, the process does not import the full panoply of procedural rightsavailableinjudicialtrials.
Delivering the lead judgment, JusticeBarrownoted:
“The ATP process does not import the full panoply of procedural rights available in judicialproceedings.Therewasno generalrighttobeheardpriortothe issuance of theATP There was no requirementfortheministerissuing the ATP to be free from political bias.Whatwasrequiredwasforthe ministertoengageinaprocessthat allowed for consideration of the factorscontemplatedbytheAct.”
The lead judges emphasised that the applicants had not alleged that the Minister failed to consider relevant factors or acted on irrelevant ones, relying solely on allegationsofpoliticalbias.
PresidentAndersonandJustice Barrow also expressed the considered view that challenges to an ATP on grounds of bias should generally be heard only after committal proceedings are completed before a magistrate, preventing unnecessary delays in extraditiontreaties.JusticeBarrow further expressed “grave doubts that there could properly be delegation of the powers under the Act to issue theATPto any person who was not a minister” In a second opinion, Justices RajnauthLee,Jamadar,andBulkanheldthat challenging an ATP for bias at an early stage was not premature and madepragmaticgoodsense.
Whilefindingnoappearanceof biasagainstMinisterWalrond,they noted a real possibility of apparent bias regarding Attorney General Nandlall, but concluded his involvementdidnotsocontaminate the administrative process as to invalidatetheMinister’sATP Crucially, Justices RajnauthLee,Jamadar,andBulkanissueda Continued on page 35
Frompage34
stern rebuke regarding executive commentary on active court matters, stating:
“Public statements by the Vice President and the A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l referencing the existing judicial proceedings can underminetheindependence of the judiciary and have deleterious effects on the administrationofjusticeand the rule of law in Guyana. Theyaretobedenounced.”
In the third opinion of Justices Eboe-Osuji and Ononaiwu, the court observed that bias must be assessed objectively from the viewpoint of a fairminded,reasonableobserver fullyinformedofallmaterial facts, including foreign i n d i c t m e n t s a n d international treaty obligations that leave little roomforministerialrefusal.
Addressing the standard ofassessmentandthesecond applicant’s conduct, Justice Eboe-Osuji in the ruling stated:
“Fairness must attend decisionsinpublicofficeand fairnessabjuresbias,butthe law chooses the blinkered view in the appraisal of bias…Biasisassessedfrom thepointof viewof thefairminded,reasonableobserver fully informed of all the material facts and circumstances.”
JusticeBarrowadded:
“On the facts and circumstancesofthepresent case, the second appellant (Azruddin Mohamed) does not have clean hands. He provoked verbal attacks againsthimbyhisownearly attacks against government officials or his own willing participation in a general brawlofpoliticalcalumny.”
President Anderson concluded the hearing by thankingallcounselfortheir extensive written and oral submissions in the complex matter:
“We will then consider those comments, perfect the judgment for uploading to thewebsiteofthecourtby4 p m on Friday The judgment having been delivered, there is no embargo on disclosure… I would like to make the comment of expressing the gratitude of my colleagues and myself to counsel for their very considerable assistance to us in this matter.”
Extradition proceedings to resume at Magistrates’ Court With the CCJ’s lifting of
the interim stay, extradition proceedings will now move forward before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman in Georgetown to determine whether the evidence submitted by the United States justifies committing the father and son for extradition.
FRIDAY
Bloombergreports:Oil cursehangingover Guyana’shead …sayscountryfallsshort onstructuringtaxand contracttermstocapture fullvalueofitsresources
Bloomberg,anAmerican media powerhouse renowned for business and markets news, data and analysis to name a few has warned that the oil curse is hanging over the world’s fastest growing economy with Guyana falling short in several key parameters laid out in the Natural Resource Charter
In a July 229 report, Bloomberg’s Juan Spinetto details his recent visit to Georgetown where his attendance of the nation’s Independence Flag Raising Ceremony was flatly d e s c r i b e d a s a “fiasco more than an embarrassment.”
Shifting attention to the n a t i o n ’s r e s o u r c e management, Bloomberg assessedGuyana’strajectory a g a i n s t d o z e n s o f benchmarks laid out in the Natural Resource Charter, a setofprinciplesdevelopedin 2010 by economists and policy experts to help resource-rich countries turn commodity booms into lastingprosperity
That analysis found that Guyana meets four principles on accountable
public decision-making, investing revenue for citizens, smoothing revenue volatility, and international harmonisation.Additionally, it partially fulfills those on building an inclusive national strategy, state enterprise accountability, public spending efficiency anddiversification.
The report however highlightsthatGuyana“falls short on transparent and competitive rights allocation, local content participation, upholding the h i g h e s t c o r p o r a t e environmental, social and human rights standards, and structuring tax and contract terms to capture the full valueofitsresources.”
Notably, this largely c
2021
ResourceGovernanceIndex, a diagnostic tool created by theNewYork-basedNatural Resource Governance Institute to assess how commodity producers managetheirresources.
Bloomberg highlighted that Guyana was placed in the “weak” performance category,withanaggregated scoreof56outof100.“Asa newproducer,Guyanaisstill developing the institutional framework to successfully governitsoilandgassector With weakness evident in value realisation, revenue management and the overall enabling environment, the governmentshouldprioritise the development of a robust resource governance framework,” the report concluded.
It was explained that Guyana’s biggest gaps are institutional. To this end, it was suggested that the country establish a stateowned oil company that could help the government
Highway, raising questions of conflicts of interest and personal enrichment, prompting the Leader of the Opposition to call on the HeadofStatetoresign.
The President later acknowledged owning the propertybutexplaineditwas acquired prior to him taking officeandhasbeenproperly disclosed to the authorities.
competitive terms at a time when there were significant exploration, technical and pricerisks.”
capture a larger share of revenue from oil. Notably, the report cautioned that doing so before the necessary institutions are in place risks creating another vehicle for waste, political favoritismandgraft.
Further,Bloombergsaid, “executing megaprojects requires meticulous, longterm planning, something that Guyana isn’t yet fully equippedtodo.”
It pointed to the US$2B Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project as a prime example, the country’s largest infrastructure development in the country’s history The report highlighted that the massive project is running about two years behind schedule and has seen costs escalate after encountering majorsoilchallenges.
It also noted the construction of the specialised Paediatric and MaternalHospital,oneofthe 12 state-of-the-art hospitals government hopes to complete by 2028, which is delayed, reportedly because of changes of ownership in theconstructioncompany When it comes to government corruption, Bloomberg said that this remains a recurring complaint. In fact, Guyana ranks84outof182nationsin TransparencyInternational’s Corruption Perceptions
I n d e x , w i t h l i t t l e improvementinrecentyears. Notably,itexplainedthat government has so far navigated corruption allegations largely
unscathed, but a new controversy has raised the politicalstakes.InearlyJuly, Leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), Azruddin Mohamed expose PresidentAli’sownershipof 150-acreranchontheLinden
To this end, the report said, “Even so, the lingering question for many is how membersofthepoliticalelite managed to amass such vast wealth in such a short time. Meanwhile, Mohamed, who is one of Guyana’s richest persons, and his father have themselves been sanctioned by the US and indicted on allegations that they evaded millions of dollars in taxes and royalties through fraudulent gold exports and related money-laundering schemes.”
Forhispart,thePresident told the media entity of his plans to turn Guyana into a majorglobalenergysupplier while diversifying the economy His futurist vision encompasses everything from AI investment, digitisation and technology to producing Netflix Inc series.
“All of these areas are working together in futureproofingtheeconomy,sothe economyisnotdependentin any way, shape or form on one area of growth it is broad.Itishighlyintegrated, and it’s what I would say progressive,” Ali told Bloomberg.
The news outlet pointed outthatwhilethePresident’s plans look “impressive on paper” much of it sounds “like a carefully rehearsed TEDTalk.”
“It’s fair to wonder whether delusions of grandeur have overtaken execution Grand visions usually stumble where they m a t t e r m o s t : implementation Guyana’s weak bureaucracy, fragile institutions and shortage of skilled workers pose real obstacles to its president’s sweeping plans,” the report cautioned as it went on to note that the welldocumentedpathogenesisof the resource curse offers amplereasonforskepticism.
M e a n w h i l e , a n ExxonMobil spokesperson defended the lopsided oil contract with Guyana. The company stated, “The agreement was negotiated with the Government of Guyana and reflected
WIN Opposition Member of Parliament, Odessa Primus was also featured in the report. She said, “The contract is not necessarily in the best interest of Guyanese Exxon has to look out for their best interest. And they have done so very well Clearly whoever’s getting paid over there to negotiate these contracts deserves a raisetopay.”
Bloomberg said, “Yet if this unprecedented flow of money and profits fails to translate into better living standards, Exxon will likely become a target of public frustration Fairly or not, manyGuyaneseviewExxon asapowerbehindthescenes, giving the company the unofficial role of arbiter of modern Guyana That perception could fuel public resentment and demands to rewrite the favorable cont
he company securedin2016.Productionsharing contracts in neighboring Suriname generally impose a 6 25% royalty on gross oil output; Guyanachargesjust2%.”
SATURDAY
Govt.deliberately hidingpovertystatistics inoilrichGuyanaBloombergreports
In a country historically blessed with abundant resourcesandmorerecently, blackgoldoroilasweknow it, Guyanese continue to complain about the economic strains they are faced with, as government keeps data from the public regarding poverty levels in the country’s season of bounty
Raising this red flag in a r e c e n t r e p o r t w a s Bloomberg, an American news outfit, recognised globally for its business and marketsnews,data,analysis andmore.
Bloomberg recently visited the capital city and observed the transformation taking place in-country with construction taking place at everycorner Thecolumnist, Juan Spinetto wrote, “While itsnewenergyrichesremain largely out of sight, pumped from deep beneath the Atlantic about 120 miles off the coast, signs of the oil boom are everywhere. I’ve neverseensomany
Continued on page 36
Frompage35 excavators and dump trucks inoneplace.”
At the same time, Bloombergnotedthereadily available data on “positive signs”fromboomingvehicle sales to a rapidly expanding mortgagemarket.Ithowever pointed to the blackout on data that shows progress on the living conditions of the Guyanesepeople.
Bloomberg reported, “Poor transparency is compounded by the lack of reliable statistics Positive
signs abound in the
economic data, from booming vehicle sales to a rapidly expanding mortgage market. Yet the government
took three years to publish a preliminary report from the 2022 census and its final resultsarestillpending.”
Thecolumniststatedthat even more baffling is the absence of an official poverty estimate covering the years of extraordinary economicgrowth.
“When I asked Finance Minister Ashni Singh about this, he argued that poverty should be measured across multiple dimensions, including access to healthcare, education and sanitation, all of which he said have reached record levels of coverage,” the reportstates.
Bloomberg notes that
while the minister’s explanation is fair, poverty estimates range from 58%, according to the InterAmerican Development Bank, to just 18% to 20%, according to some local economists. As such, it said the country’s data compass appearsbroken.
“Mysuspicionisthatthe government may be reluctant to publish such figures for fear of handing the opposition a powerful political narrative That would be short-sighted Citizens, investors and anyone trying to understand Guyana’s transformation need better data and greater transparency to judge where
thecountryisreallyheaded,” the Bloomberg report pointedout.
To this end, the columnistsuggestedthatthe government’s biggest
itical ris
be overpromising and underdelivering, raising expectations to such levels that even genuine progress cannotsatisfyvoters.
Itreferencedarecentpoll by the University of Guyana’s GREEN Institute which found that 42% of respondents were somewhat or very optimistic about the country’s outlook over the next 20 years.Another 40% described themselves as s o m e w h a t o r v e r y pessimistic.
Notably, the survey cautions that its sample overrepresents the more educated segments of society and part of the diaspora Yet, Bloomberg said the findings suggest a complex public mood: “About43%saidthebenefits of growth are real but unevenly distributed, while another 27% said the economy being built is simply not the kind of society they want. Foreign oil companies, meanwhile, were considered the least trusted institutions included inthesurvey.”
The report therefore underlinedthattheemerging picture is one in which oil wealth could sharpen not only ethnic divisions but class disparities. It said, “Especially during periods of high oil prices, governmentscanbetempted to channel jobs, contracts, flagshipprojectsorsubsidies toward political supporters andalliedregionsratherthan where they generate the greatest public benefit, creating fertile ground for patronageandcorruption.”
Exxonmade US$160million perdayinlastquarter asoilpricessurged
(CNN)BigOilisminting money
ExxonMobil and Chevron,thetwobiggestUS oil companies, reported gangbusters profits on Fridaydrivenbythespikein global oil prices unleashed bytheUS-Iranwar
Exxon raked in US$14.5 billion in profit during the second quarter, more than doubling its year-earlier earningsanditshighesthaul since 2022 during the onset oftheRussia-Ukrainewar
Broken down, Exxon made about US$160 million perdaylastquarter
Chevron, the No. 2 US oil company, posted a profit of $12.1 billion, more than quadrupling the US$2 5 billion it made in the same periodlastyear
“These companies are printing money because oil prices spiked around the world,” said Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates.Globaloilprices have surged more than 40% sofarthisyear
Notonlythat,butExxon and Chevron own refineries that are cashing in on the damagedonebywar
The US-Iran war has wipedoutachunkofrefinery capacity in the Middle East, just as Ukraine’s drone
strikes have derailed Russia’srefineryoperations.
Lipow estimates the world has lost about 6 millionto7millionbarrelsof refining capacity per day, making existing refineries evenmoreprofitable.
“Exxon and Chevron haverefineriesthataredoing fantastic We’re at record refining margins for gasoline,jetfuelanddiesel,” Lipowsaid.
Chevron’s downstream business, which includes its refineries,swungfromaloss of$817millionayearagoto aprofitofUS$4.9billion.
Exxon shares retreated about 2% in premarket trading on Friday as it’s adjusted per-share profit narrowlymissedforecasts.
Another major oil company, Shell, revealed Thursday it made nearly US$10 billion last quarter –more than doubling its yearearlier profit. In fact, it was Shell’s second-highest quarterly profit in company history
Oil, however, is a notoriously boom-to-bust industry When prices are low, small oil drillers often
go bankrupt and even industryleaderslosemoney For instance, in 2020 when oil prices briefly went negative as demand crashed dur
c, ExxonMobil lost US$22 4 billion.
“ M a r k e t s w e r e supportive, but our performance reflected the strength of the portfolio and operating model we have built over many years,” Exxon CEO Darren Woods saidinastatementonFriday Woods added that last quarter was “shaped by disruption, but defined by execution.”
Chevronisrespondingto highoilpricesbyrampingup supply The co
nd said worldwide production jumped20%year-over-year
B u t t h e c u r r e n t blockbuster profits for Big Oil likely will not sit well with consumers and some politicians. The public is hurting from the same high prices the oil industry is benefitingfrom.
The Iran war has cost consumersmorethanUS$76 billion in the form of higher gasoline and diesel prices, according to the Brown University’s Climate SolutionsLab.
Even President Donald Trump, a friend of the oil industry, complained last month that oil companies werenotdroppinggasprices as fast as oil was falling Trumpsaidheinstructedthe US Justice Department to “start looking into this,” adding: “Gasoline prices better start going down a lot fasterthanwhatI’mseeing.”
Oil companies don’t directly control retail gas prices. And gas prices did fallsharplyfromtheirrecent peak above $4.50 a gallon. However, they have since rebounded because the USIranceasefirebrokedown.
By Dr. Eon Andre George, PhD, EdD
Children have an extraordinary ability that many adults underestimate. They listen with their eyes. Longbeforetheyunderstand
t h e m e a n i n g o f responsibility, honesty,
kindness, respect, or prejudice, they are watching the people around them to figure out what those words actually look like They watch how parents speak to eachotherafteranargument.
They notice whether promisesarekeptorbroken. Theyobservewhetheradults treat the cleaner with the same respect they show the manager, whether they tell the truth when it is inconvenient, and whether theysolveproblemsthrough calm conversation or angry confrontation.
By the time a child
reaches adolescence,
thousands of these seemingly insignificant observations have quietly become life lessons No classroom teaches them. No textbook explains them. Yet they often become more influential than anything a child will ever learn in school. Perhaps that is why children so often grow up sounding like the very people they once promised theywouldneverbecome.
ActionsTeachLouder ThanWords
Almost every parent has experienced the frustration of telling a child one thing while watching the child do the exact opposite. “Don’t shout.” Moments later, the adultsareshoutingacrossthe house. “Tell the truth.” Then the telephone rings, and someone says, “Tell them I’m not home ” “Respect people.” Yetthechildhears relatives being ridiculed
around the dinner table
Children notice these
contradictions far more than adults realize. While adults often believe they are teachingthroughinstruction, childrenareusuallylearning throughobservation.
Psychologist Albert Bandura transformed our understanding of learning throughhisSocialLearning Theory, demonstrating that people learn not only through direct instruction butalsobyobservingothers.
According to Bandura, children pay close attention to the behavior of people they admire, trust, or spend the most time with. Those behaviors are observed, remembered,andeventually imitated because children naturally assume that what adultsrepeatedlydomustbe the correct way to live. In otherwords,childrenarenot simply listening to what adultssay Theyarestudying howadultslive.
Thishelpsexplainwhya child raised in a home filled with encouragement often develops confidence, while another raised in constant criticismmaybecomeoverly self-critical Neither child was born thinking that way Both simply learned what everyday life repeatedly demonstrated.
LittleEyes,LittleEars, LastingLessons
Think about how many lessons children absorb without anyone planning to teach them A little boy watches his father stop to help a stranded motorist Yearslater,helpingstrangers feels natural to him. A little g i r l w a t c h e s h e r grandmotherquietlyprepare an extra plate of food
whenever someone unexpectedly visits She grows up believing generosity is simply what
familiesdo.
On the other hand, another child grows up hearing nearly every conversation end with complaints about politics, neighbors, employers, rising prices, or how “people can’t betrustedanymore.”Without realizing it, that child slowly
b e g i n s e x p e c t i n g disappointment before life has even given them reasons tobedisappointed
This is on
reason psychologists say children a
n
y l
ng behaviors; they are learning expectations By watching adults repeatedly respond to lifeincertainways,children begin developing beliefs about how the world works.
Optimism, suspicion, resilience, fear, kindness, prejudice, confidence, and even hopelessness are often learned long before children canexplainthem.
AFamiliarStory
Imagine a father who tells his son every day that education is important. He reminds him to study, completehishomework,and stayfocusedinschool.They are good conversations, and the father genuinely wants the best for his child. Yet every evening the boy notices something different. His father never reads Books remain untouched The television stays on for hours. Conversations rarely involve learning anything new Without intending to, the father has created two lessons. One lesson comes from his words. The other comesfromhislife.Children almost always believe the secondone.
Now imagine another home The parents may never have attended university,buteveryevening they read the newspaper, discuss current events, encourage questions, or simply spend time helping with homework The message is never preached loudly, yet the child gradually concludes that learning is simply part of everydaylife.Thedifference isnotmerelywhatwassaid. It is what was consistently lived.
TheEmotional ClimateofaHome
Children do not simply imitate behavior They absorbemotionalclimates.A home where laughter is common teaches children thatjoybelongsineveryday life. A home where people
a p o l o g i z e a f t e r disagreements teaches children that conflict does not have to destroy relationships.Ahomewhere affection is expressed freely teacheschildrenthatlovecan bespokenaswellasfelt.The opposite is equally true. A home where everyone walks oneggshellsteacheschildren thattensionisnormal Ahome where emotions are mocked teaches children to suppress feelings Ahomewhereevery disagreement ends in shouting or silence teaches childrenthatrelationshipsare builtonfearratherthantrust.
Psychologists John
B o w l b y a n d M a r y Ainsworth explained much of this through Attachment Theory.They proposed that children develop what psychologists call an internal working model of relationships based on their earliest interactions with caregivers. In simple terms, children learn whether people are dependable, whether love is secure, whether emotions are welcomed or rejected, and whether the world is generallyasafeplace.
These early experiences
b e c o m e e m o t i o n a l blueprints that often influence adult life. A child
w h o c o n s i s t e n t l y
experiences warmth,
encouragement, and
emotional security usually develops confidence in themselves and trust in others They often find it easier to build healthy friendshipsandrelationships
because their earliest experiencestaughtthemthat peoplecanbetrusted.
On the other hand, children raised in emotionally unpredictable homes may become adults who constantly fear rejection,struggletoexpress vulnerability, or become uncomfortabledependingon
others They are not intentionally choosing these patterns They are often repeating emotional lessons learned long before they
understood what was happening. This reminds us thatchildreninheritfarmore than family names They i n h e r i t e m o t i o n a l expectations.
TheCommunityIsAlso RaisingtheChild Parents are enormously influential, but they are not the only teachers Every child is being raised by an entire environment
Psychologist U r i e
Bronfenbrenner explained this through his Ecological Systems Theory, arguing that children develop within several interconnected systems that constantly influence one another The familyisonlythebeginning. Schools, churches, sporting clubs, neighborhoods, extended families, workplaces, government policies, media, technology, and the wider culture all contribute to shaping the person a child eventually becomes.
Think about a child growing up in a close-knit community where everyone knows everyone Teachers know parents. Grandparents help with homework Neighbors correct children when necessary. Church members ask about school. Shopkeepers greet children by name Every adult, knowingly or unknowingly, becomes part of that child’s education.
Nowcomparethatwitha child growing up where neighbors rarely interact, extended families seldom m e e t , a n d m o s t conversations happen through screens rather than face-to-face relationships The children may attend similar schools, yet they are growing up in completely different psychological environments.
Whether we grow up in G e o r g e t o w n , N e w Amsterdam, Linden, Bartica, Lethem, San Fernando, Chaguanas, Bridgetown, Kingston, Castries, or any other Caribbean community, the details may change, but the psychology remains remarkablysimilar Families become our first teachers, communities become our first mirrors, and culture quietly becomes our first language.
This is why raising children has never been the responsibility of parents alone. Every adult becomes somebody’s example. Every conversation teaches
s o m e t h i n g E v e r y neighborhood leaves fingerprints on the next
generation.
BreakingthePattern
One of the most hopeful discoveries in psychology is that learned behavior can also be unlearned Adults whogrewupinhomeswhere affection was rarely expressed can learn to become emotionally availableparents.Thosewho witnessed constant criticism can choose encouragement instead. Families that rarely apologized can become families where saying “I’m sorry”becomesnormal.
Children do not need perfect parents. They need adults who are willing to learn, grow, and model the very behaviors they hope to see. Sometimes the greatest lessonaparentteachesisnot gettingeverythingright.Itis showingachildwhatgrowth lookslike.
Because children are always watching, they also notice humility They notice forgiveness They notice adults admitting mistakes, changing old habits, and treating others with greater patience and respect. Those moments may become even more powerful than the lessons we intentionally try toteach.
UnderstandingBehavior ThroughContext
When we look closely at the adults we become, we often discover the fingerprintsoftheadultsand communities that helped raise us That realization shouldnotproduceblame.It shouldproduceawareness.
Awareness allows us to preserve the lessons that built character, compassion, resilience, and integrity while choosing to change those that produced fear, prejudice, unhealthy relationships, or emotional silence Children have always been watching. The real question is: What are they learning from us today?
Childrenrarelybecome whatwetellthemtobe.
More often, they become what they repeatedlysee. Every ordinary day is teaching tomorrow’s adult howtolive.
ByKhadidjaBa
Howdoyousaygoodbye to a shadow? How do you tuckachildintoagravethat lies 40 feet beneath dark, muddy ocean water, or fold theclothesofafatherwhose body remains trapped inside asubmergedsteelhull?
Across Guyana, in quiet wooden homes, tear-stained meetinghalls,andriverbank communities, an agonising silencehasturnedintoaraw, burning fury In the wake of the catastrophic sinking of the transport vessel MV
Barima, government officials,includingPresident Irfaan Ali and Prime MinisterMarkPhillips,have maintained that the administrationisholdingoff onraisingthevesselbecause they are waiting to hear if grieving families prefer a memorial site over a recoveryoperation.
However, through extensive interviews with victims’ families, survivors, a n d c o m m u n i t y representatives, a different reality has emerged. The families do not want an ocean monument to replace their dead They are unanimously demanding thatthegovernmentspareno expense to raise the 500-ton vessel,demandingthereturn of their loved ones, even if all that remains beneath the water is a handful of bones, oracupofdust.
“Myheartis bleedingformychild”
In Georgetown heavy with agonising suspense, Royston Frank sat with his hands trembling, fighting back tears that have stolen hissleepforweeks.Hisson, Rawle Frank, a 33-year-old sailorwhokneweverycreak of the doomed vessel, disappeared into the dark water when the boat went down.
“At this time, I am grieving day by day concerning this tragedy with my son, who was working on this boat, and disappeared Can’t get a traceofhim,”Roystonsays, hisvoicebreakingunderthe weight of a horrific vigil.
“This thing causing my nerves, I cannot get no comfortable sleep My heart at this moment is bleedingformychild.”
Frank flatly rejects the state’s claim that families asked to leave the vessel submerged: “There was nothing [of] the sort that familywantamemorialsite. Because when you’re speaking about that... We don’t need it.And we never, ever come to a decision like that...Howwecancometoa decision like that where we’re crying day and night for a loved one? Even to the bone self, I satisfy Even to the bone, I will say, yes, I know, well, you’re gone, boy But if I see nothing, it breaksallofusheart.”
Rawle’s mother added her own desperate plea: “If
our fellow brothers and sisters.”
A37-yearlegacy erasedonamanifest
For 37 years, Neil Cort served his country on the riverways as the canteen operator aboard the MV Barima, often feeding hungry, penniless passengers out of his own pocket When the vessel sank, 57-year-old Neil and his 53-year-old brother, Kenrick Cort, who assisted him,vanishedintotheriver
In their home, the stillness is overwhelming.
“Up to this morning, I wake up,”hiswife,Diane,sobbed.
“AndwhenIlookattheside of my bed, it’s just me alone I need to say
and his
goodbye.All his clothes, all his belongings is still in there. The little apartment.
All the pots He die working and die doing what he love to do, cook... Mr President,ifyoulookatthis, Iampleading.Iambegging.
Pleasebringuptheboat.”
Neil’s family described how he looked after his family, paying for his children’s educations, s u p p o r t i n g h i s grandchildren, and raising a
5-year-old orphan whose fatherwasmurderedin2024 and who now mourns the lossofher“seconddaddy.”
Yet, when Neil’s daughters rushed to the Umana Yana following the wreck, they were met with what can only be described asbureaucraticerasure.“Our father’s name was nowhere on the log, nowhere,” his eldest daughter recalled in disbelief.“Myfatherworked
Continuedonpage42
it’sthebonefromtheboat,I would like to have it. The boat must raise. That is all I needrightnow.”
The family recalled Rawle’s premonition before setting sail on a vessel plagued by mechanical neglect, recounting how the boat went out operating on onlyoneengineafteranother burnedoutintheNorthwest, relying on a generator to push it forward. “My son toldmywife...thisishislast tripbecauseheneverwanted to work on that boat anymore,” Frank revealed.
“Andindeed,it’shislasttrip thatIcan’tseebackmyson, forreal.”
Addressing government claims regarding salvage difficulties in Guyana’s muddy,low-visibilityrivers, Frank, drawing on regional maritime diving knowledge from the Pomeroon, pointed out that local divers are uniquely trained to dive by touch and feel in black, cloudy waters at depths far greater than 40 feet
Furthermore, he highlighted the stark contrast between multi-billion-dollar offshore operationsandtherefusalto retrievecitizens:
“Wehaveanoilcompany here by the name of ExxonMobil who have all t h o s e h e a v y - d u t y equipment... while they’re going down thousands of feet to take out our oil, the Presidentjustcan’tgodown 30feettogethumanbeings,
Frompage41 in Transport and Harbours all my life AndwhenIgothere,hename nowhereintheirsystem Theykeep askingforyournameeverysecond Only when we stepmother screamingandhollering,thenwe’re getting some comfort from them Otherwise,it’snothing”
Outraged by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill’s public assertionsthatthevesselwasneither overloaded nor mechanically defective, Neil’s eldest daughter issued a blistering response: “And deep down in my father’s heart, I knoweverydayheknowtheboatis overload In 2015, when I get my son,myfathercalledmymother I askedhim,hesaid,‘theboat’sdown right now, I ain’t working, they’re supposed to fix the boat and bring outbackone’Andnowmysonis11 andthenmyfatherjustdisappeared It ain’t going down like this We readyforwhateverwartheyaboutto bring... Edghill, you best get it right… You need to bring up this boat,it’stime.Evenifyoubringthe dust,wewantthedust!Wecantest thedustandwecankeepit,causewe canknowthisiswefamily Bringit up,letmegetjustice.”
Jasmine Cort, Neil’s daughter, toldKaieteurNewsthatshespoketo PresidentAlidirectlyatStateHouse two days ago “Mr President, my father and uncle were both aboard theMVBarima,wehavenotgotten thechancetobringthemhomeorlay themtorest Asfamilieswearenot only grieving, we are searching for answersandIwouldliketospeakon behalf of them directly to you to spare no resource or expense in bringing the boat up We live in a technological age and world, use these technology to continue the searchforbodies”
Another Cort family representative condemned the historical conditions faced by commuters on the Georgetown Ferry Stelling, detailing how passengers, many from Indigenous and Northwest communities, were routinelycrammedontooverloaded
decks, sleeping on floors and cargo amid tight hammocks, only to face delayed rescue responses when distresscallswentoutat11:30PM, withfirstreliefarrivinghourslaterat 5:30AM
Among those searching for answers are the relatives of Raymond Somra, a 56-year-old sailor attached to theTransport and Harbors Department (T&HD) for over 40 years Somra left his home on July 13 to board the vessel His mother, Rebecca Somra, told Kaieteur News that he would normally call to inform her that he arrived safely While the bodies of four Berbicians were recovered, Somra remains among those unaccountedfor
In an interview with Kaieteur News on Friday, his family summarisedthatwhiletheyhavenot been able to confirm, they have acceptedtherealitythatheisnotalive, a position conveyed by his 77-yearold mother “I come to one conclusion Isayhedie,becauseupto nowyoucan’tseehim,younahhear nothingfromnoone,”shestated
Atthesametime,shestillclings toamorselofhopethathersonwill walkthroughthegatetogreether At theirIslingtonhomethatsheshared with her son, the grieving elderly woman told this publication that attempting to adjust to the unfortunate development is emotionally telling “It is tough Tough,tough,reallytough Tome,I believe that he is somewhere to come home back” To compound their distress, the family has been
receiving what they eventually regarded as prank calls, which insensitivelyplayontheiremotions by telling them that he was spotted andthatheisalive Hissister,Lolita Somra, explained that were this the case,herbrotherwouldhavealready reached out to assure them, particularlyhismother,ofhissafety
“I come to that conclusion that he’s dead, because if he was alive, wewould’veheardsomethingfrom someone WeseeitonFacebook If you see him alive, show us If that wastrue,thefirstthinghewoulddo is borrow a phone and contact he mother,”shesaid
Aclosefriendofthefamilyalso added,“Itellshethemprankingher Theycannotdothingslikethat They gon’tellhersomethinglikethat,and she (mother) already holding out that she will see him walk through thegate Howyougon’dothingslike that?” The government has announceditsreadinesstoabideby the wishes of affected family members, from the options of havingthevesselremainsubmerged andformallyconvertthelocationto a memorial site, or have the vessel broughttosurface
Somra’sfamilyemphasisedtheir preferencefortheboattoberaised, allowing for some form of identification - DNA testing or otherwise - to be done, acknowledgingtheadvancedstages of decomposition two weeks on RaymondSomrahastwodaughters, andgrewupamongfivesiblings
Smallcoffinsand unbearabletorment
The human toll of the disaster has devastated families across the region, for the Jerome & Gonzalez Family, one mother, who survived the sinking, endured the agony of burying her two-year-old, eightmonth-old baby boy on Sunday, while her 12-year-old daughter, Aliyah Gonzalez, remains missing insidethesubmergedship
“Only Sunday afternoon I bury myson,”shewept “AndIwantmy daughter beggingthemtobringup the bone The man said if he broke
up,thebonethemwillscatter Isaid, well,ifhegottoscatter,hegottotest We’re going to know who is the familybone”Aliyah’sfatheradded: “Uptonow,Ican’teveneat Ican’t evensleep Weneedtheboattoget upourchildren,gettoknowifit’sthe boneortheclotheswecouldfind”
For the Thomas Family, having buried a nine-year-old child on Sunday, the family continues searching for 13-year-old Brian Thomas “AllI’mkindlyaskingthe president is to bring the boat up at least I just need my brother,” Brian’ssisterpleaded “Ifhe’sbone, I’llbethankful Ifedupwaitingand waitingandwaiting” Samantha Lewis, a mother bearing an unimaginable loss made her position unequivocal: “I am a motherwholostthree;yes,weneed the boat to be brought up, yes we wouldlikeamemorialbutnotonthe sea” Alison Harcourt, mother of missing sailor Antone Harcourt stated, “We, the family of Anton Harcourt,wouldliketoseethatboat comeup Evenifitisbone,weneed togetitsowecanburyit Heisnot living there So, I would like the president to bring up that boat We don’tneednomonument” Survivors,relatives,and communitydemandsalvage Statements gathered across the countryfromsurvivorsandvictims’ families further dismantle the official narrative, Orin Europe’s mother“Despitelosingmysonand grandsons, it would be fair to want that vessel to be brought up so that relatives can have closure in
knowingthatthedeceasedcanhave a proper burial certainly a Memorial Site would be an appropriate remembrance [but] thisdisastercanneverbeforgotten” Saleema Daniels, “I would prefer the boat to float and brought up Becausefamiliesneedclarityon the bodies that is missing still” Claudia Fraser, mother of 17-yearold Claiveliz Fraser, whose body was recently recovered and buried, addedhervoicecallingforthevessel to be salvaged Survivors Luis Castillo, Grenville Smith (father of recentlyburiedShaneraSmith),and Donald Modeste, all publicly signaledtheirdemandfortheshipto be brought up Smith noted that while a permanent memorial site shouldbeestablished,thesalvageof theMVBarimamusthappenfirst Afamilymemberwhorequested anonymity said “My family and I would like the vessel to come up... many families are still grieving not only for the loss of their love ones butforthefactthattheydidnotget closure, not the body of their love ones,notafuneralservicenothing& this breaks my heart once the vesselisonlandwecanrecoverthe bodyofmoreloveones&wecanget some sort of closure we can also possibly know the reason why this incidentoccurredinthefirstplace” Anotherrelativesaid,“Personally,I believe the vessel should be salvaged Itisimportantnotonlyto help provide answers to the many questionsthatfamiliesstillhave,but also to ensure that everything possible is done in the interest of truth,accountability,andclosure” Over the past week, young people, members of the public, civil society members and even passersby have united to hold picketing exercises in front of OfficeofthePresidentaswellasin front of Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill’s house in South Ruimveldt. Oppositiondemandsaction andlegalprotection Thoughapproximately
Continued on page 46
Hundreds of Guyanese clad in African attire participated in the observance the 188th anniversary of Emancipation. Many flocked the National Park for cultural presentations, food competitions and picnics. (Photos from Office of the President, NCN, News Room and Guyana Chronicle)
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The National Assembly onMondayapproved$496.3 milliontoestablishGuyana’s first state-owned water bottling plant, a move that furthers President Irfaan Ali’s push for the country to achieve 100 percent locally produced bottled water
Themoney,allocatedunder Guyana Water Inc.’s (GWI) coastal water supply services budget, will finance a facility aimed at reducing the country’s reliance on imported bottled water
MinisterofPublicUtilities and Aviation Deodat Indar announced the approval in a Facebook post on Tuesday, describing the plant as “a strategicnationalprojectthat enhancesGuyana’seconomic resilience, self-sufficiency, and long-term water security.”
Despite Guyana’s abundant freshwater resources and GWI’s extensive treatment and distribution network,thecountryhascontinuedtodependheavilyonimported bottled water. Indar said establishing a GWI-operated plant could change thatandlowerpricesforconsumers in the process.
By producing locally, GWI would eliminate costs tied to international freight, marineinsurance,importhandling fees, and distributor markups, the minister explained. He added that the initiative supports GWI’s
broader mission of ensuring universal access to safe, reliabledrinkingwateracrossthe country
The push for local productiontracesbacktoFebruary, when PresidentAli, during the commissioning of a water treatment plant at Five Miles, Bartica, in Region Seven, gave the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation a 12-month deadline to end reliance on imported bottled water, Kaieteur News reported.
“You can’t be such a resource rich country in fresh water and be importing bottled water,” President Ali said at the time.
He called on the ministry to work with the private sector to build local capacity, suggestingasharedapproach to production could keep costsdown.Ratherthanhave every producer invest in its own bottling equipment, he proposed a more efficient model.
“Every entity don’t need to have a bottle blower. We can have one entity to produce all of the plastic bottle at standard size across the country, so that we have economies of scale,” PresidentAli said, adding that officials should examine every stage of production to find further savings.
The President said GWI officials had assured him the utilitycouldbottlewatereconomicallyenoughtosellitfor $100orless.
“What we have to do is work with the private sector to see how we can actualize this, so that a country that is known as the land of many waters can have the cheapest water available to its people, and that is what we have to do,” he said.
Withthefundingnowapproved, attention turns to how quickly GWI can move from planning to production as the government’s 12month target approaches.
From page 42 30 persons are yet to be located since the vessel capsized, Leader of the OppositionAzruddinMohamedpubliclylistedthesixindividuals of that total who remain unaccountedfor:NeilCort(57), KenrickCort(53),BrianThomas (13), Ralph Frank (33), AntoneHarcourt,andAliyah Gonzalez(12).
“Sixfamilies...Thosesix persons are missing,” Mohamed stated. “I’m surprised that Neil Cort, who workedfor37yearsatTransport and Harbours... they wouldn’tevenmakeaneffort to lift that vessel, knowing that he served on that vessel and other vessels for 37
years... All the families are demanding that they must float that vessel. They want closure. Even if it’s a bone, theysaidevenifit’sdust,they want closure.”
Mohamed called on the international community, the Guyanese diaspora, and citizens nationwide to support thefamilies,offeringtoattend an emergency sitting of Parliament immediately to authorisenecessaryrecovery funds,“Howmuchwillitcost to lift this boat? If the money finishes,youwanttocometo Parliament tomorrow, we’re willing to come to approve more money to lift this vessel. If you want tomorrow, Sunday, we come to Parliamenttoapprovemoremoney, we will come. We just want this vessel to float so that we can have a proper investigation done with the COI.”
Mohamed also warned survivors and grieving families against signing governmentdocumentsoraccepting low financial settlements without independent legal representation: “Please ensure they don’t coerce you into signing documents. Do
not sign documents without legal representation... No amount of money can bring backlife.Butattheendofthe day,youmustbehandsomely compensated because it’s theirfault...Youfeelifanyone ofthosegovernmentofficials, ifthathappenedtothem,they would accept that kind of money?Never.”
He concluded by criticisingAmerindianAffairs Minister Sarah Browne for being “missing in action” during the crisis and reaffirmed his pledge to provide legalrepresentationandpush forfullaccountability
From the veteran transport workers who spent decadesonthewatertothechildren whose lives were cut short, the message echoing across Guyana is absolute. The families are not asking for hollow monuments over an unsalvaged grave. They are demanding accountability, truth, and the physical return of their loved ones, whether flesh, bone, or dust, so they can finally lay them to rest on dry land.
(Additional reporting by Shermon Hawker)
The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Developmentispreparingto construct new market facilities at La Penitence in Georgetown, Plaisance on the East Coast of Demerara, and Tuschen on the East Bank of Essequibo, Region Three,partofabroaderpush tomodernisepublicmarkets acrossthecountry
The ministry, which received$41.9billioninthis year’s budget, is now seeking contractors to execute the projects
According to a recently issued invitation for bids,
tenders will open onAugust 18, 2026, at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB)office.
T h e u p c o m i n g
constructionfollowsaseries of site visits by Minister PriyaManickchandsinceher appointmentlastyear,during which she and her team assessed conditions at markets nationwide and engaged directly with vendorsaboutthechallenges theyface.
At Plaisance Market in November 2025, vendors raised conc
Manickchand pledged would be met with concrete action. The ministry said at the time that public markets must remain “vibrant economic and social spaces that support livelihoods and community well-being,” addingthateveryvendorand consumer deserves “a safe, clean, and dignified marketplaceexperience.”
A visit to La Penitence MarketinFebruarysurfaced more pressing issues
Vendorstoldtheministerthe facility suffered from persistent flooding during heavy rainfall, deteriorating
The La Penitence Market.
roofstructures,andageneral physical decline that has driven shoppers away. Inadequateparkingwasalso
The government through the Ministry of Education is set to spend approximately $326,229,101 for the reconstructionoftheAgricolaPractical InstructionCentre.
During a recent opening of bids at the National Procurement and Tender AdministrationBoard(NPTAB),atotal of 46 contractors have bid for the project. This publication understands that the ministry in past has been refurbishing expanding the facilities to support technical vocational education andtraining(TVET)acrossthecountry
The centres also form part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to provide students with practical skills aligned with the demands of a modern job market. Belowarethecompaniesandtheir bids:
flagged as a deterrent to customers.
M a n i c k c h a n d acknowledged that these conditions affect more than just day-to-day operations.
“Public markets must be clean,secureandstructurally sound in order to serve their purpose as vital community and economic hubs,” she said, stressing that poor conditions ultimately hurt vendors’livelihoods and the wider vibrancy of the market.
With approximately 30 public markets across Guyana, the ministry has beenworkingtoimplementa standardized model for market infrastructure and management. Priority areas include cleanliness and sanitation, clear walkways, e f f e c t i v e w a s t e management, reliable roofing, lighting, water access, and washroom facilities. The model also calls for stronger security and fire safety measures, timely repairs, improved vendor-council relations, supportforsmallbusinesses, and a more welcoming environment for the community
Markets slated for upgradesunderthisinitiative include those in Buxton,
and
Work is already advancing on one of these projects: a $388 million marketinBuxton,forwhich the sod was turned in July Once completed, the facility willaccommodate136stalls, a substantial increase from current capacity creating space for existing vendors, roadside sellers, and future applicants.
The Buxton market will feature dedicated sections for fresh produce, general food items, retail shops, salons, and barber services, along with a separate meat and fish section built to improve hygiene and food safety
Additionalupgradeswill include CCTV security, an i n t e g r a t e d w
, organizedvendorallocation, anelevatedsitedesign,anda comprehensive perimeter drainage system to reduce flooding.
With bidding for the La Penitence, Plaisance, and Tuschenprojectssettoopen later this month, the ministry’s market modernisation drive is poised to expand further in thecomingmonths.
Attacks kill four as Gaza Health Ministry condemns ‘heinous’ strike on medicine stores, days after disarmament
Aljazeera - Israelistrikes across Gaza have killed at least four Palestinians, with separate attacks hitting medicinewarehousesbeside ahospitalthatofficialssayis alifelinefortheregion.
Theattackstookplaceon Saturday, days after Hamas and other Palestinian f a c t i o n s s i g n e d a disarmament agreement the United States has called a breakthrough toward ending thewar Israel has repeatedly violated the “ceasefire” technically in place since October 10, 2025, killing morethan1,200Palestinians sincethen.
An Israeli drone attack killed two people in Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood,accordingto the Palestinian Wafa news agency, which cited al-Shifa Hospital, where the casualties were taken along withseveralwounded.
AdronestrikeinDeirelBalah killed one person, hospital sources told Al Jazeera Arabic, while another Palestinian was
killed in a strike on a tent near a school in al-Mawasi, northofKhanYounis.
‘Heinouscrime’
Separately, an overnight strike destroyed medicine warehouses attached to AlAqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deirel-Balah.
Munir al-Bursh, the ministry’s director-general, told Al Jazeera the losses weresevere.
“When the occupation fights people by destroying medicines and preventing medicine from entering, it turns medicine and illness itself into a tool of war,” he said.
Gaza’s Health Ministry, which administers hospitals in the territory, said two of four storage facilities were completely destroyed and two others badly damaged, calling the attack a “heinous crime” and appealing for international intervention to protectmedicalfacilities.
AlJazeeracorrespondent Moathal-Kahloutvisitedthe site of the attack, where he stood beside a large crater
He said the Israeli military
deal.
issued an evacuation order beforestrikingthefacility15 minuteslater
Al-Kahlout added that nearby makeshift shelters and tents housing displaced people were also damaged.
“Forthem,theworstisyetto come, as they will begin another journey of displacement,”hesaid.
T h e h o s p i t a l ’ s spokesperson, Khalil alDaqran, told the Anadolu news agency the strike destroyedintravenousfluids, medicinesandsuppliesused in dialysis and intensive care.
Witnesses said tents housing displaced families nearthehospitalcaughtfire.
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza,saidAl-AqsaHospital isoneofthefewfacilitiesin centralGazastillabletotreat large numbers of patients, serving as the main option for displaced families after months of war degraded the territory’shealthsystem.
The Israeli army and its security agency Shin Bet claimed they destroyed five
Palestinians inspect the site of an overnight Israeli strike on a medicine warehouse next to tents sheltering displaced families in Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza, onAugust 1, 2026 [Mahmoud Issa/Reuters]
Hamas weapon depots in Gazaovernight,onenearAlAqsaHospital.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said separately that seven people were killed and 76 woundedacrosstheterritory inthepast48hours,withone more dying of earlier injuries.
It put the toll since the ceasefire began at 1,222 killed, and the overall death toll since October 2023 at 73,349.
Recoveringremains
Gaza’s Civil Defence said it had finished recovering bodies from a
home in Gaza City’s Sabra area destroyed by Israeli forces roughly two weeks ago.
Crews retrieved the remains of 112 people, including40childrenand38 women,fromthesite,which belonged to the Husseiniya andAbuShariafamilies.
Mohammed Abu Dan, who oversaw the operation, said 157 bodies were still missing, and that some remains had been fused into concrete and rebar or destroyedbytheexplosions’ force.
Mark Pfeifle, a former
US deputy national security adviser, told Al Jazeera that Israel’s attacks in Gaza, followingtheannouncement of a new roadmap for Hamas’s disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal, are a sign that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t prepared to accept the agreement in its currentform.
“I think what Benjamin Netanyahu is doing, is sendingasignalthathe’snot quite ready yet to come to thisframework,”Pfeifletold Al Jazeera. “He still has someissueswithit.”
Frompage54
Raptors against Corriverton
Spartan at 12:00h, culminating in Match 6 at 15:00h between the two winningsides.
Simultaneously at the Albion Sports Complex, Match 7 features Ethan XI taking on Royal Warriors at 10:00h, while Match 8 sees
Meera Warriors duel Lusignan Bulls DTP at
12:00h, setting up a quarterfinalMatch9clashat15:00h between the two winning teams.
AttheWelfareGroundin Canje, Match 10 starts at 10:00h as Welfare XI host Blairmont Blazers, followed by Match 11 at 12:00h between The Mavericks and CottonTreeDieHard,before the day concludes with Match12at15:00hbetween
the victors of those opening contests. Action then shifts exclusively to the Albion Sports Complex on Sunday, August9,wheretheultimate Berbice Zonal Champions will be crowned under the lights.
Semi-Final 1 ignites at 14:00h as the winner of Match3meetsthewinnerof Match6.
Semi-Final 2 follows at
16:00h, pitching the winner of Match 9 against the winnerofMatch12.Thetwo surviving titans will then faceoffinthegrandBerbice Zonal Final at 19:30h to decide who claims the regionalcrown.
Inamajordeparturefrom traditionalknockoutformats where early exits offer no financial return, the 2026 edition guarantees cash rewards for teams making deep runs into the zonal stages.
Losing quarter-finalists in each zone will pocket G$25,000, while losing semi-finalists take home G$50,000.
ARIES(Mar 21–Apr 19)
There may be a bit of opposition coming at you. There's a light, airy feeling that's prevalent everywhere. This is definitely the kind of energy you can connect with today There's a great deal of strengthinnumbers.
TAURUS(Apr 20–May20)
What seems like the perfect plan today may not necessarily seem like the perfect plan tomorrow, Taurus.Don'tputallyoureggs inonebasket.
GEMINI(May21–June20)
There's a flurry of activity around you today that you shouldlatchonto.You'llbeon a magic carpet ride that takes you into the clouds.Themost difficult thing to remember is tonotgetsocarriedaway.
CANCER(June21–July22)
You'll find yourself working well with any group today There will be a great connection between you and the people around you. Make sure you ground your relationships in something meaningful.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
There's an incredibly expansive feeling in the air that you should latch onto. Things are moving rapidly You'll find long-term trends cometogetherquitewell.
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)
Sticking close to home may leave you feeling like you're missing the boat on certain things, but you're probably better off, Virgo. People may makeoutlandishpromisesthat sound good today but will basicallyfloptomorrow.
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
You're riding a wave of prosperity and things are looking up for you, Libra.The situationtodaymayappeartoo good to be true. The bad news isthat'sprobablythecase.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)
The wind is blowing quite strongly today, and you'll find thatthingsareflyingaroundin a frenzy, Scorpio This whirlwind of activity is threateningtopickyouup,spin youaround,andtakeyouaway
SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)
Things are sporadic today, Sagittarius. You may find a thousand things on your plate, and all of them look delicious. There's a great deal of wind to fuelyourfire,soletitburnred hot.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Don't get pulled off track by empty promises today, Capricorn.Someonemaytryto sellyouoceanfrontpropertyin themiddleofIowa.Bewareof thingsthatsoundtoogoodtobe true. People may be talking quiteabit.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)
Catch the wave of activity that's spinning in your direction today, Aquarius You'llfindprosperityandgood fortune within your reach Expand your horizons and connect with others intellectually
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
You may find it hard to trust otherstoday,Pisces.Trustyour instincts - they're probably right. Don't take anything at face value. There's a fanciful frenzythat'sthreateningtolure youintoitsmadness.
Frompage52
renewed challenges from Randy Moharally and Randel Singh,aswellasfromRichardandReeyazHamid.
The Enduro 0-1500cc division promises another close battle after Zachary Persaud and Ryan Rahaman emerged victorious with 97 laps in Round One. Paul Jiwanram finished just two laps behind, while Nyron Maraj and Christopher Samaroo completed the podium, ensuring the class remains one of the most competitive in the championship.
TheUnlimitedcategoryalsodeliveredathrillingcontest intheopeninground.
Kamal Seebarran and Shayne Seebarran claimed maximum points after edging Ravin Ramoutar and Ryan Ramoutar on finishing position despite both crews completing94laps.ReteshSinghandKennethroundedout thepodiumwith92laps.
Severalcompetitorssufferedmechanicalsetbacksduring theopeningeventandareexpectedtoreturnwithimproved machinery, adding another layer of intrigue to the championshipbattle.
The stakes rise sharply fromthere,asdefeatedzonal finalists earn G$200,000, and the regional champions bankacoolG$500,000purse before stepping into the nationalbracket.
The ultimate jackpot awaits in the national playoffs,wherethecrowned national champions will walk away with a massive G$2,000,000 first-prize purse.
The national runners-up will secure G$1,000,000, while both losing semifinalists will be rewarded withG$500,000each.
In a landmark move for the tournament, the national grand finale on October 11, 2026, will head to theAnna Regina National Stadium in Region Two, bringing the ultimate showdown of Guyanese tapeball cricket directly to Essequibo for the veryfirsttime.
Following the Berbice curtain-raiser, the tournament caravan moves toEastBank/WestDemerara on August 15–16, before rolling into the Essequibo ZoneonAugust22–23.
The competition will take a brief hiatus to accommodate the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL), before resuming with the p o w e r h o u s e Georgetown/East Coast Demerara leg across two weekends on September 26–27andOctober3–4.
With remaining slots filling rapidly, organisers have issued an urgent directive to teams in the remaining three zones to finalise their squads and register via official social media channels or direct WhatsApp (+592 635-2235) ahead of their respective deadlines.
Withonlyoneroundcompleted,teamsknowthatastrong performance this weekend could significantly strengthen—or revive—their title aspirations. Round Two promises another afternoon of close wheel-to-wheel racing acrossallthreecategories.
The Toyota Vitz competitors are expected to produce their trademark bumper-to-bumper action over 20 minutes, the motorcycle racers will contest a flat-out 15-lap sprint, and the endurance specialists will once again tackle the grueling100-lapfeatureinatruetestofspeed,strategyand reliability
With championship leaders defending their advantage andchallengerseagertoclosethegap,spectatorscanexpect one of the most competitive race meetings of the season whenthegreenflagdropsat12noon.
Racing fans will be treated to a full afternoon of racing whentheGuyanaMotorRacingandSportsClub(GMR&SC) hosts Round Two of the 2026 Endurance ChampionshipdubbedtheDakota100-attheSouthDakotaCircuit.
The action begins at noon and features three racing segments.
The day’s action will open with an exciting 20-minute Toyota Vitz race, followed by a 15-lap motorcycle feature before drivers take on the headline event; a demanding 100lap Endurance Race that will see competitors battle for valuablechampionshippoints.
Addingtotheexcitement,RoundOne’sclasswinnerswill allbelookingtodefendtheirearlychampionshipleads,with everypointbecomingincreasinglyimportantasthetitlerace beginstotakeshape.
Chris Lall enters the second round as the overall championshipleaderafterproducingadominantperformance inRoundOne.Lallcompleted100lapstoclaimoverallhonors and victory in the Enduro 1501cc-1600cc category, establishinghimselfastheearlyfavorite.
The father-and-son pairing of Mohamed Saifudeen Roshandin and Mohamed Shahabudin Roshandin will be determined to erase the one-lap deficit that denied them victory in the opening round after an impressive 99-lap performance.
Mark Williams will be looking to strengthen his hold on the Enduro 1601cc-2000cc standings after claiming class honorswithathird-placeoverallfinish.Heisexpectedtoface
Continued on page 51
BySamuelWhyte
A bumper crowd is expected to swarm the Kennard MemorialTurfClub(KMTC)today,August2,fortheirmuchanticipatedEmancipationhorseracemeet.
The event, which is slated for the prestigious KMTC venue,hassevenracescardedfortheday
J Racing Stable made a great impact with a last-minute majorsponsorshipdeal,joiningPandPInsuranceBrokersasa majorsponsor
Withawhopping$10Matstakeincash,trophiesandother incentives,anexcitingdayofracingisanticipated.
ThefeatureeventistheEmancipationCup,whichisopen toall3-year-oldandoverhorsesinGuyana.Asumptuous$1M andatrophyareavailableforthewinnerintheone-mileevent. Among the top horses entered to compete are Front Line Warrior,GryphonandHotandLuckyamongthelot.
The E-class non-winner’s event, which also caters for F and G class horses has an interestinglineupthatincludesthe likes of Qurbaan Kingdom, Stormy Victory, Converter, TurmalinaNegraandOyVeyamongothers.Theywillbattle for$500,000andatrophy
ThehorsesclassifiedHandlowerwillberacingforthetop prizeof$400,000andatrophy ThelikesofCitation,Sydney, LittleLady,GTBoss,ForzaBabyandTheoryofColourswill bebattlingfortophonours.
Theeventfor3-year-oldGuyana-Bredmaidenhorseshasa winner’sprizeof$400,000andatrophy
The other events include two events for Guyana-Bred 2year-old maiden horses, while the final race is for L Class Openanimals.
Among other sponsors on board are Trophy Stall, Mike Pharmacy, Colin Elcock Delmur Company and Racing Stables, Big G Lumber Yard and Stables, Patsan’s Trading Company, Survival Supermarket, RohanAuto Sales,Armco Construction, Davenant Sawh Mechanical WorkShop, Joe JagmohanCompany,OverseasbasedKaramchandBalkarran, TheBholaFamily,BlueSewnarine,SurendraGanesh,Sabita NarineandRandPConstruction.
The Champion and runner-up Jockeys, top trainer and stables will all receive accolades, compliments of Ramesh SunichoftheTrophyStallandtheorganisers.
Theday’seventwillbeheldundertheaegisoftheKennard MemorialTurfClub.Thefirsteventisexpectedtoraceoffat 12:30hrs.
Coming off their winning of the first leg of the I n t e r S c h o o l s Championship, District 4 (East Bank Demerara) bolstered by the in-form President’s College posse impressed once more to garner 60 points and walk away with their first ever
ExxonMobil Guyana National Kayaking crown, when the second segment was staged recently on the waters of the Demerara RiveralongsidetheWatooka Guest House in the mining townofLinden.
Unlike last year when
theyflatteredtodeceive,the President’s College led District 4 team proved too much for their closest rivals District 10, winners in 2022 and 2024; who were guided by students of the New SilvercitySecondarySchool to finish second with 52 points.
Occupyingthethirdspot were the 2023 champions District 9 Rupununi with 46 points,astheirchallengewas spearheaded by students of St.IgnatiusSecondaryon46 points The defending champions District 7 Upper Mazaruni had to settle for fourth place, two points
behind District 9 as they tallied 44 points, ahead of District3EssequiboIslandsWest Demerara with 39 points, District 2 Pomeroon Supeenam 30, District 10’s Kwakwani Secondary 28, District 5 West Coast Berbice 19, District 1 Barima-Waini 13, District 8 Potarao-Siparuni 12 and District 14 East Bank Demerara-Mahaica on the carpet with seven points for 11thplace.
The annual kayaking championships once again were promoted by Dr Deon Anderson’s Elite Kayaking andNatureTourswithmajor
New Nationals Schools Kayaking Champions District 4 East Coast Demerara’s representative collects the winners’trophy from ExxonMobil Community Relations Ryan Hoppie.
sponsorship coming from ExxonMobilGuyana
This year’s winners at this year’s fifth kayaking schools’ championships collected $500,000, the
championship trophy, the
$350,000 and second placed trophy and silver medals, and third place finishers
$250,000 and a trophy and
bronze medals. The cash vouchers will be distributed where the students get support for their academic pursuit and a percentage goestothedistrict.
The San Francisco Unicorns essentially burned their house down last night, implodingduringalow-scoringyetprobably the best match of the tournament, as they
squandered their shot at dethroning the stillchampions Guyana Amazon Warriors, who stole a 6-run win following the nail-biting finals played at the Guyana National
Stadium,Providence.
Despite the lack of runs, the match was subsequently more excitingandfilledwithadditional tensionduetothewatchfulnature of the situation, which made for a gripping showdown as Guyana defended what is the lowest score inanyT20matchplayed.
Thefinalstretchsawthematch statebeing7runsoff12ballswith one wicket in hand before the old warrior,PeterSiddle(13*)triedto hold things together before the finalwicketfellviarunout.
Electing to bat first, the Warriors suffered a baffling batting collapse after the batting order was scythed through and they fell for a paltry 85 all out in 18.5overs.
San Francisco Unicorns' bowling unit completelydominatedfromthefirstdelivery, led by the elder statesman, pacer Siddle and youngspinnerAnirudhImmanuel.
Siddle,the41-year-oldformerAustralian Test pacer, who has somehow managed to rewindthehandsoftimeandbowlasfastand accurately as he did in his international playingdays,ledthebowlingwith3-18.
The young, leggy Immanuel stole the show with returns of 3-7 off his 4 overs, etching his name in the GSL history books with his returns being among the best recordedinthecompetition.
The 86 needed for victory came at a stiff priceastheUnicornslosttheirwaymuchlike theWarriorsbutsomehowhadanevenmore dramaticcollapsebytheendofthegame.
Former Australia U-19 skipper Oliver Peakeandtopscorer(31)wasthecrisisman but failed to carry his team home as they endedon79allout.
Fast-bowlerDwainePretorius(3-24)and
left-armspinnerGudakeshMotie(1-15)both picked up wickets with the first ball of their respectiveoverstohelpdistorttheUnicorns' chase while creating inroads for the other operators.
Taking advantage of the early breakthroughs,agelessCaptain,leggyImran Tahir (2-16) had a breathtaking spell which wasreinforcedbyanothersublimeexhibition by the wily vet in off-spinner Mohammad Nabi(3-12).
Earlier in the night, the sold-out Guyana crowdsawtheirbelovedteamWarriorsslipto 16-3 inside the first 4 overs before wickets continued to tumble in quick succession duringthemiddlepassageofthegame,which furtherleftthehometeamreelingon29-8at onepoint.
Were it not for the gutsy lower-order contributions from all-rounder Matthew Forde, who hit a top-score of 28 off 23 (2x4 2x6), and Pretorius (17*), the dismal Warriors could have easily been mowed downforless.(CliftonRoss)
The throne is officially vacant and the stage is set for a brand-new champion to be crowned in the Berbice Zone of the Lotto/Let’sBet One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast
Sixteeneagerteamsare lockedin for the exciting Berbice Zone showdown, including last year’s runners-up Corriverton Spartan, along with former zone semi-finalists Grillmasters,SipNPlayAllStars,andCotton TreeDieHard.
The blockbuster straight knockout tournament kicks off on Saturday,August 8, with opening day action starting at 10:00h across four venues in the county: theAlbion Sports Complex, No 69 Ground, Port Mourant Ground, and Welfare Ground in Canje.
Preparations are well advanced for an explosiveopeningweekend,andadmissionis completely free to the public across every venue.
Announcing the release of the official
Berbice Zone fixtures, Tournament Director John Ramsingh highlighted the high-octane format, noting that the straight knockout design will pave the way for thrilling, edgeof-your-seatactionrightfromballone.
Teamswillbegoingall-outastheybattle for the G$500,000 zonal first prize and a chance to move on to the massive G$2,000,000nationalgrandfinale.
The opening day fixtures promise nonstopdramaspreadacrosstheregion.Overat theNo.69Ground,Match1getsunderwayat 10:00h featuring No. 70 Village Spartans againstGrillmasterAvengersCWC,followed at12:00hbyMatch2betweenChampXIand No.73YoungWarriors.
The victors of those opening ties will clashimmediatelyinMatch3at15:00hfora spotinthezonalsemi-finals.
Down at Port Mourant, Match 4 sees 35 Xplosion take on Grillmaster Sip N PlayAll Starsat10:00h,beforeMatch5pitsLinePath
Continued on page 49
Guyana’sboxingteamis primedandreadytostepinto the ring as the 2026 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games boxing competition gets underway in Santo Domingo, DominicanRepublic.
Leading the charge are
National Champion Desmond Amsterdam, the experienced Colin Lewis, and the ever-improving Terron Wintz, three determinedathletescarrying thehopesandaspirationsofa nation with a proud and distinguished boxing tradition.
T h e t e a m h a s successfully completed all p r e - c o m p e t i t i o n requirements, including mandatory SRY gender eligibility clearance, official weigh-ins, and the competition draw, clearing thewayfortheGuyanesetrio to focus solely on the task ahead.
Over the past several months, the boxers have undergone an intensive preparation programme, including multiple highperformance training camps and sparring sessions, finetuning every aspect of their physical and technical readiness. Following their final training sessions in
DesmondAmsterdam is the most experienced of the 3-member squad led by Head Coach Jeff Roberts.
Santo Domingo, the team enters competition in excellentconditionandfully prepared to challenge for medals.Guidingthesquadis Head Coach Jeff Roberts, whose experience and leadershiphaveplayedakey role in the team’s preparations and confidence h e a d i n g i n t o t h e championships.
J Boxing competition
begins on Sunday, 2nd
August, 2026, with Guyana’s fighters aiming to add to the country’s proud boxing legacy and bring more success to Team Guyana at these historic CACGames.
Squashpreps… Team Guyana’s squash contingent has arrived in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and is ready to
Five Guyanese riders will carry the nation’s hopes this weekend when they compete in the Autódromo PanamáChampionship,with the Guyana Motor Racing andSportsClub(GMR&SC) contingent targeting podium finishes against some of the region’s best motorcycle racers.
Leading the Guyanese challenge in the pre-expert 600cc & 1000cc class are
GMR&SC Vice President Alain Hopkinson and Kevin Persaud, while Christopher Bridgmohan, Elwin Chase and Jerry DaSilva will contesttheNovicecategory
The GMR&SC has extended its best wishes to the five-member team as they look to represent Guyana with distinction on theinternationalstage.
The team is under the guidance of Head Coach Raymond Chan-A-Sue
proudly represent the Golden Arrowhead at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean(CAC)Games.
RepresentingGuyanaare Mary Fung-A-Fat, Ashley Khalil, Kirsten Gomes, Jason Ray Khalil, Samuel Ince-Carvalhal, and Daniel Ince, a talented blend of experience and emerging talent determined to make theirmarkagainstoneofthe strongestsquashfieldsinthe region.
The team is under the guidance of Head Coach Raymond Chan-A-Sue and Team Manager Lorraine Ince.The players completed their first official practice session yesterday, settling intothecompetitionvenueas they fine-tune preparations ahead of the opening matches.
Onthemen’sside,Jason RayKhaliljoinsthetalented Ince brothers, Samuel and Daniel, as they lead
Guyana’s charge against a highlycompetitivefield.The women’s campaign will be spearheaded by Mary FungA-Fat, Ashley Khalil, and Kirsten Gomes, all eager to showcaseGuyana’sgrowing strengthinregionalsquash. With months of dedicated preparation behind them, Team Guyana is focused, motivated, and ready to compete with pride astheypursuesuccessonthe CACGamesstage.
The riders will have two days to showcase their abilities during the championship weekend, which begins on Saturday, August 1, with technical inspections, practice sessions and qualifying before culminating in a full day of racing on Sunday, August2.
Saturday’s activities began at 7:00 am with the opening of the paddock for competitors and suppliers. Technical inspections for all cars and motorcycles ran from 7:30 am until noon, followed by a mandatory drivers’ and riders’ meeting at8:00am.
Competitors will then
“We are here to support our riding brothers from Panamaaswellasbringback trophies for Guyana and show the talent of Guyanese riders,”Hopkinsonsaid.
participate in two official practice sessions across Novice, Moto 3 & Moto 4, Pre-Expert600cc&1000cc, Expert 600cc & 1000cc and Street Legal categories beforequalifyingdetermines the starting order for Sunday’sraces.
Sunday’s race program begins with the paddock opening at 7:00 a.m., with spectators admitted from 8:30 a.m. Warm-up sessions
will follow a mandatory competitors’meeting before fans are welcomed into the paddockforaPitPartyfrom 9:40a.m.to10:20a.m.
The official opening ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 a.m., after which the championship races will get underway
The Street L
category will contest three seven-lap heats during the day, while the Novice and
Riders and their team members display the
Moto 3 & Moto 4 divisions will each race twice over 10 laps.Thepre-expert600cc& 1000cc and Expert 600cc & 1000cc categories will each compete in two 12-lap races as riders battle for championshiphonors. A Driving Experience session will take place during the midday break from 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. beforetheafternoon’sracing resumes.
The championship will conclude with the official awards ceremony from 4:30 pm to 5:00 p.m., before activities officially end at 5:30 p.m. The Guyanese contingent will be aiming to continue the country’s growing reputation in regional motorcycle racing by delivering strong performances and returning home with championship trophies.
(Cricinfo) - There were passages of play in Tarouba that illustrated why West Indies and Pakistan are ranked so close together in Test cricket, but also phases which showed where they diverge.
WestIndiesmadethemostofa quicker pace attack and the recent shotofconfidencetheyhadearned fromahomeserieswinagainstSri Lanka against a Pakistan side that possessed no pace and no confidence in this format. West Indieswilllooktowrapupaseries win in Port-of-Spain, the more traditional Test venue in Trinidad. The hosts are now clearer favourites than they were before their90-runwinaweekago.
West Indies suddenly find themselvesinadecentplaceinTest cricket. It has been more than four years since they last went three successive Tests without defeat. They have a pace attack that balances experience and dynamism,aswellasseasonedspin options.Thebattingmaybeaclear vulnerability,butagainstsideslike Pakistanwhodemonstratetheseam
West Indies
accumulated 30 points in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-2027. (AFP/Getty Images)
weakness, they retain an ability to outgunthemwiththeball.
Against Sri Lanka, and in the firstTest,theyshowedthepatience tobuilduptoapositionofstrength in the game, and fought their way backwhentheywerebehindinthe game.
For the hosts, the challenge is
not to let inconsistency creep in afteragamewheretheymaintained their level for the best part of four days. The batters might not match the bowlers’class, but they dug in despite unhelpful conditions and gave the pace bowlers just about enough to work with. West Indies refused to let the game run away
Guyana’s National Paralympic Table Tennis
Champion Gibran Safaraz has been selected to participateintheprestigious ITTF Para Table Tennis High-Performance Training Camp, scheduled to take place from August 2–6, 2026, in Spokane, Washington,USA.
Safaraz earned his place in the elite programme following a nomination submitted by the Guyana Table Tennis Association
(GTTA), with the International Table Tennis Federation recognizing his outstanding potential and long-term prospects as one oftheregion’semergingpara tabletennisathletes.
ALevel 10 international para athlete, Safaraz has proudly represented Guyana at the Parapan American Games and, during his career, achieved a world ranking inside the Top 30 in his sport His selection reflects both his proven ability and the confidence that the international table tennis community has in his futuredevelopment.
Gibran Safaraz
from them when Pakistan were dominating, hanging onto their coattailsandtimingtheirpounceto perfection. They have the mental edge over the visitors, and if they can prevent their level from dropping, should be confident of successagain.
For Pakistan, the picture is significantly bleaker, especially withtheiralmosthabitualtendency tofoldunderpressureevenagainst evenly matched teams or from ingame situations where they might haveanadvantage.
It isn’t so long since they were just67runsbehindtheWestIndies’ first-innings total with seven wicketsinhand.
A side with more belief would havegoneontopostachunkylead, but Pakistan, whose lower-order weakness and vulnerability in the third and fourth innings has now becomesomethingofanepidemic, went on to lose their next 16 wicketsfor109runs.
However, it remains true that, on paper, these sides are relatively comparable in quality Shan Masood’s injuryhasn’thelped,but
all bar one of Pakistan’s top seven have superior batting averages to their West Indies counterparts. In Babar Azam, whatever his concerns with loss of form, Pakistanhaveabatterofapedigree simplynotfoundintheWestIndies line-up.If Pakistan hadn’t endured such a dismal time of late in Test cricket,thesides’respectivebatting wouldbetalkedupasaclearpoint ofdifference.
Mohammad Abbas’ lack of pace, meanwhile, has not stopped him posting elite numbers in Test cricket, or running through West IndiesinthefirstTest.Hisbowling compatriots are not in his league, but against a modest West Indies line-up, Mohammad Ali and Khurram Shahzad still enjoyed spellsofdominance. It is, again, two flawed sides facingoff,thoughoneshowedhow togetoverthelinewhiletheother, for three years away from home, hasnottastedthatwinningfeeling. They have the potential to change that, but as West Indies showed, they are well equipped to hold Pakistanoff.
The camp represents an important milestone in Safaraz’s long-term preparationandqualification pathway toward the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
The GTTA believes this opportunity represents a significant investment in both the athlete and the future of para table tennis in G
newed commitment to his sporting career and has set his sights firmly on qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 ParalympicGames.
The prestigious highperformance programme will provide world-class coaching, advanced technical and tactical development, sports science support, and valuable international competition exposure.
“This opportunity has reignitedmymotivationand determination. I am fully committed to doing everything possible to qualifyforLosAngeles2028 and proudly represent Guyana on the Paralympic stage.Iknowtheworkahead will be demanding, but I am ready to embrace the challenge.”
The Association also expressedappreciationtothe International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) for its continued investment in athlete development and h i g h - p e r f o r m a n c e initiatives,whichcontinueto provide athletes from developing nations with access to world-class trainingopportunities.
Sponsor Danesh Roopnarine presents uniforms and balls to the participating teams
The2026editionoftheUpperCorentyne Cricket Association (UCCA) Price Is Right T20 cricket competition is set to get underwaytoday
The competition, which is sponsored exclusively by Danesh Roopnarine [Boyco] of the Price Is Right Supermarket, is the biggestinBerbiceandpossiblyGuyana.
The competition, which is in its third edition, is for teams in the Upper Corentyne area.
Some24teamsareslatedtoparticipatein the competition. The final is slated to be playedonthe30thAugust,2026.
Over 5 million dollars has been pumped intothecompetitionbythesponsors.
Massive rewards totaling over $1M,
includingcash,trophies,gear,equipmentand otherincentivesareupforgrabs.
The champion team, the runner-up and thelosingsemi-finalistswillallberewarded handsomely
Prizes will also be presented to the best batsman,bestbowlerandMVPinthefinal.
In addition, the tournament’s topperformingwicketkeeper,batsmanwithmost runs and the bowler with most wickets will alsoberewarded.
The final will be live-streamed on multipleplatforms.
The sponsor has provided 24 complete uniformstotheparticipatingteams.
More details on the tournament will be providedsubsequently (SamuelWhyte)
Backed by months of intensepreparationunderthe FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS), Guyana’s Boys’ Under-14 football team is poised to make a strong impression at the 2026 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Under-14 Boys’ Challenge Series in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, from August 1625.
On Friday, the local football authority, Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has officially named a 20playersquadfortheregional tournament following months of rigorous training aimed at identifying and developing the country’s brightest young football prospects.
The squad was selected through the FIFA Talent Development Scheme, a long-term initiative that forms part of FIFA’s global strategy to ensure every talented player has access to astructuredpathwayforelite football development Throughout the programme, players underwent intensive technical, tactical and physicaltraining,sharpening theirskillsaheadofregional competition.
HeadCoachJamalPedro will lead the Junior Jaguars’ squad into Tier II, Group C, where they open their c a m p a i g n a g a i n s t Montserrat on Sunday, August16.Guyanawillthen face Anguilla on Monday, August 17, before completing the group stage against The Bahamas on Wednesday,August19.
According to the GFF, thesquadfeaturesablendof locally based players alongside Guyanese talent from the United States and England,creatingabalanced teamcapableofcompetingat a high level on the regional stage.
Thelocallybasedplayers travelling from Guyana are forwards Cavon Peters and Dontey Kowlessar; defenders Fabio Kwolessar and Teon Francis; midfielders Gilbert Frank, Asher McIntyre, Wyatt Fernandes,DaneVancooten, Andrew Brown and Wayshawn Forde; and goalkeepers Isaiah Pellew and Royston Winter. The overseas-based players are expected to join the team
upon arrival in the DominicanRepublic.
Addressing the squad ahead of the tournament, GFF PresidentWayneForde praised the commitment
shown by the players and coaching staff during the preparation period and expressedconfidenceintheir ability to represent Guyana withdistinction.
“I’m incredibly proud of the work being done by Technical Director Bryan Joseph and his coaching staff.Itisalsoencouragingto seethesignificantimpactthe FIFA Talent Development Scheme has had on the preparation of these young men.
“For many of them, this willbetheirfirstopportunity torepresentGuyana,andwe expect them to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline andrespectforthegame.
“OnbehalfoftheGuyana FootballFederationCouncil, Iwishthemeverysuccessas they continue their preparations and go on to represent our country at the 2026 CFU Under-14 Boys’ Challenge Series,” Forde stated.
The Federation also extended congratulations to every player selected while acknowledgingtheeffortsof allparticipantswhotookpart in the Talent Development Scheme throughout the selectionprocess.
Special recognition was alsogiventoPedro,whowill make his debut as a national headcoach.Regardedasone of the emerging talents within the GFF’s National Coaches Pool, Pedro has earned praise for his commitment to youth development and will now havetheopportunitytoguide Guyana’s next generation of footballers onto the regional stage.
With a solid foundation builtthroughtheFIFATalent Development Scheme and a promisingblendoflocaland overseas-based talent, Guyana will be aiming to makeitsmarkwhentheCFU Under-14 Boys’ Challenge Series kicks off later this month.
Guyana’s 20-man squad officially named following months of intense training. On Friday, members of the Boy’s U14 squad assembled at NTC for an official group-photo ahead of their departure to Punta Cana.
