Kaieteur News

Teen dies after car slams into parked truck Chinese company for six fishing vessels - Minister notgrantedlicence Guyanadefends

Chinesecompanynotgrantedlicenceforsixfishing vessels–Minister

One of Grandeast Seafood Inc. fishing vessels

Minister of

Agriculture, Z u l f i k a r Mustapha, has confirmed that the Fisheries Department has not approved licences for Chinese-owned Grandeast Seafood Inc. to operate six fishingvesselsinGuyana.

When contacted on Monday, the minister gave briefresponses. He noted that the licences was not approved and also dismissed suggestionsthattheministry was in talks with the company to consider grantingthelicences.

Kaieteur News reported on Sunday that nearly eight years after establishing its seafood processing operations in Guyana, Grandeast made an applicationseekingapproval to operate its own fishing vessels, citing an inconsistent supply of raw materialsasakeyconstraint toitsoperations.

InaletterdatedFebruary 19, addressed to the Chief Fisheries Officer of the FisheriesDepartmentwithin the Ministry of Agriculture, Grandeast requested approval for the vessels as part of efforts to stabilise its seafoodproduction.

Grandeast, which has been operating in Guyana since July 3, 2018, is a subsidiary of Hong Dong FisheriesCo.,Ltd.,aChinabased company with experience in overseas fishing operations The company said since operating in Guyana it has invested approximately U S $ 2 0 m i l l i o n i n establishing a modern processing facility and supportinginfrastructure.

According to the letter, the plant has an annual production capacity of 5,000–6,000 metric tonnes of fish and 10,000–12,000 metric tonnes of shrimp for both local and export markets. However, since its establishment, production

hasonlyreachedabout2,500 metrictonnesoffishand700 metrictonnesofshrimp.

Grandeast exports has primarily been directed to China and Jamaica, with 2,450 metric tonnes of fish valued at US$4 million and 670 metric tonnes of shrimp valuedatUS$6million.

The company outlined that it holds a wide range of approvals and certifications, including licences and permits related to fisheries operations, food safety, environmental compliance, and taxation, and stressed thatitoperatesinaccordance with both national and internationalregulations.

Despite this, Grandeast highlightedsupplyshortages as a major challenge. “One of the main challenges currently faced by the company however, is the inconsistent supply of raw materials, w

resultedinunder-utilization of the licensed processing facility

Despite having the c

volumes, production is constrained by limited and irregular access to fish and s h r i m p , a ff e c t i n g operational efficiency, employment continuity, and the company’s ability to meet export demand,” the companystated.

Toaddressthisissue,the firm proposes to deploy six company-owned fishing vessels to ensure a more reliable supply of fish and shrimp, improve utilisation of its existing investment, and maintain output levels. Grandeast said the vessels wouldoperateincompliance withGuyana’sfisherieslaws and in areas that do not conflict with local fishermen.

Itaddedthattheinitiative could create jobs and p r o v i d e t r a i n i n g opportunities for local crews, contributing to skills development within the sector

Five years later Govt. still to settle US$214M audit dispute with Exxon

...no agreement on sole expert

Five years after it received an audit report flagging the blatant misuse ofUS$214MinGuyana’soil money by ExxonMobil, the Government of Guyana (GoG) is yet to push the process forward for the company to return the nation’sprofits.

R

Vi

On Monday, Natural

M

Kaieteur News that the sole expert to settle the audit disputeisstillnotappointed. In response to a question on whether the appointment wasdone,Bharratsaid,“Not yet The GRA (Guyana Revenue Authority) is workingonitwithExxon.” He did not state whether an agreement has been reached on a candidate to settle the dispute The US$1.6B audit of Exxon for the period 1999-2017 was conducted by a British consultant, IHS-Markit. The

audit report was completed and handed over to the GoG since March 2021 The consultant advised that “GoG ha

grounds to dispute $214 4 million plus overhead adjustments of the costs c

y EEPGL(now EMGL) in the CostBank.Thisamount Continued on page 6

Kaieteur News

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Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS

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EDITORIAL

Arrival Day

Wearrived,butitisonlyataspotonthemap,a space in a physical place somewhere in this sprawling, scorching Tropics. For arrival means that there is readiness to move, to launch, oneself beyond the original place touched after that long oceanic emancipation.

Similarly, Emancipation is not merely a release from physical restraint, it is the mentality that liberty is so free flowingasnottohaveanylimits.Yetherewearestillstuck in this irony of having arrived, of being emancipated, but still helpless trapped in self-made dungeons now almost escape-proof.

Definitely,thereisahistorytowhatisencircledbythis remembranceofadayoverflowingwithmeaningfromlong yearsago.Itisastoryworthyoftellingandretellingofthe greatjourneymade,andofthethrillingpickingupofselves bythebootstrapstoliftupfromthebottom,torisetoheights unexpected, but always to those areas which bring greater responsibilities.

LikeEmancipation,Arrivalhastoserveasthelaunching padforventuringintotheunknown,butpossiblypossessing some different promise. It is of what makes for a truly successfulpresence,ahealthyenvironment,inanewplace troubledbycountlessanxieties,thelistlessnessofasociety thathassomuch,offerssomuchmoretoall.We(thearrived andemancipated,asjoinedatthehip)aretoomuchinlove withourselvestoappreciatethatarestillmoresacrificesto be made, more journeys to be undertaken. These do not involvevesselsandphysicaltravels,butofaspiritualstate thatleadstounselfishnessandwisdomslongsoelusive.

Somuchgained,yetsomuchmorestilltobegained.

In a plural society, this is beyond the ugliness that has taintedus,tauntsus,andremindsusthatasmuchaswemay believewehavearrivedandmovedonandup,wehavenot progressedbytoomanycentimetres.

Emancipationhasdonethesametous:setusfreefrom harsh bonds and narrow boundaries, still there is so much liberty to be tasted. This is not even touched because we condemnourselvesintothelimitsofcornersoutofwhichwe can'tseemtofindourway

Infact,withreflectionandevaluationontherealstateof Guyana, in the sum of its many different peoples and the self-sustaining injuries they continuously nurse, we know whatisbest,butarecontentedwithwhereweare.Forthese reasons,andothersleftaloneonthisdayfilledwithsomuch grace, it is how we refuse in our stubbornness, despite our dreadful unhealing sores, to try the bona fide medicines, thosewithsomehopeofalastingcure.

In terms that all can understand today, regardless of whether they came in open boats, or those with chains and whipsasinseparablepartsoftheirjourneyofmisery,anold worldwithalotofthefamiliarwasleftbehind.Itwastosee andexperienceallthatahoped-fornewworldwouldbring, couldoffer.

Muchwasgivenup,tieswereruptured,sothatmorecan behad,andasimpossibleassuchadreammayhaveseenor beentoothers,itwasembarkedupon,braved.Yetwhatmust bedaredtodaywithmeasuredtemperamentandcourageous vision, if not spirit, we shrink from, because we have arrived, and that is all there is to it. We have been emancipatedfromthehorriblepast,anditisallthefreedom that we wish to know, that we can conjure. This is the contradictionofGuyana,beittodayinMay,oranotherearly dayinAugust.

The full sum of our national success will only be harvested when we embrace the totality of the odds overcomebefore,thedutythattheplacesweoccupytoday placebeforeus.

We know of caste, and we have been hurt by tribe, but neitherwasallowedtogetthebetterofus.TrueArrival,real Emancipation,willonlycomeandflourish,whenwerevisit thestrengthsofourhistory,sothatwecantakethefirstbaby stepstoremakeourfuture.

VP blocks local refinery project

DearEditor, InaletterintheKaieteur News, Jamil Changlee asks whether the question, “whether Guyana should haveitsownrefineryshould be expanded to a question focused on whether the Region should increase its refiningcapacity”?

He argues that it would be foolish for Guyana to build a refinery the oil refinery in Trinidad has excess capacity and languishesduetolackofuse resultinginfinanciallosses”. Mr Changlee has it wrong. The fact is theT&Trefinery isindisrepairandneedsalot of input to get it back on stream.

Changlee states, there is “excess capacity in the Caribbean”. However, we needtolookattheempirical data The reality is CARICOMaloneneedsover 400BPD which means refining capacity of over 700BPD.TheCaribbeanhas aneedforover1mBPD.

An examination of refining capacity shows the 600,000 BPD St Croix refineryinUSVirginIsland,

the335,000BPDinCuracao and theAruba 235,000 BPD have all been shut down. Jamaica with a capacity of about 55,000 has reduced production to about 25,000. Production and export of refined fuel in Venezuela havefallentremendously So,anyargumentofover capacity has no basis in reality

The President is now of the realisation that energy security is now a major problem.

I guess this realisation wasbecauseofthewarinthe Middle East which resulted intheclosureoftheStraitof Hormuz and the bombing of energy facilities in the Gulf

Countries Also, for whateverreasonanumberof refineriesareonfiremaking the situation more dire. I wrote a number of letters which were published in the KN on the dire need for a refinery to guarantee energy security for Guyana and CARICOM and indicated the probability of war in the MiddleEast.

My position is that The President should have

realised this long before or his advisors should have advised, but, when the President employs suck ups instead of qualified and patriotic Guyanese who are critical thinkers and terminates those that are whatdoyouexpect.

On Multiple occasions I wrote that a Guyanese American who is a highly qualified engineer with tremendous experience in the oil industry developed a project for a refinery in Berbice He obtained an MOU from the PPP government signed by PM SamHinds.Heinvestedalot of money and obtained a provisional environmental permitfromtheEPAandwas awaiting the final one from EPA.

The EPA wanted a no objection from the Office of the President, meaning Bharat even though the company already obtained a no objection from the GOINVEST

He obtained financing to thetuneoffivebillionUSD, one billion to resuscitate Skeldon Factory to produce

ethanoltosupplytherefinery and four billion for the refinery

Guyana has so far been deprivedofourownrefinery because the VP has been blocking this project History and the present situation would never absolve him. Had he not blockedtheabovementioned project by now we would have been producing our ownfuel.

The Project was aiming at 240,000BPD. We would also be on our way to producing fertilizer and gas for cooking etc. and a lot of foreign exchange savings andearnings.

This transformative projectwouldbeyourlegacy Your Excellency Ball is in your court Failure to act would mean history would not absolve you and you would be condemned by the future. Call the gentleman and get things going Mr President or you also would becondemnedbyhistory

Sincerely

R a j e n d r a N a u t h Bisessar BScSociology,LLB

Explaining America’s forever wars

DearEditor,

TheAmericanwayofwarisnotjust a cliché about foreign policy Since the tragiceventsof9/11itswayofthinking andprosecutingwarshasmorphedinto forever wars, undergirded and buttressed by national psychology, institutional incentives, moral philosophy, and the long arc of history But what often gets missed in public debateisthatwarsareneveronlyfought on distant battlefields They also reshape the character of the State, the habits of citizens, the language of politics, and the moral thresholds of a society Viewed through this broader lens is where an explanation for America’sforeverwarslies.

The post-9/11 era will likely be studied alongside earlier turning points such as the Vietnam War and the Cold War—moments when external strategy deeply altered internal America Historiansmayultimatelyconcludethat thegreatestdamageofthe“foreverwar” period was not only what happened abroad,butwhatitnormalizedathome.

Thehistoryofgreatpowersandtheir useofforceteachusthatwhenstrength becomes habit, restraint can begin to look like weakness. Yet in history, disciplined restraint is often the higher form of strength. The question of America’s “forever wars” goes to the heart of one of the defining dilemmas facing modern America: whether the United States, after the September 11 attacks, entered not just a military campaign against terrorism, but into a permanentpsychological,political,and institutionalstateofwar.

Ben Rhodes latest Opinion piece in

theNewYorkTimes(22ndApril2026) capturesaseriouscritique:that“forever war” does not remain overseas—it migrates home, reshaping domestic culture,institutions,politics,andmoral sensibilities.Thisisnotmerelyrhetoric. There is substantial historical evidence that prolonged war often changes countriesinternally

The Post-9/11 Shift: From Defense toEndlessThreatPerception

Before 9/11, the U.S. certainly engaged in wars and interventions, but the attacks created something new: a doctrine of open-ended preemption. The logic embraced a number of finely tuned nuances about threats. Threats must be stopped before they mature; geography no longer protectsAmerica; non-state actors can produce strategic shock; uncertainty itself constitutes dangerthereforepermanentvigilanceis required.This new doctrine not only transformed national security policy from reacting to concrete threats into anticipating hypothetical threats, but it also created a mindset among political and military elites that is dangerous, delusional and destructively diabolical. And that explains why the U.S. moved fromWarinAfghanistantotheIraqWar, then drone wars, covert operations, counterinsurgency campaigns, proxy conflicts, and an expanding global security footprint. The “war on terror” for example, had no clear endpoint becauseterrorisatactic,notacountry Hence a war against a tactic can be infinite.

ThePsychologyofExaggerated Threats

Is something wrong with the

American psyche and how they perceive the world outside of the US geography?Whilethismaybetooblunt a question, there are, however, persistent psychological patterns that arereadilydiscernible.Forexample:

1.TraumaMemory 9/11 was a national trauma Traumatized societies often overreach and overcorrect. They begin seeing future threats through the lens of the originalshock.

2.Exceptionalism

ManyAmericansbelievetheU.S.is uniquely good and uniquely targeted. This can produce a mindset where any resistance abroad is seen as irrational evilratherthanpartlyreactiontopolicy

3.FearAmplification

Modern media rewards alarm Politicians gain support by appearing tough. Bureaucracies gain budgets by emphasizing danger Defense contractors gain revenue through militarization. And fear has become institutionalized. This is the current state of the American mindset and its perceptionofthreats,realorimagined.

4.DistancefromWar

Because most US citizens do not serve in the military, wars impose limited direct sacrifice on the majority population. In times of war, taxes, for example, are not sharply raised, rationing is absent, conscription is a “thing” of the past. Hence war became politically easier and distant from the population.

TheMilitary-Industrialand BureaucraticIncentiveStructure

Former President Dwight D. (Continuedonpage6)

Addressing noise nuisance

DearEditor,

I write to lend my support to the recent announcement by Mr Anil Nandlall, SC, MP and Attorney General, regarding the Government’s intention to strengthen laws aimed at addressing noise nuisance. This is a timely and necessary initiative, as the uncheckedescalationofnoisepollution continuestoerodethequalityoflifefor manycitizens.

However, while there has been visible enforcement of regulations relating to the prohibition of tinted vehicles,amorepressingandpervasive concernappearstohavebeenrelegated to the margins. I refer to the growing publicnuisanceposedbyprivatemotor vehiclesoutfittedwithoversizedboom boxes, often mounted at the rear and projecting externally through open windows. This practice subjects the public to excessive and intrusive noise levels, causing widespread discomfort anddisturbance.Iwishtobeclear:Iam not opposed to individuals enjoying music within their vehicles, as it can serve as a form of relaxation and personal expression Nevertheless, whatnowobtainsonourroadsgoesfar beyond reasonable enjoyment and

demands urgent regulatory attention. Enforcement efforts must extend beyond routine roadblocks for tinted glass, vehicle documentation, and obscurednumberplates.

Equally troubling is the conduct of many of these drivers, predominantly young individuals, who demonstrate a disturbing lack of regard for others in society The content of the music, in many instances, is lewd and promotes disorderlybehaviour Oneiscompelled to question the broader societal implications;whathavewe,asanation, allowed ourselves to become? This growingcultureoflawlessnessmustbe confronteddecisively

Of particular concern is the blatant disregard for designated silent zones.

Areas such as commercial establishments, hospitals, workplaces, and institutions of care are routinely violated by drivers who traverse these spaces with blaring music. Churches, other places of worship, and geriatric institutions have not been spared.This behaviourisnotonlyinconsideratebut represents a clear breach of existing road use norms and public order expectations.

Iamalsocompelledtoreflectonthe

healthimplicationsofsuchconduct.Do these drivers fully comprehend the damage being inflicted, not only on theirownhearingbutalsoonthewellbeing of others exposed to prolonged excessivenoise?Thepotentialforlongterm auditory harm and psychological distresscannotbeignored.

Inthisregard,IcallontheMinister of Home Affairs to consider implementing a structured amnesty period, during which owners of such vehicles would be required to remove these external boom box systems. The design and purpose of motor vehicles were never intended to accommodate suchinstallations.

Further,IurgetheCommissionerof Police to ensure that robust enforcement mechanisms are put in place, including the imposition of significant fines for non-compliance. Onlythroughfirmandconsistentaction can this escalating nuisance be effectivelycurtailed.

The time has come for a more comprehensive and targeted approach to restoring order and civility on our roads.

Yourssincerely, AnnetteFerguson

The Guyana Trades Union Congress: A Critical Gap,

DearEditor,

Structural Failures

The Guyana Trades Union Congress does not have an adequate answer to thecurrentchallengesfacing workers.Thisisnotmerelya minor oversight or an administrativelapse.Rather, it represents a significant structural failure within the organization Such a deficiency has tangible and serious consequences for realworkers,impactingtheir daily lives and overall wellbeing.

Norris Witter, President oftheGuyanaTradesUnion Congress (GTUC), has become a central figure whose statements and positions often shape the experiences of the union’s affiliates. His remarks serve as the default perspective within the organization, influencing decisions and policiesinwaysthatdirectly impact the daily lives of those affiliated with the GTUC.

Therighttoknowthatan algorithm affected a decisionaboutNorrisWitter is not a nicety It is a basic condition of democratic accountability

Key Action and Recommendations: The Guyana Trade Union Congress(G.T.U.C.)

Revitalizing the G.T.U.C. requires the active inclusion of all affiliated unions. This includes

hostingmeetingswithevery union affiliated with the G TU C , ensuring broad e n g a g e m e n t a n d participation across the Congress.

1. Meetings must be held with all G T U C affiliated unions to foster communication and collaboration.

2. All affiliated unions are required to submit their collective agreements, ensuring transparencyandthesharing ofinformation.

3. It is essential to have discussions with the presentGeneralSecretaryof the G.T.U.C., Mr Lincoln Lewis, concerning the way forward and the changes required for the growth and development of the G.T.U.C.

4. As changes occur, the General Secretary must beallowedtoembracethese new directions and participate in emerging opportunities. This includes connecting with members who can support the development process, set new goals, and focus on adaptabilitymechanisms.

Affecting

5. Reassessing the roleoftheCritchlowLabour Collegeastheeducationarm ofthelabourmovementand restricting its existing education program to make it more compatible with the needs of the labour movement.

6. Restructure the G.T.U.Ctobettersupportthe labourmovement.

7. I m p r o v i n g G TU C structures and institutions’efficiency

8. C o n s i d e r i n g substantive measures to facilitateenhancedcohesion withinthelabourmovement.

The question arises: Does the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) actively make decisions, or does it merely place them? Makingdecisionssuggestsa processofactiveleadership, deliberate choice, and responsibility, whereas placingdecisionsmayimply following established procedures or passing along directives without meaningfulengagement.

This issue is central to the structural challenges facing the GTUC The answer has direct implications for workers, as the union’s approach to

Workers

decision-making shapes boththepoliciesenactedand the daily experiences of its affiliates Understanding whether the GTUC is leading or simply administering highlights the need for revitalization and greater inclusion of all affiliated unions in its processes.

During my tenure as General Secretary of the CCWU, I was compelled to act alone to safeguard my union’sassets.Despitethese efforts, the union’s credit union was ultimately taken over and removed from our control This experience highlights the significant challenges faced in protecting union resources and ensuring that members’ interestsareupheld.

The ongoing issue of individuals mismanaging or mishandling workers’assets remains a significant concern As General

(Continuedonpage6)

Create

DearEditor, PresidentIrfanAliduring the month of April, expounded on his plans for the modernization of Georgetown.

H e i t e m i s e d a comprehensive method which expanded from improving roads to road safety and cleaning the drain

vegetation, solid waste and silt. I commend you Mr. President on this long o

governance.

Mr President, I wish to make the following few suggestions.

Youwillhavetoworkon the human element which consists of not allowing businesspersonstolawlessly, inconsiderately and with a filthymindset,todumptheir trashwilly-nilly Placesmust be found for the homeless and vagrants who undoubtedlymakethestreets andsurroundingsareas,their dumpingground.

Mr President, as you so emphatically stated, “…the city deserves better than whatithastoday.”

In days gone by, Georgetown was clean, all waterways including trenches, gutters, canals and alleywayswerecleanandno littering nor dumping of garbageordebrisexisted.

Flooding did not occur Citizens used alleyways as shortcuts without any threat tolifeorlimb.

Youngsters learned to swiminthecanals.

Garbage should be disposed of in a responsible way, into garbage and grocerybagssothatafterthe collectionofgarbageandthe

emptying of bins, a residual stenchdoesnotremaininthe bins or the streets. There must be bags for specific itemssuchasrecyclablesand batteries, which could explode, cause fires and harmpersons.Vapesarealso becoming increasingly popular and they contain batteries.

The upsurge in weightloss injections would pose a risktoworkersfromneedles improperly disposed of. Guidelines to residents on the proper distribution of waste items, should be constantly distributed or advertised.

Theonusalsoneedstobe on the companies collecting waste, to employ safe practices.

Therewillbetheneedfor training and surveillance by w

d

ecycling

G

bage collectors must be outfitted with gloves and if possible, masks. Sometimes the foul smell from a garbage truck lingersintheairfromalong distanceandwithourpresent u

congestion, it is nauseating. This also affects residents in thecity

Mr President, please restore Georgetown to its former position of “The Garden City” and create motivating and more visible signs of progress and modernity

Create public spaces throughout Georgetown for people to pause and relax. Garbage and its proper monitoring and disposal is serious business. The time hascome.

Sincerely

ConradBarrow

Five years later Govt. still to settle US$214M...

From page 3 represents12.8%ofthecumulativecost recoverybalanceasofQ42017Statement.”

Following the submission of that report, the flagged sum was reduced to a meager US$3 million by the Ministry of Natural Resources, Petroleum Department. The Government however later announced that it would stand by the findings of the report, to the dismay of the contractor Consequently, the sole expert process has been invoked to settlethedisputebetweentheparties.Should the sole expert determine that the costs were inaccurately added to the cost bank, Exxon willberequiredtocreditthesum.Theamount will be split evenly between the two partiesUS$107 2M to each Article 26 of the PetroleumAgreementstatesthatiftheparties fail to agree on a sole expert within 30 days such expert shall be appointed by the InternationalChamberofCommerce(“ICC”) in accordance with its rules for the appointment of experts and neutrals That timeline has long expired with some stakeholders accusing government of draggingitsfeetonthematter

The oil contract states at Article 26.10 “…the parties shall cooperate fully in the

expeditious conduct of such expert determination and provide the expert with access to all facilities, books, records, documents, information and personnel necessary to make a fully informed decision in an expeditious manner. The sole expert shallactasanexpertandnotasanarbitratoror mediator, and shall endeavour to provide an opiniononthedisputewithinthirty(30)days ofhisappointment,butnolaterthansixty(60) days after his appointment…”While the first audit drags on, two other audits of the companystillremaintobeconcludedaswell. Thesecondaudit,fortheperiod2018to2020 wasconductedbyVHEconsulting.Thelocal auditteamfoundthatanotherUS$65million of the US$7 2 billion in expenses was incorrectlychargedtoGuyana.Questionsstill remain on whether the full report was publishedbytheGoGfortheUS$7.2Baudit.

MeanwhileExxon’sthirdandlargestaudit,on record to date, amounts to a whopping US$19.6B. It was conducted by the same local group, VHE Although Government received that report since May 2025, it has refused to make the document public. The administrationisalsonotinclinedtohighlight thedisputedcostsflaggedbytheauditors.

Explaining America’s forever...

Frompage4 Eisenhowerwarnedofthemilitary-industrial complex. His warning looks prophetic. The empirical evidence is clear: Permanent wars sustaindefensebudgets,expandinformation gathering and intelligence analysis, increase surveillance systems, enrich defense contractors, proliferate and galvanize think tank ecosystems, lobbying networks, and career advancement structures. Once large institutions depend on threat narratives, deescalation becomes difficult. In this milieu, War becomes less a temporary response and moreagoverningmodel.

“NormalizeKillingAbroad, DevalueLifeatHome”

Rhodesmoralargumentdeservesserious attention. When a nation routinely accepts drone strikes with civilian casualties, sanctions that cause and exacerbate humanitarian suffering, torture and uncheckedbrutalityrationalizedasnecessity, collateral damage framed statistically, and anonymous distant deaths, it risks moral numbness.And that numbness can reappear and manifest itself domestically as: militarized policing, casual cruelty in politics, contempt for marginalized groups, and celebration of domination over deliberation. History shows empires often import methods developed at the periphery andbroughtbacktothecenter

DoesAnyCountryHavetheCapability andIntentiontoThreatentheU.S.?

The simple, straightforward answer is: NO. No conventional power can easily invade or conquer the United States. It has oceans, nuclear deterrence, alliances, and immense industrial capacity and military capability But perceived threats do exist. Theyarenotobjectivelyreal,andtheyarenot external Threats such as nuclear proliferation,cyber-attacksoninfrastructure, pandemics such as Covid, climate shocks, terrorism (limited but real), domestic extremism, and political breakdown from withinarewhatcharacterizethe21stcentury They are not new With the exception of political terrorism and Islamic Extremism, the greatest threats to America are increasingly internal and systemic, not foreigninvasion.Andthisdistinctionmatters immensely

TheStrategicError:Treating EveryProblemasMilitary

The U.S. often applies military tools to political problems Examples abound: terrorism rooted partly in state collapse ! militaryresponse;migrationpartlydrivenby instability ! securitized response, regional rivalries ! arms response, and ideological movements ! kinetic response. Military powercandestroytargets.Itcannotbyitself

createlegitimacy,institutions,reconciliation, orsocialtrust.TheUShastrappeditselfintoa militarizedcocoon.

WhatForeverWarHas CostAmericaInternally

Manycriticsarguethatthepost-9/11war culture unleashed a devastating blow to the American psyche, and over time produced massively huge public debts; veterans’ trauma and suicide crises; distrust in government after false claims (especially Iraq WMD); political and societal polarization; normalization of secrecy; expandedsurveillancepowers;civicfatigue, and cynicism toward elite leadership. The IraqWar,inparticular,damagedtrustbecause it was justified with claims that were later discredited.

IsSomethingWrongwith theAmericanPsyche?

Not uniquely All great powers develop recurring pathologies such as overconfidence, moral self-exemption, fear of decline, inability to imagine limits, and confusion of the use of power with wisdom. History is replete with examples: The Roman, British, and Soviet, and other imperial experiences show similar patterns. America’s challenge is not madness; it is imperial habituation and military and economicoverreach.

TheWayForward

A healthier security lens would ask a number of pertinent questions when pondering the use of military force: Is the threat real, immediate, and material? Can non-military tools work better? What are second-order consequences? What civilian costisacceptable?Whatistheexitstrategy? What happens the day after military force is unleashed?Anddoestheuseofmilitaryforce strengthen or weaken democracy at home? Sadly, those questions were often sidelined after9/11.

The 2026 War on Iran is a glaring example of strategic blunder on a monumentally costly scale.Since 9/11, the U.S. has often inflated threats, overused military solutions, and underestimated the domestic corrosion caused by permanent war America is difficult to destroy from the outside. It is easier to weaken through fear, overreaction, rising debt levels, societal polarization, institutional decay, poor and unqualifiedpoliticalleadershipatthehighest level of governance and moral desensitization.In this sense, Ben Rhodes’ warningisprofound:nationssometimeslose themselves not by being defeated, but by becomingwhatendlesswarsrequirethemto be.

Regards

Prof.DanielKGibran

The Guyana Trades Union Congress: A...

Frompage5

Secretary of the CCWU, I deeply regret the persistence of these practices. This situation has led to feelings of disappointment and frustrationtotheextentthatInolongerwish to be involved in such circumstances Protectingunionresourcesiscrucial,andthe continued neglect or exploitation of these assets undermines the organization’s trust and integrity.Within the ongoing challenges facedbytheGTUCanditsaffiliatedunions, the experience of seeing things in daylight whilewaitingindarknessbythefireservesas ametaphorfortheunion’scurrentstate.

There is clarity in certain moments insights and progress yet periods of uncertainty and anticipation remain. Members are encouraged to seek understandinganddirectionactively,evenas they navigate periods of ambiguity This

duality reflects the union’s journey as it strives to protect assets, maintain transparency, and foster collaboration, all whileconfrontingstructuralconcernsandthe needforrevitalization.

Power of a Dream: A creative environment promotes the freedom of a dream. A creative environment encourages the use of a blank sheet of paper and the question,“Ifwecoulddrawapictureofwhat wewanttoaccomplish,whatwouldthatlook like?AcreativeenvironmentallowedMartin Luther King, Jr., to speak with passion and declare to millions. “I have a dream,” not “I have a goal.” Goals may give focus, but dreams give power Dreams expand the world. That is why James Allen suggested that“dreamersarethesaviorsoftheworld.”

Sincerely SherwoodClarke

…as GDF patrol under fire near Venezuela border SOLDIER SHOT IN RIVER AMBUSH

Arank with the Guyana

Defence Force (GDF) is nursing two gunshot woundstohisrightlegfollowinga shoot-outonMondayintheCuyuni River, Region Seven with armed menonVenezuela’sshore.

The injured rank was among othersoldiersinaGDFpatrolboat when they came under gunfire around 11:30 hrs. in the vicinity of BlackWater

In a statement to the press, the GDF said that its patrol boat was ‘escorting three civilians boats transporting personnel and cargo fromMakapatoEteringbang.

“The patrol returned fire and manoeuvred the convoy out of the area”,theGDFstatedwhileadding, “One rank sustained two gunshot woundstohisrightleg…”

He received medical treatment onsightandwaslatermedevacked bytheforce’sSkyvantothecityfor furthermedicalattention.

“The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) continues to maintain an active operational presence along the western border (Guyana Shore).”

The force further stated as it assured that it remains fully committed to the protection of its personnel and the safe guarding of Guyana’sterritorialIntegrity

Meanwhile, Kaieteur News

received information that

Monday’sshoot-outwasthesecond major one within the last two weeks.Somesaidthattheshootings sometimes occur daily, making the Cuyuni River one of the most dangeroustotraverse.

The dangers have prompted GDF patrol boats to escort Guyanese civilian who make a livinginthearea.

A video has since surfaced of one of the recent shoot-outs. GDF ranks on a number of patrol boats wereseenfiringbackintoaforested area along Venezuela’s shore in a bid to escort a number of civilian vesselstosafety

No-onewasinjuredduringthat shoot-outbutonMondayoneofthe rankswashit.

He is the ninth soldier to have beeninjuredbyVenezuelangunfire inayear

InFebruary2025,eightsoldiers were wounded after they were ambushedandshotatreportedlyby a Venezuelan gang while on patrol duties.

That shooting also took place nearBlackwater Reportsbackthen were,thatrankswereenroutetothe GDF’s main base at Makapa to deliver supplies when they came underattack.

Kaieteur News had reported thattheGDFteamwasusinga30footcanoepoweredbya185horse power Yamaha outboard engine whentheywereinterceptedbytwo wooden boats carrying heavily armedmaskedmen.

The assailants reportedly circled the GDF boat an opened gunfire. The GDF ranks retaliated by returning fire, forcing the gunmen to retreat but not before eightofthemwerehit.

Kaieteur News had later learnt thatsomeoftheassailantswerealso woundedduringtheshoot-outanda

few died while being transported fortreatment.

The assailants from that attack were suspected members of the notorious sindicato gang. There havebeennofurtherupdatesinthis case.

However, reports are that the shootings have become more frequentsincethen.

ArmedgunmenfromVenezuela Shore had also abducted a Guyanese boat-captain and his passenger while travelling in the CuyuniRiver.Monthslaterhewas found locked in a Venezuelan jail forallegedterrorism.

Hewaslaterreleasedfollowing strong activism by Venezuelan counterparts and family members protests that he and the passenger wereinnocent.

The PPP was always likely to constrict freedom

Thereisahabit,whichwe havedevelopedwithacertain skillinGuyana.Thathabitis the borrowing large words from abroad and using them t o e x p l a i n l o c a l developments.

One such phrase “the resource curse.” It has the sound of intellectualism. But before we surrender to such language, we ought to ask what it means, and more importantly, what it does not mean. The resource curse

describes a paradox

Countries endowed with a b u n d a n t n a t u r a l wealth—oil, minerals, gas, often fail to translate that wealth into broad development. Instead, they may experience economic distortion, institutional decay,orpoliticalinstability

Easyrevenuesreplacethe discipline of taxation Governments, no longer dependent on the consent of thegoverned,driftawayfrom accountability Productive sectors wither as currencies appreciate, and attention narrows. In some cases, the consequence of resource control is conflict. These are the outlines of the curse. But the phrase is a description of tendencies, not a law of nature.Crucially,fortheterm to have any seriousness, the outcomes it purports to explain must be shown to arise from the resource itself its extraction, its revenues, its distortions Otherwise, the phrase becomes a convenience, a

way of avoiding the more difficult and uncomfortable task of examining political conductandhistoricalhabit. It is therefore not necessary that all the classic symptoms, slow growth, weak democracy, volatility, appear together for one to speak of a resource curse. A country may exhibit one or twoofthesefeaturesandstill fall within the pattern. But whichever feature is identified must be traced to the development of the resource.If,forexample,we say that democracy has weakenedsincetheadventof oil, we must show how oil has brought about that

weakening, through corruption, through the concentration of power over revenues,throughtheerosion of institutional checks Without that chain of causation, the argument dissolvesintoassertion.

In the present case, there is a temptation to attribute much that is troubling in publiclifetothearrivalofoil. Itisanattractiveexplanation. It absolves; it suggests that what is happening is not entirely of our own making. But this is to misunderstand both the country and the concept. The difficulties now visible in Guyana's political life, the narrowing of democratic space, the consolidation of authority, the impatience with scrutiny did not begin with oil. They have deeper roots, in the

character of political organisationandinthehabits formedoverdecades.

ThegoverningPPPparty, longdominantandnowmore assured than ever, has evolvedintosomethingmore monolithic. Within it, there appears to have emerged a kind of internal leviathan: a concentration of influence thathasoverriddenwhatever limited democratic instincts onceexisted.

This is not the work of petroleum; it is the work of menandstructures.

P a r l i a m e n t a r y democracy, already fragile, showssignsofstrain.Debate is diminished; oversight becomes ritual rather than substance. But the erosion is not confined to the chamber Political freedoms more broadly appear constricted. The press, which in small societies carries a particular burden,findsitselfoperating in an atmosphere of distance and, at times, hostility Ministers are frequently inaccessible. Information is not readily given; it must be prised out, if it can be obtained at all Press conferences are undertaken only sparingly, and are often met not by engagement but bydeflectionorintimidation.

There are subtler pressures as well State advertising,restoredinform, is withheld in substance when payments are delayed inordinately This is a quiet methodofcontrol,difficultto prove in any single instance

DEM BOYS SEH

De app apping

Demboyssehisastrange,strangetimein dis country Government done roll out a brand-new Citizens App—yes, an actual place where people could log in and complain'boutgovernmentservice.

When dem boys hear about de app, dem boys, nearly drop dem cup ah tea. Because normally, if you want complain, you does either holler pon de roadside, cuss pun Facebook,ortellyuhneighbourwhoain'tgot nopowertofixnothinganyway

But now? Is official complaining Digitally Modern problems meet modern vexation.

Dem boys seh, surprisingly, is a good thing. People could finally channel dem frustration without waking up de whole village. But here is de real shocker—de app ain'tcrashyet.Notevenalilhiccup.Noteven a“pleasetryagainlater.”Demboysseh,after dewholecashgrantappsaga,demexpectdis onefuhfaintsametimeitlaunch.

Remember how dat one behave? You click once, yuh get pass de first set of information. Click twice—dem ask you for yourphotograph.Whenyouuploadit,deapp seh it ain't recognize yuh. Click three times—and suddenly you applying fuh cash grant in Suriname. Dem boys seh, dat app used to stress people so bad, even de error messageusedtolooktired.

but effective over time. Independent media, already operatingonnarrowmargins, are left exposed. Institutions that should sustain public discourse instead become instrumentsofstrainuponit. AskStabroekNews.

During elections, the pattern becomes more visible. Elections observers have confirmed the use of state resources in partisan ways, of misinformation, of the deployment of agencies in manners that suggest political purpose rather than neutralfunction.T

hese are not the symptoms of a curse descendingfrombeneaththe seabed They are the expressions of a political culture that has found new

confidence.

To attribute all this to oil is to mistakecoincidencefor causation. Oil may amplify certain tendencies; it may provide the resources that make consolidation easier But it does not create the tendencies themselves A government inclined toward centralisation will centralise withorwithoutpetroleum.A party that has not cultivated internal democracy will not discover it because of hydrocarbons.

The danger of misusing the term “resource curse” is thatitallowsresponsibilityto drift.Itsuggeststhatwhatwe are witnessing is inevitable, that it belongs to a category of misfortune rather than to the realm of choice and

conduct It encourages a fatalism that is both inaccurate and disabling Words, especially borrowed ones,shouldbehandledwith care. If we are to speak of a curse,wemustfirstbecertain of its source. Otherwise, we risk obscuring the very realitiesweclaimtodescribe.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the authoranddonotnecessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

So imagine dem surprise when dis complaintappjust…working.

Dem boys seh, dem even log in just fuh testit.Pressabutton,submitacomplaint,and boom—it gone through. No spinning wheel ahdoom.Nomysteriouslogout.Oneahdem boys whisper, “Wait nah… maybe de app supposedtocomplainbackatwe?”Because based on Guyanese standards, even de complaintsystemshouldagetproblem.

And leh we talk truth—Guyanese love fuh complain. Is almost a national sport. If complaining was an Olympic event, dem boyssehwewouldabringhomegold,silver, and argue fuh bronze too. So with all dem daily critics, keyboard warriors, and professional grumblers, dem boys really thought de system woulda buckle under pressure.

But government saying everything runningsmooth.Efficient.Responsive.

Demboysseh,nowdatisderealmystery. Anyway,demboyswaitingpatientlyfuh de next big innovation—the Corruption ComplaintApp.Wordondestreetisdatone having lil teething issues. Dem boys seh, apparently, every time you try submit something,itdoes“disappear.”

Now that… sound more like de system weusedto.

Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

H@RD TRUTHS

Essequibo: we shall fight, we shall never surrender

Essequibo is

G u y a n a ’ s

Essequibo will never be conceded. Never compromised. Essequibo is ours, forever be ours. We shall fight everywhere. We shallneversurrender Never Essequibo,sohelpmeGod.

Noble, stirring words Indeed, soaring, lofty convictions, passions, sentiments. Undoubtedly heartfelt. I hear Churchill. Great God in heaven, Guyanese have been given yet another gift: vaulting integrity or sickening, simperinghypocrisy

The great majority of Guyanese cannot stand for principle, lack courage to stand against blatant wrongdoers, shrink from facing leaders who deceive, andsaynotso.

It is not so. But from leaders to little citizens swearthattheywillstandfor GuyanaagainstVenezuelain

defense of the sacred integrityofEssequibo. Are most Guyanese, so self-absorbedthattheythink they make damn fools of everyone? Of those who quietly battle for clean governance, for principled leadership, in a country gravelylackinginboth.

Perhaps, the thinking is thatitisbettertomakesome noise,createacommotion,to stick it to Señora Delcy Rodriguez and likeminded Venezuelans. Scare them out of their boots and ambitions (brooches, too). Young and o l d G u y a n e s e a r e superstitious people. Bang potsandpans,andevilspirits (jumbee) hurry back into theirdarkholes. Hence,they fill their lungs, exhale a roaring torrent of words: Essequibo belongs to Guyana.

Venezuelan spirits (unholy, surely) take flight.

Guyanese are a funny

y?

Patriotism; claims to deep, immovable, blazing patriotism rise from internal reservoirs.

Leads to rocking back, absorbing, straightening Can this be? Is it really happening in a Guyana torn apart? A Guyana so tormented by apathy, uncertainty, and anxiety that few would dare to say, Mr President,that’snotright,sir Or, Mr Opposition Leader, that’sallwrong. It’stimeto reassess.

Butthereisasufficiency boiling outrage, heat’s red haze, that Presidente Rodriguez can be sharply warned:handsoff. Backoff! What a farce this has become! It is good that Guyanese finally have somethingtoventonopenly andfuriously Andsafely I willnotsaythattalkischeap. Only how Guyanese make

themselves the butt of regional and global putdowns, if not outright disrespect.

Lady Delcy Rodriguez cannot safeguard the f a b u l o u s g e m s i n Venezuela’s crown. But she can cast her eyes, proudly wear her button, (brooch, badge, whatever) and conveyworldwideherintent to extend her clawing manicured fingernails to rip Essequibo from Guyana for Venezuela.

She and her posse of striding, hard-riding caballeros have been reduced to hired hands in Caracas,butEssequibogives her space to spread her wings,sinkherteeth.

And display her brooch. Atleast,shehasmadeaclean breast of what she is about, what makes her a Venezuelan superpatriot Who can I say that about here? Generals that can’t

shootstraight?

Generals that can’t walk inastraightlineandgivethe Guyanese people a straight story? Guyanese know where to find them, and citizens don’t have to look long or hard. Because they are so many local generals that are bags of wind, all bloatedfromtheputridityof their obesity They fight against Guyanese for doing whatIdo.

Do they have the guts, the stones, to fight the d e s c e n d a n t s o f conquistadores? Having defanged and rendered the Guyanesepopulationlargely impotent, the cowards then strip them of mind, spirit, and the sense that they are Guyanese. Becausetheyare included, belong. Because they are made to feel that theycount.

Delcy Rodriquez dons her gold brooch (Guyana’s, if I may ask) and Guyanese

from the heights to the depths gave her two presents.

A t t e n t i o n a n d recognition Delcy Rodriguez and her brooch became the albatross that Guyanese leaders were ecstatictohangontheheads of locals. When domestic troubles, pressures, build inexorably, foreign adventures are the best decoys. Essequibo is ours. Prove it by standing against Exxon.

Earn spurs of battle by drawing a line for sacred national birthrights. Stop talking. Standinthefaceof all usurpers Be they partners, investors, or neighbors Even selfdegrading leaders. Then, Essequibomaybeours.

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

BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT

Oilwealth,but democraticdecline

In one of our lead articles reported yesterday we amplified a sobering warning from attorney and accountant Christopher Ram: the resource curse is no longer a theory in Guyana—it is reality. His argument is not built on speculation but on institutional decay. A Parliament that barely meets, committees that do not function, and billions in public spending left unscrutinised point to a dangerous erosion of accountability. Oil wealth was expected to strengthen governance, not suffocate it. Instead, power appears increasingly centralised, with decisions announced and executed absent meaningful oversight.

More troubling is the silence both locally and internationally, where scrutiny once existed. The paradox is stark: economic growth on paper, democratic decline in practice If these trends persist, Guyana risks trading long-term stability for short-term gain. The warning is clear. The question is whether anyone in authority is prepared to act before accountability disappears entirely.

Local Govt. Ministry seeking EOIs for construction of public restroom facilities

In a move to advance a national initiative to improve urban sanitation,publichealth,and environmental management inGuyana,MinistryofLocal Government and Regional Development has invited Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from “qualified and experienced contractors, firms,serviceproviders,and investors for the design, build, financing (where applicable), operation, and maintenance of Modern Public Convenience (restroom)Facilities.”

The tender notice states that as part of the government’s ongoing efforts to enhance urban sanitation, public health andtheoverallaesthetics, the ministry seeks to establish a network of clean, safe, accessible, and environmentally sustainable public convenience facilities at strategiclocations.

The ministry said the initiative’s primary objective is to provide safe, hygienic, and accessible restroom facilities for residents and visitors.

design and construction and/ or installation of durable, modern, safe, and vandal-resistant public restrooms

Scope of work also includes the provision of water-efficient and environmentally sustainable systems (e.g solar power, wastewater management solutions), routine cleaning, operation, and maintenance offacilities,andstaffingand securityarrangements.

The ministry noted that

“Reduce indiscriminate disposalofhumanwasteand associated environmental impacts; support urban renewal and tourism development in Guyana; (and) promote sustainable and innovative sanitation solutions,” the ministry explained.

For interested parties, theministrystatedthatthey shall submit proposals that may include, but are not limited to provision for

interested contractors shall submit compliance with national health, safety, and environmentalstandards. In its document, the ministry disclosed also that all facilities must comply w i t h r e c o g n i z e d accessibility standards for persons with disabilities, including but not limited to adequate wheelchair turning radius,grabbarsandsupport fixtures, appropriate fixture heights, slip-resistant surfaces, and barrier-free accessroutes.

Pres. Ali urges nations to shelve energy transition, opt for energy balance

President Irfaan Ali on Monday lobbied nations to consider a new term, “energy balance” instead of “energy transition”- a strategy geared towards striking a balance that creates a “win-win” scenario for investors,theplanetandhumanity

Presenting this vision to the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) at the Houston,TexasConference-Aliprefacedhis argument on the world’s increasing demand forenergy

“The global energy challenge is not only about transition. It is about volume and sufficiency.The world does not simply need cleaner energy It needs significantly more energy.”

Ali told the world’s largest offshore energy technology event that the global energy demand has accelerated at a pace whichsupplyhasstruggledtomatch.Tothis end, the president urged, “This reality must shape how we think about the energy transition. The global response to rising demand and climate concerns has been the acceleration of energy transition. Over the past three decades, the growth of renewable energyhasbeenremarkable.”

Between 2013 and 2024, Ali explained that global renewable energy electricity generation increased by nearly 69 per cent.

“Solar energy expanded 15-fold Wind energy increased almost four-fold Hydropower grew by more than 55% and nuclear energy increased by approximately 5.3percent,”accordingtothepresident.

Despite the scaling up in the use of renewable energy for power generation, Ali told the conferencethat fossil fuel continues todominatetheglobalenergysystem.Infact, he noted that as of 2024, fossil fuels accounted for more than 80 per cent of the globalenergymix.

President Irfaan Ali delivering the opening addressing at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas. (PC: Office of the President)

“This is not a contradiction. It is a reflection of the scale of global energy demand. The world is not replacing one energy system with another in a linear fashion. It is building a new system while continuing to rely on the existing system to meet the majority of its energy needs,” Ali explained.

Hewaskeentonotethatalthoughcoalis the most carbon-intensive fuel, it has seen significant growth in electricity generation, increasing by more than 70% over the past decade. Natural gas is also expanding, with electricity generation increasing by 26.6%, playing a critical role in balancing the intermittencyofrenewableenergy,providing flexible and reliable power when solar and wind generation fluctuate, according to the president. Meanwhile, he also highlighted thatoil,bycontrast,hasseenasteadydecline initsroleinelectricitygeneration.

The president therefore suggested, “The

energy transition is not a simple substitution of fossil fuels with renewables. It is a complex configuration of the entire energy system.Renewablesareexpanding,butthey arenotyetsufficienttomeetdemand.”Atthe same time, he said that fossil fuel plays an integralroleinmeetingbaseloaddemandand supportingindustrialrevolution.

Moreover, he pointed to the energy

…at Texas Energy Conference

transitionoutlookwhichstatedthatachieving a pathway consistent with limiting global warming below 2°C will require annual global energy investment of approximately US$4.3trillionbetween2025and2060.

Withaccesstofinancestillahurdleinthis process,Ali argued that another factor to be takenintoconsiderationistheavailabilityof Continued on page 21

Teen dies after car slams into parked truck

A19-year-oldCorentyneyouthperishedinanearly

morningaccidentalongtheNo.72VillagePublic RoadCorentyne,afterhisvehicleslammedintoa parkedtruckonMonday

Dead is Nathaniel Busdgith of Lot 38, No. 76 Village, Corentyne.

ImranAlly,thefatherofthedeceased,toldthispublication thathewasatworkwhenhereceivedwordofthetragedy

“ThismorningIleftforwork,andatwork,Ireceivedthe newsthatmysongetintoanaccident.FromthereIleftandI wenttotheaccidentscene,butwhenIreachedthere,hewas alreadybythehospital,”Allyrelated.

UponreachingtheNo.75VillageHospitalatabout09:34 hrs,doctorsinformedhimthathissonwasinacriticalstate. The grieving father related an eyewitness’ account, which stated that the teen was attempting to avoid a collision with anothercarthatreportedlyswervedsuddenlyontohislane.

“While in the hospital, a teacher said that she was at the scene, and my son was driving going towards New Amsterdam,andacarwascomingfromtheoppositedirection andpulledinhislane,sohehadtopulltothecorner Whenhe pullintothecorner,therewassomethingontheroadandhehit itandthenhehitthetruck.”

The young man, who had only a month ago acquired the vehicle,succumbedmomentsafterhewastakentotheNo.75 VillageHospital.Hesufferedsevereinjuriestotherightside of his head, his chest which was left swollen, and had other majorinternalinjuries,hisfatherdisclosed.

Busdgith was the eldest of four children, and was recognised for his loving and helpful disposition, his family confirmed.Hewasunemployedatthetimeofhispassing.

Meanwhile, the owner of the parked truck told Kaieteur Newsthatheandhisfamilywereathomethatmorningwhen they heard a loud impact which sounded like a collision at about07:50hrs.Thetruckwasparkedinfrontofawarehouse heoperated.Hishouseislocatedacrosstheroad.

“Weheartheimpact.Iwasathome.Whenwecomeout, we see this accident here. Then they come and they tried rescuing the young driver He was just breathing hard, and whentheytookhimtothehospital,laterinthedayweheardhe passedaway.”

He explained that the extent of the vehicle’s damage is consistentwithspeeding.

GoedFortuintoget$829Mcoldstorage,wharf

The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA)ispreparingtospend some $829,967,355 to construct a cold storage facilityandatimberwharfat GoedFortuin,RegionThree.

This is according to an invitation for bids issued by theministrywhichstatesthat tendersareexpectedtoopen onMay21,2026.

Th

facilities will support the fisherfolk in the Goed Fortuinarea.

AccordingtoaJune2025 Department of Public

, President Irfaan Ali had visited the Goed Fortuin fishing area where he announcedplanstoconstruct a cold storage and build the wharf, along with other

upgrades.

During his engagement, thepresidentoutlinedaclear vision for transforming the area into a more organised andsecurespace.

According to DPI, among the immediate interventionspromisedwere therehabilitationofthenonfunctionalkoker,installation of proper lighting to enable safe operations and the construction of walkways, and a wharf for docking and offloading.

Whereverthereisaneed fordredgingthatwillalsobe done,thepresidentnoted.

“A key element of the transformation is the creation of a designated space for small-scale retail and holding activities. This wouldallowthevendorsand fisherstosellandstoregoods

directly on-site. It will be complemented by enhanced security and essential utilities to support daily

operations,”DPIreported. President Ali urged the fisherfolktoidentifylandfor prawns, crab and shrimp production.

To support this, the government will finance the construction of processing

and cold storage facilities to enhance the value of their produce.

interventionatGoedFortuin forms part of a broader national strategy to raise the

standard of facilities to supportgrassrootseconomic activity,suchasfishing.

Theprojectformspartof NDIA’s $81 billion allocation which was approved in the 2026 nationalbudget.

Armed bandits “wake-up” victim in Albouystown robbery

Twobanditsreportedlywoke-upamanat gun point during a home invasion around 03:00 hrs. On Sunday at Victoria Street, Albouystown,demandingcashandjewellery

Reports reaching Kaieteur News are that the bandits escaped with one Blu cellphone valued at $20,000, an iPhone valued at $140,000, a total of $425,000 in cash and a quantityofgoldjewellery Policesaidthatthe victim,a51-year-oldconstructionworker,is atenantatthelocationwithhiswife,anurse.

Herecalledthathewassleepinginhisbed when he was awoken at gunpoint by a man armed with a handgun. The second suspect wasreportedlyarmedwithaknife.

Thebanditsreportedlydemandedthathe

gave money and jewellery Fearful of being shot,hepulledopenhisnightstanddrawerto hand over the money but the bandits had alreadycleaneditoutbeforewakinghim-up.

Afterinformingthemthatthemoneywas gone, the bandits reportedly reminded him thathehasgoldandtheywantedittoo.

He complied and went over to a pair of sneakers where he had stashed a quantity of goldandgaveittothem.

The suspects did not stop there, but ransacked the home and other bedrooms where they stole some more cash and cellphonesbeforeescapingbyjumpingfence andrunningwestonSussexStreet.

Investigationsareongoing.

Guyana defends sovereignty at ICJ against Venezuela’s claims

In a historic opening statementattheInternational Court of Justice (ICJ) on Monday, Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, characterised the territorial controversy withVenezuelaasamatterof national survival, asserting that the case holds an “existential quality” for the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

Leading a high-level delegation to the final oral

hearings on the merits, Minister Todd argued that Venezuela’s claim threatens to dismember the nation by strippingawaymorethan70 per cent of its recognised sovereign territory This land, he noted, has been recognisedasanintegralpart of the country for more than 126 years, including the six decades since Guyana achievedindependence.

Minister Todd focused on the profound human and emotional cost of the

dispute, stating that for the Guyanesepeople,itistragic even to think about having the country dismembered. He argued that losing the vast majority of the land would also mean losing its people, history, traditions, customs, and precious ecology, concluding that “Guyanawouldnolongerbe without them.” It is for this reason, and because of Guyana’s conviction in its rights under international law,thatPresidentIrfaanAli

mandated the delegation to lead these opening remarks and underscore the existentialnatureofthecase fortheGuyanesepeople.

The legal core of

Guyana’s submission is that t h e c a s e i s a s “straightforward as it is consequential.” It concerns the title to nearly 160,000 squ

y, which was recognised as part of British Guyana by the award of a unanimous arbitral tribunal

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd during his delivery at the ICJ.

in October 1899 This tribunal consisted of five of the most eminent jurists of thateraandwastheresultof an exhaustive legal process involving over 5,000 pages of written arguments and a hearingthatlastedmorethan three months with over 200 hours of oral submissions. Todd asserted that the 1899 award and the 1905 boundary agreement are without question legally valid and binding, noting that Venezuela consistently respected the award in practice, maps, and legislationuntil1962.

Minister Todd also addressed the “ominous growth” of Venezuela’s recent military activities, citing the construction of new bases, airfields, and the deployment of aircraft and heavyweaponstotheborder area. He reminded the court of Venezuela’s efforts to derail the case, including a 2023 national referendum seeking support to reject the court’s jurisdiction and formally incorporate the Essequibo Despite provisional measures from the court prohibiting such steps, Todd noted that Venezuela proceeded to issue executive decrees and national legislation to reject the court’s authority, describing the claim as a “blightonourexistenceasa sovereignstate.”

Following the minister, Ambassador Donnett Street addressed the court on the geographical and human context of the Essequibo. She emphasised that the claim is directed at the very h e a r t o f G u y a n a , encompassing six of the country’s ten administrative regions For a small developing nation, she argued, the loss of nearly three-quartersofitsterritory would not be a mere border adjustmentbutthe“effective destruction of the country.” She described the region as

the“engineofoureconomic development,” citing its gold, bauxite, and manganese deposits, its agricultural significance in rice and cattle, and the potential for oil and gas in adjacentwaters.

Ambassador Street further detailed the ecological and cultural treasures found within the region, most notably, the IwokramaRainforest,which shecalledthe“greenheartof Guyana” and one of the last four untouched tropical rainforests in the world. She highlighted the Essequibo River,thelongestinGuyana at 1,014 kilometers, and its tributaries as the “arteries of our national life ” Most importantly,shespokeofthe 313,175 people who live there, including nine Indigenous groups and descendants of African and Asian laborers. She noted that in the September 2025 elections, nine members of parliament were elected from the region, affirming that the people of the Essequibo identify completely with the sovereignstateofGuyana. Guyana’s advisor on bordersandagenttotheICJ, Carl Greenidge, then providedahistoricalaccount of the territory, beginning withthearrivaloftheDutch in1598.Heclarifiedthatthe Dutch were the first Europeans to establish themselves, founding the colonyofEssequiboby1616 and settling westward toward th

g

p

n

dly remarked that the Spanish were “nowhere to be found” east of the Orinoco, with their nearest outpost over 650 kilometers away He traced the transfer of the colonies to Great Britain via the 1814 Convention of London and the subsequent commissioning of the SchomburgLinesurveyin

Continued on page 22

Guyana tells ICJ Venezuela recognised 1899 Arbitral Award as legally binding for decades

Professor Nilufer Oral, one of the international law professors arguing the Guyana/Venezuela border case at the International CourtofJustice(ICJ)toldthecourt onMondaythatthereisresounding evidence that Venezuela had long acceptedthe1899arbitralawardon theboundaryaslegallybinding.

Oral,aleadingauthorityonthe lawofthesea,directoroftheCentre for International Law at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and member of the UN InternationalLawCommissiontold the court that in fact for more than 60 years, Venezuela accepted the 1899ArbitralTribunalAwardofthe landboundary,andneverregistered anyobjections.

“The evidence is resoundingly clear that from the very instant whenthe1899awardwasdelivered some 127 years ago, until 1962 Venezuela constantly accepted, recognised, complied with and insisted on strictly following the award. It was well aware of any possible grounds for challenging the award, as much as Venezuela nowdeniesthis.”

Thelawyeralludedtoatleast16 official Venezuela maps spanning the period where the Bolivarian Republichadratifiedtheawardwas lawful.

“…The time gap is more than 60 years, 10 times longer Venezuela’sfailuretochallengethe 1899 award thus produces legal consequences. By 1962, it was too lateforVenezuelatomakeaviable legal challenge on grounds known toitformorethansixdecades.Inits more candid moments, Venezuela itselfrecognisedtheweaknessofits argument The same foreign minister who asserted the first formalchallengetothe1899award in February 1962, Dr Falcon Briseno wrote that existing jurisprudence would, ‘oppose a situation of this kind,’ namely, a challenge to an award whose validity had already been long accepted.”

Shenotedtoothat, Venezuelan officials repeatedly expressed satisfaction and depicted the outcomeasavictory,havinggained the most valuable part of the disputedterritory,themouthofthe OrinocoRiver

Theinternationallawprofessor alsoproducedamapthatVenezuela submitted to the United Nations and reflected Guyana as demarcated by the 1899 land boundaryaward.

“There were no deviations, not a single one throughout this period,”shestated.

The professor emphasised that Venezuela has nevertheless now conjured up a new argument to avoid the legalrealitythatfor over 60 years it has accepted, applied andacquiescedinthe1899award.

“Venezuela now contends that

the1966Genevaagreementgaveit a new right to challenge the 1899 award it had clearly supported duringthosedecades.

UNSUPPORTED CLAIM

In his argument, British law professorPhilippeSandsaddressed the 1944 Mallet-Prevost MemorandumonwhichVenezuela premised its renewed claim to Guyana’sEssequiboterritory

He described the claim as “a concoctedfantasy”unsupportedby documentary evidence, historical r e c o r d s , d i p l o m a t i c correspondence, or tribunal archives. “There is not a shred of evidence,”hetoldthejudges.

Sands told the court that the purported statements attributed to Mallet-Prevost must be viewed with caution, noting that they may not have been authored by an impartial observer, but rather by

someone with a deep allegiance to Venezuela who had spent years advocatingforitsterritorialclaims.

Meanwhile, Paul Reichler, representingGuyana,toldthepanel ofjudgesthatVenezuela’sposition collapses under the weight of the historical record. He noted that Venezuela had not only pushed for arbitration with Great Britain, but had also relied heavily on the United States to pressure Britain into agreeing to that process “Venezuela requested the protection of the United States in order to resist Great Britain’s conduct and reach a peaceful solution to the territorial dispute,” Reichler said, quoting Venezuela’s ownpleadings.

Reichler further told the court that in April 1897, Venezuela’s President, Joaquín Crespo, praised the treaty, dismissing any current claims that it had been signed in error

He noted that Crespo as expressing gratitude to the United Statesforitsroleinnegotiatingthe agreement,describingtheoutcome as an effort “worthy of praise and gratitude” by those familiar with thecomplexitiesofthematter.

The treaty was subsequently ratified by the Venezuelan Congress through a legislative decreeonApril17,1897.“Noneof these facts—none of them—are or can legitimately be disputed,” Reichleremphasised.

He argued that Venezuela cannot now claim it was excluded, deceived, or coerced into a treaty that it actively sought and later celebrated. “It was not until 1963, 66 years after it ratified the treaty, that Venezuela first began to find faultwithit,”hetoldthecourt.

Venezuela’sassertionthatthetreaty wasnegotiated“behinditsback”by theUnitedStatesandGreatBritain. “The bottom line, Mr President, is thatVenezuelacannotcomeupwith any basis—any legitimate basis whatsoever—for invalidating the 1897 treaty, or for invalidating the 1899 arbitralaward on thebasis of an allegedly invalid compromise,” hesaid.

He further dismissed Venezuela’s claim that it had been coerced into signing the treaty, noting that Venezuela’s own president at the time described the agreement as having been presentedwith“nocoerciveintent” and with full respect for Venezuela’ssovereignty “Howcan they say they were coerced?” Reichlerasked.

Providing historical context, Reichler reiterated that Venezuela had “accepted, respected, and complied” with the 1899 arbitral awardformorethan60yearsbefore formally challenging its validity in a letter to the United Nations Secretary-General in 1962. He noted that even then, Venezuela maintained that the 1897 treaty itselfremainedvalid.

“Mr. President, the evidence you have now seen from the contemporaneous documentary record thoroughly defeats Venezuela’s challenge to the 1897 treaty that it was somehow negotiatedbehinditsback,without the involvement of its representatives,andwithoutregard for its interests,” the lawyer for Guyanaconcluded.

VENEZEULA’S FLAGRANT DEFIANCE

In his submission, British barrister,EdwardCraventoldthe Continued on page 22

U.S. and Iran escalate attacks in Strait of Hormuz

DUBAI/WASHINGTO

N, May 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. and Iran launched new attacks in the Gulf on ​Mondayastheywrestledfor control over the Strait of Hormuz with duelling maritimeblockades,shaking afragiletruce.

The fresh volleys of missiles and drones came after U.S. President Donald Trumplaunchedaneweffort tostrandedtankersandother ships through the strait, the vital energy-trade chokepoint that has been virtually closed since the U.S.andIsraelbeganattacks on Iran in February, a war that has killed thousands of peopleacrosstheregion.

BeforeMondaywasout, severalmerchantshipsinthe Gulf reported explosions or fires, the U.S. said it had destroyed six small Iranian militaryboats,andanoilport intheUnitedArabEmirates, which hosts a large U.S. militarybase,wassetablaze byIranianmissiles.

Trumpgavescantdetails about his new effort, which hecalled"ProjectFreedom," to help stuck ships to travel through the ​strait when he announced it on social media,twodaysafteralegal deadlineunderU.S.lawhad passed for him to get authorizationfromCongress for the war Trump told Congress the war was "terminated" and the deadline was moot, a ​claim disputed by some lawmakers.

It was the first apparent attempttousemilitaryforce since last month's ceasefire announcement to unblock the world's most important energyshippingroute,which Iran'sIslamicRevolutionary Guard ⁠Corps has said can only happen with its permission.

The cost of shipping insurance has also rocketed. For weeks, the U.S. Navy

hasblockadedIran'stradeby sea, which Iran says is itself anactofwar

ButTrump'slatestmove, at least initially, ​appeared to have backfired, bringing no surge of merchant ship traffic while provoking a promisedshowofforcefrom Iran,whichhasthreatenedto respond to any escalation with new attacks on its neighbours hosting U S soldiers.

M a j o r s h i p p i n g companies said they were likely to wait for ​an agreed end to hostilities before tryingtocrossthestrait.

Iran's Foreign Minister

Abbas Araqchi said Monday's events showed there was no military solutiontothecrisis.Hesaid peacetalkswereprogressing with Pakistan's mediation while warning the U.S. and the UAE against being drawn into a "quagmire by ill-wishers."

"Project Freedom is Project Deadlock," he wrote onsocialmedia.

Nonetheless, the U S military said two U S merchant ships made it through the strait, without saying when, with the support of Navy guidedmissile destroyers While Iran denied any crossings had taken place in recent hours, Maersk said the Alliance Fairfax, a U.S.flaggedship,exitedtheGulf via the Strait of Hormuz accompanied ​by the U.S. militaryonMonday

The commander of U.S. forces in the region said his fleethaddestroyedsixsmall Iranian boats, which Iran alsodenied.

Admiral Brad Cooper said he "strongly advised" Iranian forces to keep clear of U S military assets carryingout​themission.

Iranian authorities released a map of what they said was an expanded sea

areanowundertheircontrol, extending far beyond the strait to include long stretches of the UAE's coastline.

South Korea reported one of its merchant ships, HMM Namu, in the strait suffered an explosion and fire in its room, though no ⁠one aboard was hurt, and a spokesman said it was unclearifthefirewascaused by an attack or originated internally

The British maritime security agency UKMTO reported two ships had been hitoffthecoastoftheUAE, andtheEmiratioilcompany ADNOC said one of its emptyoiltankerswashitby Iraniandrones.

Afterreporteddroneand missile attacks inside the UAE throughout the day, including one that caused a fireatFujairah,animportant oil port, the UAE said Iranian attacks marked a serious escalation and it reservedtherighttorespond. Fujairah lies beyond the strait, making it one of few export routes for Middle Eastoilthatdoesnotrequire passingthroughit.

Its government also said that it was implementing remote learning for school students​forsafetyreasons.

Iran's state television network said military officials ​had confirmed they attacked the UAE in response to the "U S military'sadventurism."

Earlier, Iran said it had fired on a U.S. warship approaching the strait, forcing it to turn around.An initialIranianreporthadsaid a U.S. warship was struck, but the U.S. denied this and Iranian officials later describedthefireaswarning shots.

Reuters could not independentlyverifythefull situation in the strait on Mondayasthewarringsides

Pres. Ali urges nations to shelve energy transition...

Frompage13 minerals. Against this backdrop the head of state said proceeding responsibly with improved technology, stronger governance, andfairerdistributionofbenefits,canbuildan energy balance that is both sustainable and just.

“AndIwanttointroducethisword,energy balance. I think we should all focus now on this new term, instead of energy transition, energybalance.

How do we achieve energy balance to create a win-win scenario for investors, the planet,andhumanity?Andsurely,thatshould be the shared and common objective of all nations,allgovernments,andallpeoples,”Ali said.

ThepresidentsharedGuyana'sexperience indefiningitsenergystrategy

He told conference delegates, “We have rejected the false choice between economic developmentandenvironmentalstewardship.

issued contradictory statements.

Oil ​prices jumped more than 5% in volatile trade on reports of the increased Iranianattacks.

Iran's unified command has told commercial ships and oil tankers that they neededtocoordinatewith​its armedforces.

"We warn that any foreign armed forces, especially the aggressive U.S. Army, will be attacked if they intend to approach and enter the Strait of Hormuz,"itsaid.

The U S and Israel suspended their bombing of

Iran four weeks ago, and U.S. and Iranian officials held one round of face-toface peace talks But attempts to set up further meetingshavefailed.

Iranian state media said on Sunday that the U.S. had conveyed its response to a 14-pointIranianproposalvia Pakistan, and Iran was reviewing it. Neither side gavedetails.

The Iranian proposal would postpone discussion of Iran's nuclear energy and research⁠programsuntilafter ​anagreementtoendthewar andresolvethestandoffover shipping. Trump said over

the weekend he was still studying it but would probably​rejectit.

The latest U S intelligence shows limited damage to Iran's nuclear program,whichIransaysisa purely peaceful civilian nuclear program, since the war began, officials told Reuters.

Iran's nuclear facilities were bombed by the U.S. andIsraelinattackslastyear Trump wants to remove Iran's stockpiles of enriched uraniumto​preventIranfrom processing it further to the point where it could make a nuclearweapon.

We have also rejected the notion that the energy transition could be pursued through a single pathway Instead, we have adopted a deliberate and integrated dual-track approach.”

Henotedthatthecountryisextractingthe full value of its hydrocarbon resources while simultaneously building renewable and lowcarbonsystems.

Ali highlighted that over the past five years, Guyana moved from policy to execution with the gas-to-energy project “a cornerstoneofthiseffort”.

Investments are also being made to upgradethenationalgridtosupplyaffordable electricity, improved generation and reliability and significantly reduced carbon emissions.

Ali noted that the country has also deployed solar farms, while advancing hydropower development and investing in windenergy

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NewCaribbeanHPVcampaign:“InMyHands”and ImmunizationManual:CaribbeanTemplateLaunched

In a strategic move to improve vaccination rates, the PanAmericanHealthOrganization (PAHO) has unveiled two landmark resources for theCaribbean:TheImmunizationManual,CaribbeanTemplate (2026 Edition) and the “In My Hands” multimedia HPVvaccinecampaign.

Both publications were recently launched by the PAHOCaribbeanSubregional ProgramCoordinationOffice at the start of Vaccination Week of the Americas in Guyana. Assistant Director (AD) of PAHO, Dr. Rhonda Sealey-Thomas highlighted that countries are strengthening their immunization systems,throughtheadoptionof new tools and guidelines, suchasExpandedProgramme forImmunizationself-assessmentsandthenewCaribbean Immunization Manual to strengthenprogrammeperformance.

Despite these important successes, the AD acknowledged that important challenges persist, such as declines in vaccination coverageandoutbreaksofvaccinepreventable diseases.

“Since November 2024, countries across the Americashaveexperiencedarisein measles cases.

What began as an outbreak in Canada subsequently spread to several countriesinCentralandSouth America.Itisaseriouspublic health threat and a strong reminder of the importance of safeguarding the progress achieved and of maintaining high vaccination coverage to prevent illness, death, and broader societal disruption,” Dr. Sealey-Thomas stated.

Trust is critical and remainsapriorityforPAHO.Dr Sealey-Thomas noted that sustaining progress will also depend on strengthening

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community engagement and participation in vaccination efforts, ensuring that trust, awareness, and access are reinforced at every level of society. “When parents hear from a source they trust, and when healthcare workers are confident and informed, uptake improves”, she explained.

Dr.KarenBroome,PAHO Advisor for Immunization, urged healthcare workers in the region to use the manual and materials as they were designedspecificallyforCaribbeanrealities.

“The manual was producedforNationalImmunization Programs in the Caribbean. It brings together, in oneplace,everythingrelated to the Expanded Program on Immunization.Italsoreflects something we sometimes take for granted - that immunization is not only about children – it is about protec-

tion across the life course. It isadolescentsreceivingHPV vaccines to safeguard their future, pregnant women protecting themselves and their babies, healthcare workers shieldedfromcommunicable diseases, and older persons protected in their golden years.

This manual helps us to deliver that – consistently,” Dr.Broomestated.

The “In My Hands” campaignarrivesatacriticaljuncture.WomenintheCaribbean arecurrentlythreetimesmore likelytodiefromcervicalcancer than those in North America - a statistic Dr. Broome described as unacceptable for a preventable disease now

“We have safe, effective vaccines. Vaccinating girls beforeage15offersthestrongest protection.And still, too manychildrenacrosstheCaribbean remain unvacci-

nated… Many parents and caregivers still lack clear, trustedinformationaboutthe linkbetweenHPVandcancer So,thiscampaigndoessomething deliberate. It confronts those realities. It affirms that the HPV vaccine supports healthandprotectionofchildren and adolescents across our region. It dispels myths with clear, accessible messages that HPV vaccine is safe, effective, and prevents cancer,” Dr. Broome expressed.

The“InMyHands”campaign is designed for local adaptation and includes:

• Radio and video public advertisements

• Social media assets

• Educational posters forcommunityclinics

Vaccination Week in the Americas, was recognized from 25 April -2 May 2026 under the theme “Your decision makes a difference”.

Guyana tells ICJ Venezuela recognised...

From page 20 ICJ that Guyana is seeking sanctions against Venezuela for breaching the court’s December2023provisionalmeasures order That order required Venezuela to refrain from taking any action that would alter the status quo in the disputed territory

Craven explained that Venezuela disregarded this directive by proceeding with a consultative referendum aimedateffectivelyannexing the Essequibo region. According to him, the referendum sought to amend Venezuela’s constitution to incorporatetheterritory,register Guyanese residents to voteinVenezuelanelections, and designate the area as a defence zone.

He argued that, as a consequence of these violations, thecourtshouldrequireVenezuelatorevokealllaws,decrees,anddomesticmeasures

adopted in breach of its order

Thisincludesanylegislation asserting sovereignty over Guyana’s territory and actionsextendingVenezuelan legislative, “These measures are requested because Venezuelaisundertheobligation by way of reparation for its breaches of the provisional measures, to reestablish the situation which would, in all probability, have existed if those breaches had not been committed,” Craven reasoned.

He emphasised to the court that Venezuela has openlydefieditsauthority.He pointed out that less than 48 hours before the hearings, Caracas issued a statement reaffirming that it does not recognisethecourt’sjurisdiction and would not be bound by its rulings.

Describing a pattern of escalating non-compliance,

Cravennotedthatdespitethe ICJ’s unanimous order on December1,2023,Venezuela proceeded with the referendum just two days later and subsequently announced the creation of a so-called “state of Guyana Essequiba.”

“These borders are binding and create international legalobligationsforVenezuela,”Cravensaid,addingthat theCourt’sordershadclearly beenviolatedandrequireappropriateremedies.

Hemaintainedthatreversing these actions is a logical legalconsequenceandwould not be difficult or burdensomeforVenezuelatoimplement.

Besides the legal team, Guyana’s delegation at the ICJhearingsincludesForeign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd, Attorney General Anil Nandlall, Agent to the Court CarlGreenidge,andDirector ofFrontiersDonnetteStreete.

Guyana defends sovereignty at ICJ...

From page 18 the 1830s, led by the distinguished geographer RobertSchomburg. Greenidge concluded by highlighting the historical ironythatitwasVenezuelaitselfthatoriginallyinsistedon arbitration in the late 19th

century After breaking off diplomaticrelationswithBritainin1887,Venezuelaturned to the United States for supporttosecurethe1897Treaty of Washington. For sixty years,Venezuelaheraldedthe resulting 1899 award as a triumph,expressinggratitudeto

theU.S.foritsrole.Greenidge argued that Venezuela’s current attacks on the treaty are “belated and totally unpersuasive,” as the legal teampreparedtodemonstrate why the award remains binding on both nations to this day

Happy Arrival Day

ERC: Arrival Day stands as a tribute to resilience

TheEthnicRelationsCommission(ERC) extends warm greetings to all Guyanese on the observance of Arrival Day 2026, a significant national occasion that invites reflection on the journeys, sacrifices, and enduring legacy of the many peoples who came to Guyana's shores and shaped our nation'srichanddiverseidentity

Observed on May 5, this occasion also markstheanniversaryofthearrivalofthefirst EastIndianindenturedlabourerstoGuyanain 1838,followingEmancipationandtheendof slavery.Arrival Day, however, speaks to the widerhistoricaljourneyofthemanypeoples whose presence and contributions have shaped our nation, including our African brothersandsisters,whoseresilience,labour, and sacrifice during the painful period of enslavement helped lay the foundations of Guyana, as well as the Portuguese, who arrived in 1835, the Chinese in 1853, and otherethnicgroupingswhocameintheyears thereafter

Equally significant are the enduring contributions of our First Peoples, our Indigenous brothers and sisters, who were herelongbeforeandremainanintegralpartof Guyana's identity, heritage, and national story

ArrivalDaythereforestandsasatributeto theresilience,perseverance,andsacrificesof our foreparents, whose cultures, traditions, faiths, and values continue to enrich Guyana andstrengthenourcollectiveidentity Arrival Day also reaffirms the strength of Guyana's plurality

The convergence of cultures, faiths, and traditions has created a unique Guyanese identity rooted in mutual respect, shared heritageandtolerance.

The Commission encourages all citizens to continue embracing this diversity as a foundation for unity, understanding, and peaceful coexistence, while honouring the contributionsofthosewhocamebeforeus.

HappyArrivalDay!

GTUC: Honouring Our Roots, Strengthening Our Unity

The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC)extendswarmArrivalDaygreetings toallGuyaneseaswejoinincommemorating this important national observance, a day dedicated to honouring the diverse peoples whosejourneys,sacrifices,andlabourhelped buildthenationweproudlycallhome.

Arrival Day reminds us of the significance of May 5, 1838, when the Whitby arrived on the shores of then British Guiana with the first group of East Indian indenturedlabourers.Butthisdayrepresents farmorethanonechapterinourhistory.Itisa time to recognise all those who came to this land—whetherthroughancientmigration,in chains as enslaved Africans, as indentured labourers from India, China, Portugal and Africa,orasvoluntarymigrantsinsearchofa betterlifeandopportunity

Each arrival story—whether born of force,hardshiporhope—ispartofthefabric oftheGuyanesestory

These communities, through their endurance, sacrifices and labour, laid the foundation for the social, political and economic development of Guyana. Their struggles and triumphs helped shape the resilientanddiversesocietyweinherittoday

The GTUC pays tribute to our ancestors and honours their descendants, recognising

the invaluable contributions they made and continue to make to the building of this nation. Arrival Day is also a reminder that regardless of how our foreparents arrived, every Guyanese stands equal in dignity, worth and entitlement to opportunity As we reflect on our shared history, the GTUC renewsitscallforaninclusiveGuyana—one where democracy is participatory, where all voicesarerespected,andwherenocitizenis marginalised because of race, class, heritage orpoliticalpersuasion.

At a time when our nation is undergoing significant economic transformation, we mustensurethatthewealthofthiscountryis distributedequitablyandfairly,sothatevery citizen benefits and no community is left behind.

Arrival Day is not only about remembrance; it is a call to recommit ourselves to justice, unity and shared purpose. Let us reject division and embrace the common humanity that binds us. Let us honour the sacrifices of those who came before by building a Guyana rooted in fairness,equalityandopportunityforall.On thisArrivalDay,maywerememberourpast with pride, embrace our diversity with respect,andshapeourfuturewithunity

HappyArrivalDaytoallGuyanese.

Oil prices jump 6% as Iran sets UAE oil port ablaze, strikes vessels in Strait of Hormuz

(Reuters) - Oil prices jumped about 6% on Monday as Iran stepped up attacks on the United Arab Emirates and ships in the MiddleEastGulfthepast24 hours, the most serious escalation since a U.S.-Iran ceasefire came into force in earlyApril.

Brentfuturesrose$6.27, or 5.8%, to settle at $114.44 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) cruderose$4.48,or4.4%,to settleat$106.42.

Iran hit several ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and set a UAE oil port ablaze, as President Donald Trump's attempt to usetheU.S.Navytofreeup shipping provoked the war's biggest escalation since a ceasefire was declared four weeksago.

The UAE said its air defenses were engaging missile and drone threats on M

firefightersbattledablazeat a major oil industry zone followingadroneattackthat a

d originatedfromIran.

The U.S. military said it destroyed six Iranian small boatsandinterceptedIranian cruise missiles and drones fired by Tehran as it sought to thwart a new U.S. naval effort to open shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy, meanwhile, issuedamapthatitsaidwas expanding the areas controlled by Iran near the Strait of Hormuz to include the UAE's ports of Fujairah and Khorfakkan as well as thecoastofUmmAlQuwain emirate in the UAE, according to Iranian news agencies.

About 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas

A pump jack operates outside of Midland, Texas, U.S. June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Eli Hartman

supplies passed through the strait before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes againstIranonFebruary28.

"Oil will remain above $100 and U S gasoline priceswillreach$5agallon by June without a deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz," analysts from consultancy EurasiaGroupsaidinanote. MotoristsinCaliforniawere already paying $6 a gallon

INTHEGULF

Iran may have attacked fourshipsintheGulfregion over the past 24 hours, includingvesselsfromSouth KoreaandtheUAE.

There was a fire and an explosion on a vessel operated by South Korean shipper HMM 011200.KS, opens new tab in the on Monday, the fo

eign ministryinSeoulsaid.

forgasoline.

Earlier in the day, the U.S. military said two U.S. merchant ships had made it through the strait, without sayingwhen.Irandeniedany crossingshadtakenplace.

VESSELSATTACKED

TheUAEaccusedIranof attackinganemptycrudeoil tanker belonging to Abu DhabistateoilfirmADNOC withdronesasitattemptedto transittheStrait.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), meanwhile, said it received a report ​of an incident involving a cargo

vessel about 36 nautical miles north of Dubai. The UKMTO also reported a separate incident earlier in thedayneartheUAE.

Separately, the energy minister in the UAE, which leftOPEClastweek,saidthe country owes it to its investment partners to produce what global oil markets require without

cooperatingwithothercrude producers.

OPEC and its allies, known as OPEC+, said they would raise oil

188,000 barrels per day

members, marking the third consecutivemonthly increase.

At least 130 Nigerians seek repatriation from South Africa after protests, Abuja says

(Reuters)-Atleast130Nigeriancitizens inSouthAfricahaveaskedtobeflownhome following protests targeting foreigners, Nigerian Foreign Bianca OdumegwuOjukwusaid.

The applicants are the first under a new Nigerian government-assisted repatriation scheme, the minister said on Sunday, amid fears that confrontations in South Africa could escalate Protesters held rallies in Pretoria and Johannesburglast week,

"Nigeria seeks full cooperation in providing autopsy reports, post-mortem documentation,andrelevantcasefiles,andin access to legal processes for the families of the deceased," Ebienfa said, adding that accountability should include "appropriate disciplinary and prosecutorial action" where wrongdoingisestablished.

South Africa last month promised to crack down on anyone carrying out xenophobic attacks after Ghana and other

Members of civil society groups and human rights organisations hold placards as they take part in a march calling for stronger government action against illegal immigration in Pretoria, South Africa, April 28, 2026. REUTERS/Ihsaan Haffejee/File Photo

demanding tougher action against illegal immigration, saying undocumented foreign nationals were putting pressure on jobs, security and public services. Migrant-rights groups say foreigners are often scapegoated forSouthAfrica'seconomicproblems.

Nigeriacondemnstheviolenceagainstits citizensinSouthAfrica,includingthedeaths of two Nigerians allegedly assaulted by security officials, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, a spokesperson for the Ministry of ForeignAffairs,saidonMonday

African countries reported that their nationals had faced violence and discrimination.More protests were planned on May 4 and May 8 and Nigeria would be watching developments closely, the governmentsaid.

It had already summoned SouthAfrica's High Commissioner in Abuja over the situation, and its diplomatic missions in South Africa are working with local authorities to reduce risks to Nigerians, the foreignministersaid.

Guyana drawn in Group A as FIBA Men's Caribbean Championship returns to Georgetown retur

Guyana will compete in Group A of the upcoming FIBAMen's Caribbean Championship.

Guyana will

compete in

Group A of the upcoming FIBA Men's Caribbean Championship, set for July 8–12 at the Cliff AndersonSportsHall,asthe regionaltournamentmakesa long-awaited return after a seven-yearhiatus.

ThedrawplacesGuyana alongside Dominica, Turks and Caicos Islands,Antigua &Barbuda,andBermudain what is expected to be a competitivegroup.

Meanwhile, Group B features Haiti, Grenada, Cayman Islands, Barbados, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, completing the 10-team lineup for the

championship.

The tournament, organised under FIBA, will followaround-robinformat, with each team playing every opponent in its group once.

At the conclusion of groupplay,onlythetopteam from each group will advance to the next stage of the FIBA AmeriCup 2029 Pre-Qualifiers, raising the stakes for all participating nations.

For Guyana, hosting the championship represents a significant moment in the country'sbasketballhistory

Itwillmarkthefirsttime since 1994 that Guyana has hosted the prestigious

Tuesday May 05, 2026

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19

You have a great deal of physical energy, Aries. At times,youmayfeelasifyou haveanendlesswellspringof power You're at a climactic point in your yearly cycle, when things are coming to a dramaticapex.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Finding the comfort point may be difficult for you, Taurus. You might feel as if you aren't connecting with your ideals or goals. Even though you try to put things intomotion.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Yourupbeat,livelynatureis fueled by the fast-paced energy at hand. You have a great deal of physical strengthavailabletoyou,

CANCER(June21–July22)

Your indecisiveness may plague you, Cancer This is one of those times when you feel as if one second of hesitationwillcostyoudearly

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

You're now in a terrific positiontomakeasignificant moveinyourlife,Leo.Witha greatdealofphysicalenergy coupled with incredibly high self-esteem.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

Youmightfeelasifyoucan't access your physical energy now, Virgo You may experience frustration when you try to engage in a sport.

regional competition, while also rekindling memories of 1981 when Guyana hosted the inaugural edition of the tournament.

The return of the championship signals renewed momentum for the spo

, w

stakeholders eager to capitaliseontheopportunity to showcase Guyana on the regionalstage.

Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF) President Michael Singh expressed conf

he federation's readiness to deliver a high-quality event. He noted that preparations are well advanced, with systemsbeingputinplaceto

ensure a smooth and professionally executed tournament.

Singh also described the draw as favourable for the home side but stressed that expectations extend beyond merelyadvancing.

itself,Singhunderscoredthe broader significance of the event, calling on corporate Guyana to support the initiative.

engagement with Sport Ministers Charles

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

our physical vitality should be quite strong, Libra, and you'reencouragedbygreater self-confidence At the same time,however,someoneseems to be trying to ruffle your feathers

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)

Things could be moving morequicklythanmakesyou comfortable right now, Scorpio. You may feel as if your own needs and agenda are getting lost in the fury bubblingaroundyou.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

Your physical strength is topnotch,Sagittarius.Nowis a terrific time to join a sports teamorstartacompanysoccer program Others will respect yourleadershipabilities

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

You may feel indecisive, insecure, and stuck in the middleofadifficultsituation, Capricorn.Yourenergycould be drawn in one direction whileyourself-confidenceis pulledinanother

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

Communication with others should be very effective, Aquarius, and your social calendarwillbefull.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Relating to people may be difficultforyou,sinceyouget thefeelingthatothersdon'tsee thingsasdeeplyoremotionally asyou,Pisces Perhapsyoufeel everyoneisshallow

According to the GBF president, Guyana's ambition is to secure a toptwo finish to progress in the AmeriCup pathway while simultaneously contending forthechampionshiptitleon homesoil.

Beyond the competition

He highlighted that strongprivatesectorbacking willbevital,notonlyforthe successful staging of the tournament but also for maximising its economic andpromotionalimpact.

On the government side, Singh pointed to ongoing collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Youth andSport,confirmingactive

Frompage33

Three-year-old and overWI Bred with a remarkable win from behind. After moving from the Jagdeo Racing Stables, Here Comes Heidi found a new home at the Biso Racing Stables. Mulan was leading the race early but had to settle for second while Amicable Kate finishedthird.

The second half of the race-day programme was a masterclass produced by Grande Rainha in the F ClassandLowerrace.

Owned by the Appadu racing stales, trained by WinstonAppaduandpiloted byJockeyRonaldoAppadu, it was a clinic from Grande Rainha, who has now chalked up three wins in as manyoutings.

Royal Rocks had to sit fivelengthsbehindtofinish second while Kanem ran in thirdposition.

The prodigy jockey, ArvinDhanrajcontinuedhis dreamday,winningintheK & L Maiden open for first time starters for Fillies and Mares. He piloted Country Gold to an early start and a dominant finish. Easy Star advanced to second while She'saDancerclaimedthird and Black Beauty finished fourth.

In race eight, the K & L Maiden open to first time starters for Colts and Geldings,StormAgaintook pole position while Top Rankin finished second Patriotism ran third while Damage Control finished fourth.

Thisracewassponsored by Js Supermarket, Jumbo Jet, Premium Asphalt, AJM andSlingerzRacingStables.

Headley'sglobalCoachingmilestonetoelevate Guyana'sathleticspathways

The Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) has hailed a significant step forward in the development of athletics, following the successfulcompletionofthe prestigious International Coaching Enrichment Certification Programme (ICECP) by Kenisha Headley

Headley, a respected sports administrator, Head Teacher,athleticscoach,and Assistant Secretary of the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG), completed the year-long programme at the University of Delaware, marking a major personal milestone and a boost for Guyana's athletics framework.

Her participation in the s c h o l a r s h i p - b a s e d programme came through nomination by the AAG, endorsed by the GOA, and supported by Olympic Solidarity The initiative forms part of the GOA's

expertise and coaching capacity across national sportingfederations.

The ICECP, which ran fromApril2025toApril22, 2026, is delivered in collaboration with the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic and ParalympicCommittee.

Itbringstogetheraselect group of coaches and sports officials from around the world, equipping them with advanced knowledge in sport science, athlete development systems, talent identification, coaching educa

management.As part of the rigorous curriculum, Headley completed a thesis titled “A Strategic F r a m e w o r k f o r

Transitioning Youth and JuniorAthleticsSuccessand Ta l e n t i n t o E l i t e Performance, ” which

r e c e i v e d h i g h commendation for its practical relevance to Guyana's athletics landscape.

The research is expected to play a critical role in shaping structured athlete pathways, particularly in bridging the gap between juniorsuccessandelite-level performance.

Headley described the experienceasbothenriching and transformative, highlighting the exposure to world-class coaching systemsandmentorship.

She also pointed to the Lausanne module as a key componentinexpandingher technical expertise and professionalnetwork.

A defining moment of the programme, she noted, was receiving her diploma from Kirsty Coventry, the first female President of the International Olympic Committee Headley expressed gratitude to the

University of Delaware, the U S Olympic and Paralympic Committee, her tutor Randy Wilbur, as well as the AAG, GOA, her family, and supporters who contributed to her achievement With her certification jointly issued by the University of Delaware and the U S Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Headley now joins an international network of ICECP alumni, many of whom serve as leaders and change agents within their respective sportingsystems.

GOA President Godfrey Munroe underscored the significance of Headley's accomplishment, describing it as a reflection of the Association's commitment to investing in human capital “Mrs Headley's achievement represents exactly the type of strategic investment we continue to prioritise at the GOA, building human capacity to drive performance, sustainability, and excellence across our sporting landscape, ” Munroe stated. He added, that “Her successful

completion of this globally respected p

gramme positions her as a key resource in advancing athletics development in Guyana, particularly in strengthening the transition of our young talent to elite performancepathways.”

The GOA has indicated its intention to work closely with Headley and the AAG to implement her research findings, with the ultimate goal of creating sustainable systems that nurture and elevate Guyana's next generationoftrackandfield athletes.

Reliance Hustlers pick up second victory in Trinidad and Tobago

Reliance Hustlers Sports Club continued their winning ways on their maiden tour of Trinidad and Tobago after registering their secondwinfromtwogames.

On Saturday, the Essequibo Coast-based team defeated Transbrokerage X1 by five wicketsinanotherT20fixtureinCouva.

In their first outing against Munroe Cricket Club, Friday, Reliance Hustlers clinchedathrilling,one-runwin.

On this occasion, they inserted Transbrokerage X1 to take first strike. They kept them to a challenging 157-8 at the conclusion of the 20-overs while Reliance Hustlers responded with 158-5 with 12 balls remaining.

Their effort was led superbly by former GuyanayouthplayerNathanPersaudwith52 while his opening partner Narendra Madholallcontributed43.

The two-left-handed batters also participatedinasteady,76-runopeningstand tolayasolidfoundation.

Persaud struck two sixes and six fours during his half-century while Madholall slammedasixandsixboundaries.

Mark Gonsalves and Rovindra Parasram keptthemomentumintheinningswith25and 19notoutrespectivelyasDavidMohammed grabbed 2-24 for the home-team on a responsivetrack.

Earlier, Sahadeo, only name given, hit a top-score for Transbrokerage X1 with 52 whileAnilBadiaseadded27notout.

Sahadeo batted with a great amount of

aggression as well clobbering six sixes and twofours.Persaudwasnamedplayer-of-thematch for his outstanding, batting performance.

Meanwhile,theGuyaneseboyswereback inactionyesterday,MondayattheBrianLara Cricket Academy venue where they faced Cosmos Cricket Club in their third and final match. This time they will play a 30-over game.

Goals galore as ‘Stars Among Stars’ Futsal Championship kicks off in style

- Gold is Money, Sparta Boss, Ling Ave among winners on opening night

The 2026 Stars

Among Stars F u t s a l Championship burst into effect on Sunday evening at the National Gymnasium, delivering a thrilling opening night packed with goals, drama, and dominant performances.

The Gymnaisum came alive on Sunday with a fastpaced Futsal showdown as eight matches lit up the court, setting the tone for what promises to be an intense month of futsal action. With 32 teams vying for supremacy and four million in cash and prizes at stake, the tournament is already showcasing some of thecountry'sfinesttalent.

Among the early standouts were Team Immaculate,Kingston,Gold is Money, East Coast All Stars, Team Family, Laing Avenue, Bent Steet and Sparta Boss, all of whom securedvictoriestoadvance.

TeamImmaculatesetthe pace in the tournament

opener, comfortably defeatingMaradBallers3-0. Marad struggled to recover after conceding early, as Immaculate maintained control throughout the encounter

Kingston edged North Ruimveldt in a closely contested3-2battle,holding onto a narrow lead despite persistent pressure North Ruimveldt's fightback fell just short, handing them an earlysetback.

Sparta Boss starts well in Stars Among Stars Futsal competition with 8-0 thrashing over Ballers Family

GoldisMoneydelivered oneofthemostcommanding performances of the night, dismantling Pike Street Sports Bar 7-0 Their relentless attack and clinical finishing left little doubt abouttheirtitleambitions.

In the evening's most competitive clash, East Coast All Stars overcame Team Make it Happen via penalties after a 3-3 draw in regulation time. Both sides tradedgoalsbutwereunable to find a winner before the shootout.

Team Family advanced with a convincing 4-1 win over Determine Ballers, Bent Street upset Young Stars 5-0, while Laing Avenue secured a hardfought 2-1 victory against Corinthians.

SpartaBossproducedthe

Frompage32 team finishing first in each group will advancedirectlytothesemi-finals,whilethe fourth-placed teams will contest classification matches for positions five througheight.

The second and third-placed teams will cross over (2B facing 3Aand 2Afacing 3B) withthewinnersadvancingtothesemi-finals againstthegroupleaders.

At the conclusion of the tournament, the top three teams will secure qualification for the FIBAWomen'sAmeriCup 2027, joining El Salvador, who have already qualified automatically as hosts of the continental competition.

According to the Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF), Guyana will enter the tournament aware of the challenge ahead, particularly in a group that includes Puerto Rico, who remain the dominant force in the competition.

most emphatic result of the night, thrashing Ballers Family 8-0 in a dominant display

Widely regarded as one ofthetournament'sstrongest contenders,SpartaBosssent aclearmessagetorivalswith their commanding performance.

Witheightteamsalready through, the competition continued yesterday with more preliminary matches, as teams battled for spots in theroundofsixteen.

The tournament will proceed with additional match days on May 9, 13, and 15, leading up to the semi-finals on May 29. The grandfinaleissetforJune5 at the CliffAnderson Sports Hall.

At stake is a top prize of $1 5 million and the

ThePuertoRicanwomen'steamhaswon the last four editions of the CentroBasket tournament, previously known as the Centrobasket Women's Championship, underlining the level of opposition Guyana willface.

Despite the tough draw, the GBF noted, that Guyana will be aiming to build on their recent progress and test themselves against higher-rankedopponents,withthelong-term goal of securing a historic AmeriCup qualification.

The exposure, the GBF said, is also expected to play a key role in the continued development of the women's game in Guyana As the tournament approaches, attention will turn to preparation and squad readiness, with Guyana hoping to deliver competitive performances on one of the region'smostimportantstages.

championship trophy, as teams compete not only for silverware but also for national recognition The

championship is being stagedwithsupportfromthe Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport under its “One

initiative, further highlighting its importance to the local sporting landscape.

Guyana women draw tough group for FIBA CentroBasket 2027 Qualifier

Guyana's women's

national basketball team will return to regional competition on the big stage when they contest the FIBA Women's CentroBasket Championship,scheduledfor July 12–18 at the Alexis Argüello Sports Complex in Managua,Nicaragua. The Guyanese side booked their place at the tournament after finishing secondattheFIBAWomen's Caribbean Championship, hosted at the CliffAnderson SportsHalllastyear Theirqualificationmarks

anotherimportantstepinthe country's growing presence

basketball,astheyprepareto face some of the strongest teamsintheAmericaszone. According to the draw, Guyana has been placed in G

Women's AMRI Cup groups

powerhouse Puerto Rico, El Salvador, and the United StatesVirginIslands.

GroupAconsistsofhosts Nicaragua, Mexico, The Bahamas,andtheDominican Republic, setting the stage for a highly competitive tournament featuring some

established basketball nations.

organised under FIBA, also serves as a qualifier for the FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2027. This edition introduces a

qualification.

Eachteamwillplayevery other team in its group once in a round-robin stage. The (Continuedonpage31)

FIFA bans former GFF General Secretary Ian Alves over sexual harassment findings

ByRawleToney

Former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary, Ian Alves, has been banned from all football-relatedactivitiesfor five years after the world governingbody,FIFA,found that he sexually harassed femalestaffmembers.

Thesanctionwashanded downbyFIFA'sindependent Ethics Committee, which alsoimposedafineof20,000 Swissfrancs(approximately US$22,000).

Alves, who abruptly resignedfromhispositionat the GFF in 2024, was found to have breached multiple provisionsofFIFA'sCodeof Ethics.According to a report from Reuters, the violations include breaches related to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position, and failure to adhere to general duties expected of football administrators.

The ruling effectively sidelines Alves from any involvement in the sport at both the national and international levels for the duration of the ban In response, the GFF acknowledged the decision of FIFA's Adjudicatory ChamberoftheIndependent Ethics Committee and confirmed its full cooperation throughout the investigation.

FIFA's logo is seen in front of its headquarters during a foggy autumn day in Zurich, Switzerland November 18, 2020.(REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann)

Thefederationstatedthat it had formally reported the matter and worked closely with FIFA in strict acco

applicable regulations and procedures.

“The Federation maintains a comprehensive framework of policies and codes of conduct that demand the highest s t

s o f professionalism, integrity, and accountability from all staff and officials. The GFF Council reiterates its zerotolerancestanceonanyform of abuse of power or misconduct,” the federation saidinanofficialrelease.

The GFF further emphasised its ongoing

c o m m i t m e n t t o transparency, good g o v e r n a n c e , a n d safeguardingtheintegrityof football in Guyana The

body noted that maintaining a safe and professional environment remains a top priority as it continues efforts to strengthen administrative standards within the sport.The case represents a significant development for football governance in Guyana, highlighting the importance ofaccountabilityatalllevels of administration. It also underscores FIFA's continued push to enforce ethical standards globally, particularly in matters involving abuse of authority and the welfare of individualswithinthegame. With the ruling now public, attention will likely turn to ensuring that structures remain in place locally to prevent similar incidents and reinforce trust in the management of the sport.

Jumbo Jet/Master Z wins double at Labour Day Cup

The Jumbo Jet Racing Stables/Master Z Racing Stables completed two astonishing victories at the Labour Day Cup at Kennard's Memorial Turf Club on Sunday afternoon.

Stat powered to a crushing gate-to-pole win in the feature race while Barbra won the sprint classic in a recordtimeofoneminute.

Jockey Colin Ross again showed his class, winning the two big races Stat overpowered Mapa Do Brasil (second) and Ritorna Vincentori (third) in the feature race which ran at nine furlongs. Ross ensured thatStatstoppedtheclockin one minute and 55 seconds, displayed the diversity and skill of Stat, in a longer

distancerace.

It was surely a dash for the cash in the penultimate five furlong race of the day Jumbo Jet's Racing Stables Barbra stopped the clock in exactlyoneminute,arecord time in the Arrival Day Sprint.

The race was surely a need for speed as Barbra, pilotedbyJockeyColinRoss

The winners row: Jumbo Jet/ Master Z Racing stables dominated.

outclassedacrowdedfield. Com

o Lea finished second while Hot and Lucky finished third. Night Beacon ended the sprintinfourth.

Afteradrizzleacrossthe track, the race day began in scintillating heat from GT Bosswhotookthetopspotin the L Class event. Doctor J finishedsecondwhileSecret Silence and Secret Traveller ran third and fourth respectively T h r e e D M o v i e displayed a timely run to clinchtheIClassracewhile Top Gun finished second. Bin Laden finished third while Country Rock ran fourth. The G Class and Lower WI Bred non-winner since August 2024 ended with a tense finish. Fourteen-yearold jockey Arvin Dhanraj showed great promise to pilot Soca Synergy to a memorable win Daring

Move ran second while Burbon Blitz ran third SupremeLeaderfinishedthe raceinfourth.

In race four, the Guyana Bred three-year-old horses, SummerTimewonbyseven lengths,inaneasywinwhile Monica Time ran in second. Miracle Boy covered great ground to end in third while Manishafinishedfourth. Here Comes Hedi made itthreeinthree,winningthe (Continuedonpage29)

MCYS/East Bank Inter Village Football...

Agricola and Kuru Kururu storm into semis;

Despiterainandovercast conditions on Sunday night, the heat was well and truly on, on the field of play when the quarter-finals of the inaugural MCYS / East Bank Inter Village

Football Tournament commenced with two rivetingclashes.

Agricola once again had torelyonalltheirexperience to stave off a valiant fight from the Soesdyke Linden Highway village of Swan, extra time was needed to separate the two villages withAgricolaprevailing5-3 intheend.

Theevening'sfirstmatch

s a w K u r u K u r u r u maintaining their unbeaten run with a hard fought 2-1 triumph over Upper Soesdykeastheysealedtheir final semi-final spot with their ever reliable veteran, Marvin 'Munro' Joseph stepping up to the plate for the third time in succession to see them through Butthestoryofthenightwas the feature showdown, Agricola picked up where theyleftoffafewweeksago against Mocha, as they canteredtowhatseemedlike a comfortable and even match winning 3-0 lead by th the17 minute.

Goals from Shemar th Sampson (5 ), Solomon

line up to be completed Tuesday night

Austin,thefirstofhisdouble th inthe13 minuteandSamuel Garnett placedAgricola in a very strong position and manyfeltitwouldhavebeen e

thereafter

But,itwasn'toverasyet, whilst Swan is less experienced,theyonceagain showed why they won their group as they again displayed a high level of fitnessthatalmostsawthem toppling Agricola

They {Swan} reduced the th advantage in the 40 minute when Christoff Roberts foundthebackofthenetsas thehalftimewhistle.

As the minutes went by in the second half, Agricola foundoutthattheSwanteam never quits coming at you, their fitness coming to the fore.

In the final five minutes of the match, Swan found a waytoadddiscomforttothe Agricola camp twice, with

unanswered goals. In the th86 ,itwastheirleadinggoal scorer,AbrahamWebb,now joint highest with Grove's Captain Domini Garnette (4 each)whorockedthenets.

Two minutes later, the score was leveled when Anderson Webber found the back of the nets with momentum now on their side In the ensuing 20 minutesofextratime,itwas Agricola which found their range once again and sealed the deal with goals either side of the period, Dennis Alexander (90+5), and Austin with his second

(90+18) that led Agricola intothesemis.

Kuru Kururu were sent into the lead by their most dependable player in the tournament so far, Marvin 'Munro' Joseph with a well th struck free kick in the 8 minute. But, in like-manner, Upper Soesdyke responded th in the 15 minute through TevinMarshall.

The game was virtually th settled in the 24 minute when Seith Adams' well taken header at the last post fromtheleftwasdrilledpast Upper Soesdyke' custodian, J u n i o r A d a m s

Thefocuswillnowbeonthe remaining two quarter-final matchups on Tuesday (this) evening. Grove will match skills with Kaneville in the main match from 21:00hrs with the curtain raiser between Timehri and Herstelling at 19:00hrs. Kuru Kururu will play the winner of the Timehri vs Herstelling match with Agricola set to take on the winner of the Grove vs Kaneville encounter in the semi-finals set for Friday The final and third-place games will be contested on Sunday

GBA, Home Affairs Ministry join forces to revive prison boxing for rehabilitation

…Prisoners set to compete in GBA National Novice in June

TheGuyanaBoxing

Association (GBA), under the leadershipofPresidentSteve Ninvalle,hasrenewedefforts to revive boxing within the nation's prison system

through a strategic collaboration with the MinistryofHomeAffairs,led by the Honourable Oneidge Walrond.

The initiative follows a recent meeting between Ninvalle, Minister Walrond and Senior Officials of the Guyana Prison Service, where the parties discussed thereintegrationofboxingas a central component of the Ministry's broader prison reform and rehabilitation agenda.

Themovesignalsareturn to a programme that once yielded tangible success in transforming the lives of inmatesthroughsport.

Ninvalle highlighted that the dialogue with Minister Walrond was both open and productive, noting that her professional background as an Attorney-at-Law and former Magistrate made it easiertoalignonthevalueof sport in the rehabilitation process.

“It was a very engaging and meaningful discussion,” Ninvalle stated, adding, “Minister Walrond fully understandstherolesportcan play in reforming lives, particularlywithintheprison system, and she was very receptive to the idea of bringing boxing back as a structured and impactful programme.”

The GBA president pointed to the remarkable story of former inmate Jason 'AK47' Barkerasatestament to the transformative power ofboxingbehindbars.

In 2008, Barker, then 20 yearsold,wassentencedtoa total of 30 years' imprisonmentafteradmitting to multiple serious offences, including robbery under arms, attempted murder, and illegal possession of a firearm.

It was during his incarceration at the Camp Street Prison that Barker discovered boxing, a turning point that would ultimately reshapehislife.

In 2016, with support from Ninvalle, Barker was grantedconditionalreleaseto travel to Barbados, where he competed at the Caribbean Championships.

There, he captured both the Caribbean Heavyweight and Super Heavyweight titles, marking one of the most compelling success stories in Guyana's sporting andrehabilitationlandscape.

“So we've had success stories of boxing in the prisons and how much the sporthashelpedtotransform thelivesofthosebehindbars upon their release. Many of them are still involved in the sport,”Ninvallesaid.

Despite such successes, the prison boxing programmehasfacedseveral setbacks over the years, leading to its eventual dormancy However, with renewed governmental backing, the GBA is now movingswiftlytoreestablish theinitiative.

Ninvalle disclosed that plansarealreadyinmotionto assemble a prison-based team to participate in the Association's National Novices Championships, scheduledforJunethisyear

Theeffortformspartofa broader framework that will see inmates not only c

Prime Minister's dominoes set for today May 5 at Linden

TheannualOneGuyanaPrimeMinister'sdominoes tournamentissetfortoday,May5atShanghaiPlaceinthe miningtownofLinden.

Entrancefeeis$25,000formaleteamsand$20,000for femaleteams.Thewinningteamwilltakehomeatrophy and$1,000,000,runnerup$400,000,thirdplace$300,000 andfourthplace$100,000. Thebestuniformedteamwillreceive$100,000andthe MVPinthefinal$20,000.Thetournamentwillbeplayedon afour-game,six-sitting,twoinoneoutbasis.Teamscan contactShanghaion621-7925orMarkWiltshireon6598672forregistration.

benefiting from the GBA's

programmes.

Importantly, Ninvalle un

scored that the reintroduction of boxing must be viewed through the lens of rehabilitation rather thanmerecompetition.

“We want the prison boxingprogrammetobeseen as a genuine reform initiative, one that gives individuals a second chance, a sense of purpose, and a

pathway back into society Prison should not represent theendoflife'sopportunities, but rather a point where meaningful change can begin,”heexplained.

He further noted that Minister Walrond expressed fullsupportfortheinitiative, committing the Ministry of Home Affairs to providing the necessary structure and resources to ensure its sustainability

“The Minister was very clear in her support. She is

framework in place not only for participation at the Novices Championships, but also f

development, ensuring that

coaching, mentorship, and other GBA programmes,” Ninvalleadded.

Wi

h

his renewed partnership,Ninvallesaidthe GBA and the Ministry of Home Affairs are aiming to once again harness the discipline and structure of boxingasapowerfultoolfor rehabilitation.ic-

JumboJet/MasterZ winsdoubleat LabourDayCup