Kaieteur News

Gas-to-Energy contractor sourcing materials at inflated costs from shell companies

As project costs continue to balloon through luxurious private flights and multimillion-dollar disputes, Gas-to-Energy (GTE) contractor, Lindsayca has been growing its profit margin as the government turns a blind eye to the questionable business practices being carried out blatantly

Not only is Lindsayca not paying any taxes to this country, butthecompanyhasfoundaway tofurtherbleedGuyana'streasury, sourcing materials and services from itself through shell companiessetupabroad.

Documents seen by this newspaper indicate that the contractor is linked to two shell companies in Puerto Rico, where thecompanypipesitsprofits.

In fact, the investigation into the contractors' corporate structure reveals a deliberate strategy to utilise Puerto Rico's Act 60 (the Incentives Code) to shieldprofitsfrombothGuyanese andU.S.mainlandtaxes.

Thepapertrailleadsdirectlyto the Puerto Rico Department of State.Keyentitiessitattheheartof this financial web: Lindsayca PR LLC (Registry File #508178-112) and Lindsayca CH4 Development PR LLC (Registry File #5301471511). These are not operational centers of engineering but highefficiencytaxshields.

Sources familiar with the company explained, “By routing the project's financial transactions through these San Juan shells, the executives can claim a staggering 4%corporatetaxrateand0%taxon capitalgains.”

The rabbit hole deepens with the involvement of Venequip Puerto Rico LLC (Registry File #401268-1511),anentitytiedtothe Venezuelan Bellosta family This specific registry entry exposes a critical question: Why does a

Invoices showing shell companies procuring materials on behalf of Lindsayca Guyana Inc. and the company clearly making purchases from Lindsayca RD SAS, which shares the same owner as the company executing works on the local GTE project.

project requiring transparency maintainanetworkofrelated-party shell companies in a tax haven?

Information received by this newspaper suggests that these entities serve to create "synthetic" costs, allowing the contractors to "sell" services and equipment to themselvesatinflatedrates.

According to invoices and official company records seen by K a i e t e u r N e w s ,

C O M M O N W E A L T H PROCUREMENT LLC; CH4 Systems LLC and BANCO SAN JUAN INTERNACIONAL INC. areallregisteredinPuertoRicoand sharethesameaddress.

One invoice acquired by this newspap

C O M M O N W E A L T H PROCUREMENT LLC, run by HectorFuentes-thesameownerof Lindsayca Guyana- made several

purchases from Mexico for the GTE project in Guyana. Notably, the transaction was not carried out by the company contracted by Guyana but through one of its shells.

More invoices exposed Siemens Energy Transformer Company making a purchase on behalf of COMMONWEALTH PROCUREMENT LLC, again raisingredflags.

In a more blatant transaction, Lindsayca Guyana Inc. made a directpurchasefromLindsaycaRD SAS,ashellcompanyoperatingin theDominicanRepublicandshares thesameowners,HectorandJesus F u e n t e s Guaimare.

Instead of purchasing e q u i p m e n t directlyfromthe

supplier,Lindsaycahasbeenusing these entities to procure materials, which it would then repurchase, driving up the cost of the infrastructure atWales,West Bank Demeraraandenrichingitsowners while Guyanese suffer endless blackoutsandhighelectricitycosts.

Sources explained, “By allowing the contractor to operate

consortiumto"manufacturealoss" in-countrywhilestashingtheactual profitsoverseas.Wearenowseeing the endgame of this shell game: while the contractors claim they have "run out of funds" and are

currently demanding an additional US$250 million in arbitration disputes, their offshore accounts areballooning.”

The government is essentially turningablindeyetothisfinancial bleedingthroughitsfailuretoaudit related-partytransactions.

With such blatant offshore maneuvering, one must ask: How do Winston Brassington and the Gas-to-Energy Task Force allow Lindsayca to continue to qualify andbidforthemostcriticalprojects inthecountry—suchasGAUP(the ammonia and urea plant), Gas-toEnergyPhaseII,theRefineryRFP, andtheNGLOperation?

KaieteurNews

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EDITORIAL

Renegotiating ExxonMobil contract

“Theysoldusouttotheforeigners.Theoilcompanies, every time there is a find out there, our people should be sadbecausenothingcomesourway

Wearegonnarenegotiatethosecontractsbecausethat’s notwhatwehadinmind.” Thespeakerhastobeaserious man,that much should be apparent even to a casual observer “Soldusout”areunambiguouswords,andsois this sentence: “We are gonna renegotiate those contracts…” The speaker was the then Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, now vice president since the PPPC swept to victory in 2020. What about that tough, unequivocal stance now relative to “renegotiate those contracts”withExxonMobil’smonstrous2016dealatthe topofthelist? WhereisJagdeoandthePPPCGovernment onwhattheycommitted,withfireintheireyes,tochange throughrenegotiation?

The PPPC Government and Jagdeo have traveled a long and twisted road with the ExxonMobil contract. Before August 2020, when he was Leader of the Opposition, he had declared war on the contract and the sellingoutofGuyana’soilwealthto“foreigners.” Hewas right about the selling out by the APNU-AFC Coalition Government, but what has he done to make it right? He appointed himself as Guyana’s chief oil and gas policymaker, but has since neglected the hard challenges thatcomewiththattitle,thatrole.

One is the promised “we are gonna renegotiate those contracts.” Truth be told, Jagdeo has done more than neglect his once strong and inspiring words about renegotiating. He and the government have distanced fromthat,anddisownssuchamove. Thericketyharborin whichtheyshelteristhesuddenlyconvenientcontraption of “sanctity of contract.” How quickly the PPPC Governmentandthevicepresidentwentfromwarriorsfor renegotiation of the ExxonMobil contract to abject cowards that run away from facing off against ExxonMobil. So as to squeeze some changes out of the companyleaders,whocallthemselvesGuyana’spartners. In an online program, Chartered Accountant and attorney-at-law, Chris Ram describes the PPPC Government’s management of the ExxonMobil relationship and the 2016 contract as “amateurish behavior.” It’sastartbutonlyoneelementofthepretenses employedbythegovernment.

Amateurs are stumblers and can be compared to beginners, who lack depth. Amateurs struggle with grasping the full scope of the power in their hands and, evenwhentheyhavesomeideaofit,aretoobumblingto makeanymovestoimprovethesituation. ThePPPCwhen itwasintheoppositionranksknewallthatwaswrongwith the ExxonMobil contract, how it has disadvantaged Guyana,andwhathadtobedonetofixit. Inaword,itwas torenegotiateit,whichneatlypackagesallthatwasandis wrongwiththat2016slaverydeal. Amateursarenotthat insightful, but it doesn’t mean that they are not cunning schemers.

Schemers against Guyana’s interests, schemers that rejectrenegotiatingtheExxonMobilrepugnance,because todosowouldthreatentheirholdonpower Toconfront ExxonMobil about ringfencing would raise the ire of the Americanmultinational,sinceitsownschemesthatflushit withunmatchedprofitsfromGuyana’soilwealthwouldbe impacted. To anger ExxonMobil is a high-risk move, as thatwouldputthePPPCGovernmentandleaderslikeAli and Jagdeo on the wrong side of the US. If any proof is needed, the recent public posture of US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot supplied the details. To renegotiate sends a “terrible signal”. Though not to renegotiatealopsidedandexploitativeoildealwouldbea “terriblesignal”totheGuyaneseowners,manyhungryand severelyfinanciallychallenged,itisbestnottotouchthat revoltingcontract.

Guyana “wake up and smell the coffee”

DEAREDITOR

My letter titled “Foreign mining, local economic strain” published in the independentmedia,onApril 11, 2026 stated as follows; “whyareweencouraging,or more appropriately sponsoring companies to come and explore, or perhaps the better term is to exploit, our gold and our people?Withoilandgas,and existing gold companies operating in Guyana, why would a sane, sensible and incorruptible government, with fanfare, bring in more people to harvest our gold, thisisbeyondbelief.”

Somefolkshaveaccused me of deliberately frustrating the development of Guyana. Those persons aremissingthecentralissue, which is our failure to stand up like men, and not mice.

And the question of absorbability

I stand by every word in my letter Unless our government undergoes a policy metamorphosis, in spiteoftheboastofbeingthe fastest growing economy, we will supervise over the re-colonisation of our country,bythesamemindset thatsawnothingwrongwith the cruelty of slavery, an inhumane system which lasted for centuries with the tacit cooperation of African chiefs.Asituationwhereour

children and grandchildren will curse us for this regression and a betrayal of thesufferingandsacrificeof ournobleancestors.

IwritebecauseIwaspart of the struggle for Independence, in the midst of the Cold War I write because I share the views of former president Donald Ramotar, that we can only give strength to this generation if we learn more ofourhistory

I write because oil is relatively new, but gold, for example, is not, and we should not forget the efforts of the earlier pioneers “Ocean Shark, Tengar, Frederick Mahaica, and Wesley Baird” I write because we must not let down those who struggled forfreedom,andtherightto benefit from the creator’s bounty I write to honour those who fought for freedom; Cuffy, Akrabe, Enmore Martyrs, Hubert NathanielCritchlow,Cheddi JaganandForbesBurnham.

I unquestionably stand by my lifelong advocacy of policies for attracting foreigninvestors;butonlyif inclusive of the moral condition that the interest of the people of Guyana come first, where any and all such investments must be fair, equitable, and protective of the nation’s health, safety,

andtheenvironment.

Contrastingly, the evidenceiscrystalclearthat the current Government has unfortunately failed on all counts when it comes to looking out for the best interest of its people; rather giving the appearance that satisfying the wishes of thosewhocometomine,and manage our natural resources, are of primary concern.

Just in case you don’t acceptwhatIsaybecauseof what you may deem to be political bias, then please heed the words of Guyana’s highly respected Honorable Judge Sandil Kissoon, who lookedatalloftheevidence concerning the relationship between the Government and Exxon in the landmark oil spill liability case, and concluded in his Ruling for the peopleandagainstExxon andtheGovernment,that“the Governmenthasabdicatedthe exclusive statutory responsibilities entrusted to it”, and “acted in unison with Exxon which is engaged in a course of action made permissible only by the omissionsofaderelict,pliant, andsubmissiveGovernment”

A s a r e m i n d e r, notwithstanding the irrefutable lopsided oil contract with Exxon taking 86% of the revenues comparedtoGuyana’s14%,

the Government cancelled the requirement put in place by the coalition government stipulating that Exxon be responsible for the full financial liability of any and all oil spills This triggered a lawsuitwithJudgeKissoon’s landmarkDecisioninfavorof the people, only to see the Government astoundingly going all the way to the CaribbeanCourtofJusticeto be allowed to join Exxon in theappealagainstthepeople, puttingthenationattheriskof financial bankruptcy and environmental catastrophe. Believeit,ornot

Further, in an affront to the nation’s environmental regulations,theGovernment allows Exxon to produce oil way above the safe limits with no full liability coverage for an oil spill; to dump billions of barrels of very hot, toxic, radioactive andoillacedproducedwater into the pristine ocean, killingmillionsoffisheggs; andtoflarebillionsofcubic feet of toxic produced gases into the air to create health problems, acid rain and global warming. Believe it, ornot.

Dear Editor and people ofGuyanayoungandold,all Iaskisforalittlebiggerslice of the cake. Guyana “wake upandsmellthecoffee”.

Sincerely,

ElderHamiltonGreen

Refinery Dreams, Real-World Risks

DEAREDITOR

Dr Tilokie Depoo’s recent letter makes the familiar case for a domestic oilrefinery,butitdoessoina vacuum It speaks of strategy, value addition, and regional leadership, yet sidesteps the basic question thatmustbeansweredbefore any of those ambitions can be taken seriously: can Guyanaactuallysupportand properly manage such a facility?

Right now, the answer is farfromconvincing.History would inform us that no Government have ever been abletobringanysubstantive project to a successful completion and under budget, save and except the new Demerara River Bridge —withafewquirks, Arefineryisnotaslogan.

It is not a ribbon-cutting exercise.Itisoneofthemost demanding industrial undertakings a country can attempt, requiring reliable energy, strong technical oversight, environmental d i s c i p l i n e , p o r t infrastructure, storage systems, and a level of project management competencethatGuyanahas not yet demonstrated on major state-led ventures. To pretendotherwiseistoinvite another expensive national disappointment.

The truth is that governmentsarerarelygood businessoperators.Theyare better suited to creating the conditions for business than r u n n i n g b u s i n e s s themselves Trinidad and Tobago’s refinery has been shuttered for years, and

The PPPC Government must be delighted at the US ambassador’scomingoutagainstrenegotiation,butdidn’t need it. To renegotiate would be more than a “terrible signal”toinvestors,foritwouldbetheworstonetoofficial Washington Leaders have lost their heads, and governments have lost their place for going half as far Thus, the government’s newfound mantra of ‘sanctity of contract’ is the safest approach. We see professional operatorswhoaregoodatlookingaftertheirinterests.

efforts to revive it now depend on a different commercial arrangement St.Croix’srefineryHovensa hasalsobecomeacautionary tale of operational failure, environmental controversy, andprolongedshutdown.

These are not distant examples They are warnings from our own region about what happens when refinery projects are treatedassymbolsinsteadof enterprises Guyana’s situation is even more precarious because the country has not yet resolved the most basic precondition: stableandaffordableenergy to power such an industrial asset Without that, a refinery is dead on arrival. AndiftheStatecannoteven bringmajorprojects—GtE, to completion without controversy, delays, overruns, and public mistrust, then why should anyone believe it is ready to take on a refinery of this scale?

That is why the real answer is not for the Government to jump headlong into owning and

operating a refinery The better approach is to build a properly serviced industrial zone with power, water, access roads, port facilities, storage, and logistics support, then invite private investors to establish refineries, agro-processing plants, and manufacturing ope

s under a t

nsparent

ncentive regime.LettheStatedowhat it should do best: provide infrastructure, regulate fairly,andcollectrevenueas gatekeeperandlandlord.Let the private sector take the commercialrisk. If Guyana is serious about industrialization, then seriousness must begin with realism.Arefineryisnotthe starting point. It is the end point of a long chain of preconditions that must be met first Until those fundamentals are in place, refinery talk is little more thanpoliticaltheatredressed up as development and another opportunity for the usual suspects to dip into the”cookiejar”repeatedly.

Yoursfaithfully, HemduttKumar

Optics Over Outcomes: The PNC’s

Desperate Defense of Local Inefficiency

DEAREDITOR

I am compelled to respondtotherecentmissive by Annette Ferguson regarding the National Clean-Up Campaign. Her argument, that the central government’s intervention in national sanitation is a “troubling departure” from democratic norms, is not onlyintellectuallydishonest butreeksofapoliticalparty that has completely run out ofrelevantideas.

Ms. Ferguson’s defense of Local Government Authorities (LGAs) would be more palatable if those very authorities weren’t the onespresidingoveryearsof filth and administrative paralysis.

To suggest that the central government should sitidlybywhilelocalbodies fail their constituents is an absurd interpretation of

“autonomy ” Local g o v e r n a n c e i s a responsibility,notashieldto hide behind when one fails todeliverbasicservices.

The PNCR’s current stance reveals a party in a s t a t e o f t e r m i n a l desperation.

Having outlived their usefulness, they are now reduced to manufacturing “crises” of governance over something as fundamental anduniversallybeneficialas a cleaner environment. It is clear that the APNU/PNC agenda is now centered on obstructionism rather than progress.

Historically, this party has survived on a diet of racial division and exclusion In a modern Guyana, one that is rapidly developing and looking toward a unified future, the PNC’srelianceontheseold,

corrosivetacticsisfailingto resonate Consequently, they are grasping at straws, attemptingtoturnanational sanitation drive into a constitutionaldebate.

The statistics regarding l o c a l g o v e r n m e n t performance under their preferred status quo are telling.

In many jurisdictions where the opposition held sway, waste collection and drainage maintenance had reached near-catastrophic levels of inefficiency For example, during their own tenureinGeorgetownandin the municipalities they currently influence, the lack of “sustainable systems” theynowdecrywasthevery hallmark of their administration.

Ms. Ferguson asks if these campaigns are about “optics.” I would argue that

her letter is the ultimate exercise in optics, a transparent attempt to get her party’s name back into the public eye because they have no actual policy alternativestooffer

The Guyanese people are tired of political gatekeeping that prioritizes “jurisdiction” over the healthandcleanlinessofour communities. If the LGAs were doing their jobs, central intervention wouldn’tbenecessary

The PNC’s attempt to stall national progress to protect their own waning influence is a disservice to everycitizen.

It is time they move beyond the politics of division and stop treating a clean street as a political battlefield.

Sincerely,

Dr.WalterH.Persaud

Terrence Campbell on a mission

DEAREDITOR

By now my readers understand that I couldn’t care less about good grammar, syntax and perfecting the language to soundbright.

My work is simple yet complexandreadersaround the world are more concerned about the facts than empty missives of big words that confuse people trying to understand what their eyes are scanning on thisgloriousblueapp.

The calls I receive via WhatsappandMessengeron a daily basis are countless. I takealmostallofthem.Ifeel like a glorified unpaid secretaryandanoverworked receptionistatthesametime butthecommitmenttobring you important and meaningful information transcend even my actual job.

What I am about to tell you happened over a few days. I received a call from someone in the US asking meifIcouldgetDr Terrence Campbell to join them at an important function in NYC the next afternoon The function had nothing to do with Guyana just some moneyed people enjoying the change in climate and want to busy themselves socially

Approximatelytenhours later, I got a call from an immigration official at one of Guyana’s airports. I will not mention the name or gender of the official or which airport because I

knowhowheartlessthePPP can be. The official said APNU parliamentary lead, Dr Campbellhadjustgotoff a flight and the way passengersandstaffflocked and greeted him, not even thePresidentofGuyanagets such warm, friendly and respectful gestures during histravels.

The official said they werecompletelymovedand filled with emotion when two immigration officers askedDr Campbelltomake his way to theVIPline.The official said the Guyanese politician politely told them thathewouldratherjointhe line with regular passengers and did just that “Mr

Browne,whenPresidentAli, Jagdeo and other ministers in the PPP are here, they don’t even look at us or the passengers and are quickly ushered away out of the airport.Mr Campbellseems truly for the people.” The officialsaid.

Immediately after I got offthephone,Icalledaclose contact of Dr Campbell in the US. The contact said. “Yes,themangaanback.He ain’t stay lang. He do he businessquicklyandtellme heflyingoutinafewhours.”

The contact said he asked him why the rush. He saidthattheDr toldhimthat everyday he and his party must be with the suffering

Are we soon likely to fulfil the prophecy of anArmageddon?

DEAREDITOR, One wonders if with the statements and positions of the man in charge, with the most powerful ever military establishment, who promises to destroy all the bridges, oil facilities, and freshwater storage in an entire nation, are we soon likely to fulfil the prophecy ofanArmageddon.

My Guyanese brothers and sisters listened to the statement from the United States Ambassador, warning usthatweshouldnotevenbe thinking of renegotiating that lopsided contract with the oil giants, which leaves the oil companywiththelion’sshare Since when a foreign envoy pronounces on these matters Is the thinking that Guyanese are infants or idiots? The Ambassadornextpronounces on the matter to do with the Mohammeds causing the Mohammed’s attorney to writeher

masses on the ground “There is real suffering happening to the people acrossGuyanaandtheyneed us now more than at any upcomingelection. We have to be there for and with them. We have to represent them. We have to be there by their side. We mustnevermakethemistake of abandoning them.” The c h i e f o p p o s i t i o n parliamentarianpointedout. LasteveningIreceived (Continuedonpage16)

We see Isreal bombing and displacing entire communities and, in the process,killingaidworkers, innocent children and women.Weseeconfusionin the Philippines, and no regard for life in parts of Europe Thank God the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has taken a position different to one of his predecessor Stephen Harper, who felt that the Prime Minister of Isreal coulddonowrong,andsaw nothing wrong with obliterating the Palestinian people.MarkCarneystatement isinkeepingwiththemajorityat theUnitedNationsforanumber ofyears,whichistherecognition oftheStateofPalestine Thatisa glimmerofhope,butthegloom darkened when the most powerfulmanintheworldcan portrayhimselfasJesusanduse thatfourletterword,thatifanyof ususeditinpublicwouldlandus in jail, or pay a fine for using indecentlanguage Isaidearlier, I avoid all US airports and therefore not afraid to speak up

Respectfully, NigelBacchus

H. Nauth and Sons defends $1.6B Coldingen Road

Project against “substandard” claims by WIN

Local construction firm H Nauth and Sons has come out in defense of its work on the Coldingen Access Road project, following allegations of substandard work and lack of accountability raised by Leader of the Opposition, Azruddin Mohamed, and Member of Parliament, VishnuPanday

In a press statement released this week, the contracting firm rejected claims that improper materialswerebeingusedon the $1.69 billion project, asserting that all works are being executed “strictly in accordance” with approved engineering designs and officialspecifications.

The rebuttal follows a site visit by Mohamed and Panday on April 17. In a video broadcast via the “Team Mohamed’s” social media page, the opposition members highlighted what they described as “slush mud” and inadequate foundations.

“Residents in the community reached out to us complaining bitterly about the material used to construct this road,” Mohamed stated in the video. “That is why these roads don’t last. A year or sometimes two years after, theseroadswouldcrumble.”

Panday further criticised the technical aspects of the construction, claiming the sub-baseappearedtobeless than 24 inches deep and failed to reach a “hard pan” surface. Panday also raised concerns regarding the height of the newly constructed concrete drains, whichheallegedsitroughly 1.5 feet above residential yards, posing a severe flood risktothecommunity

Addressing the fact that the project is behind its original May 2026 completion timeline, H Nauth and Sons attributed thedelaytoamassiveshiftin theproject’sscope.

According to the firm,

the road was initially designed as a two-lane thoroughfare but was subsequently upgraded to a four-lane roadway, including two dedicated parkinglanes.

“ T h i s r e v i s i o n substantially increased the scope of works,” the company stated, noting that the expansion also necessitatedtheconstruction of concrete drains on both sides and additional structures. “Under standard contract terms, this allows for an extension of time, whichappliesinthiscase.”

The firm emphasised that the expansion was “necessary and beneficial” to meet projected traffic demands and national developmentgoals.

Regarding the quality of materials,aprimarypointof contention for the opposition, H. Nauth and Sons maintained that white sand,sandclay,crusherrun, and asphalt used on-site are industrystandard.

“At no point has there been any deviation from the prescribed standards,” the statement read The company added that the works are under continuous monitoring by a clerk of works and engineering personnel to ensure compliance.

H Nauth and Sons, which cites over 30 years of experience in the sector,

concluded its statement by urging public officials to exercise caution in their commentary “Statementsof this nature ought to be informed, measured, and responsible, so as not to mislead the public or undermine confidence in important national development works,” the firm said, specifically calling on the opposition

leader to regard the “full facts and technical context” oftheproject.

The opposition, meanwhile, has called for greater transparency regarding the approval process for the project’s expansion, with Mohamed questioning whether the additional costs and design changeswereeverapproved inparliament.

New system to cut diagnostic wait times

PatientsinGuyanacould soon have their X-rays, magneticresonanceimaging (MRI) and computed tomography(CT)scansinas little as one minute, under a newinitiativeannouncedby President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali. Speaking at the opening of a new eye hospital on Friday evening, the first privately owned facility on New Market Street,PresidentAlisaidthe countryhasalreadyinvested in the infrastructure needed tosupporttheshift.

“Wehavenowsignedon to a programme that will allow us to read X-rays, CT scans, and MRI in seconds.

Oneminute,”hesaid.

For years, patients have facedlengthydelayswaiting on scan results, delays that often-slowed treatment and placedaddedpressureonthe healthcare system

Acknowledging that reality, the president remarked, “Before, you would be waiting for hours for those scanstoberead.”

The new system is expected to significantly speed up both the reading and analysis of scans, e n a b l i n g m e d i c a l professionals to respond to patients more quickly.

President Ali noted that faster diagnostics will

translate into stronger results across the system, saying,“…thatallowsbetter outcome, faster response, andgreaterresults.”

Theinitiativeformspart ofabroaderpushtoexpand the use of technology in Guyana’s healthcare sector, spanning diagnostics, imaging, and specialist services, where new systems and partnerships are expected to drive greaterefficiency

Thegoalistoestablisha world-class health sector by 2030, driven by massive public investments and partnershipswiththeprivate sector.(DPI)

Guyana’s participation in the global carbon market represents a significant step

DEAREDITOR

A s a p u b l i c communications analyst, I wish to address the ongoing discussions,assomecitizens remain unclear about how Guyana’s carbon credit system works and its purpose in national development.

Guyana is not selling “carbon”inaphysicalsense, but rather carbon credits generated through the protection of its vast rainforest.

These credits represent verifiedreductionsincarbon dioxide emissions, where one carbon credit is equivalent to one tonne of carbondioxidethathasbeen prevented from entering, or has been absorbed from, the atmosphere

Given that Guyana maintainsoneofthehighest levels of forest cover in the

world and has demonstrated consistently low rates of deforestation, the country is in a unique position to participate in global climate initiatives. Through international agreements and carbon market frameworks, these credits are purchased by corporations and countries seeking to offset their emissions and meet environmentaltargets.

The revenue generated from these carbon credit transactionsisnotabstract;it hastangiblenationalimpact.

Funds are directed toward development initiatives including renewable energy projects, improved water and drainage systems, infrastructure development in hinterland communities, and support for Indigenous peoples who serve as key stewardsoftheforest.

However, while the carbon credit system presentscleareconomicand e n v i r o n m e n t a l opportunities,itisimportant that transparency, accountability, and public awareness remain central to its administration. Citizens should be fully informed abouthowtheseagreements are structured, how credits are calculated, and how revenuesareallocated.

Guyana’s participation in the global carbon market represents a significant step in leveraging natural resources for sustainable development.

Nevertheless, continued public engagement and oversightwillbeessentialto ensure that this opportunity delivers long-term benefits forallcitizens.

Sincerely: BlaneBunbury

Guyanese to still feel the squeeze despite rise in fuel prices - IMF

(REUTERS)Thewarin the Middle East is likely to widen economic differences acrossLatinAmericaandthe Caribbean, giving some countrieslikeGuyanashorttermsupporttooilexporters whileworseningtheoutlook

for tourism-reliant Caribbean economies and energy-importing countries inCentralAmerica,theIMF saidlastFriday

Thewarning,issuedina blog post, follows the release earlier this week of the global lender's updated World Economic Outlook, which projected that the Latin America and Caribbean region would grow 2.3% in 2026, little changedfrom2.4%in2025, beforepickingupto2.7%in 2027. Brazil, the region's largest economy, is forecast togrow1.9%thisyear,while Mexico is expected to expandby1.6%.

The IMF said the region hadstarted2026inrelatively solidshape,withinflationin many countries near target

The IMF has urged targeted support for vulnerable groups

and growth holding close to trend.

But it said the war had become a fresh external shock, driving swings in market sentiment, tighter financing conditions and sharp moves in commodity prices.

On Friday, the price of both Brent and WTI crude oil tumbled more than 10% after Iran's foreign minister said passage

l commercial vessels through thekeyStraitofHormuzwas open during a ceasefire.Yet prices for both benchmarks areuproughly45%sofarin 2026. The IMF, which is

holding its spring meetings in Washington this week, said the clearest winners, at leastintheshortrun,areoil-

, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela are among those that have benefited from higher energy prices, which have export income, supported public finances and eased pressure on their external accounts But the global lenderalsowarnedthateven

, householdswouldstillbehit with higher fuel and food prices.

The hardest-hit economies are likely to be Caribbean countries that depend heavily on tourism. The IMF said those markets combine high debt with large energy import bills, leaving them especially exposed to another jump in oil prices. Central America also faces a broad hit from costlier energy, although some countries may get partialrelieffrombiggeruse ofrenewablepower

The IMF's broader messagewasthatthestoryin theregionwillnotbeoneof growthalone.

Itsaidinflationwillrise as higher fuel, transport and food costs feed through to consumers, putting the biggest strain on lowerincome households Countries that rely heavily on foreign financing also could come under added pressure as investors turn morecautious.

Inflation in the region is expected to rise 6.6% this year from 6.5% in 2025, before decelerating to 4.2% in2027,theIMFsaid.

T h e I M F u rg e d governments and central bank policymakers not to waste the credibility they builtafterthepost-pandemic inflation surge It said countries with firmer public finances and clearer policy frameworks would be in the best position to handle the shock, and warned against broadfuelorfoodsubsidies, arguing that any support should be tightly aimed at vulnerable families and businesses.

Man kills drinking buddy in scuffle over $1000

Aman is now on the run after he reportedly stabbed his drinking buddy to death around22:00hrsonSaturday during a scuffle for a $1000 hewasowed.

The dead man has been

The suspect fell into a nearby drain and Bengochea jumped in behind him and theystartedtoscuffle.

Two of the drinking buddiesattemptedtopartthe men, but Bengochea was motionless when he was

B e n g o c h e a , 2 8 , a constructionworkerofThird Street Ivon Road Soesdyke, EastBankDemerara(EBD).

Reports are that the men were drinking with some other friends (all males) at FirstStreet,IvonRoadwhen thesuspectaskedBengochea togivehimbacka$1000,he hadgivenhim.

Bengochea reportedly refused.

“The now deceased (Bengochea)toldthesuspect that he's buying (drinks) all night for him so he isn't giving him back no money”, policesaid.

His response reportedly annoyed the suspect who retaliated by whipping out a knife and slapping him two times.

Oneoftheotherdrinking buddies told police that Bengocheadefendedhimself by lashing the suspect to the face with a Guinness bottle thatwasnearby

pulledfromthedrain.

They soon realised that Bengocheahadbeenstabbed. The suspect then escaped as police were called to the scene.

“Thebodywasexamined and one laceration suspected tobethatofastabwoundwas seenontheleft ribsarea”, police said while adding that hisremainswasfirsttakento the Diamond Hospital for further examination before being taken to the Memorial GardensFuneralHome.

The hunt is on for the suspect as the investigation continues.

Police learnt that the suspectandtwomenhadmet Bengochea drinking with anotherfriendonSaturdayat Ivon Road Head and joined them.

Ataround22:00hrs.they leftinacarandwenttoFirst Street where they continued drinking until Bengochea waskilled.

Armed bandits trail, topple biker in robbery at Melanie

Police in Regional Division 4 'C' are investigatinganallegedrobberyunderarms whichoccurredonSaturdaynightatMelanie PublicRoad,EastCoastDemerara

The victim has been identified as a 43year-old self-employed man of Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was ridinghismotorcyclewhenheobservedtwo motorcyclesbehindhimfromthevicinityof the Lusignan traffic light. Upon reaching Melanie Cinema Road and turning into the road,thesuspectsreportedlyfollowedhim. Further enquiries disclosed that the suspects rode up alongside the victim and causedhimtofallwithhismotorcycle.One

of the suspects then allegedly pulled what appears to be a handgun from his waist and pointed it at the victim, while the others relievedhimofhisweddingring,aSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra cellular phone, $60,000 Guyana currency and his black XR motorcycle bearing registration number CR 6379.

The suspects, who were reportedly maskedandcladindarkclothing,thenrode awayinasoutherly directionandmadegood their escape. CCTVcameras were observed alongtherouteandwillbereviewedaspart of the investigation. The suspects, who are presently at large, are being sought as investigationscontinue.

IsGuyana’sLCDSfacingareputationalthreat?

Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy

( L C D S ) h a s b e e n internationally praised as an attempt to convert natural capital into financial capital without cutting down forests. The country’s vast tropical rainforest, covering more than 85% of national territory, functions as a major carbon sink, meaning it absorbs and stores atmospheric carbon dioxide in biomass, soils and vegetation.

That ecological function has already generated billionsofGuyanadollarsin revenues through carboncredit transactions and forest-climate partnerships. Inessence,Guyanahasbeen compensated for keeping its forests standing rather than convertingthemintotimber, agricultureormininglands.

Now the policy conversation is widening. Guyana is seeking to monetise not only carbon services, but also ecosystem services, biodiversity services, watershed services and eco-tourism related services.

On paper, this sounds

environmental revenue

streams In practice, however, it raises a difficult issue in environmental economics: are we valuing separate services, or charging multiple times for thesameunderlyingasset?

To understand the debate, it is useful to define thetechnicalterms.

Carbon services refer to the climate-regulation function of forests. Trees capture carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and store it in trunks, roots and s

d degradation, Guyana can claim “avoided emissions” and carbon sequestration benefits These can be quantified in tonnes of CO2 equivalent and sold as carboncreditsincompliance orvoluntarymarkets.

Ecosystem services is a broaderumbrellaconcept.It includes provisioning services (timber, water, food), regulating services (flood control, climate moderation), supporting services (soil formation, nutrient cycling) and culturalservices(recreation, s piritualvalue).

Carbon storage is

therefore already one subset of ecosystem services

Carbon storage falls under what env

economists call regulating

processes through which ecosystems help stabilise environmental conditions Forests absorb carbon dioxidefromtheatmosphere through photosynthesis and store that carbon in trees, vegetationandsoils,thereby helpingtoregulatetheglobal

concentrations.Inthissense, carbon storage is not a separate category from ecosystem services, but one importantcomponentwithin the broader ecosystemservicesframework.

Biodiversity services relate to the economic and scientificvaluegeneratedby species richness, genetic resources and habitat preservation These may include pharmaceutical discovery, pollination, ecological resilience and conservation finance tied to speciesprotection. Watershed services refer to hydrological functions performed by forests: water filtration, aquifer recharge,

DEM BOYS SEH

Whatisdeworldcomingto?

Demboyssehdeworld done turn upside down, spin round twice, and park crooked pun de pavement. Imagine hearing dat Guyana airport win award

for Best Pas

E x p

Satisfaction Best? Passenger? Experience? Demboysnearlychokepun dembushtea.

Dem boys wondering whether in considering de “experience” and de “satisfaction”,demwahbig up Guyana consider the hassleandfrustrationtoget to the airport in the first place. But leh we leff that onesidefuhdetimebeing.

Leh we examine dis passenger “experience,” and “satisfaction”because

m a y b e w e b e e n misunderstandingsuffering alltheseyears.

First scene: evening time at de airport car park. Morecarsdehthanparking spaces. It look like Black Friday sale at Walmart parkinglot.Everyinchfull up. If de person collecting yuh get a bad parking far away from the incoming

a r e a , w e l l congratulations—you now entered de airport obstacle course. You pull yuh suitcase from one side of de compound to de next, dragging it over concrete rough enough to grate coconut. By de time yuh reach de car, de suitcase wheels look like dem survive three tours in Afghanistan One wheel gone east, one gone west, and one applying for disabilitypension.

Now if you checking in, yuh can get dropped at de front door of de outgoing terminal Luxury!Butunless you hiring a red cap, yuh is nowdeofficialporterofyour ownluggage Iscardiobefore takeoff Why pay gym membership when airport giving free workout? By de check-in counter, yuh sweating like sugar in tea. Anddefamilywhocometo see yuh off? Nah bai, dem can’tcomeinside.Demgot to remain outside like common criminals But don’t worry—you can still wave goodbye through de

sediment retention, river flow regulation and flood mitigation. Standing forests stabilize catchments and r

infrastructuredamage.

Eco-tourism services capture recreational and experiential value Intact forests attract birdwatchers, researchers, adventure tourists and visitors seeking pristine nature These services monetize scenery, wildlife and cultural heritage.

At first glance, these appear to be distinct markets.Atonneofcarbonis not the same as a bird species, and neither is identical to clean river flow or a tourism excursion. Yet from a national accounting standpoint, they frequently originate from the same standing forests. The same hectare of rainforest that stores carbon also houses biodiversity, protects watersheds and attracts tourists.

Thatiswherethe problemofstacking claimsemerges.

In environmental finance,thereisadifference between “bundling”

already compensated If carbon-credit buyers paid Guyana specifically to keep forestsintact,thenmanycobenefitssuchasbiodiversity conservation and watershed protection were already embedded in that avoided deforestationoutcome.Once the forest remains standing, all those ancillary services continueautomatically Internationalfundersand carbon-market participants may therefore ask: why shouldGuyanabepaidtwice for the same conservation act? This concern is not academic. Carbon markets already struggle with issues of permanence, leakage, baselines and verification. Introducing parallel claims for ecosystem, biodiversity and watershed monetization over the same forests could create reputational risk

of rainforest undeniably delivers more than carbon storage.Butthechallengeis not whether multiple benefits exist; it is whether separate payments can be justified without overlap in valuationmethodology

glass wall like you starring in some sad prison movie.

“Tell Granny ah love she!” taptaponglass

Inside now, everything smooth enough till hunger bite Then you realize finding something proper to eat or drink is like searching for the Lost City of El Dorado. Choices so limited, if you blink you miss de menu. One stale

sandwich and one mysterious pastry looking olderthanderunway

Sowhendemboyshear “ B e s t P a s s e n g e r Experience,” dem start wonderingifdejudgesland atdewrongairport.Maybe dem confuse Timehri with Dubai. Maybe de award was for Best Passenger Patience.OrBestAbilityto Endure Hardship With Manners. Because if dragging broken suitcase wheels across rough concrete while hungry and waving farewell through glass is luxury, then dem boyssehnextyear,40-foot trench winning award for bestswimmingpool. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

multiple genuinely separable outputs and “double counting” the same ecological asset under different labels. If Guyana receives payment for preservingaforestbecauseit storescarbon,andthenseeks additional large-scale c o m p e n s a t i o n internationally because the same preserved forest also regulates water, conserves biodiversity and provides scenic value, critics may argue that the country is attempting to monetize overlappingbenefitswithout clearadditionality.

Additionality is a technical term meaning the benefit paid for must be incremental something above and beyond what was

Buyers may fear that one hectare is being sold repeatedly to multiple constituencies Climate finance institutions, multilateral donors and p r i v a t e i n v e s t o r s increasingly demand rigorous Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems to avoid precisely this kind of overlap If confidence weakens, Guyana’s LCDS could face credibility headwinds The strategy depends heavily on international trust that Guyanaoffershigh-integrity environmental assets If counterparties conclude that Guyana is “doubledipping” first collecting carbon revenues and then seeking further rents from i d e n t i c a l f o r e s t functions they may discountfuturedeals,tighten conditions or walk away altogether.

To be fair, Guyana does have a legitimate argument thatforestsproducemultiple services and that global markets have historically undervaluedthem.Ahectare

The prudent path for Guyana is therefore not indiscriminate monetisation of every label attached to forests. It is to develop a transparent natural-capital accounting framework that clearly distinguishes which servicesarealreadycaptured in carbon-credit pricing and which represent genuinely new, measurable and additionalvaluestreams.For example, site-specific ecotourism revenues or downstream utility payments for watershed management may be easier todefendthansweepingnew international claims layered atop existing carbon agreements. And for these site-specific eco-tourism revenues and utility payments for watershed management,youdon’tneed a Global Biodiversity Alliance. Guyana’s forests are a treasure of global significance. But in finance, as in ecology, sustainability requires balance If the country reaches too aggressively for multiple payments from the same standing forests, it risks undermining the very credibility that made the LCDS successful in the first place.Sometimesthedanger is not underpricing an asset—butoverplayingit.

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

H@RD TRUTHS

ThesagaofElizabethShivpersaud

It's one of those situations crying out for help.

The best I can do, other than offering professional help, is to raise an alarm aboutacasethatisworrying inallofitselements. It'sthe S a g a o f E l i z a b t h Shivpersaud If this distressed, shorthanded, hollow-eyed, hazy-headed, female Guyanese wife and mother is not in need of expert medical counsel and care,thenwhodoes?

But Ms Elizabeth Shivpersaud did, and she cannotevenrememberdoing so. The death toll would have been higher had she succeeded in smothering another young child of hers, a s r e p o r t e d b y a grandmother

Ms. Shivpersaud failed at that attempt on taking anotherlife. Shealsofailed attakingherownlife,hadto be rushed to the hospital. She has now been slapped with a murder charge and

Reports are that not knowing what to do, after being abandoned by her partner,shestrangledoneof her children. Rare are the m o t h e r s , h o w e v e r despairing, that devour their young.

packedofftojail. Something is wrong here,andonedoesn'tneedto beahealthprofessional,ora socialworker,toarrivethere. Whatstartedoutasfinancial distress seems to have had too much of a foundation in domesticdistress.

The combining of the two is dangerous in the best situations and with the strongest individuals, meaning, women and those with little children to care for

In aggregate, the circumstancesarebutashort step from mental distress. I invite Guyanese to return and reexamine the sequence of actions that led to Ms. Elizabeth Shivpersaud now being a nationally known name, and a woman and motherconfinedtojail. Herpartnerdepartedand there was some knowledge, or confirmation, that he was goneandnotcomingbackto the marital home. In tight situations that, by itself, would be enough to send some off the deep end. We

have encountered some of those victims on the streets, haven'twe? Ihave. Then,it was that worry, that failure, aboutnothavingfoodforthe family, which some persons have difficulty managing. The results are like a lash across the face: one child

dead, another barely

Shivpersaud herself not wanting to live anymore. How can there not be sympathy for this young mother, this abandoned partner?

Without secondguessing, or one bad word for, the experts involved in handling her matter, I think that this is a situation that cries out for another look, another review; one that looks at the harsh pileup of hercircumstancesthatledto her smashing blindly and lethally at her own loved ones.

Frankly, this woman does not belong in jail. Jail may be the absolute worst

g

hearts and caring handstoliftheroutof the dark world that she nowinhabits. Idon'tthink, for a moment, that hers is a caseofputtingonashowand trying to get around the system.

takeresponsibilityforher

If I may be pardoned, I think that she is one sick individual.

She needs a bed and special attention in another kindoffacilityandnotabed inajailcell.

Could she not have been releasedtothesupervisionof relatives? Would she be a danger to her remaining offspring, her family members,hercommunityor herself? In other words, is she a walking timebomb waitingtoexplodeinanother episode of sudden, uncontrolledviolence?

I am positive that there are others who are far better than I can ever be at answering those questions. And that there may be some relative of hers who may be ready to step forward and

Aspotinjailseemstome tobethelastandworstplace forher Ithinkthatthereare enough caring people in government and the public service, who can think of better ways of helping her This is said against the backdropofadeadchildand onetraumatized,mostlikely scarred for a long time to come.

The hope is for some kind of intervention and a swift reconsideration of her presence in jail. We can do better Ms. Shivpersaud's circumstances demand this happening quickly I think that the Human Services Ministry would be a good startingplace.

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

Iran vows retaliation after U.S. seizes ship near Strait of Hormuz

(AP) Iran has vowed to retaliate after US President Donald Trump said US forces seized an Iranianflagged cargo ship near the StraitofHormuzthattriedto passtheUSnavalblockade.

The US said it attacked and seized the Iranianflagged cargo ship that tried to get around a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, the first interception since its blockade of Iranian ports beganlastweek.

Iran said it will respond soon, its state broadcaster said later, calling the armed boardinganactofpiracy

The events threw into question both the fragile ceasefire and President Donald Trump's earlier announcement that U S negotiators would head to Pakistan on Monday for another round of talks with Iran. The ceasefire is set to expire by Wednesday, and Washington and Tehran's standoff over the strait has nowsharpened.

Trump on social media said a U.S. Navy guided missiledestroyerintheGulf ofOmanwarnedtheship,the Touska, to stop and then “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom ” U S Marines had custody of the U.S.-sanctioned vessel and were “seeing what's on board!”

It was not clear whether anyone was hurt. The U.S. Central Command, which didn'tanswerquestions,said the destroyer had issued “repeated warnings over a six-hourperiod.”

Iranian state media

suggest the talks won't take place

There was no comment from Iranian officials on Trump's announcement of the talks. However, Iranian state media, without citing anyone beyond unnamed sources, issued brief reports suggesting that they would nothappen.

Minutes after the ship's seizure was announced, Iranian state media reported on President Masoud Pezeshkian's phone conversation with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier Sunday U.S. actions including bullying and unreasonable behavior have led to increased suspicion that the U.S. will repeat previous patterns and “betray diplomacy,” the reports cited Pezeshkian as saying.

Separately, Iran's state broadcaster said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi

told his Pakistani counterpart on a phone call that recent U S actions, rhetoric and contradictions weresignsof“badintentions and lack of seriousness in diplomacy.”

Pakistan did not confirm a second round of talks, but authorities began tightening securityinIslamabad.

A regional official involved in the efforts said mediators were finalizing preparations and U S advancesecurityteamswere ontheground.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss preparationswiththemedia.

The White House said

Manchargedwith manslaughtergranted $750,000bail

Shemar Smith, called “Short Man,” a 23-year-old welder of Adventure,EssequiboCoast,was charged with the offence of Manslaughter,contrarytoSection 94oftheCriminalLaw(Offences) Act,Chapter8:01.

Thechargewaslaidinrelation tothedeathofAarifAzeez,which occurred on Monday April 6, 2026, at Hot and Cold Lake, Onderneeming,EssequiboCoast.

He appeared on Friday April 17, 2026, at the Anna Regina Magistrate's Court before His Worship Ravindra Mohabir, where he was not allowed to plead.Bailwasgrantedinthesumofsevenhundredandfifty thousanddollars($750,000GYD).Thematterwasadjourned toApril30,2026.

Vice President JD Vance, who led the first round of historic face-to-face talks over 21 hours last weekend, would lead the U S delegation to Pakistan with envoys Steve Witkoff and JaredKushner

Iran on Saturday said it had received new proposals from the United States WhileIran'schiefnegotiator, parliament speaker MohammedBagherQalibaf, lateSaturdaysaid“therewill

be no retreat in the field of d i p l o m a c y , ” h e acknowledged a wide gap remainedbetweenthesides. It was unclear whether either side had shifted

Tankers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, Saturday, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Asghar Besharati)

stances on issues that derailed the last round of negotiations, including Iran's nuclear enrichment program,itsregionalproxies andtheStraitofHormuz.

Trump's announcement on new talks repeated his threats against Iranian infrastructure that have drawn widespread criticism (Continuedonpage16)

Guyana paid US$264.6M in debt servicing for 2025

Guyana's total debt service payments for 2025 amounted to US$264 6 million, with US$176 6 million paid to external creditors and US$88 million todomesticcreditors.

While presenting the PPP/C Government's $1.5 trillion national budget for 2026, Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, said external debt servicing accountedfor66.7%oftotal payments, while domestic debt service represented 33.3%. He noted that the

nal payments was largely due to higherbilateralobligations.

The disclosures come against the backdrop of a sharp rise in Guyana's overall Public and Publicly Guaranteed (PPG) debt, which climbed to US$7.7 billionattheendof2025,up from US$5.993 billion the previous year.According to Minister Singh, multilateral creditors held the largest shareofexternalPPGdebtat 64%, followed by bilateral creditors at 30 1% and

Several acres of ganja plants were destroyed

told the National Assembly earlierthisyear.“Weremain committedtotheresponsible andtransparentmanagement ofpublicdebtwithinprudent costandriskparameters.”

Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh

privatecreditorsat5.9%. On the domestic side, treasury bills (T-Bills) dominated the debt profile, accounting for 82.5%, an increase of 6.2%

er Debentures accounted for the remaining 17 5%

Moreover, the finance ministerstatedthatGuyana's debtsustainabilityindicators havecontinuedtoimprove.

“Our government continues to balance the f i n a n c i n g o f o u r transformation agenda with thepreservationoffiscaland debt sustainability,” Singh

Areview of figures from the Ministry of Finance's budgetpresentationsshowsa steady and significant increase in Guyana's public andpubliclyguaranteeddebt over the past five years. At the end of 2020, total PPG debt stood at US$2,592.2 million This rose to US$3,126.7millionin2021, before climbing further to US$3,654.9 million at the end of 2022. By the close of 2023,thecountry'stotalPPG d

t h a d r e a c h

d US$4,508 8 million, followedbyasharpincrease to US$5,993.8 millionat the endof2024.

Despite the increased borrowing, Dr Singh stated that Guyana's debt is p

in sustainableintothemediumterm, even as government advances its comprehensive d e v e l o p m e n t a n d transformationprogramme.

Police destroy

$258.7M

in ganja in Upper Berbice River

Police destroyed large fields of ganja cultivation during a joint eradication exercise at Kimba, Upper Berbice River, on Fridaylast.

In a statement police said during the exercise,twofieldswithacombinedareaof approximatelyseven acreswerelocated,on which approximately 310,000 cannabis plantswerediscovered.

The plants ranged between two and six feetinheight.Twomakeshiftcampsandtwo dryingareaswerealsofoundatthelocation,

where approximately three hundred and eighty (380) pounds of dried cannabis were discovered.

The cannabis plants, dried cannabis, camps and drying areas were destroyed by fire.Noarrestsweremadeandtheoperation was conducted without incident The estimatedvalueofthenarcoticsdestroyedis two hundred and fifty-eight million, seven hundred and twenty-nine thousand, three hundred and ten dollars ($258,729,310) Guyanacurrency.Investigationscontinue.

BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT

Guyanapayingtheprice

Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram's warning should sting because it exposes a painful truth: Guyana is being outplayed in its own oil game. The refusal to implement ring-fencing is not just a technical oversight; it is a costly blunder.

While ExxonMobil recovers expenses across projects, Guyana quietly surrenders billions in potential revenue, effectively bankrolling future developments without recognition or reward. This is not partnership- it is submission dressed up as policy. Worse yet, the same voices that once decried the 2016 agreement now defend its weaknesses. That contradiction reeks of convenience, not conviction.

Government cannot hide behind “sanctity of contract” while ignoring tools that require no renegotiation. Ring-fencing is standard practice, not radical reform. If leadership cannot distinguish between prudence and passivity, then Guyana's oil wealth will remain a promise deferred while others cash in.

Guyana pushes trade agenda on global stage at U.S. business forum

Guyana is taking i t s t r a d e ambitionsglobal as the World Trade Centre Georgetown (WTCG) joins leaders from around the world at the World Trade

Centers Association (WTCA) 56th General Assembly and Global Business Forum, which opened on Sunday in Philadelphia.

WTCG Executive

Director Wesley Kirton is representing Guyana at the four-dayevent,wherenearly 300delegatesfrom93World Trade Centers across 46 countriesareinattendance.

Kirton said Guyana will usetheforumtoadvancekey trade priorities, including market access, tariffs, financing for small businesses and strategies to cushiontheeconomicfallout fromtheMiddleEastcrisis.

"Trade and investment opportunitiesinGuyanawill also be highlighted and a number of B2B meetings have already been scheduled," according to Kirton.

Withthetheme“Historic

Foundations, Future Collaborations: Cultivating New Business Frontiers,” thisyear'sForumwillfeature diverse programming, including a keynote address from Pennsylvania

Governor Josh Shapiro. A discussion featuring NBA

Hall of Famer and entrepreneur Julius “Dr J” Erving, Pennsylvania State Representative Jordan Harris, and WTC Greater Philadelphia President & CEOThomasYoungonhow citiesbuildlastingeconomic power.

Additional sessions include “Global Outlook: Navigating Trade and InvestmentTrendsin2026,” a panel discussion including Ken Levinson, CEO of the Washington International Trade Association (WITA); and “From Research to GlobalMarkets:How'Eds& Meds' Ecosystems Drive International Growth,” which will explore how universities, healthcare systems and life-science institutions are powering globaleconomicgrowth.

The GBF will also launch the UNIDO-WTCA Blue Economy Global Call 2026,whichaimstoidentify and promote readily deployable and scalable solutions from the private sector contributing to an inclusive, resilient and sustainable development of theBlueEconomy

The WTCA Real Estate Summit will return to the event agenda for a second year with specialized

sessions focused on real estate development topics, including “Global Macro Trends: The State of Global Capital & Space, ” a conversation with Juan Gallardo, Executive Vice President, Client Solutions Latin America of Colliers International, on the global forces reshaping real estate i n v e s t m e n t a n d development;and“Investing in Philadelphia: Strategy, Growth, and the Power of Partnership” with David J. Adelman, CEO of Campus Apartments, Co-Founder andViceChairmanofFuture Standard (formerly known as FS Investments), and partner of the Philadelphia 76ers, in conversation with DanielJ.Hilferty,Chairman & CEO of Comcast Spectacor and Governor of the Philadelphia Flyers, on investment strategy, prioritizing collaboration, and building enduring value i n P h i

programme will feature a panel discussion “Scaling the World Trade Center Model through Free Trade Zones, ” with Martín Gustavo Ibarra, President of Araújo Ibarra & Asociados S.Aandfoundingmemberof the World Free Zones Organization (WFZO). This Summit will focus on

Apolicesergeanthasbeenarrestedasthe Guyana Police Force launches an investigationintothedisappearanceofseven firearms and 68 rounds of ammunition from the arms room at the Cove and John Police StationinRegionalDivision#4'C'.

The missing weapons: four 9mm pistols and three 32 pistols were discovered unaccounted for on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, during routine checks followed by an audit of firearms and exhibits stored at the station,policeconfirmedinapressrelease.

educating real estate sector attendees and providing practical,actionableinsights on navigating global capital flows and real investment opportunities.

“We're pleased the Global Business Forum is returning to the U.S. this year, especially as the countryapproachesits250th anniversary, and in Philadelphia, the Birthplace of America,” said John E. Drew, Chair of the WTCA Board of Directors. “This year's GBF comes at a pivotal moment In an increasingly complex global economy, the WTCA network remains a trusted platform where business

leaders come together to forge partnerships, learn how to best navigate uncertainty and unlock new opportunities across the globe.”

As the four-day Forum aims to catalyze long-term partnerships, participants will have access to B2B matchmaking through the WTCA B2Match platform,

(TRINIDAD GUARDIAN) Prime Minister of Jamaica, Dr Andrew Holness, hascalledforameetingofregionalleadersto address concerns surrounding the reappointment of Secretary General, Dr CarlaBarnett,sayingdiscussionsarealready takingplacebehindthescenes.

Holness said the matter requires direct engagement among Heads of Government within CARICOM, as public commentary continues to generate unease across the region. “I think the solution really lies in assembling another heads meeting to have the matter addressed,” Holness said. “That's something that I have been pushing for quietly behind the scenes. I think it is distressing for a lot of persons within the region regarding what is being said in the public domain, but I know that all the heads are working behind the scenes to have this matter resolved,” said Holness after being honoured by the American Foundation for The University of theWest Indies (AFUWI) inNewYork.

Holnessindicatedthatfurtherdiplomatic engagement is imminent, adding that he intends to contact Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar as part of ongoing consultations.

connecting them directly with potential business partners, investors and distributors from around the world. The platform allows attendees to schedule meetings, sessions and local business tours while maximizing networking opportunities for building meaningful, results-driven businessrelationships.

Despite further searches, the items could notbelocated.Theincidentwasimmediately reported through the chain of command, prompting the Office of Professional Responsibility to open a formal probe. Investigators have since collected multiple statements and secured relevant records as partoftheongoinginquiry Authoritiessayall necessaryinvestigativeandoperationalsteps are being taken to determine how the weapons went missing and to ensure their swiftrecovery

The issue of Barnett's reappointment has drawn attention within CARICOM, with differing views emerging among member states. Holness maintained that a unified approach is necessary to resolve the matter and preserve regional cooperation. The Jamaican leader's comments come as attention also turns to financial concerns involving Caribbean Airlines and its operationslinkedtotheformerAirJamaica.

GuardianMediahasreportedexclusively that since Caribbean Airlines acquired Air Jamaica in 2011, the airline has recorded

losses exceeding TT$1.7 billion, equivalent to approximately US$255 million, in managing the Jamaica-based operations. Documents obtained by Guardian Media's Investigations Desk showed that unaudited accounts for the period 2012 to 2025 reflect cumulativelossesofUS$254,709,575.

Holness rejected suggestions that the country has not met its obligations. The question,Isuppose,isJamaicanotpayingits share.Jamaicamakescontributions,asitcan, andI'mnotcertainthatthepositioningofnot payingitsshareiscorrect,”hesaid.“Thereis arequestforJamaicatomakecontributionsto the airline. We value the airline. It's very important. And there may be other ways in which Jamaica can support Caribbean Airlines,andwewillbeexaminingthose.So thereisarequestforsupport,andwewillbe considering that.” Holness said Jamaica recognises the importance of the airline to regionalconnectivityandeconomicactivity, notingthatdiscussionsareongoingregarding howbesttosupportitssustainability

APA president to lead participation at UNPFII in New York

President of the

Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), Mr LemmelThomas,willleadthe APA's delegation attending the25thSessionoftheUnited Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) inNewYorkfromApril20to May01,2026.

Mr Thomas would be accompanied by Policy & Advocacy Coordinator, Mr Nicholas Peters, Policy

Officer, Ms Felecia

V a l e n z u e l a a n d CommunicationsCoordinator Mr Lakhram Bhagirat Together,theteamwillseekto collaboratewithAPApartners to amplify the voices of Guyana's Indigenous Peoples at the international forum, bringing a fuller perspective of the experiences of our peoples.

InapressreleaseAPAsaid theUnitedNationsPermanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is a high-level advisory body to the UN EconomicandSocialCouncil (ECOSOC). Established in 2000,itaddressesIndigenous Peoples' issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health,andhumanrights.The Forumprovidesexpertadvice and recommendations to ECOSOC and UN agencies, promotes awareness of Indigenous issues, and works

to ensure the full implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which Guyana hasadopted.

Thethemeforthissession is: "Ensuring Indigenous Peoples' health, including in the context of conflict”. This year's theme highlights growing concerns over the disproportionate impact of war, displacement, resource extraction and inequality on Indigenouspopulations.

The two-week forum

serves as the UN's primary platform for dialogue on Indigenous issues, covering key areas such as human rights, health, education, culture, and environmental sustainability Healthwilltake center stage at the 2026 session, with discussions focusingonunequalaccessto healthcare, mental health challenges, and the preservation of traditional healingpractices.

Beyond health, the forum will address interconnected issuessuchasclimatechange, environmental degradation, and economic inequality Many Indigenous leaders are expected to emphasise the link between environmental protection and community well-being, as ecosystems play a vital role in sustaining traditional lifestyles and healthsystems.

The APA will bring the Guyanese context, based on theAssociation's engagement with communities, to the conversation through interventions on the thematic areas.

The session will also provide a platform for reviewing progress on the i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f international frameworks, including the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the global Sustainable DevelopmentGoals.Through dialogue with UN agencies andmemberstates,theforum seeks to influence policies that promote equity, inclusion, and selfdetermination As global challengescontinuetoevolve, the 25th session of the UNPFII is seen as a critical moment to amplify Indigenous voices and push for meaningful action

Observers say the outcomes of the forum could shape international approaches to health, human rights, and development for years to come.

Regional disaster agency gets US$346,000 boost

T h e C a r i b b e a n Development Bank (CDB) has approved a technical assistance grant of

USD346,000 to the

Caribbean Disaster

Emergency Management

Agency (CDEMA) to support a comprehensive institutional assessment aimed at strengthening the Agency’s ability to support Caribbean countries before, duringandafterdisasters.

C D E M A i s t h e

CARICOM agency that coordinates disaster risk management across the region.Throughthissupport, CDEMA will hire specialist consultants to examine its organisational structure, working systems and staffing arrangements The reviewisexpectedtoprovide practical recommendations to help the agency work more effectively and remain sustainable over time. The findings are intended to guide future changes and help CDEMA coordinate regional responses in the

contextofincreasingclimate anddisasterrisk.

U

investment, Mr O’Reilly Lewis, Director of Projects at CDB, said, “Climate change is driving more intense natural hazards across the Caribbean, and that reality places growing demandsonregionaldisaster m

CDEMA is integral to how countries prepare for and respondtoemergencies,and thistechnicalassistancewill help ensure the Agency has therightstructure,skills,and systems to deliver on its mandate today and into the future.”

Resilience Enhancement (CARE) Programme, which is funded by the European Union through the IntraAfrican Caribbean Pacific European Union Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Programme.

F i o n a R a m s e y , AmbassadoroftheEuropean Union to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, and OECS, stated: “The European Union is proud to

support the Caribbean

D

ncy ManagementAgency in this important effort to strengthen regional disaster risk management As climate-related challenges

intensify, enhancing CDEMA’s institutional capacity is essential to safeguarding lives, livelihoods, and sustainable development across the Caribbean.

This initiative reflects the European Union’s enduring commitment to its partnership with the Caribbean, including the renewed priorities on disaster risk management agreed between Prime MinisterMiaMottley,inher capacity as Chair of CARICOMatthattime,and President of the European Commission,Ursulavonder Leyen.

Together, we are advancingasharedvisionof resilience through a reliable partnership”.

The consultancy will include a comprehensive organisational review; an analysis of skills and competencies to identify critical gaps; and the development of a detailed

action plan to address identified needs, including recommendations for an updated organisational structure. Itwillalsoreview human resource practices with attention to gender equality and will develop a

retention, promotion, and compensation.

Ms Elizabeth Riley, Executive Director of CDEMA, sa

d: “This consultancy marks a pivotal step in CDEMA’s evolution as we position the Agency for both present demands andfuturechallenges.Under Strategic Objective 4 of our 2022–2027 Strategic Plan, w

o transformingCDEMAintoa stronger, more agile, and t

n organisation, equipped with the skills and systems requiredtomeetthegrowing complexity of disaster risk m

Caribbean. We are proud to partner with the European Union and the Caribbean Development Bank on this game-changing initiative, which will modernise our organisational structure and

enhance our capacity to serve Participating States with excellence, innovation, andimpact.”

The institutional assessment forms the first phase of a broader reform agenda aimed at placing CDEMA on a more secure and sustainable footing. Its results will also inform parallel work led by the World Bank to establish a Multi-Source Trust Fund, intended to provide stable, long-term financing for the Agency. Together, these initiatives are designed to bolster CDEMA’s ability to fulfil its Comprehensive Disaster Management mandate across mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery

Implementation of the EU-funded, CDB-supported technical assistance is scheduled to begin in May 2026.

The project is directly alignedwithCDB’s10-Year Strategic Plan 2026–2035, which identifies the strengthening of regional institutionsasavitalcatalyst for building resilience, accelerating growth, and facilitating sustainable development.

IranvowsretaliationafterU.S.seizesship...

Frompage11

andwarningsofwarcrimes. If Iran doesn’t agree to the U S -proposed deal, “the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” he wrote.

Iransaystransitsof theStraitofHormuz are‘impossible’ Ships remained unable to transit the critical waterway amid threats from Iran and the U S blockade of ships heading to and from Iranian ports Hundreds of vessels were waiting at each end for clearance

One of the worst global energy crises in decades threatened to deepen Roughly onefifth of the world’s oil

trade normally passes through the strait, along with critical supplies of fertilizer for the world’s farmers, natural gas and humanitarian supplies for places in dire need

like Afghanistan and Sudan

Iran had announced the strait’s reopening

after a 10-day truce between Israel and the I r a n i a n - b a c k e d

Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon took hold on Friday

But then Trump said the U S blockade “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the United States, and Iran said it would again enforce the restrictions it imposed

early in the war On

Saturday, Iran fired at ships trying to transit

FortheIslamicRepublic, thestrait’sclosureisperhaps its most powerful weapon, inflicting political pain on Trump.

For the United States, the blockade squeezes Iran’s already weakened economy

Each side has accused the other of violating the ceasefire

Since most supplies to U S military bases in the Gulfregioncomethrough the strait, “Iran is determined to maintain oversight and control over traffic through the strait until the war fully ends,” Iran’s Supreme N a t i o n a l S e c u r i t y C o u n c i l s

Saturday

certificates T

recently acted as Iran’s de facto top decisionmakingbody

The war is now in its eighth week after the U S and Israel launched it on Feb 28 during talks over Tehran’s nuclear program

At least 3,000 people have been killed in Iran, more than 2,290 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arabstates

Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U S service members throughout the region havebeenkilled

Terrence Campbell on a mission...

Frompage05 some photos in my inbox with an attached message. “No

working too hard. Dis man means business and giving thestrugglehisall.Heneeds to watch his health He

workingtoohard.” I replied “Death before dishonour.Whowatchestheir health when the PPP government is destroying the healthofGuyanesedaily...itis called the ultimate sacrifice; the point when one chooses thestageofselfactualisation over everything else. The man has found his purpose and it transcends his wealth. He wants Guyana to win at the end of it all. He wants poverty in Guyana dead and couldn’t care less about headache, tiredness or eating twocheeserollsandabottleof water with the people in our PPPmadeghettos.Hispurpose right now is liberation not power.

Sincerely NormanK.Browne

Bids opened for rehabilitation of Medical Centre at Base Camp Stephenson

Th e G u y a n a

Defence Force (GDF) will soon be rehabilitating its Medical

Centre at Base Camp Stephenson, Timehri. The Force was allocated $41.8 billioninthisyear’snational

Belowarethecompaniesandtheirbids: GuyanaDefenceForce RehabilitationofMedicalCentre atBaseCampStephenson.

More

than half

budgetandwillusepartofit fortherehabilitationproject.

The project, which was opened at the National

Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPATB) office, has attracted 22 contractors

ConstructionofoutdoorGYM -1InfantryBattalionat BaseCampStephenson.

Meanwhile, the GDF is also looking to construct an outdoor GYM -1 Infantry Battalion at Base Camp

Stephenson, and a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer (SNCOs) accommodationat BaseCampSeweyo.

ConstructionofSNCOs accommodationatBaseCampSeweyo.

of Haitians still facing acute food insecurity

- Govt. and partners urge intensified efforts to safeguard progress

According to the latest update from the Integrated Food Sec

C

ass

ca

Phase

on (IPC), released by the National Food Security Coordination (CNSA),5.83millionpeople — or 52 percent of Haiti’s population — are currently experiencing acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) This marks an increase of 130,000 people compared to the previous analysis (September 2025), confirming a continued deteriorationofthesituation. Of these, more than 1.8 million people are in emergency conditions (IPC

Phase 4) and require immediate humanitarian assistance. Thanks to joint effortsbythegovernmentand its partners including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO)andtheWorld Food Programme (WFP) around 200,000 people have movedoutofthiscriticalphase compared to last year However, this progress remains fragile amid rapidly growinghumanitarianneeds

Despite the challenging context, Harmel Cazeau, Coordinator of the CNSA, expressed cautious optimism: “While the

situation remains deeply concerning, ongoing efforts to improve governance — particularly through the estab

Interministerial Committee on Food and Nutrition Security—provideastrong

mobilize resources and coordinate actions toward gradually improving food securityforthepopulation.”

As the government body responsible for monitoring food security and informing decision-making, the CNSA emphasizes that sustained resource mobilization is e

developments and deliver life-saving assistance, p

deterioration Violence linked to armed groups, both in urban and rural areas, has displaced more than 1 4 millionpeople Itcontinuesto disrupt food supply chains, restrict farmers’ access to theirlandanddriveupprices for basic goods, eroding householdpurchasingpower

These pressures are compounded by global econom

y, including rising fuel prices linked to conflict in the Middle East Increased t

agriculturalproductioncosts are directly affecting food availability and affordability, further deepening the vulnerability of Haitian families

Recurring climate shocks are also undermining agricultural production Hurricane Melissa, which struck the southern regions in October 2025, caused significant losses of livestock and crops, severely affecting rural livelihoods and national food production “Ending Haiti’shumanitariancrisiswill not be possible without strengthening the national agriculturalsector Supporting

local food production is both an immediate response and a pathway to long-term transformation By investing in local agriculture, we help stabilize vulnerable communities and reduce dependence on external aid and imports,” said Pierre Vauthier,FAORepresentative inHaiti

In a context marked by insecurity and shrinking humanitarian funding, it is essential to combine emergency food assistance with urgent support to agricultural production in order to sustainably reduce needs.

US energy chief says gas prices could stay above $3 per gallon until next year

WASHINGTON, April

19 (Reuters) - U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday he believes gas prices have peaked but predicted that they may stay above $3 per gallon until nextyear

Gas prices have risen during the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran and attacks on nearby countries, creating political headwinds for President Donald Trump ahead of the November midtermelections,wherehis Republican Party will defendslimmajoritiesinthe Senate and House of Representatives.

Gas below $3 a gallon “…could happen later this year, that might not happen until next year But prices have likely peaked, and they’ll start going down,” WrighttoldCNN’s“Stateof the Union” program “Certainly with the resolution of this conflict, you’llseepricesgodown.”

Trump administration officials have offered differing views on how gas pricesmayshift.

TreasurySecretaryScott Bessent last week predicted gas prices would fall to the $3 per gallon range this summer, while Wright on Sunday laid out a lengthier

likely timeline to reach that price.

Trump himself has said that gas prices may remain elevateduntilNovember

All of them have predicted gas prices will eventually get cheaper once theIranwarends.

“Under $3 a gallon is pretty tremendous in inflation-adjusted terms,” Wrightsaid.“We’llgetback thereforsure.”

The average price for a gallon of regular gas on Sunday was $4 05, according to an estimate AAA, compared to $3.16 a yearago.

The war’s impact on oil delivery also has airlines warning of a potential jet

fuel shortage U S

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Sunday said jet fuel will become more plentiful as the Iran conflict recedes.

“So yes, a small disruption, hopefully for a short period of time, but in

the long run it becomes cheaper for Americans to travel because of decreased jetfuelprices,”Duffysaid.

The U S and Iran on Thursday agreed to a 10day ceasefire, but Trump on Sunday accused Iran of violating it with attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz this weekend. U.S. officials will arrive in Pakistan for further negotiations on Monday, Trump wrote in a social mediapost.

Iran said on Friday the Strait of Hormuz was

reacted cautiously,

“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” he posted,revisitingathreathe had made prior to the ceasefire.

Maninhis80sbecomesfirstinFranceto

formallyapologiseforfamily’sslaverylinks

April 18 (Reuters) - A man in his 80s on Saturday issuedwhatisbelievedtobe the first formal apology by someone in France for their family’s role in transatlantic slavery, saying he hoped others - including the government-wouldfollow

Pierre Guillon de Prince’s ancestors, based in Nantes,France’slargestport for transatlantic slavery, were shipowners who transported around 4,500 enslaved Africans and owned plantations in the Caribbean.

Guillon de Prince said other French families must confront their historical ties to slavery and the state should go beyond symbolic gestures to address the past, including through reparations.

“Faced with the rise of racisminoursociety,Ifelta responsibility not to let this pastbeerased,”the86-yearoldsaid,addinghewantedto passthefamilyhistoryonto hisgrandchildren.

Hedeliveredtheapology to a gathering in Nantes ahead of the inauguration of an 18-metre replica ship mast, alongside Dieudonné Boutrin, a descendant of enslaved people from the Caribbean island of Martinique.

Thetwoworktogetherat Coque Nomade-Fraternité, an association dedicated to “breaking the silence” around slavery, and said the mast would serve as a “beacon of humanity”.

“Many families of descendants of slave traders don’t speak out for fear of reopening old wounds and anger,” said Boutrin, 61.

“Pierre’s apology is a courageousact.”

Fromthe15thtothe19th century,atleast12.5million Africans were abducted and forcibly transported, mostly on European ships. France trafficked an estimated 1.3 millionpeople.

Guillon de Prince’s movefollowssimilarformal apologies - which include

commitments to help repair theharmcausedbyancestors -bysomefamiliesinBritain andelsewhere.

C A L L S F O R REPARATIONSGROW

France recognised transatlantic slavery as a crime against humanity in 2001butlikemostEuropean countries, has ne

formally apologised for its role It was the first handshake between Mexico and Spain’s leaders on Spanish soil in eight years. During his terms in office, P

Macronhasexpandedaccess to archives on France’s colonialpast.

Last year, he said he would establish a commission to examine France’s history with Haiti, without mentioning reparations. Calls for reparationsranging from official apologies to financial compensation - are growing worldwide, even as critics argue states and institutions

ancestors

a

de

a 83-year-old descendant of a

ships transporting

of enslaved Africans

Martinique, president

the association La Coque Nomade-Fraternite, a human right association in Nantes which campaigns on slavery and reparations, pose at the Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery in Nantes, France, March 23, 2024.

should not be held responsible for historical crimes. Last month, France abstained at the United Nations from an Africa-led resolution declaring slavery the “gravest crime against humanity” and calling for reparations.

Fire leaves family homeless after morning prayer

Afamilyoffourwasleft homeless on Sunday after a fire destroyed their two-story wooden and concrete home at David James Scheme, Charity Essequibo Coast, Regiontwo.

Reports are that the home caught fire between 07:15 and

daughtersages10andeight.

I

investigating the cause of fire but preliminary findings revealed that at around 07:15 hrs., Maniram's wifelitagrabattiandadiyaattheir altar-situated next to a window fitted with a cloth curtain- before heading downstairs with their

08:30 hrs., about an hour after an incense(agrabatti)anddiyawaslit and left burning at the family's religiousaltarformorningprayers.

Police said that the house belonged to truck driver, Deodat Maniram, 38, who lived in the upper-flat with his wife and two

daughters.

Lighting a diya and incense is part of their routine religious practiceeachmorning.

Maniram's wife recalled that at around08:30Hrs.sheheardanoise coming from the upper flat of the building. One of her daughters

Fire fighters combing through the debris to make sure that the fire was completely extinguished

wenttocheckandfoundoutthatthe topflatwasonfire.

After raising an alarm, Maniram's wife tried to extinguish the flames but it was already too late. She quickly contacted the GuyanaFireServiceinEssequibo. Fire fighters arrived promptly

and were able to put out the blaze butwereunabletosavethefamily's home.

Police in a press release said,

“The upper flat was completely destroyed by fire, with only a few uprightpostsremained”.

The lower flat was partially damaged but fire debris was seen scatteredaroundthelowerflatand ontoashedsituatedontheeastern, western, and northern sides of the building.

“The property was not insured, and the value of the loss is not estimatedasyet”,policesaid.

GuyanawelcomesKing’sBaton RelayonRoadtoGlasgow2026

Guyana proudly marked a significant moment in international sport today withthearrivaloftheKing’s Baton Relay, a symbolic journey that connects

Commonwealthaheadofthe Commonwealth Games 2026.

The baton was officially received by the Honourable Minister of Culture, Youth

Ram, Silas, Persaud power Demerara to U-19 title

Acomposed halfcentury from o p e n e r ParmeshwarRam,supported bystrongcontributionsfrom his teammates, propelled Demerara to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Berbice to clinch the 2026 GCB Inter-County U19 50Overtitle.

Playing in their own backyard at the Rose Hall Canje Ground, Berbice

struggled to post a competitivetotalafteropting

Monday April 20, 2026

ARIES

You'll find that things are slipping nicely into place for you today, Aries. Your persuasivemannerandgentle nudges are just enough to get peoplewhereyouwantthem.

TAURUS

When faced with ten entrees onthemenu,itmightbehard for you to choose just one. Feelfreetoordertwoormore, Ta u r u s D o n ' t l e t indecisiveness slow you down.Atthesametime.

GEMINIS

Your dreams won't come true unless you believe in and act onthem,Gemini.Nooneelse is going to do it for you. Unless you have a fairy godmother, you need to take mattersintoyourownhands.

CANCER

If people hassle you or give you a hard time about your appearance today, pay them nomind,Cancer Youhavethe righttoliveyourlifeanyway youwantto.

LEO

Reachforthepotofgoldatthe end of the rainbow, Leo. It's closerthanyouthink.Indeed, your dreams are completely within your reach, and there are huge forces at work helping you achieve your goals.

VIRGO

Today is your day to dream and dream big, Virgo. Think aboutwhatitisthatyouwant most out of life. Aim your arrow to the stars and pull back your bow as far as possible. There's no limit to howfaryoucango.

LIBRA

Expand your mind to its furthest reaches today, Libra.

There's an incredible opportunity opening up for you in which you can make great strides in a creative realm.Followthemusic.

SCORPIO

Your mind may seem rather cloudy today, Scorpio, but don't let this hinder you. In fact, you'll find that you can use this feeling of fantasy to your advantage. Try to bring moremagicintoyourlife.

SAGITTARIUS

Today is an excellent day for you,oneinwhichyou'llfinda great deal of strength in your emotions, Sagittarius Trust that your instincts are serving youwell.

CAPRICORN

Things might get a bit confusing for you today, Capricorn. Don't feel like you needtomakesenseofitall.In fact, this task may be impossible. Just be yourself. Let your creative nature shine through.

AQUARIUS

Mix your reality with a bit of fantasytoday,Aquarius.Allow your feet to come off the ground for a little while. Give yourselfarest.Takesometime to meditate and clear your mindofyourdailyworries.

PISCES

Let yourself go into high creative mode and drift into a whole other world, Pisces. Escape your present reality and explore your fantasies through any sort of artistic endeavor Dreamasbigasyour mindallows.

and Sport, alongside the Prime Minister, in a ceremony that highlighted thecountry’scommitmentto sport, unity, and global cooperation.

The relay, steeped in tradition, represents resilience, shared values, andtheenduringspiritofthe Commonwealth.

As it made its way onto local soil, the King’s Baton served as more than just a ceremonial object, it stood as a powerful emblem of togetherness, linking Guyana with nations across the world through sport and culturalexchange.

TheBatonRelayisakey f e a t u r e o f t h e Commonwealth Games build-up, travelling through participating countries and territories before arriving at the host city Its journey not onlypromotestheupcoming Games but also celebrates the diversity and identity of eachnationitvisits.

For Guyana, the occasion was one of pride and recognition, offering an opportunity to showcase its people,culture,andgrowing presenceontheinternational sportingstage.

Theeventalsoreinforces the nation’s ongoing involvement in the Commonwealth sporting movement.

As the baton continues its global journey toward Glasgow, Guyana stands honoured to have played its partinthishistorictradition, embracing the values of sport, unity, and shared purpose that define the Commonwealthspirit.

Ram also made an impact with the ball, claiming 2-11 tofurtherrestrictthehosts.

to bat first Despite familiarity with conditions, theywerebowledoutfor134 in46overs.

Adrian Hetmyer led the resistance with 31, while Richard Ramdehol (23) and VishalWilliams(20)offered briefsupport.

Demerara’s bowling attack proved disciplined andeffective,withright-arm leg-spinner Dhanesh Persaud leading the charge with an impressive 4-24.

In response, Demerara’s chasewasanchoredbyManof-the-Match Ram, who returned to the crease to guide his side home with a well-crafted 50 off 64 deliveries, striking three fours and three sixes. He shared a crucial 86-run opening partnership with Kishawn Silas, whose patient 48 off 104 balls (1 four, 2 sixes) provided stabilityatthetop.

With the foundation firmlyset,EmmanuelLewis addedanunbeaten27tosteer Demerara comfortably to 135-2in37.2overs,sealinga dominant victory and the championshiptitle.

Feaz Baksh (1-22) was the lone wicket-taker for Berbice, but the home side had no answers to Demerara’s all-round superiority on the day (CliftonRoss)

Reggae Girlz too strong for Lady Jags

…Guyana shows promise despite Qualifiers exit

Guyana’s senior w o m e n ’ s football team, the Lady Jags, concluded their 2025/26 Concacaf W Qualifiers campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Jamaica on Saturday night at the NationalStadiumKingston.

The result confirmed Jamaica’s dominance in GroupB,astheReggaeGirlz maintained a perfect 4-0-0 r e c o r d t o s e c u r e qualification for the 2026 ConcacafWChampionship.

The hosts wasted little time asserting control, opening the scoring in the eighth minute through captain Manchester City forward,KhadijaShaw,who poweredhomeaheaderfrom inside the box Guyana, however, responded with resilience, tightening defensively and showing improvedorganizationasthe

matchprogressed. Despite their efforts to keep the contest within reach, Jamaica struck again late in the game. In the 88th minute, Shania Hayles sealed the victory with another well-placed header, ensuring the home side closed out the group stage unbeaten.

For Guyana, the loss meant a third-place finish in Group B with a respectable 2-0-2 record While it marked the end of their qualification hopes, the c a m p a i g n o ff e r e d encouragingsignsofgrowth and competitiveness on the regionalstage.

Head coach Omar Khan acknowledged Jamaica’s superiority on the night but praised his team’s overall performanceandspirit.

Lady Jags following their defeat to Jamaica in

The Lady Jags’ journey in the qualifiers began on a challenging note last November with a 3-1 defeat toNicaragua. However, the team responded impressively, recording back-to-back

victorieswitha3-0winover D o m i n i c a a n d a commanding4-0winagainst AntiguaandBarbuda.Those results highlighted the team’s attacking potential

and resilience, even as consistency against top-tier opposition remains an area fordevelopment.

While the immediate goal of advancing to the

Concacaf W Championship was not achieved, Guyana’s showing in the qualifiers underscores steady progress within the women’s programme.

BlytheblazestoGloryasGuyana’s windstestEngland’sfinest England’

En g l a n d ’ s

Goodwill Tour to

G u y a n a continued to produce

gripping action, as challenging conditions and elite marksmanship defined

competition at the demanding 900 and 1000yardranges.

From the outset, shooters were met with strong, fast-switching windsthataddedacomplex layerofdifficulty Whilethe English competitors are no

At the 900-yard range, most competitors struggled to break into the high 40s, with scores largely settling inthelow40s

However, Matthew Blythe delivered a standout performance, capturing gold with an impressive 49 5 He was closely followed by Martin Whicher, who secured silver with 49 2, while Matthew Keel claimed bronzewith48 4 Guyana’s Dylan Field led the local charge with a commendable46.2,showing

strangers to windy conditions at Bisley, the unpredictable gusts in Guyana proved a stern test, even for the most seasoned marksmen.

resilience in the tricky conditions He was supported by Roberto Tewari, who posted 44.4, andLeoRomalhowith44.2, as the home shooters held theirownagainstthevisiting contingent.

The 1000-yard event

p r o v e d e q u a l l y d e m a n d i n g , w i t h precision and windreading skills again put to thetest

EnglandTeamCaptain Phillip Chapman-Sheath rose to the occasion, claiming gold with a top score of 46 3 Whicher continued his consistent

run, taking silver with 46.2, includingtwoVs,whileKeel secured another podium finishwithbronzeat45.3.

In the second day’s aggregate standings, combining scores from both the 900 and 1000yard events, Whicher emerged on top with a combined 95 4 Keel followed in second with 93 7, narrowly edging Blythe, who finished third with93.6.

T h e O v e r a l l I n d i v i d u a l Championship, which a c c o u n t e d f o r performances across all

distances, saw Blythe crowned champion with an outstanding total of 234 14 Christopher Crabtree secured silver with 231 16, while Keel completed the podium with 231.12.

Gu

Field impressed with

distances ranging from 300 to 1000 yards

opposition

Attention now turns to the highly anticipated Team Match, set to be c o n t e s t e d a c r o s s

The Guyana NRA team will face off against England Red and England White, with each side comprising e i g h t s h o o t e r s , supported by a wind coach and a plotter With pride on the line and momentum building, Guyana will be aiming to deliver a strong performance against their English counterparts in what promises to be a thrilling finale to the tour

Nandu, Smith cool-off Volcanoes …Harpy

Harpy Eagles a huge edge heading into today’s second day of action versus the Windward Volcanoes, as they trail by 21 runs with eightwicketsinthetank.

Guyana Harpy Eagles pacer Nial Smith was sublime during his opening spell

ByCliftonRoss

Afiery five-wicket spell

reinforced by a brisk halfcentury from Matthew Nandu, gave the Guyana

TheVolcanoes imploded during the first batting innings of their return battle againsttheGuyaneseoverat the Antigua Recreation Ground, where they were immediatelyblownawayby the venom of the Harpy Eaglesseamers,ledbySmith who snared brilliant figures of5-36from13overs.

Returning fast-bowler Shamar Joseph worked for his2-52from10overswhile

Keemo Paul (2-46) continued to find his straps, as the three pacers cohesively ripped apart the oppositionbattingorder

Left-arm spinner

Gudakesh Motie (1-4) was the next best bowler, as the Volcanoestriooftop-scorers in; Ryan John (37), Noelle Leo (36) and Sunil Ambris (35) failed to capitalize on theirstarts.

The Volcanoes who at one point were 21-5, began theirinningsinaflusterafter Smith and Paul rattled the top order to remove huge players in skipper Alick Athanaze(9),KavemHodge

(4) and opener Ackeem Auguste (2) to give Guyana anamazingstart.

Guyana, at stumps were comfortablyplacedon130-2 after 41 overs with ViceCaptain Nandu giving the chase a nice shot of adrenaline after his late session knock of 54 off 65 (8x4 1x6), prior to his dismissalinthelastsession.

Opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul, unbeaten 29 and Kevlon Anderson (41) kept the ship afloat before the latter was unfortunately denied a possible halfcentury when he was dismissed. Chanderpauland

captain Tevin Imlach, currently on four, will have huge roles today as the Eagles look to pile on runs and gain the 1st innings advantage in pursuit of their second successive win this season Leewards Hurricanes were bowled out for 131 batting but left Trinidad and Tobago Red Force reeling at 85-6 during the chase Jamaica Scorpions batting first rackedupa300plusscoreas they sought to gain the lead in their match versus Barbados Pride, as part of Sunday’ssecondround. Actionresumestoday

David, Glasgow hattricks help sink St Joseph in huge quarterfinal win

West Ruimveldt advances with 5-1 win over St Joseph High. Dellon Philadelphia covering the ball in a fiery challenge during yesterday’s quarterfinal encounter

The road to

s c h o o l b o y football glory is heating up, and the Petra Organisation made sure Sundaywasnothingshortof electric.

At the iconic Queen’s

College Ground, the quarterfinal stage of the Massy Distribution 12th Annual Schools Under-18

Football Tournament delivered drama, goals, and pureyouthfulintensity

W h e n t h e l i g h t disappeared, Santa Rosa

Secondary, Chase’s Academic Foundation, CharlestownSecondary,and West Ruimveldt Secondary wouldhavealreadypunched

their tickets to the

semifinals,eachwithastory to tell and momentum to carry Charlestown and New Amsterdam Secondary set the tone in a thriller that refused to be settled in regulation. Locked at 2-2 afterasteadyback-and-forth battle,ittooknervesofsteel in the penalty shootout for Charlestown to edge ahead 3-1.

GoalsfromAdionMarks and Omari Cassius kept Charlestowninthehunt,but New Amsterdam answered everycall,forcingadramatic finish before falling just short. If that was tension, the next match was pure domination.

Chase’s Academic Foundation exploded onto the semifinal scene with a ruthless 11-2 dismantling of Bartica’s Three Mile Secondary Mark Glasgow was simply unstoppable, hammering in a hattrick, while Shaquan David matched the feat in a devastating attacking display

By halftime, it was already a rout at 7-1, and Chase never eased up, sending a clear warning to the rest of the field: they’re not just contenders, they’re frontrunners in the 2026 Massy U18 tournament, missing out on last year’s title, the dominant unit continuesto prove why they

…WestRuimveldt,Charlestown andSantaRosakeeptitleinsight

Demolition completed! The Mark Glasgow (with ball) and Shaquan David goal spree against St Joseph High, sends Chase's Academic Foundation into 2026 Massy Distribution U18 School's Football semifinal's

considered the best football unitatthislevel.

Following Glasgow’s and David’s onslaught, Nyron Barrow ended with a braceinthe21’and55’while Germaine Garrett, Micah Boode and Jaden Christian squeezedontothescoresheet with individual goals to roundoutthecarnage.

Santa Rosa Secondary, meanwhile, handled business with composure against a strong Annandale Secondary lineup. A brace from Shane James set the foundation, before Darren Williams sealed a confident 3-1 victory in the 60th minute, sending Santa Rasa into another U18 semifinal. The display. It wasn’t

flashy it was efficient, controlled,andeffective.

Joining the other semifinalists, West RuimveldtSecondaryclosed the day with authority, brushing aside St. Joseph High5-1.

Donovan Welcome led the charge with a double in the seventh and 35th minutes, he was supported by Lyndon Gray and Dellon Philadelphia in a first-half blitzthatleftlittledoubt.

Even with resistance from St Joseph’s goalkeeper,West’srelentless attack proved too much, adding another goal in the second half to cap a commanding performance.

Four matches One day

Endless action. Now, the spotlight shifts to the semifinalsthisSundayatthe Ministry of Education ground, where these four rising forces will clash for a place in the final With Chase’s firepower, Charlestown’s resilience, Santa Rosa’s discipline, and West Ruimveldt’s attacking flair, the stage is perfectly set The tournament is sponsored by Massy Distribution with support from Demerara Mutual Group and the Ministry of Culture,YouthandSports.It is also approved by the MinistryofEducation. The chase for the 2026 Under-18crownisalive,and it’sonlygettingbetter

David Fernandes re-elected as GSA President

The Guyana Squash Association (GSA) has reaffirmed stability and forward-thinking leadership following its Annual General Meeting and Election of Office Bearers onSaturday,withincumbent President David Fernandes returned unopposed to lead the sport into its next phase ofdevelopment. Fernandes will head an executive that blends continuity with a notable shift toward inclusivity,

particularly through i n c r e a s e d f e m a l e representation in key leadership roles, a move widelyseenasaprogressive step for the sp

’s administrationinGuyana.

con

membersareLoraineInceas Vice-President, Victoria Arjoon as Secretary,Ashley D

G

Treasurer,andAshleyKhalil a

association’s leadership structurefurtherareRoseann

Bulkan, who takes responsibility for Junior Affairs,andTianEdwardsas C h a i r p e r s o n o f Competitions.

Deje Dias has been appointed as Clubs Representative, while Owen Verweycontinuesinhisrole as Returning Past President. Alex Arjoon also remains integral to the structure as Athletes Representative,

ensuringthatplayers’voices remain central to decisionmaking.

Adefining feature of the new executive is the significant presence of women in leadership positions, reflecting a deliberateeffortbytheGSA to foster inclusivity while strengthening governance acrossalllevelsofthesport. Duetotheabsenceofan AGM in the previous year, the newly elected body has agreed to serve a one-year term.Thedecisionwastaken in good faith to ensure that the association remains compliant with its constitutional obligations and aligned with best practices in sports governance. In reflecting on

The GSA executive committee

his re-election, Fernandes highlighted the unique culture that underpins squash in Guyana, describingtheassociationas more than just an organisation.

Theassociationentersits new term buoyed by significant infrastructural

progress One of the standout achievements in 2 0 2 5 w a s t h e commissioning of new doubles courts, a longanticipated project that has nowbecomeareality

T h i s a d d i t i o n complements the existing five singles courts at the

public facility, greatly enhancing training opportunities for local players. Looking ahead, the GSA is already focused on major international commitments, most notably Guyana’s hosting of the 2027 Pan American Junior Championships.

Guyana’s senior women’snationalbasketball team is stepping into a defining phase of its international journey, with preparationsintensifyingfor the 2026 Centrobasket Women’s Championship, the critical first step in the country’s pursuit of qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Set for July 13–18 in Nicaragua, Centrobasket will serve as both a proving ground and a gateway, with Guyana needing a top-four finishtoadvancetothe2027 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup, the next and even more demandingstageofOlympic qualification.

Leading the charge is captain Joy Adams, whose experience and leadership will be central to Guyana’s ambitions.

Shewillbesupportedby a strong core that includes the talented Ramlall sisters (Amisha, Arshia, and Ashna), whose chemistry and versatility provide a significant boost on both endsofthecourt.

Alongside them are key contributors Ruth Adams

and Anaya Clemons, forming a nucleus that blends skill, cohesion, and competitiveedge.

Guyanasecureditsplace atCentrobasketfollowingan impressive runner-up finish

at the FIBA Caribbean Championship, held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall last year That performance signaled the steady rise of women’s basketball locally and placed Guyana firmly among the region’s emergingforces.

However, the upcoming challenge will b

significantly tougher

Centrobasket features some of the strongest teams in the region, and the margin for errorisminimal.

For Guyana, preparation has shifted into high gear, with a clear emphasis on conditioning, tactical discipline, and sharpening executionunderpressure.

The stakes extend far beyondregionalpride.AtopfourfinishatCentrobasketis essential to keep Olympic hopes alive, as only those teams will progress to the AmeriCup. There, the level ofcompetitionrisessharply, with the Americas’ elite battling for limited spots in theglobalqualifyingstage.

The pathway to the Olympics is unforgiving From the AmeriCup, just four teams will advance to theFIBAWomen’sOlympic Qualifying Tournaments in February2028.

Those tournaments will feature 16 teams competing across multiple venues worldwide, all vying for a place in the 12-team field at

Guyana women’s basketball team eyes Centrobasket tournament

theLosAngelesGames.

Adding further pressure isthepresenceofaWomen’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament,whichoffersan additionalrouteintothefinal qualifiers but reduces the number of available slots through the traditional pathway Every game,

therefore, carries immense significance.

For Guyana, the focus remains firmly on the immediatetask,deliveringa top-four finish at

Centrobasket With a committed group led by Adams and bolstered by a promising mix of youth and

experience, there is a growing belief that the team canrisetotheoccasion.

Success in Nicaragua would not only extend Guyana’s Olympic journey but also mark another milestone in the continued development of women’s basketballinthecountry

David, Glasgow

hattricks help sink

St Joseph in huge quarterfinal win

…West Ruimveldt, Charlestown and Santa Rosa keep title in sight

Guyana’s women’s basketball team finished second at the FIBACaribbean Championship

Guyana women’s basketball team eyes Centrobasket tournament

2026 GCB Inter-County U-19 50 Over champs

Ram, Silas, Persaud power

Demerara to U-19 title