Kaieteur News

ASL pilot found dead after 3-day jungle search

“Wekeptourhopesalive until the last moment”, relatives said after Guyana Defence Force Special Forcesfoundthebodyofthe pilot in the Air Services Limited (ASL) plane crash, RyderAlbertoCastillo.

The Guyana Civil AviationAuthority (GCAA) broke the sad news via a pressreleaseonMonday His body was recovered three days after the Cessna Carvan, 8R-YAC he was flying crashed in the jungle near Imbaimadai, shortly after he took off from the MahdiaAirstrip,Region8. GCAA said that the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Special Forces were finally able to successfully reach the crash site on day three of a search and rescue operation “The team recovered the body of the pilot and are currently making preparations for extraction from the site”, GCAA stated in the statement.

Up to press time there

were no further updates on whethertheteamwasableto extractthebodyfromthesite and transport it to the city

“The Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and the Guyana Defence Force, join the wider aviation community in extending their heartfelt sympathies to the loved ones of the pilot,” GCAA continued while assuring that investigations into the plane crash continues.

Following the news of his death, Castillo's loved onesexpressedtheirgriefvia Facebook posts. His sister Maria Elena CastilloAburto wrote “We kept our hopes alive until the last moment, God has His plans, I know mybrotherfoughtveryhard (Guardamos las esperanzas hasta el último momento, Dios tendrá sus planes, mi hermano habrá luchado lo se”

Another relative, Alex Castillo, described him as a

man with great experience. “Gracias tío por tus consejos, mis recuerdos contigoenminiñez.Erasmi héroe de niño y lo seguirás siendo. (Thank you uncle, for your advice, my childhood memories with you.YouaremyherosinceI was child and you will always continue to be my hero”,Alexsaid.

Meanwhile,otherfamily members are calling for his employer to assist in returning his remains to Nicaragua, his homeland Natalia Castillo wrote, “A life was lost, a human being withafamily;theremainsof an airplane cannot be more important than returning the bodytoamother,awife,and other relatives who want to say goodbye to him (Se perdió una vida, un ser humano con familia no pueden ser más importantes los restos de un avión que regresar el cuerpo a una madreyunaesposaydemás familiares que quieren despedirsedeél)”.

The ASL has not responded directly to the calls for assistance to have his body returned home but hasstatedthatitismourning the loss of the pilot and expressedcondolencestohis friends and family Ryder wasdescribedasadedicated andvaluedmemberofASL's flight crew “Captain Castilloservedthecompany for eight remarkable years with unwavering dedication and humility”, the company stated before adding: “he was known for his calm nature and his remarkable ability to turn every challenge into something positive.”

“His professionalism, strength, and quiet leadership earned him the respectofeveryonewhohad the privilege of working alongside him” ASL said while describing him as genuine hardworking and one of its finest pilots who always delivered with excellence and reliability AccordingtoASLontheday

he crashed Friday) Castillo was piloting a cargo flight fromMahdiatoImbaimadai.

Reports are that the aircraft departed Madhia at 08:10hrswithonepersonon board(Castillo)andwasdue to arrive at Imbaimadai at 08:40hrs”, but it never did.

“It failed to report arrival, prompting a flight progress check at 08:44hrs,” the GCAAhadsaidwhilenoting that “weather in the area

ASL pilot, Ryder Castillo

included heavy rainfall and reducedvisibility”.Asearch and Rescue operation was launched the same day i n v o l v i n g s e v e r a l stakeholder including medical personnel and GDF special forces but due to rough and mountainous jungle terrain with dense vegetation, the rescues were only able to successfully access the crash site on Monday

‘Release Wales gas project contracts now’...Jordan says too many unanswered questions

Is Guyana now required to pay for the gas in the Stabroek Block? How can this impact the feasibility of the Wales Gas-to-Energy

(GTE) project? Will government still be able to cut electricity cost by 50%? What is the final cost of the pipeline and who owns the structure?

Isusinggascheaperthan continuing the use of heavy fuel oil (HFO) to generate electricity?

These are just a few of thequestionsformerFinance Minister Winston Jordan saidmustbeansweredbythe government following the revelation that Guyana has signed an agreement with ExxonMobil to purchase its own gas from the Stabroek Block.

In an interview with Kaieteur News on Monday, the former minister raised

concerns over the contradictory statements

shared by several government members and Exxon.

G u y a n e s e w e r e previously told that the gas will be supplied free to the Wales site, however sources have since disclosed that a GasSalesAgreement(GSA) have been signed between the GoG and Exxon which ties Guyana to take-or-pay arrangement.

This means that whether the country uses the full amount of gas brought to shore or not, it must pay the contractorastandardfee.

Thepipedream/ nightmare

Citizens were also assuredthatthepipelinecost willbeamortizedovera20year period at US$55M annually, but information suggests that Exxon is already recouping this expense through cost recovery, or by taking Guyana'soil.

To this end, Jordan reasoned,“Becausewehave seennoneoftheagreements, wehavehadnoaccesstothe negotiations,wedon'tknow! Thatiswhywecanhavefive and six different stories coming out from the Prime Minister, Ali, Jagdeo, Routledge, every one of them has a different story The only thing we know for sureisthepipelineisnotfree but we know nothing else aboutthepipeline.”

He pointed out that Guyana has not seen an agreementwiththecompany to construct the pipeline which leaves question marks at the end of the project Jordan was keen to note that although the structure was completed since the end of 2024, the company is yet to disclose thefinalcostofthepipeline.

“How could you have asked Exxon to build a pipelineandyoudon'tknow what is the cost, because when (Exxon's Country Manager, Alistair) Routledge was asked by the media,hesaidthattheywere still ascertaining the cost. Thismeansthatwesigneda contract not knowing what the cost of the pipeline is, whichisunheardof,andnow

theyaretellingyou,wellwe are still adding up the cost. So that is the first thing, heavenhelpusiftheysigned a contract saying build a pipelineandthentelluslater whatisthecost,”theformer Ministersaid.

Further, Jordan recalled that when government was asked in Parliament about the cost, the nation was informedthatthedealswere still under negotiation although the pipeline was alreadyunderconstruction.

Given that the pipeline expense has been reportedly added to the cost bank, he said it was likely that the projectisalreadycompletely repaid.

To this end, he questioned whether Guyana ownsthepipeline,sinceboth Exxon and government formerlystatedthatalthough projects are funded through cost oil, assets belong to Exxon.

He said, “Let us assume that the government owns thispipeline,wheredoesthe pipeline show up and where in the country's assets does the pipeline show up and what are the accounting arrangements on the various books?

Whether it's the Balance of Payments, the fiscal account, if the government owns something then two transactions have to be in place- one is an asset that theyacquiredandtheotheris aliabilitywhattheypaidout toclaimthisasset.”

Still on the pipeline, he notedthatthereisadditional cost being incurred to

Former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan

maintain the pipeline while the government struggles to complete the gas plants at Wales.

Nofreegas

Jordansaidthatwhilehe has not seen the secret contract between the GoG and Exxon, he firmly believes that Guyana should not have to pay for its own gas.“Jagdeohadsaidthegas wouldbefreeandallwewill be paying for is the pipeline,”herecalled.

In fact, Jordan pointed outthatthisnotionwasused to push the project as feasible, which therefore raises serious questions abouttheeconomicsofGTE.

G i v e n t h i s n e w development, the former minister urged that a study

should be conducted to determine whether continuing with the project would be cheaper than continuing the use of HFOs withimprovedefficiency

“When this project started it was under a US$1B, but when it now reaches US$3B and maybe going beyond, because if nowyouhavetobuythegas, the question is whether it wouldn't have paid you to improve efficiency of the plant and the transmission than to incur this massive expenditure,”henoted.

Furthermore, in determiningthefinalcostof theproject,Jordanstatedthat litigation, arbitration, cost overruns and gas purchase mustbeconsidered.

“This will put the GTE way over the initial budget andnottomentionwayover the time which they said it would have been made available to the country, another cost to citizens for therentalofpowerships,”he pointedout.

Comeclean!

“The government of Guyana now has to come clean.

They have to tell us clearly whether there is a contract between the GoG and Exxon to purchase gas that originally Jagdeo said will be made available for free.

That is what was made the project economically feasible. If you now have to payforgasatthecommercial price, what are the implications for the GTE in termsofthetariffs?

Will they still be able to cuttariffsby50%andifthey go ahead with that, how muchwillthegovernmentbe subsidizing electricity and whether that subsidy would be bigger than the actual subsidytheyaregivingright now to the consumers,” the formerministerquestioned.

He said it would be interesting to know what circumstances led to the changeinpositionregarding thefreegas.

Moreover,Jordanargued that if the information publishedwasincorrect,itis the responsibility of the government to not only reject, but respond with concreteevidence.

“We have not seen a single document in relation tothisprojectandsowekeep speculatingandtheycanend allthespeculationbyputting the document in the public domain or come out and refute with evidence what wehavesaid.

You have to show the evidence that this is not so and they can withhold whatever proprietary information from the contracts,”hesaid.

KaieteurNews

PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS

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

EDITORIAL

The fuel crisis

ThelonglinesatgasstationsacrossGuyanaarenotjust asymptomoftemporarysupplyhiccups.Theyarethedirect and painful consequence of a dangerous geopolitical gamble, one driven by the United States under Donald TrumpanditsallyIsraelthathasnowspiraledintoaglobal oilcrisis.

Let us be clear: Guyanese motorists queuing for fuel, minibus drivers being rationed to $3,500 at the pump, and businesses bracing for disruption are all collateral damage inaconflictthousandsofmilesaway Aconflictthatdidnot havetohappen.

ThedecisiontolaunchstrikesagainstIranonFebruary 28 has triggered exactly the kind of global instability that experts have long warned about. At the center of this unfolding crisis is the Strait of Hormuz—a narrow but criticalarterythroughwhichroughly20%oftheworld’soil supply flows. Disrupt that passage, and you do not just inconvenience markets, you send shockwaves through every economy on earth. That is precisely what has happened.

Flowsthroughthestraithavebeenchoked.Millionsof barrelsofoilhavebeenknockedoffline.Tankersarestalled. Insurance risks are soaring. And now, as reports indicate movestofurtherrestrictorcontrolaccessthroughthisvital corridor, the situation has worsened from instability to outrightcrisis.

Andhereathome,theeffectsareimmediate.President Irfaan Ali has been forced into urgent consultations with fuel importers as shortages grip the country The government speaks of shipments arriving “as early as tonight,” (Monday night) but that offers little comfort to citizens already stuck in long, winding lines or forced to rationtheirdailymovement.

This is not just about inconvenience. This is about vulnerability Guyana,despitebeingarapidlyemergingoil producer, still depends heavily on imported refined fuel. Thatdependenceexposesthecountrytopreciselythiskind of external shock. And when global supply chains are disrupted by war especially war centered on critical oil infrastructure,smallnationslikeoursfeelitfirstandfeelit hardest.

Whatmakesthissituationevenmoretroublingisthatit wasentirelypredictable.Fordecades,analystshavewarned thatanymajorconflictinvolvingIranwouldputtheStraitof Hormuz at risk. It is the world’s most sensitive oil chokepoint.Yet, in spite of this, the decision was made to escalate militarily Not diplomatically Not strategically Militarily

The result? A global oil market that has flipped overnight from expected surplus to dangerous deficit. ReutersreportedonMondaythatsupplycouldfallshortby hundreds of thousands of barrels per day, with deeper deficits looming if disruptions persist. Millions of barrels arealreadystranded.Pricesaresurging.Andrecovery,even underthebest-casescenario,couldtakemonths.

Meanwhile, ordinary Guyanese are left to bear the burden. It is the minibus driver who cannot earn because fuelisrationed.Itisthesmallbusinessownerfacingrising costs.Itisthehouseholdalreadystretchedthin,nowforced toabsorbyetanothershock.Andforwhat?

What strategic victory justifies destabilising a global energy system that billions depend on? What justification can be offered to countries like Guyana, which played no roleinthisconflictyetmustnowsufferitsconsequences?

This is the harsh reality of global power politics: decisionsmadeinWashingtonandTelAvivrippleoutward, often with devastating effects on smaller, developing nations.Guyana’sleadersaredoingwhattheycan,meeting importers, securing shipments, monitoring the situation. Butletusnotpretendthatlocalmanagementalonecanfix whatisfundamentallyaninternationalcrisis.

This moment should serve as a wake-up call. Guyana must accelerate efforts to strengthen its energy security,

What we are witnessing is not development; it is exclusion

DEAREDITOR

Uneven development in our country continues to pose a clear and present threat to national development, peaceful coexistence, and harmony There is not a day that goes by when you do not see images or hear stories that suggestadeliberateeffortto leave significant sections of thissocietyoutofbenefiting fromthenation’swealth.

We are told, repeatedly, that the n

tion is growing—that we are the fastest-growing economy in the world. Few doubt that. Butmanydoubtthatthereis any benefit in this economy for them. The World Bank has reported that Guyana’s economyisexpectedtogrow by 17% this year That figure, I am sure, will not correspond to any measurable improvement in the standard of living for many Guyanese—more so our workers, the vulnerable, and our young people. The wealthcontinuestoflowtoa few elites who have consolidated themselves into a cabal, ensuring that theyalonebenefit,whilethe masses go hungry and there is pervasive want and poverty

What we are witnessing is not development; it is exclusion.Wearelookingat a society where there is no sustainedeffort,nocoherent policy, no programme backedbylawtoensurethat all benefit that there is equity, justice, and equality

We cannot continue to live like this.The framers of our Constitution believed in the inherent goodness of ourselves as fellow human beings, forged in shared struggles against oppression ateverystageofourhistory

The colonisers first tried to enslave the Amerindians. Whenthatfailed,theyturned tothechattelenslavementof Africans, who were brought totheseshoresandfoughtat everystageagainstcaptivity and dehumanisation. Then came indentureshipAfricans, East Indians, Portuguese, Chinese, and some Europeans bound into another system of exploitation.Afterthatcame colonial domination in its various forms History shows that at every step of the way, our foreparents resisted oppression and discrimination.

Out of that common struggle emerged a collectivevisionthatcreated

Republican status Our founding mothers and fathers Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow,ForbesBurnham, Cheddi Jagan, Janet Jagan, JanePhillipsGay,andmany othersknownandunknown, including our own parents fought for these not so that a few would prosper,butsothatallwould shareinthenation’swealth. They did not fight for a Guyana where wealth is hoarded by a cabal. They fought for a Guyana where all would participate in the nation’sbounty Icontinueto repeat—some may say ad nauseam the importance of implementing and giving realmeaningtoArticle13of the Constitution That Article calls for the involvement of the people and their representatives in the management and decision-making processes of the state that impact their well-being The same Constitution, in Articles 38, 147 and 149C, specifically outlinesaroleforlabour Yet we see no effort to create a new wage band. No serious move towards livable wages real wages No structured engagement with

the trade union movement, despite repeated calls. How can a regime—the majority, ifnotallofwhomcomefrom poor or working-class backgrounds now entrustedwithmanagingthe nation’s wealth, be so cruel and indifferent to their fellowcitizens?Thisbrutish approach to governance has tostop.

Some may interpret progressive labour’s persistenceasweakness.Itis not. It is an appeal to the goodness of our fellow men and women—the inheritors of the legacy of those who fought to make selfgovernmentpossible.Weare saying: let us sit at the table and work out our collective salvation as human beings. Ineverysocietytherewillbe disagreement. There will be conflict.Butthatmustnever be branded as anti-national or anti-government Advocacy is not hostility; it is the legitimate demand for what is just and fair The people’s voice must be part and parcel of the national conversation, accepted by both Government and Oppositioningoodfaithand with well-meaning intent. Instead,weignorethese

(Continuedonpage06)

Guyanese remember Bollywood legend

DEAREDITOR,

Asha Bhosle has been revered among Indian Guyanese at home and abroad She has been considered as a legend among Guyanese (at home andinthediaspora)whoare tunedintoIndianfilmsongs andmusic.

She has been seen as a singing sensation, with songsconsideredastimeless and holding nostalgic value for Indian Guyanese and other Indo-Caribbean people. She recorded over 12,000 songs, many being top hits in India and in Guyana. Who can forget “Dum Maro Dum”, a major hit song? A giant voice of

Bollywood, the Indian entertainment or the movie andmusicindustry,shedied early Sunday morning in Mumbai;the92yearoldwas crematedMondayevening. Her passing has been marked by mourning GuyaneseinNewYorkhave been speaking about her death and their love and admiration for her She is remembered with immense respect, her music a staple among Indian Guyanese She is deserving of all the accolades Guyanese showeredonher

The renowned singer, like her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar, another legend, gave lip-sync voice

including refining capacity and strategic reserves. The country cannot continue to be so exposed to external shocks,especiallyasglobaltensionsrise.Atthesametime, the international community must reckon with the consequences of reckless military action. Wars are no longerconfinedtobattlefields,theyarefeltatgasstations, ingrocerystores,andinthedailylivesofordinarypeople across the globe. The fuel lines in Georgetown are more thanjustalocalproblem.Theyareavisiblereminderthatin aninterconnectedworld,instabilityanywherecanbecome hardshipeverywhere.

Andrightnow,Guyanaispayingtheprice.

tohundredsofactressesasa playback singer for over six decades Their singing providedculturalconnection between India and the diaspora,actingasaunifying element, fostering a strong connection with Indian culturalroots.

They have been widely recognized for immense contributions to the Bollywood music industry, which holds significant popularity in Guyana and in the Indian Guyanese and otherIndiandiaspora.

As news broke Sunday morning that she was no more, sha became the talk among Indians who rememberedherasalegend. She has been revered in the I n d i a n - G u y a n e s e community,wherehermusic is deeply nostalgic and widelycelebrated.Thesame is true among Indians in Trinidad and Suriname and in other territories of the greater Caribbean region Many recalled crowding concert halls in USA, Canada,andUKtowatchher perform over the last four

decades; ditto elder sister Lata. And at home, they watchedmovieswhereAsha and Lata sang for scores of actresses. Their songs are considered as staple among I n d i a n s g l o b a l l y, transcendinggenerations.

Their songs were of different genres melancholy, religious, tender, soothing, aching, wistful, sacred, emotional, romantic, mourning, fast tempo or of the dance type. She is considered irreplaceable, and her contribution to the music industry is celebrated with enduringlove.

Her contribution to music is celebrated with love, and she, like Lata, are considered as irreplaceable. At many homes, Guyanese played her songs and watchedvideos in nostalgia, displaying the deep respect and love they have for her and showcasing her immense popularity She is gone, but her music will remaineternal!

YoursTruly, VishnuBisram

Government’s ongoing disrespect for Parliament and the guardrails of transparency and accountability

DEAREDITOR

As I began reading Jermaine Figueira’s letter, “The President is fulfilling his mandate,”KN,April 12, 2026, I couldn’t help wondering if he was auditioningforajobwiththe PPP administration as he challenged his social media targets to shift their focus and change their narrative from the President’s personalaccessoriestomore importantissues.

Butthenhealsotargeted Opposition elements that participated in the social media gabfest to shift their focus.

He pretty much put a tongue-lashing on the Opposition,untilIrealized he may have missed the opportunity to demand of the PPP government to respect the will of the people, and to also adhere

to the guardrails of

t r a n s p a r e n c y a n d accountability

I don’t know if he’s aware that this may be the first time in the postBurnham/Jagan era that our contemporary politics

h a s p r o d u c e d a government that refuses to recognize and respect the main parliamentary Opposition Is it possible that this crass disrespect for the 109,066 Guyanese

who voted for WIN warrants the social media gossiping about Ali’s bling-bling?

The government needs to come straights and full with all Guyanese on the

status of WINs role in Parliament and other government arms because the PPP is no better than WIN, regardless of what the Mohameds did or what the PPP and or the U S authoritiesplantodotothe Mohameds Guyanese voted out the PPP in 2015 because of pervasive corruption, then voted it back into power in 2020 because the Coalition

f

n promisedchanges,butthen two years later, Bharrat Jagdeo and famous tenant Su were caught in a video recording by Vice Media

awarding government contracts. Su even blabbed about collecting and splittingfees.

President Ali promised an investigation and then reneged Dammit, the Mohameds came out of that samethePPPledbyJagdeo, and that’s the source right there.

Editor, the same way Jermaineeagerlyrecognises Aliisfulfillinghismandate, heowesittoreaderstoshow that he is equally eager to question or challenge government’s modus operandi.

After the last election date was set, Jermaine was the outgoing Chairman of the PAC when did an interview with Stabroek News,“Figueiraregretsthat PPPC years not scrutinized byPAC,”July8,2025. Hisregretwasthatwhen

Elections Date was announced the Committee was still reviewing the year 2019, thereby missing the chance to review the four yearsthePPPwasinpower That disclosure came as a massive shock to readers whothoughtthePACwason schedule with its reviews of auditedaccounts.

Now that Jermaine is signingofflettersasaformer Member of Parliament, he should put on his regular Guyanese cap and make the PAC inaction a hot button issue.

He can compliment the government if he wishes, but he should also openly challenge the government to explain to the nation why it has failed to perform its c o n s t i t u t i o n a l l y mandated responsibility viathePAC

We’re talking about trillions of dollars being taken from both the Natural Resource Fund and the Consolidated Fund between 2020 to 2024 The AuditorGeneral did his job of presenting reports to the House Speaker for each of those five years, with the 2024 report being presented on 25th of September2025

Iwasinformedthat,as of March 2026, the names

of the Public Accounts

C o m m i t t e e w e r e published - Gail Teixeira, Juan Edghill, Vishwah Mahadeo, Sanjeev Datadin, Alister Charlie, Juretha Fernandes, Ganesh Mahipaul, and David Patterson - but g i v e n t h a t t h e Chairperson is usually drawn from the main p a r l i a m e n t a r y Opposition party, does Jermaine know who is the currentChairperson?

Do he know when was the last time the PAC met? Does he know if the PACwasabletocomplete reviewing 2019 and started reviewing years 2020through2024?

The PPPs aversion to accountability and transparency in the people’s business may well be why many have concluded the ‘C’ in PPPC ceased representing Civic a long time ago Still, the government must be able to walk and chew gum at the same time or be able to execute development projects and be accountable andtransparentforcontracts and spending at the same time.

It’snotrocketscienceor brain surgery Other governmentsaredoingit.

Regards

EmileMervin

Outstanding matters must be addressed

DEAREDITOR, I have carefully considered recent public statements by Caribbean leaders, including Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar and President Irfaan Ali, concerning the apparent divergence within the Caribbean Community regardingthereappointment of the Secretary-General of CARICOM, Dr Carla Barnett.

This development raises substantive questions of procedure, governance, and institutional integrity Appointments of this magnitude, akin to senior leadership selections within comparable international organisations, ought properlytobeadvancedasa formal agenda item at Meetings of Heads of Government and clearly communicated well in advance. On the basis of information presently in the publicdomain,thisdoesnot appeartohavebeenthecase.

If accurate, such a departure from established practice in 2026 merits a clear and reasoned explanation from the C h a i r m a n o f t h e CARICOM, the Prime Minister of St Kitts, Dr TerrenceDrew

The appointment of a Secretary-General has traditionally followed a structured and deliberative process, incorporating formal discussion and, where necessary, a vote

subsequent to caucus engagement Within that framework, any objections raised by member states, should be afforded due consideration prior to the finalisation of a decision. The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, as the largest contributor to CARICOM must be given such an opportunity to raise their concerns about the continuationofthetenureof Dr Barnett (see table below).

Thequestionoffinancial contribution further underscores the need for inclusivity and procedural fairness.Alimitednumberof member states namely Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, The Bahamas, and Guyana collectively covers over 67% of the CARICOMexpenses.Asthe largest single contributor, Trinidad and Tobago’s concerns regarding transparency and process warrant ca

nd respectful engagement; not this attempt to engage in deceptionfromcertainheads ofstates.

Equally,publicdiscourse on this matter should be guided by prudence and a commitment to deescalation.

T h e p r e s e n t circumstances call for measureddiplomacy,mutual respect, and, where appropriate, impartial facilitationtosafeguard

(Continuedonpage06)

First movers or vulture hoverers?Ali’s

Haiti-Cuba pitch forgets Caribbean Blood

DEAREDITOR

President Irfaan Ali’s address to the Trinidad and TobagoChamberofIndustry andCommercehaslitafuse across the Caribbean, and it should. In pushing Guyana and its neighbors to “position” as “first movers” in the supposed market boomsofHaitiandCuba,he sketches a ledger of economic opportunism that ringshollow—lessvisionary statesmanship, more merchant’s hustle, stripped of the moral fire that forges ourregionalfamily

This isn’t leadership charting new frontiers; it’s speculation in geopolitical drag, demanding we call it outbeforeitpoisonsthewell ofsolidarity

The hollow boom starts with cold facts, the unyielding arithmetic of reason Haiti isn’t a prosperity powder keg primedtoerupt—it’sasister nationcontractingnearly2% last year, gang warfare

stranglingports,supplylines starved, millions displaced. Cuba endures chronic shortages under a decadeslong blockade, its markets more phantom than powerhouse Where’s the cash,Dr Ali?

The buying power?

Remittances and aid buoy Haiti, but scaled imports for food, construction, agroprocessing? That needs stability, governance, finance—none glinting on the radar Your “rebuild lag time” bets on post-crisis windfalls, yet skips the blueprint: concessional loans, diaspora floods, multilateral lifelines

Without them, this isn’t strategy; it’s sales patter Haiti’simportsplunged18% in2025,notskyrocketed. Labeling it a “massive market” ignores despair’s balancesheet.

Feel the predator’s gaze, that gut-punch betrayal searing every Caribbean heart “Positioning” amid

neighbors’ ruin? Haiti isn’t prey for consortiums to circle—it’s kin, battered but unbroken, pleading after quakes, coups, invasions we’ve all mourned in real time Cuba? Its doctors stitched our wounds, teachers kindled our minds, brigadesdefiedempires—all gratis,nostrings.

Shrinking them to “opportunities that do not wait” erases our anthems of resistance,GarveytoGrenada It reeks of colonial eyes: the hale stalking the frail, not handsclaspedinbrotherhood Dr Ali,yourchillwordsmock a region born of mutual aid Where’stheacheforPort-auPrince mothers queuing rice, Cuban elders rationing pills? Statesmanshipbleedswiththe brokenbeforebargaining

Ethos of the true statesman demands moral gravity, earned not from oil boomsorchamberclaps,but character echoing Manley’s equity, Burnham’s spine, Jagan’s solidarity, Castro’s

oneness. Your CARICOM track record rang true—Haitianelectionpleas, UN security pushes, humanitarian surges placed people over profits. But in PortofSpain,thatcracks. A statesman doesn’t murmur consortiums in boardrooms while Haiti smolders; he rallies hemispheres for rescue. Not “export first,” b u t “ r e b u i l d a s one”—Guyana rice seeding Haitianfields,Trinidadports fueling Cuban chains, riskshared funds sealing the pact,notpredatoryplays.

Picture the speech we crave:“HaitiandCubaaren’t

markets rising they’re sovereign kin reclaiming strength. We seed their resilience now: pacts with fair terms, shared disaster nets,medicalswapsrepaidin trust.Guyanafeeds,Trinidad powers,diasporabinds.

Nolag-timelotto;thisis covenant, crisis to commonwealth ” That’s ethos bold, humane, rooted in our Manifesto for Survival, profit servant to people,notdevourer

This writer’s charge: Dr Ali,youchasevisionbut hawkventurecapital.

The Caribbean tiresof GDP over grace Real

statesmanship weaves trade into tenderness-CARICOM s e c u

olled by our surpluses, Cuban tech flowingfree,alltransparent to scorn the extractors Honor Cuba’s gifts, Haiti’s guts, our anti-vulture vow Miss it, and history won’t just judge words, but will Rise,region

Exigency more Our riches lie not in exploited booms, but unbreakable bonds. Statesmanship isn’t predation’s overture it’s solidarity’sblade.

Sincerely,

Hemdutt Kumar

What we are witnessing is not...

Frompage04 principlesaswemoveeverydayclosertothe precipiceofself-implosion. People will not forever tolerate marginalisation.Theywillnotforeveraccept being shut out from the benefits of this society Wehavetowork—andwemustwork diligently—tochangecourse.AndsoIcallon everyone:Standupforourrights.Wecannot

give up the fight. In a nation blessed with unprecedented wealth wealth we have never seen before—the reality of pervasive poverty, corruption, marginalisation, and intoleranceissuffocating. We want to breathe. And we deserve to breathe.

Sincerely

LincolnLewis

Outstanding matters must be...

Frompage05 regional cohesion and if the compromise means a new Secretary General, so what; the Caribbean unity is more important.

U l t i m a t e l y, t h e legitimacyandeffectiveness of CARICOM are grounded in adherence to transparent proceduresandthesustained

confidence of its member states.

outstanding concerns be addressed in a timely, c

n d institutionally consistent manner to avert broader financial, operational, and political repercussions for

the Community. If this is mishandled, then we can have a depleted CARICOM without the active participationofTrinidadand Tobago and their 23% contribution.

The consequences are dire

Regards

SurujdaiJuglall

Govt. says fuel supplies flowing

...warnsagainstpanicbuying

The Government of Guyana is moving to calm rising public anxiety over fuel shortages, assuring citizens that supplies are already arriving and the situation will stabilise withindays.

In a statement by Prime Minister, Mark Phillips authorities confirmed that the disruption was caused byadelayedshipmentfrom a major oil company, but thatvesselhassincearrived and is currently being offloaded “Following consultations with fuel importers, it was confirmed that one major oil company experienced a delay in its shipment.

Thatshipmenthassince arrived and is currently beingdischarged.Importers

h a v e a s s u r e d t h e Government that the situation will stabilise

swiftly, with consignments already landed this afternoon (Monday) and furthershipmentsscheduled fortomorrowandlaterinthe week,”thestatementread.

ThePrimeMinistersaid “I wish to emphasise that thereisnoneedforconcern, panic buying, or hoarding. Adequate fuel supplies are enteringthesystem,andthis temporary disruption is beingresolved.

Iremindconsumersthat petroleum products are highly flammable and must be handled and stored with thegreatestcare.

Storing gasoline in inappropriate containers poses a serious fire risk and significantly increases the potential for injury, loss of life,anddamagetoproperty.

The Government will continue to monitor developments closely and

will take all necessary measures to guarantee stableandreliableaccessto fuel across the nation,” Phillipsassured.

Scheduleoffuelimports thisweek:

GuyanaOilCompany:

- 9,000 barrels diesel, expected to arrive in Guyana 15Apr2026 to offloadThursdaymorning

- 21,000 barrels gasoline, expected to arrive in Guyana 15 Apr2026 to offloadThursdaymorning.

SOLGuyanaInc.:

- 3,000 barrels of gasoline, arrived 13 April 2026;vesselarrivedat2pm, discharge has commenced, and distribution will commencethisevening.

- 14,000 barrels of diesel, arrived 13 April 2026;vesselarrivedat2pm, discharge has commenced,

and distribution will commencethisevening.

- 12,000 barrels of gasoline, expected arrival 14April2026at2:20pm.

-6,000barrelsofdiesel, expected arrival 14 April 2026at2:20pm.

RubisGuyanaInc.:

- 10,000 barrels of gasoline, arrived 13 April 2026at2pm.

- 6,700 barrels of low sulphur diesel, arrived 13 April2026at2pm.

- 4,500 barrels of ultra low sulphur diesel, arrived 13April2026at2pm.

- 10,000 barrels of gasoline, expected arrival 14April2026at3pm.

- 18,000 barrels of diesel, expected arrival 14 April2026at3pm.

- 3,000 barrels of avjet, expected arrival 14 April 2026at3pm.

Oil shock from Iran war turns market upside down ...analysts predict possible big windfall for Guyana

(REUTERS) The global oil market has been thrown intoturmoilbytheescalating Iran war, wiping out expectationsofacomfortable supply glut and instead pushing the world toward a significant oil shortage —a development that could deliver major gains for oilproducing nations like Guyana.

Analysts now warn that the conflict triggered by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 has delivered a sharp and immediate blow to global oil supply, upending earlier forecasts and sending pricessoaring.Attheheartof the crisis is the Strait of Hormuz,acriticalchokepoint through which roughly onefifthoftheworld'soilpasses. Flows through the strait have been severely disrupted, effectively choking supply to global markets. In a dramatic reversal, a Reuters poll of eight analysts now projects that global oil demand will exceed supply by about 750,000 barrels per day this year

Eight analysts polled by Reuters ​expect oil market demand will outpace supply by750,000barrelsperdayon average this year A similar poll last September had predicted a 1.63 ​million bpd surplus for 2026, driven largelybyOPEC+'sdecisions to unwind some of its output cuts, and strong production from other producers like the U.S.,BrazilandGuyana.

The International Energy Agencyprojectedthatthewar had shrunk oil supply by around 11 million bpd ​as of theendofMarch,whileANZ bank estimated in an April 9 note that roughly 9 million bpdofcrudesupplyhadbeen effectively ​removed. Global oil supply was around 106.6 million bpd in January, accordingtotheIEA.

These immediate shocks are expected to translate into anaverageproductionlossof 2.13 million bpd across the entire year, analysts said in the poll. They expect the market to see its steepest deficitinthesecondquarteraveraging around 3 million bpd-beforetippingbackinto asurplusof1.4millionbpdin the fourth quarter Analysts warn,however,thatprojected deficits could steepen depending on how long

disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz persist. Flows through the strait remain constrained, with traders reportingnoclearsignsyetof a sustained resumption in shipments since a ceasefire wasannouncedTuesday

An estimated 136 million barrels of crude oil and productsarestuckintheGulf duetotheconflict,saidVikas Dwivedi, global energy strategist at Macquarie Group. So, Andrew, NASA projectscantakedecadesand run billions over budget Clearingthatbacklogislikely to take time. Many shippers stillfacechallengesinspiteof the ceasefire, with reports of Iranplanningtochargefeesto ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz "Issues include insurance and the risk of violating sanctions (by) transacting with Iran if tolls arepaid,"Dwivedisaid.

RESTORING

PRODUCTION ​EXPECTEDTOBE BUMPY

Supply disruptions due to the war prompted the largest annualpriceforecastincrease in Reuters poll records last month, with analysts lifting their 2026 Brent forecasts by around 30% to $82 85 a barrel. The war has boosted oil prices by about 50%. Restoring oil production to pre-conflict levels will likely take months, depending on the extent of the damage sustained at oilfields during attacks and shutdowns, ​and onhowfreelyshippingflows throughHormuz.

Evenunderaconstructive security scenario, analysts at ANZ said output can only be partiallyrecoveredinthenear term,witharound2millionto 3 million bpd potentially returninginthefirstmonthas export flows resume, and another 2 million to 3 5 million bpd potentially coming back into the market over the rest of the second quarter "However, operationalfriction,damaged infrastructure and export bottlenecks ​mean recovery is unlikely to be smooth," they said. There is also a chance that around 1 million to 2 million bpd of capacity may bepermanentlylostorlimited evenafterthewar,ANZsaid, setting the stage for a tighter market and increased price volatility

Mentalillnessdoesnotalwayslooklike“madness”

For many people, the idea of mental illness is tied to a very specific image: someone wandering the streets, talking to themselves, behaving in ways that are clearly “not normal.”

Becauseofthis,itcanbe difficult to accept that a person who looks calm, speaksclearly,goestowork, or takes care of their family could also be mentally ill. Yet, this is exactly what modern understanding of mental health tells us—many people who are struggling deeply do not “look”sickatall.

Mental illness is not always something you can seefromtheoutside.Infact, some of the most serious struggles happen quietly, inside a person’s thoughts andemotions.Apersonmay smile, hold a conversation, or carry out daily tasks, while at the same time feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, or trapped. Just as someone can have high blood pressure without obvious signs, a person can haveaseriousmentalhealth condition without appearing “crazy.”

When people talk about suicidetoday,itisnolonger seen simply as a personal decisionmadeinaclearstate ofmind.Mostmentalhealth professionals understand it as something that often happenswhenapersonisnot thinking clearly because they are overwhelmed by emotional pain Imagine feelingsoweigheddownby

problems, sadness, or stress that it becomes hard to see anywayout.Overtime,that feeling can grow so strong that the person begins to believe things that are not really true. They may, for example, think that their situationwillneverimprove, or that their loved ones would be better off without them These kinds of thoughtscanfeelcompletely real to the person experiencing them, even if they don’t make sense to others.It’slikelookingatthe world through a dark filter Everything appears worse thanitactuallyis.Apersonin that state is not making decisions the way they normally would Their judgmentiscloudedbypain. In some cases, the situation becomes even more serious.

A person may begin to lose touch with reality in certain ways. They might believe things that are not true but feel completely convinced that they are. For example, theymaythinkthatdangeris everywhere,orthatsuffering isunavoidable.Thesebeliefs can be so strong that they guidetheperson’sactions. This helps explain something that is very hard for many people to understand: how a parent could harm their own child. In ordinary thinking, this seems impossible, because parents are expected to protect their children at all costs. But when a person’s mind is deeply affected by mentalillness,theirsenseof reality and judgment can

becomedistorted.Theymay believe, however wrongly, that they are protecting the child from a worse fate. In their mind, they are not acting out of hatred, but out of fear, confusion, or a misguidedsenseofcare.

I t i s i m p o r t a n t

understandthatthisdoesnot mean excusing the harm done. The loss and pain caused by such actions are real and devastating

However, understanding the mental state behind these actionshelpsusseethatthey donotcomefroma“normal” way of thinking. Another important point is that people in severe emotional distress can act suddenly When stress, conflict, or emotional pain builds up, it can reach a breaking point. At that moment, a person may act in ways that are completely out of character Someone who has always been loving and responsible may do something shocking because, in that moment, theyarenotthinkingclearly

In many communities, mental illness is only recognized when it is extreme and visible If someone is not shouting, wandering, or behaving wildly, people assume they are fine. But this way of thinking can be dangerous, because it ignores the many people who are suffering silently The truth is that mental illness exists on a wide range. Some people show obvious signs, but many do not. A person can look“normal”ontheoutside

DEM BOYS SEH

Guylines are back

Dem boys seh when yuh cyan get fuel, yuh suddenly remember all the places yuh didn’t really need to go. Georgetown trafficeaseup.Notbecause government plan good, but because half the vehicles deh home dry like bush in August.

Now everybody talking ’bout “incoming shipment” and “sourcing alternative supply,” but dem boys seh that sound like when yuh belly empty and somebody telling yuh food coming “just now.” Just now does turn next week, and next weekdoesturnstory

Therealquestionishow we reach here? Fuel ain’t likerain.Itdon’tjustrunout one day without warning. Somebody supposed to be

watching the levels like hawkwatchingchicken.Or is it that the tank run low, and everybody just say, “nahman,itgon’stretch”?

Dem boys want know whether we had stockpile?

Because serious country does keep reserve—three months, six months, something fuh when things tight Or is it that we operating on faith and a prayer? If is so, then we need to start listing “hope” asanofficialenergysource. Andwhomindingtheshop?

Which office, which desk, which big chair does monitorhowmuchfueldeh in national tank? Is like running a kitchen and nobody checking the gas cylindertillthepothalfway cook Then everybody scrambling, blaming the

andstillbestrugglingdeeply ontheinside.Theymayhide their feelings, feel ashamed to speak up, or not even realize that what they are experiencing is a form of illness.

Ifwebegintounderstand this, we can respond differently Instead of immediately judging or dismissing, we can start to ask deeper questions: What was this person going through?Weretheresignsof distress that were missed? Could help have been

offeredearlier?

stove.

Accountability is a funny word Everybody like call it, but nobody like answer when it ring. If stockpiledidrunningdown, when did it start? Last week? Last month? Or sincelastyear?

Dem boys seh if yuh runningasystem,yuhgotto knowbeforeproblemreach pump Because when citizens lining up and cussing under hot sun, it ain’t logistics It’s it’s failurewithalongreceipt.

But leh we keep calm. After all, we now discovering a new national exercise: pushing vehicle. Goodfortheheart,demsay Just make sure yuh don’t run outta breath same time yuhrunouttafuel. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

Recognising that mental illness is not always visible is an important step toward prevention. It encourages us to take emotional suffering seriously,evenwhenitisnot obvious. It reminds us that behind actions we struggle tounderstand,theremaybea mind that is not functioning as it normally would. In the end, moving away from the idea that mental illness only lookslike“madness”allows for a more compassionate and realistic understanding ofhumanbehaviour Itopens the door to better support, earlier intervention, and, hopefully,fewertragedies.

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

H@RD TRUTHS

PPP's special talent for partners-local and foreign

Whatever gifts Guyana has, the PPP cohort holding the reins of government has betterones. Itisastonishing the people that are engaged to deliver big projects for this country One poor performing group, or a shorthanded one, I could understand.

But rich, steady streams ofthemthatfalldownonthe job, and drag this country down, brings challenges Whattomakeofthepartners and contractors engaged, both local and foreign? What to think of the people inthegovernmentthatareso successful in retaining the slipshod, handicapped, and unimpressive, through multimillion dollars contracts awarded? Taking higher,howtowrapthemind around what smells rankly, aboutthosewhoshouldn'tbe allowed to touch one Guyanesetaxpayerdollar?

In which country other than Guyana, is a company such as Fulcrum LNG

engaged to develop 'infrastructure solutions' for anoilandgassector? Aonemancompany,thatwasone-

year old at contract award time,andwithoneroomina two-story building in Nevada, the gambling capital of the world

Someone here gambled Guyana's millions on Jesus Bronchalo Romero coming good. Of course, Señor Bronchalocamewithanace up his sleeve: Exxon. The name Exxon is the best recommendation for a company veteran to the PPP Govt. He was in, and whoever had to be climbed over for that contract, and kicked into the loser's column, too bad. Business 101 with the PPP Govt., whose motto is: we know how to do business, so that everyone prospers. Clearly, theExxonnameisfearedby the PPP Recall how US$214 million in audit findings withered to US$3 million,andbothExxonand the government had a big laff, until Kaieteur News pulled back the curtains. Bronchalo and his backers high inside Exxon are still laughing. Now, Guyanese are shaking their heads: this

cannot be happening again, with Lindsayca-CH4 grinning like a cat. Like a recurring nightmare for the Guyanese taxpayer Long ago, there was Fip Motilall and the Amaila Falls hydro project. Millions down the drain, and a partner who pocketedsomecoolmillions for doing yardwork. After Mr Motilall, there were some Chinese companies thathadtheirowncheckered histories, but which didn't mattertothePPPbraintrust. Whether it was the old NICIL of before, or the Wales Taskforce overseeing that US$2 billion project going nowhere, but sucking more millions out of the national treasury, it is the same special talent of the PPP on display That is, to 'tiebundle'withthosewhose names inspire disgust, and whose records confirm that they should have no place here, not even as a tourist. The trouble is that they are here, and they also know howtodobusinessacertain way

Enter Lindsayca-CH4 The first clue is its location.

How about Houstin, Texas, for an address! From Bronchalo Romero to Lindsayca-CH4, the connection to Exxon is neat andoverpowering. Thisisa webofAmericannamesand facesthatapparentlyhavean extraordinary skill at being in the right place among the rightpeopleattherighttime.

A Guyanese name of illuminating repute is Mr Winston Brassington. A manofmeansandwhoishis godfather,ifnoneotherthan the illustrious Bharrat “the Boss”Jagdeo. Rememberto keep eyes focused on that PPP mission statement, manifesto, and motto: we know the right way to do business. Acertainwaythat follows along certain lines. Fip Motilall collected his

millions and ran.

Lindsayca-CH4 is now stretching out its hand and positioning itself to collectanotherUS$250 million to deliver the twin it promised (natural gas conversion facilityandpowerplant). A twin that is causing

Lindsayca-CH4 such a herniathatitneedsaUS$250 million enema. Personally, the wind is freighted with omens that the Wales twin now stuck crossways in Guyana'sbellyisgoingtobe thedeathoftaxpayers.

Lindsayca-CH4 had trouble in Columbia and Venezuela before. Even halfhearted scrutiny committed to finding the best partners for Guyana should have stumbled on those revelations. No name companies, no track record companies, or those with records that sound clear warnings of financial d a n g e r Wi n s t o n Brassington is a seasoned Guyanesebusinessoverseer He had the best teachers [Jagdeo,Ali]. It'samystery how Lindsayca-CH4 got pasthiswise,watchfuleyes. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

Accountant critical after stabbed by bandits at Kitty seawall

An accountant is now admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHCH) after being robbed at knifepoint along with a colleague in the wee hours of MondaymorningattheKittyseawall.

Policesaidinastatementthattheincident occurred around 02:50hrs “Preliminary investigationsrevealedthatthevictimswere walking on the southern side of the Kitty Seawall Road, proceeding west, when they were confronted by two identifiable males who had been sitting on the seawall, one of whomwasarmedwithaknife,”policesaid.

Themenallegedlyapproachedthevictim anddemandedtheyhandovermoney Oneof the victims pushed the armed suspect and attemptedtorunaway,hewaschasedandhe fell to the ground. During the ordeal he was

stabbedseveraltimes.Thesuspectsthenfled on foot in an easterly direction along the seawallroad.

RanksoftheGuyanaPoliceForcearrived at the scene and escorted the victims to the GPHC.

The injured victim was examined by a doctorondutyandadmittedasapatient.He sustainedastabwoundtotherightsideofhis chest and his condition is listed as critical.

“With the aid of cameras from the Government of Guyana Safe City Initiative, onesuspect,a24-year-oldmasonof'C'Field, Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was arrested and is presently in police custody assisting with investigations. Checks are being made fortheothersuspect,”policesaid. Investigationsareongoing.

Fuel rush grips Guyana

...Pres Ali summons importers as long lines, shortages hit pumps

By

Amid a rush at fuel stations across Guyana followinggrowingshortages at the pumps, President Irfaan Ali yesterday moved to calm the situation, conveninganurgentmeeting with fuel importers at State House.

During the high-level engagement, the Head of Statewasassuredthatefforts arealreadyunderwaytoease the supply crunch, with shipmentsexpectedtobegin arrivingasearlyaslastnight.

(Seeotherstoryonpage8)

Importers briefed the President on a combination of shipping delays and logistical setbacks that have disrupted supply chains, triggering panic buying and long lines at gas stations across the country StateownedGuyoilindicatedthat while incoming shipments are expected to bring some relief,additionalsuppliesare also being sourced to meet the spike in demand. The government,officialssaid,is closely monitoring the evolvingsituationtoprevent prolongeddisruption.

Also present at the meeting were Prime

Minister Mark Phillips, Minister of Public Utilities

and Aviation Deodat Indar, and Head of the Guyana Energy Agency, Dr Mahender Sharma The developments come against thebackdropofrisingglobal oilmarketinstability,raising concerns that external shocks could continue to impactlocalfuelavailability if supply chains remain strained.

Reuters reported on Mondaythatthesharphitto global oil production from theIranwarispoisedtoflip the oil market into a supply deficitthisyear,analystssay, a huge swing in forecasts that erases previous expectations of comfortable oversupply The conflict, whichbeganonFebruary28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, has effectively stalled flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a passagewayforaboutafifth of global oil consumption.

Production shut-ins and attacks on energy infrastructure have also cut deeplyintooutput.

These immediate shocks areexpectedtotranslateinto an average production loss of 2.13 million bpd across the entire year, analysts said in the poll. They expect the market to see its steepest deficitinthesecondquarter-

averaging around 3 million bpd - before tipping back into a surplus of 1.4 million bpd in the fourth quarter

Analysts warn, however, that projected deficits could steepen depending on how longdisruptionsthroughthe Strait of Hormuz persist. Flows through the strait remain constrained, with traders reporting no clear signs yet of a sustained resumption in shipments since a ceasefire was announced on Tuesday An estimated 136 million barrels of crude oil and products are stuck in the Gulfduetotheconflict,said Vikas Dwivedi, global energy strategist at Macquarie Group. Clearing thatbacklogislikelytotake time. Many shippers still face challenges in spite of theceasefire,withreportsof Iran planning to charge fees to ships transiting the Strait ofHormuz.

Longlines

Meanwhile, during a drive through Georgetown on Monday Kaieteur News observed long lines at fuel stations and frustrated motorists. "The gas stations are rationing the gas. They tellingyouthatyoucanonly get $3,500, that can hardly get me around where I want to go," one bus driver told this newspaper outside the Mobil Service Station on CampStreet."Hesaidhehad

been in a long winding line for about 30 minutes

Additionally, some gas stations were forced to temporarily close their operations due to a lack of fuel. Several Mobil outlets were the first to run out of fuel forcing consumers to rely on other suppliers such asRubisandGuyoil.

O w i n g t o t h e overwhelming demand, the remaining service stations have however placed a cap

on the purchase of fuel.

Consumersareonlyallowed to purchase $3000-$3500 worth of fuel at a time.

Drivers and motorcyclist swarmedseveralgasstations on Monday causing major congestion on several main citycorridors.

Also'Nofuel'signswere seen at several stations as frustrated commuter questioned whether there willbereliefsoon.AtGuyoil on Regent Street pump

attendantswereallhands-on deck They claimed the station had sufficient to supply for the regular quota of consumers per day “So far we can't say we have a shortagebecauseoursupply is enough for our normal quota of customers, but as the demand continues we willsoonfacealimitation.”

At Palmyra, Canje in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) scores of (Continuedonpage16)

Father of one killed in Corentyne collision

A Corentyne family is grieving the loss of a 31year-old man who lost his lifeonSundayeveningafew hours after he left home to purchasebeers.

Haresh Gopilall, of Lot 25 'D' Williamsburg, Corentyne, died after his motorcycle reportedly crashed into a lorry on the Williamsburg Public Road, Corentyne, not far from his residence His male associate, who was being towed on the motorcycle at thetime,ishospitalisedwith criticalinjuries.

Up to the time of his passing, Gopilall, the eldest of five children, lived with his parents and two younger siblings,andwasafatherofa five-year-oldboy

Speaking to Kaieteur News on Monday, his sister Savita, 30, related that she was at her home in Port Mourant, Corentyne, when another sibling reached out toherwiththetragicnews.

"My sister called me

around8:30,andshesaid'we got a lil emergency'. I asked her what happened, and she said 'Haresh reach in accident'.When she told me that....shesaidshewillgoat the Port Mourant Hospital, and I tell her when she reachedthere,callme."

After not receiving any updates for some time, she then called the sister who had journeyed to the hospital,whoansweredwith sobs as she confirmed that their eldest brother had succumbed.

Meanwhile, their mother, while attempting to process the devastating development,reportedlylost consciousness Domatie

Surujlall told this publication that her son informed her at about 6:00pm on Sunday evening, that he was going to buy himself some beers to "cool hishead,"andreturntohave hisdinner.

"Mehahwait,mehbathe, meh deh upstairs and wait,

meh deh on the veranda and wait. Somebody call meh husband phone and say 'Ravi,wuhyuhdoing?Come boy, you have to go to the hospital',"sherecounted.

Shenotedthatduringthe call, she experienced a sensation that triggered her worstfears.

Gopilall would have celebrated his birthday next

month, his mother shared. He was employed at the AlbionSugarEstate.

Police reports stated that motor lorry GVV 5043 was drivenbya27-year-oldmale ofCoventGarden,EastBank Demerara,whilemotorcycle CR 1603, was driven by Gopilall.A27-year-oldmale

of Fyrish Village, Corentyne, was the pillion

Public Works Ministry to upgrade Supenaam Stelling

The Ministry of Public Works is seeking contractors to execute several upgrades to the Supenaam Ferry StellinginRegionTwo.

Accordingtothetendernotice,bids are being sought for the upgrade of mooring,catwalkandfendersystemfor the western ro-ro system at the stelling.Theministryisalsoplanningto expandthenorthernsectionoftheferry

dockingterminal(phaseone).

During the consideration of budget estimates earlier this year, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill said some $500 million was set aside to upgrade the Supenaam Stelling.The minister stated at the time that Supenaam is becoming a hot spot and the people of Essequibo are very pleased with the level of connectivity being enjoyed,

however, the facilities are aging and needupgrading.

“We have to get the catwalk fixed…Wewanttoexpandthenorthern section of the ferry docking terminal andthegeneralupgradeatSupenaam,” he said.Bids are expected to open on May 6, 2026 at the National Procurement and Tender AdministrationBoard(NPTAB).

rider

Based on initial investigations, the lorry GVV was proceeding east along the northern driving lane at a normal rate of speed, while the Gopilall on his motorcycle was proceeding in the opposite direction at an alleged fast rate.

As the motorcycle was about to pass the lorry, the driver reportedly made a sudden right turn into the path of the motorcycle, which caused a collision on thesoutherndrivinglane.

As a result of the collision, Gopilall and the pillionriderwereflungfrom themotorcycleontotheroad surface,wheretheyreceived injuries about their bodies. They were picked up in a

semi-conscious state by public-spirited citizens and taken to the Port Mourant Public Hospital, where they were examined Gopilall was pronounced dead on arrival, while the pillion rider was transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where he was admitted in a stable condition, suffering from a fractured left jaw and left clavicle.

A breathalyzer test conducted on the driver of the motor lorry gave readings of 31 and 32 micrograms, respectively Investigationsareongoing.

A p o s t - m o r t e m examination performed on Monday by Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohangavethecause ofdeathasmultipleinjuries.

Goldminerdrowns atCuyunibackdam

A24-year-oldgoldminer lost his life on Sunday after reportedly falling overboard from a pontoon while working at a backdam in the Cuyuniarea,RegionSeven.

Accordingtoinformation reachingthispublication,the deadmanhasbeenidentified as Mark Ferreira, a resident of St. Cuthbert's Mission, RegionFour

While an official police report is yet to be released, the incident is under investigation.

Theyoungmanleavesto mourn his parents, siblings and grandmother who he residedwithinSt.Cuthbert's.

Announcing the news about Ferreira's death, ToshaoAlvoro Simon on his Facebook page on Sunday afternoon stated, “The VC (Village Council) has receivedreliableinformation thatMarkFerrierahaspassed awayintheinterior,wherehe was employed The VC expresses our deepest condolences to the parents, siblings and family members. We will continue to keep all persons affected by today's events in our thoughtsandprayers.

This publication understands that earlier on Sunday another young man fromthevillagealsodied.

Guyanese hold 'Thank You Walk' for Cuban Medical Brigade

Supporters gathered Sunday evening for a “ThankYouWalkandRally” organised by the Coalition forSolidaritywithCuba,ina public show of appreciation for the decades-long contribution of the Cuban MedicalBrigadetoGuyana's healthcaresystem.

The event began with a walk- through central Georgetown and culminated in a rally, followed by an evening of films, discussion and refreshments at the Guerrilla Nanobrewery on C h a r l o t t e S t r e e t , Georgetown. The coalition, which includes the Guyana Trades Union Congress, Haiti Support Group of Guyana, National Farmers' Organisation, Organisation fortheVictoryofthePeople and Red Thread, said the activity was intended to publiclyexpressgratitudeto the Government and people ofCuba.

Participants highlighted the role Cuban medical professionalshaveplayedin Guyana over several decades, particularly in

Mother

Participants take part in the march and rally in Georgetown on Sunday

hinterland and underserved communities Organisers noted that Cuban doctors wereoftendeployedinareas where local practitioners were reluctant to serve, helping to expand access to healthcareinremoteregions. The coalition also underscored the impact of Cuba's medical scholarship programme, through which hundreds of Guyanese have received training, especially

of strangled

in medicine, at Cuban institut

n Ambassador to Guyana, Jorge Francisco Soberón Luis,attendedtheevent.

Inadditiontoexpressing appreciation, organisers used the platform to call on the administration of President Irfaan Ali to reverse its decision to terminate the longstanding arrangement with Cuba for the deployment of medical

7-year-old remanded to prison for murder

Thewomanaccusedofkillinghersevenyear-olddaughterwasonMondayremanded to prison when she appeared at the New AmsterdamMagistrate'sCourt.

Sarah Elizabeth Shivpersaud, who is charged with murder, stood unrepresented before Magistrate Michelle Matthias, who read the allegation that on Sunday, April 5, 2026, at Fyrish Village, Berbice, she murderedIsabellaDabadial.

The police prosecutor told the court that thecasefileiscompleteandthatlegaladvice is being sought. The court also heard that Shivpersaud underwent a psychiatric evaluation,whichfoundherfittostandtrial.

Reports indicate that while hospitalised lastweek,Shivpersaudclaimedshecouldnot recallcommittingtheact.

It is alleged that she strangled the child during a moment of distress linked to domestic issues and also attempted to smotherherone-year-oldson.

The incident was discovered by the

services provided by the brigade remain vital to the country's healthcare delivery,particularlyinrural and hinterland areas. The coalition further appealed for the continuation of scholarshipopportunitiesfor Guyanese students to study inCuba,warningagainstany movethatcouldlimitaccess tooverseasmedicaltraining.

personnel.

They urged the government to reinstate the programme,arguingthatthe

Speakers also broadened their message to include concerns about Cuba's current economic and humanitarian challenges, pointing to international criticism of longstanding sanctions.Theycalledonthe Government of Guyana to join global voices advocating for an end to restrictions affecting the island, which they said have

contributed to severe shortages impacting healthcare, transportation and electricity The Cuban Medical Brigade has been a feature of Guyana's public health system for decades, forming part of broader bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Guyana has historically relied on Cuban-trained and Cuban-based medical professionals to supplement itsworkforce,particularlyin specialties and regions where local capacity has beenlimited.

Sunday's demonstration, organisers said, was both a tribute to that legacy and a call to preserve what they described as a critical partnershipinhealthcareand humandevelopment.

Berbice blaze cooks 150lbs of chicken inside freezer

In a startling sign of the intense heat from a Monday a f t e r n o o n f i r e , approximately 150 pounds ofchickenstoredinafreezer were found cooked after a two-storey home was destroyed at No. 8 Village, WestCoastBerbice.

Sarah Elizabeth Shivpersaud leaving the New Amsterdam Magistrate's Court on Monday

children's grandmother Both Shivpersaud andthechildweretakentothePortMourant Hospital,wherethegirlwaspronounceddead onarrival.Shivpersaudwasadmittedafteran apparentsuicideattempt. Given the seriousness of the charge, Magistrate Matthias remanded Shivpersaud toprison. SheisscheduledtoreappearattheAlbion Magistrate'sCourtonMay12,2026.

The bizarre discovery came after the blaze completely gutted the woodenhouseownedby46year-old Blairmont Estate employee, Nadine Pluck, leavingherhomeless.

Pluck told Kaieteur News that she was at work when she received a call around 12:35 hrs informing her that her house was on fire.

“By the time I got there, twofiretenderswerealready on the scene, but there was little they could have done because the house was alreadyengulfed,”shesaid.

The house, which she had occupied for more than 40 years and recently inherited following her father's death, was shared with her brother, Stefon

Pluck,wholivedintheupper flat.

Everything inside the home was destroyed, including appliances, a computer, beds, and other household items. She also lostapproximately$100,000 in cash, while her brother's electric bike was badly damaged.

Divisional Fire Officer Clive McDonald confirmed

thatthefirewascausedbyan unattendedkerosenestove.

Pluck maintained that she had taken the necessary precautions before leaving for work and noted that her brother had been at home earlierintheday

Amid the devastation, shesaidadrawercontaining important documents, such aslandpapersandpassports waspartiallyspared.

“I think it was God who protected this drawer They'rewet,butatleastIcan recover them Everything elsegone,”shesaid.

Despite the destruction, she confirmed that none of the chickens she reared perishedinthefire.

Nowleftwithoutahome, Pluck said her immediate priority is to find temporary shelter while seeking assistancetorebuild.

“My next move is to get somewheretoliveuntilIcan get help to build back,” she said.

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NATO allies refuse to join Trump's Iranian port blockade

(Reuters) - NATO allies said on Monday they would not get involved in U S President Donald Trump's plantoblockadeIranianports, ​proposing to intervene only oncefightingends,inamove likely to anger Trump and increase strains in the alliance.

Trump said the U S militaryeliminateanyIranian ships that came near the blockade that began on Monday, after weekend talks failed to reach an agreement to end the six-week conflict withIran.

Trump initially said the U.S. would work with other countries to block ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz,buttheU.S.military later specified that the blockadewouldonlyapplyto shipsgoingtoorfromIranian ports.

Since ​the war started on February 28, Iran has largely blocked the waterway for all ships but its own. It has been seekingtomakeits​controlof the strait permanent and possibly collect levies from shipsthatuseit.

"The Blockade will begin shortly Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade," Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Sunday

But NATO allies, including Britain and France, saidtheywouldnotbedrawn into​theconflictbytakingpart in the blockade, saying insteadtheywereworkingon aninitiativetoopenthestrait, throughwhichafifthofglobal oil supplies normally passes Their refusal to participateisanotherpointof friction withTrump, who has threatened to withdraw from the military alliance and is weighing pulling some U.S. troops from Europe after several countries denied U.S. military planes use of their

NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte delivers a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Washington D.C., U.S., April 9, 2026. REUTERS/ Kevin Lamarque /File Photo

airspaceforattacksonIran.

CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE

"We're not supporting the blockade," British Prime MinisterKeirStarmertoldthe BBC.

"My decision has been veryclearlythatwhateverthe pressure, ​and there's been some considerable pressure, we'renotgettingdraggedinto thewar,"hesaid.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told European governments that Trump wants concrete commitments in the ​near future to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, diplomats told Reuters last week.

NATOcouldplayarolein the strait if its 32 members could agree on the formation of mission, Rutte said on

Thursday

Several European countries have said they are willingtohelpinthestrait,but only once there is a durable end to hostilities and an agreementwithIranthattheir s h i p s w i l l n o t b e attacked.France will organise aconferencewithBritainand (Continuedonpage16)

17 Venezuelan nationals screened in anti-trafficking exercise

Seventeen female Venezuelan nationals were screened between 23:30hrs on Sunday and 00:15hrs on Monday at a building in Diamond East Bank Demerara during an anti traffickingexercise. The exercise was carried out by ranks of the Guyana Police Force Headquarters and Regional Division 4 'B', along with personnel from the Ministry of Home Affairs.”

The team acting on information received visited the building where the females were contacted and screened for indicators of Trafficking in Persons. The screening process revealed no indicators of Trafficking in Persons and the i n d i v i d u a l s w e r e subsequently sent away The premises were also searched but nothing illegal was discovered and no arrests weremade.

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Miner shot during altercation with detective sergeant at Chanta Creek

A 37-year-old miner was shot in his right leg after he attacked a detective sergeant with a cutlass on Sunday at Chanta Creek, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, police have said. An investigation has been launched into the incident which occurred around

17:00hrs. “Preliminary investigations revealed that a Detective Sergeant was at the creek with family members when he had a misunderstanding with several males and was allegedly attacked with a cutlass,” police said in a statement.

After further investigation it was revealed that the sergeant discharged a round from a 9mm pistol issued to him by the Force that hit the miner in his right leg. He was picked up by relatives and ranks of the force and rushed to the McKenzie Hospital,

where he is presently receiving treatment, and is said to be in a stable condition.

The rank was placed under close arrest in relation to the matter, as investigations are ongoing. Police assured that further details will be provided as appropriate.

NATO allies refuse to join Trump’s Iranian port...

From page 15

other countries to create a multinational mission to restore navigation in the strait, French President Emmanuel Macron said on X on Monday.

“This strictly defensive mission, distinct from the belligerents, will be deployed as soon as the situation allows,” Macron said.The initiative aims to establish rules for safe passage and the coordination of military vessels to

From page 11 vehicles in queue at the fuel station amidst the sharp decline in fuel supply across the country.

This sudden development has cornered drivers into desperation, as many flock to services stations, many of which have either been closed or vending the resource moderately.

A commuter told Kaieteur News that “drivers are worried particularly those that transport people from Georgetown to New Amsterdam and Georgetown to Skeldon.”

A similar scene has unfolded in Region Two Essequibo where drivers were lining up to refuel their tanks.

The fuel shortage comes weeks after the war in the Middle East affected a major transshipment route for fuel around the globe.

Countries like Australia, Ireland and Mozambique have already reported a rise in oil prices and shortage of fuel supply.

Guyana was already facing a hike two weeks after the

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escort tankers, Starmer said in parliament on Monday.

“Let me be very clear, this is about safeguarding shipping and supporting freedom of navigation once the conflict ends.

Our shared aim here is a coordinated, independent, multi-national plan,” he said.A meeting to draw up plans for the mission involving about 30 countries, including Gulf countries, India, Greece, Spain, Italy, the Neth-

erlands and Sweden, could happen as soon as Thursday in Paris or London, a French diplomatic source said.The military ships would provide reassurance without being belligerent, the source said, adding that Iran and the U.S. would be informed of the mission but play no direct part.

Another European diplomatic source questioned whether Trump would welcome a mission now that he had ordered the blockade.”Since Trump is now using the strait as his own leverage, does he even want a mission there?” the source said.

Fuel rush grips Guyana...

Guyana Oil Company (GUYOIL) assured consumers of its “strict regulatory and compliance framework” to safeguard consumers from “undue market volatility”, the state-owned entity has slapped on extra costs on all of its fuel products with no

official notice to consumers.

Back in March fuel prices at the pumps soared pass $200 per litre of gasoline, which continued to fluctuate.

Over the weekend, GUYOIL’s website advertised gasoline at $190 per litre; $198 per litre of diesel, $155 for kerosene

The Strait of Hormuz should be reopened by diplomacy, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday, adding that creating an international force to oversee it would be complicated. He called for NATO to reset its ties with Trump at a summit in Ankara in July.

and $215 per litre of its Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel (ULSD).

While other service stations increased their fuel prices two weeks ago, GUYOIL maintained its prices, selling gasoline for $170, diesel for $190 and kerosene at $155 per litre.

PAHO launches Clinical Trial Accelerator to strengthen research across the Americas

The Pan American H e a l t h Organization (PAHO) launched the Clinical Trial Accelerator, a new initiative designed to improve the quality, scale, and impact of clinical research across the Americas.

Clinical trials play a critical role in developing new therapies and ensuring that health interventions are safeandeffective.

However, in Latin America and the Caribbean, these trials are often small, fragmented, and repetitive, limiting their ability to generate the high-quality evidence needed to address publichealthchallenges.

The Clinical Trial Accelerator, presented this weekinawebinarorganized by PAHO’s Regional ProgramonBioethicsofthe Unit of Science and Knowledge for Impact and the Unit of Quality and RegulationofMedicinesand Health Technologies, introduces innovative strategiesandtoolsaimedat enhancingtheefficiencyand coordination in clinical research.

The initiative empowers countries to take a leading role in studies that directly address the needs of their populations.

“PAHO’s Clinical Trials Accelerator is designed to make clinical trials more effective and impactful,” said Dr Jarbas Barbosa, DirectorofPAHO.“Itdrives research collaboration by providing tools that range from conceptual design to AI-driven innovation,

shifting the focus from reactive research to proactive, vi

y solutions.”

This initiative will strengthen regional networks and partnerships, support the development of more robust, multi-country clinical trials, and reinforce national research systems that are aligned with international ethical and regulatorystandards.

The Accelerator builds on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, which underscored both the importance of timely, coordinatedresearchandthe gaps in the Region’s capacity to generate highquality evidence at scale.

Following a 2023 PAHO regional workshop on clinical trials, countries and partners identified concrete

oordin

on, expand research capacity, and promotemorecollaborative, multi-country studies across theAmericas.

One of the actions is the harmonization of clinical trial agreements, which can help reduce delays and facilitate collaboration

Clear, standardized contractual agreements

contribute to more

efficiency, greater transparency, and stronger c o m p l i a n c e w i t h international ethical and regulatory standards. With PAHO’s support, countries are working to streamline a d m i n i s t r a t i v e

requirements, reduce duplication, and ensure that oversight remains rigorous while enabling faster, more

coordinated implementation ofclinicaltrials.

“COVID showed us that research matters and has the potential to directly impact our health andwellbeing

The countries in the Ame

n taking note and have r e s p o n d

challenge of producing

more and better research in a way I have not seen in over 15 years at PAHO,” explains Carla Saenz, PAHObioethicsadvisor

The Clinical Trial Accelerator is already supporting countries through tools like the Portal of Clinical Trials of the Americas,aPAHOplatform o

documents, resources, and key information to promote scientifically and ethically soundclinicaltrials.

The initiative is part of PAHO’s broader work to strengthen clinical trials in theAmericasandalignswith the 2023 World Health Assembly resolution to improve clinical trials globally

By advancing technical cooperation,innovation,and regional collaboration, PAHO’s Clinical Trial Accelerator represents an important step toward ensuring that clinical research in the Region is responsive, ethical, and impactful, ult

mately improving health outcomes forall.

US begins blockade of Iran’s ports, Tehran threatens retaliation

(Reuters) - The U.S. militarybeganablockadeof ships leaving Iran’s ports on Monday, President Donald Trump said, and Tehran threatened to retaliate against its Gulf neighbours’ ports after weekend talks in Islamabadonendingthewar brokedown.

AU.S.officialsaidthere was continued engagement with Iran, and forward motion on trying get to an agreement. Pakistani Prime MinisterShehbazSharifalso said efforts were still under waytoresolvetheconflict.

But oil prices climbed back over $100 per barrel, with no sign of a swift reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to ease the biggest ever disruption in supplies and broader concerns over thedurabilityofatwo-week ceasefire agreement reached lastweek.

TrumpsaidIranhadbeen in touch on Monday and wanted to make a deal but that he would not sanction any agreement allowing Tehran to have a nuclear weapon.

“Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters at the White House “We can’t let a country blackmail or extort theworld.”

Since the United States and Israel began the war on February28,Iraneffectively shut the Strait of Hormuz to all vessels except its own, saying passage would be permittedonlyunderIranian controlandsubjecttoafee.

Trump has said

Washington would block Iranianvesselsandanyships that paid such tolls and that any Iranian “fast-attack” ships that went near the blockade would be eliminated.

Brigadier General Reza Talaei-Nik, a spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Defence, warned that foreign military efforts to police the strait would escalate the crisis and instability in global energy security NATO allies including Britain and France said they would not be drawn into the conflictbytakingpartinthe blockade, stressing instead the need to reopen the waterway, through which about one-fifth of the world’soilnormallypasses.

CEASEFIREUNDER STRAIN

The ceasefire that halted sixweeksofU.S.andIsraeli airstrikeslookedinjeopardy,

withonlyaweeklefttorun. Washington said Tehran rejected its demands at weekendtalksinIslamabad, thehighest-leveldiscussions between the two nations since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The U S military’s Central Command said the blockade would be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations” entering or leaving IranianportsintheGulfand GulfofOman.

“The blockade will not impede neutral transit passagethroughtheStraitof Hormuz to or from nonIranian destinations,” Central Command said in a note to seafarers seen by ReutersonMonday

Two Iranian-linked tankers,theAuroraandNew Future, left the strait laden withoilproductsonMonday

before the deadline, accordingtoLSEGdata.

Iranian military spokesperson called any U S restrictions on international shipping “piracy,” warning that if Iranian ports were threatened, no port in the GulforGulfofOmanwould be secure Any military vessels approaching the strait would violate the c e a s e f i r e , I r a n ’s RevolutionaryGuardssaid.

Trump said Iran’s navy had been “completely obliterated” during the war, adding that only a small number of “fast-attack ships”remained.

“Warning:Ifanyofthese ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea. It is quick andbrutal,”Trump,muchof whose communications are onsocialmedia,wroteonhis

microbloggingsite.

He was apparently referring to the U.S. strikes carriedoutagainstsuspected drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific The strikes, which began in September, killedmorethan160people.

The U.S. military has not provided evidence that the vesselswereferryingdrugs.

LEBANONFACES ATTACKS

Trump has also lashed out at U.S.-born Pope Leo, who has spoken out against the war, denouncing him as “terrible” in a rare direct attackbyaU.S.presidenton apontiff.

With the war unpopular at home and rising energy prices causing political blowback,Trumppausedthe U S -Israeli bombing campaign last week after threatening to destroy Iran’s “wholecivilisation”unlessit reopenedthestrait.

Israel has continued to

bombard Lebanon and on Monday Israeli troops launched an attack it said was intended to seize a key south Lebanon town from Iran-backed Hezbollah IsraelandtheU.S.havesaid the campaign against Hezbollahwasnotpartofthe ceasefire, while Iran has insisteditis.

The International

CommitteeoftheRedCross said on Monday it was deeply concerned about attacks on medical workers in Lebanon after a deadly strike on a Red Cross center inthecountry.

Iran has brought new demands, including recognition of its control of the waterway, lifting of sanctionsandthewithdrawal of forces from U.S. military basesacrosstheMiddleEast. Trump has declared victory, despite failing to achievetheobjectivesheset outatthestartofthewar:to eliminate Iran’s ability to strike its neighbours, end its nuclear programme and makeiteasierforIraniansto toppletheirgovernment.

Benchmark oil prices, which had eased last week after the ceasefire was announced, traded around 6% higher on Monday, off the day’s peaks but still above$100abarrel.

Traders say the main benchmarks - used to set pricesfortrillionsofdollars’ worth of commodities worldwide - actually understate the severity of a disruptionwithnoprecedent inmoderntimes.

ChevronagreestoassetswapinVenezuelatofocusonoilprojects

(Reuters) - Chevron (CVX.N), opens new tab signed two on Monday to expand operations at Venezuela’s vast Orinoco Belt, including an asset swap adding an extra heavy crudeareatoitsmainproject while returning an offshore gas and a crude area, executivesandofficialssaid atanevent.

The agreements are among the first big expansion deals since the U.S.launcheda$100billion reconstruction plan for Venezuela’s energy sector after capturing President

Nicolas Maduro, and a sweeping reform of the country’s main oil law was approved in January, encouraging foreign investment. The pacts, which would allow the U.S. major to boost crude output and participation at coveted regions in the OPEC country, were signed by company executives led by Javier La Rosa, head of Chevron’s Base Assets and Emerging Countries, and officials from state-owned company PDVSA in the presenceofactingPresident

DelcyRodriguez.

The deals include the increase of Chevron’s stake at one of its joint ventures PDVSA in the Orinoco, Petroindependencia,to49% fromaprevious35.8%.

The company also agreed to relinquish the Loran offshore gas field and its stake at a small

receiving a new oil area, Ayacucho 8, as part of its existingPetropiarproject alsointheOrinoco.

Chevron’s asset swap with PDVSA and its

agreement, which will consolidate all parties’ focus on strategic assets in the country,” the company said in a release aftertheevent

Chevronexecutivessaid in January the firm could increaseoutputinVenezuela byabout50%inthenexttwo years within its existing footprint. The company’s joint ventures with PDVSA are producing 260,000 barrels per day of crude, about a fourth of the country’stotaloutput.

WBy Christopher Ram

ith President

T r u m p ' s Israeli-led

War on Iran triggering a dramatic rise in oil price, there have been calls for a windfalltaxontheAmerican ledconsortiumthatownsthe hugely profitable Stabroek Block.

The formerly silent US ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot, would have none of it. She warneddelicately,unmistakablyand improperly - that any move torevisitthe2016Petroleum Agreement could send the wrongsignaltoinvestors.

Her intervention comes at a time when public discussion in Guyana is rightly turning to whether the existing fiscal terms still deliverafairoutcomeinthe face of high prices and sustained profitability But that intervention is neither isolated nor accidental. It must be seen against a broader pattern in which Guyana President IrfaanAli has, with increasing visibility, aligned Guyana morecloselywiththeUnited States,inamannerthatrisks placing the country at some distance from its traditional CARICOMpartners.

Encouraged,perhaps,by figures such as the

Of Windfalls, Unwelcome Interventions Every Man, Woman and Child must become oil-minded

and Waning Sovereignty

outspokenMarcoRubio,the Ali Administration has recalibrated aspects of its regional relationships, including a noticeable cooling of ties with Cuba, while simultaneously embracing high-profile engagements with United States political figures, among them the discredited Kristi Noem and, most strikingly, President Donald Trump.

These are not merely ceremonial encounters: they signal a deliberate geopolitical posture, the implications of which are nowbeginningtosurface.

The difficulty, however, lies not in engagement with powerful hemispheric partners - such exchanges are part and parcel of diplomacy - and are helpful at a time when concerns about territorial integrity persist But there is a growing concern among Guyanese that these initiatives are being pursued without sufficient consultation, discussion, or reporting, thereby limiting public scrutiny of actions that carry significant national implications. It is understandable for Guyanese to believe that personal interest is being elevated above established processes, and that private

relationshipsriskbeingseen as taking precedence over considerations of national sovereignty and the wider publicinterest.

At this time when Guyana is in a position to benefit from the windfall in oil prices - and even as we mourn the deaths and destructioninGazaandIran - we need to seize every opportunitytomaximiseour earnings from a finite resource which will be gone before this generation expires.

Wemustthereforereject any interference by the US Ambassador in what is a commercial, sovereign issue.Wemustrejecttoo,her suggestion that Guyana is breaching the 2016 Agreement when all we are doing is calling for justice and fairness - like every other country ought to do. And that we are putting Guyana first, just like her PresidentdoesforAmerica.

There is a myth peddled by Exxon that the 2016 Agreement provides for

s to acknowledge the economic reality when one looks behind the numbers It totallydisregardstheroyalty structure, the cost recovery ceiling, the payment of corporation tax by the

Governmentonbehalfofthe companies,ortheabsenceof withholding tax on distributions.

A p p l y i n g t h e Agreement, when the 75% cost ceiling is utilised, the Government'sshareofevery hundred barrels is approximately 12%, rising only to about 24% when costs fall to 40%. Over the same range, the companies' profit-related benefit increasesfromabout20%to 41%, consistently and significantly exceeding the State'sshare.

This outcome is driven not by risk, but by a fiscal structure under which Guyanapaysthecompanies' taxes and collects no withholding tax on the profitstheytakeabroad.

Meanwhile, the wider economy bears the substantial external costs of a dominant extractive subsector

In a contract in which Exxon applied maximum duress - and Granger and Trotmanwereclearlynotup to the task at hand - this outcomecannotbejustified. Exploration risk which was minimalonthesigningofthe Agreement has largely disappeared, reserves have been proven well beyond initial expectations, and production has entered a

phase of sustained expansion.

Even under less favourableconditions,many resource-producing countries revisit their fiscal regimes. Not as a breach of faith, as the Ambassador would have Guyanese believe, or worse, hostility towards investors, but as a recognition that long-term agreements must retain a measureofflexibilityifthey are to remain justifiable economicallyandlegitimate politically

What Guyanese are seekingthereforeareneither radical nor unprecedented. They range from requiring the oil companies to bear their own corporation tax liabilities, be willing to pay withholding tax on profits, and introducing a modest mechanism that allows the State to participate more fully in periods of exceptionally high prices. Nounilateralactioniscalled for, and importantly, any or all of these can be pursued within the existing contractual framework without undermining the viabilityoftheBlock,orthe attractiveness of the investmentclimate.

Since there is no intention of unilaterally amending the Agreementwhich Exxon would in any

casesuccessfullychallengetheAmbassador'scomments are, at best, uninformed and must be rejected outright, and at the other end nothing less than an unwelcome interference in our country's sovereignaffairs.

As our guest, the Ambassador must respect our country's permanent sovereignty over its petroleumresources.AState that refuses to revisit arrangements that no longer reflect current realities conveyweakness,whileone that engages constructively and within the bounds of its agreementstosecureamore equitable outcome, signals both maturity and confidence In the final analysis, the issue is not whetherGuyanashouldsend a signal to investors, but the kindofsignalitshouldsend. AndthatisnotfortheUSAto decideordictate.

Guyana eyes refining crude in T&T – Pres. Ali

PAli hasconfirmedthat his administration intends to engage the GovernmentofTrinidadand Tobago directly on a potential collaboration that wouldseeGuyana'scrudeoil refined in the twin-island state.

T&T Guardian recently reported that the prospect of Guyanese crude being refined in Trinidad and Tobagohasemergedasakey element of an energy strategy outlined by Ali duringarecentvisit.

Discussions around Guyana supplying crude to support the restart of Trinidad's idle refining capacity have gained traction in recent months.

The country's Energy Minister, Dr Roodal Moonilal, indicated while attending a conference in Guyana back in February

had pointed out that the countrycouldplayakeypart in the restart of the refinery

The minister had disclosed that the facility can process about 150,000 barrels of oil daily but will require petroleum from regional partners.At the same event, Guyana'sMinisterofNatural Resources,VickramBharrat, disclosed that the two CARICOM states are alreadyindiscussiontolook at the possibility of having thatrefineryrestart.

Speaking to the Sunday Business Guardian, at the HyattRegencyonFriday,Ali framed this integration as a non-negotiableresponsetoa shiftingglobalmarket. Hearguedthattheeraof hesitation must end, as the economic cost of delay grows increasingly steep, calling for a disciplined, private-sector-led integration of cross-border

gasandrefineryassets.

Central to this blueprint is the potential reactivation of T&T's idle refining capacity to process Guyanesecrude.

Ali confirmed he is prepared to engage theT&T Government directly to discussastrategythatwould see Guyanese light sweet crude flow into Trinidadian refineries, effectively turning a legacy industrial burdenintoaregionalasset.

“I will be meeting with the government,” he said when asked directly about refinerycollaboration.

This move signals a departure from the “exportonly”model,aiminginstead tomonetiseresourceswithin the CARICOM space to insulate the region from global price shocks and supplychainvulnerabilities.

Ali's willingness to explore refining Guyanese

crude in T&T places renewed focus on the country's dormant refinery assets. While no structure hasbeenfinalised,thesignal is clear: upstream growth in Guyanaisnowlargeenough to support regional downstreamintegration.

“The president is considering investing in

Trinidad's refinery to refine some of Guyana's oil,” he said.The strategic case rests on proximity, existing infrastructure, and the potential to create valueadded exports rather than raw crude flows, asAli also acknowledged the structural weaknesses that have historically undermined refiningintheregion.“There is the potential for refining oil from land; they should allow it to be what they call the refining tragedy It's happening now,” he outlined.

The remark underscores a hard reality: refining economics are unforgiving, andwithoutscale,efficiency and consistent feedstock, projects fail. Ali's framing s u g g e s t s t h a t a Guyana–Trinidad link could address some of those constraints, but only if executedwithdisciplineand

alignedincentives.

Kaieteur News had reported that, on the sidelines of the CARICOM headsmeeting,PresidentAli had stated that Guyana remains open to exploring avenues of support in regards to the reopening of Trinidad's oil refinery, but s t r e s s e d t h a t a n y arrangement must be economically sound and aligned with national and regionalinterests.

The Guyanese head-ofstatehadsaid,“Sowherever and however, we can integrate for the benefit of theregionandbenefitofour countries, we will, do that. Wherever and however But you know, this requires constant evaluation and strategicdecisionsthatarein the interest of our people, in interestofourcountry,inthe interest of the region and economicallyviable.”

Hornets,Blazersamong8tryingto survive,advancefromplay-intournament

Reuters - With minimal shufflingattheconclusionof the NBA regular season on Sunday, the final seedings were determined and some less-frequent qualifiers are continuingtheirseasons.

We’re looking at you, Charlotte Hornets and PortlandTrailBlazers.

Whilethetopsixseedsin the Eastern and Western

conferences advanced to the playoffs starting next weekend, four other teams on each face a gauntlet of individualgamesintheplayintournament.

Charlotte, which went 44-38toearntheNo.9seed in the East, will try to win two play-in games and advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Portland went 42-40 to slot astheeighthseedintheWest and will play beyond the regular season for the first time since the 2020-21 campaign The play-in tournamenttipsoffTuesday, with the Hornets playing host to the No. 10 Miami ‘Heat in an elimination game The winner plays Friday against the loser of

the game Wednesday

between the No 7 Philadelphia76ersandNo 8 OrlandoMagicMiami,bythe way,wastheNo 10seedlast season and won both play-in games to reach the playoffs

Tuesday April 14, 2026

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

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

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

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.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

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(June21–July22)

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

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

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(Aug.23–Sept.22)

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(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Expand your mind to its furthest reaches today, Libra.

There's an

e opportunity opening up for you in which you can make great strides in a creative realm.Followthemusic.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)

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.

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

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

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

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 (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)Mixyourrealitywithabit of fantasy today, Aquarius. Allowyourfeettocomeoffthe ground for a little while. Give yourselfarest.Takesometime to meditate and clear your mindofyourdailyworries.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

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.

The winner of the 7/8 game becomes the seventh seed, matching up with the No 2 BostonCeltics Thewinnerof the contest between the 9/10 winner and the 7/8 loser on Friday becomes the eighth seed and takes on top seed Detroit.OntheWesternside, the No. 7 Phoenix Suns host Portland on Tuesday The winner becomes the seventh seed and takes on the No 2 SanAntonioSpurs

On Wednesday, the No. 10 Golden State Warriors visit the No. 9 Los Angeles Clippers in an elimination game he teams ‘played Sunday in their regularseason finale, with the host Clippers winning 115-110 withoutstarKawhiLeonard. The Clippers have captured nine straight against the Warriors in Los Angeles, going back to Golden State

Half-centuries from Chanderpaul...

Frompage25 (23) hung around for 53 balls before John had both the Eagles skipper and openerChanderpaultrapped LBW

Savory kept his head on andeventuallywentpast50 in the afternoon session, despite losing a muchneeded aggressor in Keemo Paul (1); who was caught behind to give Tyson his thirdscalp.

Guyana eventually reached 200 after, but more importantly depended on thementalcontrolofSavory with stumps on the second daysoonapproaching.

But Dember would land a huge blow to remove the left-handerSavory,whodid all the hard work but failed to carry his bat to stumps, leaving Raymond Perez unbeatenon4whenstumps arrived.

In other games, Leewards Hurricanes (168 all out 1st innings) trail Trinidad and Tobago Red Force(380-51stinnings)by 242runs.

Barbados Pride (348 all out 1st innings) lead Jamaica Scorpions (230-6 1stinnings)by118runs.

winning 105-90 on Nov 28, 2021. The winner of 9/10 plays the loser of 7/8 on Friday, with the winner becomingtheeightseedand facing top seed Oklahoma City As a point of accuracy, the actual playoffs begin next Saturday and ‘Sunday with first-round matchups. Allseriesarebest-of-seven.

I n t h e E a s t e r n

Conference, the top-seeded Pistons will face the eighth seed (to be determined), beginning on Sunday in Detroit. The second-seeded CelticsopenathomeSunday against the seventh seed (to bedetermined).

The No. 3 New York Knicks and No. 6 Atlanta Hawkstip‘offonSaturday The No 4 Cleveland

Cavaliers host the No. 5

Toronto Raptors on

Saturday WhiletheCavsare the higher seed and have home-court advantage, the Raptorswonallthreegames during the season — all playedbeforeNov 25.

I n t h e We s t e r n Conference, the ‘top-seeded Thunder wait on the No. 8 seed, beginning on Sunday, when the No. 2 Spurs open theirseriesagainsttheNo.7 seedinSanAntonio.

The No. 3 Nuggets face off with the Minnesota Timberwolves, beginning SaturdayinDenver

The No. 4 Los Angeles LakersplayhosttotheNo.5 Houston Rockets on Saturdaytoopentheirseries. (FieldLevelMedia)

Guinness‘GreatestoftheStreets’ kicksoffGeorgetownLegtomorrow

S t r e e t f o o t b a l l excitementissettoreturnto the capital city as the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Championship resumes with its highly anticipated Georgetown leg, scheduled to run fromApril 15 to May 1 at the National CulturalCentreTarmac.

Following a brief pause in the 2025 competition, organisers are eager to reignite the energy and c o m m u n i t y s p i r i t synonymous with the t o u r n a m e n t . T h e Georgetown leg will unfold

a c r o s s s i x m a t c h days—April 15, 17, 23, 24, and 29—culminating in the zonefinalonMay1.

The tournament will feature 32 teams competing in a straight knockout format, promising highintensity action from the opening whistle.Among the teams set to battle for early dominance are Alexander

Village, Belfield Make It Happen, Team Immaculate, Festival City, Broad Street, GoldisMoney,SpartaBoss, Island All Stars, Rising Stars, East Coast All Stars, California Square, Sophia All Stars, Team Spirit Stevedore, and East Bank Ballers.

The official launch was held at Banks DIH’s Thirst Park Headquarters, where key represe

s, including Outdoor Events Manager Mortimer Stuart, Public Relations Officer Sonia Forester, Sales and Marketing Executive Lee Baptiste, and Guinness Brand Manager Jeoff Clement, met with sponsor representative Safisha Hope of Colours Boutique, confirming match schedules and teams updates ahead of kickoff.

Speaking at the launch, C

emphasizing discipline and competitiveness “We are expecting the usual high level of competition, but more importantly, discipline ofthehigheststandardaswe continue to build the Guinnessbrand,”hesaid.He also urged players and officials to adhere strictly to tournament rules and conditions as th

competition progresses towardthenationalstage. Baptiste echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the tournament’s cultural significance. “As the brand that introduced street football as a competitive sport, we look forward to clean, entertaining football. This tournament has always been a proud moment—not just for the brand, but for communities It brings positive energy and unity back to the playing spaces,” henoted.

At stake is a lucrative grand prize of $1,000,000 for the Georgetown champions. The runner-up willreceive$400,000,while third- and fourth-place finishers will earn $200,000 and$100,000,respectively

e conc

n of the Georgetown leg, attention will shift to the national championship, which is set tokickoffonMay8andwill bringtogetherthebestteams fromacrossthecountry.

Wi

building, Guinness supports can expect electrifying

The Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ continues to enjoy support from Colours Boutique as its primary sponsor, with additional backingfromtheMinistryof Culture, Youth and Sports, the Guyana Police Force, andtheGuyanaFireService.

performances as teams vie not only for cash prizes, but for pride and supremacy in one of Guyana’s most celebrated street football competitions.

Russia and Belarus to compete again with uniforms, flags and anthems

(Reuters) - Russian and Belarusian athletes will be permitted to compete in WorldAquatics events with their respective uniforms, flags anthems, the sport’s governingbodysaidonMonday

Competitors from both countries were banned from international sports events following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which was launched in part fromBelarusianterritory

A small number of athletes from both countrieswereallowedtocompeteinvarious sports at the ‘Paris Olympics in 2024, but onlyasneutralsandnotasrepresentativesof theirnations.

ThenextWorldAquaticschampionships, including swimming, artistic swimming, diving, high diving, open water swimming andwaterpolo,aretobeheldinBudapestin 2027.

WA said more than 700 screenings had been conducted on Russian and Belarusian athletes.Itsaidtheywouldonlybeclearedto competeafterpassingatleastfoursuccessive

anti-doping controls and completing backgroundchecks.

“Overthelastthreeyears,World`andthe AQIU (Aquatics Integrity Unit) have successfully helped ensure that conflict can be kept outside the sporting competition venues,”WAPresidentHusainAlMusallam saidinastatement.

“We are determined to ensure that pools andopenwaterremainplaceswhereathletes from `all nations can come together in peacefulcompetition.”

WA also said Russia and Belarus will resumefullmembershiprights.

Russia’s sports minister and head of its Olympic Committee, Mikhail Degtyarev, ‘welcomed the decision, saying it would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to competeonanequalfootingwithothers.

Russia’s state-run RIA news agency quoted Dmitry ‘Mazepin, head of the nationalaquaticsfederation,assayingRussia could now seek to host future world and Europeanaquaticschampionships.

McIlroy holds nerve to defend Masters title, adds to his growing legacy

AUGUSTA, Georgia, (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy waited 17 years for his first Green Jacket and then on Sunday did what only three golfers before him had managed by winning a secondMastersinarow

The world number two, who let a record six-shot advantageslideonSaturday, capped a closing one-underpar71withabogeythatleft himat12underontheweek andoneshotclearofScottie Scheffler

When his winning putt dropped, the Northern Irishman looked to the clear blue Georgia skies and let out a jubilant roar before hugging caddie Harry Diamond, while cheers of “Rory! Rory!” bounced off AugustaNational’stowering pinetrees.

“I just can’t believe I waited 17 years to get one Green Jacket and then I get two in a row,” said McIlroy “I think all of my perseverance at this golf tournament over the years hasstartedtopayoff.”

With the win, the 36-

year-oldjoinsJackNicklaus (1965, 1965), Nick Faldo (1989, 1990) and Tiger Woods (2001, 2002) as the only players to successfully defendtheirMasterstitle.

‘STILLHAVE THINGS IWANTTOACHIEVE’

McIlroy, who joked earlier this week that Augusta National felt like his home course ‘given he tookmultipledaytripsonhis privatejetinrecentweeksto prepare, is still hungry for more after joining Lee Trevino,NickFaldoandPhil Mickelson as players with sixmajorchampionships.

“I don’t want to put a number on it, but I feel like this win is just — I don’t want to say a stop on the journey, but yeah, it’s just a part of the journey,” said McIlroy “IstillhavethingsI wanttoachieve.”

Scheffler, a four-time major champion who had won two of the last four Masters,startedthedayfour shots back but nearly got to withinoneofMcIlroyat17. Putting for a third straight birdie, his ball stopped

agonizingly just beside the hole.

Scheffler, who went out three pairings ahead of McIlroy,cardeda68thatleft him alone in second while becoming the first player in the last 82 years to play the final two rounds bogey-free attheMasters.

“IalwaysfeltlikeIwasa couple shots out of it, but I wasaheadofthoseguys,soI feltlikeifIcouldmakeafew birdies and post a score I’d be in a good spot but just wasn’t able to make enough birdiesontheback,”hesaid.

ANOTHER MASTERS

MISSROSE

LIV ‘Golf’s Tyrrell Hatton (66), birthday boy Russell Henley (68), 2025 Masters runner-up Justin Rose (70) and overnight coleader Cameron Young (73) finished in a share of third place.

Rose, who lost to McIlroyinaplayofflastyear forhisthirdrunner-upfinish, had a one-shot lead through 10 holes before watching it disappear after a bogeybogeystarttoAmenCorner

“Chance that got away obviously,” said Rose, who was the only player in the field with four rounds under parthisweek.

“You know, I was by no meanskindoffreeandclear and was nowhere kind of closetohavingthejobdone, butIwasrightinposition.”

McIlroy, up by one, sensed the opportunity and put his foot on the gas as he stuffed his ‘tee shot at the par-three 12th to seven feet for a birdie moments before Rose three-putted from 30 feetatthe13thwherehehad aneaglelook.

From there, McIlroy mostly spared himself the topsy-turvy finish he had to endureinthefinalroundlast year as he rolled in an 11foot birdie to go three clear moments after Scheffler got to within two after a birdie onthe15th.

MCILROY BOGEYS 18TH AFTER ERRANT

ByCliftonRoss

Gritty fifties from TagenarineChanderpauland Kemol Savory kept the Guyana Harpy Eagles circling close to their target, as they trail the Windward Volcanoesby29runswitha wicketinhand,headinginto an all-important 3rd day of action in Antigua at the Sir VivianRichardsStadium.

Guyana resumed day 2 witha284rundeficitfacing them, after keeping the Volcanoes to a 1st innings scoreof286,butmanagedto clear off a decent chunk of runs thanks to Chanderpaul, who set the tone for what will be a watchful chase, by graftinga179-ball70with8 fours.

Savory put the middleorder on his back, punching 8 fours and 2 sixes as he anchored in for his 77 off 158deliveries,beforefalling to spinner Kenneth Dember

(3-50) who wrapped up the inningstogoodeffect. The Eagles finished a tough second day with the score 257-9 from 86 overs and barely holding on enteringacrucialpassageof play on day 3. Windwards hadamixedbowlinginnings with the pair of mediumpacers in Gilson Tyson (464) and Ryan John (2-52)

doing the lion’s share of the damage. Earlier, resuming on 2 runs, the Windies Test opener, Chanderpaul, kept the Eagles afloat after significant losses to the top/middle-order,whenboth Matthew Nandu (4) and Kevlon Anderson (4) were removedbyTyson. CaptainTevinImlach (Continuedonpage23)

TEESHOT

With victory in ‘sight, McIlroycaughtabreakatthe 15thwherehisthirdshotwas just enough to avoid the waterguardingthegreen.He delivered a pressure-packed up-and-down from behind the green at 16 and then bogeyed the last after an errant tee shot and leaving hissecondshotinabunker

McIlroy struggled with his putting early on and fell twoshotsbehindYoungafter a costly double bogey at the par-three fourth, where ‘he missed the green off the tee

and then three-putted from ninefeet.

He made bogey two holes later after missing another par-three green but made two birdies before the turntostayfirmlyinthemix going into the second nine where the tournament hung inthebalance.

“I just had to hang in there,” said McIlroy “Having a six-shot lead going into the weekend, it wouldhavebeenabitterpill toswallowifIwasn’tableto get myself over the finish line.”

Anish Ramlall pilots ‘GT Ballers’ to GBF 3x3 title

Backed by a Most Valuable Player ( M V P ) performance from Anish Ramlall, and strong allround support from Shelroy Thomas, Kimol Grimmond and Stephen George, “GT Ballers” were crowned winners of the Guyana Basketball Federation

(GBF) National 3x3 Championship on Sunday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

GT Ballers delivered a dominant and composed displayinthefinal,defeating perennial contenders Renegades 21–14 to cap an unbeaten run through the tournament.

Havingfinishedthepool play with an unblemished record, GT Ballers made light work of the South American Youth Games squad in the semi-finals, defeating the young squad 21–12.

The team, made up of Jaden Simon, Kadeem

Beckles and Daniel Chisholm, would eventually finishthird.

Renegades, on the other hand, ended Linden Ballers run in the tournament at the semi-finals, winning 17 – 8 at the end of the 10-minute regulationtime.

The championship clash saw GT Ballers assert themselves from the outset, relying on crisp ball movement, efficient shooting and disciplined defence to seize early control.

Ramlall,whoemergedas the tournament’s leading scorer with 49 points across five games, led from the front with his attacking intent, while Grimmond provided valuable scoring support.

executed with precision to close out the contest in regulation. GT Ballers’path to the title was built on commanding performances in the preliminary round, wheretheysecuredvictories over Renegades, Titans and YoungBallersinPoolA. Their blend of offensive firepower and defensive discipline proved decisive, and they carried that

knockout stage to remain unbeatenenroutetothetitle.

While Renegades also benefited from balanced scoring, they lacked the same fluidity and execution inkeymoments.

T

Thomas played a key roleincontrollingthetempo and converting in the paint, and even adding to the team’sdefensivesolidityand timely contributions to ensureRenegadeswerekept at bay throughout the contest.

Renegades, featuring experienced campaigners Nikkoloi Smith, Travis Belgrave, Dominic Vicente and Akil Hughes, showed

flashes of their quality but struggled to match the cohesion and pace of their opponents.

Although they remained within touching distance during the early exchanges,

they were unable to contain GTBallers’scoringburstsas thegameprogressed.

The 21–14 scoreline underscored GT Ballers’ control, particularly in the latter stages when they

nship formed part of Guyana’s preparation for its debut in 3x3 basketball at the upcoming Commonwealth Games, and concluded a five-day national training camporganisedbytheGBF, with support from the G u y a n a O l y m p i c Association.

Letter to the Sports Editor Victor W. C. Benjamin remembers former Major General, Retired, Norman McLean

DearSportsEditor, Major General, Retired, NormanN.G.McLeanwasa f o r m e r D e p u t y Commissioner of Police, Traffic Chief and founder leader of Guyana National Service and also served as Secretary and President Guyana Cricket Board of Control, is one of the nation’s heroes, who has come a long way, driven by

ushakable belief through buliding Guyana’s destiny, through his outstanding leadershipqualities. Immediatelyafterhewas assignedtheChiefofstaffof theGuyanaDefenceForcein 1988bythenPresident,LFS Burnham, was a shocking news to all troops who were in the GDF, which brought some amount of divison amongseniorofficers,buthe

stoodhisgroundandthrough his leadership qualities, changed the way the army was heading. Those things hedidmarkedthebeginning of his commitment as an astute leader whose life mirroredtheriseoftheGDF ineveryaspectinthefieldof Soldieting, Sports, and culture. To me he was the army best C.O.S with any doubt. His leadership style was very effective because he was quick to learn and adopttherightprinciple.

He was well matured, driven by being a police officer and a soldier, a stateman, a strategist and propelled by an unshakable Leader in L FS B who recognized qualites of a great leader in Norman McLean at the time when things was falling apart in themilitaries.

Throughout Norman McLean’s leadership, he embodied the values of G D F discipline, duty devotion and respect and most important, love of the Highestlevel.

These credentials reflected more than his academic accomplishment, they shaped him into a

capableleader Hisserviceto the Guyana Cricket Board and the public sector reflected the same integrity andthestructurethatdefined his military years. He is a manbeyondtheuniformshe wore serving this wonderful Nation; a true Guyanese patriot.

He will be always remembered, especially when we discuss the people who bring about changes in our society and the country at large. Through the years, MrMcleanhasbeenactively involved in various organizations,wasPresident oftheGuyanaCricketBoard ofControlandalsomanaged the West Indies Cricket on two occasions Over the years he played for Police Sport Club, in the Case Cup divisiononecricketwithfair success. Hewasanationally recognisedleader,managing projects and professional andcivicorganizations.

He established a strong reputation for building b r i d g e s , m e n d i n g relationshipsanddeveloping h i g h p e r f o r m i n g organizations.

He was a person of unquestionable character,

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy with his

high integrity, and an excellentcommunicatorand always brought the highest level of leadership competence, credibility, trust, respectability and transparency and lauded for excellent communications skills, evidenced by high demand for speaking engagements.

During his time as president of Guyana Cricket Board, his devotion to the development of youth Cricketwasunparalleled.He lead the transformation of cricket during the 1980 to 1992.

As testimony to his

standing in the Cricket Community, he was frequentlyakeynotespeaker atseveralCricketevents. Hemademeritoriousand generouscontributionstothe sustained growth of cricket in Guyana and the Caribbean I personally served with him and there’s so much great reflection of His diversity and style, helpingotherstoaccomplish their various goals and achievements in various fields. In today society we need leaders like him to do what is necessary to bring greatness to our society and country

NSC strengthening security at its sports facilities says DoS Ninvalle

The National

S p o r t s

Commission (NSC)hasintensifiedefforts tostrengthensecurityacross all its facilities, with Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle acknowledging long-standing concerns and outlining a renewed commitmenttosafeguarding patronsandproperty

The move comes amid years of complaints from membersofthepublicabout incidents of vehicle breakins and vandalism while attending events at NSCmanagedvenues.

Ninvalle admitted that the issue has been a persistent sore point, one that has affected the overall experienceofsportsfansand eventpatrons.

“Security at our venues has been a concern over the years,andwearenotshying away from that reality,” Ninvalle said, while adding, “We’ve heard the complaints; vehicles being burglarized, property being damaged,andweunderstand the frustration of patrons who simply want to enjoy events without worrying about their safety or belongings.”

TheDoSstressedthatthe commission still carries a significant responsibility to ensure its venues are properlymonitored.

“Even though events are often hosted by private entities, the NSC has a duty to ensure that our facilities are adequately secured. We must have systems in place to monitor activity, deter criminalbehavior,andassist in identifying those responsible when incidents

occur,”Ninvalleexplained.

C e n t r a l t o t h e commission’s upgraded approach is the installation and enhancement of surveillancesystems.

Ninvalle confirmed that major improvements have already been completed at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, one of the country’s premier indoor sporting venues.

“ThecamerasattheCliff Anderson Sports Hall are now fully functional, with upgradescompletedjustlast weekend,” he revealed

“Thatisamajorstepforward for us, and we are already seeingthebenefitsofhaving a more reliable and comprehensive monitoring systeminplace.”

According to Ninvalle, similar upgrades are currently being rolled out at other NSC facilities across the country, as part of a broader initiative to modernize security infrastructure.

Beyondsurveillance,the Director of Sport highlighted that the NSC is adopting a more proactive and holistic approach to venuesecurity

This includes reviewing existing protocols, strengthening coordination with law enforcement, and ensuring that security personnel are better equipped to respond to incidents.

“It’saboutcreatingasafe and secure environment for everyone; athletes, officials, fans, and promoters alike. Our facilities are central to the development of sport in Guyana, and people must feel confident when they

comeouttosupportevents,” Ninvallestated.

He added that the commission’s push to enhance security is not just reactive, but also part of a long-term vision to elevate the standard of sports infrastructure nationwide

Ninvalle was keen in pointing out, that the NSC is “going all out to improve what we already have in place Proper security is essential, not just for protection, but for the reputation of our venues Whenpeopleknow they can attend events

participationandsupportfor sport.” With the upgrades already underway and moreimprovementsonthe horizon, the NSC is aiming to restore public confidenceandensurethat its facilities provide a