Kaieteur News

Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

Almostfive yearslater…

calls for end to ‘extermination’ of Palestinians, decries African wars

audit dispute expert to settle

– Vickram Bharrat Mason stabbed to death at Meten-Meer-Zorg 11 maternal deaths recorded in 2025 – Min. Anthony …sayscasessenttoMedical Councilfordisciplinaryaction

Kingston Wharf closed one week for Guyana Energy Conference

gas activities in Venezuela United States for oil and

5th FPSO completes pre-installation activities

Guyana's fifth Floating productionStorageandOffloading vessel (FPSO), Errea Wittu is making steady construction progress with mooring preinstallation activities now completed.

Thescopeofworkincludedthe installation of suction anchors and the pre-lay of mooring lines in preparationforhookupoftheFPSO in the Stabroek Block, offshore Guyana.

J u m b o O f f s h o r e , a subcontractor working along with ExxonMobiltocompletethevessel recently reported that it performed insta

on engineering, procurement, mobilisation and marshalling activities to support offshore installation. The offshore campaign was executed using Jumbo Offshore's J-

ass installation vessel, Fairplayer Furthermore, the company said all operations were conducted in accordance with project requirementsandapplicablesafety standards.

The Errea Wittu FPSO will produce hydrocarbons discovered by Exxon at the Uaru project, the fifthdeepwaterdevelopmentthatis likelyforstart-upthisyear

The contract for the construction of the vessel was awarded to Japanese shipbuilder ModecinNovember2022.

Project Manager at Jumbo

Offshore, Freek Muurling said, “I amveryproudofthehardworkand commitment shown by all Jumbo personnel and subcontractors during the preparation, mobilisation, and execution of this deepwaterpre-laymooringproject. The team demonstrated full focus on engineering, procurement, documentation, and meticulous planninginsometimeschallenging circumstances.

The yard and offshore teams' resilience and teamwork led to a safe and successful completion of the mooring line installation campaign”.

He also lauded the transparent and constructive communication between Jumbo, Modec, and Exxon, which created a strong working relationship and contributed to moving the project forwardsafelyandefficiently

The Uaru field is located 200 kilometres offshore Guyana at a depth of 1,750 metres It is estimated to hold more than 800 millionbarrelsofoil.

The Errea Wittu FPSO will produce 250,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) and will have a gas treatment capacity of 540 million cubicfeetperday

It will have a water injection capacity of 350,000 bpd, a produced water capacity of 300,000bpdandastoragecapacity oftwomillionbarrelsofcrudeoil.

Currently,Guyanaisproducing about900,000barrelsofoilperday (bpd) from four FPSOs thar are operating in the Stabroek Block.

ThestartupoftheUaruprojectwill push Guyana's total production capacitytoalmost1.2Mbarrelsper day

Exxon has already signalled its intention to the government of

Jumbo Offshore has completed mooring pre-installation activities for the Errea Wittu FPSO

Guyanatoincreaseproductionhere to1.7Mbarrelsperdayby2030.So far, the company has obtained regulatory approvals for seven projects.

An eight application was made by the company and is currently pending review at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

While sections welcome the new FPSO, the eventual startup of the project will not bring change Guyana's revenue stream from the sector significantly, as 75 of every 100 barrels will continue to be deducted for cost until the country pays Exxon for all the projects it intendtobringonlineinthecoming years.

Almostveyearslater... Govt. and Exxon still to agree on sole expert to settle audit dispute

-VickramBharrat

As the five-year anniversary approaches since the government of Guyana received the first auditreportofExxonMobil's expenses, the two parties remain at odds over the appointmentofasoleexpert tosettlethedispute.

This was revealed on Friday by Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharratwhenpressedonthe sidelines of an event to provide an update on the audit of the company Bharrat was hesitant, first remindingthatthereviewof the report is being handled by the Guyana Revenue Authority(GRA).

Kaieteur News however informed the Minister that

queries to the agency have gone unanswered, with the nation still awaiting an update on the process To this end, Bharrat explained, “I have seen some of the correspondences between Exxon and GRA and they have recently come to a position where they have twosoleexperts. They have narrowed it down to two and I believe withinamonthorsotheyare gonna identify the one that they are going to move forward with because both parties must agree on that sole expert as is specified in theagreement.” Bharrat added that the process will move forward upon the appointment of the sole expert Furthermore,

from the government's standpoint, he assured that efforts are being made to follow-up on the process to ensureitmovesahead.

An audit of the Cost Bank of the Stabroek Block

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat

submissionofthatreport,the flaggedsumwasreducedtoa meager US$3M based on s u b m i s s i o n o f documentation that was absent during the course of theaudit.

A f t e r c a r e f u l c o n s i d e r a t i o n t h e Government did not accept the presented documents, and the sum was restored to US$214M As such, the disputedamounthighlighted bytheauditorwillstand.

expert within 30 days such expert shall be appointed by theInternationalChamberof Commerce ("ICC") in accordancewithitsRulesfor the Appointment of Experts andNeutrals.

was conducted for the years 1999to2017byIHS-Markit, a British firm The audit resulted in findings of US$214M and a report was submittedtothegovernment inMarch2021.

F o l l o w i n g t h e

Consequently, the Sole Expert process has been invoked to settle the dispute between the parties. Should the sole expert determine that the costs were inaccurately added to the cost bank, Exxon will be requiredtocreditthesum.

The 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) statesatArticle26thatifthe partiesfailtoagreeonasole

The contract states at Article 26.10 “...the Parties shall cooperate fully in the expeditious conduct of such expert determination and provide the expert with accesstoallfacilities,books, records, documents, information and personnel necessary to make a fully informed decision in an expeditiousmanner

Thesoleexpertshallact as an expert and not as an arbitrator or mediator, and shall endeavour to provide an opinion on the Dispute withinthirty(30)daysofhis appointment, but no later thansixty(60)daysafterhis appointment...”

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur News

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

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

Editor-In-Chief: NIGEL WILLIAMS

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

EDITORIAL

Guyana’s Corruption Perception Index

Guyana has improved by a point on Transparency International’s(TI)2025CorruptionPerceptionIndex(CPI). Within the PPPC Government that single point movement maybecelebratedasmajorprogress. Itismorethana33% improvement when compared to this government’s own recordthatitleftbehindin2015whenitwas removedfrom office. The PPPC Government’s CPI score then was below 30, a number so dismal that it should disturb any citizen concerned about corruption and the tsunami of skullduggeriesthatdamageconfidenceandrentatthefabric of governance. The point could be made, a valid one we think, that massive corruption within the ranks of the PPPC ten years ago led to it being booted out of office. Serious leaders who honestly care about corruption, who hate the blotches it leaves on attempts at clean governance, and the stainsagainsttheirownnameswouldbeunsparingofcorrupt actsandcorruptfriends. It’showtheydemonstratethatthey aregenuineaboutdiggingoutcorruptionroots.

How genuine have the PPPC Government’s efforts been in its fight against corruption since returning to power in August2020? Neitherconvincingnortrustworthywouldbe the response of many citizens. Without a doubt, there has beenasteadyflowofwordsaboutcorruption,butlipservice is what we interpret those words to be. A good portion of leaders in the government’s time and energies, their words about corruption, has been about attacking and seeking to deflectattentionfromthemselves,anddamagingothers. Few are the Guyanese that are fooled, with many of the government’sownpeopleshakingtheirheadsatleadersand their distractions that do nothing to address the corruption scourgethateatsawayatGuyana’svitality

Hereisagovernmentthatwasinpowerformorethanfive yearsattheendof2025,andthebestthatitmanagedcompared totherecordofitspredecessor,theAPNU+AFCCoalition,was to hold steady at the CPI level that the 2020 elections vanquishedleft Initsslightlyshortenedanddispute-plagued five years, the APNU+AFC Coalition could claim that its recordspeaksvolumesabouttheauthenticityofitsefforts In less than five years, the Coalition improved Guyana’s CPI showing from below that 30-point level that it inherited from thePPPCGovernmentof23years,to40 That’swhereitmore orlesshashoveredinthelastfiveyearssincethePPPC’sreturn tothecorridorsofpower,andcontroloftheoilpurse Wenote thattheCoalitionmanagedthat10-pointimprovement,despite the shenanigans of some of its own corrupt people, who grabbedasmuchastheycouldinthethenanonoileconomy PPPCGovernmentleadersareoffendedwhentheissueof corruptionisraised,andhowitisperceivedtobeundertheir watch. Itistheoldtruthofthemessengersbeingvictimised, whenthemessagecannotbecontested. Itisapproachingthe half-year point since the government’s success at the September polls. The president’s second inaugural address also in September promised a dedicated anticorruption unit, which gave some guarded hope. Nothing has been seen or heard of that promise, which has potential to make a real difference in the fight against corruption. Corruption is so chronic and entrenched under the PPPC Government, and reaching to all levels of its machinery, that must be one nonnegotiable condition. Any anticorruption unit worth its presencemustbemadeupofthebestthatGuyanahastooffer

LoadingupsuchaunitwithPPPCcroniesorhackswilldoom its chances of delivering from the inception. In typical governmentfashion,morefortheshowandbeingabletosell that a presidential commitment was fulfilled, rather than possessinganysubstancethatinspires.

Ti’s CPI for Guyana for 2025 is reported at the 40-point mark. Itisrevealingthatinacountrywithagovernmentthat thrives so much on secrecy, the corruption perception index couldbesolowastobeanationaldisgrace. Afairquestionis: what if the layers of secrecy were less, were penetrable, would Guyana’s corruption perception reading be? It certainlywouldn’tbebetter,whentheworstisexposed.

CARICOM: Stand Up and Be Counted

DEAREDITOR,

In another week or so, Heads of governmentofCARICOMwillmeetin St.Kitts.Thismeetingwilltakeplaceat a time when one of the Caribbean islands, Cuba is facing grave dangers, not by any natural disaster, but by the United States government which is tighteningthecriminalblockade,which it had imposed on the island more than six decades ago. This time they have imposedafuelembargoontheisland.

Over the years since the Cuban Revolution of 1958, the Cuban people havemadetremendouscontributionsto the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean and further a-field, in many differentaspectsoflife.

It has become recognised throughouttheworldforitscontribution in heath and education. We in Guyana haveenjoyedforty-nineyearsoffruitful cooperation with Cuba’s medical workers.

They have treated hundreds of thousand of our people. They have saved countless lives and delivered thousands of babies Despite the

hardships that the government and people of Cuba have had to contend with, due to the US criminal blockade onitseconomyandsociallife,Cubahas educated hundreds of thousands of our people in every profession, medical, engineering, teaching, and other specialities.

Recalltoo,duringtherecentCOVID pandemic Cuba developed vaccines which it shared with the whole region andbeyond.

Even now as we write this piece, Cuban medical personnel, at great risk to themselves, are providing medical servicestoHaiti,allfreeofcosts.Other countries are mostly providing lip services to the oppressed peoples of Haiti. It is impossible to put a price tag on Cuba’s contributions to mankind, particularlythepoorandoppressed.

Unfortunately,intheselatestattacks on Cuba, Caribbean leaders have chosen to remain quiet. Fear of the US has made most of them extremely scaredandseemreadytoabandonCuba initstimeofgreatneed.

IfCARICOMleaderscanmusterup

the courage to stand by Cuba NOW, it will mean a lot. Though our countries aregenerallysmallandrelativelyweak, togetheritwillhaveagreatimpact.

Icanfindmanymorereasonstourge our leaders at this meeting to stand up for principles. However, it is sufficient to appeal to our basic human decency CallontheUSAtohaltthehostilityand end the criminal blockade. Condemn theillegalitythatisonopendisplayand giveCubasolidarity

Donotgiveusareputationofbeing fearfulandungrateful.

The principled position by Mia Mottley,inmyopinion,bothregionally and internationally, in some way, contributed to her unprecedented third consecutive victory in Barbados, and should be emulated by other leaders. TheCaribbeannowhastheopportunity to show solidarity and tangible support withatruefriendnowinneed.

Let this meeting be historic by declaring that we are standing with Cuba!

Former President – Donald Ramotar

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox

The Island of Long Shadows: When Geopolitics Becomes a Human Hunger Banana Pseudostem Fiber and the Industrial Future of Guyana

DEAREDITOR,

In the golden hour of a Cuban sunset, the city of Havana no longer glows; it fades.Asthesundipsbelow theMalecón,aheavy,velvet darkness settles over the capital not the natural quiet of night, but the eerie, engineered silence of a nationrunningoutofbreath.

Since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in early January2026,thevitalartery ofoilthatoncesustainedthis island has been severed What remains is a “silent siege ” There are no warshipsonthehorizon,yet the effects are as visceral as any bombardment. In the corridors of power in Washington, this is called “strategic leverage.” In the darkened kitchens of Santiago and Holguín, it is calledacatastrophe.

Today, the rhythm of Cubanlifeisdictatedbythe “energy lottery.” Blackouts now stretch between 10 and 20hoursaday Foramother in Vedado, the arrival of electricityat2:00AMisn’ta time for sleep; it is a frantic racetopumpwater,chargea single flashlight, and cook whatever rice remains before the hum of the refrigeratordiesagain.

The toll is measured in morethanjustdarkness:

• Hospitals in Crisis: Surgeons operate under the fickle glow of batterypowered lanterns, and the delivery of life-saving oxygen is hamstrung by dry fueltanks.

•TheClassroomSilence: Schoolshaveshortenedtheir days; universities have moved to remote learning that few can access without power Ageneration’sfuture is being dimmed alongside thestreetlights.

• The Food Queue: At empty gas stations, the lines are no longer just for cars. Theyareforthespirit.Public transport has all but vanished,leavingworkersto walk miles in the tropical heat just to find bread that hasdoubledinprice.

The“fuelchokehold”isa masterclass in economic coercion By threatening tariffs on traditional partners

like Mexico’s PEMEX and the Dominican Republic, the US has effectively walled offtheisland Whiledomestic solar projects shining rows of Chinese-backed panels offer a glimpse of a self-sufficient future, they cannot fill a void that grew overnight Cuba’s current domestic production covers barely 20% of its needs The math of the siege is simple and brutal: without oil, the grid collapses; without the grid,thesocietyteeters

“Wearelivingasbestwe can,” says Cristina, a 51year-old house cleaner who now walks two hours to work.“Iwasbornhere.This is my lot. But how much morecanwesacrificebefore thereisnothinglefttogive?”

We must ask ourselves: atwhatpointdoesapolitical objective become a humanitariancrime?

Defenders of the “maximum pressure” campaign argue it is a necessary tool to topple a revolution. But revolutions are made of people, not just statues and slogans. When we “cow suppliers” and “watch the grid crumble,” we are not just fighting a government;wearespoiling themilkinachild’scupand silencing the monitor in a grandfather’shospitalroom.

The resilience of the Cuban people is legendary, butresilienceisnotaninfinite resource It is a candle that burns lower with every dark night As President DíazCanelsignalsanopennessto dialogue “without preconditions,” the world watchestoseeiftheresponse will be a hand extended or a fisttightened Empires may finditeasytotoppleregimes through wallets rather than warships, but the “human toll”remainsthesame.Ifwe pride ourselves on humanism, we cannot remainsilentwhileanentire populationisusedasapawn inageographicgambit.

The siege of Cuba is silentbecausewechoosenot to hear the sound of potsand-pans protests or the quiet sighs of those waiting inthedark.Itistimetolisten

Sincerely, HemduttKumar

DEAREDITOR,

A quiet industrial transformation is underway inpartsofBrazilthatshould command serious attention in Guyana. What was once considered agricultural waste, the banana pseudostem left behind after harvest,isbeingreorganised intoastandardisedindustrial raw material for textiles, paper products, and biobasedcomposites.Thisisnot a craft revival story It is an industrialisationstory Andit carries direct implications for Guyana’s development trajectory

In Brazil, institutions such as the Federação das Indústrias do Estado de Santa Catarina and the SENAI Institute of Textile Technology, Apparel and Design have helped move bananafiberprocessingfrom experimental workshops to structuredfactoryfloors. Through mechanical decortication, controlled drying, and quality control protocols,pseudostemfibers

are now being processed with repeatable tensile strength,consistentmoisture levels, and traceable supply chains.

The material is entering weaving mills, composite fabrication lines, and packaging trials. What was onceleftinthefieldtorotis nowenteringglobalmarkets.

Guyana should view this development not as foreign innovation but as regional opportunity

Bananacultivationisnot unfamiliarterraininGuyana. Across coastal and riverain communities, bananas are grown for domestic markets and small-scale distribution.

After harvest, the pseudostem, heavy, waterladen, and cumbersome, is typically discarded It decomposes in place, sometimes usefully returning nutrients to soil, but more often simply representing uncounted biomass with no structured economic pathway In other production systems, that

same biomass is now being treated as industrial feedstock.

The transformation hinges on a simple realisation: the banana plant is mostly not food. Only a fraction becomes the fruit that enters the market. The rest is cellulose-rich structural material with significant mechanical strength When extracted mechanically rather than chemically, these fibers can compete with other natural fibers used in textiles and reinforcementapplications.

Theycanbeblendedwith cotton. They can be pulped. They can be molded into packagingboards.Thekeyis notthesciencealone,itisthe organisation of logistics, processing,andstandards.

This is precisely where Guyana’s national strategy comesintofocus.

finance, and sustainable

Y

diversification cannot remainrhetorical.Itrequires specific industries that translate agricultural reality

pseudostem fiber offers one suchpathway

Guyanaisenteringanera of unprecedented fiscal space due to oil revenues. Thedangerofthatmomentis over-concentration.

Hydrocarbon wealth, if not carefully channeled, can narrow rather than broaden theeconomicbase.Investing i n a g r o - r e s i d u e industrialisation would represent a deliberate conversionofoilcapitalinto post-carboninfrastructure.It would build manufacturing competence in a sector aligned with global decarbonisationtrends.The

Under the Low Carbon Development Strategy championed by the Government of Guyana, the countryhascommitteditself to a model of economic

Continued on page 6

Cattle owner fined $30K for straying cows in EBD housing schemes

A54-year-oldcattleownerwasonFriday charged and fined for allowing his cows to stray within the Prospect Young Professionals, Herstelling, and Farm Housing Schemes on the East Bank Demerara(EBD).

Theaccused,DeneshRohitofGardenof Eden, EBD appeared at the Diamond Magistrates' Court before Magistrate Dylon Bess,wherethechargeswerereadtohim.

Rohit was charged with three (3) counts of Suffering Animals to Stray (Cows), contrarytoSection28(1)(a)oftheRoadAct, Chapter51:01,thepolicestated.

He pleaded guilty to all three counts and was fined $10,000 on each count, totaling $30,000.

Charged: Denesh Rohit

According to the police, he was also warned to take appropriate measures to properlysecurehisanimals.

Kaieteur M@ilbox

The growing popularity of vaping and smoking

DEAREDITOR,

As a public communications analyst and advocate for public health and safety, it is increasinglyalarmingtowitnessthegrowing popularity of vaping and smoking, particularly as these behaviours introduce evolving health risks to both users and the widerpublic.

While once promoted as safer alternatives, vaping products have brought new concerns, especially regarding youth uptakeandsecond-handexposure.

Recent reporting by The Guardian notes thatvapinginvehiclescarryinganyoneunder the age of 18 will be banned in England, reflecting a broader international acknowledgment that children must be protected from harmful exposure, even within private or semi-private spaces. Such measures demonstrate a proactive approach tosafeguardingvulnerablepopulations

In Guyana, however, public attitudes toward smoking and vaping appear increasinglyrelaxed.

This is concerning given that Guyana’s Tobacco Control Act of 2017 already enforces strict bans on smoking in indoor public places, workplaces, and public transportationtoprotectagainstsecond-hand smoke. Yet smoking and vaping remain highly visible in daily life, raising questions aboutenforcement,socialresponsibility,and publicawareness.

Particularlytroublingisthenormalisation of these behaviours among school-aged teenagers. Reports of students smoking or

vapingontheirwaytoandfromschool,along with the visibility of smoking among some educators,risksendingconflictingmessages to young people. When harmful behaviors appear socially acceptable, they are more easily internalised and repeated by the next generation.

At the same time, it is important to acknowledge the broader contradiction within public health policy Tobacco is legally sold in virtually every country in the world and remains highly accessible and profitable despite decades of clear scientific evidence outlining its dangers. Similarly, while medical cannabis is becoming more accessible due to its therapeutic value, it is still subject to abuse and misuse, including the risk of developing Cannabis Use Disorder, underscoring the need for careful regulationandmonitoring

Lookingahead,globalpolicydiscussions suggest even stronger measures may be forthcoming.

According to the World Economic Forum, the next phase of tobacco control could include bans on smoking in certain outdoor public spaces. This signals a shift toward prioritising collective health over convenience, particularly for children, the elderly,andthosewithrespiratoryconditions. Our children are indeed the future, and protecting them from normalised harm must remain a central pillar of public health thinking

Sincerely, Mr.BlaneRBunbury

Banana Pseudostem Fiber and the...

Frompage5

proximity to Brazil strengthens this opportunity considerably Northern Brazil possesses industrial training systems, machinery manufacturers, and research institutions already experimenting with bananafiberatscale.

Guyana possesses agricultural land, expanding transport corridors linking to Brazil, English-language market access within CARICOM, and an emerging policy emphasis on green production. A structured Brazil–Guyana industrial partnership focusedonbananafibercouldcreateacrossborder value chain that benefits both countries Brazil contributes technical maturity Guyana contributes biomass and regionalexportpositioning.

Butthismustnotberomanticised.Banana fiber industrialisation is not automatic success.Itrequirescarefulattentiontowater management during washing stages, disciplinedcontrolofdryingtemperaturesto preserve fiber properties, and proper utilisation of pulp residues to avoid creating environmental burdens. If poorly managed, theprocesscansimplyshiftwastefromfield to factory If well designed, it can create a closed-loop system where extracted pulp becomes compost or biogas feedstock, minimising discharge and reinforcing circularity

The more profound question is strategic. Does Guyana want to remain primarily an exporter of raw commodities, or does it intend to become a processor of its own agriculturalresidues?

The pseudostem currently has no market value in Guyana’s accounting system. In Brazil, it is acquiring one.That difference is

notecological;itisinstitutional. Imagine Guyana positioning itself as a regional supplier of biodegradable molded fiber packaging derived from banana waste. Imagine local spinning trials that blend banana fiber with imported cotton to create niche sustainable textiles. Imagine rural communities earning supplemental income not just from fruit sales but from organised biomass collection systems feeding nearby extraction hubs. Such developments would deepen rural economic resilience, reduce agricultural waste emissions, and strengthen Guyana’sclimatediplomacycredibility

ThenarrativeofGuyana’sfutureisoften framedintermsofoilproductioncurvesand offshoreinfrastructure.Thatstoryisreal.But another story can unfold alongside it, one in whichagriculturalresiduebecomesindustrial input, where sustainability is not only a diplomatic posture but a manufacturing reality.

Bananapseudostemfiberwillnotreplace everysyntheticmaterial,norwillitbecomea singularpillaroftheeconomy Yetaspartofa diversified portfolio of green manufacturing sectors,itholdstangiblepromise. Brazil has already demonstrated that the transition from discarded trunk to standardised industrial fiber is technically feasible The question now is whether Guyana will observe from the sidelines or participate in shaping a regional circular economy

Banana trunks left in the field are not merelyagriculturalleftovers.Theyarelatent industrial assets. The time to treat them as suchisnow

Sincerely, Dr WalterH.Persaud

Houseclearsadditional$18.8BspentbyGovt.in2025

Following a strenuous 10 days of reviewing this year's National Budget in Parliament, the Assembly dived straight into Financial Paper Number Two of 2025 relating to an additional $18.8Bspentbythegovernmentof Guyanainthelatterhalfoftheyear fromtheContingencyFund.

The legislation provides for advances to be made from the Contingency Fund to meet urgent, unforeseen, and unbudgeted expenses.

Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) called for a division, prompting an individual voting process on the $18 8B

expenditure.

ScrutinyoftheFinancialPaper commenced around 11pm on Friday evening and concluded just aftermidnight,followingthereport by the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs that 28 members voted against and 35 in favouroftheMotion.

The Financial Paper Number Two of 2025 covered the period November 18 to December 16. It was tabled in the National Assembly on January 26 when the Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singhpresentedthisyear'sBudgetthefirstSittingoftheAssemblyfor 2026.

The financial paper catered for $10.5billionundertheMinistryof Public Works for the provision of additional resources to execute the Ministry's expanded work programme such as highway improvement on the East Coast of Demerara, miscellaneous roads anddrainage,hinterlandroads,sea andriverdefenceworksandworks on stellings and government buildings.

Meanwhile,undertheMinistry of Human Services and Social Security, the financial paper made provision for additional resources for the payment of Old Age Pensions and Public Assistance to

the tune of $5.4 billion and $1.4 billion was catered for under the Ministry of Education for the provisionofadditionalresourcesto facilitate an expanded work programmespecificallydietaryfor primaryeducation.

UndertheMinistryofHousing, the financial paper provided $640 milliontowardadditionalresources to facilitate an expanded work programmeinrelationtohinterland water supply, water service expansionandmanagement.

Thefinancialpaperalsocatered for $548.8 million to cater for expanded work programmes in Regions One, Two, Five Seven,

EightandNinemainlyintheareas of health and education as well as for other activities including national and other events, local travelandsubsistenceandcleaning andexterminationservices. Notably, the 2025 Budget was approved and passed by the NationalAssembly on February 6, 2025. Mere months later, on May 23, the Committee of Supply approved $57.5 billion more to support four state agencies.This means that government increased its spending power in the election year to a massive $1.458 trillion, considering the two additional financialpapers.

We are all indicted by the closure of Stabroek News

The impending closure of Stabroek News marks a sad chapter in the history of Guyana. For decades, this newspaperstoodasasymbol of press freedom and independent journalism in our country Its loss cannot be taken lightly But while many, including the newspaper itself, will blame economics, market forces or global trends, the uncomfortable truth is this:

the Guyanese people themselves must bear ultimate responsibility for thenewspaper’sdemise.

When Stabroek News first appeared as a weekly publication,itwasprintedin Trinidad and sold from a building in Queenstown Copies were limited. People flocked to buy it The demandwassohighthatone of the co-owners allowed only one copy per person so thatmorecitizenscouldhave access. That alone tells us how hungry Guyanese once were for independent reporting. They understood its value. They knew that a freepressmattered. In time, the newspaper established its own printery. Itbecameadailypublication andgrewintotheflagbearer ofpressfreedominGuyana. Through difficult years, it stood firm. It challenged governments when necessary It exposed wrongdoing.Itgavevoiceto the voiceless. It provided

space for debate, including through its letter pages. It became, in many ways, a guardian of democratic values.

It is therefore extremely painfultoseeitgo.

Yes, the closure of Stabroek News is part of a wider global trend

Newspapers around the world are struggling. In the C a r i b b e a n , e v e n publications like Newsday haveleftthescene.Problems had been developing even beforethepandemic.Things got worse with newspapers becauseofthepandemic.

The pandemic dealt a heavy blow to print media everywhere Advertising revenues declined

Circulation fell sharply Many papers never recovered Lockdowns reduced movement Sales dropped That was understandable But even after restrictions eased, circulationneverreturnedto formerlevels.Itcontinuedto fall.Thepapercouldperhaps have survived if its loyal readership had remained steady. If people had recognised their moral obligation to support an institutionthathaddefended their freedoms for decades, the story might have been different During the pandemic, things began to slide.

But Guyana’s case is not just about the pandemic or

Dem Boys Seh...

globalforces.Itisalsoabout localchoices.

A weekday copy of Stabroek News cost only $100. That is less than the price of many everyday items people buy without hesitation. Yet many chose nottosupportit.Theyturned instead to “free” news on social media often unverified, unreliable, and driven by rumour They preferred the illusion of f r e e n e s s , w i t h o u t considering the cost to our democracy

There is also the matter of state advertising The current administration, led by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, has been accused of withholding advertising revenues owed for services provided. Such actions weaken independent media. When a government uses advertising as a weapon, it sends a troubling message. But citizens, too, have power For years, Kaieteur News did not receive a single government advertisement. But it survived because people bought the newspaper, thousands of persons. But that subscriber base is dwindlingnow

The Guyanese diaspora must also reflect on its role. Thousands of Guyanese living overseas continue to follow events back home. They debate politics on socialmedia.Theycomment

True love never dies... even if yuh wallet empty

DemboyssehthedayafterValentine’sis the real test of love — not the candlelight dinner, not the roses, not the teddy bear biggerthanthemortgage.Iswhenyuhwake up, check yuh wallet, and de wallet staring backatyou.

Yesterday was steak, lobster and imported chocolate. This morning is bush teaandregret.

Plenty man went all out. New dress, matching shoes, fancy restaurant where the menu don’t even show prices — because if yuh have to ask, yuh can’t afford it. Dem boys know one fella who see the bill and nearlyproposeagain,hopingitwouldcome withadiscount.

Now it February 15th. Wallet light. Credit card smoking harder than the grill fromlastnight.AndMashramaniandEaster peeping around the corner like two hungry cousins.

One brother tell dem boys he swipe so much yesterday that the bank send he a sympathy email this morning: “Are you safe?”Hesayhesafe,buthesavingsain’t.

Another man buy perfume, handbag,

on developments They express strong views about governanceanddemocracy

Yet many did not enroll in paid digital subscriptions that could have provided a steadystreamofrevenuefor the Stabroek News For those earning in foreign currencies, the subscription cost would have been modest.Instead,manyrelied on shared articles or free snippets online. In doing so, they too helped to put the final nail in the newspaper’s coffin. Support from abroad

c

meaningful difference, but that support did not materialise in sufficient numbers.

The local business class m u s t a l s o s h a r e r

businesses benefited from the exposure and credibility that established newspapers provided.Yetwhenthepaper struggled, advertising supportdidnotmaterialisein sufficient quantity. Even

those who were socially and historically connected to the newspaper did not come forward in the way one would expect. That silence speaksvolumes.

S t i l l , u l t i m a t e responsibility rests with the people. A free press cannot survive on sentiment alone. It survives on sales, subscriptions, and advertising.Itsurviveswhen citizens understand that democracy is not free. If we value press freedom, we mustbewillingtopayforit.

Stabroek News did not close because Guyanese lacked money It closed because too many lacked commitment.Evenifyougot your news from social media, there was a moral obligation to defend press freedom because we all know that when press freedomgoeswhathappens. It would have only cost a mere $100 per weekday and $150onSundays.

Now, Guyana faces the

closure of its oldest independent newspaper

This is not just the loss of a business.Itisaseriousblow to press freedom. It narrows the space for independent thought It weakens accountability It diminishes publicdebate.

Ifthereisalessoninthis moment,itisthatdemocracy demands participation Supporting independent journalism is one such form of participation The Guyanesepeopleoncestood in lines for a single copy of Stabroek News. In the end, theyallowedittofadeaway History will record that the paper fought many battles.But in its finalbattle for survival, it stood largely alone.

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

dinner and a weekend staycation. Today he calculating if love could be paid in installments.Heevenaskhepartnercasuallike,“Babe,yuhbelieveinjointaccounts?”

Dem boys seh some of dem fellas walkingaroundtowntodaylookinglikedem just come from a funeral. And in a way, is true.Itistheburialofdisposableincome.

The restaurants smiling. The florists smiling.Thechocolatevendorsrubbingdem hands together Only the men checking couch cushions for loose change so dem couldstilllimeonRepublicDay

Butlehwebefair.Lovesweet.Justthat sometimes it sweet with overdraft protection.

So,ifyuhseeamaneatingcook-uprice plaintoday,mindyuhbusiness.Yesterdayhe wasRomeo.Todayhebudgeting.

Dem boys seh next year some of dem planning something different: candlelight dinnerathome,YouTubesaxophonemusic, andboxjuiceinwineglass.

Because true love strong — but rent stronger

Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

H@RD TRUTHS

Lessons from the Speaker, the president – unwanted ones

It's sad day to be a Guyanese, to watch this country go to the dogs

Then, worse still, note how the dogs sniff and then lift their hind legs to indicate their rejection and disdain. When even dogs react like that, this country has tumbleddeepintothepits. I look at the Speaker of the

National Assembly, and there is class in session, unwantedlessonslearned. I glanceatthepresident,andI hang my head at how leadership has descended into the dumps The a m b i e n c e o f t h a t environmenttaintsthespirit, vanquishes any confidence inwhat'satthetop.

Thetopistopless. Itisas naked as that; that recoiling tomany Whatisleadership if not about being a decisionmaker, the problem solverinthesqueezeoftight spaces. More than once, more than twice, the president has pleaded distance, played his unpersuasive games that

some matters of national import are not his business. Dereliction of duty? Or sliding away from making a toughcall? Oraplasterfora sorethatleakspusprofusely, but which fits poorly? For those who think that's inspiring leadership, think again How so, when routine decisions aren't made, because one's own handpicked people will be the loser The opposite of fearless leadership holds true: it's of a leader who is adept at shifting his feet, swiveling his head, twisting hislips. Takeastand,make acall. Withoutthesnarling. For then what is a president for, if it isn't petitioning that final singular, unimpeachable tribune, the tribune of tribunes,andthecourageous isrendered? Evenwhenthe less than Solomonic, Justinian, or rabbinic has been delivered, there's a senseofrelief:couragewith decisive power took precedence for the greater nationalgood.

I make no reference to any office, any roadblock, any specific set of circumstances that lays bare the self-made and selfsatisfiedimpotencythatnow suffocates Guyana's presidency If decisions of that nature, with respect for the law, with leadership sagacity at its finest, cannot bemade,thenofwhatutility thatlastresortmediator,that final arbitrator? These are lessonsIabhor,willhaveno

part of, in my silver years Guyanese should have no difficulty in determining how much more vigorous my reaction would have beeniftheyearswerelesser, the days younger Some leadership attributes are so nonsensical as to be, well, nothing but utterly nonsensical Capricious doesn't meet the call of the times. Fear is what drives national leadership decisions on the issues that matter To do so would reveal this, expose to that; and the best decision, therefore,isthestagnationof a nondecision. Here are some more millions. It was US Supreme Court Justice Brandeis who said that, “Powermustalwaysfeelthe checkofpower.”

Take the Speaker The top leader in the topmost house of Guyana. I study where he is, and the one searingthoughtthatintrudes andrefusestoleaveisthathe has metamorphosed into a seemingly wanton and arbitrary disregarder of the f u n d a m e n t a l s o f commonsense.

A house captain energised and devoured by his defiance of what's accepted as fair and balanced,andwhohastaken leave of what subscribes to depth and profoundness. I behold a man placed at the

apex of parliament

careening after the uncharted, convulsed by his convictions, one who has

impressed himself that his toxic actions are digestible and no harms have been inflicted. WhentheSpeaker should stand out as a leader with the maturity and soundness that his office callsfor,hehasbeencontent to imbibe of the hostile, the narrow, and what brings the parliamentary edifice still lower Howmuchlowercan it go? The better inquiry may be: how much farther does the Speaker have to plummet in the freefall that isofhisownmaking?

The Speaker floats around in a circle, but from his telling of his parliamentary adventures there is insistence that he walks along a straight line. Thechallengesarenotatest ofhisabilityatgeometry,but ofthequalityofhislogic,the symmetry of his reasoning. Watching the Speaker of Guyana's National Assembly on the move is almostidenticaltoabsorbing Prince Dracula operating under the cover of dark. Darkness has overtaken many leadership levels in thiscountry Bothpresident and Speaker operate in a mental dark room Parliament, that last bastion ofcitizens,shouldhavebeen off-limits.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the a u t h o r a n d d o n o t necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCIES!

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

SUNDAY–

FEBRUARY08,2026

Silenceonextradition request

The Government's silence on the latest U S

extradition request is unacceptable and reeks of calculatedconcealment.

Guyanese were told that

t r a n s p a r e n c y a n d accountability would define this administration Yet, months after confirmation that a second extradition request was received in November 2025, the authorities remain tightlipped.Why?

This is not a trivial matter Extradition engages sovereignty, due process, internationalobligationsand public trust When one request is acted upon with lightning speed while another is buried in secrecy, reasonablequestionsarise.

Is the law being applied selectively? Is someone being protected? Or is the Government afraid of who mightbenamed?

The nation deserves answers, not evasions and heckling in Parliament Ministers responsible for legal affairs, home affairs and foreign affairs have a duty to come clean Transparencyisnotoptional. If there is nothing to hide, then tell the people. And if thereissomethingtofear,the public has an even greater righttoknow

MONDAY–FEBRUARY09,2026

Parag'sintrusion

In a crass and alarming display of political opportunism, Minister of Education Sonia Parag has weaponised her office, exploiting confidential attendance records to attack MPGordonBarker,whoisa teacher in the [public educationsystem].

What is shocking is not j u s t t h e b r e a c h itself bordering on the illegal, but her audacity in attempting to justify it as “accountability” Ordinary Guyanese should take heed; if a minister can casually expose the private life of a teacher-turned-MP, any citizen's personal affairs couldbenext.

Barker's “offences”, tending to his newborn and youngchildren,highlightthe callousness of Parag's politicaltheatre.Heractions erode trust, compromise

parliamentary integrity, and insult the teaching profession she purports to champion This is not transparency; it is intimidation cloaked in authority

Until ministers respect privacy and do not abuse their authority, no citizen, teacher,orpublicservantcan feel secure from politically motivatedintrusion.

TUESDAY–FEBRUARY,10,2026

WhitherMoM

The Men on Mission (MoM) programme was launched with lofty promises: rescuing at-risk men, addressing toxic masculinity,unemployment, absentee fatherhood, crime andsocialdecay

Yearslater,theresultsare thin. Beyond a handful of highly publicised marches andtheconstructionofafew homes for vulnerable women, the public is left asking, where is the substance? Where are the training programmes, counselling services, job placement initiatives, or measurable outcomes that justify the millions reportedlyspent?

If MoM is truly about rebuilding men holistically, its impact should be visible in communities, not just on government photo-ops Transparency is sorely lacking.

No detailed reports, no c l e a r m e t r i c s , n o independent evaluations. In the absence of answers, suspicion festers. Is MoM a serious social intervention, or merely another PPP pet project, long on rhetoric, short on results and dangerously close to becomingataxpayer-funded slush fund dressed up as socialreform?

WEDNESDAY–FEBRUARY11,2026

HasGuyanaBowedto WashingtononCuba Doctors?

The quiet termination of G u y a n a ' s m e d i c a l cooperation pact with Cuba

raises uncomfortable questions Government insists the decision was administrative Cuban doctorsarenowfreetoapply independently,renderingthe agreement unnecessary Yet the timing is difficult to ignore.

The United States has intensified warnings that

Cuba's overseas medical missions amount to forced labour, threatening visa

s

repercussions for countries thatparticipate.

Minister Frank Anthony denies U S pressure influenced the move. Still, his acknowledgment that Guyana's labour practices align with Washington's

scrutiny If the arrangement wasworking,whyscrapitso quietly?

particularly in underserved communities Any policy shift affecting healthcare

transparentexplanation.

Sovereign decisions must be guided by national interest not whispered warnings from abroad. The public deserves clarity: was this reform, or retreat under pressure?

THURSDAY–FEBRUARY12,2026

Parkedamongthe corrupt Guyana's climb from 39 to 40 on Transparency International's Corruption PerceptionsIndexisnothing topopchampagneover Ranked 84 out of 184 countries,weremainparked among the corrupt, with watchdogs warning that harassment of independent media and civil society is chokingoversight.Thatisno small footnote; it is the headline.

Allegations of billiondollar contracts for friends and family, ministers tied to private businesses, and stalled enforcement of whistleblower and witness protection laws continue to swirl.

The UN Human Rights Committee has already flagged weak institutions and timid prosecution of high-level graft, especially intheoilandgassector

Over five years after returning to office, the PPP/C presides over a score lowerthanthe41reachedin 2020 One-point progress cannot mask shrinking civic space and stubborn impunity Untiltransparency is enforced and dissent protected, 40 will feel like zero.

SATURDAY–

FEBRUARY14,2026

ClosureofStabroekNews

The impending closure of Stabroek News marks a dark day for Guyana's democracy. Founded by David de Caires as a stubborn testament to independent thought, the paper endured decades of political and economic crosswinds.

It survived an era when the Guyana Chronicle stood

virtually alone, and it w

advertisements meant to muzzleitsvoice.

Today, history repeats itselfwithdelayedpayments and mounting debts, a slow financialasphyxiation.

Thisisnotmerelyalocal tragedy

Across the world, from

the United States to the Caribbean,newspapershave folded under shrinking ad revenues and the tyranny of digitalalgorithms.

Print journalism, once the guardian of public discourse, now fights for breath in a click-driven age. Stabroek News exits unbowed, but Guyana is poorerforitssilence.

- says cases sent to

Medical Council

disciplinary action – Min. Anthony 11 maternal deaths recorded in 2025

for

Minister of Health, Dr. FrankAnthony

Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony on Friday disclosed that in 2025, 11 maternal deaths were recorded. The Minister said thatasaresultofthematernal deaths, some cases were referred to the Medical Council for disciplinary action.

Dr Anthony made the disclosure during his response to a question posed by APNU's Member of Parliament, Dr Terrence Campbell during the consideration of the 2026 budgetestimates.

Dr Campbell reminded thattheMinisterinDecember had underscored the urgent need for improved accountability, strict adherence to clinical guidelines, and higher standard of care across the healthsystem.

“Tie this to a couple of cases, can you share with us how are we looking to improve adherence to protocols because there have been some really sad cases recently,” Dr. Campbell questioned.

In his response, Dr. Anthony stated that his ministry is working with Mount Sinai and other partners to establish those guidelines He noted that within the ministry , they are setting up a Quality Audit, which will see specialists going to various hospitals to determine whether these guidelineshavebeenadhered to.

“We don't want this to be punitive. We want first of all for people to comply that they'redoingtherightthings, and so we will be doing that and monitoring people and teaching as we go, and we hope that that would help to improve the standards,” he

said.

Additionally,theministry is working with the Joint Accreditation International, “Nowwhatthathelpsustodo is that they have a whole set ofindicatorsthatyouhaveto complywith,andwewantto makesurethatweareonthat pathway, to make sure that the quality that we are delivering at our hospitals meets those standards. So, thisisanotherthingthatwe're doing to improve quality in our health care system,” he revealed.

During his response, the minister also said, “Now, over the last year, we have had 11 maternal deaths.That has come down from 22 maternal deaths, maybe six, seven years ago, so we are making progress. When we examine some of the cases, theycouldhavebeenhandled differently, and each one of these cases, we had the maternal mortality review committee that went through them and in some of the cases, they have been recommended to go before the Medical Council for disciplinaryaction.”

According to Dr Anthony, there are varying degrees of action that can be taken These range from sending health professionals backforretrainingtostriking them off the register if they findgrossnegligence.

Highlighting a previous case, where it was reported that a young child had a kidneyremoved,theminister saiditturnedoutthatthechild hadonlyonekidney

“Now, you had a whole set of experts that got together, and at the time, the best judgment was that they thought it was two kidneys and one was infected and to

(Continuedonpage13)

11maternaldeathsrecorded...

Frompage12

save that child's life, they had to do the intervention. So, they went in and did the surgery,andthenafterwards,theyrecognised thatitwasonekidney Nowtheteam,wehave putthemunderinvestigation.There'sareport that is pending, and when that report is completed, relevant action would be taken, andit'sbeingreviewedbyoverseasexpertsas well,”heexplained.

The Health Minister added that these cases are not treated “lightly” and some are “very complicated ”“They're very complicated.And this one, from all that I've seen, it looks very complicated. When they were doing the case, they were doing it with the best interest of that child in mind. But these things happen. We have to learn from them,andwehavetomoveon,”headded.Dr Anthonyassuredthateverymaternaldeathis reviewed with the aim of determining what transpired and how to not have the situation reoccur “…because we want to bring down ourmaternaldeaths,sothatwearebelow70 per100,000(births)that'stheWHOstandard. Wewanttogoevenwaybelowthatandthat's what we're working towards,” the ministry said.

Kingston Wharf closed one week for Guyana Energy Conference

TheKingstonWharfwill be closed from today until February 21 to facilitate activities surrounding Guyana's annual energy conference at the Guyana MarriottHotel.

The announcement was made on Saturday by the Ministry of Public Works through the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD). In a statement, the department said, “The KingstonWharfFacilitywill be closed from 00:00hrs on Sunday, February 15, 2026, to 00:00hrs on Saturday, February 21, 2026 This closure facilitates the free flow of exhibitors and participants at the Guyana Energy Conference, hosted at the Guyana Marriott Hotel.”

The fifth annual Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo was officially launched in December 2025 under the t h e m e , “ B u i l d i n g Tomorrow's Future Today.”

Theconferenceisscheduled to run from February 17 to 20, 2026, at the Guyana MarriottHotelandwillbring togetherindustryleadersand experts from around the world.

Organisersnotedthatthe previous edition attracted m

participants, over 200 exhibitors,300sponsorsand upwards of 75 speakers representing 40 countries. They highlighted that the conference continues to p

opportunities in Guyana for

Securityguardarrested aftercopsfindweed undercoconuttree

The 77 grams of cannabis found under the coconut tree at Soesdyke Junction coconut

A 37-year-old security guardwasarrestedonFriday following the discovery of 77gramsofcannabisduring anintelligence-ledoperation at Soesdyke Junction, East BankDemerara(EBD).

Ranks of the Guyana Police Force attached to Regional Division #4 'B', carried out the operation around 10:30hrs along the East Bank Demerara corridor.

Police reported that acting on information received about suspected drug activities in the area, ranks proceeded to the

conductedasearchofashop

executive networking and B2Bmarketing.

As part of this year's activities, a 5K walk/run is plannedfortheSundayprior totheofficialopening,along withaninnovationchallenge targeting students from Grade Seven to CAPE. The challenge will encourage participants to identify community or sector issues and propose solutions using artificialintelligence.

premises.

During the search, officers discovered 45 transparent zip-lock plastic bags containing leaves, seedsandstemssuspectedto becannabis. Policesaidthat the narcotics were found concealed in sand under a coconut tree located a short distance away from the residence and business premises.

“A 37-year-old security guard/vendor of Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara was arrested and escorted to the Timehri Police Station,” policesaid.

The narcotics have been lodged as investigations continue.

AU calls for end to ‘extermination’ of Palestinians, decries African wars

Aljazeera - The “extermination” of the Palestinianpeoplemustend, the chairman of the African Union Commission, MahmoudAliYoussouf,has said, as dozens of heads of state gather for the regional body's 39th summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

“In the Middle East, Palestineandthesufferingof itspeoplealsochallengeour c o n s c i e n c e s T h e extermination of this people must stop,” said Youssouf, who was elected to head the institution a year ago, declaredonSaturday

The annual meeting is

expectedtofocusonruinous wars and security in the regionaswellasgovernance challengesaroundtheworld, threats to democracy and climate change, including water sanitation and water-linkedclimateshocks. “International law and international humanitarian law are the basis of the international community,” Youssoufadded,ashecalled for the lifting of the Israeli blockade of humanitarian goods into the besieged Palestinianterritory Israel'sgenocidalwaron Gaza has killed at least 72,045 people and wounded 171,686sinceOctober2023,

and continues despite a “ceasefire”.

Youssouf also touched on the multiple conflicts raging in Africa, calling for the “silencing of the guns” acrossthecontinent.

“From Sudan to the Sahel,toeasternDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in Somalia and elsewhere, our people continue to pay the heavy price of instability,”Youssoufsaid.

The summit brings together heads of state from the 55 member states of the African Union over two days.

In his speech at the summit, United Nations

Secretary-General Antonio GuterrespraisedtheAUasa “ f l a g s h i p f o r multilateralism” at a time of global “division and mistrust” Guterres also called for a permanent African seat in the UN Security Council, saying its absenceis“indefensible”.

“This is 2026, not 1946. Whatever decisions about

Chairperson of theAfrican Union Commission Mahmoud AliYoussouf (right) listens as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (left) speaks during the closing news conference of the Second Italy-Africa Summit at theAddis International Convention Center (AICC) inAddisAbaba, February 13, 2026 [Marco Simoncelli/AFP]

theAfricanWorldaroundthe table, Africa must be at the table,”hedeclared.

Ethiopian Prime

Minister Abiy Ahmed highlighted the issue of water conservation on the continent, as he welcomed otherleaderstothecapital.

“Waterismorethanjusta resource.Itisafoundationof development, innovation

Bartica man gets four years in jail for drug trafficking

A 43-year-old man from Bartica was on Friday sentenced to four years imprisonment after pleading guiltytotraffickingnarcoticswhenheappearedatthe BarticaMagistrates'Court.

AsifBacchus,ofArcadeStreet,waschargedwith PossessionofNarcoticsforthePurposeofTrafficking, contrary to Section 5(1)(a)(i) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, Chapter 10:10.

HeappearedviaZoombeforeMagistrateRavindra Mohabirwhoreadthechargetohim.

Threepersonswere o n F r i d a y released on

$500,000 bail after being charged with possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking when they appeared at the Bartica Magistrates'Court.

andstability,”hesaid.“Here inEthiopia,wehavelearned that responsible water management is central to guiding deve

t wisely.”InAfrica,watercuts across interstate disputes, like Egypt and Ethiopia's fight over the Nile, deadly tensions between farmers and herders in Nigeria over (Continuedonpage58)

Charged are Eric David, a 23-year-old construction worker of Three Miles; Keegon Cummings, a 25year-oldconstructionworker also of Three Miles; and Whitney Fraser, a 35-yearold businesswoman of Four MilesHousingScheme.

THE DRAGON’S TALE WHY T&T GOT THE LAST DANCE

ByAnthonyPaul

When Venezuela issued a licence in January 2024

binding the Dragon gas field to TrinidadandTobago’scommercial gassystem,itwaswidelyframedas a diplomatic breakthrough and an energy security triumph. In the narrow legal sense, that was true. But in the deeper institutional and economicsense,thelicencedidnot createaproject.Itclosedone.

Dragon did not arrive on Trinidad’shorizonasadiscovery It arrivedasamature,heavilyworked offshore asset whose geology had been proven for decades, whose wells had already been drilled, whose pipelines had nearly been laid, and whose monetisation had been repeatedly delayed not by engineering failure but by shifting markets, geopolitics, and institutionaldesign.

To understand why Trinidad ultimately became the final viable market for Dragon gas, one has to returnnottotheheadlinesof2024, buttothelate1970s—toaperiod when Venezuela’s offshore gas frontier was first being mapped in earnest.

Discoverybeforederegulation

Between 1978 and 1982, Petróleos de Venezuela S A

(PDVSA) drilled a sequence of exploratory wells across four offshore structures north of the PariaPeninsula:Mejillones,Patao, Dragón and Río Caribe. Thirteen wells in total confirmed the presence of large non-associated gas accumulations in shallow

to explore what at the time appeared the most natural development route: liquefied natural gas exports to global markets The Cristóbal Colón Project was born, embodying the classic late-twentieth-century mega-project model large

Gas price projections softened. LNG economics tightened By 1996 the returns that had justified the project no longer cleared corporateinvestmenthurdles.

Cristóbal Colón stalled — not because the reservoirs disappointed, but because global

An institutional history of geology, capital, geopolitics, and the slow monetisation of offshore gas

water,unusuallyclosetoshoreand even closer to international shippingroutes.

By the mid-1980s, extensive seismic campaigns had already given PDVSA a technical understandingofthebasinthatmany modern offshore provinces would envy This was not speculative frontiergeology Itwasaprovengas provinceawaitingamarket

The question from the beginning was not whether gas existed.Thequestionwaswhere— andhow—itwouldbemonetised.

TheLNGdream: CristóbalColón

In1988PDVSAturnedtoShell

offshore reserves feeding large onshore LNG trains financed by multinationalcapital.

By 1991 the partnership expanded to include ExxonMobil andMitsubishiCorporation.Threedimensional (3-D) seismic data was acquired, integrated reservoir models were constructed, and in 1994 the joint company Sucre Gas S A was formed to advance development.

Allthefamiliaringredientsofa final investment decision (FID) were present: proven reserves, strongpartners,growingglobalgas demand.

Thenthemarketmoved.

complexnearGüiria,withvolumes approachingabillioncubicfeetper daywhenfullydeveloped.Thegas was to fuel power generation, petrochemicals, and potentially LNG exports once market conditionsimproved.

By 2007 PDVSAhad createda dedicated offshore division to centralise technical planning, environmental management, and national content, signalling that offshore gas was now viewed as a strategic pillar of Venezuela’s energyfutureratherthanapartnerledcommercialventure.

Onceagain,thebottleneckwas notgeology

ga

smarketsareruthlessabouttiming.

It was the first moment in Dragon’s long history when geology stood read

economicsblinked.

Reinventionunderthestate

The early 2000s brought a new politicaleconomyinVenezuelaand with it a new vision for offshore gas. The project was rebranded as the Mariscal Sucre Project and reframed around dual objectives: domestic industrial development andfutureexportoptionality

Preliminary Development

Agreementsexaminedmassivegas flows to an onshore industrial

Map Showing Dragon and nearby fields and location ofAssociated Pipeline and Earlier Proposed Onshore Facilities

It was the challenge of convertingreservesintorevenuein ashiftingglobalenvironment.

WhenDragonbecame abuiltfield

In February 2008 Venezuela approved the Integral Exploitation PlanforDragónandPatao.Forthe first time, development moved decisively from planning to execution.

Sixteen development wells were authorized: eight in Dragon, eight in Patao. Between late 2008 andMarch2011PDVSAdrilledthe full Dragon development set, transforming the field from appraisal concept into productionreadyasset.

In May 2011 the government formally approved reserves exceeding three trillion cubic feet recoverable.

At this point Dragon was no longera“futureopportunity.”

It was a developed gas field awaitingsurfaceinfrastructureand marketaccess.

That transition from paper project to industrial operation was symbolised in May 2010 when the semi-submersibleAban Pearl sank while drilling a Dragon development well. No lives were lost, but the incident underscored that heavy offshore execution was nowunderway Platforms,subseasystems,and acceleratedproduction

In late 2010 Technip secured a major offshore contract covering the Dragon production platform, subsea systems, and ful

engineering and construction management This was not conceptual engineering. It was the kindofcontractthatprecedessteel fabrication, vessel mobilisation, andbillion-dollarcapitalflows.

At the same time PDVSA introduced an Accelerated Production Scheme designed to bring early gas volumes onstream while the full field build-out progressed. Selected wells were perforated, flow-tested, and reengineeredbetween2013and2014 tomaximisedeliverability

From a subsurfaceperspective, Dragonwasessentiallyready Continued on page 48

A youngwomanwho beautifullyblends ambition,confidence,and purposeDeliciaSeeramnis delegate#1intheMissBarticaRegatta Pageant.Sheiscurrentlypursuing CybersecurityatAmityUniversityandIT ManagementatJainUniversitythroughthe GOALScholarshipProgramme,demonstrating herstrongcommitmenttoeducation, technology,andleadership.Outsideofher academicpursuits,Deliciaenjoysreading, singing,andpainting,activitiesthatallowher toexpresshercreativityandmaintain balance.Sheisespeciallypassionateabout empoweringyoungwomen,usingher voiceandplatformtoinspire confidence,encourage education,andpromote self-belief.

Delicia Seeramn

WEEK-IN-REVIEW

SUNDAY

ExxonMobilnowownsallfour FPSOsintheStabroekBlock ...ascompany completesUS$2.3B purchaseoflargestoilship

Energy giant ExxonMobil has completed the purchase of Guyana’s fourth and largest Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO), One Guyana.

SBM Offshore, the Dutch ship builder made the announcement this week It said that Exxon’s maximum lease term would have expired in August 2027 The purchase allows ExxonMobil Guyana, a subsidiary of the corporationtoassumeownershipof the unit while SBM Offshore will continue to operate and maintain theFPSOupto2035.

SBM said, “The transaction comprises a total cash considerationofc.US$2.32billion. The net cash proceeds have been primarily used for the full repayment of the US$1.74 billion project financing and as such

materially decreased SBM Offshore’snetdebtposition.”

The ‘One Guyana’ FPSO has beenonhiresinceAugust2025and will continue to be operated through the integrated operations and maintenance model, combining SBM Offshore’s and ExxonMobil Guyana’s expertise andexperience.

ExxonMobil announced the arrival of the fourth FPSO inApril 2025.The vessel later commenced productionactivitiesinAugustthat year, increasing Guyana’s daily oil production capacity to 900,000 barrels.Assuch,thepurchaseofthe FPSO has been completed in just six months after it commenced operationsoffshore.

Notably, the American oil majoralreadyownstheotherthree FPSOs that operate in the prolific StabroekBlock.

In December 2024, SBM announced that ExxonMobil finalised the purchase of a third FPSO, the Liza Destiny, ahead of the maximum lease term, which would have expired in December 2029 The purchase allows ExxonMobil Guyana to assume ownership of the unit while SBM Offshore will continue to operate andmaintaintheFPSOupto2033.

“The transaction comprises a total cash consideration of c US$535 million The net cash proceedswillprimarilybeusedfor the full repayment of the US$405 million project financing and as suchwilldecreaseSBMOffshore’s net debt position,” SBM said in a statement.

Meanwhile,itwasreportedthat the second FPSO purchase was completed by Exxon in November 2024 for the Prosperity FPSO at a

cost of US$1.23B. The transaction was done ahead of the maximum lease term, which would have expiredinNovember2025.

The Liza Unity was the first FPSO purchase done by ExxonMobilinNovember2023.At thattime,themaximumleaseterm had only a few months remaining and would have expired in February 2024 That transaction wasvaluedatUS$1.26billion.

ThismeansthatthefourFPSOs carry a collective price tag of US$5.345B.

While the purchases were completedbyExxonMobilGuyana will be financing the cost of the FPSOsinaccordancewiththe2016 Petroleum Agreement The contract states that the contractor, ExxonMobil,cantakeupto75%of the oil produced monthly to cover costs associated with production activities in the Stabroek Block. Expensesnotcoveredinanymonth aretakenovertothenextmonthand will continue until the country repays the contractor for all of its investments.

‘Redactit,don’tburyit’

—Amanzasaysgovt.hiding behind‘NationalSecurity’to withholdGDFcrashreport

Leader of the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), Amanza Walton-Desir,hasstronglyrejected the Government’s claim that “national security” prevents the release of the investigative report intothedeadlyhelicoptercrashthat killed five GDF servicemen, insistingthelawrequiresdisclosure — with sensitive details edited if necessary

On Thursday, Indar informed the National Assembly that the report is exempted from publication since the flight was militaryinnature.

He pointed out, “When you have a flight that is under the state control,whenyouhaveaflightthat is controlled by the army or the

state,itisgovernedbytheChicago Convention and it says “aircraft usedinmilitary,customsandpolice services shall be deemed state aircraft”andbecauseofthis,which country,thathasmilitaryoperation disclose to the public about when you have incidents or accidents? Find a country! It is a military operation within the virtue of the national security board and because of that it is a national securityissueanditisexemptedby virtueofthat.

On Saturday, Walton-Desir argued that the Minister has incorrectly interpreted ICAO Annex13onAircraftAccidentand IncidentInvestigation.

ShepointedoutthatAnnex13is concernedwithaviationsafetyand notoperationalsecrecy Tothisend, she explained, “Once a State conducts an aircraft accident investigation underAnnex 13, it is required to make the final report publicly available as soon as possibleandwherepossiblewithin twelvemonths.Whereafinalreport cannot be issued within that time, aninterimpublicstatementmustbe releasedoneachanniversaryofthe occurrence outlining the progress of the investigation and any safety issuesidentified.”

Tothisend,Walton-Desirnoted

that following the crash and on subsequent occasions, government publicly indicated that an interim reportwouldbereleased,followed by a final report, which is a sharp and alarming departure from the recentcommentsbyministerIndar

The party leader was keen to note that the argument that the flight was a military operation

therefore does not remove Guyana’s responsibilities where the Government has chosen to proceed through civil aviation investigative structures and to invoke Annex 13 standards in addressingtheoccurrence.

“ W h i l e t h e C h i c a g o Convention distinguishes civil fromStateaircraft,theGovernment has publicly represented that this occurrence was investigated through Guyana’s civil aviation accident investigation framework. Having elected to investigate in accordance with Annex 13 standards, the obligation is not secrecy but responsible disclosure of safety relevant findings, subject tonecessaryprotectionofsensitive information,”theMPreasoned.

She pointed out that international practice recognises that national security may justify redactionofoperationaldetails,but not the complete withholding of

causal factors, safety issues, or safetyrecommendations.

Further, Walton-Desir explainedthattheaircraftinvolved in the accident carried a civil registration and was entered on Guyana’s civil aviation registry, bearing the marking 8R AYA According to her, “It places the aircraft within Guyana’s civil aviation oversight architecture and heightenstheState’sresponsibility to ensure that safety findings arising from its operation are properly examined, documented, and communicated Where civil aviation systems and registrations are used, the State cannot credibly argue

transparencyisirrelevant.”

Furthermore,theMPurgedthat this obligation is especially important given that the chopper was not an exclusively military aircraft but was used for offshore oil and gas operations, emergency medical services, search and rescue,andlawenforcement.

She said, “Any mechanical defect, maintenance issue, design limitation, or human factors problem identified in a military context may have direct implications for civil aviation operations elsewhere Safety findings do not lose relevance because a particular flight was military That is precisely why thosefindingsmustbeshared.”

To this end, the party leader argued that Annex 13 does not require the publication of sensitive operational details Instead, she suggested that publication obligationscanbesatisfiedthrough a public report that excludes protected or security sensitive information while still disclosing causalfactors,contributingfactors, systemic or technical failures, and safety recommendations. “This is why accident reports are routinely redacted rather than withheld entirely National security justifies editing a report. It does not justify refusingtoissueone,”sheurged.

In fact, the MP stated that it is this very reason that accident investigations under Annex 13 include accredited representatives such as aircraft and engine manufacturers, maintenance authorities, and technical specialists,toensuresafetylessons feed back into the global aviation system so that risks identified in one occurrence are addressed everywheretheymayarise.

As such, withholding the findings result in undermining the purposeofaninvestigation.

According to the MP, “If pilot error is involved, that does not justify non-disclosure Annex 13 accident reports regularly identify pilot error, but they do so without blameandwithinabroadercontext that examines training standards, operational pressures, fatigue, procedures,supervision,and Continued on page 21

Frompage20 systemicfactors.”Sheadded that if pilot error occurred, thepublicisentitledtoknow

whether training was adequate, whether procedures were clear, and whether systemic issues contributed.Itisnotmeantto cause embarrassment but rather to be used in prevention.

Walton-Desir made it

clear that accident investigation under Annex 13isnotconductedsolelyfor domestic purposes as safety

recommendations are intended to be shared with other ICAO Member States, including States of Design, States of Manufacture, and States of the Operator, as well as manufacturers, operators,andregulators.

This allows other States to assess whether similar aircraft,procedures,training systems, or maintenance practicespresentriskswithin theirownjurisdictions.

To this end, she noted that withholding safety

f i n d i n g s a n d recommendations not only denies public transparency, but interrupts the flow of safety information to the international aviation system.

“That undermines confidence in Guyana’s safety oversight culture and is inconsistent with the transparency expectations embedded in Annex 13 and reflected in ICAO’s safety oversight monitoring framework,” Walton-Desir stated.

Additionally, she noted other implications for Guyana’s standing under ICAO safety oversight. The MP said, “The Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme operates on a continuous monitoring basis and assesses not only whetherStateshavelawsand institutionsinplace,buthow they are applied in practice. Accident investigation, the issuance of safety recommendations, and the sharingofsafetyinformation are core elements of that assessment.”

In addition to providing closure to families, WaltonDesir explained that investigationreportsprevent recurrence, none of which disappears because an aircraft was engaged in a militarymission.

“The law does not requireGuyanatopublishan unredacted report But it does require, as a matter of international aviation rules,

CharteredAccountant and Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram

bestpracticeandresponsible governance, that safety f i n d i n g s a n d recommendations be released,”sheconcluded.

MONDAY

AuditorGeneralgoes silentaspublicspending explodes-Ram …questionsindependence, qualificationofSharmaas billionsunaudited

Chartered accountant and prominent attorney, Christopher Ram has raised serious questions about the i n d e p e n d e n c e a n d qualification of Auditor General (AG), Deodat Sharma,whohehasaccused ofgoingblankatatimewhen public spending has exploded, leaving billions unaudited.

In his Sunday column, published by Stabroek News,Ramrevealedthatthe AG has reportedly applied for a two-year expansion to his tenure. As such, he r e m i n d e d t h a t h i s appointment, many years ago, could best be described as“accidental”followingthe absence of an Alliance For Change(AFC)memberfrom the Public Accounts Committee(PAC)ontheday of confirmation. Moreover, the lawyer noted that the office of auditor general c a r r i e s t h e s a m e constitutional status and security of tenure as the chancellor of the judiciary andthechiefjustice. Heexplained,“Approval and any extensions rest with the executive president. At the same time, President Irfaan Ali has retained the portfolio of finance and is thereforeconstitutionallythe MinisterofFinance,withDr Ashni Singh serving as senior minister with responsibility for finance within the office of the president. It is difficult to

associated with the office. More troubling than qualification, however, is performance. During a period marked by explosive growth in public e x p e n d i t u r e , t h e p r o l i f e r a t i o n o f discretionary funds and persistentlyweakfinancial systems, the auditor general has shown zero appetite to challenge, interrogate or even issue timely and meaningful warnings.”

find a word that adequately captures this anomaly without offending editorial modesty.”

R a m s a i d t h e appointment of the AG is made on the advice of the PublicServiceCommission, asafeguardthatisillusory,as the commission itself is appointedbyandeffectively controlled by the president and is chaired by a close associate of the governing party

Tothisend,theadvocate argued,“Suchaframework isstructurallyincapableof producing independence. Whatever autonomy exists must come entirelyfrom the p e r s o n a l c o u r a g e , professional standing and institutional assertiveness of the individual appointed When those qualities are absent-ordiscouraged-the office becomes an extension of executive convenience ratherthanacheckuponit.”

He therefore explained that the request for an extension must be understood within this context-“notasaquestionof continuity, but as a measure of how thoroughly independence has been eroded.”

Ram said, “Mr Sharma is not a professionally qualified accountant and doesnotmeetthestatutory requirements ordinarily

Thecharteredaccountant pointed out that a review of the 2020 - 2025 estimates under theAli administration shows an annual expansion of discretionary payments suchasthe40-hourpart-time employment programme, cost-of-living buffers, community policing stipends and contract employment arrangements with this year’s budget introducingthehouserepairs programme.

Ram was adamant that each of these programmes warrant extensive audits, rigorous beneficiary verification, reconciliation testing and post-payment forensic review, however he said none has received that levelofscrutiny Assuch,he chided theAG for contently observing rather than objecting to the political controlofpublicfunds.

Ministerialfailure

The finance minister did not escape Ram’s blistering r e v i e w o f p u b l i c expenditure. He said Dr. Singh has failed to modernise or implement systems capable of tracking, controlling and reporting such spending. As such, he contended,“Thisisprecisely theenvironmentinwhichan auditor general should be demanding additional resources, specialist staff and forensic capacity Instead, the response has beeninstitutionalquiet.”

While reports are delivered on time, he

believes that audit quality, thematic analysis and systemic challenge are all absent. In fact, he noted that thehandlingofthe2024AG reportillustratesthepointas it was delivered around September 30, 2025 but less than two months later, an “updated” report was delivered on a flash drive, withouterrata,reconciliation orexplanation.

Billionsunaudited

More alarming, the newspaper columnist flaggedtheconsistentfailure of the AG to conduct and present annual audits of tax concessions granted under the Income Tax (In Aid of Industry) Act, despite clear statutoryrequirements.

As such, Ram stated, “Billions of dollars in foregone revenue remain effectivelyunaudited.Thisis not a marginal omission; it goes to the heart of fiscal accountability and ministerialresponsibility.”

On the other hand, he noted that while the finance minister presides over billions in spending, his spouse exercises effective authority within the audit officeasthedefactoauditor general. According to Ram, “That arrangement is incompatible with any serious conception of independence. It would be unacceptable if formalised; it is scarcely less objectionable because it is informal.”

In the meantime, he said Mr. Sharma’s request will likely be granted by default and not merit, owing to the absence of succession planning “The alternative would be the formal appointment of the current de facto Auditor General, whoisalsothespouseofthe defactoMinisterofFinance. That situation is only marginally better than formal appointment,” Ram noted.

He pointed out, “This is not a justification for

extension.Itisanadmission of deliberate, inexcusable a n d u n a c c e p t a b l e governance failure Succession planning in a constitutional office is not optional; it is a duty Its neglect has produced a false and manufactured choice: retain an Auditor General who has failed to assert the office in the public interest, or formalise an arrangement that would extinguish even the appearance of audit independence.”

77Cubansscreened suspectedhuman trafficking

Police are investigating reports of suspected Trafficking in Persons (TIP) activities following a joint exercise conducted between 22:1

February 8, 2026, at a

CharlotteandAlbertStreets, Georgetown.

Theexercisewascarried out by ran

he Trafficking in Persons Unit, Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters, along with personnel from theMinistryofHomeAffairs and the Ministry of Human ServicesandSocialSecurity (C-TIPUnit).

According to police press release, acting on information received, the team visited the building, where seventy-seven Cuban nationals,includingmenand women, were contacted and screened for indicators of TraffickinginPersons.

Several individuals reported that they travelled to Guyana under credit arrangements and that their traveldocumentswerebeing retainedpendingrepayment. These claims are forming

e individuals were handed over to the Ministry of Human Services and Social

assessment and assistance Thepremisesweresearched; however,nothingillegalwas found.Noarrestsweremade. Investigationsareongoing.

TUESDAY

Govt.confirmsend toCubamedicalpact -deniesbeingpressured byUS,saysCubans comingontheirown

Health Minister Dr FrankAnthonyhas Continued on page 22

From page 21 confirmed that Guyana has formallyendeditsbilateralmedical cooperation agreement with Cuba, sayingthearrangementisnolonger necessary as Cuban doctors are n o w c o m i n g t o G u y a n a independentlytoseekemployment.

The minister made the disclosure during a brief interview with Kaieteur News on Monday

The quiet termination of the agreement has sparked speculation that the move was linked to allegations by the United States government regarding the alleged exploitation of Cuban medical workers. The US government had warned Caribbean nations participating in Cuban medical p r o g r a m m e s t h a t s u c h arrangements may amount to human trafficking and could result in visa restrictions and possible trade repercussions However, Minister Anthony denied that the decision was influenced by U.S. pressure, stating that there was no specific reason for ending the agreement. Instead, he explained that Cuban medical professionals are now entering Guyana on their own and applying for jobs outside of any formal government-togovernmentprogramme.

“There is no reason. We have Cuban doctors that are coming to G u y a n a n o w t h e y c o m e independently,soweemploythem, so there’s no need for the agreement,” Dr Anthony said “Right now, what we’re doing is that any doctor or nurse from Cuba whowanttoworkinGuyana.Once they have their qualifications and they come here, we’re able to employ them, and they have the same terms and conditions like any Guyanesedoctor,”headded.

TheministeraddedthatGuyana is simply complying with its own labour laws, which he said align with international expectations, including those expressed by the United States. “This country has labour laws, and those laws allow people to be employed and receive their salaries. We can’t break any rules that we have in our country So we have been following those rules which are consistent with what the US government has been asking,”hesaid.

The United States has maintained its position on holding officials accountable for facilitating what it describes as forced labour in Cuba’s overseas medical missions. In a statement issued on Friday, the U.S. Embassy to Barbados called on governments andcitizenstorejectwhatittermed forced labour, particularly within Cuban medical programmes. “By participating in these programmes, despite known human rights abuses, foreign governments become complicit in the regime’s tactics,”thestatementsaid.

“There are alternative methods available for Caribbean nations to

Protestors call for Commissioner of Information, Charles

SC’s removal last year

recruitforeignmedicalworkersand ethically meet the healthcare needs of their people. The United States calls on all governments and peoples to reject forced labour schemes and join us in demanding accountability and respect for human rights,” The US embassy to Barbadosadded.

In 2023, Guyana and Cuba had signed a new Medical Cooperation Agreement at the Ministry of Health, aimed at strengthening bilateral medical collaboration The agreement was signed by Minister Anthony and Cuba’s Ambassador to Guyana, Jorge Francisco Soberón Luis. However, under U S President Donald Trump’s administration, Cuban medical missions have come under renewed scrutiny During Trump’s first term (2017–2021), visa sanctions were imposed on Cuba’s global medical programme, which the U.S. government described as exploitative due to claims that Cuban doctors are underpaid and havelimitedfreedoms.

In 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced further visa restrictions targeting Cuban government officials and others globally deemed “complicit” in C u b a ’s f o r e i g n m e d i c a l programmes The restrictions extend to current and former officials,aswellastheirimmediate family members. Rubio called the Cuban medical programme a form of “forced labour” and the government has warned that Caribbean nations participating in

these programmes could face visa restrictions as well as potential traderepercussions.TheUSalleges thatCuba’sgovernmentexploitsits medical professionals by keeping a large portion of their wages and restrictingtheirfreedoms.

‘$40M for silence’ — Govt. allocates millions for unresponsive office of commissioner of information — $33.5M to pay his salary, other benefits

By Davina Bagot

For more than a decade, G u y a n a ’s O f f i c e o f t h e Commissioner of Information has fai

y transparency it was created to guarantee There has been no annual reports, no meaningful engagement with the media and little to no response to citizens or civil society seeking access to publicinformation.

Yet, despite this prolonged institutional dormancy, the government has allocated $40 million in this year’s national budget to an office that many observers say exists largely in name, raising uncomfortable questions about accountability, value for money, and the State’s true commitment to openness. The $40Mallocationwasbroughtunder the microscope on Monday afternoon during Day One of the consideration of Budgetary Estimatesfor2026.

Questioning the allocation was

lead Parliamentarian for the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Dr Terrence Campbell, who asked about actions that will betakenagainsttheCommissioner, Charles Ramson SC, for failing to operate in accordance with theAct. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira responded to the query which falls under allocations for the Office of the President She told the Committee of Supply that the Commissioner, as a former Judge, is aware of his functions and is expected to produce the necessary reports.

“What action are you thinking of Mr Terrence Campbell? The Commissioner himself is a former Judge, I’m sure he is aware of the Act. I can’t right now say exactly what the Act says but that I’m sure he is aware of it and he is expected toproduceareport.”

In response, MP Campbell pointed out that Ramson has failed todeliverasingleAnnualReportto the National Assembly, outlining thefunctionalityoftheOfficeatthe end of each year Ramson was appointed to the office since 2013 however there are no records to show he ever submitted an Annual Report Moreover, citizens have publicly shared their failed attempts to access information from the Commissioner who refuses. In fact, a group of citizens, including media practitioners, lawyers, politicians and other civil

Commissioner’s East Street, Georgetown office for weeks last year due to his failure to carry out prescribedfunctions.

To this end, Campbell said, “The government has the excellent adviceoftheAttorneyGeneralwho Iamsurecouldprovideguidanceas to how this situation can be addressed but I think it’s ridiculous for us to come year after year here to Parliament and budget $40M for thisofficewithnovisibleoutput.”

This year, $33.5M of the $40M will go toward salary and vacation allowance, chauffeur, gratuity and NIS of the Commissioner Some $6 4M is budgeted for the secretariat of the commission that hasonestaff.

Following up on the allocation,

another APNU MP, Ganesh Mahipaul asked Minister Teixeira whether she would support reducing the allocation to a humble $1, since the office has failed to meet its statutory requirements. In short,shesaidshewouldnot,asshe does not support budgetary cuts to any office “Having experienced whenthebudgetwascutby$90Bin 2012byourcolleagueswhowerein opposition when we were a minority government, I would hate to cut anybody’s budget and thereforeIwouldnotsupportyouin a n y w a y o f c u t t i n g t h e Commissioner of Information Budgetto$1.”

Additionally, the minister pointed out that the Commission is governed by the Access to Information Act which clearly stipulateshisrole,andwhatpersons can do, and ask from what they cannot. “I have seen a lot in the media...but the number one rule is once information is publicly available on any site, the Commissioner of Information doesn’t have to do anything about it. It’s available, in fact you are really not supposed to ask,” she added.

On average, the minister said she was informed that the Commissioner of Information receives about six requests per month, all of which were addressed. Notably, a follow-up question by Mahipaul, seeking to hold the minister to account was tempered by the Speaker, Manzoor Nadir The MP specifically asked Teixeira to say what measure she would use to ensure the Commissioner delivers at least the most recent Annual Report for the year 2025, since she does not support a reduction in allocation to theOffice.

TheSpeakercautioned,“Justbe careful how you are linking because...once you start down that road minister is free now to give a long essay in response and your time will run.” Teixeira publicly committed to writing the Commissioner to ensure he meets therequirements.

Manifesto promise In its 2025 elections manifesto the PPP/C had promised to fully enforcetheAccesstoInformation Continued on page 40

Towards a better life with your psychologist

FINANCIAL LITERACY IN RELATIONSHIPS PART II

Financial infidelity occurs when partner(s) in a committed relationship conceal intentionally and unintentionally, financial behavior such as secret debt, hidden accounts, or u n d i s c l o s e d spending—from each other Itisabreachoftrust,betray, thisbetrayalasdamagingas, or worse than, physical infidelity that often stems from or often rooted in fear, guilt, or different financial habits/upbringing impacting relationshipstability

Building financial literacywithinarelationship involves moving from independent, family of origin financial norms often unspoken,personalfinancial habits and preferences to a collaborative, transparent, and educational partnership that alien with healthy relationship values and morals. Your first personal financialapproachtohavein lifeis,firstlyrespectmoney, secondly, value money and thirdlyseemoneyasameans to an end. As an individual your wealth is not money yourwealthinyourabilityto make money work for you. Your value is not dependent on money your value is dependentonyou,themaster ofmoney.

If you are dating, put financialliteracyasaquality that you should be looking forinalifepartner Itmustbe adealbreaker,whilemaking sure you have that quality too. If and find yourself usingmoneytoimpressyour partner, I guess you haven’t asked yourself yet what will happen when winter comes. Women are about security and look to men for

relationship security Relationship security is not about the amount of money its about ability to reach financialpotential,matersof money,andthemindsetyour partner have about life’s meaning, purpose and direction. And while we are at women and security, your husband or partner is 71% likely to die before you, in your old age, how do you move on from there, for the next 10 to 30 years financially?

Ifyouareusingmoneyto impress partner you are investing in an unstable relationship.Iadvisecouples that come to me for psychotherapy that part of the process of getting married,meetwithadivorce lawyer and go to a few

divorce hearing where division of property is judicated.Thisisnottoscare you rather to broaden your conceptandbringyoutothe gravity and complexity of whatyouareconstructingfor therestofyourlife.

Financial resentment is savage.Onceyoucarryyour ownwater,youwilllearnthe value of every drop. When you personally experience the labor required to obtain money,younolongertakeit for granted, understanding its true value. It promotes self-reliance, resilience, and gratitude. The struggle and sacrifice involved in achieving money or obtaining money as a resource make it more meaningful Conscious Consumption, knowing the cost,andvalueofmoneyasa resource makes one more carefulnottowasteit.

If you are in a relationship,whoisthesaver and who is the spender? In relationship the financial composition is both parties canbespenders;bothparties canbesaverswhileoneparty is a spender and the other saver The most challenging compositionofallisspender and saver yet this category holdsthegreatestpotentialif they can get it right. Relationship brings a partnership and each partner holds strengths and weaknesses that if the interplay is healthy and honest, can lead to a power coupleinsociety

One of the greatest disrespectsisnotvaluingthe money that your partner brings into the relation but behaving entitled, carefree and treating it as casual. Many couples are willing to accept and work out sexual or emotional infidelity but when it comes to financial infidelity and infringement, harshboundariesareerected. Spenders in relationship needculturingandrevisiting theirupbringing.Mosttimes their financial decisions are unconscious or as a trauma response. The challenge is which adult wants to be guided and discipline for l a c k o f f i n a n c i a l transparency and honesty? Yone may hear remarks, I need to start working or I makemyownmoneytobuy what I want. A defensive approach rather than a collaborativeandfinancially prudentapproachforthebest of the relationship and family

Povertyisatrauma.And what trauma does? Alters our thinking, feelings and behaviourtowardsourselves andothers.Financialtrauma isasetofintenseemotional, cognitive, and physiological responses to past or current financial hardship that significantly impairs your relationship with money Unlike everyday financial stress, which may ebb and flow, financial trauma often l e a v e s l a s t i n g “psychological scars” that drive self-sabotaging or dysfunctionalbehaviors.

Financial trauma often rewires the nervous system into a state of survival, leadingtobehaviorssuchas: avoidance and denial, ignoring bills, refusing to check bank accounts, or procrastinating on taxes to avoid the anxiety they trigger Hypervigilance, constantly obsessive worry aboutexpensesoran“all-ornothing” fear of impending financialdisaster,evenwhen funds are sufficient

Compulsive behaviors manifest as overspending (using “retail therapy” for temporarydopaminehits)or rage-saving (compulsive hoarding of money out of fear, often sacrificing joy or necessary care). Shame and isolation, feelings that one’s self-worth is tied to your b a n k b a l a n c e a n d withdrawing from relationships because of perceivedfinancialfailure.

The key steps include open communication, establishing shared goals, creating a joint budget, and educating yourselves together to build long-term security

FourSteps:building financialliteracyinyour relationship

1 Initiate Open and HonestCommunication

·Holda“MoneyDate”: Set aside dedicated, nonstressful time to discuss finances,suchasoverdinner or snack Do not avoid discussingfinanceoutoffear ofupsettingyourpartner

Discuss Financial Backgrounds: Share how your upbringing and past experiences with money shapeyourcurrenthabitsand attitudes Be transparent about it, create a nonjudgmentalatmosphere.

· Disclose All Financial Information: Be fully transparent about income, debts, assets, and credit dynamicsasanindividual.

Define “Money Personalities”: Understand ifyouareaspenderorsaver to find common ground and avoidblamegames.Thiswill help you build a powerful partnership in your relationship. Financial roles arenotdeterminedbygender butfinancialliteracy

2. Set Shared Financial Goals

·AlignVisions:Createa shared vision for the future, including short-term (vacation), medium-term (home deposit), and longterm(retirement)goals.

Define “Why”: Discuss why specific goals matter to each partner to ensure they align with core values. This calls for openmindedness, conflict resolution skills and “us” ratherthan“me”.

3. Create a Joint Budget andStrategy Map Income and Expenses: List all income sources and track monthly expenses to understand cash flow

· Establish a System: Decide whether to combine finances completely, keep them separate, or use a hybridapproach.Themoder approachis4accounts.Joint saving, Joint expense and

two individuals yet yourpartnermustknow

division of the joint income must be jointly agreedon.

Set Spending

By Dr. Telford Layne Jr. PsyD, MSc. Postgrad, BSc. Clinical and Developmental Psychologist - Psychoanalyst Unwrapping Gift

Limits: Agree on a thresholdforindividual purchases that require consultationwiththepartner

Createajointstrategytopay offhigh-interestdebt. D i v i d e

Responsibilities: Assign

strengths such as one partner managing daily bills whiletheothermanageslongterm investments while maintaining overall shared knowledge

4 Educate Yourselves Together

Consume Financial Content:Readbooks,listen to podcasts, or watch videos on personal finance together toimproveyourknowledge.

· Use Tools and Apps: Utilize budgeting apps like

Professional: Work with a

counselor to get objective advice, especially if you have complex assets or high conflict.

· Your Mental Health: If you are struggling with Impulsivity, OCD Bipolar, Borderline Personality Disorder, etc Keep addressing those matters to bettermanageyourfinance. By taking these steps, you can prevent financial infidelity, reduce stress, and strengthenyourrelationship.

ByKarenAbrams,MBA, AA,DoctoralCandidate

In the busy markets of Georgetown and across the growing network of small enterprises across Guyana’s

r e g i o n s , a q u i e t transformation is slowly taking place. It is not driven by oil revenues or foreign investorsalone.

It is driven by artificial intelligence. What was once the exclusive domain of global technology firms is now accessible to ordinary citizens; today, the same tools used by billion-dollar corporations are available, often for free, to a street

vendor in Linden, a seamstress in Berbice, or an eco-tourism operator in the Rupununi.

Artificial intelligence has lowered the barriers to entry in business, giving Guyanese entrepreneurs capabilities that would have required entire teams just a fewyearsago.

Forgenerations,building a professional business

Advancing Education, Technology & Innovation in Guyana…

AI is giving Guyanese entrepreneurs the advantage many desperately need

required significant capital.

A website alone could cost thousands of dollars. Today, AI-poweredplatformsallow entrepreneurs to create fully functional, mobile-friendly websitesinhours.Abusiness owner can simply describe their services and AI will generate a polished site, complete with product listings and payment integration.Thisallowseven the smallest business to establish a global presence.

AcraftmakerinLethemcan nowselltocustomersinNew York or London as easily as tocustomersinGeorgetown. Marketing, traditionally one of the most difficult aspects of running a small business, has also been transformed Artificial intelligence can design l o g o s , g e n e r a t e advertisements, write promotional content, and identify the most effective audiences for a product Instead of relying on guesswork, entrepreneurs can now make decisions basedondata.Asmallagro-

processor can use AI to identifywhichcustomersare mostlikelytopurchasetheir products and communicate with them directly This reduceswastedspendingand increases the likelihood of success.

Sales operations have b e e n s i m i l a r l y revolutionized. AI-powered chat systems can respond instantly to customer inquiries at any hour, providing information, answering questions, and guiding customers toward purchases These systems allow businesses to operate continuously,evenwhilethe owner is asleep. Artificial intelligencecanalsoanalyze customer behavior and forecast demand, helping business owners prepare for busy periods and avoid costlymistakes.Thiskindof predictive capability was once available only to large corporations It is now within reach of anyone with aninternetconnection.

Artificial intelligence has also transformed

research and strategic planning. Entrepreneurs can now analyze competitors, understand market trends,

expensive consultants can now be performed directly by the business owner This

entrepreneurstomovefaster, adapt more quickly, and compete more effectively in both local and international markets.

Importantly, these tools

entrepreneurs They are amplifying them. Artificial intelligence does not eliminatetheneedforhuman judgment, creativity, or leadership Instead, it strengthensthosequalities.It allows business owners to

focusonstrategyandgrowth

administrative work. In this way, AI functions less as a tool and more as a highly capableassistant.

The implications for Guyana are profound. Small

businesses

o

m the backbone of our economy When these businesses become more productive, more competitive, and more profitable, the entire nation b

productivity leads to higher

communities, and greater

Artificialintelligenceallows Guyanese entrepreneurs to competenotonlywithinour borders but on the global stage.

The greatest risk is not that artificial intelligence w i

entrepreneurs. The greatest riskisthatwefailtoadoptit.

Around the world, businessesareintegratingAI into their daily operations. Those who embrace it gain efficiency, insight, and competitive advantage Those who hesitate fall behind.

Guyana stands at a uniquemomentinitshistory

We are experiencing rapid economic growth and expanding digital infrastructure.

Artificial intelligence gives our entrepreneurs the ability to move faster and build stronger businesses than ever before. It gives themleverage.Itgivesthem reach.Itgivesthempower

The tools are here. The opportunity is real The advantage belongs to those whoact.

GNBS PROVIDES LEADING TESTING SERVICES TO MEET QUALITY REQUIREMENTS

Everyday,businessesandconsumersrely onproductstoperformsafelyandbedurable, but how can they determine quality and durability?

The simple answer is testing. Getting products tested in accordance with established national and international standards is one sure way to verify that they meet quality requirements and perform as desired.

At the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), testing is conducted in the Industrial Metrology and Testing Laboratories, where gold articles and construction materials, including concrete hollow blocks, concrete cubes, and concrete cylinders, are tested. Concrete structures are alsotestedbytheGNBS.

For concrete hollow blocks, testing is conducted in accordance with GYS 215:2024 –Specification for Load-Bearing Masonry Concrete Units, applicable to 4", 6", and 8" blocks The blocks are assessed for compressive strength, moisture content, and absorption.

Block makers may pursue certification under the GNBS Product Certification Scheme,whilebuildersandhomeownerscan utilisetheservicetoverifyblockqualityprior to use. Similarly, concrete cubes, which are usually a representation of a specified mix of concrete, are tested for contractors and other operators in the building and construction sector

The Bureau also conducts NonDestructive Testing (NDT) to assess the

integrity of existing concrete structures. In thisservice,arebound-hammertechnologyis used to evaluate the compressive strength up to8,400PSIinaccordancewithASTMC805. NDT helps ensure that buildings meet safety expectations and supports the investigation of complaints related to substandard construction.

Forthetestingofgoldandgoldjewellery, the GNBS provides both destructive testing andNon-DestructiveTesting(NDT)toverify the quality of samples submitted which enhances confidence in the local gold industry Testingdeterminesthekaratcontent or purity of gold and gold articles. Raw gold may be tested to confirm purity for jewellers, while non-destructive testing of finished jewellery is available to both jewellers and consumers.

Jewellers can take their products one step further and sign up to be certified to the national standard GYS 50:2022 –

Specification for Gold Articles under the GNBS Product Certification Scheme

Certification demonstrates to customers that the business’s gold articles are of quality, as indicated by a National Standards Mark affixedtotheitems.

While the standard does not prescribe design requirements or apply to gold articles intended for industrial purposes—such as dentistry, electronics, official coins, or gold bars—it establishes requirements for the manufacturing, alloying, and testing of gold articlesof23,22,20,18,15,14,12,10,and9 karat gold. It also sets out requirements for

markingandlabelling.

Today, the Bureau can also provide testing for ethanol to determine the percentage of ethanol in liquids, testing for acids,includingnitric,sulphuric,phosphoric, hydrochloric, and sodium hydroxide, and Brix to test the sugar content of aqueous solutions.

The tests are all conducted in accordance withestablishedstandards.

The GNBS range of testing services will also be featured at the upcoming Guyana Energy Conference & Supply Chain Expo. Make sure you visit our booth and let our team answer your questions, offer demonstrations, and help you raise the standard of your products or business. For more information, you can also contact GNBS on 219-0062-66, WhatsApp us at 692-4627,orvisitwww.gnbsgy.org

The Bedtime Clock That Ran Backward

Every night, just before bedtime, Emily brushed her teeth, put on her pajamas, and climbed into bed Her room was quiet and warm,filledwithsoftshadowsand thegentleglowofhernightlight.

Onherwallhungasmallround clock. Emily liked that clock. It had silver hands and tiny stars painted around the edge. But one night,asEmilysnuggledunderher blanket, she noticed something strange. The clock ticked. Then it tickedagain.

But the hands were moving backward. Emily blinked. “That's odd,”shewhispered.

Tick…tock…tick…

Instead of moving toward bedtime, the clock slowly turned backearlierthatday

The room felt a little different. Softer Quieter Suddenly, the wall beside her shimmered like a mirror, and a picture appearedinsideit.Emilygasped.

She was watching herself—standing in thekitchenthatmorning.

Shesawherselfrushpastherlittlebrother without saying good morning She remembered feeling grumpy and sleepy Emily hugged her pillow “I forgot to be kind,”shemurmured.

The clock ticked again The picture changed.

Now Emily saw herself at school. She watched as she raised her hand even though

DIY

Materials:

shewasn'tsureoftheanswer.Hervoicehad shakenalittle,butshehadtriedanyway

Emily smiled. “I was brave,” she said softly

Tick…tock…

Theclockturnedbackoncemore.

This time, she saw herself on the playground.Afriend had asked her to share the swing, and Emily had felt annoyed. But shesteppedoffandwaitedherturn.

“Thatwashard,”Emilywhispered.“ButI didit.”

Theclockseemedtoglowalittlebrighter Tick.

Another picture appeared Emily saw herself sitting alone at her desk, staring at a messy drawing She remembered how frustrated she felt She almost gave up but then she keptgoing.

ThebestfeelingIget

by Uncle Roy

I feel so nice when I eat

Ice cream, cookies and fruit cake, Chocolate, candy and other sweets, As well as burgers, pizza and milk-shake

I also get very happy

When I celebrate my birthday

Go to the park, seawall and creek, And enjoy Christmas and other holidays.

But the thing that makes me feel the best, And makes me proud indeed, Is when I try to help someone, Or give them something they need.

I start by doing more work at home, Then try to make my family feel good; Next I am kinder to all my friends, And help my neighbours in any way I could.

Emily felt warm inside “I didn'tquit,”shesaid.

The clock slowed Tick tock…

Now the pictures began to fade The room returned to normal.The walls were still.The nightlight hummed gently Emily lookedbackattheclock.Itshands stoppedmovingbackward.

Slowly carefully they began to move forward again Tick.Tock.

The clock chimed once—soft and quiet, like a lullaby Emily suddenly felt calm. She realized something important. The clock wasn'ttryingtochangeherday It wasn't fixing mistakes or erasing hardmoments.Itwashelpingher remember

Somedayshadgrumpyparts. Some moments were hard. But there were also brave choices, kind acts, and times she didn't giveup.Emilypulledherblanket uptoherchin.

“Tomorrow,” she whispered, “I'lltryagain.”

Theclockglowedoncemore, andatinymessageappearedonits face: Everydaymovesforward. Everynighthelpsyourest.

Emilysmiled.

Tick…tock…

Theclockkeptperfecttime. And Emily drifted into sleep, readyforabrand-newmorning. The End!

By Brittany

Paperheartgradientprintable

Pinkcrepepaper

Wirewreathform

Hotglue,Hotgluegun

HowtoMakeaDIYPaperHeartWreath

PreppingtheHearts

First, print off three copies of the pdf of our paper heart gradient printable found here. You should end up with 45 pieces of paper,eachwithadifferentgradientonit.

Next,cutouteachgradient.

Start with one of the flat edges of the gradientandfoldathinstripinalongtheflat edge,roughly1/4inchwide.

Continue stacking the folds back and forth,makinganaccordionfoldasyougo.

Keepgoinguntilyoureachtheotherflat edge.Youshouldnowhavealong,thinstrip ofpaperabouta1/4inchwide.

Now,foldthestackinhalf.

To complete your heart, hot glue the centertogetheralongtheflatedge.

When the glue is dry, pull the paper gentlyaparttorevealtheheartshape.

ZIGZAGS

“Fill each cell with a diagonal line (/ or \).The numbers at the intersections indicate how many diagonals touch that corner.The diagonal lines must not form a closed loop.”

Anypersonwhowantstoprogressinallaspectsof his/her life needs to make sure that he/she makes a specialefforttogaintherespectandcooperationofall those, apart from their family members, with whom theysharetheirlives.

Ofcourse,weallrealisethatthewaywereacttoour immediatefamilymembersisofutmostimportancein thiseffort. Theyarethepeoplewhowillbehelpingyou tosucceedinallyourendeavours,aswellaslookingto youforcooperationandfriendshipforyourentirelife.

Nextyouwillneedtoensurethatyoualwaysactin such a way as to be an example to those who may be lookinguptoyou. Iamsureyoucanidentifyyounger persons in your family and neighbourhood, and some relatedtoyouoryourfriends,whoarelookingtoyou forsomeguidance.

Tryalwaystomaintain HealthyRelationships witheveryone

If in no other way, you can just be an example in proper behaviour to them, and this can go a long way in helpingthem,evendevelopingnewfriendships,aswellasget toaddmorevaluetoyourownlife.

Apart from this you will need to make this effort with those who are not close to o r acquaintedtoyou. See the

importance of smiling at strangers, being polite to everyone withwhomyoucomeintocontact,respectingyourelders,and generally developing a cheerful disposition in all situations. Youcannevertellwhensomeoneyoumeetonthestreetwill havetohelpyouinsomewayatsomelatertime.

Evenwithoutthis,courtesyandahappyattitudewillget youlikedbyeveryoneandmakeyoudevelopa goodmoodalways. Itwillalsomakeyoufeel at peace with the world, and make your life moreworthyinyourcharacter

The amount of time and energy that you expend towards maintaining good relationships will always be rewarded by personal benefit to yourself.

Make an effort in the coming time to develop this happy disposition and you will undoubtedly see an improvement in your personalrelationshipswithall.

by Roy Paul (Uncle Roy)

from his book:‘Shape upYour Personality’

In this modern age of expanding technology, Where we are more and more communicating electronically, We oft forget that our foremost priority Is to our family and the wider community; We therefore must accept an increasing obligation To nourish and maintain our personal connections. Be always cognizant of what is necessary, To keep your relationships active and healthy –Extend courtesy, care and kindness to all, Respect each person as a unique individual, Keep your promises, and build a reserve of trust, Showing concern for others' feelings is ever a must; Listen with an empathic ear and respect their point of view, Extend love without condition and always be true

Believe in people's potential to always improve, So never condemn or give up at another's negative move; If you must criticise, then do so objectively, Always leaving the door open for an attempt at remedy There will be times when you yourself will slip, And face the prospect of endangering a relationship, Whether this be through insensitivity or other weakness, You will need to seize this opportunity for redress. Never shirk from your duty to admit and apologise, This will oftimes lead to a closeness revitalised. So take the time and care to keep your connections strong, And derive much joy from your relationships all life long

Keep Connected ValentineSudoku

So

The Psychological Vestiges of History: How the Past Lives in Present Behavior

ByDr.EonAndre George,PhD,EdD

One of the most

overlooked

t r u t h s i n psychology is that history doesnotremainneatlyinthe past. It lives on in attitudes, fears, expectations, and copingstylesthatarepassed from one generation to the next. Often, people do not even realise that what they feel or how they react has roots deeper than their personalexperiences.

InGuyanaandacrossthe Caribbean,historyisnotjust somethingintextbooks.Itis

something families lived through, adapted to, and survived.

The psychological imprint of slavery, indentureship, colonisation, forced migration, and political instability did not disappear when those systems ended Human beings carry experience forward, not only through stories but through learned emotional responses and survivalstrategies.

Psychologists refer to this as h

s

orical or intergenerationaltrauma,the ideathattheeffectsoflargescale social suffering can

echo across generations (BraveHeart,2003;Danieli, 1998) In very practical terms, this can look like a Guyanese grandmother who constantly tells her grandchildren to “always havesomethingputawayfor hard times,” even when the family is stable, or a parent who strongly discourages children from trusting authority figures because of stories passed down about unfair treatment or political unrest.Thesearenotrandom attitudes. They are survival lessonsthatoncemadesense in difficult periods and were handed down out of care.

This does not mean people arepermanentlydamaged.It means they adapted to difficult realities, and those adaptations sometimes outlive the conditions that createdthem.

SurvivalOnceRequired

EmotionalControl

In plantation societies and colonial systems, emotional expression could berisky Speakingtoofreely, showinganger,ordisplaying vulnerability could invite punishment or exploitation. Over time, emotional restraint became a survival tool. That cultural memory didnotsimplyvanish.Many Caribbean families still value “keeping yourself together,” maintaining composure,andnotshowing toomuchemotionpublicly

These traits can be strengths. They can foster resilience and dignity However, when emotional control becomes emotional suppression, the cost can be high. Research in psychology shows that chronic suppression of emotions is linked to increasedstress,anxiety,and even physical health concerns (Gross & John, 2003) Feelings that are never processed do not disappear They often reemerge as irritability, withdrawal, or tension in r e l a t i o n s h i p s

Understanding this context helps us see that what looks l i k e c o l d n e s s o r s t u b b o r n n e s s m a y sometimes be inherited emotional discipline shaped byhistory

WhyMistrust CanBeLearned

In societies where ancestors lived under unequal power structures, mistrust was often protective Trusting the wrong authority could have serious consequences. Over generations, cautiousness toward institutions and leadership could become normalized.

Today,thismayappearas skepticism toward government, schools, or even community leadership. While times have changed, the psychological template for self-protection can r e m a i n F r o m a psychological perspective, thisisnotirrationalparanoia. Itislearnedvigilanceshaped bycollectivememory

Studies on collective t r a u m a n o t e t h a t communities exposed to

long-term instability often

develop heightened awarenessofriskandpower dynamics (Hirschberger, 2018). Recognizing this can help leaders build trust in ways that are culturally and historicallysensitive.

ThePressureto Succeedand“Makethe FamilyProud”

Many Caribbean households strongly emphasize achievement, r e p u t a t i o n , a n d respectability Children are often reminded not to “shame the family” and to pursue education or status. While this can motivate success, it also carries psychologicalweight.

H i s t o r i c a l l y , achievement was one of the few available ways to reclaim dignity in systems that denied humanity and opportunity Successwasnot only personal; it was symbolic That legacy continues today For some youngpeople,thepressureto excel is not just about ambition but about carrying family hopes and historical pride.

Psychology recognizes that high-expectation environments can build resilience or anxiety depending on the emotional support provided (Ungar, 2013).

B a l a n c e d encouragement strengthens development, but fear-based pressure can strain mental health. In many Guyanese households, for example, a childpreparingfor CSEC or CAPE exams may hear constant reminders that the entirefamilyisdependingon their success or that failure would be a disgrace. While the intention is often to motivate, a child who feels loved only when achieving may begin to associate selfworth with performance Over time, this can produce anxiety, fear of failure, or emotional withdrawal rather than confidence When

expectations are paired with reassurance, guidance, and emotional safety, however, t h e y c a n f o s t e r determination and healthy resilience.

HealingDoes NotRequireBlame

A c k n o w l e d g i n g psychological inheritance is notaboutblaminghistoryor making excuses for present behavior It is about awareness When people understand where patterns come from, they gain the powertoreshapethem.

Healing grows in environments where emotional literacy is

g

d,

e counseling is normalized, and where resilience is celebrated alongside vulnerability Caribbean culture already has strong community bonds, humor, faith,andadaptability These are psychological assets They provide a foundation forgrowthwhenpairedwith awareness.

Thegoalisnottochange Caribbeanidentity Thegoal is to understand it more deeply

AForward-Looking Perspective

Guyana and the Caribbeanarenotdefinedby trauma.They are defined by endurance, creativity, and resilience.

Still, resilience becomes even stronger when people understand the forces that shaped them Psychology offers tools to recognize inherited patterns, strengthenhealthyones,and gently revise those that no longerservecurrentrealities.

The past shaped the Caribbean mind, but it does not have to limit the Caribbean future When societies understand how history lives in behavior, they gain the freedom to choose which legacies to carry forward and which to t

generationalhealingbegins.

From page 22

Act if reelected Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had said that there will be some improvement in this area if his party was reelected to government after the September 1, General and Regional Elections

The party won the election, but therehasbeennonotablechanges.

Kaieteur News last year had pointed out to Jagdeo that Ramson had been reluctant to do his job, with activists raising concerns that he might be squatting in the office. In response Jagdeo said: “As I said before the President will examine this but the job based on that commitmentwemade,thejobdoes not belong to an individual so we will have to examine that.” Led by Attorney-at-law and chartered accountant, Christopher Ram, Guyanese, civil society and even journalists last year protested against the reluctance of Ramson Snr to release key information on several matters, including documents that can provide some claritytothesigningofthelopsided 2016 oil deal with ExxonMobil Guyana for the lucrative Stabroek oil block Ram had noted the information is not critical for transparency only but could help shape polices for Guyana that can benefit the citizens. The protesters started their demonstration outside of Ramson’s office but later moved to the Office of President The protestors argued that the president hasthepowertonotonlyreleasethe information they are seeking but also take action against Ramson since he is collecting a salary for doing nothing To date, the government is yet to release the informationortakeanyaction.

In their pre-election statement, the Carter Center had touched on the issue, not confining its observations on elections, but the general lack of access to public information. The center said that access to information is a critical means of ensuring informed public participation, and transparency and accountability in the electoral process. The center said elections conducted in the absence of adequate public access to information, including on key election-related matters, harm the electoral process “A wellinformed electorate is essential to any electoral process and is an essential building block of a meaningful democracy,” the statementread.

WEDNESDAY

‘Guyana still ranked among corrupt nations’ — flagged for intimidation of independent media, civil society — moves one point up corruption index

Guyana has edged up one place on Transparency International’s (TI) 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), but the modest

improvement is overshadowed by renewed warnings about harassment of independent media and civil society, which the watchdog says is weakening oversightandaccountability

The report which was released on Tuesday noted that Guyana scored 39 points on the index last yearandthisyearmovedto40.The country is ranked 84 out of the 184 countries. Last year the group had stated that Guyana had been captured by the economic and political elites here, fostering misappropriation of resources, i l l i c i t e n r i c h m e n t a n d environmentalcrimes.

“In Guyana, state capture by economic and political elites fosters misappropriation of resources, illicit enrichment and an environmental crime, ” the

Transparency International report said last year. It added: “Although the country has created anticorruption institutions and laws, transparency and law enforcement are very low, and attacks on dissenting voices, activists and journalistsincreasinglycommon.”

There has been widespread complaints of massive corruption in government and accusations that billion-dollar contracts are being handed out to friends and families of government officials Several government ministers are also fingered in corruption schemes –s o m e a l l e g e d l y o w n i n g construction companies, hotels and other businesses and have assigned persons to front them. In its 2023 report, Transparency International had said that the fight against corruption here had stagnated in recent years after the country had dug itself out of the morass during the years of the previous PPP/C government. When the PPP/C had demitted office back in 2015, the country was scoring below 30 points, however during the years of theAPNU+AFC that score steadily improved reaching 41 by 2020 Five full years since the PPP/C returned to government, the rankinghasdroppedto40. BackinMarch2024,theUnited

Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) had released its findings on Guyana, expressing concerns over the nation’s institutional framework to combat corruption. The

p

rt ackn

w

dged Guyana’s adoption of laws and regulations to tackle corruption, including the establishment of a Special Organised Crime Unit (S O C U) within the Guyana Police Force (GPF). However, it highlights lingering concerns regarding the effectiveness of the institutional setup to prevent and prosecute corruption, particularly within the police force and among high-level public officials. Specific concerns outlined in the report include instances where the Commissioner of Information failed to address public requests and the delayed enforcement of the Protected Disclosures and Witness ProtectionAct.

To address these issues, the Committee urged Guyana to intensifyitseffortstopromotegood governance and combat corruption at all levels of government. This includes addressing the root causes of corruption as a priority, ensuring impartial investigation and prosecution of all corruption cases, enhancing the independence, transparency, and accountability of a n t i

u p t i o n b o d i e s , guaranteeing effective access to information held by relevant authorities, and expediting the implementation of measures to protect whistleblowers and witnesses Additionally, the Committee calls for thorough investigations into allegations of corruption in the management of natural resources, particularly within the oil and gas sector, highlighting the importance of transparency and accountability measures in this critical area Moreover, the Committee had expressed concern over reports of corruptionandlackoftransparency in the management of natural resources, particularly within the oil and gas sector It calls for thorough investigations into allegations of corruption in this sect

importance of transparency and accountabilitymeasures. No progress

Meanwhile, according to Transparency International, the Americas showed no progress in the fight against corruption in 2025 with the region scoring an average ofjust42outof100.Since2012,12 of the 33 countries have significantly worsened, the group said while only Dominican Republic (37) and Guyana (40) have significantly improved, highlighting a decade of stalled or reversed efforts The group said years of government inaction have eroded democracy, enabled organised crime, and directly harmed citizens by undermining human rights, public services, and security

“For years, corruption has enabled organised crime to infiltrate politics in countries like Colombia (37), Mexico (27) and Brazil (35), affecting people’s lives. Now, Costa Rica (56) and Uruguay (73), the region’s strongest democracies and CPI performers, are suffering from the violence fuelled by corruption and organised crime, while countries with failed and co-opted institutions, including Haiti (16) and Nicaragua (14), continue to struggle with entrenched corruption and criminal networks,” thereportstated.

In Peru (30), corruption in public services has had severe consequences, including a scandal in which alleged bribes to bypass health inspections reportedly led to contaminated food being distributed in public schools In Argentina (36), investigations into alleged corrupti

nes f

ople with disabilities show similar risks for vulnerable groups In Venezuela (10), the country’s low score reflects years of widespread corruption and illicit activities that have seen poverty and malnutrition soar as millions of families survive on limited food, water and

electricity

Oversight and accountability are being weakened in several countries as civic space contracts. In El Salvador (32), restrictions on civil society organisations limit scrutiny and independent monitoring of government actions. Luciana Torchiaro, Regional Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean at Transparency International said: “To improve people’s lives and build resilience to organised crime, governments must put the fight against corruption at the centre of their agenda This means protecting fundamental freedoms, enforcing the law through a strong and independent judiciary, enhancing international cooperation on corruption cases, and making public procurement more transparent.”

The CPI ranks 182 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption onascaleofzero(highlycorrupt)to 100 (very clean).Top scorers in the Americas are: Canada (75), Uruguay (73) and Barbados (68). These are among the region’s strongest democracies, but limited growth and setbacks are concerning Venezuela (10), Nicaragua (14) and Haiti (16) are again the three lowest in the region marked by high levels of repression, failed or co-opted institutions, and entrenched corruption.

The United States (64) sustained its downward slide to its lowest-ever score. While the full impact of 2025 developments are not yet reflected, recent actions, such as targeting independent voices and undermining judicial independence, raise serious concerns.BeyondtheCPIfindings, the temporary freeze and weakening of enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act signal tolerance for corrupt businesspractices,whilecutstoUS aid for overseas civil society have weakened global anti-corruption efforts. Countries like El Salvador (32) and Ecuador (33) are experiencing a decline in transparency and civic freedoms, with laws limiting NGOs’access to funding and obstructing their o p e r a t i o n s , p a i

d w i t h intimidation and hostility toward independent media, reducing citizen oversight and the ability to holdgovernmentaccountable.

Picsaveascorruptindex

‘Critic’s company blacklisted’ —Agriculture Minister says no more work for “delinquent” Tepui Group, others

MinisterofAgricultureZulfikar Mustapha on Tuesday disclosed that Tepui Group Inc. and several other companies have been classifiedasdelinquent Continued on page 41

From page 40 contractors,notingthattheministry will not engage them for future projects.

TepuiGroup,whoseprincipalis Mikhail Rodrigues, popularly known as “Guyanese Critic,” was contracted in 2023 to construct the BelleVue Pump Station at a cost of $865 million The award of the multi-million-dollar contract attracted significant criticism, particularly over concerns that the contractor lacked experience in executingsimilarprojects.

During day two of the consideration of estimates and expenditure, Minister Mustapha told the Committee of Supply that of the $16 billion allocated to the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) for drainage and irrigation works this year, $10.7 billion will be used for retention and multi-year projects. He added that due to challenges encountered withcontractorsconstructingpump stations, the ministry will adopt a different approach this year by procuringmobilepumps.

Responding to a question from Opposition Member of Parliament GaneshMahipaul,theministersaid the Belle Vue Pump Station is now 29% completed. He explained that the contract with Tepui Group allows for subcontracting and that GaicoConstructionwasbroughton board last year to execute the works. The minister noted that the initial work done by Tepui was the excavationwork.

While the project is now being executed by Gaico, Minister Mustapha said the ministry is still holding Tepui Group accountable and noted that a bond is in place to recoup costs. “Not only Tepui group,butwhatwehavedoneinthe lastquarterof2025wehavewritten to the National Procurement and Tendering Administration, and we listedapproximately30contractors that we said that we don’t want to do business with them anymore. Those are delinquent contractors from the Ministry of Agriculture, and we will not want to do any business with them. And that has been sent to the national procurement board and I hope that anytime those persons tender for a job at the Ministry of Agriculture, we will object to it,” the minister disclosed.

He further noted that construction of the Meten-MeerZorg Pump Station is now 83% completed “They had some difficulties there and in two months’ time, I’m hoping that this canbecompleted,”headded.

According to the minister, the Pouderoyen Pump Station is 80% completed, the A-Line Pump Station is 25% completed, Jimbo Grove is 78% completedand Black Bush Polder is 87% completed. He saidsomeofthepumpstationsnow have revised completion dates of August 2026. Minister Mustapha

alsodisclosedthataboutninepump stations are expected to be completed this year, noting that the Anna Regina, Montrose, Canal Number One, Ogle and several others have already been completed.

“So, what we have decided now, this year, we’ll be procuring 40 mobile pumps that will be placed in vulnerable areas to avoid these pump stations being constructedandtakealongtime.So as soon as this budget is approved, we’ll put out advertisement…and this will help us tremendously and this will be more effective,” the ministernoted.

THURSDAY

SOCU RAIDS

MOHAMED’S ENTERPRISE …cash, documents seized, four detained …Azruddin claims political victimisation ...SOCU rejects political motive, says evidence shows illegal cambio operations

More than 20 ranks from the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) swooped down on Mohamed’s Enterprise on Lombard Street Wednesday morning, seizing less than $2 million in cash, documents linked to gold trading and bank records, and detaining four persons for questioning.

Businessman and Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, said the premises has been closed since 2024, when he, his father Nazar Mohamed and their businesses were sanctioned by the U S Treasury’sOfficeofForeignAssets Control (OFAC) over alleged gold smuggling.

In a statement SOCU said it.conducted a targeted joint law

enforcement operation on Wednesday11thFebruary2026ata money

Lombard Street, Georgetown. The operation was launched following credible information received by law enforcement that illicit activities were taking place at the premises.

“During the course of the operation, officers uncovered evidence of illegal financial operations and additional materials believed to be connected to unlawful activities were recovered at the location.All items seized are currently subject to active forensic andfinancialinvestigation,”SOCU said.

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e l a w enforcement agency, several individualsweretakenintocustody and are assisting with ongoing enquiries. “Investigations remain active and further enforcement action will be taken where the evidence so warrants. This action formspartofanintensifiednational and regional security strategy aimed at disrupting organised criminal networks engaged in gold smuggling, illicit financial flows, unlicensed money exchange operations and related serious offences. It reflects strengthened coordination among domestic law enforcement agencies, joint services and regional partners to confront cross border criminal activity and protect the integrity of Guyana’s financial and security architecture,” the SOCU statement added.

The statement asserted that the Government of Guyana remains unwavering in its commitment to combat illegal activities, including thepurchase,smugglingandsaleof gold, money laundering, illegal cambio services and associated financial crimes “In close collaboration with regional counterparts and international partners, Guyana will continue to pursue coordinated enforcement operations to safeguard economic stability,strengthenbordersecurity

and ensure that those engaged in unlawful conduct are heldaccountableunderthelaw

Charges will be laid shortly,” thestatementconcluded.

THEY DIDN’T FIND ANYTHING

Meanwhile, Mohamed told reportersthatherushedtothescene after learning of the raid “So immediately, I jumped in the vehicle and head down here. When I head down, I see they got a police dog, a sniffer dog. They had about 20 officers from SOCU. So, as I approach,Iaskedhimwhatisgoing on, really, because I’m not operating here. My businesses is closed. The PPP shut down all my businesses. So, what is the purpose,”hesaid.

According to Mohamed, the ranks informed him that they were there to conduct a search of the premises,whichhesaidheallowed. Hefurtherstated,“Theydidn’tfind anything, they didn’t find any drugs, they didn’t find any large amount of money All they found was a couple thousands.” “I think it’s less than 2 million, less than 2 million,withalotofenvelopeswith $5000 inside, $10,000, $15,000, because we will normally staple envelopes to help the less fortunate,” he told reporters Mohamed also said that one of his worker’s personal firearm was seizedduringtheoperation.

The businessman-turnedpoliticiancontendedthatthesearch was politically motivated and linkedittoremarkshemadeduring his recent budget presentation in the National Assembly, where he claimed to have financially supported the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) between 2015 and2020.

He also claimed that his family made substantial donations to the party, some of which he said were made without receipts due to their close relationship “I know it

trigger the president and the attorney general. I know it trigger them, so I think it’s because of the speech in Parliament…I have no need to lie about it, because this is public knowledge Everyone knows how close we were with the PPP government Everyone knows,”hestated.

Azruddin and his father, Nazar Mohamed, along with their businesses, were sanctioned by the United States Treasury’s Office of ForeignAssetsControl(OFAC)for alleged gold smuggling. Following the sanctions, their local bank accounts were closed and their cambiolicencerevoked.

Mohamed said that since the sanctions, their gold operations have ceased. “No, we don’t have any gold, because the last shipment was exported, and we couldn’t operate anymore, because that shipment was held at Miami, and that was a legal shipment that was heldbeforethesanctions,beforewe were sanctioned, that shipment left this country, three weeks before,” hesaid.

He added that all of their businesses were shut down, with the exception of a small snackette in front of the Lombard Street building. He also stated that after their bank accounts were closed, calls were made to the Governor of the Bank of Guyana, Dr Gobind Ganga to have an account there to save their money but this was not allowed.

“It looks like they want now to search the entire Guyana to see where,ifwegotwhateverlittlecash to confiscate I want the Guyanese people to see how wicked, how vindictive is the PPP government by all means They want to get me out by all means,” Mohamedsaid.Lastyear,thefather and son were indicted in a United States federal court in Miami, Florida,on11charges,including Continued on page 42

From page 41 wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and the importation of a Lamborghini luxury vehicle, stemming from allegations of massive tax fraud committed against Guyana. They are currently challenging a U.S. extradition request in the local courts.

Meanwhile, in a statement on Wednesday night, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) condemned the raid and stated that the ranks were heavilyarmed,somemasked.

“Mr Mohamed was refused permission to photograph the alleged warrant and was not provided a copy Legal counsel states clearly that no judge signed the warrant. It was not issued by any court of law Portions were selectively read aloud by a rank, while other sections were concealed The document purported to grant blanket and arbitrary authority to search and seizeawidelistofinnocuousitems, powers that do not exist under Guyanese law,” the party further stated.

WIN also disclosed that up to 5pm, the four persons detained, including two elderly persons were still in custody The party also

d i s c l o s e d t h a t a t S O C U headquarters, an attorney representing the Mohameds was refused access to meet with the detainedstaff.

Further, the party said that the raidwasunjustified,pointingtothe absenceofajudge-signedwarrant.

“The seizure of privileged legal materials, the deployment of a drug-sniffer dog at a nonoperational premises, and the treatment of staff form part of continued political persecution by thegovernmentPPP,”WINsaid.

The party also called for the immediate international scrutiny

a n d i n t e r v e n t i o n . “ T h e weaponisationofspecialisedpolice units against political opponents threatens constitutional rights, democratic standards, and the rule oflawinGuyana,”itstated.

FRIDAY

Georgetown Swamped - Four-hour rainfall paralyses city, floods homes and businesses

By Shania Williams

Several wards of Georgetown and its coatland were swamped on Thursday after hours of heavy rainfall, leaving streets submerged and causing widespread disruption to homes, businesses, schools, and publicservices.

Residents and business owners spoke candidly to Kaieteur News about the challenges posed by the flooding.

“Is everything in my house and yardsoakassoonasIgetalilheavy raintoosteady,”PamelaDowninga resident of Camp Street told this

Several sections of the city and coastland experienced severe flooding on Thursday as a result of persistent heavy rainfall.

publication. The woman, a retired public servant said that the flood tends to destroy her household amenities. She said that as a citizen of Georgetown for most of her adult, she has become used to the recurring flooding following heavy rainfall.

“My carpet and mats will have to either wash or throw away I will lose, I always lose in the situation because nobody will buy those things back for me,” the visibly frustratedresidentrelated.

Camille Austin who owns a catering business said while her stall was not affected by the flood waters, the rains did affect her customer flow She explained that her customers are usually workers fromthecommercialbanks,nearby businesses, schools and government agencies Kaieteur Newsspoketosomestoreoperators in the Charlestown area, who complainedthatittakeslessthan15 minutes of heavy rainfall for areas around their businesses to become inundated particularly in floodproneareas.Theytoonotedthatthe flooding particularly affects the customerflow

Nihal, owner of Tiles R Us, expressed exhaustion over the persistent flooding at the entrance of his business. “We don’t even needheavyrainfallforthisplaceto be flooded About 15 minutes rainfall and the place already flooded,”hesaid.

The businessman said he was forced to construct a temporary bridge to allow customers access to his store. “Some places are flooded and some persons are not equipped with long boots, so no one wants to come When people see this makeshift bridge, it’s definitely not safe, but we had to do something to allow customer access. It’s very disturbing. There is a big trench around here and all the council can

helpingwiththedrainagesystem.”

“Where is the improvement in the city when it comes to drainage?”hequestioned.

Another person who spoke to this publication on the condition of anonymity said though not personally affected, he believes more needs to be done to manage flooding.“Eventhoughitwasnota long rainfall, it was a heavy downpour Thepersonsinchargeof this nation should do more in terms of managing resources to cater for natural causes like this Monies were allocated last year and this year, is the government actually doing what they outlined in their estimates? Has the money been spent effectively? I don’t think so. What happened this morning is a natural cause, but with strategic planning and effective spending, this would not have been the case,” hesaid.

doiscuttheroadandputinapipeso that the water can drain faster Some measures have to be put in placeforthis,”headded.

At the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) the nation’s primary emergency healthcare facility doctors, nurses, and patients, encountered significant challenges accessing the services due to the severe flooding.CommuterslikeKeniviha Gooding,whoregularlyworkinthe city, also experienced major disruptions.

She said she frequently encounters difficulties getting to work whenever there is heavy rainfall. Shetoldthisnewspaper“I was going down King Street to get to work on South Road and on my way,Iwasmetwithabodyofwater I had to walk in the middle of the road while vehicles were driving. I had to wait until there weren’t as many vehicles so that I could walk, because on both sides there was water. It got to a point where there was no other way for me to go furtherandIhadtoretreatandwalk all the way back to Robb Street and go around to get to work. It was frustrating.”

She added, “Guyana is the fastest-growing economy and Georgetownisthecapitalcity Why would you keep your capital city like this? I can’t keep coming to work and having to walk in water because of the diseases you can catch. It is really terrible and it is reallyaffectingme.”

Andrew Arthur who commutes from the West Demerara to the city for work spoke of his struggles due to the flooding He said “This morningreallyaffectedmebecause riding to work, some streets in Georgetown had very high-water levels and it was difficult to get to work on time. It makes me wonder what the money was used for in

properly The concept of having concrete drains instead of earthen drains, they small in those canals,” Mentoreexplained.

Whenaskedaboutmaintenance of drainage canals, Mentore said the Mayor and City Council are playing their part but emphasised the need for collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development He explained that once the budget is passed, smaller contracts will be awarded for drain cleaning and maintenance.

“We are now budgeting for this new period where we are issuing smaller contracts for internal drains. External drains and canals are handled by the government fromanNDIAperspective.Wewill have small contracts for maintenance, but before that, we have to clean some of them,” he said.

Mayor of the Georgetown City Council, Alfred Mentore raised concerns about the monies being allocatedfordrainageinthecitybut howeverseeinglittleresults.Atotal $81.9 billion being allocated for drainage in this year’s national budgetand$73billionlastyear,the city continues to experience severe flooding.

“We didn’t have this kind of problem before as it relates to drainage even though the drains have been improved and I understand with development there is great amount of inconvenience b u t t h e y h a v e b e e n inconveniencing the citizens significantly,”hestated.

Mentore blamed contractors hired for road and drainage works, accusing some of executing poor canal construction. He alleged that somecanalsweremadesmallerand not deep enough to accommodate theexpansionofnewlybuiltroads.

“What I know for sure from the budgeted amount for enhancement of the city of Georgetown, I think that’s about $2 7 billion was granted to the local government ministrytodoanumberofthingsto enhance the city I heard that most of those monies were spent but I’m not sure where was it spent,” he said.

He further claimed that some drainage works carried out by the Ministry of Public Works reduced canalsizesandlackedproperdepth. He also accused contractors of failing to implement systems to prevent earthworks from blocking drainagesystemsduringrainfall.

“A lot of those works to me would have small in those canals and they didn’t give it the kind of depth A number of those contractors have not been taking care in putting systems in place in case there is rain fall and how can they be able to remove the earthen drains or having the works that are blocking up the system to cause the water to float up.These contractors have not been doing their work

Opposition Leader, Azruddin Mohamed was on ground and visited several flood-affected communities At Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara, he observed water inside residents’ homes and bedrooms. During a live broadcast via his social media page, residents showed Mohamed the poor state of drains in their communities, many of which were clogged with bushes and debris, hindering the flow of waterandworseningtheflooding.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Works in a statement released via their facebook page said following the hours of rainfall, the Hydrometeorological Service confirmed a peak accumulation of 96.7 mm, recorded in the South Ruimveldtarea.

According to the statement a ministerial task force including Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill; Minister of Agriculture, ZulfikarMustapha;andMinisterof Housing and Water, Collin Croal—conducted high-level site visits alongside technical engineeringteamsinhighhitareas. Minister Edghill reportedly inspected critical infrastructure in Independence Boulevard, Sussex Street, Lodge, Wortmanville, Campbellville (Dennis Street and Conversation Tree), and Ogle to identify and implement immediate remedialmeasures.

Engineers have confirmed that all primary sluices and drainage pumps are fully operational. While significant runoff has been achievedinthemajorityofaffected areas, focused drainage efforts continue in low-lying zones To support these efforts, heavy machinery, including excavators, hasbeendeployedtodesiltclogged culverts and restore optimal flow The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has been mobilised to provide direct assistance to residents whose properties sustainedflooddamage.

Thegovernmentremains

Continued on page 43

From page 42

committedto ensuring the safety of all citizens and will continue to monitor the situation until water levelsinallcommunitieshavefully subsided.

Police release video of alleged illegal cambio, Mohamed insists ‘operation closed’

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Thursday released video footage dated February 11, 2026, which it says shows an illegal cambio operation being conducted at Mohamed’s Enterprise at 29 Lombard Street, Georgetown. The premiseswasraidedonWednesday morningbymembersoftheSpecial Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), an armoftheGPF

Notwithstanding the video footage, businessman and Leader of the Opposition Azruddin Mohamed has maintained his earlier position, that the premises has been closed since 2024, when he, his father Nazar Mohamed and theirbusinessesweresanctionedby the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) overallegedgoldsmuggling.

According to the video seen by this publication, an individual recording entered the premises where a man behind the counter collected foreign currency and exchangeditforlocalcurrency

SOCU had disclosed that ranks conducted a targeted joint law enforcement operation at the money exchange location after receiving credible information that illicit activities were taking place there. “During the course of the operation, officers uncovered evidence of illegal financial operations and additional materials believed to be connected to unlawful activities were recovered at the location.All items seized are currently subject to active forensic andfinancialinvestigation,”SOCU said Several persons were also arrested and SOCU had stated that chargeswillbelaidshortly

In a statement on Thursday, GPF said the cambio establishment

following the sanctions, their local bank accounts were closed, their cambio licence revoked and their gold operations ceased, with the exception of a small snackette located in front of the Lombard Streetbuilding.

Last year, the father and son were indicted in a United States federal court in Miami, Florida, on 11 charges, including wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and the importation of a Lamborghini luxury vehicle, stemming from allegations of massive tax fraud committed against Guyana. They are currently challenging a U.S. extradition request in the local courts.

SATURDAY

associated with the Mohameds had been formally ordered closed pursuant to sanctions imposed by the United States Government and corresponding local regulatory and enforcement actions. It noted that despite this directive, the police said the establishment continued conducting foreign exchange transactionsinbreachoftheclosure order

Responding to public remarks by Azruddin Mohamed denying thatthecambiowasoperational,the police stated, “The footage clearly shows and audibly records the exchange of local and foreign currency, confirming that business transactions were actively taking place.”

When contacted on Thursday, Mohamed reiterated his position that the operation remains closed. “Yes, of course, of course,” he said noting that he stick by his position that the business has not been operating. He added, “That video shows absolutely nothing. As I mentioned, if we were operating a combio, you have to have large sumsofcash.Theycametherethey found, a million or $2 million in cash. Those money were staple up in envelopes. They found 500 US dollars…and as I have mentioned, wearenotoperatingthere.”

Following the raid, Mohamed had told reporters, “They didn’t find anything, they didn’t find any drugs, they didn’t find any large amount of money All they found was a couple thousands…I think it’s less than 2 million, less than 2 million,withalotofenvelopeswith $5000 inside, $10,000, $15,000, because we will normally staple envelopes to help the less fortunate.”

The businessman-turnedpolitician has contended that the search was politically motivated, linking it to remarks he made during his recent budget presentation in the National Assembly, where he claimed to have financially supported the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)between2015and2020.

He had previously noted that

public services. The Ministry of Public Works leads with $227 2 billion, followed by the Ministry of Housing at $159 4 billion, the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation at $140 1 billion, the Ministry of Health with $135 billion, the Ministry of Finance with $116.9 billion, the Ministry of Educationat$100.2billion,andthe Office of the Prime Minister which received$111.4billion.

Other ministries allocations include the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security at $78 billion, the Ministry of Local Gov

increase retained earnings and encourage greater investment. The Guyana Development Bank, first announced last year, will be funded withaUS$100millionallocationin Budget 2026 to provide microcredit loans up to $3 million at zero interest and zero collateral for SMEs, young entrepreneurs, women, and persons with disabilities. The programme will also pair these startups with mentorship and training, and a coinvestmentmodelwillallowaccess to an additional $7 million from commercial banks at preferential rates.

House approves $1.5 trillion National Budget

Guyana’s largest budget ever, $1 558 trillion, was on Friday evening passed, following five days of debates and another five days of considerations in the CommitteeofSupply

Themed “Putting People First,” the budget marks the first to be presented by the administration since its re-election in 2025. Key provisions include a $5,000 increase to the old age pension and $3,000 more for public assistance recipients Other populationfocused measures include the $100,000cashgrantforeveryadult Guyanese aged 18 and over, alongside initiatives aimed at supporting home and vehicle ownership, encouraging business startups, and diversifying the economy.

Several ministries received allocations exceeding $100 billion in the 2026 budget, reflecting gove

infrastructure, housing, health, and

Development at $36.7 billion, the Ministry of Agriculture at $67.6 billion, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce at $26.3 billion, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports at $10.9 billion, the Ministry of ForeignAffairs and International Cooperation at $10 billion, the Ministry of Natural Resources at $3 3 billion, the Ministry of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation at $8.1 billion, the Ministry of Home Affairs at $52.1 billion, and the Ministry of AmerindianAffairsat$7.5billion.

Dr Singhhadexplainedthatthe 2026 budget was crafted to give effect to President Irfaan Ali’s vision for a modern, prosperous Guyana, providing opportunities foreverycitizen.Healsonotedthat the budget is financed with no new taxes and is 12.7% larger than the 2025budget.

Government intends to transfer $495 billion (approximately US$2.4 billion) in oil revenue from the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) to finance the budget, with an additional $49.7 billion expected fromcarboncreditinflows.

The government will remove corporate taxes on agriculture and agro-processing businesses to

Housing support includes an increase in the low-income mortgage ceiling from $20 million to $30 million and $7.5 billion to help families upgrade their homes through initiatives such as the steel andcementsubsidy

To ease the cost of living, the budget introduces a flat tax of $2 million on double-cab pickups under 2,000 cc and $3 million for pickups between 2,000 cc and 2,500 cc, regardless of age, while removing VAT on new vehicles below 1,500 cc and less than four yearsold.

Atotal of $9 billion is allocated for measures to address the cost of living, including: increase in the Because We Care Cash Grant from $50,000 to $60,000; annual $20,000 transportation grant for schoolchildren; free first eight CSEC and CAPE subjects; annual $20,000transportationgrantforold age pensioners; income tax threshold increase from $130,000 to $140,000; stipend increase for Pathway Workers, Community E n h a n c e m e n t Wo r k e r s , Community Service Officers, and Community Policing Groups from $40,000 to $50,000 per month and removal of net property tax on individuals.

Beloved Muslim brothers & sisters please note the changes for the different localities:

Skeldon to Letter Kenny minus 4 min.

Bloomfield to New Amsterdam minus 3 min.

Rosignal to Golden Fleece minus 2 min.

Paradise, W.C.B to Buxton minus 1 min.

W.B.D & Vreed-en-Hoop to Dekinderen, W.C.D add 1 min.

Zeelugt, E.B.E to Essequibo Coast & Islands & Pomeroon add 2 min.

THE DRAGON’S TALE

Frompage28

The remaining hurdle was evacuation from the field and processing.

Thepipelinethatnearly finishedthejob

PDVSA addressed that hurdle with a massive offshore pipeline linking the Dragon area to the CIGMAcomplexnearGüiria:a36inch line stretching roughly a hundred kilometres across the seabed.

By 2015 PDVSA publicly reported the line more than ninety per cent complete. In practical terms, this meant that most of the physical export corridor already existedontheoceanfloor Reports suggestthepipelinehadlessthana 5kmspantobecompleted.

Theassociatedonshoreproject, the Planta de Acondicionamiento de Gas para el Mercado Interno (PAGMI,) was designed as eastern Venezuela’sgasheart:dehydration, liquidshandling,andinjectioninto domestic transmission networks, withfutureLNGinterfacesalways implicit.

Dragon, after nearly four decades, stood within reach of commercialflow

And then geopolitics intervened.

Russiaenters— andtheworldtightens

Between 2017 and 2020

Venezuela issued formal offshore gas licences covering Patao and Mejillones to a Rosneft-linked entity The move reflected a strategic pivot toward Russian capital and geopolitical backing as Western energy firms retreated fromVenezuelanrisk.

On paper, it was a new developmentchapter

In practice, it coincided almost perfectly with escalating U S sanctions on both Venezuela and Russian energy companies Financing channels narrowed Insurance became complicated Contractors hesitated Rosneft

itself undertook major restructuring of its Venezuelan exposure.

No single decree explicitly statesthatsanctionsfrozeMariscal Sucre But large offshore gas developments cannot proceed when payment systems, shipping, andcapitalmarketsareconstrained bygeopoliticalisolation.

Once again, the problem was notgeology Itwasaccess.

TheChinesefootprint: buildingwithoutowning

ThroughoutthisperiodChinese participation surfaced repeatedly, particularly in infrastructure development tied to PAGMI and associatedfacilities.

Cooperation agreements and project portfolios frequently referenced China National Offshore Oil Corporation and Chineseengineeringfirms.

However, the public licensing record does not clearly show Chinese national oil companies

holding upstream field licences in Dragon or its neighbouring structures. Instead, China’s role appears primarily as builder and financier of industrial infrastructure: a pattern consistent withitsglobalenergystrategy China helped construct the arteries.

The molecules remained politicallystranded. WhyTrinidad becameinevitable

By the early 2020s Venezuela possessedsomethingrareinglobal gasdevelopment:

·provenreserves,

·drilledwells,

·engineeredoffshoresystems,

· a nearly completed pipeline, and

·adesignedprocessinghub. Yet commercial flow remained elusive.

Map Showing Hibiscus Field and Pipeline

At the same time Trinidad and Tobago faced a structural gas squeeze. Mature offshore fields were declining. LNG trains were underutilised.Petrochemicalplants faced periodic feedstock shortages — even as billions of dollars of industrial infrastructure remained inplace.

Geography, long postponed by politics,finallyasserteditself.

The shortest commercial route forDragongaswasnotwestintoa constrained domestic system. It was east — into Trinidad’s LNG andindustrialcorridor

When Venezuela issued the 2024 licence binding Shell Venezuela and the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago, it did not invent a new strategy It institutionalised the one the map hadalwaysimplied.

Thedeeperlesson

Dragon’s four-decade journey isnotastoryoffailedresources.It is a case study in how natural resource development is governed by cycles of capital, institutions, markets,andgeopolitics.

Each phase made economic sensewithinitshistoricalcontext.

The LNG mega-project fit the 1990s.

State-led industrialisation fit the2000s.

Russian partnerships fit the sanctionera.

Chinese infrastructure fit capitalconstraints.

Trinidad monetisation fit strandedabundance.

What never changed was the gas.

What kept changing was the worldaroundit.

WhyTrinidadtruly “gotthelastdance”

Trinidad did not unlock Dragon.Itinheritedthefinalviable monetisation pathway for a field that had already been discovered, drilled, engineered, and nearly connectedlongbeforePortofSpain enteredthepicture.

The achievement of the 2024 licence is institutional rather than geological a political workaround for decades of stalled development.

Dragon waited forty years not for better reservoirs, but for conditions that allowed molecules tomove.

In the end, alignment came not through new discoveries, but throughnecessity—Trinidad’sgas hunger meeting Venezuela’s strandedabundance.

Notamiracle.

Just history finally catching up withgeography

Balancing law, work and entrepreneurship, UG student earns highest GPA in her first year of studies

ManyacrosstheCaribbeanarefamiliar withthephrase“havingtoomuchon yourplate,”oftenusedtosuggestthe need to slow down. But for 20-year-old Keniviha Gooding, balancing multiple responsibilities is simplypartofdailylife.

Gooding, a law student who consistently maintainsacademicexcellence,whileworkingasa legal secretary, tutor and entrepreneur, is also the founder of the newsletter at the University of Guyana.Shetoldthispublicationthatherjourneyis drivenbypassion,purposeandfaith.

Describing herself as purposeful, authentic and resilient, Gooding said she strives to be intentional ineverythingshedoes.

“I like to be very intentional when I do things. I don't like to waste time. Life is short,soIliketogetstraighttothepoint. I believe I am authentic because I believethatI'mtruetomyselfandall thatIam,andItrynottobeanyone else.

Finally, resilient, because life is not easy and there are challenges everywhere Being a Christian plays a part in that. I believe I'm abletonavigatechallenges thatcomemy way, I don't letthingsjustdestroyme. IfIneedamoment,Itake amoment,butIgetback onthewagon,”shesaid.

Raisedinthehumble community of Ann's Grove on the East Coast Demerara, Gooding is deeplyrootedinherfaith inGod.

She said, “Everything that I am and everything

thatI'veachievedisaresultofHisgraceandmercy andHishandsworkinginandthroughmylife.”

Currently in her second year pursuing a Bachelor'sdegreeinLaw,Goodingsaidherpassion forthelegalfielddevelopedatayoungage.Hergoal is to eventually gain entry into the Hugh Wooding Law School, with short-term targets including maintainingaGPAabove3.8andrankingamongthe topstudents.

“Lawismypassion.Ican'tseemyselfbuildinga career in any other area I enjoy researching, advocating, building arguments and delivering them.Ibelieveindoingwhatyoulovebecausewhen youdon't,youcan'tgiveyourbest,”shesaid.

She noted that constitutional law and criminal lawarethetwoareasthatinterestherthemost.

“Constitutionallawteachesyouabouttherights of individuals, and I want to advocate for those rights.Forcriminallaw,Ienjoythearticulationand presentationofarguments,”sheexplained.

Recently, Gooding was recognised by the Faculty of Social Sciences for attainingthe highest GPA in her first year of law studies an achievementshesaidmotivateshertomaintainhigh standards.

Beyond her academics, Gooding founded the University newsletter during her first year and contributes to the institution's Public Relations Committee. She also participates in mooting competitions, which have strengthened her public speakinganddebatingskills.

Her interest in media dates back to her time at President's College, where she was involved in the school'snewsletter

While maintaining strong academic performance, Gooding also works full-time at BernardDaSilvaandAssociatesasalegalsecretary, whereshehandlesadministrativedutiesandassists withlegaldocumentpreparation.

“I'mdoingthisjobbecauseI'mnetworkingand learningaboutthefieldI'mentering,”shesaid.

Determined to ease the financial burden on her familyandsupportherfuturelegalstudies,Gooding launched her branding design business, Keniviha's Creative Studio. The venture focuses on helping small businesses develop brand identity and marketingmaterials.

She said the idea came after hearing motivationalspeakerWillCampbellwhileattending President's College, who encouraged students to monetisetheirtalents.

“I'vealwayswantedasecondsourceofincome, especially as an aspiring attorney I realised many small businesses need branding and marketing support, so I saw it as a good opportunity,” she explained.

She hopes to expand the business to include printing services, offering more comprehensive creativesolutions.

Entrepreneurship, she said, has taught her risktaking,self-promotionandtimemanagement.

Outsideofwork,studiesandbusiness,Gooding tutorsEnglishandHistoryonweekends.Sheisalso activelyinvolvedincommunityservicethroughthe Girl GuidesAssociation and her church, where she servesasayouthandworshipleader

Facingchallengeswithsupport

Balancing multiple roles is not without challenges,butGoodingcreditshersupportsystem (Continuedonpage52)

Bad Bunny Delivers a Love Letter to Puerto Rico at Super Bowl Halftime ...Gives

BenitoAntonioMartínez

Ocasio, better known as the superstar Bad Bunny, is a proud product of what PuertoRicanscallthe“crisis generation”:thosewhogrew upontheislandinthe1990s and 2000s and have little memoryofitsbetterdays.

He was 12 when Puerto Rico'seconomyspiraledinto an economic recession from whichithasneverrecovered. By 2016, when he was 22 and started recording music, the island's government was bankrupt Hurricane Maria hitthenextyear,devastating the island and killing nearly 3,000 people Then came political unrest, the coronavirus pandemic and rapidgentrification.

Bad Bunny sings and raps about the crisis generation's struggles in many of his lyrics and talks aboutthemininterviewsand on social media Entire industries in Puerto Rico shut down after a federal corporate tax break expired in 2006, which led residents toleaveindrovestofindjobs in the states. Severe budget cutsduringthedebtcrisisled to school closures, streets pocked with potholes and frequentpowerblackouts.

The island's population declined by 11 8 percent from 2010 to 2020, accordingtothecensus.Bad Bunny, an outspoken critic of President Trump's immigration crackdown,

M e m b e r s o f h i s generation say that Bad Bunny, now 31, has given voice to their experiences and fears, all while opening the world's eyes to Puerto Rico's fraught territorial relationship with the U S government.

In making music about youngPuertoRicans'shared challenges,“hehasbeenable to put us on the map,” said Alejandro Bracero, a 23year-old studying political scienceandeconomicsatthe University of Puerto Rico's maincampusinSanJuan.

“Hehasbeenabletoput us on the map, ” said Alejandro Bracero, a 23year-old political science andeconomicsstudentatthe University of Puerto Rico's main campus in San Juan.

Credit...Erika P Rodriguez forTheNewYorkTimes.

Ricans who are better educat

d th

n

predecessors,yetplaguedby stagnant salaries and an unaffordablecostofliving.

Voice to 'Crisis Generation'

On average, a teacher in Puerto Rico might make $32,000 a year, Dr Vélez Serranosaid,comparedwith about $50,000 in Orlando,

Fla , where many Puerto Ricans fleeing the island settle.Buttheaveragehouse in Puerto Rico costs about $300,000, compared with

about$367,000inOrlando. “This huge gap between what we're earning as professionalsandthecostof (Continuedonpage56)

dedicated his win at the Grammys for album of the year to “all the people who hadtoleavetheirhomeland, their country to follow their dreams.”

Mr Bracero remembers his grandmother, who was born in 1946, telling him stories about how Puerto Rico boomed in the decades afterWorldWarIIthankstoa corporatetaxbreakintended to foster industry “There was a sense of prosperity,” hesaid,muchdifferentfrom the Puerto Rico he grew up in.

Mayra Vélez Serrano, the chairwoman of the University of Puerto Rico's politicalsciencedepartment, coined the term “crisis generation” in 2016. Since then, it has only become more apt, she said, describingagroupofPuerto

Rihanna Is on a One-Woman Mission To Bring Footless Tights Back- and I Think It's Working

Rihanna transcends the trends:fromdoubledenimto a suite of covetable vintage it-bags and every kind of

animal print. Presented with that quintessential Rihanna attitude, she sets her own tone But footless tights?

Thatwasalwaysgoingtobe atoughsell.

The pop star and beauty mogul attended partner

A$AP Rocky's AWGE fall 2026 show (his third runway)aspartofNewYork Fashion Week last night,

Rihanna attended partnerA$APRocky's AWGE fall 2026

wearingalookthatspeaksto every Rihanna signature Rihworeanasfresh-off-therunwayoutfitasyoucanget, opting for an AWGE longlineleatherjacketwitha low-slung belted waist and fuzzycuffs.

Shestyleditwithlayers

of gold and diamond necklaces, drop earrings, o v e r s i z e d a n g u l a r sunglasses, black textured p u m p s , a n d t h e aforementioned sheer footless tights In many ways, adding an extra layer wasquiteasensiblespinona spring collection look for Rih.

Footless tights retain a bad rep. For most people, they're filed beside denim

m i n i s k i r t s f r o m

Abercrombie and Topshop bralettes Slowly, slowly,

we'veseenthereturnof2016 era fashion, so it was only a matteroftime.AndRihanna makesaprettysolidcasefor theirmoreelevatedreturn.

And it totally works for Rih, who only recently stepped out in a mid-10sesque look that featured leggingspairedwithablazer andpointypumps.Sheloves a statement shoe (usually care of Amina Muaddi or Balenciaga) so a footless stocking allows the shoe to shine without any heavy extralayers.

It appears that hosiery is having a moment Stirrup leggings have been spotted on Kendall Jenner, while designers like Julie Kegels are experimenting with shapeandcolor,gettingKaia Gerber into seafoam thong socks.Chooseyourfighter

Balancing law, work and...

Frompage50 forhelpingherstayfocused.

“With everything I'm involved in, mostly it's God and the support I get from friends and family When youhavepeoplecheeringfor you, you use challenges as something to overcome,” shesaid.

Lookingahead

Goodinghopestouseher legalcareertoaddresssocial i s s u e s i n G u y a n a , particularly domestic abuse. She aims to help women understand their legal rights

a n d a c c e s s l e g a l representation She advises young entrepreneurs to choose flexible business ventures while studying, prioritise education and remaindisciplined.

She said she has always known who she wanted to become.“My journey was less about finding myself and more about getting there.Ipromisedmyselfnot to over think opportunities. Growth requires courage, and I am willing to grow,” shesaid.

House approves $52.1 billion for improvements in Home Affairs sector

procurement of additional equipment for the Guyana Fire Service. A sum of $3.4 billion has been set aside for theseworks.

Funding has also been allocatedfortheexpansionof community policing groups, operational expenses for the Special Organised Crime Unit, the Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons, and strengthened border patrol operations to enhance national security A totalof$56,864,000hasbeen budgetedfortheseinitiatives.

Addressingtraffic-related concerns,includingspeeding violations,MinisterofHome

Affairs Oneidge Walrond clarified that the budget also supports increased enforcement of the vehicle

tint continues to hinder these efforts.

“With the use of CCTV cameras in apprehending criminals through facial recognition,theunlawfuluse of tint on vehicles has preventedalotofthat.So,it's goingtoaidinthatwayinour crimedetection,”shesaid.

Meanwhile, additional funding has been allocated for the training of police officers The Minister also noted that several police living quarters will be upgraded.

“We are either building new ones or rehabilitating existing facilities,” the ministerdisclosed.

In total, $31,391,281,000 has been allocated to the GuyanaPoliceForce.

13 contractors bid to complete Cove and John Magistrates' Court

TheSupremeCourtofJudicaturehasreceived13bids forthecompletionoftheCoveandJohnMagistrates'Court.

MinistryofCultureYouthandSport DesignReviewfortheProvisionofLandscaping andUpkeepServicesfortheBerbice StadiumPalmyraEastBankBerbice.

Bidder

D ChowkaiandSonsConstruc tion

CSGreenThumbLandscapers -

ArrowheadManagementandSuppliesJVKDLogistics andCorporateServiceInc

William'sLandscapingandServices

G&BSugrimEnterprise

AmountTendered

$79,415,805

$75,873,674

$80,008,950

$77,039,807

GuyanaNationalBureauofStandards Bidder AmountTendered CleverSolutionsGuyanaInc

$91,176,784

TheprojectwhichopenedattheNationalProcurement andTenderAdministrationBoard(NPTAB)officerecently isestimatedtocost$192million,accordingtothe governmentengineer

SupremeCourtofJudicature

CompletionofCoveandJohnMagistrate'sCourt.

Bidder

AnilLalsaConstruction

I&SSankarsImportersandDistributors

SuperiorSuppliesandGeneralConstruction

ABSolutions

AYNConstructionandGeneralServices

AAndersonandSonGeneralConstructionandSupplies

TruckSmart

VBNewApproachGeneralConstructionInc

AndrectEngineeringandConstruction

D ChowkaiandSonsConstruction

CAJConstructionFirm

AmountTendered

$335,103,485

$196,909,231

$172,968,600

$188,405,998

$166,778,740

$170,129,736

$195,781,867

$187,832,480

$191,149,052

$359,377,172

$178,234,430

VIEnterprise $189,039,884

MEPequipInc $269,968,094

Engineer’sEstimate

$192,178,778

$4,564,042

$91,050,988

$121,611,335

Bad Bunny Delivers a Love Letter to Puerto Rico at Super...

Frompage51 living has led to the massive outflow of professionals of this generation,” she said, adding that most “are between 20-something and40,”anagegroupthatincludes BadBunny Bad Bunny performing during his residency in Puerto Rico last year Credit...Amy Lombard for TheNewYorkTimes.

In Bad Bunny's “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” the album that won at the Grammys last Sunday, the title track talks about wishing you had takenmorephotosofpeoplebefore they left. Another song mentions notwantingtobeforcedtomove.A thirdisdefiantaboutnotwantingto experience “what happened to Hawaii,” with lyrics about losing property to wealthy outsiders and thepotentialpitfallsifPuertoRico weretobecomeastate.

“There are people from the United States now living in Caguas,” Abdiel Vargas Sánchez, 24, said with astonishment about his hometown. Caguas, a city of about120,000inamountainvalley southofSanJuan,wasoncehardly a destination. But an influx of mainlanders that accelerated duringthepandemic,someofthem

mostlikelydrawnbytaxbreaksfor wealthy investors, has priced out local residents and driven up housingpricesacrosstheisland.

“Bad Bunny could be the start of something beautiful” for Puerto Rico,Mr VargasSánchezsaid.Yet he also worried that the artist's commercial success would ultimatelybe“onlythat.”

There have already been signs that the crisis generation is changingPuertoRicanpolitics.

In 2019, young people, including Bad Bunny and other artists, were instrumental in organizing street protests that forced the resignation of Gov RicardoA.Rossellóafteroffensive chatmessagesbetweenhimandhis aides, some of which mocked victims of Hurricane Maria, were leaked. Bad Bunny ended a tour earlytojointheprotests,andheand two other artists recorded a song thatbecameastreetanthem.

CamilaHerreraBiaggi,24,was still a teenager when she participated in street protests that forced the resignation of Gov RicardoA.Rossellóin2019.“That was my first protest,” she said, recalling how Bad Bunny and others inspired her to participate.

Credit...ErikaP RodriguezforThe NewYorkTimes

CamilaHerreraBiaggi,24,was still a teenager at the time of the demonstrations but thinks of it as thestartofherpoliticalawakening. “That was my first protest,” she said,recallinghowBadBunnyand othersinspiredhertoparticipate.“I toldmyselfthatIneededtogo.”

New political parties gained traction in the years that followed, as younger voters questioned whether establishment parties wanted to solve the island's problems.In2024,BadBunnypaid forprominentbillboardscriticizing one of the old parties, the New Progressive Party, and called it corrupt. The party has been in power since 2017 and supports Puerto Rican statehood. He has supported candidates that favor Puerto Rican independence and included many pro-independence symbols in his music videos and lyrics.

PuertoRicohasbeenaterritory of the United States since 1898, after U.S. forces invaded it during the Spanish-American War In 1917, Congress extended American citizenship to Puerto Ricans,butresidentsofPuertoRico

cannot vote in presidential elections, have only symbolic representation in Congress and do not have equal access to federal benefits.

Aboveall,youngPuertoRicans appear intent on re-examining Puerto Rico's relationship with the United States, in light of two definingeventsofthepastdecade.

In2016,Congresspassedalaw empowering a board appointed by thepresidenttooverseetheisland's finances, taking away much of its financialindependenceandstirring accusations that it was treating Puerto Rico like a colony The bungled response to Hurricane Maria further eroded Puerto Ricans' trust in the federal government.

Bad Bunny worked with Jorell Meléndez-Badillo, a Puerto Rican historian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison,ontext-based videos for his album last year, explainingcrucialperiodsinPuerto Rican history Some were displayed on big screens during Bad Bunny's concert residency in PuertoRicooverthesummer Dr Meléndez-Badillo called the artist's Super Bowl performance an opportunity for

PuertoRicans—andeveryoneelse — to have more conversations about the island's current state and itsfuture.

“I'm seeing this as a pedagogical thing that Benito is doing,” he said. “He's not simply reppingthePuertoRicanflag.He's alsoinvitingpeopletograpplewith thebeautyandmessinessofPuerto Rican-ness. A lot of people in the United States don't really know Puerto Rico's relationship to the UnitedStates.”

Nathalia Méndez Rodríguez, a 23-year-old graduate student, posesforaportraitoutsideLaTorre in the University of Puerto Rico's m a i n c a m p u s i n S a n Juan.Credit...Erika P Rodriguez forTheNewYorkTimes

Nathalia Méndez Rodríguez, a 23-year-old graduate student in publicadministrationandlawatthe UniversityofPuertoRico,saidshe wanted Bad Bunny to keep explaining to the world what she and her peers want most: “to preserve our homeland and our culture and our country and our community.”

“Bad Bunny,” she said, “represents the anxieties of the PuertoRicanpeople.”

Trinidad gets licences from United States for oil and gas activities in Venezuela

CMC - The Trinidad and Tobago government Friday said that it has been issued with two United States General Licences, which provides “a clear and structured legal framework” under US law for certain oil and gas activities in Venezuela and along “oursharedmaritimeborder”.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar in a statement posted on X,saidthat“asalongstandingclose partner of the United States, Trinidad and Tobago views this development as an important opportunitytodeepenhemispheric energy cooperation, strengthen regional stability, and reinforce trustedcommercialties.

“We are optimistic about the potential to enhance our role as a responsible energy hub in the

Caribbean, supporting domestic industry, safeguarding jobs, and contributing to reliable supply chains that benefit the wider region,” she wrote.PersadBissessar said that Trinidad and Tobago will proceed in full compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements “and inkeepingwithourcommitmentto transparency and sound governance” According to the licence “any payment of oil or gas taxes or royalities to the government of Venezuela, PdVSA or any PdVSAentity must be paid totheForeignGovernmentDeposit Funds or any other account as instructedbytheUSDepartmentof Treasury”.

Itstatesfurtherthatthegeneral licence does not authorise

“payment terms that are not commercially reasonable, involve debtswapsorpaymentsingold,or are dominated in digital currency, digitalcoinordigitaltokensissued by, for, or on behalf of the GovernmentofVenezuela”.

Following the United States military incursion into Venezuela last month and the detention of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife on drugs and illegal weapons charges, Washington announced that it would be running the South American country for the foreseeable future.Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar had publicly supported the United States military presence in the Caribbean after Washington had initially said itwasintendedtoputanendtothe illegaldrugstrade.

InApril2025,theUnitedStates revoked the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) licenses that had permitted Trinidad and Tobago to develop the Dragon and Manakin-Cocuina natural gas fields in partnership with Venezuela The licences had allowed multinational energy giants Shell and BP, along with Trinidad's state-owned National Gas Company (NGC), to develop offshore gas fields near the Venezuelan maritime border The Dragon field alone holds an estimatedfourtrillioncubicfeetof gas, with first exports initially slatedfor2026.

Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago

Kamla Persaud- Bissesar (Ministry of Foreign and CARICOMAffairs)

Trinidad and Tobago had already begun paying over one millionUSdollarsperyearintaxes to Venezuela for the expected 20yearDragon project.Butthemove by Washington, citing concerns over Venezuela's failure to restore democratic norms and manage illegal migration, had effectively frozenthedeal.

However, by October 2025, a new, revised six-month OFAC licensewasgrantedtoTrinidadand Tobago, valid until April 2026, allowing for renewed negotiations on the Dragon gas project under new,strict,tieredconditions.

VACANCY WANTED

Job opening:Site Supervisor,OfficeAssistant. To apply send application viaWhatsApp:689-1111/ 608-2114.

Wanted one Maid. For more information please Call: 680-1282. Workers to work on cash crop farm salary-$9000$12000 per day.Tel#6797552.

Job opening: Truck Driver, ACTechnicians,Excavator and Skid Steer Operators. To apply send application via WhatsApp: 689-1111/ 608-2114.

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Apt needed to rent,West Bank661-2828.

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Excavator Operator wanted-contact number 226-9768, 227-7528, 7100561.

Live-in caregiver wanted. Kind, dependable support for eldery in Georgetown. Experiencepreferred.Call: 600-5515

Wanted one domestic worker, two office person and one driver contact:6774896

VEHICLES FOR SALE

1HondaCRV,includesTV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, spoiler, low mileage, PTT Series (first owner).Call:649-0956.

General Domestic (4 day work)&experienedhandyman, apply at Keyfood Trading Mc Doom next to the post office.

One (1) female cleaner for Ecclesofficecall645-8443.

VacancyatDyna'sEmbroidery & Screenprints: We are hiring factory workers.Tel#226-2621.

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AUcallsforend... Trinidad:Children fleeasman, girlfriend gunneddown

Trinidad Express - A COUVAmanandhisgirlfriend were shot and killed when they were ambushed by a gunman outside their home yesterday

Devaughn Toussaint, 38, was standing with his girlfriend at the open trunk of his vehicle when a gunman came runningup. Toussaintranbut was chased and shot four timesnearaplayparkoutside of his townhouse at Jade CourtinLisasGardens.

He died at the scene.

Toussaint's girlfriend, identified by the police as AmilyHanandez,rantowards atoddlerinanattempttohold her.Shefell.Thegunmancame up to her on the playfield and shot her multiple times. She diedlaterathospital.Thechild was not harmed.

The double killing occurredaround2.30p.m.when

Toussaint and Hanandez were outside of his townhouse with the child.

Police were told that a grey Toyota Corolla pulled alongside the couple and the child,andtheshooter,cladin a dark grey hoodie and grey trackpants,emergedfromthe vehicle.Moments later, multiple rounds of gunfire rang out, and the car was seen speeding out of the housing community

PolicesaidToussaintwas previouslyimprisonedforfirearm-relatedoffences.

Detectives of the HomicideBureauofRegionThree, CouvaCIDandCentralDivision Task Force responded and investigations are continuing.

The killings bring the murder toll to 43, which was also the figure for the same period last year

From page 16

access to the same arable land, antigovernment protests over failed service delivery in Madagascar, and the outbreak of health epidemics in the wake of major floods and droughts.

Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa, reporting from Addis Ababa, said that while the issue of water is front and centre at this year's summit, unresolved questions from last year's gathering, including the cuts in global aide, continue to fester

“There seems to be not enough money to the people who are in need,” our correspondent said.

ShealsoaddedtheongoingdeadlywarintheDRC,which is causing mass displacement and famine, as well as the brutal, nearly three-year war in Sudan are also high on the summit agenda, as well as the reignited conflict in neighbouring South Sudan.

On Saturday, as the AU summit opened, at least four explosionswereheardaroundthegovernment-alignedSudanese Armed Forces (SAF) base in the city of Dilling in South Kordofan, as drones from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group targeted the city

TheAfricancontinentmakesupaboutafifthoftheglobal population, with an estimated 1.4 billion people, about 400 millionofwhomare15to35yearsold.

But it is also home to several of the world's oldest and longest-serving leaders, many criticised as out-of-touch – a paradox that has contributed to an upsurge in military takeovers and other undemocratic means, notably in West African nations, such as Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Niger, and Guinea-Bissau.

Some observers say theAU Summit will provide an opportunitytoaligncontinentalprioritieswithinternationalpartners, especially at a time of discussions around a “new world order” stirred by US President Donald Trump, with foreign leaderssignallingshiftingglobalalliancesandmanylooking towards China.

661-2828.

Mason stabbed to death at Meten-Meer-Zorg

A30-year-oldmanwasonFridaystabbed todeathatafterhewasinvolvedinascuffleat aconstructionsiteatMeten-Meer-Zorg,West CoastDemerara,RegionThree.

The deceased has been identified as 30year-old Fendel Trotman called 'Johnny' or 'Rasta Man' of Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara.

According to the police, the incident occurred about 10:00hrs on Friday Reports arethatTrotmanwasworkingasamasonona two-storey concrete structure along the Meten-Meer-Zorg Public Road when an altercation occurred between him and anothermale.

“The confrontation allegedly escalated intoascuffleduringwhichthesuspect,who was armed with a knife, inflicted a stab woundtothedeceased'schestbeforefleeing thesceneonfoot,”policereported.

Trotman was rushed to the De Kinderen RegionalHospital,wherehewaspronounced deadonarrivalbyadoctor

Police reported that a knife sheath was found in the building and CCTVcameras in the vicinity were identified and will be reviewedaspartoftheinvestigation.

Trotman's body is at the Ezekiel Funeral Parlour, where it awaits a post-mortem examination.Noarrestshavebeenmade.

Teen teacher arrested for allegedly abusing position of trust of minor

A19-year-old male teacher was arrested under the allegation of abuse of position of trustinvolvingaminorinRegionSeven.

According to the Guyana Police Force, ranks in Regional Division #7 are probing a report of an alleged offence committed againsta15-year-oldfemale.

Preliminary information indicates that

the alleged incident occurred sometime duringSeptember2025.

Police said the matter was only recently reported and is currently under active investigation.

The suspect has since been arrested and remainsinpolicecustodyaspolicecontinue theirprobe.Investigationsareongoing.

ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League Returns July 23 – August 1

T

he ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League(GSL)willreturnfor its highly anticipated third edition from July 23 to August 1, bringing worldclass T20 franchise cricket back to the iconic Guyana

National Stadium, Providence.

Five elite T20 teams from across the globe will converge in Guyana to compete for a US$1 million prize pool, delivering ten days of high-intensity

cricket in one of South America’s most vibrant and rapidly emerging sporting destinations. Providence — homeoftheGuyanaAmazon Warriors — will once again serve as the stage for this unique international club showdown.

Now firmly established on the global T20 calendar, theGSLcontinuestogrowin stature and competitive quality The 2026 edition promisesthrillingmatchups, passionate crowds and a

celebration of the global game in the heart of the Caribbean and northern SouthAmerica.

The 2025 tournament marked a major milestone for the competition, with a sold-out Providence crowd witnessing the Guyana Amazon Warriors lift the trophy after defeating the Rangpur Riders That

tournament’s growing appeal among players and

Sunday February 15, 2026

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

Compliments are apt to feel likegoldtoyou,Aries.There's nothing you need more than love and affection on a day likethis.Bewarethatyoumay endupasputtyinthehandsof whoever showers you with flattery

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Ifyoufindthatthere'stension in a close relationship, you may get the feeling that this isn't the right partner for you. Don't automatically assume that the problem lies in your partner

GEMINI(May21–June20)

When tension builds, your sense of security is likely to falter, Gemini.You may have ahardtimedealingwithother people.

CANCER(June21–July22)

You might have difficulty expressing your needs, Cancer Thebottomlineisthat there'snorightorwrongway, althoughitmaybedifficultto seethisonadayliketoday

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Althoughyoumayfindithard to express yourself in some ways, Leo, the one avenue that's completely wide open todayisart.Difficulttensionis laced with emotional insecurity, making it hard for youtoexpressyourfeelings.

VIRGO(Aug 23–Sept 22)

You might be feeling rather insecurewhenitcomestoyour peaceofmind Itmayseemlike your relationships are on the rocks Atthesametime,having problems in your relationships is making you less likely to trust these close partners with yourinsecurefeelings

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

You may feel more reserved than usual, Libra, especially when it comes to romantic relationships. You may be feeling apprehensive about expressingyourselffully,even inthemostintimatesituations.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)

Be careful about being too boisterous and chipper around people who don't exactly feel the same way, Scorpio. Be sensitive to other people's feelings, and don't make jokes that are too harsh for the occasion.

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

Your mood should be quite good for the most part, but there'sapttobesometensionin your relationships. Romantic endeavors aren't exactly in your favor now, so don't force anissuethatseemstoodifficult toresolve.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

There's a deep longing to be comforted and reassured. You may want nothing more than for someone fix you some warm,homemadesoup.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

You may feel like you need something,yetyou'reunsureas to what it is exactly Someone closetoyoumaybetryingtofit the missing puzzle piece into place, but this may be next to impossibleifit'sunclearwhich pieceisactuallymissing.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Youmaywanttoremedyevery situation by talking things out or taking some sort of action, Pisces. Be careful of making any sudden moves before you really understand what you're feeling.

ExxonMobilGuyanaGlobal SuperLeague,expressedhis enthusiasmfortheupcoming tournament: “It gives me immensepride,asChairman of the ExxonMobil Guyana

Global Super League, to officiallyannouncethedates for our third edition. In just two years, the GSL has established itself as a truly global club competition, showcasing outstanding

ng tremendous support both

locallyandinternationally

“Lastyear’sfinal,played before a packed stadium, demonstratedthepassionfor cricket in Guyana and the strength of this tournament. FromJuly23toAugust1,we look forward to welcoming five outstanding teams to Providence once again, where they will compete fiercely for the title and a US$1 million prize purse. TheGSLisaboutexcellence, opportunityandunitingfans from around the world throughthegamewelove.”

Further details on participating teams, fixtures and ticketing information willbeannouncedshortly

Guyana’s Basketball team confirmed for Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

President Godfrey

Munroe and the

Executive Committee of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) proudly welcomed the official confirmation of Guyana’s Men’s3x3BasketballTeamforthe Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, marking a significant milestone in the continued growth and international positioning of Guyanesebasketball.

This will be the second appearanceof3x3Basketballatthe Commonwealth Games, following itssuccessfuldebutatBirmingham 2022, and represents another important step in Guyana’s integration into the global multisportecosystem.

The GOA confirms that Guyana’s qualification follows the formal submission and endorsement of the 3x3 men’s discipline by its Executive

Committee, with the decision grounded in the sport’s strong

ve trajectory, its strategic relevance w

thin the Olympic and Commonwealth sport frameworks, and Guyana’s recent performances and structured development pathway

President Munroe notes that this achievement is a testament to the dedication, planning, and hard work of the Executive Committee of the GuyanaAmateur Basketball Federation (GABF), as well as the commitment of the athletes, coaches, and administrators who continue to elevate the sport nationally

The Executive Committee of the Guyana Olympic Association extends its formal congratulations to the GuyanaAmateur Basketball Federation and all stakeholders involved, and looks forward to

supportingtheteamaspreparations advancetowardGlasgow2026.

About 3x3 Basketball at Glasgow 2026: Glasgow 2026 has confirmed the nations set to compete in the 3x3 Basketball competition, one of the most dynamic and fast-growing disciplines in the international basketball landscape. The Games, thelargestsportingeventintheUK in2026,willfeatureapproximately 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories, competing across 10 sports and six Para sports at four iconicvenuesthroughoutthecity

The3x3Basketballcompetition will be staged at the SEC Centre from 24–29 July 2026. Known for its fast-paced, half-court format, 3x3 Basketball is played by two teams of three players using a single hoop and a 12-second shot clock,ensuringconstantactionand intensity Gameslast10minutesor

endonceateamreaches21points, deliveringahigh-energy,spectatorfriendly experience that emphasises speed, skill, and athleticism.

Following its strong reception at Birmingham 2022, the 3x3 programme has expanded from eight to 12 teams per gender for Glasgow 2026, underlining the discipline’s rapid global growth andrisingappeal.

Guyana’s inclusion among the qualified nations reflects the country’s steady progress in basketball development and its continued presence on the international sporting stage as part of the Commonwealth and Olympicmovements.

Rawle Toney, Secretary General of the Guyana Basketball Federation and a FIBA 3x3 Commission Member, extended personal thanks to the Guyana

Olympic Association for their crucial support and congratulated every member of the basketball family

According to Toney: “Our men’s 3x3 team’s selection for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Gamesisahistoricachievement.It elevates Guyana on a major international stage and is a powerful endorsement of our development programs This opportunity, earned through years ofhardworkfromourathletesand dedicated planning, allows us to showcase Guyanese excellence, inspire future players, and fuel the growth of basketball at home. It also highlights the exciting role of 3x3 within global sport. We are incrediblyproudtoprepareforthis competition and are committed to representing our nation with unity and determination at the SEC Centre.”

EnglandedgetovictorytoleaveScotlandonbrink

Tom Banton’s half-century settled England’s chase. England’ (AFP/Getty Images) settled

(Cricinfo) - Englandhad another wobble but got their T20 World Cup campaign back on track with a fivewicketvictoryoverScotland in Kolkata - a result that leavestheScotsonthebrink ofagroup-stageexit.

After dismissing Scotland for 152 on a good batting pitch, England lost Phil Salt and Jos Buttler in the first two overs and were 86-4whenHarryBrookwas caughtforfour

Defeat would have had Englandfacingahumiliating early exit but Tom Banton fought his way through the tension to play the most important innings of his international career to date and secure victory with 10 ballstospare.

Hebroketheshacklesby hittingspinnerMarkWattfor consecutive sixes and finished 63 not out around contributions of 32 from JacobBethelland28bySam Curran.

Scotland’s application with the ball and in the field was admirable. They were ultimately punished for not taking advantage of the platform set by captain Richie Berrington’s 49, which had his side 113-3 in the13thover

AdilRashidovercamean expensivestarttofinishwith 3-36 for England, while an improved Jofra Archer took twowicketsinthepowerplay andfinishedwith2-23. It means England will confirm their place in the

Super 8s by beating Italy on Monday

Scotland play Nepal in their final group match on Tuesday but may have been eliminated by other results bythen.

Having been lucky to escape against Nepal and beenconvincinglybeatenby WestIndies,Englandarestill searching for a complete performance at this World Cup.

They have won World Cups before despite groups t a g e d e f e a t s b u t improvement is needed if they are to threaten the best inthistournament.

Scotland’s opening bowling consisted of Brandon McMullen and Brad Currie’s medium pace.

They found far more movement than England’s bowlersandSaltandButtler slicedcatchestotheoff-side ring for two and three respectively

T h e r e w e r e n o boundaries off the bat in the firstfourovers.

Bethell brought some calm with his patient knock butEnglandwereultimately grateful to Banton who had not lived up to his talents in h i s p r e v i o u s 3 6 internationals.

Unlike Bethell, who was caughttryingtohelpascoop over short fine leg, and Brook - dismissed in the same fashion - Banton playedstraightandasaresult looked more comfortable thananyotherbatter

Hetookonlysixfromhis first10deliveriesanddidnot hitaboundaryuntilhis11th.

Curran hit two sixes to

accelerate England towards thefinishlineandWillJacks hit the winning runs, but it was Banton who delivered when England needed him most.

Englandrecoverafter Berrington’scounter

Though Scotland’s score alwayslooked20runsbelow par, England were troubled atonestage.

They took three wickets in the powerplay, including Archerhavingthedangerous GeorgeMunseyandnumber three Brandon McMullen miscuing pulls in a lively openingspellofthreeovers, but Berrington countered impressively

Berrington, a good player of slow bowling, was particularly aggressive against England’s spinners.

He hit Rashid for two fours and a six in his second over and was the aggressor in a

partnership of 71 with Tom Bruce.

At113-3inthe13thover, 190 was Scotland’s target. Instead, the wicket of Bruce resulted in the innings slidingaway

He slog-swept Liam Dawson to deep square leg for 24 - one of six batters to wastefully pick out fielders inthedeep.

In the next over Rashid pinned the sweeping Berrington in front as England’s leg-spinner, having gone wicketless for 26runsinhisfirsttwoovers, took3-10inhissecondspell. Dawson, who took 2-34, addedthewicketofMichael Leask, also caught in the deep. Scotland’s collapse 5-14 in 3 3 overs ultimately deniedthemthe30runsthat couldhavekeptthemalivein thistournament.

Hamilton Green Cup shifted to Plaisance ground

Former national coach, Lennox Arthur has announcedthenewdatesand venue for the annual Hamilton Green Cup, which is schedule for March 1–21 at the Plaisance Ground on the East Coast of Demerara. Thetournamentissettokick off with 32 teams vying for championshiphonours.

Organisers have confirmed that the 2026 edition of the prestigious nine-a-side InterWard/Village Knockout Football Championship, dubbed the Hamilton Green Cup, will now be staged at

Plaisance instead of the previously advertised Den Amstel Community Centre Ground.

The tournament comes alive on March 1 with eight thrilling encounters. Teams such as Beavers, No. 1 All Stars, Coverden, Wash Bay Boys, Belle West Stars, Eagles, Zeeburg and Park Squad Ballers are all set to make their first appearance in what promises to be a high-octane football showcase.

Knownforfieldingsome ofthebestvillageteams,the competition continues to

spotlightablendofyouthful talent and seasoned campaigners. Matches are scheduledforMarch1and4 before moving into the round-of-16phaseonMarch 11and13.

Also competing for the crown are Pele FC, Herstelling, Uprising, Timehri United, Plaisance, Wales,BuxtonStars,Buxton United, Victoria, Mocha, Espanyol, Melanie, Haslington, Pouderoyen ‘A’ and‘B’,Uitvlugt,Liliendaal, Camptown, Mahaica, Ann’s Grove, Golden Grove and Beterverwagting(BV).

The tournament will feature a straight knockout format, culminating on March 21 when the 2026 champions will be crowned. The much-anticipated event offerswardsandvillagesthe opportunity to compete for over $900,000 in cash and prizes The winners will pocket $500,000 along with thechampionshiptrophyand hampers courtesy of Ricks andSariEnterprise.Secondandthird-placefinisherswill receive $200,000 and $100,000 respectively, with medalsandtrophiesawarded tothetopthreeteams.

LennoxArthur, Tournament Coodinator

The five-night spectacle has been made possible through the collective support of a strong pool of sponsors, ensuring a wellorganised tournament that provides players with a platform to showcase their talent. The tournament is backed by former Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Green, a stalwart in sports development initiatives

Over its more than 30-year history, the Hamilton Green Cuphasbuiltareputationfor unearthing and assembling some of the finest football talent, attracting both seasoned veterans and emergingstars.

Guided by a nine-a-side format, matches will consist of two 15-minute halves. In k e e p i n g w i t h t h e tournament’s unique style, the offside rule will not be enforced while all other FIFAruleswillapply Teams are allowed a squad of 12 players, with eight outfield

players and a goalkeeper on the field at any time. A minimum of seven players, including a goalkeeper, is required to start a match; failure to meet this requirement will result in a forfeit. Discipline will be strictly enforced, with any player receiving a red card automatically suspended for thefollowingmatch.

Among the sponsors making the event possible are Dr Linden Dodson, Aurora, G-Mining Ventures, Toolsie Persaud, Busta Soft Drink, Gafoors, E-Net, IPA, Correia and Correia, and PatrickBarton.

In addition to the prize purse, Ricks and Sari Enterprise will donate 12 hampers to the eventual champions Meanwhile, Minister of Public Works, JuanEdghill,hasdonatedthe MostValuablePlayertrophy Actiongetsunderwayon March 1, kicking off at 6:00 pmoneachplayingday

Modec Tertiary Football continues

Sealey’s hat-trick maintains LTI’s lead; Carter double earns Essequibo TI first victory -

Essequibo Technical Institute (ETI) sent a strong message in the inaugural Modec Tertiary Educational Football Tournament with a commanding 5-1 triumph over Leonora Technical and Vocational Training Centre (LTVTC) on Saturday at the Leonora Track and Field Centreground.

The contest was evenly poised in the opening exchanges. Leonora struck first intheseventhminutewhenstrikerKenard Simonfoundthebreakthroughtogivethe home side a 1-0 advantage. However, theirleadwasshort-lived.ETIresponded inthe18thminuteasDeangeloDavidson unleashed a powerful free-kick that slipped through the grasp of the Leonora goalkeeper,restoringparityat1-1.

After the interval, ETI took complete control. Momes Henry fired the visitors aheadmomentsaftertherestart,makingit 2-1.JimCarterthenturnedthegameintoa routwithtwoquickstrikesinthe50thand 51st minutes, extending the lead to 4-1. ETIcappedofftheemphaticperformance lateinthematchwhenM.Simpsonadded a fifth, sealing a comprehensive 5-1 victory Meanwhile, at Buxton Ground, spectatorsweretreatedtoadouble-header highlightedbyLindenTechnicalInstitute

(LTI) defeating Cyril Potter College of Education(CPCE)4-2inmatch#2ofthe home-and-away fixtures. Kymani Sealey starred for LTI with a superb hat-trick, ensuring his team maintained a perfect record against CPCE. Dexter Milo also contributed a lone strike as LTI secured theirsecondwinovertheirrivals.

At press time, the match between Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) versus Mahaicony Technical and Vocational Training Centre (MTVTC) had been confirmed, concluding with an 8-2 scoreline. Mahaicony beating GSA two in two to progress in the inaugural TertiaryFootballtournament.

Action in the tournament continues today at the Queen’s College Ground, where Guyana IndustrialTraining Centre (GITC) will face the University of Guyana in match number 10. In the second fixture, Texila American University will meet Government Technical Institute. Kickoff is set for 13:00hours.

The tournament is sponsored by Modec, with support from MACORP, Demerara Mutual Group, MVP Sports, BanksPowerade,theMinistryofCulture, YouthandSports,andQualityDeliverer