Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 09-03-2021

TUESDAY 9th March, 2021

' No.106295

Three new tourism circuits to be developed this year SEE PAGE 03

–– projects will further boost Guyana’s image as a travel destination

‘Break down the barriers’

–– First Lady urges Guyanese to challenge gender stereotypes

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Parliamentarians to get COVID-19 vaccines 09 PAGE

Cocaine found in bones of salted fish 08 PAGE

First Lady, Mrs. Arya Ali (front centre) and Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud (fourth left), are joined by a number of foreign diplomats as they all stand in solidarity with women, on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2021 (Saajid Husani photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Multifaceted approach to promote women’s advancement, reduce gender inequalities –– President Ali, Human Services Minister affirm COGNISANT of the pervasive challenges of gender inequality, violence and discrimination that women continue to face, President Dr. Irfaan Ali highlighted that a multifaceted approach will be taken to promote women’s advancement and reduce gender inequalities in Guyana.

On Monday, in his message on the observance of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021, the Head-ofState emphasised that this year's observances highlight the need for us to work more assiduously and purposefully to reduce gender inequalities. This focus, he explained, comes against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic which has exposed societal disparities including gender inequalities and has had a disproportionate impact on women worldwide.

“The economic slowdown and job losses due to the pandemic are expected to continue to adversely impact women, especially those employed in the tourism and hospitality sectors,” the President said, adding: “Women have also had to shoulder the burdens associated with the closure of schools and the need to make provisions for the care of their

school-aged children. These developments will only exacerbate the disadvantages to which women are subjected.”

Similarly, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) highlighted that the pandemic has indeed disproportionately impacted women. According to the IMF, women are more likely to work in industries that require face-to-face interaction, which means that they are either placed at a greater risk or there have been cutbacks on their jobs.

Additionally, the IMF noted that women are more likely to work in the informal sectors of the economy which leaves them with no protection from labour laws and no benefits, and that women engage in a greater amount of unpaid work at home, bearing the brunt of the shutdown caused by COVID-19.

To address these challenges, President Ali posited that steps must be taken to ensure that there are greater social safety nets for women and that gender inequalities can be combated. He contended that the institution of the family has an integral role to play in the empowerment and advancement of women, since stronger families are critical in providing the support women

President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud at the women’s empowerment forum held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre over the weekend (Office of the President photo)

need to thrive. And, according to him, addressing the family unit will be part of his ‘One Guyana’ initiative, which aims to advance the quality of life of all Guyanese.

“Women play an integral role in the family and are essential in the transformation of Guyana. Changing the country starts with changing communities, changing homes, and in every facet of that change, women will be involved,” President Ali posited.

But strengthening the family unit is only but one aspect of the government's plan to facilitate women’s advancement, according to the President. He highlighted that there are six underlying themes, in

total, that will be part of the Government’s efforts to facilitate women’s advancement and reduce gender inequalities. These include: greater participation of women, their empowerment, enhance their livelihood options, creating a more secure environment in which women can live, building stronger families and, ensuring that our national institutions address, in a holistic manner, the challenges of women.

“As we celebrate the tremendous strides made by our women, let us, with immediacy and urgency, work towards reducing the inequalities which disadvantage our women and deny them the dignity to which they are entitled. Let us continue to work for greater equality for women everywhere,” President Ali emphasised.

Adding to the sentiments expressed by President Ali was Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud who highlighted that the ministry is committed to working with all partners to support women and girls.

“A 914 emergency hotline for domestic violence victims was launched in 2020.

The Survivor Advocated Programme provides emotional support, crisis counselling and other support mechanisms to domestic and sexual violence victims,” she highlighted.

Dr. Persaud also added, “There will be a concentrated movement by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security to enable women to utilise their skills and talent through the Cottage Industry Initiatives moving them from dependence to independence.”

During her presentation

in the recent 2021 National budget debates, Dr. Persaud highlighted that $80 million has been directed towards the training of women, to enable them to create their own jobs and provide for themselves and their families. Moreover, the training will take place at the Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute, which will receive a ‘facelift’ to the tune of $20 million.

In addition to the training provided, this institute is expected to have the first business incubator that will be providing training in microenterprise development, improving products and skills and linkage to market opportunities, directly to women.

Beyond the training which will add to women’s economic empowerment and advancement, during her IWD message, however, Dr. Persaud contended that it was the responsibility of each person to dismantle the stereotypes and prejudice that feed the inequality between women and men.

“Because women’s issues are fundamental issues of human rights, we expect change to happen with the cooperation of men. It is time for them to accept the challenges rather than feel challenged.

Women do not become powerful beings by oppressing or disenfranchising men. Women become powerful because they understand it is their right,” she emphasised.

UNCONSCIONABLE VIOLENCE Additionally, she underscored that it is “unconscionable” that so many women experience sexual and physical violence.

“The recent horrific attacks on our women and children, including elderly women, across our country must be condemned by all, and we must collectively work to challenge the culture and attitudes in relation to violence against women. We must each resolve that violence against women will not go undetected, unreported or unpunished.”

Last November, the minister revealed that over 210,000, or three out of every five women have experienced some form of violence, either sexually or physically. And on the occasion of IWD 2021, she, once again, emphatically called on all citizens to challenge gender-based violence (GBV) and condemn all forms of violence, discrimination and harassments in public and private spheres.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Three new tourism circuits to be developed this year --projects will further boost Guyana’s image as travel destination

By Navendra Seoraj GUYANA’S ecological construct, which includes an expanse of greenery, fresh water and natural beauty, has served as an attraction for tourists from across the world, but, with the country’s true potential still being somewhat undiscovered, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce will be looking to expose this nation’s full wonders through the development of three new tourism circuits.

Being revered as the number one destination for eco-tourism in the world, the country already has a solid foundation to further build on as it moves to capitalise fully on its natural patrimony. The three new circuits will serve as a catalyst in this regard, as the targetted areas are Moruca in Region One (Barima-Waini), Essequibo and South Rupununi.

A tourist circuit is defined as a route in which at least three major tourist destinations are located so that none of these is in the same area. At the same time, they are not separated by a long distance. The circuit should have well-defined entry and exit points. A tourist who enters at the entry point should get motivated to visit all the places identified on the circuit.

The objective of having a tourist circuit is to increase the total number of visits to all the destinations on the circuit and to also provide tourists with the attractions of all the destinations located on the circuit. Attracting tourists is already within Guyana’s reach, as the country is in the spotlight on the international stage because of its oil wealth and other productive sectors.

This alone creates many opportunities for Guyana to further develop its tourism product, raise service and

infrastructure standards and, most importantly, drive socio-economic benefits to its citizens.

Already there has been increased travel to Guyana despite the pervasive novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and with the world anticipating an end to this scourge in near term, Guyana plans to lay the foundation to ensure that when the ports are reopened fully, it will be a destination of choice for adventure and leisure. The total contribution of travel and tourism to Guyana's Gross

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond

sociations by developing a comprehensive business plan, prioritising product development opportunities, hosting train the trainer programmes and creating a distinctive brand. Specific to the South Rupununi, the primary beneficiaries of the new circuit will come from 11 indigenous villages, namely Rukumuta Village, Sand Creek Village, Aishalton Village, Shulinab Village, Ariwa Village, St. Ignatious, Quarrie Village, Rupaunau Village, Maruranau Village, Masekenari Village, and Shea

An aerial view of the Rupununi (WWF photo)

Domestic Product (GDP) is estimated to be 7.8 per cent.

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, has said that the government is already partnering with regional tourism communities to improve the sector and increase its contribution to local advancement by developing niche tourism products in every Administrative Region.

This effort will be supplemented by the development of the three new circuits, as

they will create opportunities for adventure/nature-based products such as mountain biking, river rafting and a multi-sport expedition (canoeing, hiking, biking). Nature-based tourism activities also include bird-watching, wildlife spotting, photography, camping, hiking and visiting protected areas, which directly or indirectly promote/support conservation of the natural environment.

According to information from the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), adventure

travel is treated as a subset of nature-based tourism, since it embraces outdoor recreation activities that take place within the natural environment.

The overarching aim of the government, through the establishment of those circuits, is to empower communities to develop such tourism products, conduct capacity building programmes and promote their destinations.

Part of the plan too is to operationalise the Regional Destination Management Organisations/ Tourism As-

Village.

In addition, there are five private enterprises that act as anchor accommodations in the region, which employ individuals from neighbouring communities, and those are Saddle Mountain Ranch, Wichabai Ranch & Guest Houses, Waikin Ranch, Manari Ranch, Dadanawa Ranch. The current offerings in the South Rupununi primarily include hard adventure (survival experiences, trekking); soft adventure

(ATV riding, horseback riding, rafting, hiking, ranching activities); nature-based activities (birdwatching, wildlife spotting); and cultural experiences that include experiencing the vaquero and ranching lifestyle and visits to indigenous communities and cultural and heritage sites.

Similarly, the Essequibo and Moruca Circuits have been identified by the GTA as tourism areas with great potential for sustainable growth.

“We do need to create more activities, more experiences, so we are working with GO-Invest [and] GRA [Guyana Revenue Authority] to revise the tourism incentive package to encourage more businesses opening tour operations, or even putting in new activities, such as zip-lining, just so there are more things to do that are accessible and that are not expensive, especially to our Guyanese who want to go out there to explore their own country,” GTA’s Director, Carla James said in a recent report.

She noted that due to Guyana’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, the country is a pull for international tourists. While noting the importance of international tourists to Guyana, the GTA Director emphasised that this year the GTA intends to see more locals having access to Guyana’s tourism products.

One of the systems intended to improve local access to the tourism sector is the removal of taxes from the vacation allowances of persons in the private sector. Minister Walrond had said recently that increase intra-country travel is anticipated in 2021 and beyond, as the government moves to make the sector more accessible to locals.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Zeelust-Rosignol Councillors consider withdrawing resignation letters -- Minister Dharamlall believes the councillors were misled

LOCAL Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall, said that at least two of the councillors who resigned on Monday from the Zeelust-Rosignol Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) have since indicated that they are reconsidering their resignation.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Monday, Dharamlall said he was shocked to have heard, on Monday, that six councillors resigned from the NDC over a misunderstanding at the level of the Council.

“Two weeks prior there were some councillor who said that they indicate that I instructed them to move the people off the road but that is not the situation,” Minister Dharamlall explained.

On Monday, Chairman of the Zeelust-Rosignol Neigh-

bourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Chate Puran along with five of the nine councillors tendered their resignation from the West Coast Berbice Local Government.

Aside from Puran, those resigning included Deputy Chairman, Iqbal Alli; Chairman of the Market Committee, Haimwattie Persaud; Chairman of the Works Committee, Samuel Jagnandan; and councillors Agnes Karamchand and Joseph Tribhawan.

Dharamlall further explained that he did visit the market last Saturday and came to an understanding with the vendors. He said it was agreed that the vendors would move inside once the Ministry of Local Government would have completed certain remedial works on the market. Dharamlall maintained that he at no time

Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall

asked the vendors to remove with immediate effect.

“I went Saturday and we have an agreement with the people now who said as soon as the washrooms are finished building and they have

good water and sanitation in the market they will go in. So we agreed that they will go in at the end of April. That is as far as I know, so I’m surprised the people resign,” Dharamlall said.

The minister noted that only one councillor from the NDC was present during his visit on Saturday, where he was also accompanied by Regional Democratic Council Chairman, Vickchand Ramphal.

He said he was all the more surprised because his ministry has a very cordial relation with the NDC and the ministry would have facilitated a lot of community work being carried out in the NDC. Dharamlall said while the councillors have tendered their resignation, they have not officially written to him about their resignation. Nonetheless, having observed the situation, he has since reached out to some of the councillors.

“They have not written to me about their resignation.

I don’t know the reason for their resignation. I spoke with two of them today and they indicated to me that they will be willing to reconsider, because I think they were being misled,” Dharamlall explained.

The resignation letters of the councillors have been circulating on social media. One of the councillors, Iqbal Alli, thanked the Council for the opportunity to serve. Several of the other councillors say “lack of cooperation from fellow councillors” was the reason for their resignation.

Overseer Gomattie Samaroo, who received the resignation letters, declined to speak with the media.

‘Nasty man’ appeals 51-year sentence for ‘Warlock’ murder DELON Henry, called “Nasty Man”, who is currently serving 51 years’ imprisonment for the 2015 murder of Dexter Griffith at “Warlock” East Ruimveldt, has moved to the Court of Appeal to challenge his conviction and sentence.

Tuesday March 9, 2021 –– 01:30& 13:30hrs

In 2018, Henry was found guilty by a 12-member jury for the September 29, 2015, execution style killing of Griffith and was sentenced by Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court Recently, Henry, with the aid of his attorney Glen Hano-

Delon Henry called ‘Nasty Man’

man, filed an appeal to challenge his conviction and the severity of the sentence. A date has not been set for hearing.

According to reports, on the day in question, at approximately 19.30hrs, Griffith was

sitting on a chair in front of his house in East Ruimveldt when Henry went up to him with a firearm and shot him.

Griffith managed to get up and tried to run but fell into a drain and was picked up and transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where he was pronounced dead. A post-mortem report presented by Dr. Nehaul Singh said Griffith died from shock and haemorrhage due to multiple gunshot wounds.

In 2006, Henry was jailed for a series of robberies and released in 2014. He was back in court again in 2015 for his alleged involvement in Griffith’s murder.

Selected quote from Dr Cheddi Jagan "My philosophy: Very Simple - the world is big and can provide amply for all - there need not be poverty and suffering. Man is capable, given the opportunity of fantastic cultural and intellectual attainment. But first there must be an end to the system of capitalism - the system which because it is based on individual greed breeds insecurity, poverty, ignorance and suffering." 1964

Rape is rape

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 9, 2021

By Naomi Parris

THE gruesome rape of a 30-year-old woman last week brought home, graphically, the realities of sexual assault and why many victims suffer in silence. On Monday last, it was widely reported that a Venezuelan woman was raped, sodomised and beaten by a man.

The article, which was shared extensively on social media, saw many expressing their varying views, while some blamed her for the traumatic experience because of her line of work – sex work.

Many opined that the ordeal should not be categorised as ‘rape’ because of the woman’s profession.

Speaking about the incident was Miriam Edwards, the Executive Director of the Guyana Sex Work Coalition, who told the Guyana Chronicle that the stigma attached to sex work in Guyana results in women and transgender persons suffering sexual assault, abuse and discrimination.

“We all know that sex workers face a high level of stigma in society with some persons of the moral belief

that sex workers are wicked people,” Edwards said adding: “…a lot of times their basic human rights are being trampled upon.”

Women in this line of work are often dehumanised and treated with very little to no respect, and so, they become accustomed to this and often times fail to realise their human rights and their right to withdraw their consent during sexual intercourse.

VICTIM BLAMING Survivors of rape are often blamed. Questions like: “What were you wearing?

Why were you there? Why were you there so late?”

Many victims are told to remain quiet, to forget it happened and to move on with their lives.

Edwards said that there are many women and transgender sex workers who lodged complaints of assault through the coalition; however, they are never taken seriously unless much noise is made.

She noted that the most hurtful part of it all, is that often times it is other women and female police officers

who tend to degrade and discriminate against these workers who were assaulted, making remarks like: “you should look for other work” and “it good for you, that’s your job.”

ACCOUNTABILITY Meanwhile, Joel Simpson, the Co-Chairperson of the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) in Guyana, said that acts of violence meted out towards sex workers and especially those who are from the LGBTQ community are often overlooked or some-

times forgotten.

“Unfortunately, and sadly, violence against particularly transgender sex workers is a daily reality for them in their occupation and that violence is committed with a certain level of impunity and perpetrators of that violence feel justified in meting out violence against transgender and sex workers.”

He added that, while over the years the response of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has improved, when such crimes are reported, there is still much more work to be done as it relates to pro-

Two more COVID deaths GUYANA has record ed two more COVID-19 deaths, taking the overall death toll since the first case was recorded in March 2020 to 203.

The latest fatalities are two women: a 64-year-old from Region10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice), and a 69-year-old from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica),

who died on March 7 at a Ministry of Health facility.

Their demise marks the fifth and sixth deaths for March, 2021. Meanwhile, seven new cases from 259 tests were recorded; five of these were recorded in Region Four, and two were recorded in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice). No other region recorded new cases.

Eight persons are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU); 43 remain institutionally isolated; 389 are isolated at home, and 11 persons are institutionally quarantined. The total number of confirmed cases stand at 8,814, of which 451 are currently active.

All Guyanese are urged to observe the protocols of

fessionalism, respect, and in some cases, basic human decency.

However, Simpson said, “A huge part of the solution is training. What needs to happen is…sexuality and gender issues need to be part of the police training curriculum at police college because that is where they are molded and trained instead of waiting until they come out into the force.”

He explained that there is also the need for accountability, since too many times when cases of sexual harassment and discrimination are reported from the LGBTQ community and sex workers, they are swept under the rug or put on a waiting list.

“We have to have accountable systems and in Guyana our systems of accountability just don’t work.

There are bodies like the Police Complaints Authority and the Office of Professional Responsibility and so forth,” Simpson highlighted adding: “These bodies do not work efficiently. Sometimes you send a letter of complaint and you take three months before you get a response saying that the matter is going to be

-seven new cases recorded

the COVID-19 emergency measures, which emphasise the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving home, the importance of maintaining the six-foot physical distance from others, and the need for good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

If anyone you know

is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need any additional information, kindly contact the COVID-19 Hotline 2311166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit the Ministry of Health at www. health.gov.gy.

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investigated.

“Nowhere in the world could that be acceptable that somebody is reporting violence and they are getting just an acknowledgement three months later and this is our own experience working with some of these bodies.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 09, 2021

Investor confidence and sustainable growth RUNNING a smooth ship to manage the affairs of this country as government accelerates the development agenda with massive projects in the pipeline and on the go, requires a keen sense of the pulse of the people, of how the public is responding to an unfolding new Guyana. The state would want to take into consideration the social impact of the society’s steep, rapid, sudden rise, the curving up of the development chart from a slow, steady horizontal climb over the nation’s history, to this high-velocity vertical ascent of monumental upward lift now happening.

How could the average soul adjust to Guyana’s per capita GDP moving from a mere US$300 in 1992, to around US$18,000 by 2025, from a US$4 billion economy in 2021, to, according to the International Monetary Fund, a US$14 billion Caribbean and South American powerhouse by 2025?

For one, there is a fine line to walk, in balancing the needs of capital investors who, in these early days of Guyana’s meteoric rise, may expect excessively favourable treatment for their hard-cash investments, with the expectations and presupposition of ordinary folk who see their country through lenses that were honed for so long to filter their world through the rigours of a poor society.

It is not an easy thing to quickly transition up the hierarchy of progress, to rise from a state of laid-back existence as one of the poorer GDP lands in the world for

decades, to all of a sudden become, literally, the fastest-rising economy in the world. Such a transformation of pace requires a national mental shift of proportional intensity.

One of the fundamental necessities of these times is the fine management of public information across the land, which, in today’s world, is a sophisticated skills set that the state would want to cultivate and hone, both with professional training of its own staff, and with looking beyond the local pool to tap into the expertise of international experts.

National institutions, including the mass media, have learned over the years how to react to what goes on in the society, and much of that reaction becomes a kind of knee-jerk Pavlovian instinct, with a habit of distrusting government’s intention, to see some big international private sector enterprises as anti-people, and to paint a negative picture of what the public may perceive as an unknown factor, and hence, a threat. Given this learned behaviour of the public, in order to re-position the Guyanese worldview to proactively cooperate with the new dynamic and the new paradigm of a fast-rising society, it is the state’s job to bring to the national table a fresh perspective of the country. This is necessary to welcome international players on the local ground, without the public seeing them as threats to sovereignty, or here to take away from local wealth.

In other words, it is part of the governance process to refresh and reset and reboot

how Guyanese see their world, the way citizens approach the task of developing their country, of welcoming the building building-out process, of also recognising that not every time everybody would get everything right, and that government is not a god, but mere humans managing the affairs of state, and that the way to deal with challenges and issues that would inevitably arise on this amazing journey of building a world-class country, is to be positive, to care with wisdom and good sense, and to seek always to cooperate and reach out in good faith, trust, and confidence that everybody wants only the best for the Guyanese nation, that government is committed only to the welfare and prosperity and progress of Guyanese.

One example that comes to mind is the national response to ExxonMobil’s gas-flaring scenario, which is evolving into a controversial story, and could cause adversarial fallout around the oil-and-gas sector.

Government recognises that in these times, balancing the oil-and-gas sector with Guyana’s asset as a net clean climate generator is an important prerequisite to the development process. Nobody is more keenly aware of this fine balance than government, and the country has established a national plan for the natural environment to be preserved, with a strong sustainability factor built in.

However, there seems to be a faultline in communicating this commitment of the government for sustainability and preserva-

tion of the natural environment to the public consciousness. Instead, the public’s focus lasers is on the oil-and-gas sector without seeming regard for the climate agenda of the state, with a real risk that heavy, constant public criticism of the sector’s development could become so pervasive, that it would damage the viewpoint of potential investors, and even cause angst within the oil-and-gas community.

Government’s respect and love for democracy and open debate and professional public analysis and commentary is laudable and is to be encouraged, and it is also government’s job to make sure that the society is well-informed, that critics have all the facts, and that emotive, irrational, instinctive outbursts do not cause a negative impact across the still delicate investor climate in the country.

Guyana’s growth rate will outpace even China’s socioeconomic development, by more than 10 times. Such a heady, spinning rise could be disorienting to some people, and it therefore behooves government to lay out the realities of the playground, the factors that must be fitted together to balance out investor confidence and sustainable development, with a fine-tuned communications platform that secures global investor confidence in Guyana, and that underlines government’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

Late Dharamchand ‘Randy’ Depoo deserves recognition Dear Editor,

PLEASE allow some space in your next publication for our letter on the President’s thoughtful initiative of declaring the establishment of the Order of Democracy, an honour which is to be conferred on deserving candidates who fought tooth and nail to protect democracy in Guyana following the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections. It took a nerve-wracking and a heart-pounding five months of dedicated struggle, led from the front by the PPP/C and joined by many others in Guyana and around the world to defeat a ready-to- pounce dictatorship on the people of Guyana. There were notewor-

thy contributions and sacrifices by some organisations as well as many individuals.

One stand-out contributor for the preservation of democracy was the late Mr. Dharamchand “Randy” Depoo, who for many years while in the diaspora, was involved in the struggle for the return of democracy in Guyana prior to 1992. In 2020, he volunteered as an observer in the general and regional elections. Mr. Depoo came to prominence when he took it upon himself to do whatever he could to force a legitimate declaration of the election results. His petition calling for personal sanctions against all the perpetrators of electoral malpractices rapidly secured close to 7,000 signatures in just about two months. He personally

delivered a copy of his petition to the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown and also did an online delivery to the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo’s office. Sadly, Mr. Depoo passed away on June 10, 2020, just under two months shy of the legitimate swearing in of Dr. Irfaan Ali as Guyana’s ninth President.

The brave Mr Depoo, a strong and diehard believer in free and fair elections, walked the streets of Georgetown during the height of the struggle as many outspoken citizens feared for their safety. He was fearless and he inspired many to get involved in the struggle. The then recently formed Democracy Watch 2020 in Toronto was most encouraged by Mr. Deepo’s dynamism.

A number of outstanding Guyanese

support the inclusion and consideration of Mr. Depoo to be the recipient of this prestigious inaugural Order of Democracy, which we believe when carefully researched and vetted will be bestowed on anyone most deserving.

We at Democracy Watch 2020 in Toronto, strongly support Mr. Depoo’s posthumous candidacy if his name was already in the mix and wish to recommend his inclusion, if not yet submitted for consideration.

We also ask others who have indicated their support for this proposal to make their views public.

Respectfully submitted, Raj Singh for Democracy Watch 2020

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 09, 2021

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Women in Guyana have a lot to celebrate THE Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) extends warm greetings to all Guyanese, especially our women on the occasion of the 111th Anniversary of International Women’s Day (IWD). This celebration was first held in Guyana in 1957 under the auspices of then Premier Dr. Cheddi Jagan and his wife Ms. Janet Jagan, on the lawns of their official residence, the Red House. This has become a tradition not only for us in the WPO, but amongst all Guyanese. This year’s theme of the United Nations “Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 World” takes cognisance of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, which presumes that by 2030 women will be equal partners in leadership and the goal of 50/50 will become a reality.

While governments across the globe have committed themselves to the SDG Goals, there is still much to be done to ensure that these goals are met. Gender equality will only become a reality when society is prepared to confront patriarchal views that continue to keep women in subservient positions. Unfortunately, women’s rights always go to the back burner in times of crisis in the world. We recall the first and second world wars when it was impossible to talk about equality. In this COVID-19 environment, quite a lot of challenges have emerged for women, their families, and their way of life. In a matter of nine years, we have to make 50/50 a reality and the big question is whether there will be global commitment to this process.

Women have recognised that education is critical for their growth and per-

sonal development and it is not by accident that they are excelling in all areas of endeavour. More than 60% of those graduating from universities are women and they are now turning their attention to areas that were dominated by their male counterparts. There are more women today in fields of sports, medicine, law, management, finance, and engineering. This is a positive development, but the contradiction is going to be when decisions have to be made as to who will get the job. Women in Guyana and across the globe have done well at educating and empowering themselves.

They have done exceedingly well at balancing work, while raising their children and managing their homes.

This is not an easy task. The need for shared responsibility and adequate day care and childcare is important and it is something which society and governments have to consider if they are serious about gender equality. Women in Guyana have a lot to celebrate. From the time of Universal Adult Suffrage in 1953 to present, women have advanced in a variety of ways. Women have been promoted to important positions in society and this trend continues to grow. There are more than 25 pieces of progressive legislation and measures to protect women. We are indeed lucky that the successive governments of Guyana have understood the value of women in political life, and they have encouraged their participation at different levels. Women in Guyana broke the glass ceiling as early as 1953 when we had three women elected to the Legislative Council, to constitutional changes that require 1/3 of

women on electoral lists.

The list of achievements by women is commendable, but greater work is needed to remove the obstacles that are hindering their development. Domestic and sexual violence have become great concerns that need to be addressed urgently. We welcome key initiatives by the government that will help to address this pressing issue, including the establishment of a toll-free hotline to allow victims of domestic violence to report incidents and request assistance; supported by the $1 billion Spotlight Initiative, which will see government working along with stakeholders to curb gender-based violence and the proposed establishment of the court superintendent department with a cadre of lawyers to lead prosecutions in each regional division for cases of domestic violence and the Survivors Advocates Programme. In this COVID-19 environment, there are many problems facing all segments of our society. Children are unable to go to school, parents cannot work the way they used to, and many have lost their jobs and sources of incomes. These problems have only served to exacerbate the challenges faced by women. We commend the government for the 2021 Budget, which includes key measures such as: the reversal of various tax measures which will help to offer relief during this COVID-19 pandemic; various incentives that will help the economy to grow; and social safety net measures which will provide some relief to those who are living in difficult situations.

We commend the President and his Cabinet for their pro-people budget and we

know that they will continue to work hard to make Guyana a better place. We thank all Guyanese, including the dedicated and committed women, who worked hard to ensure that our democracy was not derailed.

We thank these women for their sacrifices and for putting country first. At this time, we recall our former

President of Guyana and founder of the WPO and PPP, Cde Janet Jagan as we recently observed her 100th birth anniversary.

We also wish to thank our stalwarts like Philomena Sahoye-Shury, Shirley Edwards, Patricia Benn and the late Sabra Bashir and Jameran Mohamed for their contributions to

the WPO. We thank the membership of the WPO in all 10 regions of Guyana for their steadfastness and their continued support and commitment. Happy International Women’s Day. Yours sincerely, Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Cocaine found in bones of salted fish …on flight destined to Miami; six arrested

RANKS of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) have arrested six persons in connection with the discovery of cocaine hidden in the bones of salted fish on a flight at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, East Bank Demerara, on Monday.

A statement from CANU noted that the cocaine was found at a cargo shed at the CJIA for a flight destined for Miami, United States of America (USA). According to CANU, ranks discovered 280 pieces of plastic-wrapped, pencilshaped parcels hidden in the bones of salted fish intended for export.

It weighed 3.304 kilograms (7 lbs). Six persons have been arrested in connection with the discovery.

The cocaine was found concealed in the bones of salted fish (CANU photos)

Over 360,000 take filaria pills –– distribution ongoing in eight regions

By Vishani Ragobeer AS Guyana aims to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (LF)--commonly called filaria--as a public health issue this year, some 363,932 persons across Regions Three, Four, Six and 10 have already taken their pills.

On Monday, during his daily health update with the

Department of Public Information (DPI), Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony related that the Mass Drug Administration campaign (MDA) to eliminate filaria got underway in Regions One, Two, Five and Seven on the same day. The commencement of the MDA in these four regions adds to the MDA that has already commenced in Regions

Three, Four, Six and 10.

And, in these four regions so far, the 360,000 plus persons took their tablets.

“As of [Sunday], we have 363,932 persons who took the tablets, so that's really good and with the four new regions coming on board, we expect to take that number quite high,” Dr. Anthony highlighted.

As per this MDA, per-

sons are required to take varying amounts of three tablets: the Diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC), Albendazole (ALB) and Ivermectin (IVM) – to sterilise and kill the worms that cause filaria. The number of pills one has to consume is calculated on one’s height.

Someone taller than 160 centimetres, for example, is required to take nine pills -the maximum number.

For this MDA, the health authorities have trained 1,400 pill distributors. Some 170 field officers, 20 regional coordinators and eight national supervisors, spanning about 130 health facilities across the country. Since the country achieved successful coverage in prior rounds of the MDA, this year’s distribution of the pills should be the last, as long as enough citizens take their pills over the next few weeks.

According to Minister Anthony, at the launch of this year’s MDA, more than 90 per cent of the population is at risk for filaria. Additionally, with the exception of Regions Eight and Nine, all the other regions are endemic for the disease.

Filaria, according to the World Health Organisation

Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony taking his filaria pills last month

(WHO), affects the body’s lymphatic system, which functions to remove unwanted fluids from the body and transports ‘lymph’-- a fluid which contains white blood cells that help to fight infections. It is caused by bancrofti worms and is transmitted by culex mosquitoes.

Importantly, if someone is infected with filaria, they may develop chronic conditions, resulting in swelling of the legs and scrotum. Locally, the swelling of tissues

in the leg is called ‘big foot,’ while scrotal swelling is termed ‘goadie.’ There is no cure for filaria, which means that these chronic manifestations are irreversible.

In addition to these chronic conditions, persons may be unable to work and provide for themselves, thereby resulting in adverse economic implications. There is also stigmatisation of those infected.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Parliamentarians to get COVID-19 vaccines

Members of Parliament at a recent sitting of the National Assembly at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (DPI photo)

SINCE there have been requests for parliamentarians to take the COVID-19 vaccines, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony says that interested MPs will re-

ceive their vaccines during the current rollout of the immunisation programme.

On Sunday, 80,000 Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines were received from India,

while 20,000 Sinopharm vaccines were received from China last week. These 100,000 doses, which will be used to vaccinate 50,000 persons since the vaccines

Police Force denies claims of selective enforcement of COVID-19 regulations, harassment THE Guyana Police Force (GPF), on Monday, denied claims that it had been selectively enforcing the COVID-19 regulations against certain businesses, and that those businesses are subjected to harassment by ranks.

The force issued a statement in response to claims made by Chairman of the Giftland Group, Roy Beepat, who, on Sunday, alleged that “the Giftland Group has been subjected to unprecedented selective enforcement of laws and regulations and even harassment by the Guyana Police Force and other regulatory agencies”.

Beepat in a statement noted that on Saturday night last, members of the GPF visited the premises of the Giftland Mall and made “unethical demands” which were refused. Subsequently, the police ranks proceeded to arrest three persons, one each from the Temp, the Boardroom and the Level Restaurants, which he noted were all closed at 21:00hrs.

“We must emphasise that none of these concessions were in breach of any Laws or regulation. This was just vindictive and spitefully done by abuse of power by the Turkeyen Sergeant operating under the Divisional Commander,” Beepat wrote.

The GPF in its statement, however, noted that given

Chairman of the Giftland Group, Roy Beepat

the COVID-19 regulations allow for restaurants to operate until 21:30hrs daily; enforcement of those regulations commence after that prescribed time. It was explained that, on Saturday, ranks of the GPF visited the Giftland Mall at approximately 22:10hrs where it was observed that certain bars were still open for business and playing music.

“The Force is not aware of any unethical demands being made by any rank and which was refused; however, three owners of bars that were still open were arrested and the bars closed down.

They have been released on bail and are due for court on Tuesday next,” the statement noted.

“It is apt to note that owners of bars in the night spot area had been warned by the

police during the previous night of Friday, March 05, 2021, after they were found still being opened after the closing time of 21:30hrs,” the statement added.

Beepat has also alleged that his business was being targetted while other hotels and nightclubs remained open until the wee hours of the morning.

The GPF noted that enforcement of the COVID-19 regulations is being conducted in a professional and impartial manner throughout the country; “one that has nothing at all to do with racial prejudice, corruption or political favoritism as expressed by Roy Beepat”.

The GPF is appealing to citizens to adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines and to report errant establishments to the 911 hotline.

are given in two doses, marks a larger vaccination rollout.

And as part of this rollout, on Monday, the Health Minister highlighted, “We have had some requests for parliamentarians to take the vaccine, and we are going to consider that during this current round, because there are not many parliamentarians, and we think that we’d be able to cover them.”

He, however, said subsequently, “Those parliamentarians who would be interested in getting their vaccines, we’ll make those vaccines available in this round.”

Previously, Guyana had received a smaller tranche of

3,000 doses from Barbados, and began its vaccination rollout by immunising the most at-risk population, these being its frontline healthcare workers. Many persons, however, have been hesitant to take these vaccines, since they were concerned about the short period over which these vaccines were developed (less than one year), what side effects they may have, and how long into the future immunity would last.

Additionally, many persons on social media have been calling for Guyanese government ministers to take the vaccines first, so that the population would be able to trust the safety and effec-

tiveness of them. Previously, Minister Anthony had noted that he would not take the vaccines as yet, since he is not considered a frontline worker, and is not exposed to such a high degree of risk.

He has, however, given the assurance that the vaccines are safe, and effective tools to help prevent persons from becoming infected with the more severe forms of the novel coronavirus.

“Both vaccines are very effective, and we are going to distribute it to all the regions, so that people would be able to get them,” he underscored on Monday.

(Vishani Ragobeer)

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Stiff penalties for ‘jumping the line’ for COVID vaccine --Health Minister warns

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine currently being distributed in Guyana

By Vishani Ragobeer THERE is a phased approach to the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, which has a focus on immunising the most at-risk persons first, and according to Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, anyone found “jumping the line” will face stiff penalties.

Following the acquisition of 80,000 Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines from India on Sunday, and another 20,000 Sinopharm vaccines from China last week, Guyana has 100,000 newer vaccines to roll out. Since these vaccines are given in two doses, this means that 50,000 persons can be vaccinated and protected from the severe effects of COVID-19. As per the phased approach to Guyana’s rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, frontline healthcare workers will continue to receive theirs, while the next persons in line for vaccines will be elderly persons over the age of 60, followed by persons with co-morbidities (other underlying health conditions such as diabetes).

“With these 50,000 people that we will be immunising, we will require stricter documentation; we will be asking people to walk with their ID cards, so that we can verify who they are, and take the relevant information,” Dr. Anthony said on Monday.

He, however, hastened to add, “If there are persons who are jumping the queue, and we discover them, then they are going to face stiff penalties, because we don’t want people to jump the queue.”

The minister’s statements follow the recent revelation that a local city businessman received a dose of Ox-

ford-AstraZeneca vaccine at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), though these vaccines were only being given to frontline healthcare workers at the time.

Previously, Minister Anthony had highlighted that the “leakage” of the vaccine dose is “a total breach of protocols.” He’d also highlighted that an investigation into the matter had been launched, with the aim of uncovering how this breach occurred, and how the vaccine administration processes can be strengthened to prevent similar occurrences.

In accordance with the phased approach of vaccination, other essential workers, such as teachers, will receive their vaccines after the aforementioned groups.

Dr Anthony noted that in the second phase of the vaccination rollout, elderly persons 50 years and above, and members of the Joint Services will receive their vaccines, while in Phase Three, all persons 18 years and older will receive theirs.

During Phase Four, the last phase, children will receive their vaccines. Children are scheduled to receive vaccines last, since none of the vaccines currently available can immunise them, and trials are still being done.

“We want to ensure that we are able to prioritise these vaccines to people who need them the most, and who are most at risk,” the Health Minister emphasised, adding: “Eventually, we’ll get vaccines for everyone in the country, but at this stage, as we only have a limited amount of 100,000 doses now, we want to ensure that we give it to the right priority groups.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Guyana would share vaccines with Caribbean countries if need arises –– CARPHA head hails regional solidarity during pandemic

(Flashback) Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony (second right) and Chief Medical Officer, Dr Narine Singh, collect the vaccines, donated by Barbados to Guyana, at the Ogle Airport, on the East Coast of Demerara (Adrian Narine photo)

By Vishani Ragobeer THOUGH there have not been any requests from Guyana’s Caribbean sister states, Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, has assured that Guyana would examine how it can help those countries with the immunisation of their populations, in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

On Sunday, Guyana received 80,000 doses of the ‘Covishield’ Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from India; this donation adds to the 20,000 Sinopharm vaccines donated by China and the 3,000 donated by Barbados, which means that Guyana has had 103,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines so far.

Since these vaccines are given in two doses, this means that 51,500 persons would get vaccinated. Frontline healthcare workers have been given the first priority for vaccines; the elderly, members of the joint services and teachers are next in line to receive vaccines. When asked by the Guyana Chronicle whether Guyana plans to share any of its vaccines with other Caribbean countries, the Health Minister said, “That is something that we can certainly look at but at this moment we haven’t had any requests.”

He noted that, in addition to the donation made to Guyana, India has plans to

donate 570,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to the Caribbean. Since a substantial amount of those donations have already been given to several countries, the Health Minister explained that many of the countries in the region would have received some amount of vaccines to start their immunisation programme.

He also noted that through the COVAX facility, countries will be getting their vaccines soon. COVAX is the global initiative which is geared at accelerating the development and manufacturing of the COVID-19 vaccines, and then providing them in a guaranteed rapid, fair and equitable manner.

“Countries in the region would be getting vaccines; it might not be enough for them to immunise their entire population but certainly for the people who are at risk, they will have vaccines,” Dr. Anthony stated, but added that if there is anyway Guyana can lend its assistance, the country will examine that.

It is important to note that Guyana started its vaccination rollout after Barbados donated 3,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to Guyana from its own donation received from India. In a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Executive Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA),

Dr. Joy St John, noted that the Caribbean was strategic in how it secured vaccines and then rolled those out before the arrival of the vaccines from COVAX. “Dominica and Barbados were the first to get big donations from Prime Minister (of India) Narendra Modi, and what they did is that they shared some of their tranches to make sure that other countries in the region have access and could at least immunise the most vulnerable, or the most at risk because of healthcare workers, the frontliners,” Dr. St. John said.

The sharing of vaccines, dubbed Caribbean vaccine solidarity, allowed Caribbean countries to evaluate how ready their local health systems were for the rollout of vaccines, before the larger batches from COVAX arrived. Dr. St. John also noted that there has been this solidarity among the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) also.

“I think the solidarity is just building on the solidarity which would have been in place since the beginning of last year,” the CARPHA Head noted, commending how Caribbean countries have joined hands to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 across the region.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 9, 2021

‘Don’t be led, be leaders’ –Region Two Chairperson tells women at International Women’s Day celebration

By: Indrawattie Natram REGION Two Chairperson Vilma De Silva has urged women residing in the Pomeroon-Supenaam region to not to be led by society, but to strive to become leaders.

She was at the time delivering opening remarks at the region’s International Women’s Day celebration, which was hosted by the region’s Women and Gender Committee on Monday morning at the regional State House.

Speaking to women who hailed from various agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), De Silva said women should never feel inferior for their efforts.

Noting that the theme for this year’s observance, “Choose to Challenge” was very appro-

priate, she encouraged women to challenge themselves daily.

“We as [sic] strong.

Women in leadership love to challenge. We should no time feel that there is nothing that we cannot do or achieve because of our gender,” De Silva remarked.

She further explained to the audience that women have the responsibility to make the kind of transformation they want to see happen in the region, and therefore complimented the Women and Gender Committee for organising the programme so that women can interact and socialise on this important day.

“Despite we may have differences politically, race or religiously, that doesn’t debar us from making the changes that we would like to see in our community and

as women, we need to cheer each other on [and] never pull down other women. We must never feel defeated,” De Silva further highlighted.

Chairperson of the Women and Gender Committee Verina Rasheed, said the committee aims to respond to issues affecting women, men, and children by taking the necessary action and making referrals.

She emphasised that the committee addresses the needs of both genders. The members of the committee are representatives from several agencies which include the Women and Gender Equality Commission, NGO Blossom Inc, the Guyana Police Force’s Sex Crimes Unit and the Child Care and Protection Agency. Hinterland communities were also represented.

Region Two Chairperson Vilma De Silva addressing the audience

Chairperson of the Women and Gender Committee, Verina Rasheed.

Some of the women who attended the International Women’s Day celebration

A member of the Khandiya Dance Troupe performing a dance

Rasheed said that society is slowly changing and outlined that more women are being empowered and are also being educated. She said that the committee will work assiduously to empower more women to eliminate all inequalities and promote gender impartiality.

“More women will stop being afraid, more women will soar alongside males and a nation that embraces this will be unstoppable. Let us make Guyana such a nation,” Rasheed said.

She used the opportunity to challenge women to use their values, their efforts, skills, time, and self-love (VEST) to make their worth vivid. She urged them to learn new things, build new businesses, get more friends, share their experiences and expand their cooking, gardening and

artistic skills.

“Use VESTS to create your economic independence and boost your self-esteem by making your own decisions and owning the experience, and [I] challenge you to make one other woman love and enrich herself,” Rasheed said.

Meanwhile, Regional Executive Officer (REO) Devanand Ramdatt in his remarks noted that there is something special about women. He described them as “the backbone of any nation.”

He commended the efforts of the Women and Gender Committee in organising the event and also pledged the Regional Democratic Council’s support in the future.

Ramdatt said that it is important that women become more responsible in creating and cultivating positive lifestyles. He, therefore, called

on the committee to host more awareness programmes geared at enhancing the livelihoods of women in the region.

“When our mothers fail, family fail,” Ramdatt said.

He used the opportunity to wish all women the best for the day and said that the RDC will continue to work in their best interests.

The programme featured presentations in the form of poetry, songs and reflections, which were done by women. Also in attendance were Member of Parliament (MP) Yvonne Pearson; former Regional Vice Chairperson, Juliet Coonjah; the Prime Minister’s representative, Arnold Adams, and Region Two Vice-Chairman, Humace Odit.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 9, 2021

GuySuCo records best production ‘day’ in five years PRODUCTIVITY in Guyana’s sugar industry is improving incrementally, with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) reporting that the three producing estates, Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt, collectively produced 654.3 metric tonnes of sugar, the highest in a single day since the downsizing of the industry by the previous A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition administration.

The sugar corporation, in a statement provided to the Guyana Chronicle, said this is an indication that all resources expended so far are contributing significantly to the improvement of the sugar industry, as was seen on March 3, when the industry recorded its highest production day. Increased productivity and better yields are a result of critical investments in machines

such as bell loaders, among other things, which have been utilised at the producing estates for semi-mechanical and mechanical harvesting.

“We have expended key investments into the three factories at Uitvlugt, Albion and Blairmont over the last four months thanks to the $3 billion provided by the government,” GuySuCo said.

In 2017, the former APNU+AFC Coalition Government had announced the closure of several sugar estates across the country. The move saw four sugar estates being closed, and 7,000 sugar workers losing their jobs.

Plans are afoot to not just rehire persons, but to return this industry to viability through coordinated and prudent management, which is expected to come from both private and public stakeholders.

In 2020, the corporation was allocated a sum of $7

A bell loader harvesting sugar cane

billion; $3 billion was used to recapitalise the Rose Hall, Skeldon, and Enmore sugar estates while the remaining $4 billion was allocated to support rehabilitation works at the Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion sugar estates. A further $2 billion was included in Budget 2021 for capital works to be carried out at the

various sugar estates across the country.

Cognisant of the fact that a diversion from the traditional bulk production of sugar is needed if the ailing industry is to recover and regain its vitality and position as a contributor to economic growth, the government has already initiated plans to ensure that by

2025, 61 per cent of industry sales come from value-added products.

Instead of being a liability to the National Treasury, the industry will soon be able to “stand on its own,” through the implementation of innovative mechanisms, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, was reported as saying.

“In 2020, some 29 per cent of the industry’s sales were from the higher value packaged sugar. In 2021, we anticipate this will grow to some 39 per cent,” Minister Mustapha had said.

The overarching plan, however, is to ensure that a minimum of 61 per cent of the sales from the industry are generated from the value-added, packaged sugar line in four years.

“In 2021, the plan is to expand and further develop feasibility studies which support GuySuCo’s value-add-

ed potentials, including but not limited to ethanol and agro-energy,” Minister Mustapha had said.

The corporation has since set a target to produce approximately 97,420 metric tonnes of sugar by year-end and breathe new life into the country’s sugar industry. Ahead of what is expected to be a productive year for the industry, GuySuCo has secured an increase of US$30 per metric tonne for sugar from Trinidad and Tobago and has signed a one-year agreement with Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), which offers a much higher price for molasses.

Activist calls for decriminalisation of sex work

Miriam Edwards

THE recent acts of violence and sexual harassment meted out to sex workers in Guyana have heightened the call for the relevant authorities and lawmakers to revisit legislation regarding sex work and prostitution.

Issuing this call was Miriam Edwards, the Executive Director of the Guyana Sex Work Coalition (GSWC), who, during an exclusive interview with this publication last week stated that, while sex work in Guyana is widespread and nothing new to society, it is still illegal.

Edwards, further stated that it is the law which still criminalises this occupation that is enabling acts of violence.

“There is still a high level of stigma meted out to these women who ply their trade at night and people need to understand that they need to treat them as human beings because these persons are mothers, they’re aunts, they’re sisters, and they have responsibilities to take care of. They have their families,” Edwards said.

She added: “We are crying out for better to be done in terms of these women accessing services, whether it’s

healthcare, whether it’s police, whether it’s anybody in society to treat these women better.”

Edwards suggested that Guyana, like several other countries should develop red light districts to provide safe spaces for sex workers.

“We are calling out for the decriminalisation of sex work.

If they want to do like Europe or England where they have these red light districts they can do that. Sex workers are willing to pay their taxes.”

She added that sex work is known as one of the oldest occupations in the world and society sooner rather than later, should consider it to be like any other job.

“It’s the oldest profession.

I born and met sex work. My mother who is 75 years old born and met sex work, so it is not now people create sex work. But in Guyana, because of the laws surrounding sex work, the laws that are surrounding prostitution are what is causing this high level of stigma against these women.

Edwards said that there are many sex workers who have lodged complaints of assault through the coalition. However, it is never taken seriously unless much noise is made or they are often given a “run around” before justice is served or a perpetrator is arrested.

She noted that the most hurtful part of it all is that, often times, it is other women and female police officers who tend to degrade and discriminate against these workers who were assaulted, saying things like “you should look for other work” and “it good for you, that’s your job.”

In observance of International Women’s Day, the Guyana Chronicle on Monday celebrated its women by treating them with wine and cake. In this photo, General Manager Moshamie Ramotar interacts with the female staff, encouraging them to continue breaking the ‘glass ceiling’ (Adrian Narine photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 9, 2021

‘Break down the barriers’ –– First Lady urges Guyanese to challenge gender stereotypes IN observance of International Women’s Day, First Lady Mrs. Arya Ali is urging Guyanese to defy the norms of society and challenge gender stereotypes and biases in keeping with this year’s theme, “Choose to Challenge”.

The First Lady, in her International Women’s Day Message, highlighted that in the 21st Century, women are still being underappreciated in their jobs and homes.

She reiterated that women have proven time after time that they can break through barriers, and do a man’s job just as good as or even better than he, however, women are still not treated fairly, and are not given the same dues and respect a man would receive in the world of work.

“In the workplace, many women are held back simply because they are women; asking for a promotion is seen as being too ambitious, even pompous,” First Lady Ali said, adding: “Many women have risen to become the CEO and leaders of large

First Lady, Mrs. Arya Ali with her message on challenging gender stereotypes on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2021 (Saajid Husani photo)

and small companies; many of our women and girls have taken on roles once held only by men, to the point that in Guyana, we now have a female pilot in the Army, and many of our girls have taken on jobs in the oil-and -gas industry.”

The First Lady highlighted that women deserve to be treated fairly, but gender stereotypes and biases tend to get in the way of that.

“I want to challenge that stereotype and bias; promotions should be based not on gender, but on ability and experience,” she said, adding: “The pay one receives should

be based on their work, not on whether they are man or woman. Let’s give women their due!”

‘IT’S 50/50!’

The First Lady noted that for many years, women have been seen as housewives and the sole caretaker of the home and children, due to the historic and cultural stereotypes imposed on them over the decades.

She said that taking care of one’s home and family life should not be just a woman’s job, but should be distributed equally with a man.

“In the home,” she said,

“a genuine complaint is that husbands fail to recognise or even acknowledge the work that us wives and mothers do; and husbands generally fail to do their fair share.

Sadly, this is because of historic and cultural stereotypes against women. I want to challenge that! Husbands, the home is not a place you just walk in to fill up; it’s not a gas station!”

She added, “There is absolutely nothing wrong for men to do the dishes, wash clothes, or clean the house.

A husband should respect his wife’s intelligence and experience; he should also understand her needs as a woman, wife, and mother.

He needs to understand her physical, emotional, psychological, and sexual needs and meet them.”

PROGRESS The First Lady further stated that while there is much more work to be done, there has been some progress over the years, with Guyana being the first country in the Caribbean to have a female president, and to date have a government with its Cabinet seats filled with remarkable women of diverse backgrounds.

“Let us rejoice at what has been accomplished thus far, but let us break down the barriers; the stereotypes and the bias that still affect many, many of our women and girls,” the First Lady said, adding: “Our women want the same thing men do: A decent living, a rewarding personal and family life, and a chance to make a difference in their communities, our country and the world. Let’s give them that life! Let’s all challenge stereotypes and bias!”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 9, 2021

GBTI recognises women –– CEO says a gender-balanced Guyana is ‘better for all of us’

Jake Thomas, Senior Trade Commissioner, High Commissioner of Canada to Guyana and Suriname signs his pledge

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), James Foster, makes his pledge at the ‘I Love Guyana’ sign

tic and gender-based violence, discrimination, lack of career training, small business support, and affordable child-care.

We are well aware that there is a long way to go to achieve gender parity,” he said.

He added, “We remain

Staff of the GBTI and other officials at the ‘I Love Guyana’ sign to mark International Women’s Day

CHIEF Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), James Foster, has embraced International Women’s Day by noting: “A gender-balanced Guyana is a better Guyana not just for women but for all of us.”

The CEO (ag) made the comments at a ceremony to mark International Women’s Day at the ‘I Love Guyana Monument’ in Kingston, Georgetown, organised by GBTI, Impressions and the High Commission of Canada to Guyana.

Foster emphasised former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s call: “Women themselves have the right to live in dignity, in freedom from want and freedom from fear.

On this International Women’s Day, let us rededicate ourselves to making that a reality.”

He also quoted UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ saying, “Only through the equal participation of women can we

benefit from the intelligence, experience and insights of all of humanity.”

The letters of Guyana were replaced by an International Women’s Day backdrop to allow persons to sign their pledges in support of the 2021 IWD Campaign #ChooseToChallenge. Impressions Marketing Manager, Debbie Persaud, said that while women leaders fought assiduously to pave the way for better lives for women, there remains many women in Guyana and around the world who have little or no rights and who face extreme difficulties in their every day lives.

International Women’s Day can be seen as “bitter-sweet” she said, referencing what remains dominant horrific stories in our media of women being abused, some killed, decimating families and traumatising children.

“The fact that this continues in this modern world, speaks to the fact that there is still much to be done to ensure that our

women, who are our mothers, our wives, our daughters, our sisters, are protected and no longer taken for granted.

Indeed, we can do better; we must do better, for it’s our collective responsibility to show love and respect and to ensure the safety of our women. It is our collective responsibility to ensure our women are not seen as property,” she emphasised.

Jake Thomas, Senior Trade Commissioner, High Commissioner of Canada to Guyana and Suriname, acknowledged that much progress has been made over the years, but he agreed that there is much more to be done. He emphasised his government’s lead role on the world stage in promoting empowerment and the full participation of women and girls in all aspects of society.

“Challenges remain and much work needs to be done especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, we are grappling with women’s issues such as protection from domes-

steadfast in our defence of their rights, both in Canada and abroad. Overwhelming evidence shows that investing in gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls act as a force multiplier on both development and commercial

objectives.

“For instance, eliminating gender-based legal and social barriers results in women having increased access to capital, more opportunities to start businesses, abilities to create or secure decent jobs and then downstream investing in their families and their communities.

It has also been proven that when women are equal players in the work force, economies grow. It is simple - closing gender gaps in the workforce is good for business– and GBTI clearly recognises this.”

He lauded the efforts of GBTI in recognising women through Monday’s activity and as a pillar in the business community in Guyana, which is also indicative of the bank’s commitment to women’s empowerment and gender equality. The sign will remain in place to the end of March to encourage members of the public to also make their pledges.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 09, 2021

Archibald impresses, misses qualifying standard JUNE 29 of this year still remains the deadline for the Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympics, as the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) continues to try its best to allow athletes a chance to make the cut for the games.

On Sunday, the Association hosted its second track and field meet of the year at the Leonora Track and Field Facility, and again, under the pandemic’s parameters, there had to be a select amount of events contested.

Emanuel Archibald once again was impressive with his performances but narrowly missed the qualification time and distance for his events.

In the Men’s 100m, he clocked a blistering time of 10.24s and, unfortunately, missed the qualifying standard of 10.05s. When the Men’s Long Jump was contested, Archibald’s win was easily assured with an attempt of 8.07, just short of the qualifying standard of 8.22m.

Three weeks ago, Archibald made his first attempt of the year after the Association was finally given the chance to host a competition after the hiatus. Then, he clocked an impressive 10.21s in the Men’s 100m and leaped to 8.10m, just shy of the National

Record he set at 8.12m.

Archibald’s approach has been quite positive with four months remaining before the qualifying process ends. For him to achieve these feats, it means that new National Records will be set in both the Men’s 100m and Long Jump, since the qualifying standards exceed the best the nation has produced. Adam Harris holds the Country’s 100m record with a time of 10.12s.

That also applies to another of Guyana’s potential Olympic participant, Leslain Baird, who currently holds the National Javelin record of 78.65m. The qualifying standard for the Olympic Men’s Javelin throw is 85m.

However, On Sunday, while attempting his second of three attempts, he sustained a leg injury which caused him to be transported to the hospital for further analysis. His first attempt missed his personal record by close to 4m.

Meanwhile, the AAG can marvel at hosting yet another successful track meet under the COVID-19 guidelines and they will continue to produce opportunities for their athletes in this pressing time.

GFF celebrates International Women’s Day with Call for Change

THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) commemorates International Women’s Day (IWD) with a challenge to society to change the way it perceives and treats women, and by issuing a call for more girls and women to participate in football.

Observed on March 8th, IWD gives an opportunity for communities to honour the social, economic, cultural, and political accomplishments of women around the world. This year’s theme is “choose to challenge”, with a special focus on calling out gender bias and inequality, celebrating women’s achievements and working together to create an inclusive world.

“International Women’s Day brings awareness to the achievements of women across the globe without regard for race, religion, culture, language or anything that divides us,” said GFF Third Vice-President and attorney-at-law, Thandi McAllister, adding that her wish for IWD was “a cure for misogyny”.

“Having established that the contributions of women are indeed invaluable, I’m happy that there is a day set aside for the acknowledgement and celebration of women and their everyday sacrifices, contributions and achievements in every sector,” McAllister, who serves on the Caribbean Football Union Legal Committee, said.

“Men are not the competition,” she said. “Yes, they may have set standards for the game, but not yours, for their own game. You’re entitled to play like a girl, win, lose or draw -just play.” Andrea Johnson, President of the Guyana National Women’s Football Association, said “one woman can make a difference, but together we can rock the world.”

“I am grateful to be a woman. I must have done something great in another life,” she said. “Feminism isn’t about making a woman stronger; women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, ‘No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

“It is the vision that men and women should be treated equally

in social, economic and all other aspects of society, and not to be discriminated against because of gender,” she added. As part of its observance, the GFF has also produced a series of video interviews with young female footballers aimed at encouraging more girls and women to participate in the sport.

Under-20 and Under-17 international midfielder, Shamya Daniels, stars in one of the videos which were shared on the GFF’s social media channels on Monday – a day dedicated to women’s football.

“Any sport you play – it’s not just a game that men only can play; women can go out there and prove everyone else wrong,” Daniels said. “I would like to encourage all the young girls and women out there to come out and play the sport and just enjoy it while you do it.”

This year, the Senior Women’s National Team is scheduled to take part in FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers in October and November, while the U20 team participates in Concacaf U-20 Women’s Championship qualifiers in September and the U-17s compete in the Concacaf U-17 Women’s Championship in August. The GFF will also host its U-15 squad in a camp to prepare for regional competition next year.

Depending on the COVID-19 pandemic and approvals from the authorities, the GFF has approved the following domestic women’s football activities this year: the GFF-Always Women’s Development League, the Rupununi Women’s League, a Regional Association women’s development tournament, and Regional Association girls’ football development festivals.

The Federation is also planning a series of school pilot projects, including a U-15 tournament in West Demerara, a U-13 tournament in Upper Demerara, and U-11 and U-9 tournaments in the East Bank/Georgetown region. Once successfully completed, these tournament models would be expanded to other regions.

Guyana will be highest-ranked team in El Salvador at FIBA World Cup Qualifiers

GUYANA will be the highest-ranked team in El Salvador, when they travel to the Central American country to compete in the first round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup - Americas Pre-Qualifier in the city of San Salvador.

The competition dates have also been confirmed for April 14-18.

The competition schedule has been adjusted to allow for the completion of the FIBA Basketball Champions League Americas (BCLA) and to allow National Federations to field their best teams to participate in the first round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup - Americas Pre-Qualifier.

Guyana, ranked 100 in the latest FIBA World Rankings presented by Nike, is grouped with host El Salvador (133), along with Nicaragua (116) and Costa Rica (106) in the Round Robin-formatted tournament, that will see the top three teams advancing to the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup - Americas Pre-Qualifier in July 2021.

FIBA Americas Regional Office has provided the Guyana Basketball Federation (GABF) a comprehensive package outlining the requirements and deadlines for completing and uploading the required documents into the competition portal including the Eligibility of Players, Preliminary Delegation List (maximum of 24), Team Doctor, Covid-19 Compliance Team Official, Pre-Travel PCR Test Results and Uniform Artwork, to name a few.

Basketball’s global governing body has also communicated that at FIBA’s discretion, doping checks can be performed at any of the venues of the event, whether at competition venue, training venues or hotel, during competition time.

Guyana, according to a release from the GABF, must comply with any anti-doping officer, according to Article 2 of the FIBA Internal Regulations, Book Four that oversee Anti-Doping Rule Violations.

The GABF said their players are mandated to complete the WADA Whereabouts form

as mandated by the GABF and the Guyana Olympic Associ-

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 09, 2021

25

Muhammad Ali v Joe Frazier, 50 years on: The untold story of the fight that shaped boxing

ITS global appeal was so wide that it was billed as simply: ‘The Fight’. Yet 50 years on from the first of the Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier mega-bouts, details from the two icons’ bitter dispute continue to compel generations of fans.

The vast scale of their undisputed heavyweight title fight on March 8, 1971, which Frazier won by unanimous decision, remains one of the most important moments in boxing history.

When Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury get their £100 million payday, they will have ‘The Fight’ to thank. Both undefeated and in their prime, Ali and Frazier were the sporting giants of their day. With the purse of an unheard of $5m, being heavyweight champion of the world really was the richest prize in sport.

But the untold story which forms the backdrop for the bitter dispute between the two icons - more so on the part of Frazier - is a much more complex affair. Fans would pick a side based on their views on the Vietnam War while the relationship between the two titans would never recover.

Jerry Izenberg, now 90, and then a sports reporter in New York, takes up the story.

“It’s kind of an amazing thing.

There was a lot of tension which I really didn’t understand until much later,” he told Telegraph Sport.

Ali, returning from a three-year ban for failing to sign up for the Vietnam War draft, was 26-0 with

23 knockouts, Frazier was 31-0, with 25 knockouts. Frazier held all the belts; Ali was considered by The Ring magazine as the No 1 in the division.

Their first meeting was played out to a backdrop of extreme political and civil unrest which can be hard to comprehend even now. Frazier had actively helped out Ali while he was banned from fighting for three years because he had refused to sign up for the Vietnam War draft.

On April 28, 1967, with the United States at war in Vietnam, Ali refused to be inducted into the armed forces, saying: “I ain’t got no quarrel with those Their first meeting was played out to a backdrop of extreme political and civil unrest which can be hard to comprehend even now. Frazier had actively helped out Ali while he was banned from fighting for three years because he had refused to sign up for the Vietnam War draft.

On April 28, 1967, with the United States at war in Vietnam, Ali refused to be inducted into the armed forces, saying: “I ain’t got no quarrel with those Vietcong”. Two months later, Ali was convicted of draft evasion, sentenced to five years in prison, fined $10,000 and suspended from boxing.

The prison sentence was dropped on appeal, and Ali returned to the ring on October 26, 1970, knocking out Jerry Quarry in Atlanta in the third round. Then the fight with Frazier was made.

“Joe had loaned Ali money when he was out of work,” Izenberg continues. “Joe had even gone back to the commission and asked if they would give him back his licence. They were afraid he was going to jail. [The promoters] wanted to get the fight in before he went to jail, it was a matter of money for everybody but Frazier.

Manila] with the gorilla thing (Ali taunting Frazier), they never made up. I don’t care what people say, they never made up.”

Away from the record purse and the glamour of the fight, Izenberg paints a picture of a “horrible” era with America on the edge. It came to define the fight and it is shocking to hear

Joe Frazier is directed to his corner by referee Arthur Marcante after knocking down Muhammad Ali during their heavyweight title fight at Madison Square Garden in New York on March 8, 1971

“In the build-up, when Ali went to Joe’s gym, to taunt him with ‘come out sucker, we’ll settle it right here’, it angered Joe terribly. You didn’t do that with Joe. He headed for the door and Ali before his manager said: ‘You ain’t going anywhere. The fight of the century ain’t going to happen on a side street.’

“It got to be very tetchy and after the third fight [in

even now, half a century on.

“You’ve got to understand America at that time,” he recalls. “I wish I could forget it but I’ve got to remember it. It was totally divided. It was the worst I’d seen it divided since pre World War II when the Klan were here.

“I learned about anti-Semitism when I was seven. We were divided on everything. We were divided on Vietnam. Be-

fore that fight, hippies and hard hats were fighting in Times Square of all places with pipes and baseball bats. It was horrible.”

“People then decided their choice of which fighter they would root for was based on the war. Ali had no quarry with the Vietcong so 60 per cent or so were rooting for Ali. The other 40 per cent were rooting for Frazier.

That night in the arena I would say 70 per cent was pro-Ali because they were New Yorkers and they had the money and they went to the fight. The fight itself was fantastic because of the emotion and because of the crowd.”

Getting a seat at the event was like a golden ticket. The actor Burt Lancaster was ringside as part of the commentary team, Frank Sinatra was a credentialed photographer for Life Magazine, working on the ring apron. Cinemas in New York showed the fight and even sold seats behind the screen, with fans prepared to watch the fight in reverse, Ali and Frazier fighting as southpaws.

The only fight which came close to gripping the planet before ‘The Fight’ was the 1938 rematch between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling - with the backdrop of the rising heated political conflict between Nazi Germany and the United States. It serves to show how the biggest nights in boxing are often defined by the wider cultural mood music.

The German regime were exploiting Schmeling’s success in boxing in its propa-

ganda efforts through minister Joseph Goebbels, and although the boxer had refused the ‘Dagger of Honor’ award offered by Adolf Hitler, within his entourage there was an official Nazi Party publicist, who had issued statements that a black man such as African-American Louis could not defeat Schmeling.

There was even a quote from the publicist that Schmeling’s purse from the fight would be used to build more German tanks. A few weeks before the rematch, Louis had visited President Franklin Roosevelt at the White House.

The New York Times quoted Roosevelt as telling the fighter: “Joe, we need muscles like yours to beat Germany.”

Louis, of course, went on to knock Schmeling out in the first round.

These fights charted a path towards Fury v Joshua, most likely headed to one of the Middle East countries, with its own political overtones, and with the protagonists set to earn up to £100m pounds each, according to the promoter Eddie Hearn.

So what does Izenberg make of it? “‘The Fight’ dwarfs it,” he says, “it absolutely dwarfs it because of the emotions involved.

It doesn’t resonate the way Frazier-Ali did. In terms of Great Britain it’s probably a bit bigger because emotions are aroused for different reasons. But few fights will ever match that night in New York, and the build up to it.” (The Telegraph)

Guptill stars as New Zealand win Twenty20 series Laporta elected president of Barcelona for a second time MARTIN Guptill and Devon Conway made a century opening stand as New Zealand beat Australia by seven wickets to win the Twenty20 series decider.

Australia, who had been 2-0 down in the series before levelling, posted 142-8 with Matthew Wade making 44 and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi taking 3-24.

Guptill (71 off 46) and Conway (36 off 28) broke the back of the chase, sharing 106 in less than 12 overs.

Glenn Phillips (34) hit a six to seal a 3-2 series win with 27 balls to spare.

Australia opted to bat first on a used pitch and promoted Josh Philippe to the top of the order but he fell lbw to Trent Boult for just two in the third over.

Captain Aaron Finch (36 off 32) shared 66 with Wade but fell to Sodhi off the fi-

nal ball of the 10th over as Australia reached 74-2 at the halfway point.

The back 10 overs saw them lose six wickets for 70 runs with Glenn Maxwell and the promoted Ashton Agar, in an attempt to break up the left-right-hand combinations in the middle order, falling for one and six respectively.

Marcus Stoinis made a run-a-ball 26, and Mitchell Marsh 10, but Australia struggled on a slow pitch with Finch later lamenting that he and Wade were unable to build on their starts.

New Zealand too changed their batting order with Conway opening alongside Guptill, rather than wicketkeeper Tim Seifert.

Unlike the Australia duo of Finch and Wade, the experienced Guptill capitalised on his start as he crashed seven fours and

four sixes in his match-defining innings.

Conway, opening for the first time in international cricket, hit three fours and a six before being caught in the covers off Riley Meredith.

Quick bowler Meredith (2-39) trapped Kane Williamson lbw next ball, while Jhye Richardson (1-19) had Guptill caught at short fine leg, but Phillips smashed five fours and two sixes in his 18ball 34 as the hosts cruised to victory.

New Zealand, who are ranked sixth in the International Cricket Council T20 rankings, have won all five of their Test and T20 series this winter.

Fans were allowed at the game in Wellington after lockdown restrictions, that were implemented after the second game, were lifted in the area. (BBC Sport)

JOAN Laporta has been named as Barcelona president for a second time after winning the club’s election.

Laporta, whose central pledge was to keep Lionel Messi at the club, won more than 54% of the vote.

who resigned in October.

Victor Font was second with 30% of the vote, with Toni Freixa a distant third.

Barcelona said 55,611 of its 109,531 eligible members voted in the election, which was postponed from January because of coronavi-

Joan Laporta welcomed the likes of Ronaldinho to the club during his first reign as president The 58-year-old, who oversaw the appointment of Pep Guardiola as head coach in his previous spell at the club between 2003-2010, succeeds Josep Maria Bartomeu

rus restrictions in Catalonia.

Laporta signed the likes of Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho and former Cameroon forward Samuel Eto’o in his first stint as

president, with the club winning the Champions League twice, four La Liga titles and the Copa del Rey. Messi also emerged as a world star during that period and was among several current Barca players to vote in the election.

Amid champagne celebrations on Sunday evening, Laporta shouted: “Now let’s go to Paris and see if we can make another ‘remontada’ [comeback] happen!

“Seeing Leo [Messi] go to vote, the best player in the world, voting with his son, for me, this shows what we’ve said all along, that Leo loves Barca, that we are all a big family. Hopefully that helps him to stay which is what we all want.”

Barcelona face Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday in the Champions League last 16, with a 4-1 deficit to make up from the opening leg.

Longer term, Laporta’s task will be to rebuild a club in crisis, with crippling debts exacerbated by the pandemic and Messi considering leaving for free when his contract expires this summer.

(BBC Sport)

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 09, 2021

Reggae Boyz reject JFF wage offer, willing to forego World Cup qualifiers and Gold Cup

REGGAE BOYZ Captain Andre Blake has confirmed that the players have rejected the Jamaica Football Federation’s (JFF) offer on terms and wages for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and CONCACAF Gold Cup saying that they are willing to boycott all those competitions as they seek respect and fairness from their local football authorities.

“The players are prepared to go all the way,” Blake told Sportsmax.TV yesterday.

“They treat us like slaves and we are done being slaves!”

The players had made an initial request of US$7000 per player per match for the World Cup qualifiers set to begin in September. The JFF countered with an offer of US$2000 per match with bonuses of US$1000 for each win and US$500 for a draw.

They claim they are unable to afford more.

The players had until last Friday to sign their contracts but sources indicate that the JFF had extended the deadline by a “few days” to give them more time to mull what has been described as a “take it or leave it” offer.

However, on the weekend, the players began to post ‘Take A Stand’ memes on their social media pages, a clear indication that they were not willing to accept the JFF’s offer.

and they made it clear, so after they did not counter-counter our offer, we reached out to let them know we were going to send in a new offer and they outright let us know that it was almost pointless to send the

we cannot sign that contract, so that’s where we’re at right now.”

Blake said the players have now decided to take a stand because they believe the abuse at the hands of the

Reggae Boyz players have rejected the JFF on terms and wages for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers

Blake confirmed that to Sportsmax.TV yesterday..

“The JFF submitted an offer, we countered that offer and they said they weren’t prepared to counter our offer,” Blake said. “We did have a new offer to put to the JFF

new offer because they will not entertain it.

“What they have on the table is what it is; you sign it you are eligible for selection, if you don’t then you’re not.

So, at this point, yes, I and the players said ‘sorry but

JFF has been going on for too long. “It’s been generation on top of generation, anybody who has played for Jamaica can attest to this,” he said.

“If we don’t put a stop to this, 20 years later, my kids’ kids or other players’ kids or

public members’ kids are going to be playing for the same money and under the same poor organization, structure and poor professionalism and poor communication and Jamaica football will never get better.”

He explained further that the current stance that the players are taking is not just about money.

“It’s more about respect and how the JFF approaches negotiations,” he said referring to the leaked voice note on recent negotiations where JFF officials were heard referring to the players in a disrespectful manner as they tried to negotiate terms for the twomatch trip to Saudi Arabia in November 2020.

“The way the JFF goes about business is unacceptable and the players are just at a point where we think we have had enough,” Blake said.

“Some things need to change.

The JFF can definitely operate in a more professional manner.

“There is just so much more than they make it seem as if players are just in it for the money. They can go ahead and violate negotiations by leaking what they

want and keep confidential what they want just to paint a bad picture of the players.”

Asked what he would like to see the JFF do to improve their relationship with the players, Blake said: “They JFF need to start to put the players first. The JFF is not putting the players in the best possible position to be successful. And when we are not successful using baskets to carry water, everything falls back on the players.

“Travel arrangements are poor, hotel accommodations are poor, communication, poor, organization poor. It’s been going on for a while and we have just had enough.

That’s the point where we are at right now and it’s nothing about whether you’re willing to play for free.

“The JFF, they do things backwards. The board should enjoy all the luxury treatment and reap all the benefits while the players go out there and do all the work. It’s slavery and we’re done being slaves for the JFF.” Calls to members of the JFF executive went unanswered. (Sportsmax)

Two teams to be added to women’s ICC World Cups

TWO more teams will be added to the women’s 50-over and Twenty20 World Cups from 2026, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has said.

Twelve teams will compete in the T20 World Cup, while the one-day tournament will feature 10 teams from 2029.

A six-team women’s T20 Champions Cup tournament will also be held in 2027 and 2031.

A crowd of 86,174 saw Australia beat India to win the Women’s T20 World Cup at themELBOURNE Cricket Ground (MCG) last year.

“This decision to expand our women’s events allows us to give more member countries greater opportunities to compete on a global stage,” ICC chief executive Manu Sawhney said.

Mumbai Indians and RCB to open IPL 2021 edition on April 9 TWO-time defending champions Mumbai Indians will open the 2021 Indian Premier League against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on April 9.

The tournament will be played across six neutral venues in India and will initially begin behind closed doors.

Teams will only travel three times during the league

Mumbai Indians have won the IPL five times in eight years

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER Tuesday, March 09, 2021

COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK – STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD – 83 Garnett street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) (1)

ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S QUIZ: Vanburn Holder-5/50 (vs ENG, Birmingham, 1976)

(1) WI won 2-1 (2) Nil

TODAY’S QUIZ:

(1) What was the result of the first T20 Int’l in the recent series between the WI & SL? (2) Who was voted Man of the Match?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

stages to “reduce commute and minimise risk” of the spread of Covid-19.

The tournament final will take place on 30 May in Ahmedabad.

The Narendra Modi Stadium, which is the largest cricket stadium in the world, will also host the opening match of the tournament and the play-offs.

The eight teams will play all their matches at neutral venues in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.

The 2020 edition of the tournament was held in the UAE because of the coronavirus pandemic.

All-rounder Moeen Ali is one of a number of England players who will be involved in the competition. ( )

“This means more teams will also get the opportunity to compete in the qualification pathways for the respective ICC events over the coming years.”

New Zealand will host the next 50-over World Cup, which will feature eight teams, in 2022.

Meanwhile, Cricket Australia (CA) has committed to addressing gender imbalances

within the sport, including statues of female cricketers.

There are 73 statues or sculptures of male cricketers in Australia, but none of their female counterparts.

A statue will be built at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) and artwork commemorating the T20 World Cup final will be displayed at the MCG. (BBC Sport)

NBA ALL-STAR GAME:

LeBron ‘in awe’ of Antetokounmpo and Curry LeBron James said he is “in awe” of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Steph Curry after they put on a show for his side in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday.

Antetokounmpo was named MVP after shooting a perfect 16 from 16 to claim a game-high 35 points in a 170150 victory for Team LeBron over Team Durant.

Greek star Antetokounmpo recorded the most baskets without a miss in All-Star Game history, while Curry finished with 28 points in the 70th edition of the showpiece match at State Farm Arena, Atlanta.

James, who scored just four points in his 12:46 minutes on court, relished the opportunity to line up with Antetokounmpo and Curry.

Asked if he enjoyed playing in the same team as the duo, he replied: “Absolutely, that’s why I drafted them, guys I obviously compete against on a nightly basis, but guys I’m just in awe of, Giannis and Steph.

“It’s my first time teaming up with Steph and it was an honour to be on the floor with him, a guy I’ve seen come up and be the player that he is today, but it was great to be out there with them and the rest of the guys.”

“I hope they allow me to retire from being an AllStar captain, retire with a perfect 4-and-0 record, I’ll keep that forever, but we’ll see what happens,” said the Los Angeles Lakers great.

Stephen Curry #30 and Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of Team LeBron look on prior to the 70th NBA All-Star Game (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

That is four wins out of four for James as captain in the All-Star Game and the 36-year would be happy to keep it that way.

“I try to pick the right team, guys who compete, and play to win, and I’ and I’ve been on the winning side of all four.” (Sportsmax)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 09, 2021

27

Ganguly reveals India v New Zealand WTC final to be held at Southampton BCCI president Sourav Ganguly revealed on Monday that the World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand will be held in Southampton in June.

The match is scheduled from June 18 to 22.

When the ICC Board had approved the inaugural cycle of the WTC, it had informally earmarked Lord’s as the potential venue for the final. The two teams who would contest the final were finalised on Saturday, with India completing a 3-1 series win against England to finish on top of the table, with New Zealand having secured their qualification earlier.

The ICC sent out a release after India’s win listing the date for the final, but without naming the venue.

Lord’s has hosted several World Cup finals - for both men and women - but it would need the ECB’s nod, who were given the hosting rights for the WTC final by the ICC. Incidentally, Lord’s will be hosting the first match of the two-Test series be-

tween England and New Zealand from June 2 to 6.

According to Ganguly, Southampton emerged as a clear favourite because it is one of the two venues - Manchester being the other - with an on-site hotel, an advantage for teams operating in a bio-secure environment during the Covid-19 pandemic. Having on-site hotels meant both venues hosted international series involving West Indies, Pakistan, Ireland and Australia in the summer of 2020.

Southampton was the venue for the first Test against West Indies last July, which was also the first international match and series played during the pandemic. Subsequently, the Ageas Bowl hosted two Tests during the Pakistan series, and later ODIs against Ireland and T20Is against Australia.

“It [the WTC final] is in Southampton,” Ganguly told India Today. “It has been decided a long time ago. They have the hotel, which makes it easier for them to control

WAA Gender Equity Committee launches Logo Competition

Head of WAA Gender Equity Committee, Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon

ON Monday-- International Women’s Day-- World Archery Americas’ (WAA) Gender Equity Committee commemorated that important date by launching their Logo Competition.

They welcome participation from all the men, women, boys and girls in the Americas. Whether you are an NOC Member, an association executive, a judge, coach, athlete, school child, a general member of the public, this Competition is for you.

The panel will be looking at a Logo for the WAA Gender Equity Committee that will encompass promoting Archery as a sport for everyone: men and women in the Americas. As such, your Logo design should express equity, archery, inclusion, and the Americas all together under one depiction.

For a winning effort, bragging rights are of course up for grabs for what will become a familiar Logo used across the Americas and also an offer of a monetary prize of US$100.

Entries can be sent to email: genderequitywaa@gmail. com on or before the deadline for submission which is May 21, 2021, which, coincidentally, will be World Day for Cultural Diversity. Designs must be submitted in .jpg or .png format with a minimum of 1500 px.

The inaugural five-member WAA Gender Equity Committee was formed in January 2021 with Guyanese, Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon, being appointed the Chair, to deal with gender-equity matters in the continent.

(the bio-secure environment).

That’s why when England started cricket after Covid times, a lot of Test matches were held in Southampton and

“back to work” after his recent hospitalisations in January, where he had to get multiple stents fitted after suffering a heart attack. He also said he

India will face New Zealand in the final of World Test Championship, starting June 18

Manchester because they have hotels alongside the ground.”

Wi n n i n g W T C s i m i l a r t o w i n n i n g Wo r l d C u p - G a n g u l y u n s u re Ganguly said he was “absolutely spic and span” and

would get vaccinated against Covid-19 soon, and then travel to Ahmedabad to watch India’s T20I series against England.

Ganguly had lavished praise on the Indian team after their series wins in the

Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, and the home triumph against England.

“Just a remarkable win...

To go to Australia and win a test series in this way ..will be remembered in the history of indian cricket forever ..Bcci announces a 5 cr bonus for the team ..The value of this win is beyond any number ..well done to every member of the touring party,” Ganguly had tweeted on January 19, the day India won the series in Australia.

On March 6, Ganguly tweeted about India reaching the WTC final, calling it a “monumental effort”.

However, he stopped short of calling a potential WTC victory being on par with winning a World Cup. “I don’t know. I can’t answer that question,” Ganguly said. “Every trophy has its own value. A 50-over World Cup is an amazing pinnacle: you play that World Cup for two-and-a-half months and beat the best and then go through.

“It was a bit complicated

this time because of Covid.

Teams got to play a teams, teams did not get to play a team, did not travel, tours got cancelled. In a couple of more [WTC] championships we will have a clearer idea how difficult it is and how hard it is to win the World Test Championship; may be on a platform where everybody has an equal number of games to play and then decide.”

Ganguly did offer fulsome praise for the Indian team though, drawing special attention to how the team had done well despite the players being in bio-bubbles from before the start of IPL 2020, since late August.

“To be in those bubbles and play cricket day in day out was remarkable - right from IPL which was in September (2020), and this is early March and they are not finished yet because they have got the T20Is and ODIs to go. So a good six months in bubbles, and to get to what they have achieved is fantastic.” (Cricinfo)

Campbell hits 129 as Chase’s XI reach 280 for 7 on day one of Windies practice match

JOHN Campbell scored a patient century today as Chase’s XI reached 280 for 7 at stumps of the first day of the four-day practise match against Brathwaite’s XI at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.

Campbell, who is hoping to retain his place in the West Indies team for the Test series against Sri Lanka later this month, scored 129 from 253 balls from which he hit 15 fours and three sixes in his more than five-hour stay at the crease.

He partnered with Captain Roston Chase to put on a

fourth-wicket stand of 183 af-

John Campbell sweeps on his way to 129

ter Jayden Seales and Preston McSween had combined to reduce the side to 53-3. Seales accounted for the wickets of Shayne Moseley for three and Sunil Ambris for a duck to have Chase XI in trouble early at 12 for 2.

Campbell and Nkrumah Bonner then put on 41 for the third wicket before McSween dismissed the latter for 16.

Campbell and Chase took the score to 236 when Chase fell to Kavem Hodge for 75. He struck 10 fours in the innings that lasted for 208 minutes

during which he faced 159 deliveries. Campbell eventually fell to the bowling of Rahkeem Cornwall after he and Jermaine Blackwood had put on 16 for the sixth wicket.

Blackwood, meantime, remained unbeaten on 18 at the close. Imran Khan is with him on three.

Seales, who also dismissed Raymon Reifer for 2, was the best of the bowlers taking 3-42 while McSween, who claimed the wickets of Bonner and Jahmar Hamilton returned figures of 2-40.

CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield…

Fruta Conquerors kick start GoFundMe campaign

REIGNING Elite League champions, Fruta Conquerors, have launched a GoFundMe campaign to seek the generous support of football fans in Guyana on their journey to the 2021 Concacaf Caribbean Club Shield (CCCS) campaign in April.

The club has a minimum working budget of GYD $ 5 Million to cover the squad’s preparation for and participation in the tournament, and that includes the cost of training and travel. The tournament, open to title-winning clubs from the 27 Caribbean Football Union members that do not organise professional football, begins in Curacao on April 23rd.

“Fruta Conquerors is deeply honoured to represent the Golden Arrowhead again in this year’s Concacaf Caribbean Club Shield,” said Colin Gittens, Fruta Conquerors’ president.

“We know everyone wants to see the players have the best chance possible to showcase their talents on this stage and make Guyana proud, so we are asking the nation and Diaspora to partner with us on this incredible journey.”

“Preparing for and participating in the Club Shield requires a huge investment that stretches well beyond the resources of our amateur football club,” he said.

“This GoFundMe campaign offers everyone the chance to play their own important and valuable part in helping Fruta Conquerors make its mark on this competition.”

The GoFundMe campaign, which enables fans from all over the world to contribute with any size of donation to the team’s Club Shield journey via a secure online payment platform, can be accessed at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ support-fruta-conquerors-in-the-caribbean-shield Fruta Conquerors represented Guyana in the 2019 edition of the tournament but did not make it past the group stage. This year, the Conquerors have been drawn in Group C against Hope International (St Vincent and the Grenadines) and SV Racing Club Aruba.

“We believe we have a really good chance of progressing from the group stage to the semi-finals this year,” said Gittens. “Let’s all get behind the players and unite our resources to help them succeed.”

The winners of the tournament will play the fourthplaced team in the 2021 Caribbean Club Championship for a spot in the 2021 Concacaf League.

Additionally, the club would like to assure all donors that every iota of donation would be publicly accounted for in keeping with the board’s accountability.

Leslain Baird is seen being assisted by Medics after sustaining a leg injury on Sunday at the Leonora Track and Field Centre during the Javelin throw

Ar chi b SEE PAGE 24

, s e s s mis ald impre rd se a s qualifying stand

…Baird sustains injury

GFF celebrates International Women’s Day with Call for Change

Guyana will be highest-ranked team in El Salvador at FIBA World Cup Qualifiers SEE PAGE 24

SEE PAGE 24

Andrea Johnson

Thandi McAllister

Shamya Daniels

Flash Back: Team Guyana celebrating winning their maiden Caribbean Basketball title in 2018

Campbell his 129 as Chase’s XI reach 280 for 7 on day one of Windies practice match Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

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TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2021