Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly
two years of darkness
As part of its recapitalisation plan, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) on Saturday received two new Bell helicopters, a Bell 407 and a Bell 429. Both aircraft will now undergo certification, and on completion, will be commissioned into service, GDF said.
-Bharrathails'mostexcitingerainourhistory’ ‘Exxon's speed will push daily production to 1.5M barrels a day by 2029’ ‘Rats, rot and ruin’ scandalatAmerindianHostel ...Mohamedvisitexposes
Staff Sergeant, Jason Khan
Lieutenant Colonel, Michael Charles
Brigadier (Ret'd), Gary Beaton Colonel, Michael Shaoud
Lieutenant Colonel, Shaun Welcome
‘Exxon’s speed will push daily production to
1.5 million barrels a day by 2029’
- Bharrat hails 'most exciting era in our history'
Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat says the Government has come to expect ExxonMobil Guyana Limited's habit of delivering major offshore oil projectsaheadofschedule.
Speakingatthelaunchof the fifth annual Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo on Friday, Bharrat said investor interest in Guyana's oil sector continues to surge, cementing the nation's rapid rise as the world's largest hydrocarbon producer per capita.
Since first o
n
D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 9 , ExxonMobil has secured
approval for seven
developments in the Stabroek Block Liza 1, Liza 2, Payara, Yellowtail, Uaru, Whiptail, and Hammerhead and has submitted its application for aneighth,Longtail.
Currently, four Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels areproducingoilwithadaily production output of over 900,000barrels.
Minister Bharrat noted that the FPSO for the Uaru project, Errea Wittu is expected to be in Guyana waters late 2026, and set to start oil production by early 2027. “But with Exxon schedule, you never know. They're always, not on time, but before schedule,” the ministerstated.
Bharratfurthernotedthat government has adjusted their expectations based on Exxon's pattern of early delivery “So, we have grown to accept that when Alistair Routledge (EMGL's President)saidearly2027he meant late 2026, but we are working with his time frame,”headded.
“Then in 2027 we expect the arrival of the Jaguar FPSO (for Whiptail project) that will be our sixth FPSO, and taking production close to1.3millionbarrelsperday, and then we have already signed the Hammerhead license and that FPSO is
ministernoted.
Bharrat encouraged investors to pay close attention to the scale of economic transformation underway, stating, “the future looks good for us as a country, for you as investors… this is the most exciting period in history of our country and all of us here, we have the front seat to witnessing this build out of the new modern Guyana thatwewanttosee.”
The Hammerhead Petroleum Production Licence(PPL)wasapproved in September. Hammerhead isexpectedtodeliverfirstoil in 2029, pushing national production capacity to roughly 1.5 million barrels per day in the second quarter
of that year InAugust 2024, the ONE GUYANA FPSO achieved first oil for the Yellowtail development, bringing Guyana's installed capacity to 900,000 bpd and later reaching the full daily productioncapacity
Dan Ammann, president of ExxonMobil Upstream Company had stated that Yellowtail's ahead-ofschedule startup is a significant milestone for ExxonMobil and the people of Guyana Exxon has boasted that in five years, it was able to start up four complex offshore megaprojects under budget and ahead of schedule, while simultaneously advancing
plans for four additional projects by the end of the decade.
With the addition of Longtail, Exxon is targeting 1.7millionbarrelsperdayby 2030 from eight producing platforms The Stabroek Block which is estimated to hold 11.6 billion barrels of oil is operated by EMGL, whoholds45%interest.
The other block partners Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30% interest, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limitedholds25%interest.
T h e a g r e e m e n t governing the Stabroek Block extends favorable terms to the oil companies. According to the agreement,
Stabroek Block partners can recover 75% of oil produced to cover investment costs.
The remaining 25% is considered profit and is split equallybetweenGuyanaand the consortium, giving each 12.5%.
However,theconsortium pays a 2% royalty from its share to Guyana From
Guyana's 14.5% total take, thegovernmentmustpaythe oilcompanies'taxes.
The deal stipulates that the sum equivalent to the taxesowedbythecompanies must be paid by the Minister responsible for petroleum to the Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority(GRA).
Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat (left) and ExxonMobil Guyana Limited President Alistair Routledge at the event last Friday
A severely diminished A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has organised a protest today demanding that government give every citizen aged 18 and over a $150,000cashgrant.
Inthesedifficulttimes,markedbythecrushingcostof livingcrisis,eventhewhisperofsuchagrantwillnaturally capture the public's attention. Despite the booming oil industry, ordinary Guyanese continue to feel poorer, strugglingdailytomakeendsmeet.Acashgrant,especially duringtheChristmasseason,wouldprovidewelcomerelief tomanyfamilies.
President IrfaanAli did hint during the campaign that Guyanese would “have a beautiful Christmas” if they behavedthemselves,widelyinterpretedtomeaniftheyreelected him. He has now secured re-election and it is only fairthathedeliverswhatwaspromised,insteadofdiverting attention with talk of long-term initiatives and vague assurancesoffutureprosperity
Citizens want the promised cash grant and this newspapersupportstheircallforsuchaholidayincentive. However, what is deeply ironic, perhaps even hypocriticalisAPNU'ssuddenzealforthisissue.Thisisthe same party that, during its five years in government and another five years as the main Opposition, refused to join national pressure for ExxonMobil to renegotiate the lopsided oil contract. As Guyanese cried out for ringfencingprovisions,forroyaltieshigherthanthepaltry2%, for basic ownership and sovereignty over our wealth, APNU'sleadershiplookedtheotherway HadGuyanabeen receivingevenamodest10%royalty,letalonethe25%this newspaperbelievesisfair,therewouldbenoneedforany protesttoday T
he government would have had more than enough revenuetoprovideeverycitizenwithaChristmasgrant.Yet APNU'sleader,AubreyNorton,couldbarelybringhimself to utter the word renegotiation. Whenever ring-fencing or renegotiationwasraised,Nortonhadnoclearresponse,no conviction, no courage Today amid unprecedented national oil output and record-breaking production, he is rallying supporters to protest not for long-term financial justice,notforsovereignty,notforstructuralchange,butfor aone-off$150,000cashgrant.
This is the type of leadership that has reducedAPNU from31parliamentaryseatstoafaintshadowwithjust12. Theyhavenevermobilisedtheirsupporterstodemanda fair share of their own oil resources, but they eagerly mobilisethemforatemporaryhandout.Wehavelongbeen at the forefront of the call to renegotiate the exploitative contract that shackles Guyana to ExxonMobil. Our publisherledprotestactionswhenfewothervoicesdaredto speakagainsttheAmericanoilgiant'sstranglehold.Where was APNU? Where was Norton? Renegotiation is not merely an economic adjustment, it is the only path to justice, relief, and recovery from the generational harm imposedbythisatrociousoildeal.
APNU'ssuddenobsessionwithaone-offpayoutbetrays a stunning lack of vision.Acash grant may ease burdens today, but it does nothing to secure Guyana's long-term financial independence.The real path to sustainable relief liesincorrectingtheverysourceofournationalincome,the oil contract that bleeds Guyana of its rightful wealth. By ignoringthiscentralissueandfocusinginsteadonaquick political win, APNU shows that it is not prepared to champion the deeper structural reforms that would permanently uplift citizens. Their priorities are driven not by national interest, but by political expediency. Let it be clear:thisnewspaperfullysupportsthecallforaChristmas cash grant. Guyanese deserve immediate relief, and the governmentshouldhonouritselection-seasonpromise.But wecannotignorethatsuchreliefisonlynecessarybecause successivepoliticalleadershavefailedtosecureafairdeal forourresources.
APNU'sfixationonatemporarypayout,whilerefusing
Service, Not Force: A Better Path for Policing in Guyana
DearEditor,
T h e r e c e n t announcement that the Guyana Police Force will move from handwritten p a p e r r e p o r t s t o computer-basedsystemsisa welcome step into the twenty-first century Done properly, digital reporting can reduce missing files, shorten waiting times, and createanauditabletrailfrom complainttooutcome,which is essential for fairness and accoun
lity But technology alone will not change how citizens feel when they walk into a station, call for help, or encounterapatrol. Across the world, major gains in police legitimacy have come not only from gadgets,butfromachangein attitude, training, and the coreideaofwhatpolicingis. S
nity encounters show that when officers communicate clearly, listen, explain decisions, and treat people
with dignity even when enforcing the law trust increases and hostility decreases, including among those who are frequently policed. This is the essence of “procedural justice”: people care as much about howtheyaretreatedasabout theoutcome.
Other jurisdictions offer useful lessons. In Camden, New Jersey, authorities scrapped a failing police model and rebuilt around community policing, foot p a t r o l s , a n d non-confrontational engagement with residents. Officers were trained and evaluated on their ability to build relationships, de-escalate conflict, and be visible in neighbourhoods outside of raids and roadblocks Over time, complaints dropped and clearance of serious crimes improved, while the image of the police shifted from “occupying force” to “guardians” of the community
Manyagencieshavealso recognisedthatlanguageand symbolism matter Moving from “Police Force” to “Police Service” in several democraciesformedpartofa wider shift away from a militarised, “warrior”
m i n d s e t t o w a r d a service-oriented, “public guardian” identity On its own, a change of name is cosmetic; but when combined with recruitment
messages, training, promotion criteria, and public communication that emphasise protection, fairness,andrespect,ithelps embed a new professional culture. Mentality changes often start with how institution
d
scribe themselves and those self-descriptions steadily shapebehaviour
Guyana now has an opportunity to match its digital upgrade with an upgrade in ethos
Embedding these standards in promotion systems and supervision ensures that what is taught in workshops islivedoutontheroad.
Imagine the possibilities if, together with computers on desks, the institution deliberately replaces “brute force” with “service” as its organising principle A Guyana Police Service, grounded in technology, transparency, and respect, would not only solve more crimes; it would win the confidence of the very communities whose cooperation is essential for safetyandjustice.
Concretely, this means: mandatory, ongoing s e n s i t i v i t y a n d communication training for all ranks; performance indicatorsthatrewardtimely updatestocomplainantsand respectful treatment, not only arrest numbers; and clear, public standards for how officers engage during t
Sincerely, HemduttKumar
“There is no 'We'”
DearEditor, It is simply amazing that the People's Progressive Party (PPP) has been busy rewarding itself when its primary achievement over the last two and a half decades has been that of taking a country pregnant with democratic and developmental possibilities and transforming it into an autocracy/dictatorshipthatis impoverishing more and moreofitscitizens.
A simple Google search reveals that poverty in Guyanaisasignificantissue, with a reported poverty rate of approximately 48% as of 2023.Thisthresholdisbased onthecostofbasicfoodand non-fooditemsnecessaryfor survival. The InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) has recently reportedevenhigherpoverty rates,estimatingthat58%of the population lives in poverty.Thus some 400,000 people, almost half of the populationofabout823,000, live in poverty While the economy has grown
extraordinarily this has not translated into widespread poverty reduction The g o v e r n m e n t h a s implemented various poverty reduction measures, education grants, housing subsidies, etc But the effectiveness of these measures is debatable, and many argue that more needs tobedonetoaddressthehigh costofliving.
Thelevelofpovertymust be of concern to all Guyanese but more so to those of African ethnicity, who are about 50% of the population and who over decades have been amorally and unlawfully targeted and made poor by the PPP to break their historic political allegiance to the People's National Congress/A Partnership for National Unity (PNC/APNU). The government's haphazard cash-grants and most of its other interventions were focused upon buying votes: itdefiedplanningandwealth creations and should immediatelybereplacedbya
to fight for the billions being lost offshore, is the clearest example of leadership without foresight. Guyanese must neversettleforcrumbswhenthenationsitsatopvastwealth. Thegrantisjustified,butthegreaterbattleforjustice,equity, and national dignity must not be overshadowed by shorttermtheatrics.
predictable type of basic income.
Thishasnotalwaysbeen so: in about 1993, Cheddi Jagan said 'My government hastimeandagainexpressed concerns over the investmentsmadebeforethe PPP/Civictookoffice.From variousquarterscamesevere criticisms and accusations thatmygovernmentisnotin favour of foreign investments.Iwanttorepeat that our developing economy needs more investments to come. I also want to repeat that when the investors come, we will ensure that they respect our people, our laws and our environment.'
Asapracticalexampleof thisapproach,wheninabout 1993/94thereweresignsthat the management of Omai Gold Mine might have been having qualms about trade union recognition, Cheddi went to its interior site and made it quite clear to a general meeting of the management and workers that trade recognition was non-negotiable.By2017,the PPPhadregressedtoapoint where for a decade or so it refused to solve a dispute betweentheGuyanaBauxite and General Workers Union andtheBauxiteCompanyof
Guyana.
A central feature of autocratic government almost everywhere is the repression of democratic trade unionism, and Guyana is nos exception This column believes that a sufficient prima facie case has been made that over decades, among many other things, the PPP has been s u p p r e s s i n g a n d undermining collective bargaining in trade unions, particularly those associated with African people, that would have allowed them to acquire a living wage Indeed, the dangerous working conditions under which some workers at presentexistisadirectresult ofthePPP'ssuppressionand neglect.
Thus, I believe that the comparative economic position of Africans has significantlyregressedunder PPP governments and the opposition should insist that it conducts an ethnic disparity analysis that will, among other things, help to determine the ethnic nature of existing poverty and if necessary, establish policies toundothishistoricwrong.
The contradictory relationshipbetweenthePPP
(Continuedonpage5)
Dr Vishnu Bisram delivered insightful keynote address on Indian & African Diasporas of the Caribbean at JNU, Delhi
DearEditor, Internationally known visitingGuyanesescholarDr Vishnu Bisram delivered an impressive keynote address
at a symposium at
JawaharlalNehruUniversity
(JNU) on Tuesday December 2 on TheAfrican and Caribbean diasporas. It was a very insightful talk
touching on the rise of the two diasporas in the CaribbeanandtheAmericas.
I wish to convey gratitudeandappreciationto and applaud Dr Vishnu Bisramforthisveryincisive broad, informative, and eruditetalkonthehistoryof the Indian diaspora that he said started in Reunion
Islandin1828andcontinued inMauritius(1834)andthen the Caribbean (1838), Pacific, Indian Ocean, Asia and Africa. The lecture was delivered to faculty and a group of Masters and PhD students of JNU and other institutions. This was the second time I heard Dr Bisram speak on the Indian
diaspora and the first on the African diaspora. The first lecture was at an international conference at India International Habitat Center also in Delhi last January. Dr Bisram is an authority of diasporas and has written on Latino, Caribbean, Asian diasporas.
On December 2, he was the
“There is no 'We'...
Frompage4 policiesanddemocracyisso glaring that it should not detain us. This column has repeatedly indicated that it has this year been demoted to an 'elected autocracy' by V-Democracy, the world's most comprehensive democraticindex.
Euphemistically, those in opposition have persistently been claiming thatthePPPanditsfamilies, friends, comrades, acquaintances, fellow travellers, cronies and collaborators have divvied up much of the country's wealth.
Thispositionisbolstered by the recent claim by Transparency International that the political and economic elites have captured the state and are f o s t e r i n g t h e misappropriation of resources, illicit enrichment and environmental crime. Not so long ago there was a hueandcrythatthepolicyof the PPP is creating an apartheid state in which Africans are being severely discriminatedagainst.
A few weeks ago, the PPP government took umbridge when the World Justice Project Rule of Law Indexnoticeablyreducedits general and specific standings For example, generally on the Index of some145countriesin2020, Denmark was rated number 1 and Guyana 73. In 2025 Guyana had fallen to 80.At specific levels, where constraints on government powers that measure the
extent to which, by constitutional and other institutional means the governmentisboundbylaw, Guyana moved from 58 to 69 On the issue of corruption, that covers bribery, misappreciation of public funds, improper influencing public officials, Guyana dropped from 66 to 74.Ontheextenttowhicha government shares information, empowers people with tools to hold it accountable, fosters citizen participation, etc. Guyana movedfrom84to95.Onthe issue of fundamental rights thatrecognisesthatasystem of law that fails to respect core human rights is at best “rule by law” and does not deservetobecalledaruleof law system Guyana declined from 65 to 75. The above results came after under the Coalition government of 2015 the standings under most of above elements were improved.
YetthePPPhasjustbeen quarrelling with the presenters of the European Union Final Report on Guyana's recent 2025 elections, which recognised thattheregimemonopolised the communications sector and refused to declare that the elections were free ('President lambastes EU observers report' SN: 20/11/2025). The regime's policiesaresocontradictory to any claim that it is democratic that a few of its fellowtravellersappeartobe suggesting that it gives up any claim to its being a
liberal democracy and look elsewhere for models of governance!
Over the last three decades, 'a day hardly pass' when there has not been advice coming from the media telling Guyanese what we should do to rid ourselves of our political dilemma What most of these advisors seem not to understand is that the problem is that 'there is no we'. 'There is not a vibrant and sizeable civil society that can contribute to national reconciliation, Consequently, there is no cohesive public pressure for substantive political or electoral reform stemming from the political crisis Internationalpressureonthe two parties for better governance practices is not breakingthestalemate'(The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) 'Democracy, Human Rights and Governance (DRG) Assessment of Guyana' August2021).
The entire world has
seen that the PPP has brought Guyana to its democratic knees yet the vast majority of Indian Guyanese, who make up a substantial part of the population and have been the party's core supporters for decades, continues to support it. Of course, over decades the PPP has tried everything,towinorcompel substantial African support tonoavail.
What this means is that under the current constitutional/legal arrangements there is no political 'we' to generally or s p e c i f i c a l l y h o l d governments accountable andthuscreateafunctioning democracy
As an example, Guyana d o e s n o t h a v e a constitutional/legal establishment with the kind of checks and balances that canenablewhatthepolitical system of the United States is at present facilitating against President Donald Trump.
Regards
DrHenryJeffrey
feature speaker at the JNU symposiumorganisedbythe Department of African Studies.
After introducing Dr Bisram by the Chair Prof Sushmita Rajwar of the Department, the visiting speaker was felicitated with a shawl and flowers. The department thanked him for availing himself away from his hectic schedule to participateinthesymposium organisedbytheDepartment ofAfricanStudies,Schoolof International Studies Dr BisramisnostrangertoJNU having first visited in 1975 as a visiting scholar Since then, he visited multiple times delivering lectures organised by several departments in SIS, not the least being Center of American and Canadian Studies, Center of Latin American and Caribbean Studies,CenterforDiaspora Studies, Center for MigrationStudies,aswellas Department of Economics. DrBisramisanacademicof extraordinary depth with degrees in the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and education. HestudiedinGuyana,USA, and India. His talk, held on Tuesday Dec 2, was on “the Indian and African DiasporasinGuyanaandthe Caribbean:IdentityandRole i n t h e E c o n o m i c Development”.
The visiting Guyanese
scholar is well known in academia in universities with diaspora programs and has published many articles on the Indian diaspora. He o r g a n i s e d m a n y international conferences and delivered talks in Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, throughout the Caribbean, USA, Mexico, and Canada on Indian diaspora. He is known to have coined the term Indian Diaspora since the 1980s when NRI (post 1947 migrants from India) was in vogue followed later on by PIO, referring to d e s c e n d a n t s o f indentureship.He,DrMahin Gosine, and other scholars co-organised the fourth conference of Indians in the diaspora at Columbia UniversityinJuly1988.The PIOs constitute the original Indian diaspora, as explained by Dr Bisram, a fourth generation Indian at that conference and subsequently
The distinguished Guyanese scholar and prolificwriter,whoisalsoan international pollster or psephologist as well as a politicalactivistinUSAand Guyana, has been on lecture tour in India. He spoke at s e v e r a l s e m i n a r s , c o n f e r e n c e s , a n d symposiums in India over the last couple weeks on issues relating to Indian diasporasinseveral (Continuedonpage6)
Food Security and Caribbean Integration
DearEditor,
The article “Tancoo: Positivechangescoming”in the Dec 7 Sunday Express paper underscores the need seriousscrutinyoftheuseof scarce forex. It notes that poultry-related companies accessed well over US$150 million in forex between 2020andmid-2025.
Byanymeasure,thisisa
very large public commitment to sustaining importedfeedstock.
At the same time, our CARICOM neighbour
Guyana has already cultivated about 12,000 acres of corn and soya in 2024 and is targeting 25,000–30,000 acres by 2025–2026, with stated p l a n s t o b e c o m e self-sufficient in livestock feed and to export surplus
grain to CARICOM. This is precisely the feedstock that underpins our poultry industryanddrivestheforex demand highlighted in the article.
Given these facts, it is reasonable to ask whether our major poultry integrators, feed millers, agricultural professionals, mechanical engineers and relevant state agencies have formally approached the Government of Guyana to offer any assistance a s to negotiate early long-term supply arrangements for Guyanese corn and soya, priced in a way that reduces our forex exposure over time.
Parallel to that, there should be an urgent assessment of Trinidad and Tobago's readiness: port
facilities, storage, handling, quality assurance, and any legislative or contractual changes needed to pivot a portionoffeedimportsfrom distant suppliers to a CARICOMpartner
If we are serious about making forex work harder forthecountry,thenthescale of forex used to import poultry feedstock must trigger more than routine reassurance.
strategyinwhichourprivate sector and Government move quickly to convert Guy
g production into a concrete, lower-risk, lower price, intra-CARICOMsupplyline forpoultryfeed.
Regards Fazir Khan
DrVishnuBisramdelivered...
Frompage5 countries including on Fiji and Trinidad and his native Guyana He also met leading politicians in India including from his home or native states of UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, and of several districts including Mau, Bharatpur, Azamgarh, Ghazipur, and Chapra. He visited his ancestral villages in earlier trips to India and sponsored programs and projectsto upliftlives of the poor over the last two decades.
The Guyanese born distinguished scholar and journalist highlighted the contributions of the Indian and the African diaspora in the making of modern Guyana, Trinidad, Suriname, and the Caribbean.
Heiswidelyknownasan Indo Caribbean trailblazer on writings on the Indian CaribbeanDiasporainUSA. His writings on Indian CaribbeanandAsianIndians
in USA in Indian p u b l i c a t i o n s a r e groundbreaking.
The visiting Indo Caribbean luminary spoke about the historical Atlantic Slave trad
d the Inde
ed Labour migration of Portuguese, Chinese,andIndiansthatled totheirdiasporasoroverseas communities Unlike the other groups, Indians have retained transnational and cultural linkages with their ancestralhomeland.
Dr Bisram described bothsystemsofforcedlabor, withindentureshipdisguised
as contractual) labor, as dehumanising and a violation of human rights andhumandecency Slavery, he stated, was a crime against humanity Indian Indentureship was similarly oppressive. The renowned scholar explained that slavery existed side by side withindentureshipinseveral colonial territories such as ReunionIslandoftheFrench empire The consummate researcher also pointed out that Indians were slaves in severalcoloniesintheIndian Ocean islands and that Africans also served as indentured laborers He talkedaboutthestrugglesof Africans and Indians for theirfreedom.
He said both groups contributed significantly towards the development of Guyana. He described the conditions of the Girmitiyas ordescendantsofindentured laborers during the indentured period and their determined efforts to preservecultureandidentity under colonial conditions. He also spoke about the history of the economies of t h e r e g i o n a n d modernisation including the discovery of fossil fuel in Trinidad, Guyana, and Suriname.
Apart from his focus on multi ethnic Guyana and Trinidad, Dr Bisram also talked about Jamaica and other Caribbean nations and also provided an overview o n t h e C A R I C O M community as related to economic development and the recent stunning rise of
Guyana and the economic decline of Trinidad and Tobago.
The symposium was chaired by Dr Sushmita Rajwar, associate professor at the Centre for African Studies, JNU; and Dr Rajneesh Kumar Gupta, an associate professor at the same centre was the discussant. The event was well attended by research scholars and master's and PhD students, who actively engagedinthequestion-andanswer session after the keynote address was concluded. Dr Bisram, a fan of cricket, also talked about WestIndiancricketers.
His broad knowledge, intellect, and clarity in presentation on various issues earned him admiration and accolades from staff and students who gave him a standing ovation and sought private exchanges and photo opportunities Dr Bisram warmly engaged students oneonone.
PriortospeakingatJNU. Dr Bisram presented papers and or participated in discussions on Jammu and Kashmir, Poet Nobel Laureate Ravindranath Tagore, and Performing AncestralPujainGaya.Heis duetospeakonBollywood's role in the preservation of Indiancultureinthediaspora at the prestigious Benaras Hindu University in Varanasi, constituency of PMModi.
Exxon and partners continue to deduct US-millions to cleanup oil projects yet to startup
A l t h o u g h decommissioning of a project does not occur until after production ceases, the Stabroek Block partners
have been deducting millions of US-dollars, which it still controls, for developmentsthatarestillto comeonstream.
This was revealed in CNOOC's 2024 Annual Report, seen by this newspaper. The company holdsa25%workinginterest in the Stabroek Block, alongside Hess Guyana Exploration Limited (now Chevron) with 30% and ExxonMobil Guyana, the operatorwith45%.
CNOOC reported, “During the period ended
December 31, 2024, a d d i t i o n s t o decommissioning and restoration provisions include the cost for two new development wells in Liza
Phase 2, seven new development wells in
Payara, thirteen new development wells in Yellowtail and ten new development wells in Uara and 3 new development wells in Whiptail that spud duringtheyear.”
Decommissioning in the oil and gas sector refers to the safe removal of production equipment and restoration of the seafloor. It includes plugging wells,
removal of flowlines and otherrelatedactivities.
In Guyana's case, each project has an estimated lifespan of 20 years
T h e r e f o r e , decommissioning is not expected to take place anytime soon for at least three of the projects that the companies have already s t a r t e d d e d u c t i n g decommissioningcostsfor.
The Yellowtail project only commenced oil production in August of 2025.
Be that as it may, Exxon and partners reduced Guyana's share of profits to payfordecommissioningthe project, which is scheduled to take place in 2045, according to project documents.
Additionally, the companies also took monies to decommission two other projects which have not yet started production- the fifth and sixth developments, Uaru and Whiptail, respectively
According to the financial statements seen by Kaieteur News, the companies each pocketed decommissioning monies
E x x o n r e p o r t e d a decommissioning cost of $9 8B, Hess $3B and CNOOC$30M.
This amounts to over GY$12 B or just over
US$64 3M It should be noted that the oil companies have been engaging in this practiceforyearsasKaieteur Newspreviouslyreportedon thisissue.
When asked to address thisstateofaffairsduringhis weekly press conference in July 2024, Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, the key policymaker for the petroleum sector refused to comment,since according to him, “I think it is not accurate.”
He however pointed out, “but if the project hasn't s t a r t e d a s y e t , m y assumption is that you can't deduct from it for decommissioning if it hasn't even been commissioned as yet.”Jagdeowasclearthatoil companies should not be d
decommission a project if it h a s n o t y e t b e e n commissioned.
Presently, Exxon and partners control all of the monies deducted for
decommissioning Earlier this year, VP Jagdeo revealed that efforts are being made to allow Guyana to have joint control of the decommissioning account to a l l o w f o r g r e a t e r t r a n s p a r e n c y a n d accountabilityofthefund.
Just last month, Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat told this publication that Guyana still does not have control of the resources He explained, “Wehaveaconsultantthatis working on that right now for us; the same consultant that has been working with us all the time, S&P Global. They are working with us on putting that together so we'll have more information once wegetthat.” He declined to answer further questions as he shuffledofftoanotherevent.
Police reviewing CCTV footage of Middle Road murder
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Sunday confirmed that CCTV footage is currently being examined, as it pursues several leads in the Middle Road murder that occurredSaturdayafternoon.
In a statement, police said an investigation has been launched into the incident which leftAriel Betancourt Ramiel, a48-year-oldCubanNational,dead.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the victim was found lying motionless on the access road with what appeared to be stab wounds. He was examined by a doctor on duty from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and pronounced dead at the scene,”thestatementsaid.
Additionally, a knife, the suspected murder weapon, was retrieved from a nearby drain and lodged as part of the ongoing investigation. Ramiel's remains were then transportedtotheMemorialGardensFuneral Home, where it awaits a post-mortem examination.
Sofar,noarrestshavebeenmade.
The Cuban-national was on Saturday afternoon killed during a robbery at Middle Road,LaPenitence,Georgetown.
Ramíel was reportedly stabbed by two men on bicycles at around 14:00h Eyewitnesses said that the men attempted to relievethemanofhisvaluables.
ResidentstoldKaieteurNewsthatRamíel fought the duo and was stabbed in the process. He was seen lying on the road and residentssaidtheyquicklycalledthepolice.
Residents said they heard noise and dogs barking for a prolonged period which alerted themthatsomethingwaswrong.
“I was inside and then I heard the dogs them barking and when I come outside, I saw the guy lying on the ground near a taxi man and the neighbours them outside… I start calling 911, cause at first I think it was an accident, is the taxi driver what saw everythinghesaidnoit'snotanaccident,two skinny guys on the bike rob he and gone riding up the road and like he fight back with them,” a Middle Road resident told Kaieteur
News.
The woman explained that she does not know the victim personally but would see him walking through the street daily to pick up a woman, believed to be his wife from work.
“Normally pun ah afternoon, his wife doescomeoffattheheadoftheroadwithbus so he normally go and pick up his wife and walk her back in as protection but they coming from that same direction which he walking to and they see he and ride and turn backforhe,”thewomanrelated.
Another resident said he was inside his home when he heard the commotion which promptedhimtolookoutside.
“WhenIcomeout,Iseetwoboysjumpon their bicycles and the man on the ground… oneofthemwithaknifeintheirhandandthey rideandgone,”herecounted.
The man told Kaieteur News that he too would often see the victim walking in the streetwithhiswife.
Dead: Ariel Betancourt Ramiel
The utensils of the Republic
Some countries have national birds, national flowers, national anthems. Guyanese – ever ingenious, ever industrious have produced something more remarkable: the national utensil.
Not the fork, not the spoon,notthehybridplastic monstrositycalledthespork. No,ourindigenousutensilis human.Upright,two-footed, and eternally in the service ofdoingthedirtybiddingof thePPPC.
These stooges come in various shapes Some waddle, some strut, some appear to have been excavated from the deeper sediments of political society Yet they share the willingnesstobeused.They have the politeness of a batteredpot,theloyaltyofa frying pan that sits on the stove waiting for abuse, and the dignity of a dented cup keptonlybecausetheowner istoosentimentaltothrowit away
These utensils are dispatched to “strongholds” whenever an Opposition figure wanders in, foolish and hopeful, as though he has arrived to distribute salvationandsaltedbiscuits. The utensil brigade appears. A terrifying spectacle, except that the effect is ruined by their tragic earnestness. They do not intimidate They merely remind one that every kitchen has its discarded tinware.
The ruling party, ever paranoid, ever inventive in
its belief that the world conspires against it, treats these utensils as frontline soldiers. If only the British officers who once stalked thissoilcouldseewhatnow passes for an army: men in cheap jerseys and rubber slippers, puffed up with borrowed bravado, shouting slogans written for them by someone who only passed Englishbydivineaccident.
Their mission is not necessarilytoinvitetrouble, even though this is part of their arsenal. Their mission is to prevent citizens, of the ruling party's strongholds, from the right to a different opinion from their masters. This is the work of the utensils.
And yet, one must concede: some of these utensils are pressed into service.They have families. They have mouths to feed. Perhaps they have left behind a hungry child at home. Yes, poverty is a wicked puppeteer It tugs their strings. But even pity hasitslimits.Theremustbe a line between survival and willing degradation Between earning bread and becoming political tableware.
A few, however, are enthusiastic. These are the premium utensils, the stainless-steel cutlery of the regime. The ones polished with flattery, buffed with promises, and hung ceremoniously in the political kitchen They possess a certain zeal, a certain melodrama They
walk around with the seriousness of teaspoons guardingafortress,unaware ofthecomedytheyembody
One must add a special class of utensil the opportunists,thosewholeap onto the gravy train. These arenotthedowntrodden,nor the coerced. These are the well-fed, well-oiled tools whose loyalty can be purchased by any administration. They attend political events and they rush to disrupt Opposition meetings not out of convictionbuttosecuretheir next helping of statesponsoredstew Theirclatter is the loudest, for nothing rattles more than a pot alreadyfull.
Whenever a new political party attempts to speak to citizens in these strongholds, these utensils muster into offensive formation They do not listen. They do not think. Thinking would require effort, and like all items createdforuse,theypreferto be gripped and swung by someone else. They shout down questions, they hurl accusations, they create a carnivalofnoiseinwhichno i d e a h o w e v e r modest—cansurvive.
One remembers Walter Rodney When the PNC of old dispatched its own cookware to clatter against him,hewouldcalmlyaskhis supporters to expose who these characters were—not to shame, merely to identify the tools of oppression.And what an embarrassment that
DEM BOYS SEH
Set de record straight 'bout dem Digital School books!
Demboyshearingnuffsweettalk'bout this new Digital School. Free classes fuh Guyanese, free classes fuh Caribbean people, free books, free everything—like SantaClausopenaMinistryandstartwukin full-time.Butdemboysgotonelilquestion. But dem boys gat one small, innocent, Sunday-school question: who give permissionfuhalldembooksdatdeDigital Schoolsuddenlygotonline?
Nowlehwetellyuh,inGuyanaweknow howtolaunchbigfancyproject.Cutribbon, pop champagne, play drum, buss a speech, busstwomore.Butisdefineprintdatdoes comebackandbiteyuhinyuhbehind.
Dem boys seh is one thing to promise “allbooksavailableonline,freeofcost,”but is a whole next thing when de publisher show up asking, “Excuse me, who tell y'all dat?”
Dem boys hear de books deh pon de platform—maths, science, English, social studies, de whole syllabus like if dem authors and book publishers sign over their copyrighttoGuyanainaChristmashamper
must have been: to have one's entire purpose in life reduced to being pointed at and classified as a stateissuedpot.
Today's utensils could benefit from such an unveiling. Let them be seen for what they are: not villains, not ideologues, not even proper thugs, but simple, wretched tools
I n s t r u m e n t s o f inconvenience Men who mistake the clang of their own noise for relevance. Somemightevenrediscover their humanity when the glare of public scrutiny melts the bravado off their faces.
Others,alas,willpersist.
They will remain the
b a t t e r e d p o t s o f politics—dented, lopsided, and nourished by the scraps of patronage They will continuetoshout,todisrupt, to be a nuisance, all while believing they are participating in a grand crusade to save a government that hardly knowtheirnames.
Free? Is wha free? Free as in “no copyright fee”?Orfreeasin“thestudentsain'tpaying butthegovernmentquietlypayingbehindde shop”?
Dem boys want clarity, because copyrightisnotnolilsmallpotatoeslaw Dat thingserious.Publisherain'tplaying.Some of dem does send lawyer letter before you evenfinishdownload.
Imagine students in de middle of CXC prepandnextthingyuhhear:“Platformshut downduetocopyrightviolation.”Demboys sehdatwouldbemoreconfusionthanwhen GPL give blackout when election results being announced. And dem parents gon bend up like wire trying to understand how their pickney in a “digital school” but can't readadigitalbook. Solehsomebodysettherecordstraight. De nation need to know: permission deh or permission ain't deh? Fee pay or fee ain't pay?
And the ruling party, trembling at the thought of anyone addressing its base, will keep deploying them like overpriced utensils in a kitchen that has long forgotten the taste of honest labour For paranoia is hungry,andfearisaglutton, andthepoliticalpotmustbe kept boiling. In the end, these utensils will be washed, stored, and forgotten retrieved only whennextthereistroubleto be made.And that, perhaps, is the deepest tragedy: not that they are used, but that theyaresoverywillingtobe.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
H@RD TRUTHS
If you behave yourself
“If you behave yourself, you will get it this year.” Theuttererof those words was Pres. Ali on th August 26 in Eccles, during the final week of the elections campaign. A hectic time, yes; and that was the sweet-sounding, sweet-smelling cosmetic from Guyana's president to his audience. The“it”thathepromisedthey'llget was the highly-awaited news of a cashgrant.
“If you behave yourself…” IrfaanAli,holderofadoctorateand then presidential candidate, may have forgotten that he was not speaking to children, but grown adults. He may have forgotten that part, but he shouldn't be forgiven forfailingtorememberhispromise of a cash grant. He had first said it asearlyasonthefirstdayof2025in his New Year's Day address to the nation. So, why is he even being lauded for playing these games about a cash grant this year, when headoptstheroleofentertainer?
“If you behave yourself…” Well,thepeoplewhoweretheredid behave themselves, Dr Prezzy They came out and voted in their numbers from across Guyana for theredcup. Bettertovotered,soas to get in the black. Whoever wants to see green or blue, are entitled to do so, but that is all they will live
with; the green that is out of reach; and the blue that leaves them singing sad songs. In contrast, Guyanese who are in the red, see red, hear red. Well, they have had enough of dragging on their behind and scraping it red. Time for them to be given that hand that comes with a cash grant, Mr President. It cannot be one of those scanty, poor man, box hand. Is Pres. Ali still there? Calling Dr Ali. Calling Dr Ali. Has anybody seen or heard from the president? Sure, it is the holidays,buthecan'ttakeaholiday now Would be highly untimely, skipper Will somebody at the Office of the President, please convey my message to the headman? I am speaking for the Guyanese people. It is cash grant time. And this year is running out oftime. Putuporpackup.
“If you behave yourself…”
With all the respect in the world to Pres.Ali,whetherdeservingornot, the cash grant money on which a decision is to be made about its quantity and the timing of its arrival, is not his money Just to be aurora borealis clear, so that all Guyanese have the brightest ideabe they PPP, PNC, AFC, WIN, FGM Guyanese, [or Cuban, Venezuelan, and North Korean Guyanese]), not one dollar, not one blind cent, of the cash grant money
IDB Group and ECLAC launch first integrated housing data platform for Caribbean
WASHINGTON — Housing shortages and urban development challenges remain among the most pressing issues in Latin America and the Caribbean Addressing these challenges starts with something essential: reliable, comparable,andup-to-datedata.
To meet this need, the InterAmerican Development Bank
Group and the Economic Commission for LatinAmerica and the Caribbean (ECLAC), with the support of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), have launched Housing and Urban Intelligence, the region's first integrateddatahubofitskind.
This new platform brings together more than 3,000 indicators, 18 country profiles, and content from over 500 official sources, providing indispensable information to understand and manage housing and urban developmentissues.
The platform enables governments, financiers, builders, researchers, and specialists to identify gaps, track progress, and design evidence-based policies quickly and without the need to consultmultiplescatteredsources.
is Pres.Ali's to give or to dangle in front of Guyanese as bait and to taunt them. I raise my voice and damn the torpedoes. IT IS NOT PRESIDENT MOHAMED IRFAAN ALI'S MONEY TO PLAY AROUND WITH, AND KEEP DESTITUTE GUYANESE HANGING BY THE SEAT OF THEIR PANTS OR SKIRT I tone down: kindly hand over the cash, sir Thepeoplearewaiting,hoping, praying. Yessir! Things are that bad, and it is Xmas. No Guyanese inthismagnificentoilrichprovince shouldbewithoutaroundthistime. Do you hear what I hear? A cash grant announcement in the air by nextweek.
“If you behave yourself…” GreatGodinheaven(orwherever), PresidentAli should know after six
years at the top that he is only a trustee of the Guyanese people money. He didn't inherit it, he didn't win it at the gambling tables (although Guyana's elections come close), and he didn't earn it. Pres. Ali is one of those lucky fellows that stumbles upon a pirate's treasure, and then doesn't know what to do with himself. So, he makes the rounds of the political talk circuit in Guyana lecturing Guyaneseabouthowfortunefavors the bold, and that if they behave themselves, they can get to be president. The first thing that a successful, but vindictive, one woulddoisputhiminahome. One where all expenses are paid for by the State, with free uniform thrown inasabonus.
“If you behave yourself…” I
thinkthatthereshouldbedraconian penalties for anyone who plays with the minds of citizens Regardless of if they allow him or her to do so, or not. And when Guyanese are terrified to such an extent by uncertainty over a lousy cash grant, then there is only one that fits. Recall the cop with the AK-47, who terrorised a community, and the talk was of life imprisonment. It is what I think, and where I stand. Merry Xmas everyone.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Registrar and CEO of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC®), Dr Wayne Wesley, has made an impassioned plea for educational publishers to produce books and learning resources in accessible formats, such as braille, large print, and digital formats, in keeping with the provisions of the MarrakeshTreaty
“For a year and a half, ECLAC andtheIDB,withthesupportofthe OECD, have curated information from CEPALSTAT and other relevant sources to facilitate decision-making by key actors in thehousingandurbandevelopment sector in the region,” said Diego Aulestia, head of the Human SettlementsUnitatECLAC.
“With this tool, which will continue to expand its content over time, we are responding to an urgent need in the region: a single information center that consolidates all the data necessary to understand and manage housing and urban development in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said IDB housing specialist Paloma Silva, who thanked the OECD for itssupport.
The official launch of this new information management tool took place during the XXXIV General Assembly of the Forum of Ministers and High-Level Authorities of Housing and Urban Development of LatinAmerica and the Caribbean Ministers and HighestAuthoritiesofHousingand Urbanism of LatinAmerica and the Caribbean (MINURVI), held in Bridgetown,Barbados.
The Marrakesh Treaty is an international agreement adopted in 2013 by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), aimed at making published works more accessible to people who are blind, visually impaired, or print disabled.
The CXC Registrar and CEO told Intellectual Property experts, visually impaired persons and heads of libraries at a WIPO workshop in Port of Spain on November 26 that the regional examinations body will make explicit in all contractual arrangements with publishers that CXC learning resources be produced in accessible, digital formats that are compatible with assistive technologies, including brailleandlargeprint.
“CXC will make it a requirement for all authors to indicate their support for the provisionoftheMarrakeshTreaty,” said Dr Wesley “Priority and preference will be given to authors whodemonstratethissupportwhen selecting prescribed or recommended texts for our syllabuses,” he added. Dr Wesley pointed out that there is a growing need for accessibility by exam candidatesacrosstheregion,noting that Special Arrangement Assessment (SAA) requests were accommodated for a total of 3 444 candidates sitting the CAPE,
(second from left) CXC Registrar and CEO Dr Wayne Wesley, in conversation with (from left) Officer-in-Charge of WIPO's Division for Latin America and the Caribbean, Carol Simpson; Head of WIPO's Accessible Books Consortium, Monica Halil Lövblad; and Legal Counsellor, WIPO's Copyright Law Division, Tobias Bednarz, at a regional workshop on the Marrakesh Treaty in Port of Spain. (CXC)
CSEC, and CCSLC exams in the January and May – June 2025 sessions,upfrom3271in2024.
“Recent studies show that among Caribbean children aged 5 to 16, more than 0.1 per cent are blind, and up to 0.3 per cent have low vision. In Barbados, 2.4 per cent of children under 18 have visual impairment, while in TrinidadandTobago,64percentof high school students have refractive errors that may require visual aids,” shared Dr Wesley “Hearing impairment is also present, with a Jamaican study showing a 4.9 per cent prevalence among young students Each statistic represents a child whose educationaljourneydependsonour commitment to accessibility We cannot afford to let them down!” declared the CXC registrar and CEO. He said CXC will actively advocate through ministries of education across the Caribbean for the adoption of the Marrakesh
Treaty, encouraging regional governments to sign and implement the Treaty CXC is also committing to conducting training and sensitisation sessions for secondary school educators, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to support accessible learning and to advocate for the needs of visually impaired andprint-disabledstudents.
“At CXC, we will continue to adopt new approaches and technologies to enhance accessibility to our examinations, ensuring that all candidates — regardless of ability can participate fully and fairly,” he promised. “Accessible books and exam materials are not just a legal or ethicalrequirement— they are a moral imperative — unlocking the full potential of the [Marrakesh] Treaty, will empower visually impairedpersonsandalllearnersto read, learn, and thrive,” he concluded.
WIN accuses govt. of ‘vindictive delay’
…as
leadership crisis in Reg. 10 deepens
We Invest in Nationhood ( W I N ) R e g i o n Te n Councillor and Chairman nominee, Mark Goring, is accusing Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand, and President IrfaanAliofindifferenceand selective engagement as Region Ten remains without an elected Chair and ViceChair nearly two months after the October 10 deadlock.
In an interview on Sunday, Goring argued that the prolonged impasse, leaving residents of Region Ten without leadership is the r e s u l t o f p o l i t i c a l maneuvering rather than any proceduraldelay
At the 2025 Regional Elections, WIN led by businessman Azruddin Mohamed secured the most votesinRegionTen,aregion traditionally dominated by the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR). Eighteen councillors were sworn in back in October, nine for WIN, five for A
Regional Executive Officer (REO) and Clerk of Council, Dwight John
Partnership for National Unity (APNU), three for the People's Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) and one for the Forward Movement Guyana (FGM). The RDC election ended in a 9-9 tie betweentheWINandAPNU nominees.
Since then, Regional Executive Officer (REO) and Clerk of Council, Dwight John, suspended the process and said the matter
WIN Region Ten Councillor and Chairman nominee, Mark Goring
would be referred to Minister Manickchand to break the tie. However, the minister has since said she has no role in choosing a ChairforRegionTen,noting that the Clerk must follow thelawfulprocedure.
Goring reminded that he had objected during the election and told the Clerk thattwoadditionalroundsof voting were required. He stressed that the amended
Trio freed of West Berbice taxi driver murder
A 12- member jury on
Thursday returned a unanimous not guilty verdict which saw the three prime suspects in the murder of MohamedHaniffwalkoutof thecourtasfreemen.
Fifty-seven-year-old Devon McAlmont, 27-yearold Ivan Lindo, and 34-year-
Freed: Devon McAlmont, Ivan Lindo, and Royston Dowden
old Royston Dowden were each acquitted in the matter for which they pleaded not guilty and were remanded to prison back in 2020, while awaiting their fate.The three men were brought before Justice Sandil Kissoon to answer the charge of murder of Haniff, 47, called
law bars ministerial intervention and obligates the Clerk to continue voting rounds. “It clearly states that after two rounds of voting, you go to the third and if it's still a tie, then you go to the numerical value of each council seat… the law was amended to give the party with the popular vote the chairmanship, in which we have that popular vote,” he stated.
Goring further argued that Manickchand, as the minister responsible for local government, has administrative authority overtheREOJohn.
“He report to you, he send reports to you, and so you have that authority to have him, reconvene the meeting.
What you don't have is a decision in the matter, to decide on who be chairman or not, but you have that authority as the minister responsible for local government,”hesaid.
“Soyousupposedtoable to indicate to the REO that youneedtomoveonwiththe business of the people, if
President Irfaan Ali
you're a fair minister…” he continued Goring also criticised Manickchand for remaining silent despite media coverage of the delay He added, “So that is vindictive politics playing in RegionTen.”
Moreover, Goring also took aim at President Ali's decision to swear in Chairs and Vice-Chairs for only nine regions. When asked about Region Ten being excluded, the president told reporters that Region Ten leadership would be sworn
Killed: Mohamed Haniff
'Raymond.'
Haniff, a taxi driver, was allegedly murdered on September 12, 2020 following an invasion at his Experiment, West Coast Berbice home, days after he had returned home from St. Marteen where he stayed for two years. He was dealt a chop to his head in what supposedly was a robbery effort,reportsstated.
Police said three masked men intruded Haniff's home where he was beaten, while demandsweremadeforcash and jewelry His wife was said to be unharmed during theattack.
T h e s t a t e w a s represented by prosecutor Cecila Corbin Following testimonies of witnesses, including police officers, Haniff's wife and son, along (Continued on page 15)
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand
in“attheappropriatetime.”
Responding, Goring said, “As a president you deliberately allow the process to go on with only nine regions, what it say about you as a person, as a leaderofacountry,ittellsthe country that you're prepared tobebiasedtoonesectionof society who did not overwhelmlyvoteforyou.”
Notably, Kaieteur News hasrepeatedlyreachedoutto Region Ten Clerk for a comment but to date he has notresponded.
Thedeplorableconditionsatthe Amerindian Hostel on Princess Street were thrust into the national spotlight Sunday morning when leader of the main opposition, Azruddin Mohamed and several Members of Parliament responded to desperate calls from residents beggingforhelp.
It was high drama at the hostel when the We Invest in Nationhood leader showed up to listen to complaints from residents of the deteriorating conditions of the facility, that they say is plagued by rats and other infestations and that theyarepoorlyhousedandfed.
In a statement WIN said when Mohamed visited to provide representation,hewasdeniedentry Thepartysaidcredibleinformation reaching them is that the Amerindian Hostel is unkempt and in a deplorable condition. “One report is that there is a paralysed bedridden man, an amputee, and another with a stroke, all in an untidy room.” The party added: “while the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs continues to paint the exterior of the building, th condition beneath is appalling Behind a few coats of paint is an untidy, rundown dwelling for our Indigenous brothers and sisters in thecity.”
According to WIN after Mohamed and the MPs were orderedtoleavethepremisesby the warden, acting on instructions from the PPP, Minister of Amerindian Affairs Sarah Browne, who had been completely absent until then suddenly appeared over one hour later
continuetreatingthemthisway
However, Browne said nowhere on the live did she say she will give her husband the contract to build the hostel. “What I said is “I'm not the tender board and my husband is a Guyanese and like every Guyanese he should be able to work. I also said does it mean becauseofmehecan'tbeabletoget work anywhere in this country I have always said this during the campaign when persons ask me about my husband because I have nothing to hide. Also, to make it clear I have visited the hostel on several occasions and me and my staff working together to create a space at the Amerindian hostel where children can go to play or read books, colour etc. and this is not the only time I visited. Not everything must be publicised Again, with the lies and distortion. If they were there to bring awareness to issue at hand how on earth did it come to my husband. Stop playing politics with our people.”
Among the concerns WIN said it has received are: the hostel is extremely hot; there is a need for fans and air conditioning; persons leave sicker after getting there, as the beds are not good and are too close to each other; the mattresses are thin, and people have reported getting scabies after a night there; thewashroomsareoutoforder,and persons have to fetch buckets of water to flush toilets; there are no cleaning supplies in the toilet and that the food served at the hostel is usually subpar Additionally, WIN said residents at the hostel complained that there is hardly any and they are often served sausages and sardines and are lowed only two slices of bread. “The water pressure is unstable and the hostel is infested with rats,” are the
“She arrived to meetnearly 100 distressedIndigenousdwellersand, instead of listening to their cries, attempted to make excuses for the PPP's ongoing neglect and failure toaddresstheirmostbasicneeds.”
According to WIN, in a live recording, Mr Mohamed asked the minister whether her husband, who has previously received multimillion-dollar contracts from the PPP, would be receiving the contract to “upgrade” the hostel. “The minister responded strangely, saying: “If he has to get the work, I don'tseewhyhecan'tgetbenefit.”
“This response is alarming giventhecorruptionofthePPPand misuseofpublicresources.
Mr Mohamed pressed the ministerrepeatedlywithonesimple question. When will these urgent needs be addressed? she refused to answer,” the Win statement detailed. Mohamed, according to the statement assured the Indigenouspeopleatthehostelthat he will do everything in his power to ensure they are treated with dignity, respect, and humanity, and he will not allow the PPP to
other complaints. WIN has called on the Minister of Amerindian Affairs to address the complaints immediately In an interview following the stand-off Browne accused Mohamed of trying to deflect attention from his current e x t r a d i t i o n c a s e S h e acknowledged that the hotel has outgrown its capacity and that
money has been requested in the 2026 budget for the construction of anewfacility Shesaidthattheland has already been identified and hopefully the funds will be approved for the project. She noted that for this year more than 12,175 peoplestayedatthehostel-someof them being stranded patients who had come to Georgetown seeking medical attention. Browne said the governmenthasrecognisedthatthe difficulties at the hostel and President IrfaanAli has committed to building a new Amerindian Hostel, and this promise is already being fulfilled. The minister said despite the constraints the hostel continues to provide three full meals daily, a safe place to rest, welfare services, and even air and land transportation back to hinterlandregions.
An Amerindian woman shares her concerns about the condition of the hostel
WIN Leader, Azruddin Mohamed and General Secretary of the Party, Odessa Primus speaking with an official at the hostel
Scene outside of the Amerindian Hostel on princess Street, Georgetown
One of the broken, toilets at the hostel
The sleeping area of residents lacks ventilation
The condition of the bathroom area
The condition of the tiled floor
‘Twoyears,noanswers’
..fury grows as deadly
GDF helicopter crash report remains hidden
Two years after the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Bell 412 helicopter crash that shockedthenation,theofficial accident report, is yet to be released by the Minister of PublicWorksJuanEdghill.
Leader of the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) and Member of Parliament (MP)AmanzaWalton-Desiris n o w c a l l i n g o n t h e Government of Guyana to immediately make the findingspublic.
OnDecember6,2023,five of the seven occupants aboard the aircraft died when the aircraft crashed in the jungle between Arau and Ekereku in Region Seven Those confirmed dead are: the pilotin-command, veteran aviator Lieutenant Colonel Michael Charles, Colonel Michael Shahoud, Lieutenant Colonel Shaun Welcome, Staff Sergeant Jason Khan and Brigadier (Ret'd) Gary Beaton Lieutenant Andio Michael Crawford, a pilot on board the aircraft, and Corporal Dwayne Johnson survivedthecrash.
Following the tragedy, Minister Edghill appointed a special investigator, and by late December 2023, he a n n o u n c e d t h a t t h e helicopter's black box had been sent to the United States for analysis. Nearly a year later, on November 12, 2024, Edghill disclosed that a draft reporthadbeencompletedand circulated to stakeholders for comment Since then, however, no report, draft or final, has been released to the public.Attemptstocontactthe minister for an update proved unsuccessful, with calls going unanswered and messages unread.
On Sunday, President Irfaan Ali issued a statement honouring the fallen servicemen. “We remember them not only as soldiers, but as fathers, sons, friends, and patriots,” he wrote. “Their sacrificecontinuestoguideus, strengthen us, and remind us of the profound duty we all sharetoourOneGuyana.”
However, Walton-Desir
criticised the statement for omitting any mention of the long-delayed accident report.
“His words were warm, his sentiments kind, and his tone reverential.Butonceagain,he avoided the one thing the families and the nation still need: the truth about what happened. Two years have now passed. Yet the official accident report remains withheld,”shesaid.
The MP argued that aviation safety cannot improve without transparency and accountability, especially given the government's recent acquisition of two new helicopters of the same class as the one that crashed
“Without releasing the investigation report, President Ali cannot assure the country that the root causes of the tragedy have been identified, understood, or corrected,”
Walton-Desirsaid.“Wedonot know whether these new aircraft address systemic weaknesses in maintenance, training, oversight, or operational readiness. We do not know whether the same vulnerabilities persist Guyana cannot advance aviationsafetyonsecrecy.”
Walton-Desir urged the governmenttoreleasethefinal report “immediately,” adding that any genuine national security concerns could be addressed through selective redactions. “But there is no j u s t i f i c a t i o n , n o n e whatsoever,forconcealingthe entire report from the nation, from the families, and from the Defence Force itself,” she emphasised.
“Our servicemen gave their lives in service to this nation. Their families deserve closure.Thesurvivorsdeserve recognition and support. And we, the people of Guyana, deserve to know that the mistakes of the past are not being repeated behind closed doors,” she said. “On a day dedicated to global aviation safety,Guyanamustrecommit toopenness,transparency,and the duty of care we owe to every man and woman who serves.”
Lieutenant Colonel, Shaun Welcome
Colonel, Michael Shaoud Staff Sergeant, Jason Khan
Brigadier (Ret'd), Gary Beaton
Lieutenant Colonel, Michael Charles
Caribbean makes headway with concrete actions for gender equality
The Presiding Officers of t h e R e g i o n a l Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, which carried out its sixty-seventh meeting on December 1-2, confirmed once again the continued relevance of the agreements that have made up the Regional Gender Agenda since 1977, particularly the Tlatelolco Commitment: A Decade of Action to Achieve Substantive Gender Equality and the Care Society, adopted in August 2025, reaffirming the “commitment to accelerate its full and effective implementation” in synergy with other regional and international treatiesandmechanisms.
The Sixty-Seventh Meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean was held using a hybrid format and was organised by ECLAC, in its capacity as Secretariat of the Conference, in coordination with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), and with the Government ofMexicoservingasChair
“Theregionismovingalongthe right path, but it faces challenges that require resolve and greater speedintermsofaction.
Thisgatheringhasallowedusto reaffirm the importance of translating our consensuses into concrete progress: strengthening
social dialogue, consolidating public policies, bolstering governance and the institutional framework, fostering cultural shifts, promoting effective international cooperation, ensuring sufficient and sustainable financing, and continuing to break the statistical silence,” Ana Güezmes, Director of ECLAC's Division for Gender Affairs, summarised at the meeting's closingsession.
“Let's move forward with the Tlatelolco Commitment as our navigation route, with substantive genderequalityandthecaresociety as a near horizon, and with multilateralism as a tool for our shared goals,” emphasised Güezmes, speaking on behalf of ECLAC's Executive Secretary, JoséManuelSalazar-Xirinachs.
Inthemeeting'sagreements,the delegates thanked the Government of Mexico for presenting a proposed road map for implementing the Tlatelolco Commitment over the next three years and welcomed the reports prepared by countries on their planned actions, encouraging them toredoubleefforts.
It was also decided that the Presiding Officers' deliberations will be taken to the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), to be held on March 9-20, 2026 in New York with the theme of “Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for
all women and girls, including by promoting inclusive and equitable legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and addressing structural barriers.”
“I want to reaffirm the importance of ensuring that the agreementswe haveadoptedatthis Presiding Officers have resonance in the negotiations that will take place in the framework of the CSW70, since access to justice is the right that guarantees the exerciseofallotherrights.
Thegoalisthataccesstojustice become a reality for all women and girls, especially for those who face multiple and interrelated forms of discrimination, inequality and violence.Stateshavetheobligation to remove the structural barriers that historically have limited its exercise,” Bibiana Aido Almagro, UNWomen'sRegionalDirectorfor the Americas and the Caribbean, stated during the meeting's closing session.
Meanwhile, Citlalli Hernández Mora, the Minister for Women of Mexico, recognised that the challenges associated with the Decade of Action to Achieve Substantive Gender Equality and the Care Society established in the Tlatelolco Commitment “are not insignificant.”
She continued: “In fact, we need political will, budgets and to take on ever more commitments in our nations that enable us to
transform at the roots, and on all fronts, a society that has been built unequally,withgreatviolence.
We in Mexico are convinced, and I know that in general this idea is embraced in the region, that to continue making progress on building public policies, laws, regulations and infrastructure with a gender perspective, a vision of substantive equality and a vision of care,aculturalshiftmustalsocome – a social shift that embraces equality.”
Intheagreements,thecountries thanked the experts from the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Rhoda Reddock and Patsilí Toledo, for sharing information on the draft general recommendation No. 41 regarding genderstereotypes.
Theyalsowelcomedparagraph 45 of the joint declaration of the fourth Summit of Heads of State andGovernmentoftheCommunity of Latin American and Caribbean States and the European Union –held on November 9, 2025 – in which States acknowledge the importance of enhancing biregional cooperation to reduce inequalities and improve social cohesion, including by designing and implementing public policies aimed at strengthening care systems.
The delegates once again encouraged the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean
and of other regions, developed countries, the agencies, funds and programsoftheUnitedNationsand other relevant stakeholders to contribute financial resources to ensure the sustainability of the Regional Fund in Support of Wo m e n ' s a n d F e m i n i s t Organisations and Movements, the objective of which is to support the strengthening of women's and feminist organisations and networks, along with their role in promoting gender equality and ensuring women's human rights in the Latin America and Caribbean region.
The Presiding Officers, elected attheXVI RegionalConferenceon Women in Latin America and the Caribbean (Mexico City, August 12-15,2025),ismadeupofMexico as Chair andAntigua and Barbuda, Chile,Colombia,CostaRica,Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, HaitiandUruguayasVice-Chairs.
The Sixty-Seventh Meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Regional Conference on Women was attended by 24 delegations from ECLAC Member States, 19 entities from the United Nations s y s t e m a n d o t h e r intergovernmental organisations, and more than 100 representatives from civil society, mainly from w o m e n ' s a n d f e m i n i s t organisations and movements. In total, there were 134 participants in person and around 120 participatingvirtually
APNU hits the streets today for $150K cash grant
Opposition coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) will take to the streets today to protest the government's non deliveryofitspromisedcash grant.
T h e c o a l i t i o n ' s parliamentary lead in the National Assembly, Dr Terrence Campbell has urged citizens to join the peaceful demonstration at theSquareoftheRevolution to “force the government to act.”
The sole reason for this protest is to “call for the immediate disbursement of the cash grant before the Christmasholidays.
On Sunday the party released a flyer to the public reminding citizens to be assembled by 09:30hrs, to protest for what is rightfully
PAHO
theirs. The coalition said Friday, that with an estimated 604,000 citizens qualifying by this month for the government promised cash grant, and a total expenditureof$90.6billion, the PPP/C government could distribute at least $150,000 to citizens in time fortheChristmasseason.
The APNU believes that the amount represents a manageable percentage of the total projected government revenues, which proves the feasibility oftheproposal.
Lead member in the National Assembly, Dr Terrence Campbell said the president and his cabinet have had several public discussions on one-off cash payments and other benefits
tiedtoGuyana'soilwindfall. “President Irfaan Ali recently told Guyanese that “Ifyoubehaveyourself,you get it this year,” language that is disrespectful,
coercive and entirely unacceptable as national social policy,” Dr Campbell said Friday during a press conference.Considering the
y Guyanese,specificallythose living in poverty, theAPNU is proposing a prompt increase in the cash grant to be distributed to citizens above the age of 18 Campbell said a distribution no less than $150,000 will helptoalleviatethefinancial burdens and to stimulate local economies during the criticalholidayseason.
T h e p o l i t i c i a n highlighted that a Christmas relieftocitizensisneededso that persons will be able to cope with rising cost-ofliving.This justification is based on the projected growth in revenue the government has put forward alongside increased population demands and the urgent need of the impoverishpopulace.
Dr Campbell reminded that last year, a cash grant of $100,000 was allocated to each citizen age 18 and over to provide financial relief amidst the rising economic challenges. With population growthprojectedaswelland an increase in revenue, he believes it is imperative to reassess the grant amount in order to better meet the needsofcitizens.
launches rapid assessment tool to
improve care for women survivors of sexual violence
The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) last week launched a rapid assessment tool to improve care for women survivors of sexual violence, amid persistently high levelsofviolenceagainstwomeninthe Americas, where an estimated one in three women has experienced physical and/orsexualviolenceinherlifetime.
In a press release PAHO said the tool offers the region's public health sector a practical, evidence-based instrument to evaluate services in emergency rooms and clinics, identify critical gaps in post-rape care, and strengthen the healthcare provider's response to one of the region's most pervasive human rights and public healthchallenges.
The new tool, which was unveiled in a webinar about improving care for women survivors of sexual violence, with over 400 participants, will enable countries to translate regional commitments on violence against women into concrete improvements in health facilities, by measuring how wellservicesmeetsurvivors'needsand guidingnextstepstostrengthencare.
“Every woman and girl who has been sexually assaulted deserves timely, sensitive, and comprehensive health care,” said Britta Monika Baer, PAHO's Advisor on Violence and Injury Prevention. “Health systems are not just responders—they are lifelines whose actions can restore dignity, prevent lifelong injury and trauma, and
break the cycle of violence By prioritising survivor-centered care and equipping health workers, we can ensurethatnosurvivorisleftbehind.”
Therapidassessmenttoolbuildson PAHO'sStrategyandPlanofActionon Strengthening the Health System to Address Violence against Women 2015–2025, which recognises the central role of the health sector in both responding to and preventing violence. When Ministries of Health requested practical tools to monitor progress against regional indicators and improve services with limited resources, PAHO developed this rapid assessment tool with support from the GovernmentofCanada.
The tool is the direct result of extensive collaboration with teams from Ministries of Health and regional focal points on violence against woman, ensuring that the instrument reflects the realities and operational needs of health services in Latin America.
Timelyandcompassionatecare
In the Americas, where rates of sexual and physical violence remain high, timely and compassionate postrape care is critical to prevent unintended pregnancy, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and to safeguard the safety and wellbeing of survivors.Thefirst-of-its-kindtoolwas initially designed in Spanish and tailored to health services in the Americas. The evaluation tool draws
New tint policy marks beginning of restoring order
- HomeAffairs Minister
MinisterofHomeAffairs, Oneidge Walrond, has defended the government's newly implemented vehicle tintpolicy,describingitasthe first step toward restoring order after widespread public criticisms.
In a statement shared on her Facebook page, Walrond emphasised that the policy goesbeyondregulatingtinted windows. “The tint policy is not just about tint on windows it is about restoring order to something that was completely unregulated for far too long,” shesaid.
Accordingtotheminister, tintwasneverlegallyallowed without a waiver, yet many drivers ignored the requirement “Let us be honest: tint was never properly permitted, yet everyone used it, and some persons exploited it to drive recklessly, hide illegal behaviour, and evade d e t e c t i o n b y l a w enforcement,”shesaid.
Declaring that “that era is over,” Walrond described the updated policy as one that introduces structure, u n i f o r m i t y , a n d accountabilitytoasystemshe called “chaotic and abused.”
this is how we build safer roadsandamorelaw-abiding society.”
on World Health Organisation (WHO) clinical and policy guidelines on intimate partner violence and sexual violence, as well as existing qualityassurance instruments from partners. PAHO adapted these guidelines to the context of the Region, with a focus on core elements of post-rape care and front-line support competencies. The tool has been piloted in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, and Peru in a process that included close collaboration with Ministries of Health, national and subnational health managers and hundredsofhealthworkers.
The active engagement of practitioners in countries not only strengthened the relevance of the tool, its adaptability to diverse contexts and implementation modalities, but also built institutional capacity for its rolloutanduptake.
Thetoolwasthenvalidatedthrough a series of meetings with experts and Ministry of Health focal points. By helping services assess how they identify survivors, guarantee privacy and informed consent, provide lifesaving interventions, and connect women to other services, the tool generates crucial data and capacity to mitigate the consequences of sexual violence for women's health and wellbeingsothateverywomanandgirl can access quality, respectful care and move toward a life free from fear and violence.
She stressed that the new rules “close the gaps, remove theexcuses,andeliminatethe selective practices of the past.”
The minister further statedthatmotoristswillnow be able to use tint within clear, enforceable limits “Every motorist in Guyana can now have tint — but within safe, transparent, and enforceable limits that protectthepublicandsupport effective policing. This is what fairness looks like.This is what responsible governance looks like. And
In late November, Walrond announced that drivers may apply tint allowing up to 35% light penetration without needing a waiver from the ministry Restricted waivers will still be available for high-security categories such as diplomats, government officials, and others approved by the minister Under the updated regulations, violations will attract stricter penalties, includinga$75,000fine. However, public reaction has been largely negative. Manycitizensarguethat35% tint is too light for the country's climate and that the $75,000 fine is excessive, especially when compared to lower penalties for more serioustrafficoffences.
A ddr es s ing thes e concerns, Attorney General andMinisterofLegalAffairs, A n i l N a n d l a l l , S C , acknowledged public dissatisfaction during his weekly Issues in the News programme. He noted that broader reforms to traffic laws are underway and confirmed that fines for offences such as speeding, previously $7,500, will be rai
ef
ec
h
seriousness of common causesofroadaccidents.
Trio freed of West Berbice...
From page 11 with relatives of the victim, the jury deliberated and determined that the prosecution did not present a strong enoughcaseagainsttheaccusedtoconfirmtheirguilt.
Lawyers for the defense included Horatio Edmonson, Vinay K. Punwa in association with Chandra Sohan, and Kevin Morgan, for Lindo, McAlmont, and Dowden respectively.Throughout the trial, defense attorneys grilled Bibi Haniff, the wife of the deceased on the possibility of her settingupthehitonherhusbandandhavingitbecamouflaged asarobbery.Thewidowfirmlymaintainedherinnocence.She told the court that at the time of the invasion, she was on the floor and could not have rendered any assistance to her husband. Back in 2020, she and her son were arrested by the police and detained for 72 hours.She also related that she did not recognise the men when she took part in an identification parade.The defense held that her accounts were inaccurate, andthatshehasnotbeenwhollytruthfultothepolice.
Minister of HomeAffairs, Oneidge Walrond
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World food commodity pricesdeclinedinNovember, led by lower international quotationsforallmajorstaple foods except cereals, accordingtothebenchmarkmeasure released Friday by the Food andAgricultureOrganisation of the United Nations (FAO).
The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international pricesofabasketofgloballytradedfoodcommodities,averaged125.1pointsinNovember,down1.2percentfromits revisedOctoberlevel.Theindexhasnowdeclinedforthree consecutive months, standing 2.1 percent below its November 2024 level and 21.9 percentlowerthanitspeakin March2022.
The FAO Cereal Price Index increased by 1.3 percent during the month. Despite a generally comfortable global supplyoutlookandreportsof good harvests in Argentina and Australia, global wheat prices rose by 2.5 percent in November, supported by potentialChineseinterestinsup-
plies from the United States of America, continuing hostilitiesintheBlackSearegion, and expectations of reduced plantingsforthe2026harvest in the Russian Federation. International maize prices alsorose,underpinnedbyfirm demandforBraziliansupplies, whiletheFAOAllRicePrice Indexdeclinedamidsubdued importdemandforIndicaand fragrantricevarieties.
The FAO Vegetable Oil PriceIndexfellby2.6percent from October, as declines in palm,rapeseedandsunflower oil quotations more than offset a modest increase in soyoil prices, which were supported by strong demand fromthebiodieselsector,particularlyinBrazil.
The FAO Meat Price Index edged down 0.8 percent fromitsrevisedOctoberlevel. Global poultry meat prices decreasedamidabundantexportablesuppliesandheightened global competition, partly reflecting Brazil’s efforts to regain market share following the lifting of high-
pathogenicity avian influenza-related trade bans by keyimporters.Pigmeatprices also declined, largely due to ample supplies in the European Union and subdued demandfromChinaaftertheintroduction of import duties. International bovine meat quotations remained broadly stable,whileovinemeatprices increased.
The FAO Dairy Price Indexdeclinedby3.1percentin November,ledbylowerquotations for butter and whole milkpowder
The decrease reflected rising milk production and abundant export supplies in majorproducingregions.The FAO Sugar Price Index declined by 5.9 percent from October, driven by expectationsofampleglobalsupplies in the current season and strong production trends in Brazil, India and Thailand.
FAO also released updated forecasts for world cereal markets in 2025. Thanks to larger-than-expected wheat harvests,especiallyinArgen-
tina, global cereal output is now foreseen to surpass three billion tonnes for the firsttimeever,rising4.9percent to 3.003 billion tonnes. Coarsegrainandriceoutputs arebothexpectedtoincrease from the previous year, with worldriceoutputprojectedto grow by 1.6 percent, led by Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India and Indonesia.
The new Cereal Supply andDemandBriefalsooffers preliminary updates on trends in the ongoing winter wheat season in the northern hemisphere and coarse grain plantings in the southern hemisphere.
Worldcerealutilizationin 2025/26 is now expected to increase by 2.1 percent from the previous year. Based on the updated forecasts, global cerealstocksarepredictedto expand by 6.5 percent to a record high of 925.5 million tonnes, while the new forecastforworldtradeincereals in2025/26pointstoa3.3percentincreaseto500.6million tonnes.
ThePanAmericanHealth Organisation (PAHO) last week launched the Regional AllianceforHIVElimination in the Americas, a platform that brings together governments,communities,international agencies, academia, and the private sector to advancemeasurestoreducenew infections and AIDS-related deaths.
TheAmericas have made progress against HIV, but challengespersist.In2024,an estimated170,000newinfectionsand38,000AIDS-related deathswererecorded,according to UNAIDS. While the Caribbeanreducednewinfections by 21% from 2010 to 2024, Latin America saw a 13%increaseduringthesame period. Despite advances in diagnosisandtreatment,gaps remain in access to services, especiallyamongpopulations at higher risk of infection.
“This platform is a call to rethink approaches, rebuild partnerships, and strengthen collective action in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, ensuring universal accesstoinnovative,life-saving technologies,” said Monica Alonso, Chief of PAHO’s UnitonHIV,Hepatitis,Tuberculosis and Sexually Transmitted Infections. “We must
alsomovetowardeliminating thebarriersthathinderaccess to services.”
The alliance focuses on threepriorityareasinachievingtheeliminationofHIVas apublichealthprobleminthe region:
Timely and expanded diagnosis,withanemphasison scalingupHIVself-testingto facilitate testing;
Expansion of pre-exposureprophylaxis(PrEP),both oralandinjectable,including the introduction of Lenacapavir, the first twiceyearlyinjectableprophylaxis that represents a breakthroughforimprovingadherence and access for populations at risk;
Effective and optimised antiretroviral treatment, which ensures sustained viral suppression and reduced
transmission.
According to PAHO projections, scaling up the combined use of oral and injectable PrEP could reduce new infections by more than 70% over the next four years. If paired with expanded antiretroviral treatment, new infectionscoulddropbymore than 90% across Latin America and the Caribbean.
“Scientific and technological progress achieved in recentyearsmakesitpossible tosaythatHIVeliminationis now within reach,” Alonso said.“Biomedicalinnovation is essential, but so are policiesandenablingsocialenvironments that ensure this progress benefits all people equitably,” she added.
The Americas have reachedhistoricmilestonesin the elimination of communicable diseases, including smallpox,polio,measles,and
rubella,andseveralcountries havecertifiedtheelimination of mother-to-child transmissionofHIVandsyphilis.The region also benefits from mechanismssuchasPAHO’s Revolving Funds, which enable access to high-quality medicines, equipment, technologies,andhealthsupplies at affordable prices. The introduction of Lenacapavir through regional joint procurement mechanisms offers an opportunity to improve access to innovative technologies and accelerate the eliminationofthevirusinthe region.
Alliancegovernance
The alliance seeks to positionHIVeliminationasaregional priority aligned with the Sustainable Health Agenda for the Americas 2018-2030andwithPAHO’s EliminationInitiative. It serves as a multisectoral platform to coordinate efforts, harmonize regulations, and promote sustainablefinancing.PAHO will serve as the technical SecretariatoftheAlliance.In coordination with UNAIDS, theHorizontalTechnicalCooperation Group (GCTH), governments, communities, academia,andotherpartners, PAHOwillpromotespacesfor dialogue, innovation, and advocacy to accelerate the introduction of new prevention, diagnosis, and treatment tools and to advance toward zero HIV-related deaths by 2030.
T&T needs structural change, say three economists
( T R I N I D A D GUARDIAN) Eightmonths into the term of a new administration and on the cuspofanewcalendaryear, T&T's economic narrative
is defined by three converging themes: limp growth, foreign exchange constraints and a wavering energyoutlook
Fromtheperspectivesof leading economists Dr
Indera Sagewan, Dr
Marlene Attzs, and Dr Vanus James, 2026 is not just another calendar turn it is an inflection
framed the foreign exchange challenge as the central economic risk—and opportunity Sagewan argued that the forex gap could no longer be papered over with periodic interventions or allocations; it must be transformed into anexportimperative.
The country's yardstick should change: ministries and state agencies must be measured not by their expenditure, but by net foreign exchange generated
through policies and programmes.
“The national focus must move toward deliberately growing nonenergy sectors that earn foreign exchange directly: education, tourism, health and wellness tourism, culinary tourism, yachting, creative industries, agroprocessing, business outsourcing, financial and professional services, and maritime and logistics operations.
It is not how much money they spend, but how much foreign exchange their policies, programmes andsectorsactuallygenerate that must be the new measurement metrices for ministries and State agencies,”sheexplained.
Attzsconcured,warning thatmanagingshortagesisa dead-end strategy in a stagnanteconomicstructure. Her prescription: strengthen
industrial clusters, incentivise manufacturing and agro-processing, and accelerate investment into export-capable industries
“We need a long-term solution to foreignexchange scarcity based on structural transformation in the context of an industrial policy, not periodic interventions,”shesaid.
James sharpened the point by noting that import dependence is high, while exports plus net foreign direct investment (FDI) hoveronlymarginallyabove the import bill, leaving the external accounts vulnerable. “Import dependence was high and exports plus net FDI were hovering precariously at only 13 per cent above the importbill,”hesaid.Without sustained current-account surpluses and higher import cover, diversification would beperpetuallyderailed.
Energy: A narrowing cushion and a budget risk
T h e e n e r g y -
m a n u f a c t u r i n g
complex long the country's anchor is now fragile
James notes oil prices hovering in depressed territory and warns that o p t i m i s m a r o u n d geopolitical improvements (including a possible end to the Russia-Ukraine war) could further pressure prices,underminingrevenue assumptions, adding, “Oil markets are hovering near glut conditions and oil prices remain sustainedly depressed below US$60 per barrel.”
He added that gas prices are now above the targeted US$4.25permmbtu,butthe shortage of gas to the industrialplantsisgrowing, what with the collapse of Dragon and the possible warthreattoexploitationof the two cross-border fields withVenezuela
“That too does not look good for industrial viability or budget expectations and initiatives in 25/26 They also do not look good for general economic viability becausethecountryliveson imports and the import cover is now quite low and
trending downwards,”
James said If conditions persist, James sees two unpalatable options: bailout or foreign borrowing at higherrates.
Efficiency and digitisation
In a low-growth environment, inefficiency is the most dangerous enemy Sagewan called for a sweeping digitisation of Government services, simplification of business processes and an embrace of automation and AIassisted systems across both public and private sectors. T&T, she warned, cannot operate with 20thcentury systems in a 21stcentury competitive landscape. Attzs added that digital transformation must be real not just “front doors” over manual backendprocessing.
She advocates online payments,real-timetracking of applications, and end-toend system reform that raises productivity and improves the ease of doing business This creates investor confidence, unlocks innovation for start-ups, and transforms the public sector into an enabler rather than an obstacle – to economic growthanddevelopment.
Governance and Trust
For Attzs, institutional performance is not a compliance box it's a macroeconomic variable When public institutions underperform, investments are delayed, transaction costs rise and citizens lose confidence
She prioritises the s t r e n g t h e n i n g o f institutions, procurement transparency, consistent data publication and performance standards for State entities, noting that rebuilding trust lowers risk perceptions and enhances nationalcohesion.
James goes further, diagnosing a “policy disease” in which governmentcontroloverkey service industries (education, healthcare, finance, creative sectors) shapes their economic orientation and stifles exportpotential
Hearguedthatauthoritarian decision-making—based on i n s u f f i c i e n t information has blocked the development of professional services as major exports, emphasising that without institutional reforms to eliminate heavy-handedness and enable full information sharing, policy would remain misaligned with developmentneeds
“WhenRowleyleftoffice, healsoleftaneconomywhose development process had stalled over a decade. In 2024, there were still 58 per cent of workers with inadequate education, and Tobagowas19yearsbehind at 68 per cent Moreover, despite the special and favourableprovisionsofthe THA Act, Tobago's development challenges worsened sharply in the Farley years, from 62 per centin2021to68percentin 2024.
That is, Tobago moved from a development condition that was better than the borough of Point Fortin,muchofStGeorges, and St Andrew/St David, to one that is the worst in the country in just three short years
This might also be evidence of an accelerating brain drain in the face of poor policies “Only 16 per cent of national workers had university degrees, 13percentinTobago By way of comparison, relevantestimateswere43.3 per cent with university degrees in Singapore in 2024, 44.5 per cent in the USA, and 49 7 per cent in the UK, all indicative of a h i g h d e g r e e o f capitalisation and related substantial capacity for rapid learning and innovation, ” James explained
Crime and security
Sagewan points to crime's corrosive impact on tourism, investor sentiment and the migration of skilled professionals. “Crime and insecurity continues to negatively impact growth
and weaken foreign exchange earnings They drive away tourists, scare
off investors, increase the cost of doing business
and acc
n of skilled professionals In 2026, crime fighting must move beyond traditional law enforcement,”shesaid.
Shestressedthatgreater attention must be placed on dismantling illegal financial networks, seizing criminal assets,strengtheningborder controls, reforming the judicial system to reduce backlogs and creating immediate economic alternatives for at-risk youth in high-crime communities, stating “safety and stability are not luxuries; they are preconditionsforgrowth.”
Attzsalsoframedsafety asapublicgoodessentialfor growth, advocating datad r i v e n p o l i c i n g , strengthened intelligence coordination, violenceinterruption programmes, and immediate economic alternatives for at-risk youth “We need a national security strategy based on, inter alia, datad r i v e n p o l i c i n g , improved intelligence coordination, violenceinterruption programmes, and youth and community interventions. The country cannot diversify, grow, or prosper without a marked reduction in violence and i n s e c u r i t y , ” s h e recommended.
Forex strategy in disguise
This dependence, Attzs stated, exposes households to global price shocks and weakens the country's external accounts, adding that at a time when inflationary pressure continues to stretch family budgets, food and nutrition security must be treated as a national priority
She added that a focus on revitalising local agriculture with farmersensitive operations and incentives are essential steps, noting that improving domesticproductionisabout morethanagriculture-itisa m a c r o e c o n o m i c stabilisation strategy that helps cushion consumers
from price hikes while reducing the demand for scarce foreign exchange The most promising sectors for export-led resilience, according to James, are thoseintensiveinuniversitylevel skills: education and healthcare services, finance and insurance, and creative, recreational, and cultural industries.
These professional services offer stable, highvalue income streams and couldbescaledwiththeright industrial policy Sagewan also championed youth entrepreneurship, digital skills, renewable energy, agro-technology, and m a r i t i m e a n d logistics building a new export base that reduces v u l n e r a b i l i t y t o commoditycycles. From “doer” to “enabler” Sagewan envisions a governmentthatisleanerand s
m
g i n g overlapping agencies, expanding public-private partnerships,and instituting p
management
The Sta
ole: design the environment for growth, not act as the p
macroeconomic
inflation, debt limits, and fiscal trade-offs to build publicsupportforreform
Moreso,shesaidcitizens may be more willing to support necessary reforms when they understand the constraints and the rationale behind policy decisions Attzs emphasised that 2026 presents T&T with a pivotal opportunity to r e s e t i t s trajectory moving away f r o m
c t i v e “firefighting” toward proactivefuture-building
Dr. Marlene Attzs,
Bethlehem's Christmas tree lights up after two years of darkness
Bethlehem, occupied West Bank – For the first time in two years, the ChristmastreeinBethlehem litupthenightsky,restoring a glimmer of joy to the birthplace of Jesus after seasons overshadowed by Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.
Palestinians watching the lighting said the celebration carried a dual meaning: Hope in the Nativity and a yearning for freedom from the Israeli siege gripping Bethlehem and cities across the occupiedterritory
At the same time,
r e s i d e n t s s a y t h e celebrationsremaindimmed by the grief over mass casualties and destruction in Gaza and Bethlehem's economic paralysis under tightening Israeli harassment.
This year's celebrations were limited to religious rituals, attended by church leaders and local officials who stood on a stage in MangerSquareforamodest tree-lighting ceremony Thousands gathered in the square, singing hymns and listeningtochoirscarolling–the only form of festivity permitted at a time many describedasamixofjoyand mourning.
'Adifferent Christmas' “The celebrations this year are unlike any before,”
Reverend Munther Isaac, pastor of the Evangelical LutheranChristmasChurch,
toldAl Jazeera. “Bethlehem isbeautifullydecorated,and the tree is lit, but there is deep sorrow inside every Palestinian.
“ T h r o u g h t h e s e celebrations, Palestinians sendamessageofresilience – to say we are still here, determined to live, to keep Bethlehem the capital of Christmas, and to continue telling its story Palestinians lovelife.”
Bethlehem's Mayor Maher N Canawati echoed the message, saying the municipalitychosetorestore the city's Christmas lights after “a long period of darknessandsilence”.
“We wanted to revive hope for the people of Bethlehem and all
Palestinians,andtosendthat hope to Gaza and to the world,” he told Al Jazeera. Want to come back to this article? Save it for later Canawati stressed that Bethlehem “is open and safe”,sayingitistimeforthe w o r l d t o s u p p o r t Palestinians' steadfastness
“As Bethlehem lights its Christmas tree, it tells us thathopeisastrength.
But, he added, “The suffering and destruction in Gaza remain in our hearts.
People remember the glimmer of light even amid devastation.”
The mayor also shared a message sent to Bethlehem byPopeLeoXIV,sayingthe pontiff assured residents he “carries Bethlehem in his
heart and prayers and is working for an end to Palestinian suffering”, urgingpeopleinGaza“notto giveintodespair”.
Canawati called on pilgrims worldwide to visit Bethlehem, saying tourism is an act of solidarity with Palestinians“whoareweary of war but have not grown wearyofhope”.
Economic hardship under siege
Bethlehem's Christmas spirit comes despite severe economic decline linked to Israeli closures and the collapse of tourism, the primary driver of the local economy
Shopkeepers and artisans told Al Jazeera that hope, rather than income,
has kept the city standing.
Adrian Habibeh, a young artisan working in his family's olivewood shop where hand-carvings are sold to religious devotees andtourists,saidtourismhas been“nearlyfrozenformore thantwoyears”.
“This year's Christmas celebrations are not like before,” he said. “But we hopethiswillbeayearofjoy – and that tourism will return It's vital for our economy.”
Residents from across the West Bank and Palestinian communities inside Israel travelled to Bethlehem despite checkpoints and road restrictions.
Yara Khalil, who came
with her family from Ramallah, said she felt both joyandunease.
“Gaza is suffering terribly from the war, and that pain is inside us,” she said.“ButBethlehem,which had no celebrations for two years, looks beautiful despiteeverything.”
She added that she expected the trip to be difficult, “but people's e x c i t e m e n t a n d determination to celebrate pushedustocome”.
TheBethlehemChamber of Commerce organised bus trips for Palestinians from cities inside Israel to encourage local tourism
Samir Hazboun, head of the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce, toldAl Jazeera that the first groups began arrivingonSaturday
“The second wave of local pilgrims and visitors fromPalestinianswholivein Israel is expected after December20,”hesaid.“We anticipate about 3,000 visitors a day until yearend, which will increase hotel occupancy –currently at just 20 percent amongforeigntourists.”
Rula Qabti, who arrived from Nazareth, said she travelled long distances and c r o s s e d m u l t i p l e checkpoints to join the celebration. “We hope for better days soon – to celebrate without fear or barriers, and to reach Bethlehem easily,” she said
France's Macron threatens China with tariffs over trade surplus - Les Echos
PARIS, Dec 7 (Reuters)
- French President
Emmanuel Macron said he had threatened Beijing with tariffsduringhisstatevisitto China if there was no action takentoreducethecountry's ever-widening trade deficit withtheEuropeanUnion. During Macron's visit earlier in December, he urged China to boost
c o o p e r a t i o n o n "unsustainable" global trade imbalances, geopolitics and theenvironment.
"I tried to explain to the Chinese that their trade surplus is unsustainable becausetheyarekillingtheir own customers, particularly bynolongerimportingmuch from us," Macron said in an interview published on Sunday by French daily Les Echos.
“I told them that if they do not react, we Europeans would be forced, in the coming months, to take strong measures following the example of the United
States, such as imposing tariffsonChineseproducts," headded.
The EU's goods trade deficit with China has ballooned by nearly 60% since 2019, while France's trade balance with the $19 trillion economy continues to widen. Macron has in the past sought to project a robust European front in dealing with China, pushing Brussels to deploy
n
s t countermeasurestoslowthe
arrival of Chinese goods
industry Macron told Les Echos that the European industry was in a tough position, caught between U S President Donald Trump's protectionism and China, which "is hitting the heart of the European industrial and innovation model".
"Today, we are caught between the two and it is a matteroflifeordeathforthe European industry We have become the adjustment marketandthisistheworst-
casescenario,"headded.
Macron also said he was proposing a more conciliatory approach towards China, such as the dismantling of restrictions onexportsofsemiconductor machinery on the European side and limitations on exports of rare earths on the Chineseside.
Macron called on Chinesecompaniestoinvest in Europe and to "create value and opportunities for Europe".
Bethlehem Christmas tree shines again after two years [Monjed Jadou/Al Jazeera]
French President Emmanuel Macron
BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT
Suriname crowned overall champions of Inter Guiana Games
Su r i n a m e emerged as the overall winner of the Inter Guiana Games when thecurtainscamedown o
finished second, while French Guiana placed third.
evening. Host nation Guyana
Athletes from Guyana, Suriname, and
F r e n c h G u i a n a competedinswimming, volleyball,futsal,chess, a t h l e t i c s , a n d basketball.
With the exception of futsal, all disciplines featured male and female participation fromathletesaged14to 18.
Monday December 08, 2025
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
In a philosophical or political conversation,youdon'thesitate to offer your thoughts Your examplesmaybeextreme,but yourprinciplesaresound
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
Youshouldbeinagoodmood, although you might have a hard time fully expressing yourself.Perhapsyoufeellike there is someone keeping an eyeonyoureverymove.
GEMINI(May21–June20)
You may get the feeling that despite all the hard work you've accomplished, something is still missing, Gemini. There's still a long road ahead, regardless of the goalsyou'veattainedsofar.
CANCER(June21–July22)
Freedom may be a theme for youtoday You'rebeginningto question what it is you're tryingtofreeyourselffrom.A person? Job? Commitment? These may be the very things youstarttosearchforassoon asyou'refreeofthem.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
You'retheliquidthattakesthe shape of its container, Leo. Even though this may seem like the most nonconfrontational way to do things, you may find that it's actually a cause of great frustrationforyouandothers
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)
Youmayfeellikeapuppythat has been let outside for the first time, Virgo. The air is warm and you're full of energy You're ready to run over the fields and hills Unfortunately,you'retiedtoa stake and you can't move beyondaten-footradius.
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Youmayfeelastrangetension. Itseemsthatnothingyousayor do is quite right, Libra. As much as you may try to do the correct thing, you can't make thingsclickthewayyou'dlike.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov 21)
It may be hard for you to maintain your self-discipline. Your childlike nature wants to go out and play Emotionally, you're anxious to let loose and followyourplayful,instinctual nature.
SAGITTARIUS(Nov22–Dec21)
Ifyou'reunclearaboutthetopic of discussion, say so Asking questionsisanimportantpartof learning You shouldn't be afraid to ask. Communication maytakeonaserioustone,and intellectual discussions are likelytogetheated.
CAPRICORN(Dec22–Jan19)
Youmaybeshywhenitcomes to expressing your emotions today,Capricorn.Thiscouldbe a rare thing for you. Other people may wonder if somethingiswrong.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)
Youmaynotknowwhichway to turn,Aquarius. You may be emotionally weighed down by sentimental feelings and memories that bind you to the past You may also feel restrictedbyauthorityfigures.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
Your mind may be going in manydifferentdirections,with fantastic ideas about how things should be done, Pisces.
T h e d i f f i c u l t y i s communicatingtheseideasina way that makes sense. Others mayseeyouasathreattotheir authority
Suriname secured titles in swimming and volleyball and shared t h e b a s k e t b a l l championship with FrenchGuiana.
Guyana excelled in track and field and capturedthefutsaltitle, earningthemanoverall second-placefinish.
Following the conclusion of the Games, representatives of the three countries
reaffirmed their commitment to preserving the event and continuing a tradition that began in 1967.
Footballwasthefirst discipline contested at theIGG,withSuriname and Guyana competing for the Forbes Burnham/Johan Pengel Trophy, named in part after Suriname's Prime Minister at the time, Johan Adolf Pengel. Basketball later joined therosterin1972.
Minister within the Ministry of Culture, YouthandSport,Steven Jacobs, pledged the Government of Guyana's continued support for the Games, noting its vital role in the development of sports and in providing young athletes with opportunities to compete at both r e g i o n a l a n d internationallevels.
Jacobs added that Guyana was proud to host this year's edition and looks forward to w e l c o m i n g t h e championshipsagainin thefuture.
Lalinie Gopal, who holds the title of
Development and Sports in Suriname, said her country is looking forward to hostingnextyear'sIGG, as she spoke of her country's commitment tothegames.
Minister of Youth
Suriname dominate Inter Guiana Games Swimming
Suriname proved their dominanceintheswimming pool as they carted off the Intern Guiana Games (IGG) title with an impressive medal count The Dutch speakingneighbouringteam collected 39 team medals whichisinclusiveof21gold 11 silver and 7 bronze.That tally represents 16 individual gold, 10 silver and 7 bronze along with 5 relaygoldandonesilver French Guiana followed with 24 (4 gold, 11 silver, 9 bronze)whichrepresents18 individual medals (3 G, 7S, 8B)andsixintherelays(1G, 4S,1B).
Host Guyana finished with 15 medals (1G, 4S, 10B) with their individual performances counting 9 medals(1G,3S,5B)withsix intherelays(1S,5B).
Guyana'slonegoldmedal
came through the performanceofAaravSingh in the 100m Breaststroke race On the outstanding individual list Suriname
exhibited their dominance byplacinginthetopthreein both boys and girls' standings Shanie Telting ( 2 1 p t s ) , A l y s s a Kasanpawiro (19pts),Alicia Redan (18pts) led the girls, while for the boys Ismael Holtuin (21pts), Joshua Busropan(19pts),andTyrell Mokkum (18pts) showed their class in the respective agegroups.
The Final Team Scores through26Eventsshow:
GirlsTeams
1 Suriname161Points
2 French Guyane 126 Points
3 Guyana76Points
BoysTeams
1 Suriname161Points
2 French Guyane 107 Points
3 Guyana91Points
CombinedTeamPoints
1 Suriname322Points
2 French Guyane 233 Points
3 Guyana167Points
InterGuianaGamesSwimmingMeet2025 Medal Count Combined: Men + Women
SW
recalled the time in 1979 when Guyana won the Inter Guiana Games Basketball title. Walker noted that the trailblazing Guyana Inter Guiana Games triumphant basketball team defeated Suriname at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in August1979.
Tucber Park through to Ivan Madray T20 cricket final, beating Young Warriors by 7-wickets
T( T P C C ) o n
Saturday made light work of YoungWarriorsCricketClub (YWCC) in their semifinal clash of The Ivan Madray T20cricketcompetition
Played at the Albion Community Centre, YWCC batted first in the game reduced to a 12 overs affair duetorainandreached90-5
Martin Singh top scored with33,whileKevonJawhir 15 and Seon Hetmyer 14 were the batsmen to reach double figures Bowling for TPCC, National U19 pacer MicahAmsterdamcontinued his impressive form, taking fourwicketswithEugeneLa Fleurpickingupone
In reply, TPCC made lightworkofthechaseasthey cruisedtovictoryinthe11th over Berbice batsmen GarfieldBenjamintopscored
Garfield Banjamin,
with a fluent 44, which included four fours and one six Damion Vantull cleared
theropestwiceinmaking18, while Tomani Ceasar was undefeatedon18 (Samuel Whyte)
Theywereledtovictory by an unforgettable performancefromBerbician ShawnSemplewholitupthe SportsHallwith31points.
Thiswasthesecondtime Guyana had defeated Suriname since basketball wasintroducedatthegames in 1972. Guyana claimed their first Inter Guiana's basketballtitlein1975when the series was contested at
Burnham court on Parade ground.
Guyana won the decidinggamein1979,77to 71 points at Sports Hall. Berbician Shawn Semple was sensational with 31 points.SteveNeilsSrscored 16 points, Berbician Lance Bowery 10 points and Carl Gordon9pts.
For Suriname Straal got 16points,S.Confliel12and W Graansoost12points. Walker notes that the historic 1975 Guyana IGG basketballteamthatwonour first championship had Earl Harding as captain with Ian Johnasthestarplayer Its50 yearssinceourhistoricIGG triumph.
Guiana capture IGG Basketball titles
Suriname's men and French
Guiana's women emerged as champions of this year's Inter Guiana Games (IGG) basketball competition, securing victories over host nation Guyana yesterday at the Cliff AndersonSportsHall.
In the opening fixture of the final day, French Guiana edged Guyana 45–41 in a tense and highly competitive showdown. Suriname then closed the tournament by overpowering Guyana 70–53 in the men's matchup.
The women's contest saw Guyana pushinghardforawinandappearingpoised to take control at several moments However, French Guiana regained momentum late and held firm to secure the narrowvictory
Sherese Leacock led all scorers with 14 points, while teammates Kassidy Woolford (8) and Brianna Benjamin (7) kept Guyana within striking distance throughout. French Guiana, who had defeated Suriname in the opening game of the tournament, maintained their composure when it matteredmost.
trailed 30–38 at halftime but battled back to tie the game with three minutes remaining. Missed free throws in the closing stages, however, proved costly for the home team in what was otherwise a tightlyfoughtencounter
In the men's matchup, Guyana never truly threatened Suriname, who raced to a commanding 27–9 lead by the end of the firstquarter
Although Guyana responded by outscoringtheDutch-speakingside17–9in thesecondperiod,theystillenteredhalftime down36–26.
Once again, Jaden Simon led Guyana's effort with 18 points, while Stephan Duke added 11, the only two players to reach doublefiguresforthehosts.
ForSuriname,JahmitJambodelivereda standout performance with 21 points, supportedbyJasonAndeyswith19,asthey poweredtheirteam'soffensethroughoutthe game.
With the results, Suriname closed the men'scompetitionundefeated,whileFrench Guiana also completed their campaign unbeateninthewomen'sdivision.
Guyana
Micah Amsterdam
Skipper Earl Harding is third from left and star player Ian 'ball eye' John is second from right.
Linden's Ronald Johnson collects the IGG Basketball trophy in this photo.
GFF Women's Division One League… GDFsecuretheinauguralcrown
Anabsolutescreameroff thebootsofSandraJohnson made all the difference between the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Women's Football Club and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) FC in what was the Women's Division One League decider at the G u y a n a F o o t b a l l Federation's(GFF)National Training Center (NTC) at Providence, East Bank Demerara(EBD).
Tiedonperfect24points from 8 games played, it all boiled down to the final clash under the Friday night lights which would ultimatelydecidethewinner of the tournament's league phase.
ForPolice,itwasamustwin encounter, given their inferior goal- difference to the soldiers; even a draw would not suffice. On the other hand, all the soldiers neededwasadrawbutwhen left up to their star winger, Sandra Johnson, who just came off of a start with the Lady Jags in their CONCACAF W Qualifiers clash against Nicaragua; nothing but a win would do fortheladiesingreen.
From the first whistle, GDF's Women controlled themajorityofpossession.A fewearlyshotsfoundaspot on target but nothing could penetrate the laser focus of Police's keeper Dekola Chester That is, until the 15th
minute.
A lapse in Police's advancessawGlendyLewis winning possession of the ball.Nowonthechargewith limited bodies behind, the pass to Johnson was as smoothasbutter Thestriker tookafewmomentstosettle, before deciding on the leftfooted shot that sailed perfectly into the top right cornerofthegoalandoutof Chester's grasp for what would become the gamewinningstrike.
Several notable changes came for police after the half-time interval and though they were able to keepGDF'srelentlessattack atbayandevencreatedafew chances of their own. It was notenoughtofindthegamelevellingstriketokeepthem incontentionforthetitle.
As such, GDF will be crownedaschampionsofthe Competition'sLeaguephase with the playoff (knockout) aspecttocomesoon.
Meanwhile, also on Friday night Western Tigers FC ended their league campaignonawinningnote, drubbing Monedderlust FC 5-0.
It was a tough first half forbothsidesastheBerbicebased outfit were kept on their toes while the West Ruimveldt- based side just couldn't seem to make their chances stick. As such, the encounter remained a stalemate at the half- time interval.
Soon after the game resumed, Marissa Frank took matter into her own hands;herright-footedshot into the corresponding corner from just inside the p
y separated the two teams in the37th.
Frank would go on to complete her hattrick in the 42ndand45thminuteswhile Ciara Glasgow added her nametothescoresheetinthe 40th and 53rd minutes for theirmassivewin.
Thoughthecurtainshave come down on theWomen's DivisionOneLeaguephase, the knockout competition is billed to kick off on Wednesday,December10at thesamevenue.
Albion CC defeat Rose Hall TownYouth and Sports Club to advance to final of Ivan Madray First Division T20 cricket
Theywonby34runsinthegameplayed attheAlbionCommunityCentregroundon Saturday The game was set to be a keenly contested affair between two of the current top teams in Berbice cricket. A number of West Indies and National players were included in both line ups. It was firstly reduced to an 18 over a side affair Batting firstafterwinningthetoss,ACCCCreached 141 for 7. Their batting was led by former Berbice Senior Inter-County batsman Kandasammy Surujnarine with an
accomplished 48.
25,whileJonathanFoo
18. Medium pacer Clinton Pestano picked uptwowicketsbowlingRHTYSC. Theyinreplywerebowledoutfor107in 16.5 overs with West Indies all-rounder Kevin Sinclair striking 29, while Pestano returnedtocontribute19.
The ACCCC bowling attack saw Captain Veerasammy Permaul with his left arm spin picking up four wickets, while Leg-spinnerDevendraBishooandleft-armspinner Kelvin
Goodekesh Motie made
struck
Umroa supported with two each. Defending champions ACCCC will nowtakeonTucberParkinthefinalatadate and venue to be announced (Samuel Whyte)
Action in the deciding game between the GDF and Guyana Police Force teams in the GFF Women's League.
2025Inter-GuinaGames…
Suriname Volleyball team beat
Guyana, as Games come to an end
Team Suriname
h a n d e d t h e
Guyanese an outright loss on Saturday night when action continued at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue
The Guyanese had a brilliant game Friday night, disposing of Team French Guiana 3-0 after winning sets 25-21, 25-13 and 2512 Looking to maintain theirwinningways,Guyana ranintotherampantFrench,
w h o g r a b b e d t h e opportunity to extract some measure of revenge for the tourists.
Guyana,despiteastrong showing on both nights, went down 3-0, 16-25, 1025 and 20-25; following a tough competitive game on Saturday
All three teams were locked in intense competition over the weekend, further adding to the growth of the sport locallyandoverseas
Fraser's hat-trick pilots Guyana to IGG Futsal title
Abrillianthat-trickfrom Guyana's standout player, Quaency Fraser, propelled the home side to a 6–4 victory over Suriname, capturing the Inter Guiana
Games (IGG) Futsal championship yesterday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
Both teams entered the match needing a win, but Guyana, after their 6–6 draw with French Guiana, required a two-goal margin toclinchthetitle,settingthe stage for an intense showdown.
French Guiana had defeated Suriname 3–2 on the opening day of the Futsal competition, which m e a n t S u r i n a m e approached the clash with Guyana full of urgency and aggression.
Guyana struck first through Isiah Ifill just five minutes into the match, but Suriname equalized three minutes later. Fraser then pushed Guyana ahead again, only for Suriname to level the score in the 16th minute.
Ifill, who ended the game with a brace, made it 3–2, but Suriname again responded immediately to tie things up. From there, however, Guyana, powered by Fraser's decisive attacking display, took control.
Fraser found the net again in the 37th and 40th minutestocompletehishattrick,whileSeonGrantalso added to Guyana's tally in the28thminute.
Fraser would end the tournament as the team's highest scorer, with seven goals, following his four goals scored for Guyana in their draw with French Guiana.
The victory marked a satisfying redemption for Guyana, who had finished secondlastyearafterlosing to Suriname when the Games were held in French Guiana.
Guyana's futsal team had former National forward, Gregory 'Jackie Chan' Richardson as their head coach, with Jermaine Junorashisassistant.
2025Inter-GuianaGames Team Guyana finish on high note following weekend of intense chess
Guyana's Boys and Girls team deeply locked in battle during the final round yesterday versus French Guiana.
Guyana's Boys Chess team emerged on top
competition hosted at the National Racquet Centre, WoolfordAvenue.
The highlight of the weekend was the Men's team, coached by Chess Master Anthony Drayton was represented by local stars; Kyle Couchman, Sachin Pitamber, Micaiah
Enoe&AlexanderZhang. Guyana rebounded from their loss to Suriname on Saturday, by topping the overall charts in the Open Category, copping 10 match pointsand12gamepointsto
Guyana's Boys team and coach Chess Master Anthony Drayton wrapped up a brilliant weekend with top honours.
secure1st.
S
second with a 10/12 point split while 3rd place French Guiana could only muster 4MP with a single Game point.
The Du
adies however made amends, having won the Girls Category after securing 10 MatchPointsand11.5Game points.
Guyana girls team consisted of master Aditi Joshi, Maliah Rajkumar, Ciel Clement and Italy TonChung, were edged slightly, coming in second with 10 points for the match and 11 for the game, relegating the Frenchtoanotherthirdplace spotwith4MatchPointsand 1.5ingamepoints.
Overall, Team Guyana stood tall with a total of 20 MatchPointsand23.0Game Points, with Suriname (20 MP/22.5 GP) securing 2nd place and French Guiana (8 MP/2.5MP),third.
Guyana suffered a tough loss on Saturday night at the hands of the Surinamese.
GCB names U13 team for Barbados youth series
The Guyana Cricket Board(GCB)hasannounced thenationalUnder-13squad for a five-match 40-overs
home series against Barbados, scheduled from December 12 to December 20,2025.
Encampment for the teamwillbeginimmediately after the conclusion of the GCB Women's Tournament onDecember11.
The squad features LomarSeecharranascaptain and wicketkeeper, with Sahid Gajnabi as vicecaptain,alongsideNathaniel Ramkhelawan, Timothy Ramdat, Afraz Ali, Makai Dowlin,AfrazKhan,Fayyad Baksh, Ashton Collins, DeshawnRamnauth,Adrian Emmanuel,JasaniCraig,De
Marcus Thomas, and Jaden Ganpat.
Standby players include Aaron DaCosta, Khemraj Bharrat, Markanthong Obermuller, Tilak Eshwar, Kelvin Henry and Mario Singh.
C o a c h i n g responsibilities for the team will be handled by the competentAmeerRahaman, Kumar Bishundial, and CliveHolder
The Barbados Under-13 teamisexpectedtoarrivein Guyana on December 12, and the series will begin the followingdayatthehistoric GCC Bourda with Guyana facingBarbados. The second match will also be played at GCC BourdaonDecember14.
Afterarestandtourday, the third match of the series will be held at GCC Bourda on December 16, followed by the fourth match at Everest Cricket Ground on December17.
After another rest and tour day, the final match of the series will be played at Everest Cricket Ground on December 19, with the Barbados team departing GuyanaonDecember20.
All matches are scheduled to begin at 10:00 hours and will be played withwhiteclothing.
Earlier this year, the Guyana Cricket Board and
the Barbados Cricket Associationsignedahistoric agreement to facilitate an Under-13 cricket tour to Guyana.
The agreement was signed by the Head of the Guyana Cricket Board, Bissoondyal Singh, and the Head of the Barbados Cricket Association, Calvin Hope.
The GCB extends best wishes to the Under-13 squadastheypreparetohost Barbados for this important developmentalseries,aimed at showcasing young talent and strengthening regional cricketties.
Acomposed knock from Essequibo middle-order batsman Analeisa Daguiar helped her team continue their win streak this InterCountyseason,afterblowing past Berbice by 24- runs as T20actioncontinued.
At Lusignan Ground, the Cinderella County ladies posted 118-7 from their 20 over quota, led by knocks from opener Laurene Williams (13), Shonette Belgrave (21) and top-scorer match MVP Analeisa Daguiar who clapped 30 off 27with3fours.
Berbice skipper Sheneta Grimmond was the pick of the bowlers, bagging 4-20 from 3 overs, but her team couldonlymuster94-7
Efforts from Plaffianna Millington (22), Crystal
Durant (13) and Grimmond (11) failed to carry Berbice overtheline
Bowling for Essequibo wasledbyCyannaRetemiah (2-16), Kumarie Persaud (113) and Tramaine Marks (116) The afternoon match which was ruined by bad weather featured a matchup between the Hinterland Women and Demerara, after thelatterracedto61-0after9 oversbeforeplayended.
Openers Naomi Barkoye (31*) and Tilleya Madramootoo(20*)wereleft eyeingpossiblebigscores Round 3 continues today with both games, including Berbice and Demerara from 9:00h and Hinterland versus Essequibo from 13:00h, bowling off at the LBI Ground (CliftonRoss)
Analeisa Daguiar had a solid game with the bat for Essequibo yesterday.
Lomar Seecharran
Fraser's hat-trick pilots
Guyana to IGG Futsal title
The Guyana lads showed their prowess to get past Suriname and claim the IGG Futsal title yesterday at the CliffAnderson Sports Hall.
Suriname claimed the overall IGG title for the 2025 Edition of the games. Here they celebrate following the closing ceremony
