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Large part of NEWS Maduro’s security team killed in U.S. action AIETEUR

Venezuela defense minister:

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Monday Edition January 05, 2026 - Vol. 19 No. 01

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‘Venezuela’s oil must serve U.S. interests’-Rubio Fire destroys former govt. building in NA

Christmas Village vendors rake in $182 million over 25-day holiday run

Venezuelans, others protest ‘kidnapping’ of Maduro by U.S. forces

‘No Opposition Leader, No Oversight’ ...WIN warns Guyana is flying blind as Regional tensions explode

Protesters hold signs demanding the release of the Venezuelan leader outside the MDC Brooklyn federal prison, where Nicolás Maduro is being held, on Sunday. Photograph: Deccio Serrano/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

‘Silica City is Pradoville 3’ ...Ram warns of exploding costs, lack of accountability

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Kaieteur News

Monday January 05, 2026

Kaieteur News

Monday January 05, 2026

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‘Venezuela’s oil must serve U.S. interests’ - Rubio United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Venezuela's next leader should be aligned with Washington's interests, which include keeping Venezuela's oil industry out of the hands of U.S. adversaries and stopping drug trafficking.

He cited an ongoing U.S. blockade on tankers under sanctions as leverage. "We have a quarantine on their oil," Rubio said on ABC's "This Week." "That means their economy will not be able to move forward until the conditions that are in the national interest of the United States and the interest of the Venezuelan people are met."

T h e Ve n e z u e l a n government has said for months US President Donald Trump was seeking to take the country's vast natural resources, especially its oil, and officials made much of his comment on Saturday that major U.S. oil companies would move in.

“We are outraged because in the end everything was revealed — it was revealed that they only want our oil,” added Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello. Once one of the most prosperous nations in Latin America,

Venezuela's economy tanked in the 2000s under President Hugo Chavez and nosedived further under Nicolas Maduro, sending about one in five Venezuelans abroad in one of the world's biggest exoduses.

Meanwhile, on Sunday a top Venezuelan official declared that the country's government would stay unified behind President Maduro, whose capture by the United States has sparked deep uncertainty about what is next for the oilrich South American nation.

Maduro is in a New York detention center awaiting a Monday court appearance on drug charges.

President Trump who went golfing on Sunday, ordered his seizure from Venezuela on Saturday and said the U.S. would take control of the country.

But in Caracas, top o ff i c i a l s i n M a d u r o ' s government, who have called the detentions of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores a kidnapping, were still in charge. "Here, the unity of the revolutionary force is more than guaranteed, and here there is only one president, whose name is Nicolas Maduro Moros. Let no one fall for the

enemy's provocations," Cabello said in an audio recording released by the ruling PSUV socialist party.

Without providing specifics, Defense Minister General Vladimir Padrino said on state television the U.S. attack killed soldiers, civilians and a "large part" of Maduro's security detail "in cold blood." Venezuela's armed forces have been activated to guarantee sovereignty, he said. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez who also serves as oil minister has taken over as interim leader with the blessing of Venezuela's top court, though she has said Maduro remains president.

Because of her connections with the private sector and deep knowledge of oil, the country's top revenue source, Rodriguez has long been considered the most pragmatic member of Maduro's inner circle. But she has publicly contradicted Trump's claim she is willing to work with the United States.

Trump said Rodriguez may pay a bigger price than Maduro "if she doesn't do what's right," according to an interview with The Atlantic magazine on Sunday.

T h e Ve n e z u e l a n

communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on that remark.

MUTED STREETS Some Maduro supporters gathered at a governmentsponsored protest march on Sunday afternoon in Caracas. Once ruled by Spain, Venezuela's "people must not surrender, nor should we ever become a colony of anyone again," said demonstrator Reinaldo Mijares.

"This country is not a country of the defeated.”

Maduro opponents in Venezuela have been wary of celebrating his seizure, and the presence of security forces seemed, if anything, lighter than usual on Sunday.

Despite a nervous mood, some bakeries and coffee shops were open and joggers and cyclists were out as usual.

Some citizens were stocking up on essentials.

“Yesterday I was very afraid to go out, but today I had to.

This situation caught me without food and I need to figure things out. After all, Venezuelans are used to enduring fear," said a single mother in oil city Maracaibo who bought rice, vegetables a n d t u n a . To t h e

disappointment of Venezuela's opposition, Trump has given short shrift to the idea of 58-year-old opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado taking over, saying she lacked support. Machado was banned from standing in the 2024 election but has said her ally Edmundo Gonzalez, 76, who the opposition and some international observers say overwhelmingly won that vote, has a democratic mandate to take the presidency.

LOOMING QUESTIONS It is unclear how Trump plans to oversee Venezuela and he runs the risk of alienating some supporters who oppose foreign interventions. U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, who leads Senate Democrats, said the White House has failed to answer critical questions, including how long the U.S. intends to be in Venezuela and how many American troops might be required.

"The American people are worried that this is creating an endless war—the very thing that Donald Trump campaigned against over and over and over again," Schumer said on ABC's "This Week." He said

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio lawmakers would weigh a measure to constrain further Trump administration action in Venezuela. While many Western nations oppose Maduro, there were many calls for the U.S. to respect international law and resolve the crisis diplomatically.

Questions arose over the legality of seizing a foreign head of state. The U.N. Security Council planned to meet on Monday to discuss the U.S. attack. Russia and China, both major backers of Venezuela, have criticised the U.S. Maduro was indicted in 2020 on U.S. charges including narcoterrorism conspiracy.

He has always denied any criminal involvement.

(Reuters)

Govt. extends bids for gas bottle company, fertiliser project A s the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project continues to drag to the finish line, with the initiative now likely for completion in the final quarter of 2026, plans to monetise the gas have also been pushed back.

On Sunday, government announced that it extended the Request For Proposals (RFP) for the Guyana Gas Bottling and Logistics Company (GGBLC), which is expected to receive cooking gas from the Guyana Power and Gas Inc (GPGI). Bids will now be opened on February 19, 2026 instead of January 15.

Government said GGBLC is targeting reduced price of domestic cooking gas.

Following the submission of bids or proposals, the National P r o c u r e m e n t a n d Te n d e r Administration Board (NPTAB) will assess the applications made to ensure the requirements are met.

Notably, the power company

will commence operations upon completion of the Wales power plant, which is still under construction.

The 300-megawatt power plant and Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility will be powered by gas received through a 12-inch pipeline, supplied from the Liza One and Liza Two projects offshore.

The pipeline component was completed by the Stabroek Block operator, ExxonMobil Guyana since December 2024.

In addition to the Gas Bottling and Logistics Company, the GoG also extended the deadline for submission of proposals for the Guyana Ammonia and Urea Plant (GAUP).

This project will be developed through a public-private partnership model, where government is aiming to manufacture 300,000 tons of fertiliser per annum, commencing

between 2027- 2028.

It will utilise gas from phase two of the Wales pipeline, according to the Prime Minister's Office. Based on preliminary EPC proposals received to date, government pointed out that the project cost is not expected to exceed US$300M. The Guyana Ammonia and Urea Plant is to be built at Wales, West Bank Demerara, east of the GTE Combined Cycle Power Plant and NGL Facility. GAUP will also receive lean gas from Guyana Power and Gas Inc. Deadline for submission of RFPs have been extended from January 22, 2026 to March 5, 2026.

Last week President Irfaan Ali announced another timeline for the completion of the long-awaited GTE project, which according to government will reduce the cost of electricity by 50%.

The project has failed to meet several deadlines so far, as

completion was targeted since the second quarter of 2025. It was then announced by Head of the GTE Taskforce that the first half of 2026 was a more “realistic timeline” however, the gas project was still unable to meet that deadline.

The President now expects to deliver his promise of cheaper electricity before the end of 2026.

Back in 2022, government hired CH4 (Texas) and Lindsayca (Puerto Rico) for the construction of the power plant and NGL facility at a cost of US$759 million.

However, the companies have split-up and Lindsayca is completing the project.

The GTE project has faced significant delays due to ground instability.

Chairman of Lindsayca, Nelson Drake, had revealed that a staggering US$100 million was spent to stabilise the unstable soil at the project site, a challenge that set the massive undertaking back by 14

President Irfaan Ali

months. He had outlined that the project's timeline was severely impacted by unexpected ground liquefaction at the West Bank Demerara site.

Kaieteur News

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Monday January 05, 2026

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

Publisher: GLENN LALL - Tel: 624-6456 Editor-in-Chief: Nigel Williams Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Unsettled times The US is rushing to complete its takeover of Venezuela, until it “safe and judicious” to pack bags and leave. Safe and judicious can mean anything, from three months, which is unlikely, to three years, which may still not be enough to get the job done to US visions for Guyana's northwestern neighbour.

The US is in charge, Maduro is in a New York jail, which are in the open. The rest is open to all kinds of speculation, from where will the Venezuelan crime gangs go, to what will become of Maduro diehards, to what all this means for Guyanese.

There are any number of unknowns, and the worst development for Guyanese is that are so jumpy, that any rumor, too much silence, the spread of misinformation, a failure of leadership, or trying too hard could shake them up.

We at this paper have one piece of advice for citizens: stay calm, be vigilant.

The politicians have a duty to speak in soothing tones, with Guyanese not helped by the usual stream of propaganda. Keep messages simple, don't leave the people hanging and, most of all, be frank with them. Don't try to be what cannot be backed up, don't try to look too brave, when there is no need for such. Undoubtedly, there are many Guyanese who are glad to hear that Maduro is gone. The concern that we have centers around the many closet Maduros and wannabee Maduros, who have gone into hiding, and biding their time to resume his dream and deliver on his promise, especially as such relates to Guyana's lands and riches.

Frankly speaking, Guyana has more challenges than it needs, or can handle in an inspiring manner. The worst scenario now would be for floods of Venezuelans coming over our borders, including violent men. No less frankly, one of the casualties of conflict is refugees, of which there are always too many.

In the eyes of Venezuelans, whether they are for or against Maduro, the riches of Guyana belong to them, and Guyanese are the ones who are covetous, the true usurpers.

This is not good for the building of a mutually respectful and sustainable relationship. We wish it were otherwise, which is one of the reasons, we have urged watchfulness and sobriety occurring in partnership. Another unhelpful reality is that Guyana is now seen as being firmly on the side of the US in the harms that it has inflicted on Venezuela. For examples, attacks on alleged drug boat and loss of life, with the latest being the assault that snatched Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

Notwithstanding all these developments, and all these not improbable passions on the Venezuelan side of the border, we maintain the call made earlier: keep calm and be confident that Guyana will ride this through. The times are turbulent, but there is no reason to panic, no basis to look at economic migrants who hail from across the Cuyuni River any differently. Let us not see enemies when there are none, but those that exist in the imagination. There are no grounds to be critical or skeptical of those who work here and give much good service consistently. In a world that, thanks to President Donald Trump, changes almost like the weather, the best way to go about the responsibilities of daily life is to be unchanging in conduct. Take nothing for granted, but take no new liberties about who is who, and what could be hidden, should one be trying to catch phantoms. As citizens, the biggest asset that each of us can be to this country in this time of uncertainty is not pretend at knowing more than we do, be mischievous and spread panic, or give the appearance of being bold, when the circumstances do not require any of those. This country is at a crossroads, with one saber-rattler flown out of Caracas, and a buoyant US parachuting into his vacant seat. Before the dangers were known, as they assaulted ears, and stretched nerves. In a matter of less than two days, the unknown has replaced the known, and unsettled subs for the previously settled. Guyanese still have to manage themselves quietly, cautiously, sensibly.

A Guyanese view on Maduro's capture and the Essequibo dispute Dear Editor, As a Guyanese national living in the United States, I must say that the reported news of Nicolás Maduro's capture is one that I welcome with cautious optimism. As someone who has followed and been affected by the Venezuelan situation over the years, as well as the related pronouncements against Guyana, I view this as a move that is long overdue, and one that will hopefully bring the accountability that is required in these kinds of situations, and not to mention, the end of a certain kind of impunity with which Maduro operated for so long.

This is not to say that we should not have due process and standards of evidence to which the Venezuelan government and United States officials must hold themselves. Of course these are important, and one must wait to see the next steps and decisions that are to be made.

On a personal level, Maduro has been problematic not just because of the situation in his own country, but for Guyana and the region as a whole over the last few years. In particular, it has become a matter of some importance in

the run-up to the March 2nd elections in Guyana, where Maduro has been vocal on a number of occasions, even as recently as last week, in asserting that the Essequibo is Venezuelan territory.

For Guyanese, this is not just a matter of a jarring or discomforting comment, but a baseless and willfully inflammatory statement against the entire country.

The idea that another state could actually claim or even desire to lay claim to Guyana's territory is not only incorrect, but also an assault on the order and stability that small states require in international relations.

The Essequibo is Guyana, through our history, through the administrative structure, and through the life experiences of the people who live there and for whom it is home.

When a neighbouring country speaks as if the Essequibo is part of its sovereign territory, this is not a matter of abstract theory or a meaningless provocation.

It makes people in Guyana nervous, it fosters animosity, and it creates dangerous openings for miscalculation.

Repeated statements of this nature have also been an example of a broader trend in

recent years, where a head of state attempts to use nationalist sentiment and territorial claim-making as a way to shore up political legitimacy at home at the cost of regional stability.

This is true not just for Maduro and Venezuela, but for other countries as well.

Territorial assertions and nationalistic sentiments once stoked are difficult to contain and have a way of inflaming passions and leaving less space for calm, lawful settlement of disputes. For Guyana, this goes beyond words. It is a matter of the rule of law and the mutual respect for settled borders. It is a matter of the principle that territorial disputes must be settled peacefully and through recognised legal mechanisms.

It is therefore impossible to hear Maduro's continued claims on the Essequibo as anything other than a false and inflammatory statement and a failure of legal sensibility and judgement.

Guyana has long held the position that this is a matter that must be settled through due process. It is that process and that due process that makes Guyana and small countries more secure from threats of larger, more

militarised neighbours, or of leaders with an appetite for nationalism and threatmaking. When this is ignored or mocked, the entire region becomes less safe.

It is therefore understandable, if not a little satisfying to Guyanese who have been following the situation in the region, that a leader whose words and policies have been a source of persistent threat and destabilisation should face some form of accountability at this point. On the other hand, no state should be written off and no person should be denied their legal rights.

It is important that accountability is given and taken in the right way, and that will require some transparency of process.

In the end, my hope is that developments like this one will pave the way to a future in which talk is replaced by responsible governance and respect for the sovereignty of other nations. Guyana has earned the right to live in peace without a periodic renewal of threats to its territorial integrity.

Sincerely Philip Inshanally

Shallow and Sammy need a “Maduro” type of eviction Dear Editor, I am a law-abiding world citizen from Guyana who believes in the rule of law, fairness and respect. I was born into cricket, from my grandfather right down and as a lad, I endured the painful rebuilding of WI cricket from the early seventies, gloated in the triumphs and dominance of the Clive Lloyd and Sir Vivian Richards era and watched on with absolute the horror its consistent decline to present, the worst in its history. In all the fluctuations there has always been one common denominator, a set of cricket administrators who have been condescending, disrespectful and for the past 30 years the worst of them all from the Hunte era to this subject I call Shallow.

In a perfectly demonstrated instance of madness and stupidity, the current WICB Chief announced that Darren Sammy replace Mr. Cooley as coach of the WI team and would be the WI cricket overall coach and selector. In

other words, he was given full authority to select the WI team and coach them. This was after Cooley had coached a group of young WI cricketers to draw a series against Australia, something which WI had not done for 27 years and then drew a series against Pakistan in Pakistan, something that was not achieved in about 3 decades.

Without even trying the team he appointed Roston Chase as captain, Warrican as Vice Captain, dropped a few players and brought in those that he preferred and faced the Australians at home. The result was a most embarrassing 0-3 humiliation including being bowled out a Sabina Park for 27 runs in the fourth innings.

The reality is that Sammy WI team under Chase Captaincy has not won a single test match after three series.

Captain Chase, after 8 tests as captain has scored 221 averaging 13.81 and has taken 9 wickets at 70.66 apiece and vice-captain Warrican who could have

only made the team 4 times, took 5 wickets at 58.00 apiece. In fact, Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph have higher batting and bowling averages than Chase and Warrican so tell me how in the name of Almighty God are Chase and Warrican Captain and vicecaptain? Any other player with those statistics would have been dropped from any team in the world but Sammy is comfortable with them as Captain and vice-captain.

Kavem Hodge, who Sammy dropped to find a place for Chase, played 2 test matches and averaged 52.46 and took 2 wickets at 46.00 a piece which represents better bowling average than Chase and Warrican. He has chopped and changed and monkey around himself in every way he can but still cannot win a single test.

Tell me how can Shallow justify disposing of Cooley who drew the last 2 series and selecting and keeping Sammy who has lost every single test match with some of the same players? How

can Shallow allow a captain and vice-captain to remain in charge of a team when their personal performance cannot justify a place in the team? If this is not madness and stupidity of the highest order, then the world is flat.

How can Reifer be kept on as a batting coach when the batting has continuously failed? There is absolutely no doubt that the man is useless. A gentleman told me that it is difficult not to recognise insularity in WI cricket. He pointed out that Holder, Braithwaite and now Chase has been successive Bajan West Indies captains Warrican, Reifer, Hope, Roach, Greaves and Johann Layne are all Bajans as well.

Not a single living WI cricket legend has made any statement pointing to some positivity of WI cricket and the current administration.

Maybe only a jackass can see any merit in keeping Sammy as Coach and Chase and Warrican as captain and vice-captain of the WI team.

And it is because I foresaw (Continued on page 5)

Monday January 05, 2026

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Why Guyana's Oil Future Risks Becoming a Hostage of Global Currency Wars Dear Editor, Everywhere you turn, people say Iraq, Iran, and Venezuela are about oil. But look deeper — those countries were never just about barrels of crude. They were about who controls the system around oil: how it's priced, traded, insured, and paid for.

That same global system now touches Guyana — a young oil producer caught between two competing masters: the U.S. financial order built around the petrodollar, and a rising Chinese trade network quietly working to unsettle it.

The Global Context Guyana Can't Ignore When Iraq in the early 2000s suggested selling oil outside the U.S. dollar, it wasn't just an economic gesture — it was a declaration of financial independence.

The retaliation was swift and costly. That history set the tone for how any challenge to the dollar's energy dominance is treated.

Today, China has learned that lesson — and is rewriting it in softer ink.

Through long-term oil contracts, debt-financed deals, and n o n - d o l l a r settlements, Beijing has

quietly built influence over the global energy trade without firing a shot.

Iran and Venezuela are now deep within China's orbit, not through ideology but necessity. Sanctioned and isolated, they found lifelines through non-dollar trade systems and yuansettled energy flows.

Each step weakens Washington's hold on the global settlement network — the same one Guyana now depends on almost entirely.

Guyana's Silent Trap: The Dollar Dependency Guyana's economic lifeblood runs through the

U.S. dollar. Nearly all oil revenue, import financing, and private-sector transactions are denominated in USD. That dependence gives an illusion of safety — until the system itself tightens.

Over the past two years, businessmen from Georgetown to Lethem have felt the effects: dollar scarcity, delayed transfers, and paralysed investments.

Projects stall not because the oil isn't flowing, but because the payment circuits that translate resource wealth into cash liquidity remain bound to external control.

Local banks wait on

Shallow and Sammy need a “Maduro” type of...

From page 4 that this was going to happen and continue to happen that prompted me to call for Guyana to withdraw from WI cricket. For the sake of saving WI cricket from further embarrassment and disgrace, this Shallow and company set of administrators deserve a “Maduro” type of intervention and outcome.

Dereck Murray called for an interim committee to run WI cricket to save it, something I have called for earlier in 2025, but as we all realise it will not happen.

WI Cricket Boards have always had a history of treating its players with contempt but these from Hunte, Cameron and now Shallow (Skerritt excluded) have been the most destructive and disgraceful administrators ever to have anything to do with cricket in

the history of the game. I had said, when Hunte and Hillaire started their madness that it could only be about the small islands dominating WI cricket and Enoch Lewis in late 2025 confirmed everything I had said. He gloated that Leeward Island cricketers were now being paid to play cricket and a lot of other nonsense, but never for one minute spoke of the state of WI cricket and how that has had a positive impact.

Cameron had boasted that his regional League was supposed to see the turnaround of WI cricket, but I am on record of stating quite clearly that a league of mediocre will only produce more mediocrity.

I read something to the effect where he, on Andrew Mason programme, ended up criticising the same League.

The truth is historically, WI had a strong school and Club cricket structure, which produced good cricketers, but always lacked the structure to move its players to professional heights and that is still the case today.

English League and County cricket was what completed our players and when those contracts evaporated and went to players from other countries, WI was doomed to failure and that is one of the reasons why we are where we are today.

WI is the only cricketplaying nation that does not have a network of cricket academies.

The club system in the WI is a disgrace and not even a shadow to what it was in the seventies and even the eighties. And if there is a weak club system then the product will be rubbish. In Guyana a gentleman by the

name of Mr. Foster of the Rose Hall Youth & Sports Club, years ago, embarked on investing in a yearly coaching programme, which I ensured was the recipient of corporate financial support when I served as a senior executive. Almost all the Guyanese players who broke into the WI team are product of that programme. You who are reading this are smart enough to figure out the rest.

2026 may be the year when WI will be relegated to minnows' status and loose its test status. I do not want it to happen but with “The Shallow” and company ably supported by Sammy, Chase and company, it is difficult to see nothing but more disgrace and disaster for WI cricket. It has never been so bad and it will only get worse.

Yours truly Eric Whaul

correspondent channels.

Exporters can't settle trade in real time. Importers bid against each other just to access U.S. notes. The result? A paradox — Guyana is flush with resource value yet trapped in a liquidity squeeze. The economy grows on paper, but the cash ecosystem suffocates its private engine.

The System Shift No One's Talking About Globally, the game has already changed. The U.S. is no longer using physical wars to maintain control; it's using financial architecture.

Sanctions now target the connective tissue — insurers, shipping firms, ports, settlement hubs — the same arteries Guyana still relies on.

Meanwhile, China's challenge is expanding.

Through non-dollar clearing systems, digital yuan experiments, and SouthSouth trade routes, Beijing has built a scaffolding for alternative commerce.

What's new — and relevant for Guyana — is that these options are no longer theoretical.

They already function across Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Brazil is the region's live case study. It's home to Pix, one of the world's fastest, lowest-cost payment infrastructures — a realtime local settlement platform that bypasses traditional foreign exchange bottlenecks. By linking portions of Guyana's trade into Brazil's Pix ecosystem

— particularly through the Lethem–Boa Vista corridor — Guyana could begin to localise transactions, reduce dependency on the U.S. dollar, and inject muchneeded liquidity into its productive and service sectors.

A Strategic Rethink for Guyana's Future Guyana has an extraordinary opportunity — and a looming risk. The opportunity lies in connecting its oil wealth and trade future to a more diversified monetary and payment ecosystem; the risk lies in remaining bound to one aging system that no longer serves emerging economies well.

The dollar remains vital, but total dependence on it places Guyana in a vulnerable choke point. As the global balance tilts toward multi-currency settlement and regional payment innovation, small economies must choose whether to stay within a shrinking pipeline or build side routes that keep trade moving when global tensions rise.

In short, if Guyana wants its oil era to create true national prosperity, it must start thinking not only about what it sells — but how it gets paid. Oil may be the bloodstream of the modern world, but the heart is the system that settles the transaction. And if Guyana is to secure real sovereignty, it must have a say in which heart it plugs into.

Yours truly Hemdutt Kumar

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Monday January 05, 2026

'Political lessons from Venezuela' Dear Editor, Yesterday, President Donald Trump announced that the United States ⁠had ' c a p t u r e d ' Ve n e z u e l a n President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and flown them out of ⁠the country after “large-scale” strikes. But does this to an end to the major concerns surrounding the recent behaviour of the American administration. I think not.

In 'America Unbound in

the Caribbean: The Real Costs of Washington's Use of Force (FA, November 26, 2025), Brian Finucane argues that the position taken by the current US government in relation to the situation in Venezuela is extremely dangerous. He notes that between September and the time he was writing, the administration of President Donald Trump had carried out over 20 lethal strikes on

vessels on the high seas killing more than 80 persons, claiming that the boats were carrying drugs from South America; had been attempting to cloak the strikes in the guise of counterterrorism efforts and had even promised to unilaterally invade the country to accomplish regime change.

'These attacks endanger the legal order both domestically and

i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y. T h e y suggest that the U.S. executive holds a license to kill and possibly the United States could well embolden other states to conduct their own extrajudicial killings.

As Trump wields deadly force without constraints, he offers a model for lethal, lawless action, thereby posing a threat to international security that extends well beyond the Western Hemisphere.' He

argues that a host of legal professionals have d e n o u n c e d t h e Administration's actions as illegal and even Britain and France have distanced themselves from actions that are likely to be considered 'extrajudicial killings'.

As a personal backdrop, in 1971, my second year at university, using such notions as colonialism, imperialism, dependency, etc., Eduardo Galeano, wrote 'Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent', in which he described the history of European and United States of America (USA) interventions in the region as one of economic exploitation and political dominance.

The book became a reference for a generation of leftist thinkers and was banned in several countries but almost four decades later, Hugo Chavez, who was elected president of Venezuela in 1998, was a huge fan.

Chávez began his tenure with a socialist programme to quickly improve the conditions of the poor and dispossessed by redistributing wealth, empowering marginalised communities etc. Of course, this required substantially dismantling the power of the extant political/economic elite and would have met with severe opposition in almost any competitive political context. He also devised a new constitution that established the 'Bolivarian Republic', nationalised several industries, and importantly, his foreign policy was strongly anti-American; and supported movements that challenged U.S. regional hegemony.

Liberal democratic politics is not amenable to the kind of quick revolutionary changes that Chevez sought and this led to the mobilisation of domestic and international interests that accused him of eroding democratic institutions by suppressing dissents, manipulating the electoral processes and consolidating his power by fostering an authoritarian regime that has brought ruination upon the population and led to a massive refugee problem that is affecting the entire region.

By 2006, the USA already had their sight on Chavez. During the Doha

Round negotiations, trade ministers were invited to dinner at the residence of the director of the World Trade Organisation that overlooked the river Rhine.

The Barbadian Minister and I were looking at the river and conceptualising the possibilities of the Essequibo, when the United States Trade Representative arrived and asked me as the minister responsible for Small and Vulnerable Economies whether it was true that Venezuela was attempting to join the group.

I told her that Venezuela was too economically large to join and the discourse ended with her apparently spontaneous statement that ' i f t h e Ve n e z u e l a n government continues the way it is it will become small and vulnerable indeed.'

Chevez was quite lighfooted on the Guyana border issue which, following the line taken by Cheddi Jagan, he rightly claimed in a 2004 public speech at the Guyana Pegasus was concocted by the United States as a contingency in the event of the People's' Progressive Party (PPP) taking government in Guyana and seeking to fulfill the promise we are now aware it made to introduce communism in South America. He was also not coyish about his intentions: at his first meeting with President Barack Obama at the Fifth Summit of the Americas (VSOA) meeting in 2009 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, after arguing in favour of lifting the American orchestrated embargo of Cuba, he reinforced his point by presenting Obama with a copy of Open Veins.

But I must admit that given the regional experiences of Cheddi Jagan of Guyana in the 1950s, Salvadore Allende of Chile in the 1970s and even Morris Bishop of Granada in the 1980s, I was somewhat surprised and thought it foolhardy that Chevez could have been so blasé about his intentions. Perhaps he surmised that since Soviet communism was dead, radical socialism was acceptable but if so, he was wrong. Chavez died in 2013 and was succeeded by his vice president Nicolás Maduro who continued along a similar trajectory, (Continued on page 17)

Monday January 05, 2026

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Monday January 05, 2026

U.S. indictment against Maduro alleges Caribbean politicians took drug payoffs A sweeping federal indictment filed in the United States against Ve n e z u e l a n P r e s i d e n t Nicolás Maduro and members of his inner circle has sent shockwaves across the region, alleging that unnamed Caribbean political leaders were complicit in a vast, statesponsored cocaine trafficking network.

The legal documents allege that Maduro and his

inner circle operated a statesponsored drug network that smuggled immense quantities of cocaine into America. This illicit enterprise reportedly relied on a corrupt system of payoffs to protect traffickers and involved high-ranking politicians across the Caribbean and Central America. Prosecutors claim the regime utilised government resources, including military escorts

and diplomatic passports, to facilitate these shipments while collaborating with violent international cartels.

Beyond drug trafficking, the charges implicate the leadership in organised crime activities such as statesanctioned violence, kidnappings, and the laundering of drug money to solidify their political grip.

A.G Bondi said the legal action seeks to hold the Venezuelan administration

accountable for turning their nation into a sanctuary for global terrorism and narcotics distribution.

The indictment claim allegedly implicates unnamed Caribbean politicians.

Through this drug t r a ff i c k i n g , N I C O L A S MADURO MOROS, the defendant, and corrupt members of his regime enabled corruption fueled by drug trafficking throughout

Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar the region. The transshipment points in Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico similarly relied on a culture of corruption, in which cocaine traffickers operating in those countries paid a portion of their own profits to politicians who protected and aided them. In turn, these politicians used the cocaine fueled payments to maintain and augment their political power. So, too, were politicians along the “Caribbean route” corrupted by cocaine traffickers, who would pay them for protection from arrest and to allow favored traffickers to operate with impunity as

they trafficked cocaine from Venezuela north towards the United States. Thus, at every step–relying on the producers in Colombia, transporters and distributors in Venezuela, and recipients and re-distributors on transshipment points norththe traffickers enriched themselves and their corrupt benefactors who protected and aided them.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla PersadBissessar says she is not surprised that the United States' indictment contains allegations that Caribbean politicians were complicit in the cocaine trafficking trade.

The Superseding Indictment document, which contains the Grand Jury charges against Maduro and others, claims that Caribbean politicians benefited financially from these traffickers in return for protection against the law.

Asked for her reaction to this accusation, the Prime Minister told the Trinidad Guardian: “I'm not surprised at all. As the story continues to unfold, I have no doubt that many “respectable” and “celebrated” people across (Continued on page 9)

Man killed after truck overturns into rice field Police in Regional Division #2 are investigating a fatal motor lorry accident that occurred on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at about 10:46 hrs at Queenstown, Essequibo Coast.

P r e l i m i n a r y investigations revealed that motor lorry GAJ 7403, driven by a 34-year-old man of Hoff-van-Aurich, Essequibo Coast, was proceeding east along the roadway when the driver allegedly lost control while crossing a wooden bridge.

The vehicle reportedly toppled into a rice field on the southern side of the road before turning turtle, police said in a statement.

At the time of the incident, a 26-year-old man of Johanna Cecilia was seated in the front passenger seat, while two Venezuelan nationals—men aged 27 and

30, both of Annandale, Essequibo Coast were in the tray of the lorry.

As a result of the accident, 27-year-old Isaias R o j a s , a Ve n e z u e l a n national of Annandale, was pinned beneath the vehicle.

He was extracted from the wreckage and transported to the Suddie Public Hospital in an unconscious state, where he was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor on duty.

His body is currently at the Suddie Public Hospital Mortuary awaiting a postmortem examination.

The driver was arrested and taken into custody to assist with the investigation.

A breathalyser test conducted on him revealed a reading of five micrograms, well below the legal limit of 30 micrograms.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Kaieteur News

Monday January 05, 2026

PAGE 09

They will come for your piece of the pie eventually For months now, the move by the PPPC against the Mohameds has been presented—by AZMO himself and by sympathetic commentators as a crude act of political vendetta. The narrative goes like this: the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPPC) is terrified of the electoral rise of We Invest in Nationhood (WIN); WIN is almost exclusively bankrolled by the Mohameds; therefore, the state is being weaponised to destroy the Mohameds and, by extension, to strangle WIN in its cradle.

It is a neat story. It is also a deeply flawed one.

If the PPPC were genuinely afraid of WIN as an electoral force, the timeline alone collapses the argument. The most vicious actions against the Mohameds predate AZMO's formal entry into the presidential race. One cannot logically argue that a party moved to crush a political threat that had not yet declared itself in electoral terms. Political vendettas tend to follow political events, not precede them. The electoral evidence further weakens the claim.

WIN did make inroads into traditional PPPC support.

But those inroads were marginal, not existential. In fact, despite WIN's participation, the PPPC secured almost 10,000 more votes in the 2025 elections than it did in 2020. That is not the behaviour of a party whose base is collapsing under assault. It is evidence

of a base that largely held firm.

Nor does the familiar fallback explanation, that the PPPC is acting under American pressure adequately explain the intensity and singular focus of the campaign against the Mohameds. External pressure is not new. The PPPC has been “pushed” before, sometimes forcefully, but it has never unleashed this level of sustained institutional ferocity against any local actor. Something else is at work.

To understand what that something is, one has to move beyond the surface politics and examine the structure of power itself.

This requires engaging with the concept of elite capture of the state. Elite capture refers to a condition in which a narrow economic oligarchy comes to dominate policymaking, bending it to serve private accumulation rather than public interest.

Elections still occur, parties still compete, and political rhetoric still flows, but the real decisions about who thrives and who is destroyed are made in private dens, not party executive meetings or within the government.

The Mohameds complicate this picture precisely because they occupy an unusual position.

They are unquestionably part of Guyana's economic elite. For decades, they bankrolled the PPPC and other parties, hedging their bets as rational capitalists

do. But they were never fully integrated into the inner oligarchic circle that has come to capture the state and that maintains intimate proximity to a powerful PPPC leader. They were elite, but not oligarchic.

Wealthy, but not dominant.

That distinction matters.

As Guyana's economy expands, the space available for elite accumulation widens. Oil revenues, construction, foreign exchange flows, gold, and imports create enormous opportunities. During periods of rapid growth, different elite factions can coexist, each feeding at a growing trough. But capitalism has a brutal rhythm: growth eventually flattens. When it does, accumulation becomes zerosum. Expansion gives way to consolidation. And consolidation requires displacement. It is at this stage that economic warfare usually begins. But this consolidation can also be commenced early in anticipation in recognition that a private empire may take time to crumble and may need to be attacked to crumble. The Mohameds occupied strategic economic spaces. They were among the largest private buyers of gold in Guyana. They were also the largest private buyers and sellers of foreign currency. These positions are not incidental. Control over gold has certain advantages to the elites that have captured the ruling party. Control over foreign

DEM BOYS SEH

UG gone for Ron Dem boys seh when dem hear UG gone for Ron, dem nearly drop dem tea. Not because Ron ain't qualified, mind you, but because all along dem boys bin betting dem money pon Randy. Turns out UG stick with de alphabet but change de name. Ron instead of Randy. Same letter, different man. In Guyana, sometimes that is close enough for government work.

Now Randy, poor soul, got to settle for Pro-Chancellor. Which sound like when yuh come second in a beauty contest and dem give yuh “Miss Congeniality.” Still important, but nobody really sure what yuh does do. Dem boys figure at least both names start with R, so no need to change de monogram pon de office towels.

As soon as de announcement drop, Guyana erupt. Some people praising de appointment like UG just discover penicillin. Others criticising it like de man personally cancel dem internet subscription.

And den you had a whole set who simply w a n t e d t o s a y something—anything—because silence in

Guyana does cause rashes. Dem ain't sure if dem vex or dem glad, but dem know dem must be emotional.

Dem boys, as usual, does ask de dangerous question: what all de fuss about?

Everybody acting like de Chancellor does run lectures, mark papers, and chase students who owe library books. But last time dem boys check, de Chancellor job is mostly ceremonial. Smile, shake hands, make speech, cut ribbon, clap politely, and go home.

And in a small country like Guyana, dem boys wondering why we need so much layers. A Chancellor, a Pro-Chancellor, a Vice-Chancellor, and a couple Deputy ViceChancellors. That sounding less like a university and more like a wedding cake—tier on top of tier, but nobody sure who baking. Meanwhile some students still waiting pon grades, lecturers still waiting pon resources, and buildings still waiting pon paint. So leh dem argue. Ron got de chair, Randy got de spare, and UG still UG. Talk half. Leff half.

exchange allows indirect influence over the cost of doing business across the economy. These are not merely commercial advantages; they are levers of systemic power.

An expanding oligarchic elite, having captured the state and the ruling party, now covets that space held by the Mohameds. The objective is not political annihilation of the Mohameds but their economic displacement. The politics—the harassment, the weaponsing of state agencies against the Mohameds, the vicious rhetoric, the moral posturing are simply the outward manifestation of a deeper economic struggle. Seen this way, the attack on the Mohameds is not really about WIN. WIN is not being attacked; the

Mohamed family is. Nor is this about electoral fear. It is about the reallocation of economic power within an elite class that no longer tolerates independent centres of accumulation beyond its control.

This is how elite capture operates. It does not merely regulate; it eliminates competitors. It does not debate; it dislodges. And it uses the instruments of the state law enforcement, policymaking, and public narrative—to do so. This is why all those rich people who now support the PPPC and believe that the PPPC is for them should be worried.

Today it is the Mohameds; tomorrow the economic elite will come for your tiny corner. What is unfolding, therefore, is not political warfare. It is economic warfare dressed up as

politics. And until that reality is confronted honestly, the public will continue to mistake symptoms for causes, and chessboard moves for vendettas. The Mohameds are not victims because of their association with WIN. They are victims because they occupied an economic space that the elite wants for itself.

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

U.S. indictment against Maduro alleges...

From page 8 all sectors of society will be exposed.”

The document specifically states that the defendant, Nicolas Maduro, and “corrupt” members of his regime enabled corruption fuelled by drug trafficking throughout the region. It also says that cocaine trafficking through Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico was underpinned by systemic corruption, with

traffickers bribing politicians for protection, while those illicit funds were used by political figures to strengthen and entrench their power.

Turning to the Caribbean, the document states, “So, too, were politicians along the 'Caribbean route' corrupted by cocaine traffickers, who would pay them for protection from arrest and to allow favoured traffickers to

operate with impunity as they trafficked cocaine from Venezuela north towards the United States.

“Thus, at every step, relying on the producers in Colombia, nine transporters and distributors in Venezuela, and recipients and re-distributors on transhipment points north, the traffickers enriched themselves and their corrupt benefactors who protected and aided them.”

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10 S

UTH

D TR

HAR

HK

BY G

LALL

Monday Monday January May 05,02, 2026 2022

H@RD TRUTHS

BY GHK LALL

The faces of Guyana It is 4:30 in the morning.

One scene is passed. Then a second. Followed by a third.

The fourth is last. There is certainty that more exists in different parts of the brightly lit city, outside of it, some close, some far. In moving, there is encountering some of the different faces of Guyana. Others cringe from speaking of them. I write of them, speak of them. Think of them, too.

The first scene is just past Church Street, a crowd that's loud in parts, with the riotous effects of several hours in varying states of control. It grows thinner and quieter as Regent Street is approached; gone by the time that Charlotte Street hovers in sight.

The road is empty and lonely again, barely a denizen of the night seen or heard. In that first happy

face of Guyana are so many young, so many given to the call of the night.

The call of the day is answered by those with backpacks, gathering in ones and twos, and speaking in a discernible foreign vocabulary. Save for the language, I recognise myself from approx. 50 years ago.

Gosh! It has been that long, that hard, and that which sticks.

Thus, there's affinity with the backpack battalion.

Faces number two, repeated ad infinitum. They wait for a minibus at street corners; I see in my mind's eye a lone figure waiting on a train way back in a big, boisterous town that never slept. It's the luxury of the native born that they can pick and choose, including their long, unending hours of leisure.

Outsiders do the heavy

lifting, the dirty work. It tells me that Guyana must have struck it rich. Hence, Guyanese, none more than the young, tell themselves that easy street is here. That must be a product of fiction; or whatever they inhale or imbibe, maybe both.

It isn't so easy at all for the third citizen who is met later. I cross a bridge and before I passing through a gate, there's another face of Guyana. One of many seen throughout the day. Hand outstretched in a moment of hope. A practiced plea sails on the winds to ear. How about a l'il help, Faddah?

Another promotion taken in stride.

Hang tight. Will be back in a few, don't go away.

From that one voice in the dark, there comes a haunting of the soul.

How many more are there, like him, or worse? In a country blessed with so many gifts, but afflicted (some would say cursed) with so many walking, crawling wounded. Surely, this shouldn't be. But it is, for they are there: a face here, a face there.

The happy with no responsibility; and the poverty-stricken with no choice but the street.

It's approaching five o'clock, and a fourth face enters the vision from the periphery. It is of a man with a cane and a knee as rigid as a piece of greenheart. He limps. If he makes one kilometer an hour, that would be a stellar achievement, a heroic day.

Half a km may be doable, but then he is done from sheer exhaustion. It may be an

arm, or a leg, not as often a heart or a head. But, in aggregate, they represent another dimension of this El Dorado known as Guyana.

Unlike the ones of seafarers' dreams, and forest myths, Guyana's El Dorado is real, can be felt in the fingers (for those so fortunate) and read in the media, by those who can read. And understand. I, too, can read, and I have absorbed 'world-class' being attached to many things that matter in Guyana. Then, I come across these classes of Guyanese, and ask how come what is world-class passed them by, didn't even glance in their direction?

Then I saw it.

A big, bright, blinding flash racing away.

My word! What a warhorse for a trophy, what a statement!

There is somebody in Guyana who is doing extremely well, and is so confident of what tomorrow brings that they think nothing of flaunting their muscle, wealth.

And their arrival.

Meanwhile, there are those other Guyanese already going down. Or in such a state that heading down that road is just a matter of time.

It is but a tiny snapshot of the faces of Guyana. A few only. Now multiply by any number that pleases, and there is a headline that speaks to the real story of the real Guyana.

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

Large part of Maduro's security team killed in U.S. action -Venezuela defense minister (Reuters) - A large part of erstwhile President Nicolas Maduro's security team was killed in the U.S. raid that led to the leader's Saturday capture, Ve n e z u e l a n D e f e n s e Minister General Vladimir Padrino said in a televised statement on Sunday

morning.

Padrino did not give an exact figure of casualities, but backed the declaration of Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as interim president and said the armed forces have been activated across the country to guarantee sovereignty.

Kaieteur News

Monday January 05, 2026

PAGE 11

‘Silica City is Pradoville 3’ ...Ram warns of exploding costs, lack of accountability The Silica City housing project is shaping up to be “Pradoville Three in the making,” unfolding with little transparency, weak institutional oversight and a dangerous erosion of accountability, according to Chartered Accountant and Attorney-at-Law Christopher Ram. Highlighting this troubling state of affairs in his most recent column published by Stabroek News Ram explained that while the public remains largely ignorant of the ongoing development, touted to b e n e f i t “ y o u n g professionals” he has observed the dangerous repeat of patterns that were unearthed in the probe of Pradoville Two, constructed in Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara.

The new housing development, which Ram made the subject of his first column for 2026, is being built along Soesdyke Linden Highway. The attorney however pointed out that beyond the periodic, c a m p a i g n - s t y l e announcements, the project operates in near-complete secrecy. “It is repeatedly celebrated as the President's “brain-child”, yet the public has been told nothing of how it is financed, how it is structured within government, or by what criteria the beneficiaries of its house lots will be selected,” he argued.

The lawyer was keen to note that this pattern was maintained most recently as last week when the Minister of Housing, Collin Croal announced that agreements were signed and allocations of houses made, without accompanying disclosure of a n y l e g a l a u t h o r i t y, eligibility rules, pricing framework, or institutional approvals governing those allocations.

Ram is of the firm view that the silence is not accidental. He reasoned, “We have seen this movie before. The Sparendaam housing project - Pradoville 2 - did not unravel by accident. The investigation showed that it was financed through multiple state entities, with no single institution carrying the full cost and no consolidated accounting of the project.

That fragmentation diluted responsibility, obscured the true cost, and prevented

The Silica City housing project located along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway

o

scrutiny until long after land was transferred and beneficiaries entrenched. By the time the full picture emerged, accountability was already lost - and no one was ever held responsible.”

Notably, a forensic audit later revealed how the absence of clear statutory footing, the bypassing of institutional processes, undisclosed allocation criteria, missing records, and political direction s u b s t i t u t i n g f o r l a w, produced outcomes that benefited a select few, including the then President, Ministers, party figures, and carefully chosen beneficiaries.

The advocate believes that the current project is more troubling, as many of the same enabling conditions have re-emerged but on a far larger and more expensive scale. “Then, Dr. Ali operated as Housing Minister under a President.

Now, he is the President.

Then he reported to Cabinet.

Now, Cabinet reports to him,” Ram warned.

Erosion of transparency In presenting a detailed account of the safeguards that have been deliberately ignored, Ram noted that the administration of Silica City fall under the Central Housing and Planning A u t h o r i t y ( C H & PA ) , established under the Housing Act. Although the agency was designed to prevent the opacity and looseness exposed by the Sparendaam investigation, Ram highlighted that a key tool required has been dispensed with by the CH&PA- Annual Reports- to the convenience of Silica City.

The Lawyer explained, “Annual Reports have disappeared. There is no

identifiable public accounting for the project.

The project does not appear in the National Estimates, nor is it identifiable in the financial statements of the C H PA o r a n y o t h e r government authority. This is despite the vast sums being spent on infrastructure and construction.”

Further, he pointed out that the Housing Minister reports directly to the President which results in a flagship housing project executed by CHPA under direct political oversight, with diminished reporting and no transparent disclosure of financing, governance, or allocation criteria; all in an environment of an explosion of funds accompanied by an erosion of accountability.

Ram reminded readers that since the PPP/C returned to office in 2020, CHPA a b a n d o n e d t h e comprehensive Annual Reports required by section 49 of the Housing Act. The agency has substituted bare audited financial statements that say nothing about projects, allocations, beneficiaries, or policy decisions.

As such, the advocate cautioned, “The stage was set: no meaningful statutory reporting. As a result, Silica City is rendered financially invisible to citizens and Parliament alike. This violation of the law shields the project from scrutiny while land is allocated, infrastructure constructed, and commitments locked in.”

The Audit Office did not escape the blistering pen of Ram, who called out the institution for failing to detect these issues. “The Audit Office of Guyana exists to ensure compliance

not only with accounting standards, but with the laws governing public authorities.

The absence of Annual Reports, and the complete invisibility of Silica City in CHPA's published accounts,

should have been explicitly flagged,” he argued.

Likewise, he roasted the Opposition members for their silence on the matter.

“When a statutory reporting framework collapses in plain

sight, unnoticed by auditors and unchallenged by Parliament, accountability disappears, and lawful administration collapses,” Ram said.

Given his involvement in the investigation of the Sparendaam project, the Lawyer said he recognised the warning signs. “I fear that if this project is allowed to continue under existing conditions f opacity, avoidance of scrutiny, and deliberate invisibility, we will not later be wondering whether Silica City was Pradoville 3. We will already know the answer.”

PAGE 12

Monday January 05, 2026

Kaieteur News

‘No Blood for Oil’ ...Venezuelans, others protest 'kidnapping' of Maduro by U.S. forces Protests bubbled up in several US cities over the weekend as people demonstrated against the Trump administration's unilateral military intervention in Venezuela – even as many in the diaspora publicly celebrated the forced removal of president Nicolás Maduro.

Gatherings took place as crowds expressed opposition to a potential war with Venezuela and to declare illegal the US operation to snatch Maduro early on Saturday and bring him to the US to face drug-trafficking charges in court.

Maduro is due to appear in federal

Andy Thayer of the Chicago Committee Against War and Racism said to a local ABC affiliate at a protest that drew several hundred.

Others argued that Donald Trump did not have authority to launch such a strike on Venezuela, at least without approval from Congress. Senior Democrats on Sunday decried the US president's bypassing his constitutional obligation to involve the congressional branch of government, as international leaders said the US had breached the United Nations charter. At a

court in New York at noon local time today. Hundreds of people came out to protest in large cities coast to coast, including Chicago, Dallas, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Seattle. “Whether it's Saddam Hussein's Iraq or the Taliban in Afghanistan, Panama, Libya, you name it. Whenever the United States attacks another country like this, it's the peoples of those countries who suffer the most,”

protest in Seattle organised by a group called Answer (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), crowds held signs with statements such as “No Blood for Oil” and “Stop Bombing Venezuela Now!” “We're out here to show solidarity with a country whose sovereignty and self-determination has been violated by our government using our tax dollars,” Taylor Young, an organiser with Answer, which staged protests in

Demonstrators burn a U.S. flag, during a protest to oppose U.S. actions in Venezuela, in Barcelona, Spain, January 3, 2026.

REUTERS/Lorena Sopena

several other cities, too, told a Fox News affiliate.“So, the very least we can do is come out in Seattle and across the country to say we won't allow you to do this while we just stand by,” Young added.Republican lawmakers broadly continued to support Trump and praised his actions even as senior figures walked back the president's assertions on Saturday that the US “will run” Venezuela during a

transition to a new regime.

Congressman Tom Emmer, a Republican from Minnesota, said Sunday morning on Fox News: “God bless this president of peace, Donald J Trump.”But protesters also spoke out against the deportations of Venezuelans living in the country. “We're creating wars, we're creating chaos and then simultaneously abducting our neighbours and sending them back to the very countries that we're

Police patrol nets 3.7kg of ganja on W.C.B road The Marijuana seized by police

Police in Regional Division #5 have taken two men into custody following the discovery of 3.70 kilograms of suspected cannabis during a mobile patrol along the Naarstigheid Public Road, West Coast Berbice.

The bust occurred at about 15:45hrs on Saturday, January 3, 2026, when ranks on patrol stopped a motorcycle travelling in the direction of Georgetown with two male occupants. During a search of a haversack worn by the pillion rider, police found nine parcels containing leaves, seeds and stems

suspected to be cannabis.

The motorcycle driver, a 31-year-old man of Savannah Park, New Amsterdam, and the pillion rider, a 23-year-old man of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, were immediately arrested. Both suspects, along with the narcotics, were escorted to the Fort Wellington Police Station, where the substance was weighed in their presence and amounted to 3.70 kilograms. The cannabis has since been lodged as evidence. Both men remain in police custody as investigations continue.

destabilising,” Olivia DiNucci, an anti-war organiser with activist group Code Pink, told WHYY, a public radio station in Philadelphia.

Despite bipartisan condemnation of Maduro as a dictator, some activists also called for his release.

Protesters gathered outside the detention center in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, where the captured president is being held and chanted: “Free Maduro right now.” (THE GUARDIAN)

Monday January 05, 2026

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Kaieteur News

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Monday January 05, 2026

Town Clerk acted alone in dismantling stalls outside Yhip building - City Mayor Approximately 15 vendors operating around the Bourda Market area, specifically in front of Yhip's Bakery at the corner of Robb and Alexander Streets, Georgetown, were left distressed Sunday morning after their stalls were dismantled following a high court order.

Vendors had received a final notice to vacate the area in compliance with a high

town clerk, Candace Nelson was quoted as saying.

However, Mayor Alfred Mentore clarified with this publication that the removal of the stalls was not authorised by the mayor and city council. According to him, the action was taken unilaterally by the town clerk, without the council's approval.

Mayor Mentore further disclosed that the council

two weeks ago, to vacate the building's entryway. Many vendors, most of whom are women with children, said they were unsure where to relocate and therefore remained at the site until their stalls were dismantled on Sunday.

Now without a place to sell and with vending being their primary source of income, the vendors are appealing to the city council

Some of the affected vendors who's stalls were dismantled

Workers clearing debris of the dismantled stalls outside the Yhip's Bakery

court order prohibiting vending at that location, late 2025, according to a report from Demerara Waves.

“Failure to comply with this final notice will result in the mayor and councillors of the city of Georgetown, through its city constabulary department, taking enforcement action which will include removal of vending items and other actions as permitted by law,”

intends to approach the high court on Thursday to request additional time to facilitate the relocation of the vendors to Merriman's Mall, located between Orange Walk and Cummings Street.

The affected vendors had been operating around the private building, blocking its entrance. They had occupied the parapet space for several years before being ordered by the court, approximately

for urgent assistance. They explained that the former owner of the building had given them permission to operate there. However, after the owner's death, a relative sought their removal through the high court. Although the court matter is still ongoing, the vendors said they were issued notices and their stalls were dismantled.

“This issue started since (Continued on page 16)

Fire destroys former govt. building in NA A

three-story building in New Amsterdam, Berbice that was previously used by the Ministry of Labor, was completely flattened by fire Saturday evening.

The building also housed offices for the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, as well as the Ministry of Agriculture, for access to those services in Region Six, East BerbiceCorentyne.

Fire officials in New Amsterdam reportedly received a call just after 9:00pm informing them of a building being on fire at Princess Elizabeth Road, New Amsterdam.

Firemen from the New Amsterdam Fire Service rushed to the scene, but by the time they arrived, the entire building was already engulfed.

They did manage, however, to contain the blaze with the two units that were present.

As such, no adjoining buildings

were affected, nor any reports of injuries made.

Divisional officer, Clive McDonald disclosed that based on initial assessment, the fire was electrical in origin.

Meanwhile, one security guard stationed at a nearby residence, told this publication that the building is generally unoccupied, and recently became a nesting place for vagrants.

He stated that on many evenings he would observe several persons entering and exiting the former government facility, which was said to be unguarded.

Another security guard, he divulged, would unofficially keep check on the building. The lights are also usually off.

Owing to this, the security guard, who opted for anonymity, holds the view that the fire was an act of negligence or mischief on the part of those unauthorised individuals frequenting the former government facility.

Several months ago, staff of the various ministries grouped there were relocated to a new location, and the building remained unused.

Meanwhile, labour ministry in a release Sunday said the incident is most unfortunate, but was thankful no injuries were reported.

The ministry said while it regretted the damage to property, operations in New Amsterdam have been relocated to 228 Vryman Erven, since February 2025.

“The ministry also wishes to confirm reports that the affected building has not

housed or facilitated any of its regional services to citizens since that date.

The public is hereby reassured that all services remain uninterrupted and continue to be available at the current Vryman Erven edifice.”

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L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Monday January 05, 2026

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Kaieteur News

Monday January 05, 2025

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…as political, civic spaces shrink

- says Mohamed saga exposes systematic governance breakdown The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) has raised grave concerns over what it describes as an accelerating contraction of political and civic space in Guyana, warning that the country is facing its most serious governance crisis since the adoption of the 1980 Constitution.

In a wide-ranging statement examining the political fallout of the 2025 national elections, the GHRA argues that governance over the past year has been overwhelmingly shaped by the emergence of the political party We Invest In Nationhood (WIN), financed by the Mohamed family, and by the State’s “single-minded” focus on securing the extradition of members of that family.

According to the rights body, both the elections and post-election politics have been dominated by the Mohameds, not only because of WIN’s electoral breakthrough, but also due to what GHRA characterises as a politically motivated campaign to extradite them before they

can publicly explain their relationship with the ruling party. The Association contends that this objective has come at a high institutional cost, involving “Byzantine levels of legal and judicial irregularities,” interference with tax processes, and the deliberate postponement of Parliament in order to avoid a domestic legal reckoning. Parliament sidelined to block Opposition Leader central to the GHRA’s concern is the prolonged delay in convening the new Parliament, a move it says was calculated to prevent WIN leader Azruddin Mohamed from being sworn in as Leader of the Opposition.

The non-election of an Opposition Leader, the GHRA notes, has had serious knockon effects, paralysing constitutional processes that require mandatory consultation. It describes this as the most glaring example of shrinking political space since 1980, when the Constitution was crafted to legitimise the concentration of power under the Burnham presidency.

While the delay in convening Parliament has attracted criticism across the political spec-

trum, the GHRA observes that opposition parties have failed to unite around this pivotal issue. Instead, it says, parties have pursued individual agendas: ranging from corruption to women’s rights, without recognising that none of these concerns can be meaningfully addressed in the absence of a functioning and unified parliamentary opposition.

The failure to mount a collective response, the Association warns, risks normalising the suspension of Parliament as a political tactic that can be deployed whenever it suits a ruling administration.

The GHRA stresses that the current crisis did not begin with the Mohamed saga but is part of a longer, systematic erosion of democratic space since 2020. It points to the paralysis of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, chaired by the Opposition as a clear example, noting that changes to quorum requirements followed by strategic absenteeism by government members have effectively neutralised the body. Further, the Association references findings from the European Union Elec-

tions Observation Report, which documented multiple violations of the Representation of the People Act, painting what GHRA calls a “systematic contraction of political space.” The continued failure to confirm key constitutional office holders, including the Chancellor and Chief Justice, is also highlighted as a mechanism that concentrates illegitimate power in the Presidency.

Meanwhile, the political independence of the Guyana Police Force, the GHRA says, has been “fatally undermined” by partisan manipulation of senior appointments.

Civic space under assault The GHRA warns that civic space has also narrowed dramatically particularly in recent months. It noted the replacement of civil society representation within the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GYEITI) by the Private Sector Commission is described as a watershed moment. For civil society, the Association argues, this move is equivalent to what the Mohamed saga represents in politics: a high-profile example of institutional contraction. As a result, GYEITI reports can no longer be viewed as indepen-

dent assessments, but rather as government-approved documents, the GHRA cautions.

The Association identifies authoritarianism and the shrinking of civic space as the single greatest threat facing Guyanese society, warning that it fuels public disillusionment with representative democracy itself. Rather than responding piecemeal to individual abuses, the GHRA urges both political and civic actors to focus on the broader pattern of institutional decay. It calls for a unified response from civil society, including professional bodies, faith-based organisations, cultural groups, sports associations, and advocacy NGOs to confront what it describes as a fundamentally flawed governance framework.

Recognising the interconnected nature of Guyana’s crises climate vulnerability, food insecurity, inequality and corruption the GHRA argues that resistance to autocratic influence must be holistic and systemic. Without collective action against clear and persistent institutional abuse, the Association warns, Guyana will remain illequipped to confront the profound political challenges confronting the nation.

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From page 14 2023. The mayor tried for us and extended the time, but now they come with a rush and break up everything,” one vendor told this publication.Kaieteur News on Sunday morning visited the location and observed that all stalls surrounding the private building had been removed, while city workers were clearing debris. Vendors who remained in the area, expressed deep distress over their situation.Kavita Roberts, a mother of three, said she has been vending for the past 10 years and relies on it as her sole source of income.

“I have rent to pay. My children are three, four, and six. The place they want us to go, our customers won't go there. There is no security, junkies and smokers are there.

There are 13 women and one man, who will secure the building? I have to come out and sell. They will have to move

me every day. I need to provide for my kids,” she said.

Another vendor, Nanda Ramarse, who has been selling in the area for nearly 50 years, said she does not know what she will do next.

“What would I do? I have been here since I was a small girl. For our goods, we grab whatever we could, and the rest gone,” she said.

Kenisha (only name given), another vendor and mother, expressed frustration and concern for her children.

“I am an angry vendor right now. All of our things gone.

We don't mind moving, but we need time to get the money up to build the mall so all of us can do there. Now tomorrow is school, how we children going to school?

How are we living? We need help,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mayor Mentore speaking with Kaieteur News, explained that the council played no part in

dismantling the stalls. “The mayor and councillors didn't approve that dismantling.

It was an administrative decision led by the town clerk.

To do that, based on some mandamus, an order of the court. The fact of the matter is, even though the mandamus speaks about the removal, there was no timeline upon the mandamus.”

The mayor suggested that the town clerk may have acted based on directives from external authorities.

“This was an administrative decision taken by the town clerk, maybe with instructions from higher-ups, maybe from the government.

We didn't give any instructions to do this, she acted unilaterally on this matter,” he said He also noted that the matter is currently before the court, with contempt proceedings scheduled to be heard on January 9, 2026.

Additionally, Mentore emphasised that the council has been working to keep vendors in the area until proper relocation arrangements are finalised, and vendors are being provided with proper utilities such as water, shelter and proper security. “I have been working to keep the people there and to allow for good sense to prevail, so that moving the people wasn't about moving the people only by that location, but it is a greater plan to move everybody to the Merrimans' mall.

I was going to go to court on Thursday to seek to ask the judge for some additional time and for us to be able to work it out with the person who made the application so that we can have additional time, based on our budget to be able to have money to be able to get that place done to accommodate, not only these vendors, but the entire street,” the mayor said.

Monday January 05, 2026

Kaieteur News

PAGE 17

Vendors of Christmas village earned over $182M in combined revenue/Tourism Ministry

T

he One Guyana Christmas Village on Main Street Georgetown proved highly profitable for vendors, who earned a combined $182 million, according to the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce.

In a statement Sunday, the ministry said the strong financial performance highlights the initiative's role in expanding market access and income-earning opportunities for small businesses.

Following the 25-day staging of the Christmas Vi l l a g e , t h e m i n i s t r y conducted a post-event revenue survey among

participating vendors.

“The survey assessed the revenue performance of 100 vendors who operated at the Christmas Village over a 25-day period. Using a sample size of 41 vendors, self-reported daily earnings were analysed to determine average performance levels and revenue ranges,” the ministry stated.

According to the ministry, the findings showed that vendors earning at the lower end of the scale, approximately $55,000 per day, generated aggregate revenues of about $1.37 million over the vending period.

Ve n d o r s r e p o r t i n g average daily earnings of

GY$250,000 recorded aggregate revenues of approximately GY$6.25 million over the same timeframe.

“Collectively, vendor revenues are estimated to have exceeded GY$182 million over the duration of the event,” the ministry noted.

T h e m i n i s t r y commended the Christmas Village initiative, stating that the results point to consistently strong sales across the majority of vendors.

This performance, it said, reflects high consumer engagement and sustained economic activity throughout the holiday

season.

According to the m i n i s t r y, t h e d a t a underscores the Christmas Village as a viable and impactful platform for micro, small, and mediumsized enterprises (MSMEs), including artisans, food vendors, and creative entrepreneurs.

“The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce notes that these positive outcomes align directly with the Government of Guyana's broader agenda of fostering inclusive economic growth by creating structured marketplaces, expanding access to new consumers, and supporting small

business development,” the statement said.

“Initiatives such as the Christmas Village are designed to reduce barriers t o e n t r y, s t i m u l a t e entrepreneurship, and provide tangible income opportunities, particularly during peak commercial periods.”

The ministry said the findings are based on a representative sample and will inform future planning, targeted vendor support initiatives, and ongoing improvements to the Christmas Village.

“Further analysis will guide enhancements in vendor placement, marketing support, and operational logistics to ensure even greater participation, profitability, and sustainability in future editions of the event,” the ministry stated.

The ministry reiterated its commitment to working closely with stakeholders to deliver initiatives that stimulate local enterprise, drive economic growth, and create sustainable platforms where businesses of all sizes can thrive.

Lethem, Toka farmers earn big from mango sales

than 2,000 pounds sold AFC calls for vigilance as - more under Gov't-led initiative Venezuela faces change

T

he Alliance for Change (AFC) has cautioned that despite the United States military successfully carrying out its operation in Venezuela, Guyana and the wider region must remain vigilant about what may follow.

The United States of America is gearing-up to “run” Venezuela, now that the country's President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured by the U.S. army and transported to America to face narco-terrorism charges. Maduro and Flores were apprehended by U.S. forces early Saturday

morning and were flown to the United States, where they are to face multiple criminal charges.

President Trump has since revealed America's plans to “run” Venezuela until, “we can do a safe, p r o p e r, a n d j u d i c i o u s transition.”

He also disclosed America's ambitious plans for the oil-rich nation resources.

“There is no cause for celebration or sorrow. We must accept the reality of the situation as it presents itselt.

It goes without saying that the removal of Maduro will not diminish or remove the desire of Venezuela to take

possession of our Essequibo,” the AFC said in a statement.

Against this backdrop, the party urged Guyanese to remain alert and watchful for “agents” that former Minister Robeson Benn had previously warned were already embedded in Guyana. It also called on security forces stationed at the borders, in urban centres and elsewhere to maintain a heightened state of alert and preparedness.

“To our regional and international partners, we urge sober and informed decision-making. The people of Venezuela are entitled to free and open

democracy and should not be visited by an imposed regime. The Caribbean must remain a zone of peace and democracy must be allowed to flourish,” the AFC noted.

The party further said it expects the Guyana government to not remain hapless and helpless as events unfold. Echoing calls from other opposition parties, the AFC urged the government to brief the population directly, and through their elected representatives, on what plans, if any, have been put in place to preserve and protect Guyanese lives and property as the regional security situation remains tenuous.

'Political lessons from Venezuela...

From page 6 and as fate would have it, Barack Obama was the one who, on 9th March 2015, signed and issued an executive order declaring Ve n e z u e l a a n a t i o n a l security threat.

The international community appeared to have concluded that the official opposition had done its best but needed help if the Maduro regime was to be encouraged to change track or be removed. Over the years, it has been using pressure of various kinds to encourage reforms and finally to support regime change.

Revolutionaries and their supporters would not easily surrender government, thus

notwithstanding that it has the largest oil reserves in the w o r l d a n d w a s comparatively quite prosperous, today Venezuela has indeed become economically small and politically vulnerable.

While there is nothing wrong with providing help to populations under pressure from an overweening state, it is quite another story for one to make war, or take similar type action, on a sovereign state without the requisite authority.

Since President Obama is in our frame please note that when early in his presidency he was offered the Nobel Peace Prize, to many it appeared inappropriate since he was

pursuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that he had not even begun.

In his acceptance speech Obama held to the 'Just war theory' which requires among other things that wars and other such actions should be a last resort, and that self-defence declared by legitimate authority is permissible. In the case of 9/11, the United States suffered an armed attack on its soil, which by international law gave it a right to self-defence and by a resolution passed on September 12, 2001, the UN Security Council recognised that right.

Closer home, if Brian Finucane is correct - and he appears to be - it seems that

t h e c u r r e n t U S administration went for Maduro and his government without national or international authority.

Apart from concerns about adherence to due process for the victims, relatively small states cannot survive sensibly in the absence of a substantial, progressive international legal regime, and it does appear that with or without the capture of Maduro, the present position of Washington already endangered the existence of such an international regime and should be judicially pronounced upon and compensated for if the situation is to be salvaged.

Sincerely Dr. Henry Jeffrey

Region Nine's Regional Chairwoman, Vania Albert Farmers in Region Nine ( U p p e r Ta k u t u - U p p e r Essequibo) are generating income for their harvest after they successfully sold more than 2,000 pounds of mangoes to a local agroprocessor in January 2026.

This is the first shipment under a new initiative led by the government to strengthen food security while creating income opportunities for farmers in the hinterland. A total of 2,070 pounds of mangoes were sourced directly from Lethem and Toka village farmers, fulfilling a commitment made by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali. Regional Chairwoman Vania Albert told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that as production expands, additional shipments will be made. Additionally, effort is already being taken to coordinate future deliveries.

Albert noted that plans are in place to include other villages across the region so

that more families can benefit from the initiative.

“Once they are producing these fruits, mangoes, they will be benefiting directly,” she assured.

“This will at least help our farmers in terms of their livelihoods and then help them to earn income when the day comes,” she said.

The government-led initiative addresses a longstanding challenge faced by farmers in the hinterland, where produce often goes to waste due to limited and unreliable access to markets for perishable produce during peak seasons.

President Ali stated that the government, via the Ministry of Agriculture, will help farmers find markets so they can earn an income to support their families by increasing agricultural production. Region Nine is poised for massive development as the government moves to further advance its agricultural sector through similar initiatives. (DPI)

Kaieteur News

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Monday January 05, 2026

Trump warns Venezuela's Rodriguez could face 'bigger price' than Maduro (AL-JAZEERA) President Donald Trump s​ays Venezuelan President Delcy may pay ⁠a bigger price than ousted leader ​ N icolas Maduro “if she doesn't do what's right,” according to ⁠ a n interview with The Atlantic magazine.

“If [Delcy Rodriguez] doesn't do what's right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” said Trump.

The US leader was responding to what he described as Rodriguez's rejection of the armed US intervention that led to the capture of Maduro.

Trump initially praised Rodriguez on Saturday after US forces seized Maduro and his wife. Rodriguez said later, however, her country would defend its natural resources.

The US president defended his decision to take by force telling the magazine: “You know, rebuilding there and regime, anything you want to ⁠call it, is better than what you have right now.

Can't get any worse.”

Trump also said other countries be subject to American intervention. “We do need Greenland, absolutely,” he said of the island that part of Denmark, a NATO country.

Maduro and his wife are expected to appear before a New York judge on Monday, although the court system in the US has been quiet and has not released any official statements on the timing.

On Saturday, he was flown to an airport north of the city and then helicoptered into Manhattan and escorted in an armoured vehicle to the detention facility.

But why New York? This is where he was initially indicted back in 2020 on charges of narcoterrorism, cocaine trafficking and also weapons charges.

The US attorney in charge of the federal court here in New York was appointed in August 2025 under the Trump administration. He's someone whose credentials include prosecuting gangs and drug trafficking.

So, it's not hard to

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez speaks during the presentation of the 2025 budget bill to the National Assembly in Caracas [File: AFP] imagine the administration would want the focus to be here in New York City, where they have the expertise to handle this kind of case.

Maduro is being held at notorious Brooklyn jail The Brooklyn jail holding Ve n e z u e l a n P r e s i d e n t Nicolas Maduro is a facility so troubled that some judges have refused to send people there even as it has housed such famous inmates as music stars R Kelly and Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Opened in the early 1990s, the Metropolitan Detention Center, or MDC

Brooklyn, currently houses about 1,300 inmates.

It's the routine landing spot for people awaiting trial in federal courts in Manhattan and Brooklyn, holding alleged gangsters and drug traffickers alongside some people accused of white-collar crimes.

Maduro is not the first president of a country to be locked up there. Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former president of Honduras, was imprisoned at MDC Brooklyn while on trial for trafficking hundreds of tons of cocaine into the

US. Current detainees include the co-founder of Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, and Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing Brian Thompson, t h e C E O o f UnitedHealthcare.

Past inmates have included crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried and longtime Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Detainees and their lawyers have long complained about rampant violence.

US assault on Venezuela to test Trump's 'America First' mantra US President Donald Trump's military intervention in Venezuela will pose a test of his ability to hold together a restive Republican Party during a challenging election year.

While most Republicans lined up behind the president in the immediate aftermath, there are signs of unease. In particular,

Trump's comments about the US positioning itself to “run” Venezuela have raised concerns that he is abandoning the “America First” philosophy that has long distinguished him from more traditional Republicans and helped fuel his political rise.

“This is the same Washington playbook that we are so sick and tired of that doesn't serve the American people, but actually serves the big corporations, the banks and the oil executives,” outgoing US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a former Trump ally, told the NBC News programme Meet the Press.

Those concerns were shared by some who are not as closely aligned with the party's far-right flank.

Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, a moderate, said in a statement that “the only country that the United States of America should be 'running' is the United States of America.”

Trump's plan to seize and revitalise Venezuela's oil industry faces major hurdles (AP) President Donald Trump's plan to take control of Venezuela's oil industry and ask American companies to revitalise it after capturing President Nicolás Maduro in a raid, isn't likely to have a significant immediate impact on oil prices.

Venezuela's oil industry is in disrepair after years of neglect and international sanctions, so it could take years and major investments before production can increase dramatically.

But some analysts are optimistic that Venezuela could double or triple its current output of about 1.1 million barrels of oil a day to return to historic levels fairly quickly.

“While many are reporting Venezuela's oil infrastructure was unharmed

by U.S. military actions, it has been decaying for many, many years and will take time to rebuild,” said Patrick De

Haan, who is the lead petroleum analyst at gasoline price tracker GasBuddy.

American oil companies will want a stable regime in the country before they are willing to invest heavily, and the political picture remained uncertain Saturday with Trump saying that the United States is in charge — while the current Venezuelan vice president argued, before Venezuela's high court ordered her to assume the role of interim president, that Maduro should be restored to power.

“But if it seems like the U.S. is successful in running the country for the next 24 hours, I would say there would be a lot of optimism that U.S. energy companies could come in and revitalise the Venezuelan oil industry fairly quickly,” said Phil Flynn, a senior market analyst at the Price Futures Group.

And if Venezuela can grow into an oil production powerhouse, Flynn said “that could cement lower prices for the longer term” and put more pressure on Russia.

Oil isn't traded over the weekend, so there wasn't an immediate impact on prices.

But a major shift in prices isn't expected when the market does reopen. Venezuela is a

member of OPEC so its production is already accounted for there. And there is currently a surplus of oil on the global market.

Proven reserves Venezuela is known to have the world's largest proven crude oil reserves of approximately 303 billion barrels, according to the U.S. Energy Information

Administration. That accounts for roughly 17% of all global oil reserves.

So international oil companies have reason to be interested in Venezuela.

Exxon Mobil didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. ConocoPhillips spokesperson Dennis Nuss said by email that the

company “is monitoring developments in Venezuela and their potential implications for global energy supply and stability.

It would be premature to speculate on any future business activities or investments.”

Chevron is the only one with significant operations in Venezuela, where it produces about 250,000 barrels a day.

Chevron, which first invested in Venezuela in the 1920s, does business in the country through joint ventures with the state-owned company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A., commonly known as PDVSA. “Chevron remains focused on the safety and wellbeing of our employees, as well as the integrity of our assets. We continue to operate in full compliance with all relevant laws and regulations,” Chevron spokesman Bill Turenne said.

Kaieteur News

Monday January 05, 2026

PAGE 19

‘No Opposition Leader, No ...WIN warns Guyana is flying Oversight’ blind as Regional tensions explode W

e Invest in Nationhood (WIN) has renewed its demand for the immediate installation of an opposition leader, warning that the prolonged delay is crippling parliamentary oversight at a moment of heightened regional insecurity and constitutional strain.

WIN currently holds the majority of opposition seats in the National Assembly with 16 MPs, while A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has 12 seats and Forward Movement Guyana (FGM) holds one.

The 13th Parliament convened in early November 2025, when government and opposition MPs took their oaths. Since then, no date has been announced for the Speaker Manzoor Nadir to preside over a meeting to elect the Opposition Leader.

In a statement issued on Saturday following a United States military operation in neighbouring Venezuela that led to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, WIN said the action had fundamentally altered the geopolitical and security environment in which Guyana operates.

“This moment demands national unity, institutional maturity, and responsible leadership,” the party said.

WIN accused the government of sidelining the opposition and Parliament on matters of national security, arguing that such an approach weakens Guyana's response to regional instability.

“WIN also calls for an immediate meeting to elect the Opposition Leader, enabling the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on the Security Sector to collectively review our security policy during this critical period,” the party stated.

The party further warned against continued executive control in the face of regional tensions. It noted, “Silence, exclusion, and executive control are not strength.

In moments of regional instability, unity is strength, transparency is strength, and constitutional governance is strength. Guyana cannot afford division or democratic paralysis at a time when regional tensions

or third sitting; it's at the discretion of the speaker,” Isaacs had stated.

Moreover, the absence of an Opposition Leader has already sparked controversy.

President Ali recently moved to swear in members of the Guyana Teaching Service Commission (TSC), prompting objections from the opposition. APNU

WIN leader and Member of Parliament (MP) Azruddin Mohamed

Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir may spill across our borders.

Leadership now requires engagement, not avoidance; consultation, not control; and nationhood, not partisanship.”

Notably, WIN leader and Member of Parliament (MP) Azruddin Mohamed had also raised the issue in his New Year address, noting that Guyana entered 2026 without an Opposition Leader.

When questioned at an event late last year, President Irfaan Ali had said that Speaker of the National Assembly was at the time out of the country, but added that upon his return, “I'm sure that the speaker and the National Assembly, would convene a meeting at the appropriate time and have that process completed.”

Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, had previously explained that while the Constitution outlines the procedure for electing an Opposition Leader, it does not specify when the meeting must occur. “The constitution doesn't say when the meeting is to be held, if it's at the first sitting or the second sitting

Member of Parliament and spokesperson on Local Government, Regional Development and Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Ganesh Mahipaul, has raised constitutional concerns over the appointments.

Mahipaul contends that the process underpinning the appointments reflects a

troubling pattern of constitutional erosion under the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration. Under Article 207 of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, the Teaching Service Commission is to be comprised of seven members. Crucially, Article

207(d) mandates that three of these members must be appointed by the President after meaningful consultation with the Leader of the Opposition.

This requirement is intended to ensure balance, inclusivity, and bipartisan oversight in the governance of the public teaching service.

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Fury comes out of retirement... again (BBC Sport) - Former heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury has announced he will return to boxing in 2026, bringing an end to his latest spell of retirement.

The 37-year-old Briton last fought in December 2024, when he was beaten for a second time by unified champion Oleksandr Usyk in their heavyweight

rematch. Fury confirmed his retirement a month later.

Speculation over a comeback had grown in recent weeks after Fury shared footage of himself training in Thailand alongside South African boxer Kevin Lerena.

Posting on Instagram on Sunday, Fury said: "2026 is that year. Return of the Mac. Been away for a while but

I'm back now. 37 years old and still punching. Nothing better to do than punch men in the face & get paid for it."

Fury's return to the ring was widely expected. His most recent retirement was met with scepticism last year, given his history of reversals.

He previously stepped away from boxing after stopping Dillian Whyte at

In 2024, Tyson Fury (right) was beaten for a second time by unified champion Oleksandr Usyk (AP)

Monday January 05, 2025 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) In a philosophical or political conversation, you don't hesitate to offer your thoughts. Your examples may be extreme, but your principles are sound.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You should be in a good mood, although you might have a hard time fully expressing yourself. Perhaps you feel like there is someone keeping an eye on your every move.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) 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 goals you've attained so far.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Freedom may be a theme for you today. You're beginning to question what it is you're trying to free yourself from. A person? Job? Commitment?

These may be the very things you start to search for as soon as you're free of them.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You may feel a strange tension.

It seems that nothing you say or do is quite right, Libra. As much as you may try to do the correct thing, you can't make things click the way you'd like.

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 follow your playful, instinctual nature.

SAGITTARIUS(Nov.22–Dec.21) If you're unclear about the topic of discussion, say so. Asking questions is an important part of learning. You shouldn't be afraid to ask. Communication may take on a serious tone, and intellectual discussions are likely to get heated.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You may be shy when it comes to expressing your emotions today, Capricorn. This could be a rare thing for you. Other people may wonder if something is wrong.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You're the liquid that takes the 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 frustration for you and others

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) You may not know which way to turn, Aquarius. You may be emotionally weighed down by sentimental feelings and memories that bind you to the past. You may also feel restricted by authority figures.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You may feel like a puppy that 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're tied to a stake and you can't move beyond a ten-foot radius.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your mind may be going in many different directions, with fantastic ideas about how things should be done, Pisces.

The difficulty is communicating these ideas in a way that makes sense. Others may see you as a threat to their authority.

Wembley Stadium in April 2022, only to return six months later.

Queensberry promoter Frank Warren said he expected Fury to fight again.

Saudi Arabia powerbroker Tu r k i A l a l s h i k h h a d reportedly planned for Fury and long-time rival Anthony Joshua to take separate bouts in the Kingdom early in 2026 before finally meeting later in the year. Joshua fuelled that possibility after defeating Jake Paul in December, saying he was ready to face Fury next.

Those plans are now uncertain after Joshua was injured in a car crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two close friends.

Fury enjoyed two reigns as heavyweight champion and boasts a professional record of 34 wins, two defeats - both against Usyk and one draw with Deontay Wilder.

He stunned longreigning champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 to claim the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and The Ring heavyweight titles in Germany.

After more than two and a half years away from the ring, during which he addressed mental health struggles, Fury returned in 2018 and regained world champion status by defeating Wilder in 2020 to win the WBC title.

Fury has spoken openly about wanting to avenge his defeats by Usyk, who currently holds the WBA (Super), WBC and IBF belts.

There appears to be limited appetite among fans for a trilogy, while the Ukrainian has indicated he

would prefer to defend his titles against Wilder next.

One potential route to world-title contention could be a domestic clash with

Fabio Wardley, the current WBO champion and another fighter promoted by Wa r r e n ' s Q u e e n s b e r r y stable.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 24

Monday January 05, 2026

Thiago hat-trick helps Brentford ease past Everton Brian Brobbey fires Sunderland's equaliser against Spurs. (Getty Images)

Igor Thiago scored a hattrick to end his brief goal drought in style as Brentford leapfrogged Everton in the Premier League with a comfortable victory at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Thiago, who had failed to score in six league games in December, now has 14 goals this season - with only Manchester City's Erling Haaland in front of him on 19.

The hosts began brightly as Dwight McNeil forced a save out of Caoimhin Kelleher on four minutes before James Tarkowski's header from the resulting corner was cleared off the line by Thiago.

And the Brazilian then made an impact at the other end as the visitors went ahead against the run of play

in the 11th minute.

The striker arrived in the six-yard area to guide Vitaly Janelt's precise cross past Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford for his 12th goal of the season and his first in seven matches.

Pickford had to advance off the line to deny Thiago a second, while former Liverpool keeper Kelleher's brilliant reflex save to keep out Thierno Barry's low header preserved Brentford's slender lead at the break.

Everton players were met with boos from the stand as the half-time whistle blew and their day went from bad to worse when captain Nathan Collins doubled their lead with a glancing header off Janelt's corner in the 50th minute.

Only a minute later,

Thiago got his second as Kevin Schade ran onto a through ball from Mathias Jensen but was stopped by Jake O'Brien, only for the striker to pick up the loose ball and slot past Pickford.

Beto, a half-time substitute, pulled one back for Everton with a header in the 66th minute but Thiago completed his hat-trick after latching onto a long ball from Collins and dinking past Pickford.

Barry then popped in at the far post to head home a ball from Jack Grealish for Everton's second but Brentford held on for a rare away victory of the campaign.

Brentford are up into seventh place with 30 points after 20 games, while Everton fall to 13th but are

only two points behind the Bees.

Brobbey late strike earns Sunderland draw at Spurs…

Sunderland increased the pressure on Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank as Brian Brobbey's late equaliser gave the Black Cats a point.

Frank felt the fury of travelling supporters at the end of the goalless draw at

his former club Brentford on Thursday, heightening the need for a victory over Sunderland.

Spurs looked on course for only their third win in 10 Premier League home games this season when Ben Davies broke the deadlock on the half-hour, touching in Micky van de Ven's shot after Fulham failed to clear a corner.

It was his first goal since

December 2023 against Brighton and only his eighth in 244 league appearances for Spurs.

Sunderland, too passive before the break, played with greater attacking intent thereafter, with Enzo Le Fee heading against the post before Brobbey burst into the area to give Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario little chance with a powerful finish 10 minutes from time.

Curran, bowlers lead Desert...

From page 22 Vipers collected 46 runs off the last four overs to breach the 180-mark.

MIE stumble in chase Muhammad Waseem, MIE's star of the ILT20, started the chase briskly. He clubbed Payne over deep midwicket, while Andre Fletcher sent fast bowler Khuzaima Tanveer straight down the ground for six.

Though Fletcher fell, mistiming Naseem to deep midwicket, Waseem kept going. He pulled Naseem through midwicket and then edged Curran past the wicketkeeper. But a flurry of wickets dented MIE's chase.

Naseem struck for the second time when his pacy indipper had Tom Banton's

bat turning in his hand for a simple catch to Curran at mid-on for 7. Tanveer then got the prized scalp of his countryman Waseem, who in a bid to steer the ball fine, could only manage a thick edge to the wicketkeeper as MIE stumbled to 46 for 3 in six overs. Tariq then got into the act, sending back Sanjay Krishnamurthi. Having managed just 2 off 8, Krishnamurthi tried to pull Tariq over deep midwicket but could only manage a miscue and Hassan Nawaz completed a stunning diving catch low to his right.

A win at last for Vipers With the required rate touching close to 11, it was down to the two experienced heads Shakib and Pollard to

try and conjure some magic.

They added 60 off 45 balls, but Vipers maintained their lines, not giving much away on a surface which had something for the bowlers t h r o u g h o u t . Wi t h t h e required rate almost 14 at the start of the 16th over, Shakib tried to haul Tariq over longon but failed to generate enough power with Tanveer doing the rest.

Pollard fell six balls later and with that went MIE's chances of a second title.

Payne picked up three wickets in an over before Tanveer closed the chase, sparking wild celebrations in the Vipers dugout. MIE lost their last six wickets for just 22 runs in 3.3 overs to go down in a heap.

Kaieteur News

Monday January 05, 2026

PAGE 25

Root and Brook shine before afternoon gloom ends play early (Cricinfo) - Little over an hour into the Ashes finale at SCG, another truncated Test appeared to be in motion and looked set to punctuate a whirlwind series that has left a rather hollow feeling for many. But England recovered from 57 for 3 as batting became easier on a surface that offered seam movement with the new ball.

Joe Root and Harry Brook combined for an unbroken 154-run stand - the second-highest partnership of the series for either side to ensure England reached stumps in a decent position after just 45 overs were bowled due to rain and lightning.

The measured batting of Root and Brook combined with Sydney's annual sketchy weather means, surely, that this match will last considerably longer than the two-day Tests in Perth and Melbourne.

With so much pressure on SCG curator Adam Lewis, having grimly watched his counterpart Matt Page face a public grilling after the Boxing Day Test, he left just 5mm of grass on the pitch - half the length of the maligned furry MCG surface.

Lewis appears set to escape scrutiny, with the spotlight likely to shine on

Australia's selectors after deciding not to select offspinner Todd Murphy.

With seam-bowling allrounder Beau Webster replacing quick Jhye Richardson, Australia stepped on the SCG field without a specialist spinner for the first time since 1888.

T h e g r o u n d ' s characteristics have changed notably in recent seasons, moving away from its spinfriendly traditions. But by the afternoon, with Root and Brook in complete control, skipper Steven Smith probably wished he could deploy Murphy with Australia's attack lacking variety.

The trio of frontline quicks each picked up a wicket but allrounder Cameron Green, whose place in the team was under major scrutiny, struggled to hit the right length and finished with 0 for 57 from eight overs.

Brook was mostly circumspect by his standards, but did counterattack when Green resorted to a short-ball tactic, while Root played in trademark style by scoring heavily behind square on the off side.

England, of course, will have hoped their two lead batters could have mustered such a partnership earlier in the series, but the tourists

have started their quest for a second consecutive consolation victory brightly.

Amid sunny and humid morning conditions, a relief with grim weather on the radar, skipper Ben Stokes elected to bat after the coin again fell in his favour. It was perhaps another curious decision given his penchant for bowling first before this tour, which had been the catalyst for England's victory at the MCG. His mood would have soured after England's toporder struggled with the seam movement on a greentinged surface, losing 3 for 18 by the middle of the first session.

Before the collapse, opener Ben Duckett had feasted on unusually ragged bowling from nemesis Mitchell Starc, who he whacked for five boundaries in less than four overs.

After a hapless series onfield and some embarrassing shenanigans off it, Duckett appeared to be carrying over the momentum from his invaluable second-innings cameo at the MCG. He hit Starc for consecutive boundaries to roll to 27 in 23 balls as he and Zak Crawley appeared on the way towards a blossoming partnership that had never previously reached the eighth over in the series.

NSC announces one-week closure of National Aquatic Centre for critical inspections The National Sports Commission (NSC) has announced a one-week closure of the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal, beginning Monday, January 5, to facilitate a series of important technical inspections aimed at preserving the facility's international standards.

According to Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, the temporary shutdown is necessary to allow the NSC to carry out detailed forensic checks on the Olympic-size 50-metre pool, which has been in operation for nearly 15 years.

“The National Aquatic Centre has served our athletes and the wider sporting community well since its opening, and with 15 years now behind us, it is

Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle critical that we conduct thorough assessments to ensure everything remains in place to keep the pool in optimum condition and aligned with international requirements,” Ninvalle stated.

The National Aquatic Centre was officially opened

in November 2011 and commissioned by thenPresident Bharrat Jagdeo.

Since then, it has been a central hub for swimming, training, and competitive events at both the national and regional levels.

Ninvalle further explained that the inspections at the Aquatic Centre are part of a broader initiative by the NSC. “Similar checks will be conducted at all facilities under the Commission's care to ensure they meet the standards being demanded by the respective international governing bodies for sport,” he said.

The NSC has assured stakeholders that the facility will reopen promptly following the completion of the inspections.

Joe Root and Harry Brook shared a century stand (Getty Images)

But Starc finally found the right length and Duckett could not help himself, tamely prodding to a flying A l e x C a r e y. H a v i n g impressed in his Ashes debut at the MCG, Jacob Bethell was once again calm and watchful against occasional rampant seam movement from Scott Boland.

Bethell did not open his account until his 15th ball when he cut Starc through backward point for a boundary, but it was respite amid familiar woe for England's batters.

After swatting a short ball to the fence, Crawley's latest teaser ended when he fell lbw to a full delivery from Michael Neser before Bethell nicked off to Boland, who had moved over the wicket.

At this juncture, there were fears of another frantic innings with Cricket Australia's hierarchy no doubt watching on nervously. But Root and Brook batted sensibly to ensure England stabilised by lunch.

While he removed the monkey on his back after his brilliant ton in Brisbane, Root's troubles in Australia have mostly remained this series. But this was a golden opportunity to settle in for the long haul despite him almost nicking off on the first delivery.

He nailed his next attempt at his trademark cover drive to get him going, while Brook's first boundary was unsurprisingly less orthodox after top-edging Boland over the slips.

But Brook was then uncharacteristically restrained in a notable contrast to his madcap 41 in the first-innings at the MCG. Australia's attack tried to bait him by settling into a length outside off stump but Brook mostly kept his aggressive instincts in check.

He had his eyes set on a belated conversion having made starts in each of his first innings this series and found himself in a nice groove with Root, who after lunch reached 40 for just the

second time in the series.

Australia lacked inspiration on a slowing surface and they resorted to a short-ball tactic in the hope that Brook would lose his patience. It almost went to plan when Brook on 45 topedged Starc into a gap on the leg side before he regrouped to whack Webster for a boundary to bring up a 63ball half-century.

It followed Root's halfcentury off 65 balls as the pair appeared set to bat through the session until the thick clouds started to close in on the ground. Play was halted due to bad light before the weather deteriorated although it did eventually clear up but stumps was instead called.

England opted against selecting Shoaib Bashir, meaning their first-choice spinner of recent years did not feature in the entire series. Seamer Matthew Potts is making his series debut after replacing Gus Atkinson, who was ruled out with a hamstring injury picked up in the fourth Test.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 26

Monday January 05, 2026

Curran, bowlers lead Desert Vipers to maiden ILT20 title (Cricinfo) - After two heartbreaks, it was third time lucky for Desert Vipers as they broke the final hoodoo, defeating MI Emirates by 46 runs to claim their maiden ILT20 title in Dubai.

The win was headlined by captain Sam Curran, who held the Vipers innings together with an unbeaten 74 off 51 balls. He was helped

by Max Holden (41 off 32) and Dan Lawrence (23 off 15) as Vipers notched up an impressive 182 for 4 in their 20 overs.

MIE never got their chase going, losing wickets at regular intervals. Naseem Shah was at his fiery best, picking up 3 for 18 in his four overs, while Usman Tariq curbed the runs in the middle

The victorious Desert Vipers team hold the trophy aloft (ILT20)

overs, returning 2 for 20.

David Payne also picked up 3 for 42, all three of his

wickets coming in an over, as MIE were bowled out for 136 in 18.3 overs. It was

fitting that the most consistent team of the season took home the title.

Vipers' win means that ILT20 has now had a different winner in each of the first four seasons - Gulf Giants, MIE, Dubai Capitals and now Vipers.

Vipers go big despite Farooqi double-blow Fakhar Zaman didn't take time to go after Shakib Al Hasan, depositing him over wide long-on second ball of the innings. MIE were sloppy with their fielding, and both Fakhar and Jason Roy cashed in. After Fakhar collected a boundary off first ball off AM Ghazanfar, Roy hit left-arm quick Muhammad Rohid for backto-back fours as Vipers raced to 34 for 0 after three overs.

But Fazalhaq Farooqi helped MIE hit back with a doublewicket opening over.

Roy first flat-batted a short-of-a-length delivery straight to short midwicket before Farooqi cleaned up Fakhar with a peach of an inducker that pitched just outside off and swung back in breaching the opener's defenses. Curran took five balls to get off the mark but

closed out the powerplay in style with three straight fours off Farooqi as Vipers reached 59 for 2 in six overs.

Vipers build around Curran's unbeaten fifty While Holden took his time to settle, Curran kept the scorecard ticking. He pulled offspinner Tajinder Singh twice through midwicket before guiding Kieron Pollard past short third. Holden, going just about a run-a-ball, found his groove as well as he took Tajinder inside out over covers and then planted him over long-on as Vipers raced past 100 in the 12th over.

Mystery spinner Arab Gul broke the 89-run thirdwicket stand by accounting for Holden but Lawrence ensured the momentum wasn't lost. He smoked Gul over covers second ball before Curran reached his fifty off 39 balls as Vipers eyed a late push. That came via a 21-run 18th over with Curran and Lawrence sending Romario Shepherd over the fence three times.

(Continued on page 20)

KMTC express gratitude...

From page 23 the KMTC, Chand Kennard, she would also like to say special thanks to the Board of Directors of the club, a group she is very proud to be associated with. They worked beyond the call of duty to make sure that the day's proceedings were incident-free and came off with a bang.

The event was dominated by horses from the J's Horse Racing Stable, with two wins, a

second and a fourth.

The KMTC is one of the premiere horse racing venues in the country and is synonymous with staging top-notch horse race meets. The Boxing Day horse race meet was no exception - a bumper crowd was in attendance.

Meanwhile, the KMTC will now shift their focus to their annual Phagwah Horse Racing Meet, which is normally scheduled for the month of March.

(Samuel Whyte)

Monday January 05, 2026

Kaieteur News

PAGE 27

CWI President, Hon. Dr. Kishore Shallow

releases New Year Statement

(CWI) - Fellow West Indians, As we reflect on the journey behind us and look toward the path ahead, we do so with honesty, humility, and an abiding sense of purpose. The past year tested us in ways both seen and unseen. It was a year marked by loss, challenge, and sacrifice. Some who began the journey with us did not complete it, and many across our Caribbean family mourned loved ones of their own. These moments remind us that cricket, while deeply important, exists within the wider human experience that binds us all.

Yet through it all, the spirit of West Indies cricket endured. The love for this game, and for what it represents to our people, remained steadfast. It is this enduring passion that continues to rally us, even in times of difficulty, and it is the foundation upon which our future is being shaped.

On the field, we acknowledge that our performances have not consistently met the high standards our history demands or the expectations our people rightly have.

Improvement is not optional; it is imperative. We are committed to strengthening our structures, supporting our players, and fostering a renewed culture of

accountability, resilience, and winning intent. Progress may not always be linear, but the determination to improve remains unwavering.

Meanwhile, off the field, we navigated a challenging financial period. That reality has not disappeared overnight, and the year ahead will require continued prudence and responsible management. These are not easy choices, but they are necessary ones, taken in the long-term interest of West Indies cricket and its sustainability. We are committed to protecting the future of this sport, and doing the necessary work to ensure such.

I can state with confidence that our relationships with leaders across CARICOM remain strong. While there may be differences of perspective from time to time, we continue to operate as a committed and respectful team, united by a shared belief in the value of West Indies cricket as a regional institution and a source of Caribbean pride. Dialogue, collaboration, and mutual respect continue to guide those relationships.

West Indies cricket has always been bigger than any one era, any one team, or any one individual. It is a shared inheritance, carried forward

KMTC express gratitude following successful Boxing Day Meet The Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) has expressed sincere gratitude to all its sponsors and supporters. The club takes the opportunity to say a big thank you to all contributors who made its recently concluded Boxing Day Horse Race meet a success.

Among those receiving commendations were a cache of sponsors that were on board including - Trophy Stall, P and P Insurance Brokers, Colin Elcock Delmur Company Limited, Kharag Family of USA, Nand Persaud and Company Limited, Patsan Trading Establishment, HorseShoe Racing Services, Colin Elcock Delmur Company Limited,

KSM Investment Limited, Mike's Pharmacy, N and S Matai the Food Market, Js Supermarket, Poonai Pharmacy, Rohan Auto Sales, Rajesh Ramlakhan, Khanai's Guyana Electrical Agency, Dalip Trading Limited, Amco Construction, T Balkarran of USA, Big G Lumber Yard, Majeed Family of The USA, Ramesh Persaud “Rus” and Black Boy of the USA. Also receiving commendation was the Guyana Police Force contingent led by Deputy Superintendent Michael Newland.

According to Matriarch and honorary President of (Continued on page 22)

by generations who believe in its power to unite, to inspire, and to uplift. We remain one West Indies family, bound by history and driven by hope.

On behalf of the Vice President and Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer and

Secretariat, the Captains and teams, I extend my sincere thanks to the people of the region and the diaspora for your continued support, your patience, and your faith. As we move forward, we do so with renewed resolve, determined effort, and confidence that better days

lie ahead.

May the year before us bring progress on and off the field, a strengthened sense of belief, and shared success for West Indies cricket.

Wi t h r e s p e c t a n d gratitude, H o n . D r. K i s h o r e Shallow

CWI President Dr. Kishore Shallow (CWI)

CWI President, Hon. Dr. Kishore Shallow

releases New Year Statement

West Indies won only one Test match in 2025; it was against Bangladesh. (BCCI)

s t r Spo

KMTC's Mrs Chan Kennard received trophies from Trophy Stall for the event

The National Aquatic Centre was officially opened in November 2011

KMTC express gratitude NSC announces one-week closure of National Aquatic following successful Centre for critical inspections Boxing Day Meet Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.