Kaieteur News

…callsfor feasibilitystudyforeachproject,

bettermanagementofoilrevenues

Guyanesechargedforassisting

Seon Carmichael (left) has been accused of assisting foreign terrorists to bomb a police outpost (Photo: News Room)

PNCR sees no need for oil depletion policy

…calls for feasibility study for each project, better management of oil revenues

The People's National Congress Reform (PNC/R) has joined on the Depletion Policy debate, saying that whileitseesnoneedforsuch a policy, the oil revenues needtobemanagedbetterto securefuturegenerations.

Inaninvitedcommentby this publication Economist andSpokespersononOiland GasforthepartyElsonLow said that a Depletion Policy cannot succeed, if the funds fromoilwhichareplacedin the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) continue to be spent inanirresponsiblemanner

Stating his party's p o s i t i o n o n t h e implementation of such a policy, he told the Kaieteur News, “we have long said that it's important, that any government should conduct feasibility studies for each project to understand its

implications for our economy Thiswillnaturally mean that the depletion rate of our fields will have to be assessed.”

He explained that what the PNCR sees as more important is not the depletion rate, but the safeguarding of the resources.Therefore,amore disciplined and thoughtful approachmustbetakenwith theNRF,ratherthanfrequent amendments to the act to withdraw larger amounts, citing that the most recent

amendment allows almost 100% of funds to be withdrawn.

Low's argument is that, “WithoutarobustNRF,even a slower depletion rate would still jeopardize future generations,sosafeguarding our sovereign wealth fund must be the priority Similarly, even if we have a fasterdepletionrate,butalso a s t r o n g N R F , intergenerational equity through savings would be preserved.”

He was also asked if he has seen the policy the Vice President(VP)referencedat his recent press conference.

Lowadmittedthathehasno seen the policy but he is aware of the VP's approach of attempting to take full advantage of the higher oil pricespresently

“We're saying that no such policy can succeed if the monies earned are spent irresponsibly because the NRF can be plundered. It is no longer a mechanism for saving under the PPP, but being treated like an ordinarybankaccountwhere you can withdraw everything except the last fewdollars,”hestressed.

On the other hand, the second largest opposition party the Alliance for Change has a sterner approach to the situation, challenging the government

toreleasethepolicytheVPis speakingabout.

On May 26 this publication reported that Petroleum Engineer and spokesperson for the Alliance for Change (AFC), Dr Vincent Adams, has challenged the Government ofGuyanatomakepublicits depletionpolicy,whichVice President Bharrat Jagdeo recentlyspokeof.

At his last press conference on Thursday, Jagdeo told Kaieteur News that Guyana's current depletion policy was crafted tomatchtheglobalmarketin termsofsupplyanddemand. Calling his bluff, DrAdams issuedachallengeonFriday toreleasethepolicy,sothatit could be perused by the opposition and citizens alike.

“Well, I have never seen a(depletion)policyfromthis administration So, what BharratJagdeoneedstodois publish his policy Maybe I don't know if you've seen it, butIhaveneverseenapolicy besides (him) talking stuff. What is that policy?” he questioned.

Dr Adams said such a policy is born from longterm planning, based on the production profile over the years, which is available in theFieldDevelopmentPlans (FDP) The government would have to look at their

Bandits kill pensioner during Lusignan home invasion

A 70-year-old pensioner was murdered and robbed early Wednesday morning at his Lusignan Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara(ECD).

According to a statement from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), two males dressed in all black with their faces covered with ski masks allegedly carried out the murderandrobberyonDeonarine(onlyname given),atapproximately03:30hrs.

Officers arrived at approximately 06:30hrsandinvestigationsrevealedthatthe deceased shared a one-story wooden house withhis69-year-oldreputedwife.

“According to the wife, she awoke at around 01:30hrs this morning (Wednesday) and went to the kitchen to clean and cook. Afterleavingthekitchen,sheleftthedoorto the hallway open and proceeded to the washroom, where she heard a strange noise. On investigating, she was confronted by the twosuspects,oneofwhomchokedherwhile the other tied her hands and feet and placed

strategic plan in the projects they were looking to undertake, and compare to see if it matches what is in the FDPs. “Then you can devise a policy from that, if you want to not produce at themaximumlevel,thenyou can regulate how much oil you want to produce, etcetera. But… first of all, they have not released the FDPs, and I'm glad you askedthatquestion,”hesaid.

During his press conference on Thursday, Jagdeo made it clear that long-term policies are not determined by day-to-day changes.KaieteurNewshad asked the vice president whether he is considering putting a depletion policy in placetoexistingframeworks tomanageandstrengthenthe oil sector, thereby ensuring maximum benefits for citizens.

“Should we have a depletion policy now…you don'tdeterminepoliciesofa long-termnatureonthebasis ofdailyoccurrencesinanoil and gas market which is known for its volatility, and sowhenIsawthatcomment coming from Jordan [Winston Jordon- former Finance Minister] I wonder if he really understood policy,”Jagdeosaid.

Jordan,inaMay5,2025 article captioned, 'Govt should hedge, implement

Economist and Advisor to the PNCR on Oil and Gas Elson Low

depletion policy in face of dropping oil prices' published in the Stabroek News, said that with unpredictable oil prices and the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) projections of lowering crude prices this year, the government's 'drill baby drill' policy is flawed and a depletion strategy is needed.

In the article, Jordan opinedthatitisnottoolateto implement a depletion policy “The more FPSOs [Floating Production and Storage and Offloading vessels] ExxonMobil brings on,itiswiththeseadditional costs,” Jordan told Stabroek News.

“And if you are now extractingmoreandmoreoil andatalessandlessprice,it will take longer to pay back Exxon's [operational] costs. And in that, our dream of getting a better profit share willbelikewhatBobMarley said, 'a fleeting illusion,'” Stabroek News quoted Jordanassaying.

However, Jagdeo, a formerpresidentandfinance minister, said the type of policy that Jordan spoke about would have to be

alteredasoilpricesfluctuate.

“The depletion policy that we have now was carefully calibratedtotakeaccountof what's happening globally, with the demand for and the supplyofcrudetotheglobal market.

Now, the overarching agreement to go to more sustainable sources of energy will cause a major reduction in demand for fossil fuel-related supplies. In the short term, this may not be so, but in the longer term,thiswillhappen.We've alreadyseenevidenceofthis taking place in the transport sector,” Jagdeo assured reporters.

He noted that the three largest sources of carbon emissions are burning fossil fuel for power generation, using fossil fuel for transportation and land d e g r a d a t i o n a n d deforestation.

When combined, they accountfornearlyover90% of all emissions. Citing that thetransportationindustryis headed towards electric vehicles,Jagdeoaddedthata depletion policy also has to take the environment into account.

herinthewashroom.Shortlyafter,sheheard Deonarine calling for her, followed by a commotion in the hallway which eventually ceased,”policesaid.

Police said the woman managed to free herself and went into the hallway where she found Deonarine lying on his back. She immediately contacted her brother who subsequentlycontactedthepolice.

The house was inspected and it was discovered that $500,000 that was under the bed and $300,000 that was in a black bag inside the bedroom, a total of $800,000 was missing.

The statement said the scene was processed thoroughly and the body was examined for marks of violence, but none were observed. However, swabs for DNA weretakenfromDeonarine'shands.

The body was taken to the Memorial Gardens Mortuary, pending a post-mortem examination.Effortsarebeingmadetolocate thesuspects.

KaieteurNews

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Publisher:GLENNLALL-Tel:624-6456

Editor-in-Chief:NigelWilliams

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

EDITORIAL

US warning to antifree speech officials

The United States Government's announcement on Wednesdaythatitwillimposevisabansonforeignnationals itdeemstobecensoringAmericansshouldbeawakeupcall for the Guyana Government that has been on a warpath againstthefreepresshere.

SecretaryofStateMarcoRubiosaidonWednesdaythat fortoolong,Americanshavebeenfined,harassed,andeven charged by foreign authorities for exercising their free speech rights. “Today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy that will apply to foreign officials and persons who are complicit in censoring Americans. Free speechisessentialtotheAmericanwayoflife–abirthright over which foreign governments have no authority ForeignerswhoworktounderminetherightsofAmericans should not enjoy the privilege of traveling to our country WhetherinLatinAmerica,Europe,orelsewhere,thedaysof passive treatment for those who work to undermine the rightsofAmericansareover,”Rubiosaid.

Sincereturningtogovernment,thePPP/CGovernment hasnotonlytargetedmediaoutletsitdeemsunfriendlytoit, but also opposition and ordinary social media activists for pushing back against its excesses. Both senior and junior officials within the government have filed multi-million dollarsuitsagainstindividualsfordefamationandlibeland have used its trolls and other activists to attack journalists whodonotwriteorbroadcastfavourablenewsitemsforthe government.

This publication and others in this country have heard howmuchfreedomischerished,fromindividualfreedomof speech to freedom of the press. The embarrassing reality makes a mockery of those claims and postures from a governmentnowcommittedtolipserviceonlyonimportant obligations and standards in Guyana.When hypocrisy and leadership deception are sought after as proof, Guyana offers a treasure trove of both. The PPP/C Government standsasthemajorcontributor

This publication has a history of speaking frankly and powerfullyontheissuesthatdifferentgovernmentspreferto remainuntouchedandunaddressed.Itwasattheforefrontin pushing back against the APNU Coalition's efforts at undermining the democratic process during the 2020 elections, which were hammered at and the party's leadership put in an ugly light. Two others were the incompetence and mismanagement that plagued the last government and its unpardonable mishandling of the nation's oil wealth. None of the coverage from this publicationwasmetwiththeregardthatwasdue.

Asanindependentmediahouse,andavoiceforandof the people, we were fulfilling our duty When they are in opposition, politicians delight in the exposures of their opponents. But when they have the reins of power in their hands,theirtuneandtheiroutlookchange.Theyarestillfor pressfreedomandfreeexpression,butastheydecidewhat thoseshouldbe.

On the PPP/C Government's part, there is simmering anger when contract award discrepancies and skullduggeries are presented to citizens. Corruption is at suchrampantlevelsinGuyanathatitwouldbeablackmark onanyneutral,unattached,andprofessionalmediaentityto looktheotherwayandfailthepeople. Butleadinglightsin thePPP/CGovernmentareoutragedwhenthealmostdaily reports are published for the public's benefit. The gripe is thatwhataboutalltheprogressthatisbeingmade,thegood beingdone.Itseemsthatsomebodyforgotthatdoingthings ofthatnaturearewhyagovernmentisputintopowerinthe firstplace.Doingwhatispositivedoesnotmeanthatallthe incompetence and shenanigans of any government should be ignored. When official wrongdoing is on an express track, when government leadership is highly questionable, then that is when press freedom is priceless. Free speech doesnotandcannotcoexistwithwillfulblindness,nordoes it surrender to the dictates of any corrupt government, the

School teachers and the education space adding value to the continuum of care that every child needs in their everyday lives.

DearEditor,

Picture a once-chatty, energetic child in your class who has suddenly become quiet, disinterested in learning, or struggling academically Sudden behavioralchangesareoften the most visible indicators that something deeper is affecting the child. In such cases, teachers can play a vitalrolebybeingobservant and proactive in identifying students who may be struggling at school due to difficulties at home, in the classroom or within the communities-suchasabuse, neglect, or severe emotional distress.

Teachers spend so much time with students that they are often the first to notice when something is off. But the signs aren't always obvious. It might be a child who suddenly becomes withdrawn, shows fear around certain adults, wears long sleeves in hot weather, or has unexplained bruises. Even changes in school performance or attitude can beredflags.

When a child shows a change in behavior, it's essential to approach the situation thoughtfully and proactively Think of behavioral issues as symptoms that require

deeper understanding It's importanttolookbeyondthe surface, considering the child's situation and family background. Knowing each child's temperament also helps, how they react to stress, how they handle correction, or how they learn. Whether a child is experiencing emotional abuse, neglect, or family trauma,teachersareoftenin the best position to notice these patterns and help change the course of that child'slife.

More attention and care can be given to make the child feel secure and supported.Ifachildactsout with delinquent behavior, they should be given the chance to be listened to and to access counselling, only then can we begin to understand the underlying causes Teachers should consider factors such as the home environment, peer influences, academic struggles, school and community environment, or e m o t i o n a l i s s u e s contributing to the child's behavior Rather than scolding or punishing, teachers should focus on safeguarding all children, r e s o l v i n g i s s u e s thoughtfully,orreferringthe student to the school

counselor or if not an external counsellor for support.

Teachersdon'thavetobe experts, but their day-to-day connection with students gives them the advantage of noticing small but important changes Understanding each child's temperament can help teachers provide tailored support that meets thechild'suniqueneeds.

A brilliant example of socialissuescomesfromthe small Indian state of Kerala, where the Department of PublicEducationannounced thatthefirsttwoweeksofthe 2025–2026 academic year will be dedicated entirely to social awareness classes insteadoftheusualtextbook c u r r i c u l u m T h i s groundbreaking initiativethe first of its kind in India, aims to educate students on pressing social issues

Education Minister V Sivankutty shared that the awareness campaigns will cover topics such as drug abuse, hygiene, and digital discipline, replacing traditional lessons during that period. In Guyana, someofourschoolsconduct awareness on these issues at various intervals, perhaps a more intentional approach maybeusefulinsomespaces where children/youth are

more in need of this information.

Teachers can help students understand that everyone makes mistakes and learns from them. By building trust, children and youth can come to see their teacher not as someone who will judge them but as someone who listens and supports them. Instead of punishingastrugglingchild, teacherscanteachthemhow tohealfromfamilytraumaor personal issues A good teacherduringachild'searly yearsisalifelonggift. Children don't just wake uponedayandbecomewho theyare-theyareshapedby what they see, hear, and absorb around them. This is also a reminder to parents: invest in your child's future. Check their homework, ask about their day, build their character and confidence, andguidetheirheartstolove andbekind. Theawareness on critical social issues should really start at home withinthefamilies,however, thisisnotalwayspossiblefor many reasons. Hence, the school environment could becomemorevaluablewhen it's part of the continuum care that children need in theireverydaylives.

Yourssincerely, ChildLinKInc.

Loyalty test for Azruddin Mohamed

DearEditor,

We h a v e h e a r d repeatedly that Mr Nigel Hughes, the presidential

candidatefortheAlliancefor Change, is yoked with dual loyalties Because in addition to his candidacy to

whims of any political leader looking to cover his or her bottom. Freespeechexpressedresponsiblyistothebenefit ofanygovernment,helpsittoidentifytheloopholes,guides it to make the appropriate corrections, even when it means handing alleged criminal colleagues over to the law Free speech is a vital check and balance on the apparatus of governance. Ithasitsroleinensuringthatthatmachineryis workingasitshould.

RegardingGuyana'soilpatrimony,thereissomuchthat isdeficient,somuchPPP/CGovernmentcowardice. When wepointtothegapsandfailuresinoversight,thegovernment and its people turn into a mindless mob. Press freedom is assailed and savaged. But these are the same people speaking so sweetly about democracy and freedom of expression. Our staff has been repeatedly poached not by privatemediacompetition,butbythegovernment. Frequent leadership disparagement and social media revilements are now regular features in the life of the independent and outspokenmediainGuyana. ButthePPP/CGovernmentis shameless enough to insist about how much it is for free speech. Thegovernment'smanagementoftheoilwealthhas so many secrets, so much corruption, that it fears the truth being presented, so its senior people lash out blindly The press is allowed to operate freely and responsibly, or the PPP/C Government's freedom to behave unconstitutionally andlawlessly FreethinkingGuyanesemustdecide.

serve as President of Guyana, he is retained to represent the interests of Exxon'ssubsidiary,here.Mr Hugheshasmadeitclearthat his legal obligation as Exxon'sattorneyistoprotect his clients interests. And so hemust.

However, his loyalty to thepeopleofGuyanacannot besubordinatedtothatofhis corporateclient,ifheshould becomethenextPresidentof our Republic Should he indeedbecomepresident,he would be required to swear allegiance to and uphold the Constitution of Guyana Thus, relinquishing his attorney/client relationship

under his Retainer Agreement with Exxon. He willnotbepermittedtoserve twomasters.

Exxonasweallknowhas miraculously managed to squeeze remarkable terms &conditions out of Guyana in its enviable 2016 Production Sharing

Agreement Interestingly, thatPSAwasnegotiatedand signed by a member of Mr Hughes' AFC party, a Coalition partner in the last David Granger- Peoples National Congress Gov't Guyanese without any exception share a common nationalgriefoverthatPSA. We helplessly mourn this travesty as others lament beingsanctioned.

Which brings us to Mr AzruddinMohamed,theUSs a n c t i o n e d l o c a l businessman/philanthropist and now presidential candidateofourcountry

Asweheadintoanearly election season, our country remains under constant political attacks from the undemocratic Maduro regime and violent attacks frombothstateandnon-state a c t o r s o n t h e Guyana/Venezuelan border. Here, Mr Mohamedcannot (Continueonpage5)

PPP/C giving the Indigenous their deserved place in Guyana

DearEditor,

I am very delighted that Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, AG, heralded the “Unmatched Amerindian benefits (thus far that prove living) evidence of PPP/C's commitment to Indigenous rights.” It is obvious, but sometimes the obvious can be ignored when not flaunted. So, before I write anything, let me prove my case with just a simple, singleexample.

For this, I go back to the beginning of the year, when the Government of Guyana allocated a whopping $7.2 billion in the 2025 National Budget to further enhance development across all our Amerindian communities

Couched in this financial commitment were plans to promote growth in areas

such as agriculture, infrastructure,educationand economicopportunities,and these plans are now unfolding, and here is a classicexample.

I refer to what I was aware of long before President Dr Irfaan Ali rightfullyboastedofthe“… significant strides in education development across Guyana's hinterland regions (by) emphasising a transformative journey that has empowered local communities (therein). This deals with the fact that “… over 83 per cent of teachers across hinterland regions have been trained” This pieceofdetailwasconveyed at the recent National To s h a o s ' C o u n c i l Conference a few days ago. The inner details show that

“As of December 2024, 83 percentofallteachersacross Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine were fully trained, a significant increase from less than 43 per cent in 2020 ” As President Ali noted,thisissomethingtobe very proud of, as indeed we cannot underestimate the role of teacher training and capacitybuildinginanypart oftheworld.

This kind of thing however is not automatic. It is by careful planning and commitment, and I am compelledtoheapaccolades on the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) for the insight that facilitated this transformation. Without the politicalwilltoempowerthe Hinterland people educationally, this type of achievement, still ongoing,

Loyalty test for Azruddin...

Frompage4 escapefromthesameloyalty test that is being applied to Mr. Hughes vis-a-vis his foreignclients.

Can Mr Azruddin Mohamed answer the following:

1. Whether he or his business entity, that were licensed to buy/sell and export gold, facilitated the purchase of gold from Specially Designated Nationals in the Maduro regime and/or members of theVenezuelanmilitary?

If the answer is in the affirmative, then 2.Was this the reason he and his businesses were sanctioned by the US Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign AssetsControl?

3 Why he and his companiesdivestedfromthe very lucrative Vreed-enHoopShoreBaseInc.?

Editor, the above questions are not only critical to clearing the air

willnothavebeenrealised.

May I indulge readers a bit more, as I ask that they reflect on the following, regarding the said budget consideration and catering fortheIndigenouspeoplesof G

Amerindian Development Fund and Presidential Grants; $1 5 billion to continue the Community Service Officers (CSO) programme; $650 million for advancing land titling activities; and $93 million for the hinterland scholarshipprograms.

Getting back to Anil Nandlall now, he had no choice but to state the obvious, that is, via the PPP/C, massive benefits have redounded to the Indigenous peoples in

Guyana, as the Government of the day continues to safeguard their rights, enhance their quality of life, and ensure that they feel 'equally' 'full-fledged' Guyanese.

I really like how theAG emphasized, that under the aegis of the PPP/C, Amerindians have a huge Constitutional 'edge.' What isthis?Itisabouthow,inthe Constitution “The state can make a decision and in doing so, can 'discriminate positively' in favour of Amerindians.(Andnotethis as) No other ethnic group in this country enjoys that special right ” In exemplifying this, Minister Nandlall delineated that “… if anyone goes to court and says, 'Look, this law is discriminatory against my

ethnic group because it only allows Amerindians to benefit,' the judge can hold up the Constitution and say, 'But the Constitution authorises positive discrimination in favour of Amerindians.'”Andthus“… thatthisiswhy,forexample, the Amerindian community —asanethnicbloc—isthe only ethnic group in the country benefiting from the Low Carbon Development S t r a t e g y ( L C D S ) programme.” It cannot get anybetterthanthis.

My little prediction is that in time to come, many coastalcitizenswillgravitate towardstheHinterland,andI think it is about time. The regionisnotjustexotic;itis nowbeingwellequipped.

Yourstruly, HargeshB.Singh

surrounding the US sanctioning of this gentleman and his companies Most importantly, they raise far more serious issues for a national presidential candidate. A. His duty to protectthelivesofGuyanese citizens from a hostile foreign enemy and; B. his constitutional obligation to protect the sovereignty of this nation, which he claims he wants to guard as Commander-in-Chief.

not know the younger Mohamed and cannot say whathisloyaltiesare,ifany.

Mr NazarMohamed,the father of Azruddin, claimed recently in a Facebook post, that he has evidence of another gold dealer in Guyanawhowastransacting gold purchases with "Venezuelan personnel in military uniforms in the amount of millions of dollars." He claimed that he has evidence of banking records from Citi Bank of thesetransactions. Werethe Mohameds conducting similar transactions with membersofaforeignenemy engaged in shooting of our soldiers? I know Mr Nazar "Shell" Mohamed, and I am absolutely sure he would never countenance such a betrayal of his nation. I do

Editor, nothing in this application of a loyalty tests impute disloyalty or illmotives on the part of these honorable gentlemen whose reputations are beyond reproach. However, voters on September 1st, 2025, must know that they would notbeunwittinglyvotingfor aJudas.

Therefore, it's only fair thattheveryloyaltytestthat applies to Mr Nigel Hughes be equally applied to Mr AzrudinMohamed.

Sincerely, FuadRahaman

The President does not have to get the Commission's consent to announce an election date

DearEditor, I really don't understand the argument by the opposition-sponsored Elections Commissioners thattheCommissionwasnot ready for elections. All this talk about the work plan of GECOM should be irrelevant.

Myunderstandingisthat GECOM should always be ready to conduct an election at the time legally necessary afterthePresidentdecideson adate.

Thatwasthemainreason that the PNC and PPP decided to move towards having Continuous

Registration I recall the discussions that were held between the two parties because I was part of those talks.

One of the concerns was that in the absence of Continuous Registration it would havebeenimpossible for us to fulfill our c o n s t i t u t i o n a l responsibilities if we had a

successful “No Confidence Motion”, which instructs that an Election can be held inthreemonths.

The President does not havetogettheCommission's consent to announce an election date. If he asks GECOM it has to be out of courtesy Continuous Registration must keep GECOM in continuous readiness.

Sincerely Former President –DonaldRamotar

US to ban foreign officials over 'flagrant censorship' on social media

(REUTERS)

The US will impose visa bans on foreignnationalsitdeemsto be censoring Americans, Secretary of State Marco Rubiosaid,andhesuggested the new policy could target officials regulating US tech companies.

Rubio did not name any specific instances of censorship But US tech companies and the Trump

administration have challenged US allies in Europe, alleging censorship of social media platforms, but restricting officials from visiting the US appeared to be an escalation by Washington. Rubio said in a statement that a new visa restriction policy would apply to foreign nationals responsibleforcensorshipof protected expression in the US He said it was unacceptable for foreign officials to issue or threaten arrest warrants for social media posts made on US soil.

"It is similarly unacceptable for foreign officials to demand that American tech platforms adopt global content moderation policies or

engageincensorshipactivity that reaches beyond their authorityandintotheUnited States,"Rubiosaid.

Some foreign officials

have taken "flagrant censorship actions against US tech companies and US citizens and residents when they have no authority to do so," Rubio said. US social media companies like Facebook and Instagram parentMetahavesaidanEU content moderation law, the Digital Services Act, amounts to censorship of their platforms. The Trumpappointed chairman of t h e U S F e d e r a l C o m m u n i c a t i o n s Commission in March

warned the EU Digital Services Act excessively restricts freedom of expression EU officials have defended the law, which is meant to make the online environment safer and fairer by compelling tech giants to do more to tackle illegal content including hate speech and childsexualabusematerial.

'Sharedvalues'

Inasocialmediaposton Wednesday, Rubio added, "Whether in Latin America, Europe, or elsewhere, the daysofpassivetreatmentfor those who work to undermine the rights of Americans are over." Rubio did not name specific countries or individuals that wouldbetargeted.

Brazil has clashed with the platform X, owned by TrumpallyElonMusk,over compliance with orders to take down accounts accused o f s p r e a d i n g misinformation. The Trump administration has repeatedly called out European nations for supposed censorship of online content Vice

PresidentJDVance

(Continueonpage18)

India seeks Guyana support against Pakistan

DearEditor,

The Indian Government sent a parliamentary team to Guyana to seek Guyana out to pick sides in the India/Pakistanconflictthatis rooted in unresolved issues going back to the 1947 division.

Several publications carriedvariousstoriesofthe visit: Indian Parliamentary Visit (Guyana Chronicle, May 28), President Meets Indian Delegation (SN May 28), India seeks Guyana's support on UNSC amid 'terror threats' (Guyana Chronicle, May 27). The delegation came to Guyana because above all, India is seeking Guyana's support against Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council.

What was left out of the

Delegation's one-sided narratives is Pakistan's accusations of India's ongoing support and sponsoringofterrorisminits Balochistan territory. Islamabad also alleges that India is working with the Taliban of Afghanistan to undermine its interest. India hasalsoceasedsharingwater with Pakistan This will eventually lead to famine in Pakistan.

This black and white positionofblamingPakistan for all terrorism in Kashmir and elsewhere ignores the Kashmiris' will to selfdetermination, the unconstitutional destruction of Kashmir Autonomous Status and the indigenous resistance and uprising in Jammu and Kashmir which w

Kingdombefore1947. Guyana should remain neutralandnotsupportultranationalist movements in this dispute. All forms of terrorwhereinnocentpeople are killed must be condemnedalso.YetGuyana mustalsoexamineallangels of the historical conflict. Meanwhile, Guyana needs global support against Venezuelan aggression, and Indiaisdeeplydependenton Venezuelanoil.

India and Pakistan should seek a political solution to the Kashmir conflict. Both countries havenuclear weapons,anda NuclearWarcaneasilyerupt between these two countries that could claim millions of lives.

Regards

RayChickrie

Misleading Narratives Undermine the Truth About Essequibo

DearEditor, Reference is made to GenevieveGlatsky'sMay25 New York Times article entitled“Venezuela Plans Vote for Disputed Oil-Rich Territory”, which contains several critical inaccuracies.

First, Essequibo is not “oil-rich.”All commercially viable oil discoveries lie offshore, in the eastern and southeastern parts of the Stabroek Block, east of the EssequiboRiverdeltaand well outside the area claimed by Venezuela Mischaracterizing this land regionasoil-richcontributes to a misleading geopolitical narrative.

Second,theassertionthat Essequibo was “a remote outpost under Spanish rule” is historically inaccurate Thereisnocredibleevidence of sustained Spanish presence, such as trading posts, military installations, ormissionaryactivity,inthe Essequiboregion.Essequibo wasaDutchcolonyfromthe early17thcentury Underthe Anglo-DutchTreatyof1814, the Netherlands formally

cededEssequibo(alongwith Demerara and Berbice) to Britain These territories were later consolidated into British Guiana in 1831, which gained independence asGuyanain1966.

Third, Venezuela's claim thatthe1899ArbitralAward is invalid due to a “secret deal” has never been substantiated Venezuela participated in the 1899 arbitration and accepted its outcomeatthetime.

The notion of a “secret deal” between Russia and Britain was introduced decades later in a posthumously published m e m o r a n d u m b y Venezuelan lawyer Severo Mallet-Prevost Historians have widely debated the document'scredibility,butit does not invalidate the arbitral award, which remains the legal basis for Guyana's internationally recognized border with Venezuela.TheInternational Court of Justice (ICJ), currently adjudicating the matter, considers the award binding.

Finally, the suggestion,

attributed to Phil Gunson in the article, that Guyana mightconcede territory or oil revenues to Venezuela is implausible. There is no indication that the Government of Guyana or its citizens would support such a move Public sentiment overwhelmingly supports defending national sovereignty and upholding the 1899 Arbitral Award. Notably, Venezuela has illegally occupied half of Ankoko Island, located in the Cuyuni River, since October 1966, a violation of Guyana's territorial integrity thatremainsunresolved.

The article's framing risks legitimizing Venezuela's unlawful May 25 elections in Essequibo, which the ICJ has explicitly ordered to be halted. In a conflict this volatile, precisionisessential.

Regards

Terrence Richard Blackman,Ph.D. Medgar Evers College, CUNY

AndreBrandli,Ph.D. Ludwig-MaximiliansUniversityMunich

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio

BLUNT BLUNT

Warorwipeout?

When does a war stop being a war and mutate into a wipeout? What the Israeli war machine is doing has 'wiping out the Palestinians from the face of the earth' written on it.

Historic lands that were coveted long before 1948, the year of Israel's statehood. It was statehood foisted on a people, with the backing of many Western powers. Backing that tore the fabric of Palestinian existence apart, and sent them scattering across the Middle East, then wider Africa, and last to the ends of the earth.

The catastrophe for the Palestinians that began then rages even more feverishly and bloodily today. What started as war has now marched past that already ugly word.

What is happening today in Gaza does not fit the definition of war, as recognized by civilized people. Even in the worst wars, there is a pause so that the wounded can be withdrawn to safety, hopefully nursed back to some semblance of life.

Is it still the Israel/Gaza?

GECOM chair says elections timeline was given by CEO

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) said Wednesday that it was Chief Elections Officer Vishnu Persaud, who confirmed that the electoral body would be readyforgeneralandregional elections within three months

GECOMwasresponding toclaimsmadebyoppositionnominated commissioners Tuesday, that GECOM's chair, retired Justice

Claudette Singh provided misleading advice to PresidentIrfanAli

Atapressconferenceheld at Legacy House, South RuimveldtGardens,Tuesday, commissioners Vincent

Alexander, Desmond Trotman,andCharlesCorbin rejectedtheSeptember1date announced by the president, claiming that the decision was made unilaterally and c o n t r a d i c t e d t h e commission'sworkplan.

Alexander stated that Chief Election Officer (CEO), Vishnu Persaud had submitted a “revised work plan” during a meeting on May 20, 2025, which identified September 22, 2025, as the earliest possible date for the holding of elections However, GECOM has refuted the claim, stating that the chairman's advice to the president was based on 'constitutional provision for the conduct of General and Regional Elections and information provided to her by the chief elections officer.” The electoral body pointedoutthatthechairman receivedacallfromPresident AlionFriday,May23,2025, enquiring whether GECOM wouldbeinapositiontohold the elections within three months “Thechairmanasked the president to allow her to consultwiththechiefelection officerbeforeshegavehiman answer The chairman did consultwiththechiefelection officer immediately after her exchangewiththepresident

The chief election officer informed the chairman that, in anticipation of a possible needtoconducttheelections

before they became constitutionally due, within threemonths,hehadprepared a draft work plan to be in a state of readiness to 'hit the ground running' should the need arise.” According to GECOM, the CEO had informed Justice Singh that withastartingdateofJune1, 2025,thedraftplanprojected

elections could be held by August 25, 2025 which is within the three-month constitutionaltimeframe

“Armed with the information provided by the chief election officer, and in considerationofArticle61of theconstitutionthat'elections shall be held on such day within three (3) months after every dissolution of parliament as the president s h a l l a p p o i n t b y proclamation,' the chairman advised President Ali that GECOM would be able to hold the elections within three (3) months,” GECOM stated.

GECOM also addressed concerns about the so-called revised work plan that the opposition nominated commissioners were referring to in their press conference According to the commission, the plan which suggested September 22, was never adopted as the official plan for the conduct of the elections nor was it discussedincontext.

“Whatwasdiscussedwas a schedule of activities with relevant timelines for completion

Thescheduleofactivities was prepared based on a request for the GECOM secretariat to prepare a schedule indicating what would be the earliest date on which the elections could be held after they become constitutionally due,” GECOM said. The electoral bodyemphasisedthattheplan cited by the opposition was onlyaworkingdocumentand not finalised “Brief observations on the schedule of activities were made by a commissioner during a commission meeting Accordingly, an undertaking was given by the chief election officer to consider the observations and amend the schedule, if necessary,” GECOM explained. The commission reiterated that Chairperson Singh consulted withtheCEObeforeadvising President Ali, and that the date of September 1 was based on GECOM's confirmed readiness to conduct elections within the requiredtimeframe

GECOM chairperson Justice, Claudette Singh ( Re'td)

Chief Elections Officer, Vishnu Persaud

From Left, Desmond Trotman, Vincent Alexander and Charles Corbin Lede The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) said Wednesday that it was Chief Elections Officer Vishnu Persaud, who confirmed that the electoral body would be ready for general and regional elections within three months.

Science must prevail over superstition

Therearetragedies which break the heart, and then there are those which break the mind. The drowning of an eleven-year-old girl is a catastrophe that ought to uniteacountryinsorrowand resolve. But here we are watching a circus of suspicion, with every act moreabsurdthanthelast. It is a maddening

thing this modern

Guyanese contempt for science In the days of superstition,peopleknewno better Yousawballoffirein theskyandconcludeditwas Ol’Higue.Yourfeetbecame swollen and you assumed a toadblewwindonit.

But now, with the advance and spread of science such superstitions andbeliefsshouldhavelong been abandoned. But no, there are still too many persons who place superstition before science and belief and feelings over proofandreason.

The pathologists who performed the autopsy on thechildweretrainedhands with reputations that cross oceansanddisciplines.They have offered their findings. Notunfoundedopinions,not intuitions, but results: cold, careful,deliberate.

Butthesefindingsarenot what the mob wanted. No. They wanted a different story one with villains who conveniently fit their private prejudices and frustrations. They wanted a fable, not a fact. So, when science failed to echo their inneroutrage,theyturnedon

the scientists. They did not ask, “What does this evidence show?” They asked, “Why doesn’t this evidence confirm what I alreadybelieve?”

The lesson here is not new.TheGreekswarnedus. They told us of Cassandra, whosecursewastospeakthe truth and never be believed. Today,CassandrahasaPhD, a microscope, and twenty years of post-mortem expertise—butthefateisthe same. Her truth is shouted down by people with no training but boundless conviction This is the tyranny of gut feeling—the unwashed notion that truth should conform to the stomach, not the skull. We now live in an age where someone’s hunch is thought to outweigh another’s years of knowledge, where conjecturetrumpsexpertise. Those who cry the loudest for justice are often those least interested in how it is done.

In the aftermath of this tragedy, what did we see?

We saw grief and concern. But we also saw more than grief and concern. We saw the fever of accusation –accusation without evidence. They turned their eyes not to the preliminary reportofthepathologistsbut to rumor and hearsay Now everyoneinaphotographisa potentialsuspect.

They demanded explanations, and when the most rational ones arrived, they spat them out like children refusing medicine. It did not taste of the drama

theydesired.Itdidnotalign with or could it justify what was done – the accusatory fingerspointedatothers,the looting and burning of a business and the arson committed on the homes of the owner of a hotel and his neighbor. The findings of science could not be accepted because to do so would turn the villain into a victim and the mob into the antiheroes. What those who rejected the findings of the p

otherwise—isthatscienceis not a character in a morality play It does not care for the comforting arc of villainy and vengeance It seeks, instead,whatis.Theworkof a forensic pathologist is not to appease; it is to discern. The body cannot lie, and in the quiet chambers of the lab, it is the only voice that matters.

But those who lust for a narrative are deaf to that voice.Andsotheyreachfor the shadows, for the old reliables: superstition, suspicion,andslander They attack the exp

s “foreign,”asifthetruthbore passports.Theydiscreditthe evidence because it doesn’t flatter their biases They clingtowhattheywanttobe true and call it “intuition,” mistaking the internal whisper of prejudice for the externalcalloffact.

What a disservice this is to the child What a desecration of her memory For in the name of her life, they deny her the dignity of thetruth.Theyturnherbody

DEM BOYS SEH

Cuffy fed up

Uncle Bobby hollering how p e o p l e disrespecting de 1763 Monument. He seh people fighting in front Cuffy like isaboxingring,notaplace fuh honour we heroes. But demboyssehisnotdefight alone dat disrespecting Cuffy Dem boys seh dat square bin being disrespected a long time. Cuffy must be begging fuh blinkjustsohedon’tseede nonsense. If Cuffy turn to he right, he gan see people sellingthings.Heturntode left, he gan see tent and people selling things. He look straight and is a car parkrightinfrontofwhere he is. And he frighten to lookbehindhimbecauseis

one big pavilion that need fixing. Yuh know is bad when pigeons got more manners than people. Dem doesflyin,paydemrespect and fly out But dem humans setting up tent, caravans and vending stands. Is only a matter of time before somebody decide fuh carry boom box deh. But dem boys got a solution build a roundabout. Yes, a big fat wide one, just like de one pun Heroes Highway but wider Cuffydeservebetter, and if Guyanese can’t behave in front of he, then put he where dem can’t reach.

A roundabout, with Cuffyindemiddle,gonfix everything. Nobody gon park in front he. Nobody

into a battlefield, a stage for protest,apropforanger But anger does not yield answers. Only the scalpel does. Only the peerreviewed, dispassionate, verifiableprocessofscience.

It is worth remembering that belief, when it departs from evidence, becomes not faith but fanaticism. The people who today sneer at science would, in another age, have lit fires under heretics.Theirheartsarehot but their heads are cold.

T h e y w e a r t h e i r righteousnesslikearmorand mistake its clangor for the soundoftruth.

What must we do? We must return to the habit of

humility Wemustremember that knowledge is earned, not improvised. We must treatthegriefofothersnotas adrumtobeatuponbutasa silence to honor. And we muststopexpectingthatour beliefs, simply because we hold them dearly, must be true.

Thetruthdoesnotoweus comfort. But in its hard, impartial light, it offers something better than comfort. It offers clarity It offers peace, eventually That little girl deserved that peace.Herfamilydeservesit now And so does the country Let us not crucify reason on the cross of emotion. Let us not discard

our compass just because it points somewhere we did notexpect.Intheend,allwe havetoholdbackthenightis science.Andifwetradethat away for superstition and suspicion,wewillbeleftnot just in darkness, but in disgrace.

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

gonsellchickenfootunder he.Nobodygonfightthere. De area done busy and a roundabout is needed for helpthetrafficfloweasier Dem boys seh is either that, or put Cuffy pun a droneandlethehoverover Guyana, watching who really keeping the fight alive.Buttillthen,gimmea nice roundabout. One with lights, flowers and lawns because even Cuffy need some personal space. Is high time we stop treating heroes like hitchhikers and give dem the dignity dem earn Roundabout fuh Cuffy! Before he step down and start walking back to Berbice.

Talkhalf.Leffhalfa

H@RD TRUTHS

Jagdeo's depletion policy

Iagree with Vice PresidentJagdeothat a depletion policy should be based on day-today price movements. To wit, “Should we have a depletion policy now…you don'tdeterminepoliciesofa long-termnatureonthebasis of daily occurrences in the oil and gas market which is knownforitsvolatility…” Noquestionherethatthe vice president spoke well. But I respectfully disagree with him that Guyana's depletion policy should be based primarily (“carefully calibrated”) on “what's happening globally with the demand for and supply of crude ” Demand and supply must feature, but there are other factors that should be given higher consideration.

For starters, what calibrates national revenue projections,whileextending thelifeoftheoilreservoir,so thatrevenuesarespreadover a longer period. Clearly, Dr Jagdeo is aware that global pricesarecyclical,withlong intervals of high prices, and long years of depressed prices. Destructive price levels that hold host countrieshostage,whenthey depend too much on oil income.

Every country wants to supply/selltheirpreciousoil treasure in a rising market, butwhenallaresellingatthe same time, and as much as they can, then there is an inevitable increase in price erosion risks. This is the springlike tightrope that the Saudi Arabians are walking currently. Open their

spigots, flood the market, andthereisonlyonewayfor oilpricestogo.

Itisnotup,norisitpretty For other producers would alsouptheiroutputlevels,if thereservecapacityisthere, in a scramble to maintain theirmarketpresence,andto keep their economies afloat.

Obligations have to be honored; expectation levels maintained.

Usually domestic ones come under pressure, when the flow of oil money is stressed.

With this as quick background, 11 billion barrels of crude is not a 100 billion. Whether 11 or 22 or 33 billion barrels, it is not 100 With production planned to increase to 900,000 bpd soon, then 1.3 million bpd by 2027, and

likely more before the beginningofthenewdecade, 11 billion barrels will not outlive today's children Withoilmanagedaroundthe 'sweet spot' range that it is now, and Guyana producing at present, and soon at higher,levels,thiscountryis looking at a 30–35-year oil life window Whethermore billionsofbarrelshavebeen found(andunannounced),or more will be found, the highest probability, there is thisconsideration.

A Guyanese child born today could be staring at the same fate as a Trinidadian childwonderingifthereever wasoil. OraT&Tpensioner askingwhereallthepromise went Production is wonderful, be a part of the price wave. A depletion is policy sensible, because oil doesn't replenish itself

Because it combines guarded production and conservation levels for the benefitoflatergenerations.

I take the position that production visions, depletion policy, and conservationpractices,allgo hand-in-hand. They are not driven primarily by demand and supply They are selfnourishing, contribute to what is enduringly selfsustaining. Demand and supply considerations are vital. But depletion and conservation are about selfprotection. These all come to how much of what is earned is retained in the nation's Oil Fund. It is relatively paltry, to begin

with, which reinforces howmuchsavingforthe future should be a priority Likethemansaid, oilandgaspricesareknown for their volatility Due to t h a t w i s d o m , a production/depletion policy serves as a handbrake on output, a guardrail against recklessness and danger Handbrakeandguardrailare comforting, though of limited strength. They caution about how much to much to produce, within a given price band, with planning built around revenue levels, and how much infrastructure and social benefits can be attemptedandconsummated inspecifiedtimeranges.

For sure, oil prices and overall market conditions have their compulsory role to play But so also, do a depletion policy that is not “calibrated” on those alone. So also, how much is planned as spending. So also,howmuchiswithdrawn from the Oil Fund. So also, how much is borrowed. I think that all of this must be tied together, inseparable.

Demand and supply represent one side of the depletion policy equation. For emphasis, the other side of that policy equation that can neither be ignored nor separatedfromishowmuch is withdrawn and spent, along with how much is borrowed. I throw in an outlier, and for one reason only Ibelievethatitwould be worthy of leadership

measuring by someone like Dr Jagdeo. Production and depletion policy must be seen to be interrelated When the former is paramount,andracesahead, the l

significance. I now narrow this down to one issue: who wantstoproducemoreofthe cheap, sweet stuff of Guyana? ExxonorGuyana? Who stands to benefit more, maintain continued investor andWallStreetfavor,Exxon or Guyana? Now who has thegreaterneed,greater,will to get the most out of Guyana's oil in the fastest time, Exxon or Guyana? Who in Guyana has the will to influence Exxon that enhanced daily production levelshaveaprice? WillDr

prowess,anyinterest. Finally, I hear that climate change has some life, and revolutionary technologyholdspromise. I endorse both. But the will, theskill,theresourcefulness, andtheresilience,aresimply not present, to dismantle a global multitrillion oil business that employs eight millionpeople,doessomuch forsomanyeconomies.

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

Mayor moves to block CH&PA's approval of Qatari hotel construction

City Mayor, Alfred Mentore has written to the CentralHousingandPlanning Authority (CH&PA) to formally register the City

Council's “strongest

objections” to the construction of seafront hotel at the controversial property locatedonThomasLandsand Carifesta Avenue The land

was leased by the Government of Guyana to Qatariinvestorstoconstructa US$300M hotel The propertyhassincebeenatthe center of a dispute between the City Council and Central Government. Mentore told Kaieteur News that the construction of the hotel on the land came up for discussion last Thursday at the statutory meeting of the CH&PA. He explained that the CH&PA is seeking to approve and fast track the construction of the hotel on the land which is still in dispute “As Mayor of Georgetown I am the City Council'srepresentativeatthe level of the CH&PA. So, I raisedmyobjectionswiththe board about the use of that property,”hesaid.

He noted that a letter outlining his objections was also sent to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Central Housing and PlanningAuthority.Theletter was copied and sent to the Minister of Housing and Water, the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development,theTownClerk and the Environmental ProtectionAgency(EPA).

In the letter, the Mayor outlined the Council's objection to the sale and proposed development of the lands by the Qatari groups of company (Tropics Guyana Inc.) due to the contention involving the ownership of the land. According to the Mayor, the Council is in possession of a document to prove that the land was transferred to the Mayor and TownCouncilofGeorgetown in 1887 by Quintin Hogg. That document outlined that “Hogg conveyed a portion of land known as Non Pareil Park (15 acres), along with twoadditionalparcelslabeled A and B (18 and 10 acres, respectively), to the municipality via Transport Number 337 of 1887.” As such, the Mayor said that the act of sale of the land by CentralGovernmentisintotal violation of the Hogg's Family Deed and Public Trust. In the letter Mentore

said. “We are compelled to state unequivocally that the M&CC does not recognise any lease or other document theGovernmentnowpurports toholdovertheselands.”

He noted too that: “These lands remain the property of the City of Georgetown, and anyattempttoalienate,lease, or develop them without meaningful consultation with and consent from the City Council is not only irregular butalsodisrespectfuloflocal governance processes and legal norms.” The Mayor stressedtoothattheCouncilis troubledbytheapparent,lack of appropriate and expected ethics in the approach of the governmentonthisissue.

He noted that “Ethical governance demands respecting the autonomy of local governments in managing local resources The central government should only intervene when local capacity is insufficient or consultation is held with the M&.CC, as the local government authority and all stakeholders including the government of Guyana and investors ”Mentore emphasised that the land being originally approved by theHogg'sfamilyspecifically dedicated it for recreational use; hence any change of use for private purposes must havearulingofthehighcourt to effect such a change. The Mayor stated. “That must havebeenaconsiderationand anobjectionoftheCHPA.We trust that CH&PA will act responsiblyandinaccordance with the law, and will engage the City Council without further delay.”He continued “We remain open to constructivedialoguebutwill not hesitate to pursue all available avenues—legal and otherwise-to protect the rights, assets, and interests of the City of Georgetown and itsresidents.”

Colombia sets up asphalt plant in Guyana

President Irfaan Ali on Wednesday joined Former President of Colombia Ivan Duqueincommissioningan asphalt plant company in Guyana- Dromos Mining and Construction Inc. (DROMINC).

Thecompanyopenedits operations along the Linden/SoesdykeHighway DROMINC which was founded in Guyana in 2024 is a supplier of asphalt mix and stone aggregates, includingmixextensionand compactionservice.

Speaking of their operations and introduction to Guyana, member of the Executive Board of Directors of DROMINC, Rafael Reyes yesterday shared that back in November 2023 they arrived from Colombia to Georgetown at the invitation of their business partner, MACORP to e x p l o r e b u s i n e s s opportunities.

He disclosed that initially they considered importing aggregates to meet the immediate local needs. “However, that visit opened our eyes. It showed us that we had the opportunity to go beyond and contribute much more.

After several trips in which we were able to understand Guyana'sdynamiceconomy and huge potential, we decided to take on the challenge of establishing a

c o m p a n y l o c a l l y, DROMINC. Throughout this exploration phase, we werewarmlywelcomedand consistently supported by new friends, partners and thegovernmentofGuyana,” heexplained.

Givingabriefhistoryof the firm, the DROMINC Director said that in Colombia, they are a group of companies with over 40 years of experience in industrial supply of aggregates, asphalt mixture and infrastructure development In recent years, DROMINC has consistently produced more than three million tons of aggregatesand250,000tons of high standard asphalt mixturesannually.

“Thanks to our reliability and strict quality control, we were awarded a five-year contract for the complete infrastructure, maintenance of El Dorado International Airport in Bogota,”headded.

Celebrating the inaugurationoftheirasphalt plant in Guyana, Reyes stated that his company's aimhereisforthisfacilityto play a key role in the country's infrastructure development, building

roads, connecting communities, creating jobs and supporting local businessesindoingso.“We will contribute to Guyana's desire of becoming a regionalhub for investment andconnectivity Buttoday, we are celebrating more than just an opening. This substantial investment is a clear statement we are not here for a one time opportunity Rather, it is a demonstration of our confidence in President Irfaan Ali's national vision. Under his leadership, Guyana has achieved extraordinaryresults,andits future outlook was a key factor in our decision to investandestablishrootsin this country,” he expressed. Notably, he said that through Former President Duque's strong relationship he cultivated with the Government of Guyana, it opened the doors that made thisprojectpossible.

that by being in Guyana, they're going to move from good to great, making transnational investment, generating jobs and showingthatbinationalway of thinking is also a way of promotingtransformation.

“Butit'salsobuilttolast, because this is the first DROMINC Plant in the country,andanasphaltplant that will supply all the demand of multiple actors that are investing in critical infrastructure in Guyana. But their plan is that in the course of the next year, to buildfourmoreplantsinthe country, which means more Colombian investment is going to be here in this country,”heelaborated.

ForhispartPresidentAli stated that Guyana is on a massivetransformativepath across its various sectors, including housing, agricultureandtourism.

He noted the Linden/ Soesdyke highway corridor where the plant is located forms part of this massive transformationthatistaking place.

In delivering his brief remarks, the Former Colombia President said that this is the first Colombian industrial investmentinGuyanathatis here to stay He noted that the reason why DROMINC ishereisbecausetheyknow

Noting the importance of establishing an investment such as an asphalt plant, the President stated, “We have a number of new quarries that are coming into operation, how doweensurethatwecreate valuetowhatthosequarries produce and this is an (Continuedonpage16)

CityMayor, Alfred Mentore

Second autopsy for Adriana Younge set for Today in the U.S.

The body of 11-year-old AdrianaYounge, which was flowntotheUnitedStateson Monday for a second autopsy and further forensic examination, will undergo the procedure today at a laboratoryinAtlanta.

This was confirmed by the family's lead attorney, DexterTodd,whoprovideda brief update on the post mortem examination No additional details were provided.Adriana's remains were flown out of Georgetown early Monday morning via the Cheddi Jagan International Airport andarrivedinAtlanta,where two U.S.-based pathologists are expected to conduct an independentforensicreview ofherdeath.

Shortly after her body

arrived in the U S , the Guyana Police Force releasedthefinalreportfrom the initial autopsy, which was conducted by a team of three international pathologists: Dr Shubhakar Karra Paul of Barbados, Dr GaryCollins,ChiefMedical Examiner of Delaware (U S ), and Dr Glenn Rudner of Mount Sinai Hospital (U S ) Police stated that the pathologists submitted their final report onTuesday, officiallyruling AdrianaYounge's death as a drowning, with no signs of foul play According to the police press release, the certified autopsy findings confirmedthatherdeathwas consistent with drowning and revealed no evidence of trauma,assault,oranyother

criminalactivity

Despite this conclusion, the family has publicly expressed doubts about the preliminary results, first communicated to them on April 28 when the initial autopsy was done at the GeorgetownPublicHospital Corporation.Theyinsistthat several aspects of her death remain suspicious and unexplained. “This is no result to me,” Adriana's father,SubryanYounge,had told reporters outside the GPHC.

The police also cited findings from retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigator Leonard McCoshan, who submitted an independent report concluding, “There is no evidence of foul play by

persons named or unnamed duringtheinvestigation.”

However,citingalackof trust in local authorities and unresolved questions surrounding the case, the family opted to send Adriana's body to the U.S. forfurtherexamination.

Adriana's death has drawn widespread public attention Her body was discoveredonApril24inthe swimming pool of the Double Day International Hotel and Bar in Tuschen, E a s t B a n k Essequibo approximately 20 hours after she was reported missing during a family outing.According to her relatives, multiple searches were conducted around the hotel premises, including the pool area,

during the time she was missing, but nothing was initially found. Her father later discovered her body in thepoolandretrievedher

Family members observed visible bruises and scratches on her knees, elbows, face, hands, and toes Strikingly, she was foundinanupright,standing position in the pool and

reportedly showed no signs of bloating, an indication typically associated with drowning. Withherbodynowinthe U.S., Adriana's family and supporters are hoping the second autopsy will shed new light on what they believe are unanswered questions surrounding her death.

Slowe questions credibility of police report on Adriana’s death

Former Assistant Police commissioner, Paul Slowe

Former Assistant

Commissioner of Police

Paul Slowe has sharply criticised the credibility of the Guyana Police Force's (GPF) final autopsy report on the death of 11-year-old Adriana Younge, calling it “the biggest cover-up in the recenthistoryoftheGuyana PoliceForce.”

Speaking alongside

r e t i r e d A s s i s t a n t

Commissioner Clinton Conway on the programme

Speaking Out: Exposing

C o r r u p t i o n a n d Incompetence, Slowe expressed deep concern about the accuracy, timing, and transparency of the police's official statement

released Wednesday, which declared Adriana's death a case of drowning with no signs of foul play “I, Paul Esman Slowe, am saying thatthisisthebiggestcoverupintherecenthistoryofthe Guyana Police Force—or in Guyana, or anywhere in the Commonwealth Caribbean that we know of. This is a cover-up from the get-go,” Slowestated.

Policereport

The police statement claims that Adriana's death was officially ruled as drowning by three international pathologists: Dr Shubhakar Karra Paul (Barbados),Dr GaryCollins (Delaware, USA), and Dr

Glenn Rudner (Mount Sinai Hospital, USA). According to the GPF: “The certified findings from the autopsy confirmedthatherdeathwas consistent with drowning, and no evidence of trauma, assault,oranyothercriminal activitywasfound.”

The report further referenced a prior investigation conducted by retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer Leonard McCoshan, which concludedthattherewas“no evidence of foul play by persons named or unnamed duringtheinvestigation.”

However, Slowe and Conway strongly disagreed with the conclusions and timing of the report

According to Slowe, key pieces of evidence suggest thatAdrianadidnotdrownin thepoolwhereherbodywas found. “Let's walk through theevidence.Thisgirlturned up with her grandmother at the Double Day pool on the 23rd of April Her grandmother said she gave her money to buy an armband for the pool.When her body was fished out on the morning of the 24th, the left hand still had the armband on—it's evidence that the grandmother was accurate,”Sloweexplained.

He questioned how Adrianacouldhavedrowned

in a pool surrounded by children and adults without anyone noticing. “You want totellmethischilddrowned in this pool with people around,andnooneraisedan alarm? No adults saw her in trouble? No children called for help? That's not how drowning works People flail, people scream,” he argued Slowe also challenged the police claim thatAdriana'sbodysurfaced duetonaturaldecomposition processes:

“They say natural decompositioncausedherto float, common in tropical climates.Ican'timaginethat professional people wrote this.The experts themselves say that a drowned body sinks and takes about three daystofloat.Adriana'sbody was reportedly discovered the next morning, in a semivertical position. That's not consistent with what we knowaboutdrowning.”

Timeline and Time of Death

BothSloweandConway emphasised that the most crucialunansweredquestion remains Adriana's time of death. “That girl was not in the pool on the morning of the 24th during all the checks—including one by 'Critic' and then she suddenlyappears.Wheredid shecomefrom?That'swhyI

say it's murder,” Slowe declared.“It'sclearfromthe evidence we are all seeing thatshedidnotdrowninthat pool.”

“Inmytrainingandinmy view,oneofthemostcrucial parts of this investigation was the time of death,” he a d d e d “ E

determine the time of death

due to the state o

decomposition ” Conway added a comparison from a recent drowning incident: “Wehadaclassicexamplein Linden where a man drowned, and his body was at the bottom of the pool—we could see it. That wasn't the case with Adriana.”

Doubts over DNA and sexualassaultfindings

Slowe also questioned thethoroughnessoftheDNA testing “They said the sexual assault kit and DNA analysis for potential suspects were negative What potential suspects? From the report, we learned

they only took a DNA samplefromtheownerofthe hotel. How can you rule out other suspects if you didn't testanyoneelse?”

Questioning the Canadian investigator's conclusion

Lastly, Slowe criticised theearlyconclusionmadeby McCoshan“Theyaretelling us they just got the final report on the 27th, yet McCoshan submitted his before that and somehow concluded there was no foul play? How did he come to that conclusion without the autopsyreport?”

Adriana was last seen alive by her grandmother at around13:01hrsonApril23, 2025, at the Double Day International Hotel pool during a family outing. Her body was found in the pool nearly 20 hours later, under conditions her family insists donotalignwithadrowning. Thefamilyhassincesenther bodytotheU.S.forasecond autopsy, with hopes of uncovering the truth behind hermysteriousdeath.

Adriana Younge

Guyanese charged for assisting Spanish speaking

men in of police outpost ‘BOMBING’

A 35-year-old man was on Wednesday remanded to prisonforallegedlyassisting foreign nationals in lobbing improvised bombs at a policeoutpostandaGuyana PowerandLightstation.

He was officially charged with committing a terrorist act. The accused SeonCarmichaelofLot205 Land of Canna, East Bank Demerara (EBD), appeared

at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court before Acting Chief Magistrate FaithMcGusty.

Carmichael was not required to plead to the two counts of the indictable charges which alleged that between May 15 and 17, 2025hefacilitatedaterrorist act,whichisthebombingof theGuyanaPowerandLight (GPL) Georgetown Substation on Mandela Avenue,andthebombingof the East Ruimveldt Police outpost.

The defense was led by Attorney-at-law Everton

Singh-Lammy who requested bail on behalf of Carmichael.Lammytoldthe court that the suspected

bombers had threatened to kill Carmichael and his family if he reported the mattertoanyone.Asaresult of such, the lawyer said his client remained quiet. He added that if a proper investigation is carried out by the police they will successfully find the suspects.

The attorney argued that his client assisted the police with the investigation by providing them with video interviews and written statements of what transpired on the day in question.

Lammy noted that his client bought a few screws and other items for the suspects, however, because of the type of work the men do his client did not suspect anything until after the incident. Moreover, Lammy requested reasonable bail beforethetrialsincethereis no way the matter will concludeinreasonabletime.

Carmichaeltoldthecourt that one of the suspects is known to him and he normally provides him with atransportservice.Headded

that he was paid $20,000 to transport the men The prosecution objected to bail due to the serious nature of the charge, noting that the accusedfacilitatedaterrorist act and he did exclude himselffromthecharge.

They mentioned that Carmichael used his vehicle to transport the suspects to and from the crime scenes and he also purchased components to make the grenade. Magistrate McGusty after hearing the arrangements remanded Carmichael due the serious natureoftheoffenseandthat it was a threat to public safety The matter was adjourned until June 18, 2025.

Kaieteur News reported on Wednesday that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) had issued wanted bulletins for two Spanish-speaking menandaBraziliannational over two explosions in the city on May 17 last. The explosions occurred after midnight and blew off the back gate of the East RuimveldtPoliceOutpostat Vlissengen Square and East

Front Road, Georgetown

The second occurred just momentslaterattheGuyana Power and Light (GPL) Substation on Mandela Avenue.

Investigations have so far pointed police in the direction of three foreign nationals. “The police are pursuing three individuals, two Spanish-speaking men and a Brazilian national known by his alias, 'Flavio Tasso'”,policetoldKaieteur NewsonTuesday.

Flavio had allegedly introduced the Spanishspeaking men to the bus driver, who assisted them in rentingthreeroomsatahotel in Stevedore Housing Scheme, Georgetown. The Brazilian had also told him that the men had come to Guyana to do “bad things”, policesaid.

Police also said that investigators have compellingevidenceagainst theSpanish-speakingmento suggest that they were the ones behind the explosions and have even impounded the vehicle used to transport them to the scene “We

haven't confirmed whether they are from Venezuela of Colombia, or some other country,” police said, while assuring, “Investigators are stillmakingearnesteffortsto confirmthenationalityofthe two Spanish-speaking suspects”.

Media reports are that security cameras mounted onbuildingsclosetotheEast Ruimveldt police outpost

capturedthemomentitsgate was blown off. “A loud explosion originating from the southern side of the outpost rocked the compound,” police said in a statementonMay18,adding that “A police rank (identified as a female), on duty at the time, heard two distinct blasts, followed by debris impacting nearby rooftops.”

Seon Carmichael (left) has been accused of assisting foreign terrorists to bomb a police outpost (Photo: News Room)

16menchargedwithterrorismgrantedbail

Sixteenofthe32menwho were charged with terrorism and break and enter and larceny, were on Wednesday grantedbail.

The defendants are: 19year-oldAlexAtkinsonofLot 85 Guyhoc, Georgetown, 22 years-oldDevonLewisofLot 14 West La Penitence H o u s i n g S c h e m e , Georgetown, 26-years-old Randy Benjamin of Phase Two East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, 21-year-old Aidan Cuffy of Lot 85 G u y h o c G a r d e n s , Georgetown, 21-year-old Shamal Ram of Lot 1305 'B' Sophia, Georgetown, 22year-old Leroy Sealey-Yaw of Lot 26 'A' East La Penitence, 20-year-old Desafio Harvey of Lot 135 King Edward Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, 20-year-oldSherwainNelson (Continuedonpage16)

Duo in Cove and John weed bust remanded

Thetaxidriverandconstructionworkerwhowerearrested onMondayinconnectionwithamarijuanabustalongtheCove and John Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD), were on Wednesdayremandedtoprisonforpossessionofnarcotics.

The defendants, 22-year-old Dantel Fraser called 'Bragga' ofLot29Paradise,WestCoastBerbice(WCB)and34-year-old SamuelCoatesofNumberNineVillageWCB,appearedatthe Cove and John Magistrates' Court before Magistrate Orinthia Schmidt,wherethechargewasread.

FraserandCoatespleadednotguilty

According to a police report, the defendants were found with 4,040 grams of marijuana on May 26, 2025 at approximately 13:00hrs, during an operation by ranks of the CoveandJohnPoliceStation.

MagistrateSchmidtdeniedbailforFraserandCoates,who weresubsequentlyremandeduntilJune18,2025.

Accordingtoapolicestatement,ranksoftheCoveandJohn Police Station were conducting an intelligence-led operation which led to the discovery of 4,040 grams (8.9 pounds) of marijuana.

“During the operation, the ranks observed a black Fielder wagon vehicle bearing registration plate PAH 4620 parked on thesouthernsideoftheroadwithtwomales,lateridentifiedasa 23-year-old taxi driver of Paradise, WCB, and a 34-year-old constructionworkerofNumber9Village,WCB,”policesaid.

Police disclosed that the vehicle was searched in the presenceofthetwopersons.“Insidethetrunkofthevehiclewas ablackplasticbagcontainingthreelargewrappedparcelswith leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis was discovered.”

The marijuana that was found in the trunk of the black wagon.

Accused: Samuel Coates Accused: Dantel Fraser

Kevin James Jamal Small Vincent Trim Andel Weeks

Emmanuel James Samuel October Arnold Junior Kemuel Abrams

some of the accused men who were granted bail during Wednesday's court hearing

Health Ministry to procure new CT machine

TEU to host Health, Pharma Investment Mission in Guyana

he Ministry of Health will be expanding its Computerised Tomography (CT) scan services with the acquisition of a new CT machine.

At the recent opening of bids at the National Procurement and Tender

Belowarethecompaniesandtheirbids:

MinistryofHealth Supply,deliveryandinstallationofCTMachine.

Supplyanddeliveryofmedicalsupplies.

Supplyanddeliveryofcondomsandlubricants(Lots1-3).

Administration Board (NPTAB) office, three companies have signaled their interest to supply, deliver and install the CT

machinefortheministry These firms are New

MeditronInc

MinistryofEducation Supply,delivery,installationandtestingof networkandequipmentfornurseryschools.

NationalDrainageandIrrigationAuthority(NDIA) SupplyoffueltankerfortheNDIARegionTwo.

Parfaite Harmonie, Parika Salem Primary Schools for $63M extension

The Parfaite Harmonie and Parika Salem Primary Schools in Region Three are expected to undergo extensions at the costof$63.3millionthrough the Regional Democratic Council(RDC).

Inaninvitationforbids, the regional administration revealed that the works set for Parfaite Harmonie

Primary is estimatedtocost $37 3 million, while the project for Parika Salem Primary will cost $26 million.

This publication understandsthattheproject will form part of the region’s $8 billion allocation for education delivery

K a i e t e u r N e w s understands that the project

is part of the government’s broaderinitiativetoimprove the access and quality of education for all children. The government announced that it would be repairing and upgrading schools across the country to ensure children learn in a safe and comfortableenvironment.

Bids for the projects are expected to be open on June 10 at the

The Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Guyanainpartnershipwith Guyana’s Ministry of Health and the European Chamber of Commerce [Guyana]willleadaHealth and Pharmaceutical Investment Mission to Guyana.

According to a release issuedbytheEUdelegation in Guyana, the event is slatedforJune2to4,2025, under the EU’s Global Gateway Initiative, aimed at enhancing collaboration between European health

companies and Guyanese stakeholders to support the d

country’shealthcaresector

Other local partners for this landmark mission include the Guyana Office f o r I n v e s t m e n t [GOINVEST], the Private Sector Commission, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce(GCCI)andthe GuyanaManufacturersand Services Association (GMSA).

The mission will be heldattheGuyanaMarriott Hotel in Georgetown and will host over 13 companies from EU member states, such as the Spain, Austria, France, Czech Republic, Portugal, Sweden,ItalyandIreland.

Overthecourseofthree days,theeventwillinclude sector-focused seminars, business-to-business(B2B) meetings, and organised visits to medical and pharmaceutical facilities in Guyana to facilitate collaboration and knowledgesharing.

The EU outlined that theGovernmentofGuyana has embarked on an ambitiousprogrammeinits broad plan for the support and modernisation of the health sector across the country These efforts are aimed at providing world class health services to the Guyanese population and thewiderregion.

international partners to improve diagnostics, imaging, connectivity, and healthcare delivery,” the EUreleaseoutlined.

EU Ambassador to Guyana, René van Nes, emphasised the investment mission’s focus, stating, ‘’the European Union is proud to be supporting Guyana’s vision of becomingaregionalleader in health innovation and p h a r m a c e u t i c a l manufacturing. Under the Global Gateway Initiative this investment mission is dedicated to the health and pharmaceutical sector ThirteenEUcompaniesare coming to meet the governmentandtheprivate sector in Guyana to foster sustainable partnerships that will enhance health systems, stimulate economic growth, and promote shared prosperity between Europe and Guyana.’’

Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, also welcomed the initiative, highlighting that investing in Guyana at this juncture offers strategic access to broader markets across CARICOM and Latin America, enhancing opportunities for growth andmarketexpansion.

He added, “Looking back at what the world experienced during COVID-19, we recognised that many regions of the world do not have the manufacturing capacity If we can co-locate that around the globe, it can make a big difference – in terms of pandemic preparedness,etc.”

National Procurement a n d T e n d e r Administration Board office

Government has been extending schools to accommodate growing studentpopulations,sanitary facilities and staff rooms.

Over 17 primary schools have been extended countrywide over the last fewyears.

“President, Dr Irfaan Ali has actively advocated for establishing a worldclass healthcare system in Guyana, with ongoing investments in healthcare infrastructure, including the construction of eight new hospitals with plans for an additional four These modern facilities will require cutting-edge e q u i p m e n t a n d services creating clear opportunities for collaboration with reliable

Launched in 2022 by Guyana, Barbados, and R w a n d a , t h e Pharmaceutical Equity for Global Public Health initiative aims to ensure equitable access to essential medicines and vaccines by strengthening local production and reducing dependence on external supply chains With support from the European Union, this initiative promotes regulatory cooperation, technology transfer, and strategic partnerships to

l manufacturing capacity The EU is proud to back Guyana’s ambition to become a regional hub for pharmaceuticalproduction, contributing to resilien (Continuedonpage16)

WANTED VACANCY

One office Clerk/ Cashier needed @ Mon Repos ECD. Send all applications to leonardjettoo@gmail.com / Call: 711-0059/ 220-3459.

Domestic (Live in option available), female Cook and male & female Workers for the interior: 660-9093 / 6749999 / 661-5992.

Wanted One driver to work at Anita's Auto Paint &Motor Spares in Grove. Age 3040. Contact: 226-1287/2261270

VEHICLES FOR SALE

One Unregistered Nissan X-Trail 2016 model, Mode Premiere. For more information Call : 649-0956.

1 Honda CRV, includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, spoiler, low mileage PUTT Series (first owner). Call: 649-0956.

SERVICES

VISA Application for USA, Canada, UK, ETA, ETC. Natrualisation guidance + application filling, ECT. Tel: 626-7040.

For low cost repairs for AC units, refrigerators, freezers, gas stoves, washing machine, dryers, etc. Call: 6294946, 225-4822.

Elevate your brand with our professional Graphic design services. Call: 619-0007, 6295526.

Reliable pick up to transport goods, cargo, out of town included. Call: 667-7602.

CAF calls for increased attention to digital inclusion, ethical AI to empower Caribbean

Mix German Shepherd pups for sale. Call / Whatsapp: 648-0111.

FOR RENT

A/C Space to rent, can be used for workshops, seminars, private tutoring, Counseling & meetings. Call: 2271028 / 652-2344.

Vacancy at Dyna's Embroidery & Screenprints: We are hiring Factory Workers. Tel# 226-2621.

Hiring Sales girl aged 18-35 years old at Christine's Variety. Contact : 626-8003.

Messenger / Office assistant Applications with Police clearance to Messenger to Cameron & Shepherd / csmain@cameronand shepherd.com

Hiring Truck Drivers (Manual), Mon to Fri, training provided, WhatsApp Eve Anderson Recruitment 645 3463 / 734-5269.

We’re Hiring Laundry Attendant @ 130, 5th Street, Alberttown Call or WhatsApp 592.726.9547

Vacancy for Sales representative & Office assistant. Call : 719-2012 / 227-0176.

Desk staff, front Desk Agent & Room Attendant 24-45 years old.@ 233 South Road Lacytown. Call: 225-0198.

Vacancy for four (4) experienced Pastry maker; apply @ Humphrey's Bakery. 38 Ketley St. Charlestown. Tele: 505-1324.

Male counter clerk, must have a sound secondary education and a good hand writing. Apply to bentleysagency @yahoo.com

Experienced Accounts Clerk to assist in all administrative function of the company. Call: 226-9492

Experienced Farmer/ Worker to live and work at Hog Island. Call: 226-9492.

Handyman to work in Peters Hall area. Call: 226-9492.

2 Cooks $35,000, 2 Kitchen Assistants $25,000, 1 food server. Mon- Sat 6:30 am2:30 pm. Call: 681-3203.

One clerk for TSI Eccles office English 1, Maths 2 call 615-9132 or email application to techserigy@yahoo.com

Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, age 23-50, Car/ Van licence Call 615-9132.

Maid for East Bank area call 615-9132.

One (1) Male cleaner for Eccles office call 615-9132.

At the opening of the 17th Greater Caribbean Business Forum in Cartagena, Colombia, Dr. Stacy RichardsKennedy, Regional Manager for the Caribbean at CAFDevelopment Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean called for an inclusive and ethically grounded digital transformation agenda for the region.

Delivering the keynote on the topic, “Empowering the Greater Caribbean: Digital Pathways to Sustainable Growth,” Dr. RichardsKennedy addressed the urgent need for a Caribbean where countries shape their own digital future - one where access, agency, and innovation are prioritised, and where policies and actions are grounded in the region’s unique history and development realities.

“As we speak about empowering the Caribbean through digital transformation, we must firstly ensure that we help to create a Caribbean where digital access is not a privilege, but a right for all,” stated Dr. RichardsKennedy. “It means viewing connectivity as critical infrastructure, just as essential as

roads and bridges. It means treating digital literacy as a public good, to be taught in classrooms, community centres, and homes. And it means recognising that in the Caribbean, the digital divide is not only about access, but also about agency, about who gets to innovate, who gets to lead, who gets to imagine the future and who gets to fully participate in this future. The 17th Greater Caribbean Business Forum is a flagship event of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), recognized as a vital platform for regional business growth and cooperation. CAF is serving as a strategic partner for this year’s edition.

During her keynote to regional government officials, industry leaders and stakeholders, Dr. RichardsKennedy called for regional digital solutions that are people-centred and take into account the diversity of Caribbean countries and their circumstances.

“Digital transformation is not the destination. It is the road. It is the bridge. It is the means through which we pursue the real goal, a more prosperous, more sustainable,

more inclusive and a more empowered Greater Caribbean,” she stated. “Our vision is clear - a digitally sovereign Caribbean, where every citizen can verify their identity, pay online, and access government services seamlessly, while maintaining privacy, security, and inclusion at the core.” Dr. Richards-Kennedy also urged caution about the growing role of artificial intelligence and the importance of instituting ethical guardrails.

“Artificial intelligence and advanced analytics offer tremendous promise, but also tremendous risk. If left unchecked, AI will further amplify biases and deepen already existing inequalities that have, for centuries, sadly characterized lived experiences in our part of the world.

For a region still building its digital governance frameworks, these are not merely academic exercises but, indeed, real and pressing concerns,” Dr. RichardsKennedy stated.

In her keynote, Dr. Richards-Kennedy shared several data points that highlight the region’s development context. According to cited sources, broadband ac-

cess in rural parts of the Caribbean remains up to 40 percent lower than in urban centres, while investment in research and development across the region is less than 0.1 percent of GDP, compared to nearly 2.5 percent in OECD countries.

Additionally, most Caribbean nations continue to score below the global average in customs efficiency and infrastructure quality, according to the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index, all of which underscore the urgency of targeted investment in digital infrastructure and logistics modernisation.

CAF, which has expanded its footprint in the Caribbean in recent years, now has seven CARICOM shareholder countries and manages a USD 36 billion development portfolio across Latin America and the Caribbean. Dr. Richards-Kennedy reaffirmed CAF’s commitment to working with governments and institutions in the region to deliver agile and flexible development financing, technical expertise, and support for institutional strengthening aligned with the Caribbean’s diverse needs.

EU to host Health, Pharma Investment Mission...

From page 15 Caribbean health systems. This investment mission supports those goals by deepening collaboration with the private sector and aligning with international quality standards—ensuring that safe, effective, and affordable medicines can be produced closer to where they are needed most.

In addition, the Government of Guyana is actively modernising its Food and Drug Department regulations

to streamline processes, encourage pharmaceutical investment, (Continued on page and foster a more business-friendly environment for industry stakeholders. These regulatory reforms, combined with Guyana’s commitment to becoming a biomedical and pharmaceutical manufacturing hub for the region, are expected to position the country as a key player in regional health resilience.

This mission aligns with

the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, designed to foster sustainable and secure partnerships globally, with a specific focus on critical sectors like healthcare.

Investing in Guyana, a thriving force of CARIFORUM is a natural fit for the European private sector. The EU is already CARIFORUM’s third largest trading partner overall, after the United States (US).

Under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA),

CARIFORUM countries benefit from immediate, duty-free, and quota-free access to the EU market for all products, with certain exceptions for sensitive goods. In return, CARIFORUM nations have committed to gradually liberalizing their own markets over a 25-year period. European and Guyanese companies interested in participating can register via the website: https:// nexconsulting.kartra.com/ page/euinvestmentmission.

Colombia sets up asphalt plant in Guyana...

From page 11 example of how we up the value chain so that we can have a comprehensive ecosystem surrounding the building out of our infrastructure.”

He added, “We are not only building infrastructure but we are building infrastructure where almost all of the

input will come from right here in Guyana.”

Further, stating that Guyana has a bold and aggressive development plan ahead that will lead to infrastructure transformation, energy transformation, climate transformation, financial and tax reform, human capital

transformation, the President also urge the Colombian firm to encourage its fellow countrymen and women to come to Guyana and explore the investment opportunities that are available.

“So today, it is not only about this asphalt plant, it is about bilateral partnership, it

is about opening up doors, it’s about building new relationship.

It’s about creating new opportunities, and it’s about opening up the possibilities here for the rest of your countrymen and women and investors globally,” he related.

16 men charged with terrorism granted bail...

From page 14 of Lot 75 West Front Road, Georgetown, Kerwyn Baksh of Lot 74 St. Stevens Street Charlestown, Georgetown, 33-yearold Faizal Kennedy of Lot 71 East La Penitence, Georgetown, 19-year-old Antonio Lawrence, 34-year-old Kevin James, 43year-old Azriel Ashby of Lot 27 El Dorado Village, West Coast Berbice, 46-year-old Terence Park of Lot 129 Melanie Damishana, East Cost Demerara (ECD), 53-year-old Qulient Elgin of Lot 11 ‘D’ Hogg Street, Albouystown, Georgetown and 25-year-old David Singh of Lot 52 Laing Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, all appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty.

It is alleged that the defendants on April 28, 2025 at various location across Georgetown, committed terrorist acts and broke into several supermarkets and stole quantities of items.

The attorneys all requested bail on behalf of their clients reassuring the court of their clients’ innocence, that they are not flight-risk. They also challenged the act under which their clients have been charged since the particulars for the defendants reflect break and enter and larceny but they are charged with terrorism. The prosecution objected to bail due to the likelihood of the defendants committing the acts again, and due to the serious nature of the offence. The also mentioned that some accuse were seen adding wood to fire and burning the road. Magistrate McGusty stated that public peace has been restored and as a result she granted bail for the break and enter and larceny charge starting from $200,000 for each of the accused that committed that offence and for the terrorism charge $250,000. The defendants who were charged with both offenses have a total of $450,000 bail. The matters were all adjourned until June 4, 2025.

Region urged to be fully prepared for 2025 Atlantic Hurricane season

(CMC) The Barbadosbased Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management

A g e n c y ( C D E M A )

Wednesday called on Caribbean countries to be fully prepared for the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season that gets under way on June 1 CDEMA executive director, Elizabeth Riley, reminded regional media practitionersthatin2024,the Caribbean had to deal with Hurricane Beryl, a category fivestorm,withindaysofthe startofthehurricaneseason.

“These are some of the possibilities that the climate scientists have told us were going to be possible... and now we are seeing it and there is a likelihood that we will continue to see these types of very different patternsinhowthecyclones are taking place and we are alsoseeingalotofdiversity, notonlyinthecyclones,but alsoinsevereweather

“Sorainfallpatternshave very much changed, we are seeingalotmoreintensityin the rainfall events which meansthatinessenceweget a lot more rainfall occurring inshorterperiodsoftimeand lastyearwesawmajorflood eventstakingplaceoveroneday periods,” she said, noting that such a situation hadoccurredinGrenada.

“The point I am emphasisinghereisthatitis importantforustofollowthe science, listen to the guidance from the climate scientists and also to learn from previous events. So with Beryl happening so early in the season in 2024, allofthenationalemergency coordinators across the region are very mindful of this “We had specific discussions on this during the after-action review of Beryl There was a c o n s e n s u s o f t h e requirementsforustoensure that preparedness was not only completed but completed early.” Riley told reporters that in some countries, a “political

CDEMA executive director, Elizabeth Riley, speaking to reporters on Wednesday

direction”hadbeengivento completethosepreparedness actions“asearlyastheendof April.

“So, countries are very much on this matter They are taking the necessary actions to make sure the national systems are ready and there has been a lot of political support behind the need to have the systems readyaswell,”sheadded.

There are 21 named storms for this year's hurricane season and last week, regional forecasters predicted a “potentially intense, but erratic” 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, saying the frequency of Saharan dust will affect cyclone formation even as theynotedthatstormscould form between these dust episodes.

Climatologist at the Barbados-based Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), Cédric Van Meerbeeck, said CIHM has 70 per cent confidence in its forecast that there will be 19 named storms, with nine becoming hurricanes and four of them major hurricanes, but noted that the forecast will be updatedlaterinthehurricane season.

He noted that the annual averageis14namedstorms, with seven becoming hurricanes and three major hurricanes, during the seasonthatrunsfromJune1 to November 30. Riley said astheregionpreparesforthe hurricane season, it is once

again reminded of its vulnerability and the o n g o i n g n e e d f o r preparedness.

“The predictions are clear, the season is expected to be above average activity asindicatedbytheColorado State University's early forecast delivered in early April,” she said, noting that their experts say the region can anticipate 17 named stormswithnineexpectedto become hurricanes and four likely to reach major hurricanestatus.

Abandoned boat and 11 bodies found on eastern Caribbean Island with Mali passports

(ABC News) Authorities in St Vincent and the Grenadines say they have discovered an abandoned boat and the remains of 11 people along with passports from the West African countryofMali.Theboatwas found on the shores of CanouanIslandintheEastern Caribbean, police said in a statementTuesday

Authorities said they are working with regional and

international partners to identify the victims and the originoftheboat,whichwas discoveredonMonday

“This incident is deeply concerning,”policesaid.“We are committed to pursuing everylead.”

InJanuary,officialsinthe Eastern Caribbean Island of St. Kitts and Nevis said they found a boat with the bodies of 19 people, some with identifications from Mali.

Meanwhile,inMay2021,the bodies of more than a dozen men were found on a boat drifting near the twin-island Caribbean nation ofTrinidad andTobago.

An Associated Press investigation found that they were part of a group of 43 people believed to have left MauritaniaforSpain'sCanary Islands but instead were swept away by the Atlantic Ocean

food in Gaza Israel kills 70 Palestinians seeking …as international condemnation grows

(AL- Jazeera) Israel has killed at least 10 people trying to get aid in the past two days in a “heinous

crime” committed in southern Gaza, according to the enclave's Government Media Office It says soldiers “opened direct fire at hungry Palestinian civilians” at an aid distributioncentrerunbythe newly formed, Israeli- and U S - b a c k e d G a z a HumanitarianFoundation.

Citing data from the GovernmentMediaOfficein Gaza and Palestinian media sources, at least 60 people werealsokilledintheIsraeli attacks. Hundreds of others werealsoinjured.

Lina Abu Shaaban, a Gaza City resident, says her family depends on a community kitchen because food has become so expensive amid shortages caused by the Israeli blockade. “We can't survive

without it. I wait five to sevenhoursintheheatjustto get food, and I'm always scared of being bombed,” she told Al Jazeera while

waiting in line for a bowl of lentils at the kitchen, which was set up at a school housingdisplacedpeople. Another resident in line,

Iran hangs a man convicted of spying for Israel

(AP) Iran has hanged a man convicted of spying forIsrael,Iranianstatemedia reportedonWednesday Accordingtothereports, Pedram Madani was hanged after Iran's supreme court upheld a death sentence issuedbyalowercourt.The official IRNA news agency said Madani had visited Israel and met Mossad officers to convey classified information about buildings i n I r a n w h e r e “infrastructure” equipment

wasinstalled.

The report did not elaborate but said Madani received foreign currency and cryptocurrency for the information. It said Madani also met Mossad officers at the Israeli Embassy in Belgium. Israel's security agency hadnoimmediatecomment. Madani,41,wasarrested in2020.

Executions in Iran have escalated in recent months. According to Iran Human

Rights, a watchdog group based in Norway, at least 60 people have been executed inthepast10daysalone.

Madani was the third personthisyearexecutedon charges of “spying for Israel," which are often based on vague accusations, theorganizationsaid.

InApril, Iran executed a man convicted of working withMossadandofplayinga role in the 2022 killing of a R

d colonelinTehran.

UStobanforeignofficialsover...

Frompage6

denounced content moderationwhileinParisin February, calling it "authoritarian censorship"

wedieofhunger.

Isawakitchengethitjust days ago – children were burning.

Why don't they want us tolive?”shetoldAlJazeera.

Al Jazeera's Sanad factcheckingunitsaystheIsraeli military “deliberately targeted” more than 20 community kitchens and fooddistributionandstorage sites across Gaza between MondayandTuesday

Palestinians wait to receive food at a community kitchen in Gaza City on May 21 [Mahmoud Issa/Reuters]

Um Ahmad al-Sayfi, also saidshehasnochoicebutto get food from the community kitchen because herfamilyissufferingfroma

lack of supplies She condemnedIsrael'stargeting of the food distribution points.

“Theybombthemsothat

Sanad's analysis showed that most of the Israeli air strikes took place in Gaza City and other parts of northern Gaza – an area that has not received any aid since Israel began enforcing its total blockade on the enclaveinearlyMarch.

Eight incidents were reported there since March 18, Sanad said. Seven other attackstookplaceinDeirelBalah and refugee camps in centralGazawhilefivemore were reported in Khan Younisinthesouth.

French court sentences pedophile surgeon to 20 years in jail for abusing hundreds of patients

(AP) A 74-year-old pedophile and former surgeon was given a maximum 20-year prison sentenceonWednesdaybya French court for the sexual assault of hundreds of patients, mostly children, overmorethantwodecades

Joël Le Scouarnec was sentenced after admitting raping and sexually assaulting299victims.

This court sketch shows the defendant, French retired surgeon Joël Le Scouarnec, during his trial on May 23, 2025, on charges of rape and sexual assault of 299 former patients. Benoit Peyrucq/AFP/Getty Images

Announcing that move, he said freedom of expression was vital to US ties with Western European nations, and warned that those who threaten free speech "are attacking one of

InApril, Rubio shut down a State Department office that had sought to counter foreign disinformation, accusingitofcensorshipand wastingUStaxpayermoney

the pillars of our shared interest, our shared culture, oursharedvalues".

Free speech issues would be raised in diplomacy with the EU and had been raised separately with Britain's prime minister,Rubioadded

Judges followed the public prosecutor's recommendations regarding the length of the sentence and the criminal court of Morbihan, in western France, ordered that Le Scouarnec should serve at least two-thirds of the sentence before he can be eligibleforrelease.

Le Scouarnec is already serving a 15-year prison sentence, for a conviction in 2020fortherapeandsexual assault of four children, including two nieces In French law, sentences run concurrently and Le Scouarnecshouldonlyserve theadditionalyearsafterthe firstsentenceiscompleted.

Solène Podevin Favre, president of an advocacy group for child victims of incest and other sexual crimes,expressedshockata

verdict “we might have expected to be less lenient,” lamentingthatpost-sentence preventivedetentionwasnot imposed.

“It's the maximum sentence, certainly,” she said. “But it's the least we couldhavehopedfor Yetinsixyears,hecould potentially be released. It's staggering.”

The new trial began in February and laid bare a pattern of abuse between 1989 and 2014. Most of the victimswereunconsciousor sedated hospital patients at

the time of the assaults. The average age was 11.Among the victims were 158 boys and141girls.

Le Scouarnec has confessed to all the sexual abuse alleged by the 299 civil parties, as well as to other assaults that are now beyond the statute of limitations.

In a shocking admission during the trial, he also acknowledged sexually abusing his granddaughter —astatementmadeinfront of her visibly distraught parents.

Parris,GlennfiftiesnotenoughasSouthAfrica“A”secure2-0

50-overserieswin

SportsMax - South Africa “A” comfortably defeated the West Indies “A” by six wickets at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros IsletonTuesdaytosecurea 2-050Overseriesvictory

Thehosts,afterwinning the toss and batting first, posted 253-9 from 47.3 overs thanks to half centuries from Shaqkere ParrisandJavelleGlenn. After losing Kadeem

overWestIndies“A”atDarenSammyStadium

Alleyne (4), captain Alick Athanaze (0) and Kevlon Anderson (4) all early, Parris and Jyd Goolie combined to provide some stability to the innings before Goolie was next to fall for 30, bringing Glenn tothecrease.

Parris went on to top score with 96 off 111 balls including 10 fours and two sixeswhileGlennhit52off 49ballsincludingfourfours andthreesixes.

The pair brought the score from 94-4 after 22 overs to 195-5 in the 38th overwhenGlennfell.

Khary Pierre also played a handy knock with 26*off25ballsintheend.

Pacer Okuhle Cele led the attack for the South Africanswith3-29from8.3 overs while fellow seamers TshepoMorekiandRuande Swardt took two wickets, each.

South Africa “A” then

Half centuries were recorded by Shaqkere Parris and Javelle Glenn.

Thursday May 29, 2025

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

Confidenceandefficiencyare theday'sthemes.Doyoulong to bring your romantic involvementtothenextlevel? Do you wish your partner would consent to a more profoundcommitment?

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

The relative tranquillity you enjoy today lets you listen moreattentivelytoyourinner self.You're well aware of the toll you pay when you try to ignore those nudges of intuitionyousometimesfeel.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

You can look forward to an enjoyable day, Gemini Neither family matters nor career issues will cloud your spirit, as everything seems to be proceeding smoothly and accordingtoplan.

CANCER(June21–July22)

There's no doubt that today willbeexcellent,Cancer You can find satisfaction that puts a smile on your face and boosts your morale. There's the likelihood that you're challengingsomeofyourcore values.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

The forecast is wonderful today, Leo. You may have been asking yourself a thousand questions about what will become of you, especially in terms of your career

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

Admit it, Virgo. You have a tendency to run away from conflict in relationships. This can get you into some complicated situations. You don't always dare say what youthink.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Do you feel that your power hasincreased,Libra?Youmay not know what to do with this newfound strength Try looking at how you relate to your friends Could you improveyourrelationships?

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)

Youmayfeelthatyourcurrent relationships are more complicated than ever, Scorpio.Thisisbecauseyou're going through a period when manyplanetsaretryingtoshed light on your hidden motivations.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

Youfinallyunderstandthatthe forceofyourwillcan'talways determine everything, Sagittarius.Your ego is taking a beating, no doubt, but this will help you mature. You accept being wrong and willinglyreviseyourjudgment whennecessary

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

You'recurrentlystuckbetween two strong desires - the desire tocreateforyourownpleasure andthedesiretopleaseothers. You come by this latter urge naturally

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) You may feel more of an urge than ever to search for yourfamilyroots.Yoursearch could be so deep and intense that you may even go beyond genealogy and study archeologyasawaytolearn.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Today you may be impressed bythepowersofconcentration and self-discipline of one of your friends. There's a lesson to be learned from your admiringstance,though.

needed only 34.5 overs to reach258-4thankstofifties from Rivaldo Moonsamy and captain Marques Ackerman.

Moonsamy led the way with 94 off 91 balls including15foursandasix while Ackerman was more destructive, hitting his 71 off just 45 balls including eightfoursandtwosixes.

JasonSmithalsoplayed wellforhis35*off22balls.

Ojay Shields picked up 2-44fromfiveovers.

Reggae Boyz edge T&T in fivegoal thriller...

Frompage25 wideinthe84thminute.

Jamaica then nearly snatcheditinthe86thwhen Greg Leigh rose above his marker for a header that forced another sharp save fromPhillip.

But the breakthrough inevitably fell for Steve McClaren’ssideinstoppage time when captain of the day, Amari’i Bell, sent Cephas clear, and the fleetfooted forward rounded Phillip only to be brought down. Up stepped Richard King, who coolly converted the resulting penalty to seal thewinandsendtheReggae Boyzintothefinal.

Champions Mighty Ruler among 16 Teams to battle for BARTICA’S ‘Guinness

Some sixteen teams will battle over three nights in thisyear’sBarticaeditionof the‘GuinnessGreatestinthe S t r e e t s ’ f o o t f a l l championship which gets started tomorrow (Friday) and continues Saturday and ends Sunday at the Bartica CommunityCentre.

T h e d e f e n d i n g champions Mighty Ruler willbeinactiononSaturday after seven matches kick off on Friday with the first two being elimination for the final sixteen teams to contest.Theorganisershave placed $500,000 for the

Greatest in The Streets’

winning team while the losing finalist collects $300,000 with third receiving $200,000 and the fourthplacedside$150,000.

On Friday night (tomorrow), the first qualifier is at 7.00pm where HillTopStrikerscollidewith Spanish Man, while half hour later at 6 30pm FalmothwillmeetBatavia.

The two winners will enter the proper tournament onSaturdaywhenthesecond day of this three day tournamenttakesplace. Gamenumberthreefrom 8.00pm will pit Misdeamor

competition which starts tomorrow

against Agatha and the next match is between Rivers’ View and Bad Boys is at 8.30pm.

This will be followed when New Modern Crew face Police from 9.00pm, JonesAvenuethenclashwith Almanac King from 10.00pm and the nightcap game from 11 00pm is between Team Angel and Pluto.

The drawing for this year’sfixturewasdoneatthe GT Light Beer Promotion venue last Saturday in Bartica.

In addition, losing teams

Last year’s winners Mighty Ruler pose with cash and trophy.

from the quarterfinals on Saturdaynight,willcompete

Comfort

Sleep strengthens commitment to Junior Golf through official partnership with GGA

Comfort Sleep, one of Guyana’stopmanufacturers and retailers of mattresses and home furnishings, has officially partnered with the Guyana Golf Association (GGA) to boost support for the country’s rapidly growing junior golf programme.

The company, based in Eccles Industrial Park, has been an active supporter of junior sports for several years,quietlycontributingto the GGA’s efforts since 2021. Now,afterwitnessing the impact of the youth golf initiative,ComfortSleephas takenamoreprominentrole in backing the programme that has introduced golf to thousandsofchildrenacross Guyana.

“We have always been strong supporters of junior sports and especially golf development in Guyana,” said Dennis Charran, Founder and CEO of ComfortSleep.

“Fromthebeginning,we believed in Mr Hussain’s vision, and we’ve seen firsthand how quickly the sport has grown through the dedication of the GGA and the Nexgen Golf Academy We’reproudtocontributeto an initiative that’s making suchadifferenceinthelives ofyoungpeople.”

Under the guidance of GGA President Aleem Hussain and the Nexgen Golf Academy, the junior

Haynes, Secretary of the Guyana Golf Association, praised Comfort Sleep’s continued involvement:

Dennis Charran, Founder and CEO of Comfort Sleep has thrown his full support behind the GGA.

expanded into schools across multiple regions, teaching the fundamentals of the sport along with key values such as honesty, discipline, and social

“Without your tremendous support from the beginning, wewouldnothavebeenable to achieve this level of success Thousands of young children have now had the opportunity to experience golf Your contributions will have a lasting impact on the future ofthesportinGuyana.” Comfort Sleep’s official p

ks a significant step forward for the development of golf in Guyana, as the GGA continues its mission to make the sport more accessible to children of all backgrounds.

GGA president Aleem Hussain lauded what he deemed was a major assist as the Association continues to grow.

in the Plate Tournament on

semifinals for $100,000 prize.

Survival Group Inc. puts up gate prizes for DCB T10 Cup

Fans attending the

escheduled

T10 Cup are in for a chance of winning fantastic gate prizes, with Survival Group Inc. a major partner in this

regard The fund-raising event was shifted from May 25 to July 6 owing to rain, butthathasn’tdampenedthe spiritofSurvivalGroupInc., whohascommittedthreedry goods food hampers as gate prizes.

Supervisor Mark

DeFreitas, in presenting the company’s sponsorship to DCB Secretary Davteerth Anandjit, said Survival Group Inc. is elated to support the tournament and moreimportantlyputasmile onthefacesofspectatorsby providingthehampers.

DeFreitas lauded the DCB exe

ng the tournament and using it as a means of fostering the growth and development of youth and female cricket in Demerara.

Anandjit welcomed SurvivalGroupInc.onboard and expressed gratitude to

TeenagerVictoriaMboko continuesFrenchOpenrun andsetsupQinwenZheng

Independent - Teenager Victoria Mboko continued her breakthrough French Open run by reaching the third round, where she will face Olympic champion and eighthseedQinwenZheng.

The Canadian, 18, is makinghergrandslammain draw debut in Paris and is still yet to drop a set after advancing through Roland Garrosqualifying.

She defeated Germany’s Eva Lys 6-4 6-4 on Wednesday, and is likely to now qualify automatically forWimbledonafterstarting theyearrankedatNo.333in theworld.

Mboko is also set to become just the third teenager in the world’s top 100,alongsidethesixthseed

Mirra Andreeva and Australia’sMayaJoint.

The teenager also built on her remarkable season and now has recorded 42 victories across all levels while losing just five matches-twoofwhichwere totop-10playersCocoGauff andPaulaBadosa.

Mboko, whose parents

emigrated from the Democratic Republic of Congo due to political conflictbeforeshewasborn, said Serena Williams and Canada’s 2019 US Open

test

Victoria Mboko will play Qinwen Zheng in the third round. (Getty Images)

championBiancaAndreescu wereamongheridols.

“I feel like when I was a lot younger watching tennis a lot on TV, I always saw Serena kind of winning everything. It was easy for metolookuptoherasarole model.Shewassuchanicon atthetime,”Mbokosaid.

“I really loved the way sheusedtoplay When I was younger, I tried to hit like her and tried to hit the ball hard. She’s such an inspiration for so many girls out there. Not onlyjustme.

“Also,Ilookedupalittle bit to Bianca Andreescu

themanagementandstafffor thesupport.

Highlighting that the fans are a key stakeholder, Anandjit said the DCB was deliberate in its plans to reward spectators, as their support will be a key element of the fund-raising drive.

Survival Group Inc. joins Petama Enteprise, Premier Insurance, CIC Insurance B

okers (Guyana)Inc.,L.Mahabeer and Son Cambio, Office Express, Regal Stationery and Computer Centre, Anil Beharry Real Estate, Construction and General

Business Services and Naven’s Construction as partnersofthetournament

Eightfirstdivisionteams from the county will compete for top honours at the LBI Ground, with the format being a one game knockout.

The teams are Better Hope, Enterprise, Helena OneandTwo,HerstellingA, LBI, Lusignan, MetenMeer-Zorg East and TransportSportsClub.Total cashprizeofG$500,000and trophies will be up grabs at theone-dayevent.

While the teams will be represented by players

within the respective associations, each team is allowed two guest players fromothercounties.

The champion team is guaranteed G$250,000 cash plus trophy; the runners-up G$150,000 and trophy, while the losing semi-finalists will receive G$50,000each.

On the individual side, Man-of-the-Match in the semi-finals and final will receiveatrophy.

Action will bowl off at 10:00h and conclude under floodlights, with patrons paying G$1,000 for admissiontothevenue

when she won the US Open in 2019. She was the first Canadian to do so, it was really a big deal for us. It kind of changed a little bit the way things worked there.”

China’s Zheng has now won eight matches in a row at Roland Garros after winning the gold medal at last summer’s Olympics, beating Iga Swiatek and Donna Vekic in the medal matches.

The22-year-olddefeated

Colombia’s Emiliana Arango 6-2 6-3 to set up a meeting with the in-form Mboko.

Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) Independence

Supervisor of Survival Group Inc.

Mark DeFreitas (left) presents one of the hampers to DCB Secretary Davteerth Anandjit.

Guyana Mixed Martial Arts Karate Association Attends North

American Federation of Martial Arts Championship and

Awards Arts

TheGuyanaMixed Martial Arts K a r a t e Association (GMMAKA) attendedtheNorthAmerican Federation of Martial Arts (NAFMA) Championship and Legacy Award on 24 May, 2025 at the Sheraton Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey,USA.

The team of 10 participants performed their skills to a high standard as they captured a total of 12 awards-1Gold,3silverand 8bronzeduringtheevent.

Representing the GMMAKA at the NAFMA Legacy Award 2025 were: PresidentoftheGMMAKAMaster Lloyd Ramnarine,

General Secretary - Ms Alliyah Ramnarine,

Organizing Secretary - Mrs. Julie Ramnarine, General Director - Mr Zafar Ramnarine, Junior SenseiJaffarRamnarineandSenior student-RajSingh.

MasterLloydRamnarine congratulated all of his students who participated in this exciting event in which they were deemed successfully

He applauded them for their hard work and determination and wishes them all the best in their upcomingfuture.

Mr Ramnarine would like to thank all of his sponsors in making this

event a successful one Special thanks are extended to: Atlantic Marine Supply Inc and Balgobins and Sons for making this event a success.

MasterLloydRamnarine ispleadingwiththerelevant government authority to intervene with relevant supporttoaidhisassociation i n p r o p e l l i n g t h e development of youths in various communities. For more information kindly reach out to the association on WhatsApp on 6986727/698-7456/6899288/681-1701 or gmail: ramnarineliyah@gmail.com

A child today can be our futuretomorrow

GBA Referee and Judges Seminar begins today

The Guyana

B o x i n g

Association (GBA) will launch its RefereeandJudgesSeminar today from 9 am, at the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis Gym in Albouystown, conducted by James Beckles, an International Boxing Association (IBA) Three-Star Referee and Judge.Beckleswillleadthe certification process as part of the GBA’s ongoing efforts to elevate the standards of boxing officiating in Guyana, coming at a time when amateur boxing is experiencing a remarkable

resurgence in the sport, particularly in its youth and juniordivisions.

An Olympic and World Boxing Referees Instructor andEvaluator,Becklesmost recently served as Chief Instructor and the top Evaluator for officiating at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,furtherhighlighting the calibre of expertise he bringstothisinitiative. The certification course will blend theoretical instruction with practical application.

Participantswillgetthe opportunity to put their training to the test during a national boxing tournament

hosted by the GBA from May31toJune1.

The tournament will double as a live assessment platform, with Beckles evaluating the performance of aspiring referees, judges, andtechnicalofficials.

Guyana’s emergence

boxing stage continues to gain momentum Most recently, Abiola Jackman

Guyanese boxer to win gold at the AMBC Elite Championships.

Currently, Guyana is represented by one IBA Three-Star coach, Sebert

Blake, following the passing of the revered Terrence Poole (MS), who also held the elite distinction

“Our boxers deserve the best possible support system, and that includes having competent, certified officials in their corner,” GBA president, SteveNinvallestated

A c c o r d i n g t o Ninvalle, the seminar reflects on the GBA’s commitment to ensuring that every jab, hook, and decision in the ring is governed with fairness, professionalism, and world-classexpertise

French Open

2025:

James Beckles

Ben Shelton reaches the third round when his opponent withdraws with injury

PARIS (AP) Ben Shelton reached the third roundattheFrenchOpenfor the second year in a row — and this time, theAmerican didn’tevenneedtoswinghis racket, moving on Tuesday when Hugo Gaston withdrew from the tournament because of an abdominalinjury.

The 13th-seeded Shelton’s best Grand Slam

resultsweremakingittothe semifinals at the 2023 U.S. Open and the Australian OpenthisJanuary Hewassupposedtoface France’s Gaston in the second round at RolandGarrosonWednesdaynight. The tournament replaced that matchup in Court Philippe-Chatrier with No. 10 seed Holger Rune of Denmark against unseeded Emilio Nava of the United States. Shelton advances to a meeting on Friday against two-time major finalist StefanosTsitsipasorMatteo Gigante That means Shelton will have had four days without competition following his five-set victory over Lorenzo Sonego in the first round Sundaynight.

Members of the Guyana Mixed Martial Arts Karate Association at the North American Federation of Martial Arts Championship in the US display their prizes.

Reggae Boyz edge T&T in five-goal thriller to book spot in Unity Cup final

Jamaica scores one of their goals against T&T

SportsMax - Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz outlasted TrinidadandTobago3-2ina thrilling Unity Cup encounter that delivered everythingaregionalrivalry promises — intensity, flair, goals, and drama — at the GtechStadiumonTuesday Goals from Kasey

Palmer (25th), debutant Rumarn Burrell (53rd), and RichardKing(90+4)proved just enough to see off a spiritedSocaWarriorsoutfit, who twice clawed their way backintothecontestthrough Isaiah Leacock (54th) and KevinMolino(69th). The hard-fought win

secured Jamaica a place in Saturday’s Unity Cup final, where they will meet the winner of Nigeria versus Ghana, also set for the same venue, while Trinidad and Tobago will now turn their attention to the third-place playoff.

Jamaica started more

Golden Jaguars’ World Cup dreams hang in the balance

BYRAWLETONEY

The Golden Jaguars, Guyana’s Senior Men’s National Football Team, are heading intoacriticalphaseoftheirFIFAWorldCup 2026 qualifying campaign With two matches remaining in the second round of Concacafqualifiers,theJaguarsmustsecure maximum points if they hope to keep their dreamaliveofadvancingtothefinalstageof theConfederation’squalificationprocess.

The team, led by head coach Wayne Dover, will travel to Managua to take on group leaders Nicaragua on Friday, June 6, at the Nicaragua National Football Stadium.

Their Group D clash is pivotal, as the CentralAmericansremainunbeaten,having comfortably dispatched Montserrat (4–1) andBelize(4–0)

Guyana, currently third in the group, began their campaign with a 2–0 defeat away to Panama at the Estadio Rommel FernándezGutiérrezinPanamaCity

Despite the loss, the team rebounded with a strong performance in their “home” fixtureagainstBelize,playedattheWildey TurfinBarbados

Deon Moore netted a brace and Liam Gordon added another in a 3–1 victory that revived the team’s qualifying hopes Now, the Jaguarsmusttameahigh-flyingNicaraguaside tokeeptheirWorldCupambitionsalive

Following that encounter, Guyana will return home to face Montserrat on Monday, June 10, at the National Track andFieldCentreatEdinburg

Nothing short of six points from these two fixtures will be enough to realistically challenge for one of the group’s top spots

purposefully and took the lead midway through the first half after the lively Renaldo Cephas darted inside the area and was clipped by Jamal Jack Palmer, composed as ever, steppeduptoslothome.

The Reggae Boyz pushed for a second as the half wore on. Palmer nearly haditwithadeftheaderfrom Dexter Lembikisa’s cross in the 35th, while Kaheim Dixon earlier forced a smart save out of Trinidad and Tobago’s custodian Marvin Phillip at the near post. Burrell, in his first senior cap, also threatened but was denied by the ever-alert Phillip.

Trinidad and Tobago’s bestchanceofthehalfcame in the 40th minute when Alvin Jones whipped in a precisecrosstoMolino,who steered a left-footed effort just wide from the heart of

thepenaltyarea.Thesecond half exploded into life as both teams threw their weight into attack, much to the delight of the sizeable crowd. However, it was the Boyz that again struck first, and it was worth the wait.

Palmer’s initial shot was parried by Phillip, but Burrell, showing sharp instinctsandflair,loopedan overhead finish into the net tomakeit2-0.

ButTrinidadandTobago hit back immediately when an unmarked Leacock pounced on a loose ball inside the box and rifled hometoreducethedeficitto 2-1.

Jamaica continued to press as Palmer threaded passes and created chances.

One such move found Jon Russell, whose hesitant leftfooter was smothered Burrell also came close again in the 58th with a

glancing header from a corner that was deflected wide.

Despite the pressure, it wasTrinidad who found the nextgoal.Inthe69thminute, Rio Cardines cracked a free kick off the upright, and Molino, ever the poacher, reacted quickest to head home the rebound and level thematchat2-2.

The final 20 minutes were played at breakneck pace. Cephas continued to torment Trinidad’s backline but couldn’t convert his chances, while Ravel Morrison,onasasubstitute, skied a rebound from close range.

At the other end, Trinidad ’s John-Paul Rochford and Cardines also came close to giving their teamthelead,withthelatter ballooning a glorious leftfootedopportunityhighand

(Continuedonpage19)

Omari Glasgow in action for the Golden Jaguars.

Only the group winners advance to the final round of Concacaf qualifiers, where they will join the

Concacaf’s Nations League A and B champions, vying for three automatic spots at theFIFAWorldCup2026

This edition of the tournament will be historic, as it expands to 48 teams and will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, andMexico.

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has yet to release the final squad, but a core of locally-based talent is expected to feature.

Players from Slingerz Football Club, Leo Lovell, Kelsey Benjamin, Curtez Kellman, Darron Niles, and veteran goalkeeper Akel Clarke, are likely to be included, alongside GDF duo Chris Macey andColinNelson,DanielWilsonofWestern Tigers,andNeronBarrowfromGPFFC. Overseas-based defender, Kvist Paul, currently with Waterhouse FC in the Jamaican Premier League, is also expectedtojointhesquad

Sports Golden Jaguars’ World Cup dreams hang in the balance

Omari Glasgow (#10), Liam Gordon (#13) and Stephen Duke-McKenna (#8) will be important to Guyana’s chances of World Cup Qualification.

Team Members of the Guyana Mixed MartialArts Karate Association fly the GoldenArrowhead at the NorthAmerican Federation of MartialArts Championship in the US. Guyana Mixed Martial Arts Karate Association Attends North American Federation of Martial Arts Championship and Awards Martial Awards