Guyana Times - Monday, July 12, 2021

Guyanese Swag launches vibrant lifestyle collection to celebrate national P16 heritage Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4706

MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021

Govt will ensure diverse, resilient economy – Finance Minister assures CDB President Page 3

Rose Hall Sugar Estate reopening could be delayed – GuySuCo CEO ...Blairmont to restart production this week

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Illegal logging & mining P7 reduced significantly – Min Bharrat ...says Govt has taken a proactive approach with forest management

Page 9

Unlicensed driver in deadly Stewartville P8 accident released on bail

Govt reassures Ithaca Several arrested farmers of assistance at city club …as new committee established

Page 14

for breaching COVID-19 guidelines

Page 2

Bandhu re-elected leader of URP, ex-TNM Executive Dr Kanhai elected P11 Chair − Party garnered 360 votes at 2020 elections

Diamond P15 Insurance hosts successful blood drive in Reg 2

Mentally-ill man feared dead after plunging off DHB Page 2

P10 Guyana records 29 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours − no new fatality reported, death toll remains at 492

2 NEWS

MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Several arrested at Mentally-ill man feared dead after plunging off DHB city club for breaching

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Feared dead: Vellone Thorne

34-year-old man who was identified as Vellone Thorne, of Sussex Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, is feared dead after he reportedly jumped off the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) on Sunday morning.

The incident occurred sometime between 07:20h and 07:35h, and was witnessed by a passer-by.

Based on reports received, a passer-by who saw what transpired immediately reported the matter to the Special Constabulary ranks on duty at the eastern end of the bridge.

The matter was then reported to the Providence Police Station and upon investigating, ranks discovered a black CG motorcycle parked on the northern side of the bridge facing west with its engine on.

Checks were made on the pontoons under the bridge but there were no signs of the man.

The Police marine boat was subsequently dispatched to comb the river but that too proved futile.

Meanwhile, a family member who spoke with Guyana Times related that Thorne has been suffering from a mental illness for the past three years. They

said ever since he was diagnosed, he made several attempts to end his life but was unsuccessful.

The most recent was sometime last year, when he attempted to jump over the said Harbour Bridge, but was rescued by passers-by. The family member related that Thorne has no children, and did not work due to his medical condition.

“Well, we all know he had his own problems. And this is not the first time he go to the bridge to jump off. So, it’s kinda sad and a shock same way,” the relative said.

It was also revealed to Guyana Times that the man had recently confided in the same relative that he was experiencing other issues at home.

“He would usually say he don’t have money and nobody ain’t want give

he work… and some was about what happening with his siblings…”, the relative said.

Up to press time on Sunday, Police had not found the man’s body.

Investigations are ongoing.

Back in 2014, a woman jumped off the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB), plunging to her death. Her body was pulled out of the river after an alarm was raised and placed into a boat under the bridge.

Then in January 2015, the body of another woman washed up in the vicinity of the Coast Guard Base at Ruimveldt after she had jumped to her death from the Demerara Harbour Bridge. It was reported that the woman exited a bus on the western side of the bridge and walked to the spot where she mounted herself and plunged overboard.

COVID-19 guidelines

Some of the persons who were arrested at the club

T

he COVID-19 Taskforce on Saturday evening arrested several persons at a club on North Road, Georgetown, for breaching the COVID-19 guidelines.

In a CCTV footage seen by this publication, members of the Joint Services were forcefully removing the iron gate at the club, after they were informed that patrons were allegedly hiding inside the building.

After some time of welding off the gates, the Joint Services finally managed to enter the building.

The footage showed officers lining up the patrons outside of the building after which they were ordered into a bus. They were subsequently arrested. Over the past weeks, several night spots in Georgetown, on the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara were shut down by the National Task Force.

Only recently, scores of patrons were arrested at a night spot at Land of Canaan, EBD, after they were seen partying up to 01:00h when the curfew’s stipulated time is 10:30h.

As such, the night spot was sanctioned and received a two-month ban from operating. This is the second time the night spot was penalised for discarding the COVID-19 rules. In addition, another night spot,

this time in Timehri, was ordered to close its doors after the management breached the guidelines.

Meanwhile, only a few weeks ago, over 40 persons were arrested at a party in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) and were subsequently charged for breaching the existing COVID-19 guidelines.

It was reported that the people were arrested at the event which was hosted at a home at Wisroc, Wismar, Linden. <<<Guyana Times>>> was informed by Regional Commander, Superintendent Hugh Winter that no approval was granted by the Regional COVID-19 Task Force for the event to be hosted.

Three Saturdays before these arrests, 40 Lindeners were also arrested and charged for breaking the 6pm to 6am curfew in Linden.

Police said many of the curfew breakers were caught as a result of roadblocks, community patrols and responding to calls of persons breaking social distancing regulations for entertainment purposes.

Despite curfew and the existing regulations stipulating the maximum numbers for social gatherings, scores of citizens continue to violate the regulations.

NEWS

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MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, July 12 – 04:00h – 05:30h and Tuesday, July 13 – 04:00h – 05:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, July 12 – 05:20h – 06:50h and Tuesday, July 13 – 06:05h – 07:35h.

FERRY SCHEDULE Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY There will be thundery showers during the day.

Expect partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East South-Easterly to North North-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 18:20h reaching a maximum height of 2.49 metres.

Low Tide: 11:53h reaching a minimum height of 0.6 metre.

Govt will ensure diverse, resilient economy – Finance Minister assures CDB President

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s a new oil producing national, Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh acknowledged the significant transformations that this new industry will bring for Guyana but has reassured that the PPP/C Government’s vision is to achieve a diverse and resilient economy.

The Minister was speaking on Saturday at a review meeting for the projects being facilitated by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), according to the Department of Public Information (DPI). The meeting, which was held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, included newly elected CDB President, Dr Hyginus “Gene” Leon, and his delegation who were here on a twoday visit as part of a familiarisation tour of the region.

Minister Singh said, “it goes without saying that the

cate of the regional integration movement,” he told the CDB delegation.

Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill; Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar; Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal; Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry, Susan Rodrigues; and Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister, Oneidge Walrond were also a part of the meeting.

In the afternoon, the CDB President was escorted to the locations of some projects the Bank has facilitated, on the East and West Banks of Demerara. Ministers Edghill and Croal led those expeditions.

Dr Leon was also shown some of the infrastructural projects the Government is currently advancing.

Upon arriving in Guyana

Housing Minister Collin Croal escorted CDB President, Dr Hyginus “Gene” Leon on an East Bank expedition on Saturday to inspect ongoing housing and road works

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COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$74.56/barrel

+2.17

Rough Rice

$231.98 /ton

+0.19

London Sugar

$426.10/ton

0

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1804.80

$1805.80

Low/High Change

$1804.20 -3.10

$1811.80 -0.17%

extraction, production and export of oil promised the opportunity of a very significant transformation in Guyana. But we recognise with the abundance of examples around the world that becoming an oil and gas producer is by no means on its own an assurance of prosperity and long-term wellbeing for a country.

In fact, the world is replete with examples of countries that have discovered, produced and exported oil but are yet to discover the prosperity that oil could beckon if it were, and if the broader economy were to be managed in the soundest possible manner.”

According to the Finance Minister, the Guyana Government has constantly iterated the importance of a robust, widely diversified economy, and a particularly competitive non-oil economy.

Despite the promise of prosperity, Dr Singh said the Government is under no illusion about the vulnerabilities faced by Guyana. He related the struggle the country has faced with the COVID-19 pandemic and flooding. The senior Minister also noted the wider effects of climate-related disasters on the Region.

Dr Singh thanked the CDB for the contributions it has made to Guyana’s development, dubbing it an “outstanding partner”.

“I wish to say Mr President that Guyana has always been a proud member and we are even more so now, a proud member of the CDB, and a very proud member of Caricom, and a proud and staunch defender and advo-

on Friday, the visiting CDB delegation met with President Dr Irfaan Ali, who was accompanied by Dr Singh and Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo.

During that meeting,

CDB President, Dr Hyginus “Gene” Leon and his delegation meeting with a Government team led by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre

President Ali lobbied for greater support for private sector development, while sharing ideas with the CDB President on how to address challenges in Guyana and the region.

According to a statement from the Office of the President, the Head of State also shared with the visiting dignitaries disaggregated information relating to the Government’s vision on various sectors and for future projects that are necessary to move the country forward.

“An important part of that is the inclusion of the Private Sector and greater support for Private Sector development,” the President posited.

It was noted that calls were also made for more information to be made available to the Private Sector to help them understand the opportunities currently available in the bank, and “a reform within the bank itself” to cater to the developmental needs of the region.

Meanwhile, the CDB President along with his delegation wrapped up a twoday visit on Sunday with a

tour of some of Guyana’s top tourist destinations including the country’s gem – Kaieteur Falls. Minister Walrond led him on a tour of the majestic falls.

Dr Leon and his team along with the Tourism Minister were then joined by Dr Singh for a visit to the Arrow Point Nature Resort led by National Security Advisor, Captain Gerry Gouveia.

The Finance Minister said that his Administration identified tourism as one of the main sources of future expansion and job creation in the non-oil economy. He noted that the CDB is supporting the Government’s efforts to develop the tourism sector through US$9.9 million funding for the construction of a modern Hospitality and Training Institute, which forms part of the GOG-CDB portfolio of projects currently underway.

This visit to Guyana by the CDB President is the first stop on his trip around the Caribbean to build relationships between the Bank and members.

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guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Dignity for sugar labour

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ommenting on the sugar industry and its challenges some months ago, ex-President Donald Ramotar wrote about the underutilised vast reservoir of knowledge immanent in ordinary sugar workers. He suggested, “One of the ways in which this could be done was by giving workers a greater stake in the industry. To create worker cooperatives in which workers would not only look forward to wages but to dividends at the end of the crop.”

This means assisting workers with technical skills to run a worker cooperative. To give the lands to these workers in groups to produce canes for the publicly owned factories. This would help in improving workers’ conditions; rather than just depending on wages, workers become shareholders. This is one way of allowing workers to be owners as well.”

The co-op proposal is interesting for several reasons; one being it attempts to address another of the major challenges to securing optimum quantities of cane for the factories: retention of field workers. As the Guyanese economy has improved since 1992, labour drifted away as they had done earlier in the other Caricom countries, especially Barbados and St Kitts, where Guyanese seasonal labourers had taken up the slack since the 1980s. While the comparatively low rate of pay was certainly a factor in the exodus from our cane fields, the social and psychological realities of the sugar industry also played an underappreciated role.

It is not for nothing that when the International Labour Organisation (ILO) was launched in 1919, it emphasised the necessity of employers providing “dignified working conditions” for the workers. “Dignity” is an inalienable right of humans, but, unfortunately, it was denied to those who laboured. In the early days, only the “nobles” possessed “dignity” and, of course, labour was infra dig for them.

The sugar industry in the West Indies was founded on slave labour, which, more than any other institution in the history of mankind, stripped away the dignity of the labourers in the field. It – and its successor labour regime – indentureship, left a lasting legacy in the minds of our people that field labour in general, and field labour in the sugar industry in particular, is to be avoided.

The decree that abolished slavery in the French empire on the basis of its incompatibility with human dignity was an important breakthrough, as this seems to be the first mention of dignity in its modern sense in a major legal text. It was noteworthy that the British declaration had no such aspiration and the “education” system they imposed emphasised that “dignity” was only found in the professions and the offices. Never in the fields.

This attitude has persisted in the Caribbean and in Guyana, and explains the unwillingness of the children of the cane-cutters to follow their fathers into the cane fields, once alternatives are available. The co-op is a mechanism that attempts to straddle the “alienation of labour” from their products, which Marx criticised as inherent in the capitalist mode of production – not just its early slavevariant. The workers would share in the production of the co-op and also in its profits.

Fortunately, in Guyana, co-ops as a vehicle for cultivating sugar cane is not a theory. In 1956, as part of his visionary reform efforts, the socialistic-minded Jock Campbell, Chairman of Bookers, launched the Belle Vue Co-op society with 57 sugar workers. They were each given control of 15 acres of land, house lots, loans for a completed house, garden plot, etc. This initiative was specifically launched to address the “alienation” issue. Later, to comply with other initiatives by the industry, they were joined by other private sugar cane producers on the West Bank of Demerara, including the Canal Polders.

By and large, the model was successful and we commend to the Government the cooperative proposal. We need to think outside the box to create a viable sugar industry.

In inset photo, billionaire Richard Branson makes a statement as crew members Beth Moses and Sirisha Bandla float in zero gravity on board Virgin Galactic’s passenger rocket plane VSS Unity after reaching the edge of space after taking off from Spaceport America [Virgin Galactic vía AP]

“Vaccination is the ticket to get our life back” Dear Editor, After months of progress in the fight against COVID-19, in Region 10, cases are rising again as the highly contagious variant spreads across Region 10 and other regions of Guyana.

The gap in progress between highly vaccinated regions and those lagging in vaccinations keeps growing, Some communities in Region 10 and Kwakwani are starting to see surges, despite the intervention

by RHO Dr Harris and his medical team in the region.

Region 10 is getting hit particularly hard, with the high numbers of all new cases being reported in the region in general.

It is evident now that people will continue to die until we vaccinate everybody in Region 10 and Guyana, for those young people who don’t think they need to get vaccinated, hospitals across Guyana have seen plenty of young adults suffering from COVID-19 or complications of long COVID months after infection.

What I would say to the young people is that COVID-19 doesn’t have to kill you to wreck your life, but it will certainly kill your loved ones and the unvacci-

nated people you know.

We have learnt of new the strain that is now attacking the world, this variant of COVID is highly transmissible -- the most transmissible we’ve seen to date said the US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy recently.

This is, again, a serious threat and we are seeing it spread among unvaccinated people, The virus carries a cluster of mutations, including one known as L452R, that helps it infect human cells more easily.

The Director General of the World Health Organisation has also said “Delta” the new strain of COVID is the most transmissible of the variants identified so far. The current vaccines protect well against all the variants so far, but that could change at any moment. That’s why doctors and public health officials want more people to get vaccinated.

The more we allow the virus to spread, the more opportunity the virus has to change,” the World Health Organisation advised. All 10 regions have reported cases of the highly contagious COVID-19.

In areas with high COVID-19 transmission and low vaccination rates, even vaccinated people may

want to wear masks, It is best now when you are in areas where there’s a considerable degree of viral circulation, persons might want to go the extra mile to be cautious enough to make sure that I get the extra added level of protection -- even though the vaccines themselves are highly effective and the many doctors said the vaccines provide strong enough protection that those who are inoculated shouldn’t need to wear masks, except for those with extenuating circumstances like compromised immune systems.

Vaccination is “the ticket to get our life back”.

Our PPP/C Government, and the efforts of our President, Vice President and Minister of Health is now to get those who haven’t been vaccinated, to get the shot.

It is clear, almost assuredly, given enough time, and given enough opportunities, this COVID-19 can mutate into something that is resistant to our vaccines and to the natural immunity we get from having the disease when it does that it’s like pressing the reset button; you’ve got to start all over.

This virus, it’s hitting people who are unvaccinated, and it’s hospitalising 30

to 55-year-old persons now in addition to our elderly and killing them.

Let me say thank you to our health leaders as they continue educating people who are unvaccinated.

Our Government will examine the holes that still have to be filled, and they are going to fill them, but I know the PPP/C Government has done a pretty darn good job, it’s just sort of public opinion can be hard to sway when one takes into consideration our Government doing such an exceptional job handling two catastrophes at the same time – COVID-19 and the regional flooding.

RHO Dr Harris said recently they will be having meetings in the next few days about how they can ramp up their efforts to reach those that are unvaccinated.

He urged unvaccinated persons to get the COVID-19 shots as the region faces a dramatic rise in the “hyper transmissible” variant of the coronavirus. His plea included reassurances about the strength of the COVID-19 vaccines available in the Guyana.

Sincerely, David Adams

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

The Haitian assassination and its implication for the wider Caribbean Dear Editor, When President Jovenel Moise was assassinated, it sent shock waves throughout the world and the entire Caribbean Community in particular. Persons became ever so concerned for their own safety and for the safety and wellbeing of their own leaders at home.

We became alerted to the fact that for any reason some madmen could take it upon themselves that they can go ahead and assassinate the Head of State and throw the whole democratic process into a tailspin. We are saying we cannot allow such madness to succeed in any one of our small fledgeling Caribbean territories.

Therefore, ever since

that bloody situation in Haiti, there has been a heightened alert in all our sister Caricom States.

Now, a little background check into Haiti’s history shows a country that never really had a chance at real democracy or the rule of law as we know it. Theirs is a long history of high-handed corrupt leadership with a brutal, bloody side to it.

Even when this country was governed by a so called “democratic” ruler, that is, Papa Doc and later on by his son Baby Doc, it was still the iron-fisted hand which became the centre of governance and leadership.

Haiti was also the victim of voodoo. This cultist ritual is a mixture of African trib-

al necromancy and certain Catholic religious rites; hence, this country became blighted for good.

So, in a real sense, Haiti is a country that never got off the ground nor could it have a chance at freedom or democracy as we know it.

Then there was the dreaded Tonton Macoute’s, which kept the civilian population in its place. There was fear and foreboding as the leaders reigned terror among the populace. Freedom of speech and freedom of movement was unheard of in Haiti. This country has always been kept under an ominous cloud of death and destruction; Haiti never had that free lease on life like other Caribbean na-

tions enjoyed. From all indications, it seems that this country was forever blighted.

Now let us turn the searchlight on Guyana to see what obtains here.

In my estimation you see traits of such atrocities in our system forged by “The Kabaka” Burnham himself.

Much of the sordid history of our politics is attributed to him. Even those who came after him bore that stain of corrupt governance.

Ours has been a disgraceful and despicable past - and should I say which some of us would like to see a continuation into the future where political opponents were beaten, imprisoned and killed.

All those who dare to oppose The Forbes Burnham highhanded rule were met with torture, imprisonment and death, the historical records are there to substantiate my claims. The murder of WPA Leader Dr Walter Rodney was the high point of his murderous attacks on those who spoke up against him.

When the fraudulent Government came to an end in 1992 there were still aspects of that repression manifesting itself in insurrectionist attempts, noted action was the storming of the office of the president by armed gunmen. These and other subversive attacks which were meant to create fear and instabil-

ity in the population was from time to time seen in Guyana.

So, in closing, the implication for the wider Caribbean, Guyana in particular, is that there must be the upholding of the rule of law, where leaders are elected by the people and must rule for the people. The rule of law must be upheld at all times, it is a closely guarded secret that we hold close to our breast. As someone rightly said, it is the magic formula for success and progress of any nation, saving this we will not be any better than Haiti.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

Will anyone ever be safe in/around Stabroek Market area?

Dilapidated state of Agriculture Road, Triumph Dear Editor, The current state of the prominent street known as Agriculture Road is dulling its shine. From observation, the issue had started as a minor pothole, nevertheless it spiralled into a lineage of potholes. When one approaches the street headed by that of the Republic Bank, he/she is greeted by an unpleasant family of holes ranging from great and small.

Moreover, the matter is deceptively small because you are welcomed with a stretch of asphalt surface but it progressively transforms into small holes that eventually give rise to larger holes. One could only imagine the tragedies that await those who are not familiar with the street.

Furthermore, heaven forbid having to drive through this unknown street on a rainy night as the rainfall would blanket the holes and form the illusion of a first-class road.

It was only a few nights ago, I witnessed a driver losing their entire front right tire in the middle of the night. All I could have done was say a short prayer while passing by and rebuke any frightful accidents that could occur due to these conditions.

My heart goes out to every driver that has to peruse the likes of Agriculture Road due to its current state. How such a popular street that serves as a path to Guyana’s

School of Agriculture and National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute was allowed to get to this state remains a mystery to me. It leaves me room to imagine how many other streets are going unnoticed in our beloved country.

As a result, I formally and humbly call upon the Minister of Public Works, Honourable Juan A Edghill, to please look into this matter. I strongly believe that we as a country can do better. We can break the stereotype of having poorly maintained roads. I believe we can change the mentality and the saying “is Guyana we deh!” every time we inadvertently end up in a pothole. We have the resources and most importantly we have the capable, skilled and educated minds to change this dire situation. I am convinced that solving small issues like these in order to help our fellow Guyanese is the true meaning of “One People, One Nation, One Destiny”. Our treasured motto does not only encompass our shared history and culture that we strived for but also looking out for all of our drivers on the roadways.

It is with great hopes that you please let these issues be highlighted for the best interests of all the residents and visitors of Agriculture Road, especially those that are drivers.

Yours truly, Rachel A Cecil

Dear Editor, It is very unfortunate to hear another person being robbed around the Stabroek Market area - the latest being an employee of Kaieteur News and good luck was with him to see that he wasn’t harmed seriously.

What is lost could be eventually replaced, but that doesn’t give anyone the right to go about robbing people of their honest and hard-earned cash.

Day or night, traversing in/ around Stabroek Market, crowd or alone, you have to be cautious. Some are lucky

to get assistance whilst being robbed, but in most instances, tremendous luck seems to be on the criminal’s side. People are not happy to see someone being robbed, but they are reluctant to assists for various reasons. Criminals operating around there are not scared to pounce on anyone, regardless of your stature.

Editor, tackling this plague around that area requires a lot of strategies and operations. The authorities only see that area as a danger zone is during the festive season.

Editor, for years, nu-

merous complaints/letters are on record calling for a workable plan to rid those areas of its lifelong plague that’s haunting there. Many nefarious criminal activities are being conducted there, especially under the “clock”, mainly buying/selling stolen articles and selling of illicit drugs. Periodically, the news would surface of raids being conducted, whilst arrests are made, persecution is not present.

I’ve repeatedly written of people physically holding/tugging you to either buy something you have

or have something to sell you (mainly stolen jewellery and cell phone). Since I was a small boy some of these menaces there plying that same nefarious trade, and it boggles my mind why they are not continuously being raided and haul in front of the court. It’s my opinion that consistency will rid there of this existing plague. Their activities there are mostly illegal, but the City Constables allow them to operate without any fear.

Sincerely, Sahadeo Bates

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MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021

Page

Foundation ◄

Question 1

Friday’s answers

By Duchess of Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish In gardens sweet each flower mark did I, How they did spring, bud, blow, wither and die.

With that, contemplating of man's short stay, Saw man like to those flowers pass away.

Yet built he houses, thick and strong and high, As if he'd live to all Eternity.

Hoards up a mass of wealth, yet cannot fill His empty mind, but covet will he still.

To gain or keep, such falsehood will he use!

Wrong, right or truth—no base ways will refuse.

I would not blame him could he death out keep, Or ease his pains or be secure of sleep: Or buy Heaven's mansions—like the gods become, And with his gold rule stars and moon and sun: Command the winds to blow, seas to obey, Level their waves and make their breezes stay.

But he no power hath unless to die, And care in life is only misery.

This care is but a word, an empty sound, Wherein there is no soul nor substance found; Yet as his heir he makes it to inherit, And all he has he leaves unto this spirit.

To get this Child of Fame and this bare word, He fears no dangers, neither fire nor sword: All horrid pains and death he will endure, Or any thing can he but fame procure.

O man, O man, what high ambition grows Within his brain, and yet how low he goes!

To be contented only with a sound, Wherein is neither peace nor life nor body found.

WORD SEARCH

7 Illegal logging & mining reduced significantly – Min Bharrat NEWS

MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

...says Govt has taken a proactive approach with forest management

I

llegal logging and mining in Guyana’s hinterland, which is a problem that successive Governments have grappled with, is on the decrease.

This is according to Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat, who credits the

few months, with revenue on the increase. According to the Minister, significant changes have been made as it relates to the management of the mining and logging sectors.

“We’ve made significant changes in terms of the

lot of illegal logging. So, we have addressed the situation. I cannot say we have eliminated illegal logging and mining, but we have reduced it significantly over the last few months. And we will continue to work, if we can’t eradicate it fully, that

Illegal mining has particularly been an issue for the Iwokrama Protected Area

Government’s more proactive approach with this decrease.

During an interview with this publication, Minister Bharrat explained that the forestry sector has fared much better over the last

management of the sector.

I think that was one of the issues when we took over.

There was no clear direction. There were hardly resources to do forest monitoring,” he said.

“What we found was a

we can minimise it to the lowest possible.”

He acknowledged that in some cases the terrain of interior regions has proven a challenge for the Government wardens.

However, they are working

on increasing the range of the wardens by incorporating more technology.

“We’ve been doing reconnaissance missions too.

We’re not sitting down and waiting to be reactive. We have the core wardens, the compliance section headed by former Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud. He would have strengthened that unit to ensure we have proper monitoring in the interior regions.”

Meanwhile, the Minister also pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an effect on Guyana’s log exports. According to him, something the sector has had to grapple with is the way the global pandemic has driven up shipping costs.

“With the pandemic, I’m sure as soon as we get some kind of relief from the pandemic which has taken a serious hit on the shipping of commodities, the cost of shipping, the entire global trade, we find that our exports are not as much as it should be. So as soon as we can return to some normalcy with that out of our way, we will see the forestry sector blossoming and being a sector to be reckoned with.”

Late last year, a joint operation conducted by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) had unearthed a massive tunnel mining operation in the New River Basin some 50 miles east of Masakenari, South Rupununi.

Investigators had said at the time that the persons who were conducting mining operations may have been utilising an illegal airstrip in Brazil, located some two miles south of the GuyanaBrazil border. The New River Basin is designated a Rare Earth Mineral Reserve and as such, mining is strictly prohibited in the area.

The Iwokrama Protected Area has also had its challenges with acts of illegal gold mining. In fact, earlier this year, it had announced that several camps were uncovered during a monitoring exercise.

In a statement, the agency had said illegal mining incursions in the protected area has been an issue since 2019 but became measurably worst in 2020 during the COVID restriction period when their monitoring

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat

capacity reduced.

Sometime in September 2019, a miner was arrested for illegally mining in the Iwokrama Forest and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had indicated that this individual should be charged and brought before the court under the Iwokrama Act. Fast-forward to October 2020, the inter-agency team found itself targeted by gunfire from miners who quickly scampered away into the forest during an impromptu surveillance exercise. One arrest was made and the son of a prominent businessman in the North Rupununi area is now before the court and this case is ongoing.

8 NEWS

MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Unlicensed driver in deadly Stewartville accident released on bail

Reflecting…

T Dead: Rajin Persad

Dead: Alejandra Brazon

he driver of the motor car that was involved in an accident in June which claimed the life of 20-year-old Venezuelan national Alejandra Brazon has been released on $800,000 bail after he was slapped with a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

Thirty-three-year-old

Anthony Ralph was arraigned last week before Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court.

He was not required to plead to the indictable charge which alleged that on June 21, 2021, at Stewartville, West Coast Demerara (WCD), he drove motor car PRR 2014 in a manner

T

The mangled motor car involved in the Stewartville accident

dangerous to the public thereby causing the death of Brazon.

On this charge, he was granted $800,000 bail. The defendant was also charged with being an unlicenced driver and driving an uninsured and uncertified motor vehicle. He was also released on bail af-

ter pleading not guilty to these charges.

It was reported that Brazon was killed after the motor car in which she and four others were travelling slammed into a utility pole at Stewartville and split into two halves. Ralph was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident.

Reports are that Ralph was driving motor car PRR 2014, and was proceeding east along the northern side of the Stewartville Public Road at a fast rate of speed when he overtook another motor car, which was proceeding in the same direction along the northern side.

Police said that after overtaking, the vehicle was returning onto the northern carriageway, when the driver lost control and struck a Guyana Power and Light pole on the northern parapet before being flung into a nearby trench.

As a result of the collision, the car split into two. The driver and the occupants were all picked up in an unconscious state and taken to Leonora Cottage Hospital.

Brazon was pronounced dead on arrival while the others were taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) for further medical attention.

In addition, a 34-yearold truck driver, Tillackram Dindial of Lot 21 Hope West, Enmore, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

He, however, appeared at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court.

He was released on $500,000 bail. It is alleged that on July 5, 2021, at Hope West, Enmore Access Road, ECD, he drove motor lorry GWW 8721 in a manner dangerous to the public thereby causing the death of 38-year-old Rajin Persad, a goldsmith of Foulis, ECD. It was reported that on the day in question, Dindial was operating the truck on the northern parapet of Hope West, Enmore Access Road, in the vicinity of his premises. At the time, he was in the process of offloading sand. While lowering the tray of the vehicle, Police said that Dindial reversed, and soon after his wife shouted out to him that he had run over one of their dogs.

However, upon making checks, he observed Persad under the truck with what appeared to be blood about his body. An injured Persad was picked up by public-spirited citizens and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

According to the Police, a breathalyser test was conducted on Dindial but found no trace of alcohol in his system.

But this was opposed after persons in the area had stated that the man was heavily intoxicated.

…on Moïse’s assassination he big, unanswered question on Haiti’s President Moïse’s assassination remains as to who are the “intellectual authors”. As yesterday’s editorial in this newspaper elaborated, this was no two-bit operation, but well planned and executed. Your Eyewitness is a tad surprised…since in jurisdictions like Haiti – where the Police aren’t exactly known for their human rights observances – the expected confessions would’ve been long beaten out of the captured assassins! Something isn’t kosher here.

But in the meantime, your Eyewitness was touched by the reflections on the grisly murder by one of the Caribbean’s more activist-oriented academics, Sir Dr Hilary Beckles, VC of UWI, historian of slavery and Head of the Caribbean Reparations Committee. His words are so profound that they’ll be reproduced verbatim: “The assassination of President Moïse of Haiti is the latest dramatic reflection of the culture of murderous political violence that has typified the colonisation of the Caribbean, and whose legacy continues to speak to the devalued worth of black life especially in our hemisphere.

“For the people of Haiti and the wider Caribbean region who have politically united for mutual survival with dignity under the banner of CARICOM, this blunt and brutal execution of the democratically-elected Head of State foregrounds the historic savagery long fought against in our region’s struggle to forge a humane and sophisticated post-colonial Caribbean civilisation.

“Political murder and social mayhem have long been the management tools used to maintain the misery and marginalisation of the Caribbean as it marches inexorably to the rendezvous of democracy as a freedom victory.

“No country in the modern world has paid as great a human and material price as Haiti in seeking to convert its rubble of bloody imperial domination into a viable democratic nation state. In this regard, the murder of Moïse is the latest in a legacy that includes political leaders such as Walter Rodney and Maurice Bishop. His political execution reflects but an element in the internal political gridlock many Caribbean societies face in their effort to detach from the colonial scaffold with its endemic thirst for violence, and advance to a peaceful domestic democratic idealism.”

Bluntly, what Prof Beckles is reminding those “woke” nihilists in Guyana who’ve been celebrating the assassination – revealing their own goals in Guyana – is that they’ve morphed into “the historic savagery” of those who violated us in slavery and indentureship. We hear about abused children becoming abusive parents – but this savage impulse to violently murder “the other” with whom we disagree tells us we’ve seen the enemy – and it is us!

As Rodney ruefully warned us just before he was assassinated – the intellectual author being Burnham and the PNC – we came out of slavery better than this. …on AFC’s inanities There is the old saw – “It’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt” – that Khemraj Ramjattan would’ve been well advised to observe. But then discretion was never the strong suit of this fella who predicting that if the AFC hitched up with the PNC, it’d become “Dead Meat”, blithely did just that!!

Talk about a “self-fulfilling prophecy”!!

Anyhow, Ramjattan just revealed that the scheduled AFC biennial National Conference for this month is off.

Why? Well duh!! COVID-19, of course!! Didn’t you hear Aunty Amna explaining the similarly (coincidental!) delay of the PNC’s Biennial Congress? But can’t arrangements be made - -as for instance meetings of the National Assembly have been and in which Ramjattan participates? “Well, yes,” conceded Ramjattan, “and a committee is working on that.”

Asked as to who’re in the Committee, Ramjattan expressed great indignation: “AFC’s membership and parameters of operation are not public information!”

Sorta like the Russian spies who’ve never been identified! …on desperation Lowenfield’s seeking to prevent PPP GECOM Commissioners Gunraj and Shadick from participating in GECOM’s deliberations and decision on his fate.

He obviously never read Art 161, which details the Commission’s powers including “the power to remove… such staff.”

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

9 Rose Hall Sugar Estate reopening could be delayed – GuySuCo CEO NEWS

MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

...Blairmont to restart production this week

capacity.

“Blairmont is doing what you call steam trials, the dry run of the factory. Which means Blairmont will start sugar production sometime next week. That’s good news, because after what that estate went through, to be able to start sugar production (this week), three weeks before the planned date, tells you the ingenuity and determination of team GuySuCo. We are going to do this,” the CEO explained.

The Rose Hall Estate

R

ose Hall Sugar Estate, one of the estates closed by the APNU/ AFC Government that was set to be reopened in the second crop of next year, could see some amount of delay as a result of the torrential rains and the flooding that have afflicted sugar estates in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

In a recent interview, Guyana Sugar Corporation

ed, is not in as bad a shape as Albion.

“Phase 1 of the reopening of the estates will be Rose Hall. The instructions are full steam ahead and that’s what we’re working towards… Rose Hall is not in as bad a shape as Albion.

Because the drainage conditions are a bit slightly better. They have both sluices and pumps. Albion has to rely on pumps exclusively to

The Blairmont Estate

(GuySuCo) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sasenarine Singh explained that while they are still aiming to reopen the estate in the second crop of 2022, there could be some delay.

Rose Hall, like Albion, has been affected by torrential rainfalls that have flooded cane fields. In fact, Singh had explained that Albion was hit with 74 per cent more rainfall in the first half of the year than the 66-year annual average of 736 millimeters.

This had resulted in the entire cane cultivation at Albion being inundated.

Rose Hall, while also affect-

drain itself. So, it will be delayed,” the CEO explained.

“But we have to wait on a final assessment at the end of the month to know what is the full extent of the delay. But we’re still working to a work programme, a comprehensive work programme, to deliver the Rose Hall Estate by the second crop of 2022.”

When it comes to the Blairmont Estate, Singh said that sugar production is scheduled to restart on the estate this week. The CEO also noted at the time Blairmont was doing steam trials, which is essentially testing the estate factory’s

Back in 2016, the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government closed the Wales Estate, and the following year, shut down the Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon Estates, putting over 7000 sugar workers on the breadline.

The downsizing of the sugar industry saw only the Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion Estates being in operation. The assets of the closed estates were put un-

der the control of the Special Purpose Unit of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) for divestment.

Under the current People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government, the corporation is eyeing the reopening of Enmore and Rose Hall Estates by 2022. It is expected that the Rose Hall factory will be the first to become operational, while the Skeldon factory will be returned to operation by 2023.

10 NEWS Guyana records 29 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

– no new fatality reported, death toll remains at 492

A

total of 29 new cases of the novel coronavirus have been detected during a 24-hour period from the 55 tests that were conducted.

According to new statistics provided by the Ministry on Sunday, the total number of confirmed cases in Guyana now stand at 20,953.

However, only 1408 of these are currently active cases including 11 patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the remaining 1397 persons in isolation, that is, 84 in home isolation and other 1313 in institutional isolation.

Guyana’s COVID-19 death toll remains at 492 after no fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours.

On Saturday, the Health Ministry reported that a 102-year-old woman from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) who died on July 9, along with a 67-yearold man also from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and a 60-year-old man from

Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), both of whom died on July 8, were the latest fatalities.

Since the beginning of July, 16 persons have succumbed to the life-threatening disease. The total number of deaths from the pandemic in the month of June is 78. May is the deadliest month with 99 COVID-19 fatalities after surpassing April’s death toll of 66.

Additionally, some 19,053 persons have recovered from the life-threatening virus to date – 505 more recoveries than the figure reported the previous day.

Meanwhile, since the outbreak of the pandemic in Guyana last year, 201,557 persons have been tested for the novel coronavirus so far of which 10,721 females and 10,232 males were positive cases.

A breakdown of 29 new cases detected on Sunday showed that three were from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara),

a whopping 12 cases from the Demerara-Mahaica region, two from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and the remaining 12 cases in the East Berbice-Corentyne region.

There were no new cases recorded in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) in the last 24 hours, according to Sunday’s COVID-19 dashboard.

In order to curb the rising number of cases in the country, the Guyana Government launched its COVID-19 vaccination exercise back in February and is aggressively rolling it out in the various regions in order to achieve heard immunity.

Recent data shows that more than 237,000 persons in the adult population have received their first dose of the vaccine, while fully im-

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD JULY 11 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

29

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

84

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

1313

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

11

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

0

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

10,721

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

10,232

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

20,953

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

19,053

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

237,111

FULLY IMMUNISED

116,903

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2022 REGION 1

1263

REGION 2

585

REGION 3

2394

REGION 4

9569

REGION 5

691

REGION 6

1657

REGION 7

1270

REGION 8

380

REGION 9

1670

REGION 10

1474

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN BE SAFE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC Wear a face mask.

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

Wash your hands or use handsanitizer If you have any symptoms, call the

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

COVID-19 Hotline.

492

GET MEDICAL ADVICE ON COVID-19 FROM MOH 24/7 HOTLINE NUMBERS: 2311166; 226 7480; 624 6674; 624 2819; 624 3067 OR 180/181.

munised persons, 18 years and older, in the country are now over 118,000.

Persons are encouraged to get immunised since the COVID-19 vaccine gives full protection against death. In fact, health authorities have disclosed that no one who is fully vaccinated with both doses of the COVID-19 vaccines have been hospitalised or died from the virus.

Nevertheless, as more

people continue to get vaccinated, authorities are urging the public to continue observing all COVID-19 preventative measures, particularly masking in public, social distancing and frequent hand washing and sanitising. The measures also include a 22:30h (10:30 pm) to 04:00h (4 am) national curfew that is in effect until July 31, 2021.

According to the World

Health Organisation (WHO), as of Sunday, some 185,291,530 confirmed cases were reported globally along with 4,010,834 deaths.

The WHO also reported on Sunday that in the Region of the Americas, that is, Latin America and the Caribbean, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 73,450,049 while the death toll in the region has gone up to 1,930,948.

NEWS

11

MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Bandhu re-elected leader of URP, exTNM Executive Dr Kanhai elected Chair – Party garnered 360 votes at 2020 elections

T

he United Republican Party (URP) has unanimously re-elected Dr Vishnu Bandhu as its leader and a new Chairman in the person of political activist, Dr Daniel Josh Kanhai.

The party held its General Elections on Saturday at its head office, Liberty House, VreedEn-Hoop, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

Other persons elected to the URP Executive are Eon Halls as Vice President; Pastor Marcia Lewis as General Secretary; Movika Balkaran as Assistant General Secretary; Junia Brijraj as Treasurer; Jagranie Debi as Assistant Treasurer; Rawle Aaron as Public Relations Officer; Christopher Bianchini as Organising Secretary; Gaitri Maraj as Assistant Organising Secretary; Sara Beria as Youth Leader, and Baanmatti Balkaran as the Women’s Leader.

Additionally, the URP also elected Ganesh Rajkumar, Haresh Singh and Roop Kumar Persaud as Trustees.

Dr Vishnu Bandhu, in his feature address, told party members who turned out in their numbers at Liberty House that the URP intends to remain relevant in the political landscape of the country.

“I promise that the United Republican Party will continue to fight for justice and equality for all in Guyana,” the re-elected leader stated.

Further, Dr Bandhu emphasised that the URP is happy to invite onboard “young blood” to take the ideas and concepts of the party to the masses. He applauded young political activist Dr Josh Kanhai for coming on board and

Members of the new URP Executive

charged him and the other elected members to give their best and to deliver to the people, a country that all can be happy to live in.

Dr Bandhu was adamant that campaigning for 2025 elections must begin now if the URP is to make a significant impact on those elections.

Meanwhile, the newly elected Chairman, Dr Josh Kanhai said, “I am elated to be a part of the URP and I am thankful for the confidence my fellow members have placed in me by electing me as Chairman.

The URP as a third force is much needed, for we will strive to create the balance as well as continue to fight for equal justice and rights for all Guyanese.”

“We will strive to secure a future for our children and grandchildren and we will do so in the spirit of teamwork, the organisation is nothing without a dedicated team. We will build each other and upon that we will stand firm and keep moving forward.”

Dr Kanhai was a found-

er and former high-ranking executive member of The New Movement (TNM), one of the new political parties formed to

contest the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. He was the face of the TNM but after the tumultuous five months

electoral process, Kanhai resigned from the party in November 2020.

He had said that his resignation was driven by TNM’s attempts to “act selfishly, go rogue, and use dictatorial force to influence my political will.”

“There are morals, principles, and standards that carve direction for my life, and they will not be compromised by the current apparatus put forward by the minority of TNM members. I cannot see myself working in such a selfish, toxic, and immature environment. I wish to make it public that I am no longer associated with The New Movement…,” he had declared.

Kanhai had been instrumental in the fight for democracy during those five months after the

March elections. In fact, he along with another citizen had filed private criminal charges against Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield for electoral fraud. Those charges were eventually dropped after the State instituted others.

The URP was one of nine political parties that contested the 2020 National and Regional Elections in all ten administrative regions. During the period following the election, the URP was very determined that justice be served, thus, the URP participated in the 2020 National Recount process, helping to ensure that any attempt to derail the election was not successful.

The party had secured 360 votes after the recount process was completed.

12 NEWS

MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Because We Care” cash grant

Parents of private school children also want to benefit − say all children should be treated equally

I

n light of the recent decision by the Government to distribute $3.2 billion to children in the public school system, there have been mounting concerns about whether or not children who are attending private institutions will receive equal treatment.

In fact, parents took to social media to question the move by the Government to only give those children who attend public schools.

“We know we have children in the private school system. However, persons do not understand by what means the parents or guardians are using to send them to the private schools…

They are children on scholarships…Parents could be making sacrifices to send their children to private schools because their experience with the public schools might not have been the best.

To exclude our private school and still be able to say the children of Guyana are going to benefit...It is not right, it is not just. It is very unfair,” one parent told Guyana Times about the “Because We Care” cash grant.

The woman said that herself and other parents are considering presenting a petition to the Education Minister “so that we can have a meeting to find out why is it that our children are not getting access to

these funds because they are in the private school.”

Moreover, persons have also taken Facebook to criticise the Government’s move to make the cash grant available exclusively to public school students. One person wrote: “All children supposed to benefit from the cash grant, they are all children of this land. It does not matter which school they go

to. They have each and every right to that cash grant.

Another person expressed, “Pure discrimination on children.”

Back in 2020, just after the PPP/C Administration took office, Education Minister Priya Manickchand, during a press conference has stated that discussions were still

in the pipeline on whether the “Because We Care” cash grant initiative will be open to private school students.

Manickchand had agreed that some parents are facing difficulties in sending their children to private institutions, and Government was not opposed to providing the grant which is meant specifically to those attending public school. But almost

one year later, it appears as though no decision has been taken on this.

When contacted on Sunday for an update on whether the government will be extending the program to private schools, the Minister directed this newspaper to a release which stated that the answer was negative.

The press release issued on Saturday said that the distribution of the cash grant will commence this week. “The Because We Care Grant is valued at $15,000 this year and the School Uniform and Supplies Grant is valued at $4,000, giving a total of $19,000 for each child in the public education system,” the press statement noted.

Some 172,000 public school students are expected to benefit from the programme this year, and unlike last year, the school uniform grant will not be given in the form of a voucher but rather as cash. The distribution schedule for the “Because We Care” cash grant will be posted on the Education Ministry’s Facebook page, the Ministry’s website, and in the daily newspapers.

“Parents or guardians of children in the public school system from nursery to secondary level are to visit the respective schools on the scheduled date to uplift the grant. If a parent or guardian fails to uplift the grant on the scheduled date, they will be allowed to do so at a later date at the Department of Education for that region or education district,” a statement from the Ministry said on Saturday.

This later date will be announced at another time but will be after the entire exercise has been concluded. Parents or guardians are also asked to walk with a valid form of identifica-

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

tion when going to uplift the grant. These are the national identification card, driver’s licence, or passport. Persons who do not possess any of these documents can still uplift the grant but their relationship to the child must be confirmed by a senior official in the community or the school’s Head Teacher.

The Education Ministry noted that the cash grant initiative “aims to serve each child before September 2021. This initiative of the Government is to assist families so that they can provide the necessary resources to their children so that they can not only remain in school but to also excel in their studies.”

Meanwhile, distribution will start on Wednesday in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) at the Cotton Field Secondary, Anna Regina Secondary, Taymouth Manor Primary, Fisher Primary, Suddie

Primary, Riverstown Primary, Aurora Primary, and Tapakuma Lake Primary.

The initiative then moves to Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) on July 25.

“We encourage all parents and guardians to uplift the grants and use it in the best interest of their children as we work together to give those who will be the leaders of tomorrow the opportunity to be the best that they can be,” the missive concluded.

In the 383 billion National Budget passed in March, some $60.7 billion was allocated for the education sector. In keeping with its election campaign manifesto, the PPP/C Administration increased the “Because We Care” cash grant from $10,000 to $15,000. The Government has increased the school uniform and supplies grant from $2000 to $4000, representing a 100 per cent increase.

The “Because We Care” project was launched back in 2014 under the PPP/C Government. It was implemented to provide support to parents with school-age children and increase their disposable income, to raise enrolment and attendance rates.

After taking office in 2015, the APNU/AFC Government scrapped the project. The Irfaan Ali-led Government reintroduced the initiative after taking office last year.

NEWS

13

MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Swag launches vibrant lifestyle GTT gets 20 additional Guyanese collection to celebrate national heritage customer care agents − more agents expected to be trained soon

W

ith efforts to meet its new goal of becoming a 21st century customer-centric organisation, GTT on Friday hosted a small graduation ceremony for 20 new additional call centre agents at its 79 Brickdam, Georgetown headquarters.

Reminding that one of the company’s three promises is to reliably connect its customers, Chief Executive Officer at GTT, Damian Blackburn said the event is just the beginning of many more improvements the company has in store for its customers.

G

A section of those who graduated from GTT’s customer care training

Best graduating trainee Gem Griffith receiving her certificate from GTT Customer Care Director Shem Erskine

“We are endorsing 50 per cent of the workforce required to achieve our goal and with this new milestone we look forward to it reducing customer’s wait time when contacting our Customer Care department,” he said.

Meanwhile, Director of Customer Care at GTT, Shem Erskine congratulated the group on successfully completing the training course with the company. “With this new addition to our team, I am positive that we will be able to better serve our customers in a

timely manner,” Erskine said.

He highlighted that some 20 additional persons are expected to be trained within weeks to come. “As promised, our objective is to better serve our customers. We have listened and we are moving apace to fulfil that goal.”

The 20 new agents all expressed delight to start their new roles at the telephone company. The training took place over a four-week period at the GTT Headquarters and was led by Monique Chance and Nkrumah Prince.

GTT is a fixed Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) based in Guyana, South America. It is the largest provider of telecommunication services in Guyana with a subscriber base exceeding three hundred thousand in a country with an average population of seven hundred thousand. GTT’s mission is to pivot the company to become a 21st century customer-centric organisation.

Some of the items offered by Guyanese Swag

uyanese Swag has launched its lifestyle fashion brand for men, women, and children at guyaneseswag.com. The new brand seeks to help Guyanese raise awareness and promote pride in their country and culture.

The collection includes a vast array of vibrant clothing, shoes, and accessories which showcase the Guyana flag, map, coat of arms, and motto. Creative tribal-inspired designs in the country's colours bring the collection to life, shining a light on the Guyanese’s pride in their culture.

The brand is the brainchild of Guyana-born Lakeshia Singh-McKay, a graphic and website designer now based in Florida, USA.

After migrating to the US, aged 10, she experienced bullying due to her foreign accent.

Much to her disappointment, as she continued through life, she noticed a distinct lack of awareness around Guyana as a country, with people often mistaking it for Ghana in Africa or only associating it with the tragic fate of Jim Jones' followers in Jonestown in 1978.

Singh-McKay wants to turn this perception around. She hopes to educate and inspire people to share in her heritage.

Having spent 10 years helping entrepreneurs and business owners build and grow their own businesses online and inspired by her childhood experience, she is now raising the flag high for Guyana to shed light

on the positive and joyous culture of her homeland.

"The time has come for Guyanese around the world to rise up and proudly celebrate who we are by paving the way for the next generation," she said. "It is important that we record our history by telling stories of our past while fostering a community around the globe that is proud to celebrate our origins: where we came from, who we are, and where we are going. One People, One Nation, One Destiny.”

Guyanese Swag ships all products internationally with domestic delivery taking 5-7 business days. You can order your official Guyanese Swag products today at guyaneseswag.com.

14 NEWS

MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Govt reassures Ithaca farmers of assistance …as new committee established

F

armers at Ithaca, Region Five (MahaicaBerbice), are expected to receive direct benefits to improve their agricultural potential after the formation of a new committee in the community.

The committee was formed following calls for the establishment of a group which will work for the betterment of the community.

“I am here to fulfil that commitment. This is only the beginning of good things to happen to this community," Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha told farmers of Saturday as he charged the elected members to do their best.

“I know for a fact that there are over 1000 acres of land. That is, cash crops and crops that we want to embark on so that we can continue to

make Guyana an agricultural powerhouse in this part of the hemisphere.”

The Minister admitted that after the discovery of oil, agriculture has been placed on the back burner.

“But after 10 months since I took up the position as Minister of Agriculture, we have seen a renewed interest in the agriculture sector. We are seeing many persons who would have called it a day I know saying they want to get back into agriculture. And this came about because of the budgetary allocations Government has been making in the agriculture sector; today's activity came about because of the seriousness we are placing on agriculture to once again develop the sector to ensure Guyana plays its part in the region," the Minister added.

He noted that Guyana has always been leading the agricultural programmes in the region while adding that Guyana has regained its position as being the spokes nation on agriculture in the Caribbean.

"If we will be leading the agriculture agenda in the Caribbean it means that every single person will have to come on board…that is why as Minister of Agriculture I want to work with every single community across our country."

He said Guyana has to prepare itself knowing that agriculture will become one of the more important economic activities in the country.

Pointing out that Ithaca has a rich history of agricultural production, the Minister related that this has diminished over the past years.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and members of the Ithaca Agriculture Committee

"Many of the land that was there were left abandoned because of the infrastructural work. I want to recommit Government position that we will help you and ensure that you develop land; we will work with each and every farmer so that Ithaca can once again play that role it played in the past - the bread basket of Region Five."

He nevertheless added that the necessary investments will have to be made to ensure that it can be restored.

Currently, he noted that the Government is working to remove trade barriers with-

in Caricom which will ultimately result in a demand for Guyana's agricultural produce.

Meanwhile, he promised the new group that farming tools will be made available to them along with the expertise and input from the various agencies within the Agriculture Ministry.

These include the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA)

among others.

Further the Minister stated that $18.6 billion was budgeted for the agricultural sector in 2020 and was increased to $22.6 billion in 2021 with the aim of making agriculture viable once again.

The new executives of the Agriculture Committee are Michael Jacque as the Chairman; Utundy Grant Vice Chairman; Secretary Jewel Sinclair and Treasurer Adrian Douglas along with three committee members - Jermain Benjamin, Nikita Sampson and Akeela Benjamin.

NEWS

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MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Diamond Insurance hosts New accounting procedures successful blood drive in Reg 2 Unaccounted $40M

in place for Orealla – Regional Chairman

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The Orealla Village Council

n light of the misappropriation of almost $40 million in Orealla, Corentyne River, Region Six (East Berbice Corentyne), the new Village Council was charged to have a better accounting system that is transparent.

These were the sentiments of Region Six Chairman David Armogan, who added that the members of the Village Council were trained in accounting and bookkeeping.

“All accounting practices will have to be put in place. They were also told that they will have to adhere to the laws which stipulated that they must have regular meetings with residents of the community and explain to them what are the financial arrangements, what are the financial transactions taking place, how much money is

collected, how much money is spent, what are the plans for the village,” Armogan explained.

In fact, he noted that currently, the Village Council is in the process of drafting a three-year plan to guide them during their time in office.

However, an audit was conducted into the finances of the village when it was discovered that the cashbook was not updated since January 2020. It also showed major discrepancies.

The audit also found that the previous Toshao had been almost singlehandedly running the affairs of the Council and in so doing, allegedly mismanaged millions of dollars in funds. Meetings in the community which are stipulated under the Amerindian Act have not been held for

more than a year.

According to Armogan, the regional administration will be monitoring the affairs of the Village Council very closely.

He said the regional administration will also be paying keen attention with respect to the spending of the presidential grant.

The audit which was conducted by the Amerindian Affairs Ministry also had found that between 2018 and 2021, the presidential grants of $1.5 million annually was mismanaged.

In addition, it was pointed out that family members of Councillors were given loans from the grant and had not been repaying same.

“Maybe at our level we will have to send in our regional auditors and not to wait until the three-year period is completed,” the Chairman added.

Further, he added that the regional administration should also be held accountable for some of what had been happening at Orealla.

Admitting that the Regional Democratic Council has a representative from Orealla, Armogan said the regional Councillor over the years has only been reporting on what needed to be done.

“Obviously he has not been following what the Village Council is doing, and so, in the future, I think his role has to change.”

Officials at the blood drive

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iamond Fire and General Insurance Inc on Saturday hosted a blood drive in collaboration with Suddie Public Hospital Blood Bank with the aim of making more blood available in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam).

The blood drive was held at Diamond Insurance, Henrietta, Essequibo Coast, under the theme "Give Blood Save Life."

Marketing Manager of the insurance company, Priscilla Mackintosh stated that the event was hosted after reports surfaced about blood shortages in the region. The drive saw 16 units of blood donated.

"We are not there just for the profit…but we believe in people and the livelihood of the persons in the communities throughout Guyana. From our understanding, the 16 units was

well received by the Suddie Hospital Blood Bank," Mackintosh related.

However, Director of the National Blood Transfusion Service, Dr Pedro Lewis said that it was the first blood drive hosted by Diamand Insurance in Region Two. "We want to give back to the community, not just through our mandate or services that we provide but also to help save lives and make a difference to those in need. We also encourage others to get onboard and donate blood," Dr Lewis said Branch Manager of the insurance company, Ravi Mohan related that after they saw the report, they made contact with the RHO, Dr Ranjeev Singh, who confirmed same. As such, Diamond insurance took all the necessary steps to organise the venue

A blood donor during the exercise on Saturday

where letters were sent to all the prominent businesses in the township of Anna Regina and a few others in region 2.

Mohan further remarked that whilst the drive can be considered successful, they are still hoping to have more donors in the future and will continue to host more blood drives in order to eliminate the shortage of blood within the region.

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MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Region 3 Police Division hosts 182nd anniversary thanksgiving service

− as the “Nigel Hoppie Walkway” commissioned

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egional Police Division Number Three on Friday hosted a traditional thanksgiving church service to commemorate the Guyana Police Force’s 182nd Anniversary at the Leonora Police Station.

The service started with opening prayers and scripture readings by Region Three Traffic Officer, Inspector Eon Isaacs who

read Psalms 103 and W/Sgt Miguel read Act 17 Verse 22-31, which was followed by songs of worship done by ranks stationed within the Division.

The “message” was delivered by Officiating Celebrant Reverend Derrick Anderson.

During the service, several retired and serving members of the Force were rewarded with plaques

by Commander, Senior Superintendent Errol Watts, and his team for their service and sterling contributions to the Force.

Commander Watts, to mark the occasion of the Force’s 182nd Anniversary, also commissioned the “Nigel Hoppie Walkway” in the presence of the Top Cop at Regional Headquarters, Leonora Police Station.

The new walkway which A section of the gathering at the event

is located at the front entrance of the Leonora Police Station compound and leads all the way into the station is fully paved with concrete and tile flooring and is also complete with a shed, to protect visitors to the station from rain and sun.

The shed is a result of the Commander and his team’s vision for improved infrastructure within the Division and was built in collaboration with private stakeholders in the region.

Gracing the occasion were Commissioner of Police (ag) Nigel Hoppie; Head of Project Office, Senior Superintendent Edmond Cooper; Heads of the Corporate Communications Unit, Mark Ramotar and Stan Gouveia; President of the Region Three Chamber

A former member of the Force receiving a token for his years of service

of Commerce, Halim Khan; Regional Three Health Officer, E Ford along with

other senior officers and ranks within the Division and special invitees.

Man on $20,000 bail for damaging State vehicle

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man accused of damaging a vehicle belonging to the State was released on $20,000 bail after he made an appearance before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Orlando Fraser denied the charge which alleged that on February 19, at Vlissengen Road, Georgetown, he damaged a vehicle belonging to the State.

Fraser, however, claimed that he was riding his motorbike on the road when he tried to swerve from another vehicle and accidentally rode into the State-owned vehicle. After listening to his explanation, the Magistrate released Fraser on bail.

He returns to court in September.

Meanwhile, in another case before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, 20-year-old Joshua Henry of Pineapple Street, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was charged with larceny.

He, too, was released on bail.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged

that on July 3 at Thomas and Middle Streets, Georgetown, he stole from the person of a woman, a shoulder bag valued at $2000, a cell phone valued at $10,000, and $119,000 cash and $2000 worth in cosmetics.

Henry, in his address to the court, said the Police “made up” the charge against him. The fish vendor told the court that at the time of the incident, he was at the hospital receiving treatment for injuries he received in an accident.

He said that Police ranks arrested him at the hospital.

According to the Police prosecutor, on the day in question, at around 08:30h, the woman was standing at the corner of Thomas and Middle Streets when Henry snatched her handbag and then made good his escape on a motorcycle. The matter was reported, the prosecutor disclosed, and Henry was arrested on Vlissengen Road.

In the end, the Chief Magistrate released the defendant on $100,000 bail.

The matter was adjourned until July 21.

NEWS

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MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

At least 12 killed as bus carrying Trinidad: Quarrel over broken plate ends in death migrants crashes in Turkey

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ne of two tenants who had an argument over a broken plate at an apartment building in St Augustine, Trinidad subsequently died after he was attacked and chopped by the other tenant, on Saturday night.

The deceased has been identified as 43-year-old Ganesh Ramkissoon, of Dhania Street, Streatham Lodge Road, St Augustine.

According to a Police report, about 20:00h, Ramkissoon was at his home when he got into a verbal altercation with a 39-year-old man of the same address, over an incident involving a

plate that was broken a few days ago.

The man reportedly then walked away and went into his apartment to avoid any further confrontation. Shortly thereafter, he heard a loud banging on his door followed by the words, “Police here!”

He told Police that he became fearful and armed himself with a cutlass before opening the door.

Upon opening the door, he was met by Ramkissoon who tried to cuff him, and he retaliated by swinging the cutlass, chopping Ramkissoon across the left shoulder.

Ramkissoon then ran in the direction of his own apartment, which is located on the same compound where he collapsed.

The first responders received the report of a wounding incident and responded. Upon arrival at the scene, they met Ramkissoon in the yard lying on the ground, bleeding from the chop wound. He was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex by the Police for medical attention.

Upon arrival at hospital, Ramkissoon was attended to and pronounced dead at about 21:05h. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

A

minibus carrying undocumented Afghan, Pakistani and Bangladeshi migrants has crashed in eastern Turkey, killing at least 12 people and injuring 26 others, according to local authorities.

The crash occurred on Sunday morning in Van province’s Muradiye district near the Turkish border with Iran, where the vehicle caught fire after tumbling into a ditch, two local sources with information on the matter told Reuters news agency.

The identities of those killed in the accident were not immediately clear, both

sources said, adding that the owner of the bus had been arrested.

Television broadcasts showed survivors being treated by the roadside as emergency workers sifted through the burnt-out wreckage.

Body bags could be seen by the wreckage, and personal items were strewn nearby.

Muradiye District Governor and Deputy Mayor Erkan Savar, Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Brigadier General Yuksel Yigit and District Gendarmerie Commander Lieutenant Colonel Evren Kaptan were at the scene re-

ceiving information from officials.

Migrants, mostly from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, regularly cross the Iranian border into Turkey on foot before being ferried west to cities such as Istanbul and Ankara.

The planned US withdrawal from Afghanistan has given added impetus to young men trying the mountainous route, according to the Ankara-based Centre for Asylum and Migration Studies.

In June 2020, more than 60 migrants drowned in Lake Van when their boat sank.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Growth in Latin America, Caribbean in 2021 Pope Francis reappears will not reverse adverse effects of COVID-19 after surgery, urges free universal health care I n a new report, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) raised its regional growth estimate for this year to 5.2 per cent based on an economic rebound but that does not ensure sustained expansion. It warns that the social impacts of the COVID19crisis are worsening and will continue during the recovery.

The 5.2 per cent, reflects a rebound from the deep contraction of 6.8 per cent registered in 2020 as a consequence of the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This expansion, however, will not manage to ensure sustained growth, because the social impacts of the crisis and the structural problems in the Region have deepened and will continue to do so during the recovery, according to the UN organisation in a new special report presented on Thursday.

The document entitled “The recovery paradox in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Growth amid persisting structural problems: inequality, pover-

ECLAC Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena urged Governments to keep emergency transfer policies in place to bolster an economic recovery

ty and low investment and productivity”, was presented by ECLAC’s Executive Secretary, Alicia Bárcena, in a virtual press conference in which she urged Governments to keep emergency transfer policies in place to bolster an economic recovery that is sustainable over time, more just, egalitarian and environmentally-friendly.

“We need policies for a transformative recovery with an emphasis on investment. Industrial policies

and technologies to drive growth in sectors that are more technology-intensive and that generate quality jobs. Restructure health and education systems. Sustain the transfers, universalise basic emergency income, implement bonds to fight hunger, ensure access to a basic digital basket, strengthen support for MSMEs. Push cross-cutting and sectoral policies to move toward a new model of development,” she stated.

According to new projections by ECLAC, in 2022, LAC will grow 2.9 per cent on average, meaning a slowdown compared to the rebound in 2021. There is nothing to indicate that the low-growth dynamic prior to 2020 is going to change.

The structural problems that held back growth in the Region before the pandemic have become more acute and this will have negative repercussions on the economic and labour market recovery despite the uptick in growth in 2021 and 2022. In terms of per capita income, the Region continues on a path toward a lost decade, the re-

Virgin Galactic rocket ship touches down after soaring to space

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Virgin Galactic spaceship carrying founder Richard Branson has safely touched down after soaring to the edge of space on Sunday in a voyage the British billionaire called an “experience of a lifetime”.

The VSS Unity vessel reached a peak altitude of about 85 kilometres (53 miles), beyond the boundary of space according to the United States, allowing the passengers to experience weightlessness and admire the Earth’s curvature.

“Congratulations to all our wonderful team at Virgin Galactic for 17 years

of hard, hard work to get us this far,” Branson said during a live feed, as the spaceship glided back to Spaceport America in New Mexico.

“We’re here to make space more accessible to all,” Branson said shortly after the flight. “Welcome to the dawn of a new space age.”

Touchdown occurred about 09:40h local time (15:40 GMT), about an hour after take-off.

Sunday’s launch of the VSS Unity passenger rocket plane marked the company’s 22nd test flight of its SpaceShipTwo system and

its fourth crewed mission beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

It was also the first to carry a full complement of space travellers – two pilots and four “mission specialists” – Branson among them.

A week away from his 71st birthday, Branson and his crewmates walked onto the tarmac waving to a throng of onlookers before boarding the Unity rocket plane parked at the end of a taxiway. A video posted

by Virgin Galactic showed Branson arriving earlier at the take-off site on his bicycle and greeting crewmates with a hug. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

port warns.

The document explains that the current growth rate is unsustainable and there exists a risk of returning to mediocre trajectories, with insufficient investment and employment, and major environmental deterioration.

The crisis brought on by the pandemic has increased inequality and poverty, mainly affecting women, schoolchildren and older people.

Furthermore, it came at a moment when the regional economy was stagnating, unable to tackle the longterm investment crisis, employment and sustainable productive diversification. It also recognises at the same time that fiscal measures adopted by the countries have been significant, but insufficient in terms of amount and duration. (Excerpt from ECLAC)

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ope Francis, seemingly in a good overall condition, has made his first public appearance since having intestinal surgery last week. The church leader stressed the importance of accessible and free healthcare for all.

Pope Francis greeted well-wishers on Sunday from the 10th floor balcony of his hospital room where he is recovering from major intestinal surgery.

The pope, 84, stood for 10 minutes on the balcony of his special suite at Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, and thanked the crowd of at least 200 supporters for their prayers.

“I am glad to be able to keep the Sunday Angelus appointment, even here” at the hospital, he said. “I have felt your closeness and the support of your prayers. Thank

you from the bottom of my heart,” the pontiff said to supporters gathered below.

A Holy See spokesman said Pope Francis has been steadily recovering following his July 4 scheduled surgery to remove a portion of colon which had narrowed due to inflammation.

He temporarily experienced a fever last week following the operation, but a chest and abdomen scan and other tests showed no abnormalities. The Vatican has not said when he might be discharged from hospital.

Pope Francis said good health care should be accessible and free for all.

“In these days of being hospitalised, I have experienced how important good health care is, accessible to all, as it is in Italy and in other countries,” he said.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

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guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021

Regional

Cubans stage rare protests Haitian crisis shakes up Patterson over COVID-19 measures T

housands of people have joined protests against Cuba’s communist Government in the capital, Havana, and several other cities.

Videos posted on social media show people calling for freedom, democracy and demanding vaccines to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

The demonstrations, which are rare in Cuba, come as the country reports a record number of COVID infections.

President Miguel DiazCanel blamed the United States for the unrest.

Supporters of the Government also rallied in Havana.

On Friday, Cuba approved its home-grown vaccine for emergency

Cubans marched to protest against the Government

use, Abdala Two, a first for Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Opposition says these are the biggest anti-government protests on the island in almost 30 years.

One protester, in San Antonio de los Banos, 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of

Havana, told the AFP news agency people were angry about “the situation with electricity and food”.

“The energy situation seems to have produced some reaction here,” admitted President DiazCanel, blaming “a CubanAmerican mafia” for stirring up discontent. (BBC News)

Peru extends COVID state of emergency until end of August

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eru has extended until the end of August a coronavirus-related state of emergency that allows the Government to impose restrictions in an effort to stem infections.

Interim President Francisco Sagasti and his Government’s resolution on Sunday extended the order, which was expected to be lifted on July 31, until the end of next month.

That means that restrictions including a nighttime curfew in place since March last year would continue.

Peru has struggled to contain surging coronavi-

rus cases and deaths in recent months, with the country recording more than 2.07 million infections and more than 193,000 deaths since the pandemic began, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

“Almost all Peruvians know someone who has died from COVID,” Cesar Carcamo, an epidemiologist at Cayetano Heredia University, Peru’s leading medical school, told Al Jazeera in May. At the end of that month, the country adjusted its coronavirus death toll, giving it the highest fatality rate per

capita in the world.

The Government organised a 36-hour coronavirus vaccine drive during the weekend in an effort to get Peruvians fully inoculated, and hundreds of people queued in the capital, Lima, to get jabs.

“The vaccine protects us, but also the vaccine will allow us to progressively continue to resume activities that we haven’t been able to do for more than a year since we’ve been taking care of ourselves during the pandemic,” said Violeta Bermudez, President of the Council of Ministers.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Leaked testimony from Haiti suspects says plan was to arrest, not kill President

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group of Colombians and Haitian Americans suspected of assassinating Haitian President Jovenel Moise told investigators they were there to arrest him, not kill him, the Miami Herald and a person familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

Moise was shot dead early on Wednesday at his Portau-Prince home by what Haitian authorities say was a unit of assassins made up of 26 Colombians and two Haitian Americans, plunging the troubled Caribbean nation into deeper turmoil.

The murder and uncertainty about who hatched the plot is the latest in a succession of blows to hit the struggling country, which has appealed for international help.

Washington has so far rebuffed Haiti’s request for troops, although a senior US official said on Sunday that Washington was sending a technical team to assess the situation.

Suspects in the assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise are shown to the media in Port-au-Prince last week

Citing people who had spoken to some of the 19 suspects detained so far, the Miami Herald said they said their mission was to arrest Moise and take him to the presidential palace.

A source close to the investigation said the two Haitian Americans, James Solages and Joseph Vincent, told investigators they were translators for the Colombian comman-

do unit that had an arrest warrant. But when they arrived, they found him dead.

Haitian Police did not reply to a request for comment.

The news follows reports that some of the Colombians had said they had gone to work as security personnel on Haiti, including for Moise himself.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Slain Haitian President Jovenel Moise

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hile outrightly condemning the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, retired Jamaican Prime Minister and Caribbean elder statesman, PJ Patterson, has expressed concern about how the French-speaking country will proceed henceforth.

Patterson, Jamaica’s Prime Minister from 1992 to 2006, who represented the people of Westmoreland

Eastern before and during that period, blasted the hit on the holder of Haiti’s highest political office, and expressed the hope that the mastermind behind the operation will be caught.

He said though, that some of the complexities that govern the embattled country, which shares Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, needed to be addressed with care.

“First of all, we have to

accept that assassination for those who hold or seek political office cannot be condoned,” Patterson said in an interview with the Jamaica Observer on Saturday before following up with a media statement later in the day.

“Secondly”, Patterson went on, “we express sympathy to the people of Haiti and hope for the widow’s full recovery. Thirdly, we hope that they will pursue all those involved to get to the root, who sponsored these people?, for obviously it was not a ragtag group — somebody must have sponsored them. Who were those persons? The investigations have to prove that,” Jamaica’s longest-serving Prime Minister suggested.

He added that both the Organisation of American States (OAS) and Caribbean Community (Caricom) were “in danger of getting what I call Haiti fatigue, because various efforts have been made and the results have not been positive, but Haiti is our member state and we cannot ignore it.” (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Relief as T&T businesses reopening

T

he manufacturing sector and car dealerships got the green light to resume business from today as Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley announced plans for the phased reopening of the country.

In another welcome move, Rowley on Saturday announced that restaurants and the food sector would be allowed to reopen for drivethrough, curbside and takeaway services only from July 19, observing all health protocols.

Dr Rowley also lifted the ban on all outdoor activities, including exercise, limiting to groups of five people.

There was relief as the Prime Minister made the welcome announcement at the COVID-19 update at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s.

“The next big group of people that we would try to get back to some semi-normal arrangement is the food establishment and restaurants. You have a week to prepare.

T&T Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley

“Once we go back to the food service, tens of thousands of people would be interacting again and you add that to the construction workers and you’d see that we are in fact exposing more and more people in parallel with the major vaccination programme,” he said.

“We would like to begin on July 19 so you have a week to prepare,” he said.

“It is for good reason that we start this on Monday and not on Friday or Saturday.

I would love to announce Friday, but I know exactly what is going to happen. I know my people.”

Dr Rowley said he wanted to avoid the “effects of the euphoria”.

“Take it slowly. I know you missing the doubles, but remember, when you go in line, stay six feet away from the person in front of you and wear your mask and clean hands, always,” he said. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Bds$87 million ash fallout B arbados has suffered at least Bds$87.1 million in financial fallout after being blanketed by volcanic ash in April.

Minister in the Economic Affairs and Investment Ministry Marsha Caddle revealed this “most conservative estimate” of the disaster cost and said it was based on a damage-and-loss assessment conducted by the min-

istry.

It comes as some Barbadians, including Opposition parties, question the Bds$22.1 million Government says is needed “to reimburse ministries, departments and State-owned enterprises for expenditure incurred from the clean-up process resulting from the ash deposited on Barbados”.

The money was part of

a near Bds$35 million supplementary approved by the House of Assembly on Tuesday.

Caddle said in a statement that the damage-andloss assessment was carried out immediately following the La Soufrière ash fall event, noting that the Bds$87.1 million “covers the clean-up itself, which was significant”. (Nation News)

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS OPEC is letting the oil bears play

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il producers beware. Far from being bullish for prices as initially thought, the rift at the heart of OPEC and the information vacuum it has created risks sending them into a tailspin.

When the 23-nation OPEC+ oil producer alliance repeatedly failed to reach an agreement to raise production earlier this month, the concern in the market was that the world would be short of oil.

Saudi Arabia and Russia, the alliance’s largest producers and de facto leaders, had devised a plan for the group to raise its production target by 400,000 barrels a day each month until the end of the year, and possibly longer. For good measure, they wanted to extend the output pact until the end of 2022, instead of letting it expire at the end of April.

The first part looked easy. The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ 13 members and their allies agreed on the need to pump more oil to meet rising demand as the world recovers from the pandemic. But not everyone backed extending the deal, at least not in its current form.

The United Arab Emirates refused to do so if the alliance didn’t address what it sees as an unfairly low baseline production level from which its cuts are measured. Saudi Arabia balked at fiddling with that starting point and, more importantly, it wouldn’t approve the output increases without the extension.

It blamed the UAE for blocking an agreement to pump the extra oil the market will need in the coming months. As news of the failure sunk in oil prices soared, with US West Texas Intermediate hitting its highest since 2014.

Oil demand is gathering pace, as more countries from India to the UK ease restrictions. The International Energy Agency sees global oil use increasing by 3.1 million barrels a day between the second and third quarters, with another 1.35 million barrels a day added in the fourth.

The mood ought to still be extremely bullish, but OPEC+’s failure has left a void that’s being filled by a bearish narrative. The day after WTI hit its six-and-a-half-year high, it had dropped by US$6 a barrel.

With no date set for the full group to meet again, the existing deal holds, which means no more output increases until May 2022.

But nobody sees that as credible. Even if the UAE doesn’t quit OPEC or embark on a production surge — it has said it won’t do either, at least not yet — it’s unlikely that producers will stick to their output targets when customers clearly need more of their crude.

None of the producers wants a return to the free-forall that followed the last breakdown in their relationship in March 2020. But that’s what they risk repeating.

The recovery in prices this year has been underpinned

by OPEC+’s extraordinary cohesiveness. One of the strengths of the deal has been its credibility, with the group meeting frequently to adjust the targets to a recovery that was initially slower than expected. The group now needs to remain just as nimble in raising production more quickly than it had previously anticipated. There’s a real risk that happens in an uncontrolled way if they can’t agree to a compromise.

Until one is found, every scrap of data, every ministerial utterance and every oil analyst’s note will be pored over and markets will react to the tiniest change in intonation.

Don’t be surprised if you find Twitter awash with rumours that suggest a price war is coming. This is what discord does: It creates fertile conditions for uncertainty and speculation.

For that reason, if no other, it’s in the two nations’ shared interests to find common ground and a singular message. The longer they don’t, the more risky the oil market becomes for bulls. (Excerpt from Bloomberg)

Unvaccinated Belgian woman contracted 2 COVID variants simultaneously

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90-year-old Belgian woman who died from COVID-19 in March had contracted two variants of coronavirus at the same time, which is believed to be the first documented case of its kind, a scientific congress and Belgian media said on Sunday.

The case, discussed at this year's European Congress on Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), shows that it is possible to catch two

COVID-19 variants simultaneously, the society that organised the congress said in a statement.

The society said the woman became sick with Alpha and Beta types first identified in Britain and South Africa and her doctors said she could have contracted the infections from two different people.

The woman, who was treated at a hospital in Aalst near Brussels, had not been vaccinated, Belgium's

Dutch-language public broadcaster VRT said.

Belgium, like much of the European Union, faced vaccine delivery problems early in 2021 and its vaccination programme started slowly, although the EU has now delivered vaccines to cover 70 per cent of the population.

The society, citing discussions at the July 9-12 congress, said doctors believe it was the first documented case of its kind and, al-

though rare, similar dual infections are happening.

"Both variants were circulating (in March) in Belgium," molecular biologist Anne Vankeerberghen of the OLV hospital in Aalst said on VRT's website.

"It is therefore probable that this woman was infected by two different people with two variants of the virus. Unfortunately, we do not know how this infection happened," she said.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

US heatwave: Wildfires Israel offers 3rd shot rage in western states of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to adults at risk as temperatures soar

Firefighters are struggling to contain California's Beckwourth Complex fires An elderly woman receives a booster shot of her vaccination against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at an assisted living facility, in Netanya, Israel, January 19, 2021

I

srael said on Sunday it will begin offering a third dose of Pfizer Inc's vaccine to adults with weak immune systems but it was still weighing whether to make the booster available to the general public.

The rapid spread of the Delta variant has sent vaccination rates in Israel back up as new infections have risen over the past month from single digits to around 450 a day, and the country has moved to fast-track its next Pfizer shipment.

Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said that effective immediately, adults with impaired immune systems who had received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine could get a booster shot, with a decision pending on wider distribution.

Pfizer and partner BioNTech SE, the main suppliers in a swift Israeli vaccination rollout that began in December, said on Thursday they will ask US

and European regulators within weeks to authorise booster shots.

The two companies cited an increased risk of infection after six months in seeking permission for a third shot.

Drawing criticism from some scientists and officials, the companies did not share the data showing that risk, but said it would soon be made public. They also cited recent Israeli data.

About half of the 46 patients presently hospitalised in Israel in severe condition are vaccinated, and the majority are from risk groups, according to the health authorities. About 5.7 million out of Israel 9.3 population has received at least one dose.

Israel was not going to rush into any decision on booster shots for the general public, Sharon AlroyPreis, head of public health at the Health Ministry said.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

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ildfires are raging in the west of the United States as the region is hit by a heatwave that has brought record temperatures to several areas.

Communities have been told to evacuate as firefighters struggle to battle the blazes in the extreme conditions.

Two firefighters in Arizona died when their aircraft crashed while responding to a wildfire.

Meanwhile, Las Vegas matched its all-time temperature high of 47.2C (117F) on Saturday.

Firefighters battling the many wildfires in the region say the air is so dry that much of the water dropped by aircraft to quell the flames evaporates before it reaches the ground.

It comes just weeks after another dangerous heatwave hit North America, in which hundreds of sudden deaths were recorded, many of them suspected of being heat-related.

The region experienced its

hottest June on record, according to the EU's Earth observation programme.

Experts say that climate change is expected to increase the frequency of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves. But linking any single event to global warming is complicated.

However, a study by climate researchers said the heat that scorched western Canada and the US at the end of June was "virtually impossible" without climate change.

In the north of Nevada, near the border with California, people were evacuated from their homes as wildfires triggered by lightning strikes tore through parts of the Sierra Nevada forest region.

One fire, which more than doubled in size between Friday and Saturday, sent up a giant cloud of smoke and ash which, combined with the dry heat, generated its own lightning, according to the Los Angeles Times. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Thousands evacuated from floods in China's Sichuan, more rain forecast

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eavy rains and flooding have forced thousands of people to evacuate in China's southwestern province of Sichuan, with authorities on Sunday urging citizens across the country to brace for more downpours.

In Sichuan, torrential rain since Friday has raised the water levels of 14 rivers, swept away boats and bridges and forced the evacuation of more than 4600 people, state media reported.

While no casualties have been reported, state media said the rain and flooding have affected more than 120,000 people, forced the cancellation of some train services and caused more than 176 million yuan (US$27 million) worth of damage. About 27,000 homes in the city of Bazhong, Sichuan were reported to be without power.

About 900 km (560 miles) to the northeast in the city of Xinzhou, Shanxi province, state media photos showed cars driving through in-

undated streets. Jincheng city, also in Shanxi province, raised its heavy rain signal to red, the highest level.

On Sunday, China's National Meteorological Centre renewed an alert for rainstorms across the country, forecasting heavy rainfall across wide swathes of north and central China.

The Beijing Meteorological Observatory said accumulated rainfall in the capital is expected to reach 60 to 100 millimetres on av-

erage between 5 pm on Sunday and 8 am on Tuesday, while the city's flood control authority warned of the heaviest rains in three years.

The city typically records around 600 millimetres of rain annually.

In Hebei province bordering Beijing, heavy rain and thunderstorms left airplanes temporarily unable to take off and land at the airport in Shijiazhuang, the provincial capital, a local news portal reported. (Excerpt from Reuters)

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PEANUTS

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CALVIN AND HOBBES

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SUDOKU

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Don't give in to someone who overreacts or pushes you around. Pay attention to how you look and present yourself to the world. Focus on fitness, health and emotional well-being.

Keep an open mind, but don't let anyone dictate how you live your life. Take the path that excites you most and brings you the most satisfaction. Do your own thing.

Refuse to let anyone speak for you or push you in a direction you don't want to go. Take control and put your effort into what matters to you. Don't let the changes others make lead you astray.

Find something you enjoy doing and dig in. The knowledge you acquire will help you find a way to turn your passion into a prosperous endeavor. Negotiate a contract and invest in yourself.

You don't have to make the first move. Spontaneity can negatively affect a partnership if you act before getting approval. Slow down, take a wait-and-see attitude and avoid a setback.

Be secretive about what you are trying to do until you have tweaked every detail. Presenting an idea that is polished and ready to go will make it easy to persuade others to get involved.

Reach out to someone you can count on to tell you the truth, then digest the information you receive. Make adjustments that will help you fit into what's trending.

Rethink your strategy. If you take on responsibilities that don't belong to you, it will hinder you from accomplishing your goals. Consider what you want to achieve and head in that direction.

Work alone if you want to SAGITTARIUS make the most of your time.

(Nov. 23Taking physical action to Dec. 21) complete something important to you will lead to the rewards you desire. Budget your time wisely.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19) SATURDAY'S WORD -- HARANGUE

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

Refuse to let anyone limit you. Don't let the changes made by others interfere with your plans. Do what comes naturally, and a chance to get ahead will come your way.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Keep the peace. Problems with a friend, relative or loved one will erupt if you aren't patient or willing to compromise.

A joint effort to fix something serious will pay off.

PISCES

Put in the time and effort.

Take care of your responsibilities before you move on to more enjoyable tasks. A positive idea will lead to a change at home. Share your thoughts and feelings.

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MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021

21

Wimbledon 2021: Djokovic beats Matteo Berrettini for 20th Grand Slam title N ovak Djokovic won his sixth Wimbledon title to equal Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's record of 20 men's Grand Slam titles after fighting back to beat Italy's Matteo Berrettini.

The 34-year-old Serb won 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-4 6-3 in front of a passionate and vocal 15,000 crowd on Centre Court. Seventh seed Berrettini, 25, received loud backing, but could not maintain his advantage in his first major final.

Top seed Djokovic has now won all three Grand Slam men's titles in 2021.

"Winning Wimbledon was always the biggest dream for me when I was a kid," said the world number

one, who dropped a set for only the second time in the SW19 fortnight.

"A seven-year-old boy in Serbia constructing a Wimbledon trophy with improvised materials and standing here with a sixth real trophy is incredible. It is amazing."

Having already claimed the Australian Open and French Open, Djokovic is the fifth man in history – and only the second in the Open era after Rod Laver in 1969 – to win the first three majors of the season.

And with Djokovic retaining his crown at the All England Club, he has moved a step closer to becoming the second player to achieve a 'Golden Slam'.

Novak Djokovic

Only Germany's Steffi Graf in 1988 has ever won all four majors and the Olympics in a calendar year.

Berrettini saved two match points at 5-3 in the fourth set with a controlled volley and a 101mph forehand winner down the line.

Copa America 2021 winner Messi: I needed to achieve this with Argentina

But the Italian could not fight off the third as he sliced a backhand into the net.

Djokovic fell flat on his back with his arms outstretched after sealing a hard-fought victory, while Berrettini's contrasting emotions on the opposite baseline – bending over double with his hands on his knees – illustrated the effort he had expended in defeat.

After taking the acclaim of a rapturous Centre Court crowd, Djokovic climbed up to his support

team to celebrate before finding a few spare seconds to have a selfie with one young fan.

Djokovic has made no secret of the fact he is motivated by creating history, having already spent more weeks as world number one than any other man and now targeting the most major titles.

When Djokovic won his first Slam at the 2008 Australian Open, Federer – who is almost six years older than the Serb – had claimed 12 of his 20 majors. Djokovic was still stuck on one when Federer claimed his 16th in 2010.

Now, Djokovic has moved level with Federer – and Nadal, who caught up with the Swiss at last year's French Open – for the first time.

"I have to pay tribute to Rafa and Roger. They are legends of our sport and the two greatest players I have faced," said Djokovic,

who won his second Grand Slam in 2011 and has now won a total of 19 in the past decade.

"They are the reason why I am where I am today. They made me realise what I had to do to get stronger – mentally, physically and tactically.

"The last 10 years have been an incredible journey that is not stopping here."

Report

Not only did Djokovic have to contend with Berrettini's fierce serving and thumping forehand, he also had to deal with the loud vocal support for the popular Italian.

There were moments when Djokovic seemed irked by chanting of his opponent's name, responding with steely glares and exchanges with the crowd.

Despite that, there was nothing other than rapturous acclaim when he sealed a third successive title on Centre Court. (BBC Sport)

Dustin Poirier beats Conor McGregor after Irishman breaks leg in 1st round at UFC 264

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L

ionel Messi has expressed his happiness and relief at finally winning silverware with Argentina after Saturday's Copa America 2021 triumph over Brazil at the Maracana.

Argentina defeated Brazil 1-0 after Angel Di Maria's 22nd-minute strike, earning six-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi his maiden piece of silverware with La Albiceleste.

Messi has finished runner-up in the Copa three times: 2007, 2015 and 2016, as well as runner-up at the 2014 World Cup and revealed his joy after the game. "I needed to get the thorn out of being able to achieve something with the national team, I had been very close for many years," Messi told reporters.

"I knew that at some point it was going to go right, it was going to happen and I think there is no better moment than this.

"I feel that God was saving this moment for me, against Brazil in the final

and in their country." Along with breaking 34-year-old Messi's international duck, it is also Argentina's first Copa America since 1993, ending a 28-year wait.

"We still cannot believe that we are champions and what we have achieved," Messi said. "But I think it will be a match that will remain in history, not only because we are champions of South America, but also because we beat them, Brazil in their country."

Argentina's win marked 20 games unbeaten under Head Coach Lionel Scaloni and offered optimism for next year's World Cup in Qatar. Scaloni has changed the Argentine side, with relative newcomers Emiliano Martinez, Rodrigo De Paul, and Cristiano Romero impressing.

"Lionel deserves special merit," Messi said. "He always wanted the best for the national team. He knew how to put together a winning team and deserves recognition."

Messi added: "We have to take advantage of this generation, this new crop of players. I told them they were going to be the future of the national team and I was not wrong. They showed it; today, we are champions."

Scaloni also heaped praise on Messi, who was named Player of the Tournament alongside Brazil's Neymar.

The Argentine finished as the equal top scorer with four goals as well as most assists (five). “If all Argentines knew about the way he played this Copa America, they would love him more and more," Scaloni said. "I have no doubt.

"I, as a coach, could never do without this player, including playing in inferior conditions than we faced in this final and the semi-final.

"That's the kind of player we have and we have to enjoy, because one day in your career you won't be playing anymore. I have no words for him, he makes things easier on a daily basis."

onor McGregor was sensationally defeated for the second time in two fights after breaking his leg at UFC 264 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

The Irishman, 32, was stopped after the first round against former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier.

Replays showed his ankle rolling over as he stepped backwards seconds before the end of the round and the fight was stopped by doctors, handing Poirier a second straight win in their trilogy. "This is not over," McGregor said.

"If I have to take it outside, let's take it outside," he added as he was interviewed while sitting on the canvas with his ankle strapped in a protective cast, before being taken out of the ring on a stretcher.

Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC) President Dana White said after the fight McGregor had broken the lower tibia in his left shin. McGregor had defeated Poirier via first-round TKO at UFC 178 in 2014, but the American, also 32, evened the score with a second-round TKO at UFC

Conor McGregor is carried out of the octagon

257 in January.

It meant the rivalry was perfectly poised heading into their trilogy bout in Las Vegas, and it was Poirier who emerged victorious in unfortunate circumstances.

The action was fast and furious as McGregor switched his tactics from the second fight and opened up with a succession of kicks. But Poirier kept his cool and, after fending off McGregor's early attacks, pushed forward with a flurry of punches before eventually forcing the action against the cage.

McGregor attempted to surprise Poirier with a

guillotine choke, but the American stayed calm and escaped before punishing McGregor with heavy punches and elbows from top position.

And, when the fight returned to the feet, both men attempted to throw huge shots, with McGregor rolling his ankle when stumbling backward.

Poirier then poured on the pressure in search of a finish, but the Irishman was saved by the buzzer.

However, it quickly became apparent that McGregor had suffered a serious injury, with replays showing the Irishman's leg breaking as he stepped backward. (BBC Sport)

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GUYANATIMESGY.COM

MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021

Italy crowned European champions after shootout win over England I

taly won the European Championship for the first time since 1968 as Gianluigi Donnarumma saved two England penalties en route to a 3-2 shootout win after the teams had fought out a 1-1 extra-time draw at a raucous Wembley on Sunday.

The giant keeper saved from Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka after Marcus Rashford hit a post, as Federico Bernardeschi, Leonardo Bonucci and Domenico Berardi all scored for the Italians.

Luke Shaw had given England a dream start with a superb goal after two minutes, but Italy, who offered almost nothing in response in the first half, gradually took command as the hosts sat back and levelled through Bonucci after 67 minutes.

It was the first final to be decided on penalties since

Czechoslovakia beat West Germany in 1976 and will be wildly celebrated in Italy after they lost in the final in 2000 and 2012.

They made most of the running after halftime and in extra time, and England can have few complaints after their early promise faded away.

It was nevertheless heart-breaking for most of the 67,000 Wembley crowd as England came up short in their first major final since they won the World Cup 55 years ago.

It had all started so well when Harry Kane spread the ball wide to Kieran Trippier and he instantly repaid Coach Gareth Southgate’s faith in recalling him by sending over a curling deep cross that the fast-arriving Shaw met on the half volley to hammer inside the post for his first international goal.

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Italy's Leonardo Bonucci scores their first goal

England had taken an early lead in their 2018 World Cup semi-final against Croatia before eventually being outplayed and beaten in extra time, but they did not look like giving up the initia-

Italy's Gianluigi Donnarumma celebrates winning Euro 2020 with team-mates

tive on home soil, playing on the front foot, though failing to threaten Donnarumma. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Crisp shot aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa England keeper Jordan Pickford was similarly untroubled as Federico Chiesa’s crisp shot went just wide and Ciro Immobile’s blocked effort were all Italy had to show for a disjointed half.

England’s well-drilled defence, which had conceded just one goal, via a Danish free kick, in their six previous tournament games, held them at arm’s length and Italian frustration was summed up by centre back Bonucci letting fly wildly from 35 metres with the last kick of the half – much to the disgust of his team-mates.

Pickford was called into action after 57 minutes, blocking a Lorenzo Insigne shot and then getting down

to palm away from Chiesa as Italy began to apply pressure, pinning England back. It paid dividends when Bonucci pounced from close range after Pickford had turned Andrea Belotti’s header onto a post.

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England could have no complaints, having virtually invited their opponents on and offered almost nothing in attack, and they would have been somewhat relieved to go into extra time.

It was a similar story in the first additional 15 minutes, though England did briefly force their way back into the game in the second period, albeit without either side creating anything to reward the crowd for their waves of noise. So it went to penalties, where England's young guns failed and Italy took the glory.(Reuters)

“It's about guiding the younger players” – Bravo's experience shows West Indies the way

D

wayne Bravo is the second-most capped player in T20 history – his international Captain Kieron Pollard is well ahead at the top – and there were examples of that wealth of experience dotted throughout West Indies' hugely impressive performance in St Lucia.

It had been five years since he had batted as high as number five in international cricket and two years since he'd done it at any level. Having briefly looked as though his presence might stall the innings when he sat on 17 off 17 – especially with the fact that Andre Russell, Nicholas Pooran and Fabian Allen were to follow – he then finished with 47 off 34 balls.

It was both his longest and highest innings since making 55 off 54 against Pakistan in Dubai in September 2016.

"It was always in the team plan if we bat first and we lose early wickets for me to go in and control the innings with the bat – it's more my style of play," he told the host broadcaster. "Pick up the ones and twos, lay that solid platform for the likes of Russell, Fabian, Pooran, if Polly is in the squad, to do

Dwayne Bravo made an unbeaten 47

what they have to do in the back end."

He did admit, though, to realising the batting power that was still to come. "I must be honest, at some point I was trying get out at the back end to allow Russell and these guys to finish off," he said.

The runs on the board were just one part of the role he played. There were the knowledge and advice he was able to bring to the match-defining 103-run partnership with Shimron Hetmyer. "I had never batted with Bravo before ... he was just telling me to keep going and just do what you do best," Hetmyer said. "I really trusted him

batting and running between the wickets."

As Hetmyer cut loose in the latter part of the innings – turning 14 off 13 balls into 61 off 36 – Bravo had the best seat in the house.

"We needed partnerships and the way Hetmyer batted in the first game and into this game, it's just a pleasure to see him bat," Bravo said.

"He's a batting leader in our group, we gave him the responsibility to take control of the batting and show some maturity. We all know how classy he is and how dangerous he can be, [the advice was] just to bat deep, it's a ground that has a big wind

factor advantage.

"It's just about guiding the younger players: Hety, Pooran, Obed McCoy, Hayden Walsh…that's the kind of information we keep feeding to these younger players."

In the field, Bravo remains very solid – notwithstanding one missed chance running from short third man – and while he claimed the late wicket of Dan Christian, his most significant contribution was not obvious on the scorecard.

When Fidel Edwards removed Aaron Finch with a slower ball that cannoned off the pads into the stumps he immediately ran to Bravo – a master of such variations – in his celebration.

"Two days ago I teach him how to do it," Bravo revealed. "I said, you have the perfect action to bowl a different slower ball. I let him stand about five feet away from me and said Fidel, all you have to do with your action is sling the ball like this with pace but he didn't have the confidence to do it in a game. So I said to him do a

few in a practice. I said do it [in the game], nothing wrong with trying, so for me to see him have success I'm happy."

(ESPNcricinfo)

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Anchorman Hetmyer excited to continue stabilising role highly and he was happy to play the anchor role.

"It was basically playing like how the team wanted me to. From practice and so on, I was told that I need to play the role of being the person that hold the team together," said Hetmyer, who is looking forward to continuing playing this role.

The hard-hitting lefthander, who allowed his bat to do the talking and silenced his critics, said he learnt that he has more time than he thinks while batting. "I think I waited on the bad balls well and got singles and doubles."

Speaking to Cricket West Indies media, after his top innings, Hetmyer added: “One of the best [innings], if not the best because I paced it quite well, ran between the wicket with Bravo, and I tried to run as much and not think about hitting boundaries.

I looked to hit the ball in

By Brandon Corlette

A

fter the recent South Africa T20 International series, West Indies batting having the biggest meltdown in the middle overs was the big talking point.

The West Indies are not short of six-hitting machines but they came into the series against Australia, seeking to find the anchorman.

In the first T20 International against Australia, Shimron Hetmyer played a cautious innings of 20 from 25 balls.

That innings suggested that Hetmyer was tasked to hold things together in the middle overs, and he did, to an extent.

Come the second match against the Aussies, Hetmyer perfected his new role. After recording his best T20I innings of 61 from 36 balls, Hetmyer rated this performance

Shimron Hetmyer

23

the gaps and when the bad ball presents itself, it was something that I am working on and I am glad it worked out so far."

One of the most talked-about cricketers on the planet, Hetmyer said he loved the Kieron Pollard press conference where the Captain asked the media to "leave Hetmyer alone".

"I love that interview; for some reason I am always in the media, good or bad I am always there. It was really nice for him to say something like that.

He is someone I have vast respect for, someone that is straight up and he helps me in how I go about with my innings," Hetmyer added.

Hetmyer and the West Indies team will be in action today, Monday, July 12 from 19:30h for the third T20 match against Australia.

Walsh's wild ride from Aussie "We will get there" – Ramson Jr on naming net bowler to Aussie destroyer Providence Stadium stands

I

n a little over two years, the leggie has gone from trying his luck with the USA to being the West Indies' leading bowler in the ongoing T20 International series.

In March 2019, Aaron Finch said "a gun leg-spinner who bowls it a little bit like Rashid Khan" was among the USA cricketers who had caught his eye following a net session in Sharjah.

Australia were in the midst of a One-Day International (ODI) series against Pakistan ahead of that year's 50-over World Cup and had invited the US national side, who were also in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the time, to train with them.

Little did Finch know that two years on, in preparation for another World Cup, that same leg-spinner who had bowled to them at dusty practice nets in Sharjah would soon be troubling the Aussies out in the middle too.

Hayden Walsh Jr is the leading wicket-taker in the West Indies' T20I series against Australia in St Lucia, play-

ing an instrumental role in their stunning first-up win before following it up with another strangling effort on Saturday evening.

Walsh still has photos saved on his phone bowling in his blue USA shirt to Australia, and of him speaking to Peter Handscomb.

"I remember

Flashback: Walsh Jr in the nets for USA against the Aussies

bowling to “Finchy”, “Uzzie” (Usman Khawaja), Alex Carey, a couple of other guys," t h e

29-yearold told cricket . c o m . au after t h e Windies' 56-run second T20I win over Australia.

"I really enjoyed just being there."

Within months of that encounter, Walsh joined the rare club of players to have represented two countries in international cricket when he made his debut for the West Indies after 20 games with the USA. He had qualified for the

Americans by virtue of being born in the US Virgin Islands to Antiguan parents, having previously been largely overlooked in the West Indies' regional system.

"I never had eyes on playing for the West Indies, I had eyes on playing for the US, maybe taking them to a World Cup," Walsh Jr said. "At the time (in 2019), I wasn't playing any regional cricket, I was mainly on the bench.

"I was like, 'Let me try to play some Associate cricket'. It turned out pretty well.

They were trying to qualify for ODI status and here I am. Everything just went on from there … Things just happened."

A breakout 2019 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season with the title-winning Barbados Tridents propelled him into the Windies white-ball teams, although the twists

and turns continued when Walsh Jr caught COVID-19 on the Windies' tour of Bangladesh earlier this year.

By the time the Australia series began, he had not played international cricket in more than a year.

Walsh Jr rated his role in Australia's astonishing collapse in the first T20I among his greatest career achievements, and he has now dismissed their leading batter in the series, Mitch Marsh, in both games.

The wrist-spinner has six wickets at an economy rate of 6.50 in the back-toback victories, and is hopeful of making the Windies' T20 World Cup squad.

"I really wanted to play international cricket, so I was just trying to find whatever way I could to that," he added. "USA was an avenue that I could try, and my cricket just became better and better, and I'm here now." (cricket.com.au)

I

Minister of Culture Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr

n contrast to other cricket venues around the world that feature names of great players or cricket personalities on stands or facilities, the Guyana National Stadium at Providence is missing such names on the various stands.

Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr said he would advance this at the appropriate time.

"I have not advanced the discussion as yet.

We got some priorities at the moment. It is not the most important thing for us at the moment. We will get there as soon as we can get to some degree of normality in the way in which we organise ourselves in sport," Minister

Ramson Jr said on a recent Sean Devers Sports Watch.

"I have spoken to “Reds” (Joseph Perreira) and he has been very insightful in some of the advice and the recommendations. It (naming the Stadium stands) is something that more people have raised with me and I am going to advance it at the appropriate time, but it's too early at this point."

The National Stadium at Providence will host Pakistan in three T20 Internationals against West Indies on July 31, August 1 and August 3. Preparations began early at the National Stadium, which looks in tip-top shape at the moment.

MONDAY, JULY 12, 2021

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Anchorman Hetmyer excited “We will get there” – Ramson Jr on naming Providence Stadium stands to continue stabilising role Pg 23

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