Guyana times - Thursday 28, 2024

Govt to “look into” wharf facility for Region 5 fisherfolk – Pres Ali

…shed, tarmac to be rehabilitated

President Dr Irfaan Ali has committed to explore the possibility of building a wharf facility for the members of the Three-Door Fishermen’s Cooperative Society in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).

The Head of State made this comment on Wednesday during an engagement with fisherfolk at the Three-Door Sluice, D’Edward Village, West Coast Berbice.

During the interaction, the President of the Coop Society requested that the wharf be built. He explained the difficulties fishermen face getting on shore and off shore.

President Ali was told by the fisherfolks that the facility should be at least 250 feet out into the water to allow for easier access and transportation of their catch. They also asked for lights to be installed in the area to ensure their safety at night.

“You don’t have to get a

dressed concerns raised.

Additionally, the Head of State also promised to have a shed and the tarmac rehabilitated after the Co-op members complained about their current state.

The President instructed the Regional Engineer

President Ali stated. Interventions were also made on other issues raised by the fishermen as well as other persons from D’Edward Village and surrounding communities. The Head of State also committed to have Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, return to

wharf to drive in and drive out. [Just for] things to go in and come out back, like push cart, pull seine aside… with an extended front –like 20 feet so the cart can pass up and down,” the fishermen indicated.

to work with the fisherfolk and come with up an estimate for the upgrades. A timeline was given for this to be done.

“Make sure you get it up by tonight (Wednesday night) and I’ll get [the Ministry of] Agriculture to look at the wharf issue,”

In response, President Ali informed the fisherfolk that he would have the Agriculture Ministry look into the construction of the wharf.

the community to address issues within the Co-op Society that were raised.

Wednesday’s engagement was President Ali’s second meeting with the members of the Three-Door Fishermen’s Co-op Society. Back in 2021, the Guyanese Leader had visited and ad-

That intervention had resulted in an agreement signed between the Co-op Society and the Berbice Bridge Company Incorporated (BBCI) to allow the fishermen to legally utilise and operate from the river shore base at D’Edward – in the vicinity of the western side of the bridge.

Agri projects

Meanwhile during Wednesday’s visit to Region Five, President Ali, who was accompanied by Director General of the Agriculture Ministry, Madanlall Ramraj, also conducted tours of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute’s (NAREI’s) model farm, the brackish water shrimp venture, and the regional state-of-the-art abattoir on the West Coast of Berbice (WCB).

Funded by the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), the $600 million abattoir facility is being constructed at Onverwagt, WCB.

The Guyanese Leader was informed that the project was set to be completed by mid-April. Upon completion, the facility would be able to process about 25 head of cattle per day.

The new abattoir will not only modernise Guyana’s

meat-processing capabilities but also bring it up to international standards. This will open up new markets for Guyana’s beef, boosting the income of cattle farmers and creating valuable employment opportunities.

To aid its livestock programme, Government had brought in 64 hybrid breeding bulls in 2022 to further improve the cattle breeds in the country.

In December, Minister Mustapha has disclosed that there was a serious investor from Colombia, who wanted to start investment in 1000 head cattle for beef production. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect is on the cards.

On site at the shrimp production ponds that are also currently under construction, President Ali was updated on the progress of the work.

There are five ponds, approximately one acre in size, being built. These ponds will produce six tonnes per crop, with at least three crops per year, that is, 18 tonnes of shrimp per pond – mostly to meet the demand within the region including the Caribbean, Latin America, and North America.

The President was told that the first harvest could be expected within three to four months of the start of operations.

At least 10 ponds are

expected to be constructed as part of a $100 million prawn production project at Onverwagt. This initiative was undertaken as the Government works to expand the aquaculture industry in order to tap into the high demand from regional and international markets.

Minister Mustapha had previously stated that once operational, these 10 ponds were expected to produce about 50 tonnes per crop that could potentially earn US$2.2 million annually.

During Wednesday’s visit to the region, President Ali also visited an agro-processing facility that is presently unutilised. The Head of State was told that while persons would have gone to conduct trials, no one has made use of the facility.

As such, the Head of State ordered that the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) and the Private Sector get involved. He instructed that the Guyana Manufacturing and Service Association (GMSA) work with farmers in Region Five to utilise the facility.

“So, they can bring their stuff [to be processed in the agro-processing facility]. I want it fully operationalised by next week… I will return in two weeks and I want to see it fully operational,” Ali stated. (G8)

President Dr Irfaan Ali engaging with fisherfolk from the Three-Door Fishermen’s Co-op in Region Five

Guyana will aggressively pursue oil for national development – Pres Ali to BBC

An interview between President Dr Irfaan Ali and Stephen Sackur, the host of BBC's “HardTalk” show, saw the Head of State forced to defend Guyana’s oil and gas production against the interviewer’s line of questioning and efforts to paint Guyana as a major contributor to global warming.

In his preamble to his question, the interviewer told President Ali that over the next decade, the US$150 billion worth of oil that Guyana is expected to produce will translate to more than two billion tonnes of carbon emissions.

As Sackur questioned whether President Ali was present at the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework

cause we have to develop our country. We are committed to development of this region. We have to create the opportunity for our people, because

to 2030.

The Guyana Government has committed to injecting 15 per cent of all proceeds from this carbon credits deal direct-

Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), where commitments were made by countries around the world to combat climate change, the Head of State was forced to interject.

“Let me stop you right there. Do you know that Guyana has a forest, that is the size of England and Scotland combined? A forest that stores 19.5 gigatonnes of carbon? A forest that we have kept alive?” President Ali questioned.

Asked if that gave Guyana the right to produce its oil, the President questioned “does that give you the right to lecture us on climate change? I am going to lecture you on climate change. Because we have kept this forest alive, that stores 19.5 gigatonnes of carbon, that you enjoy, that the world enjoys, that you don’t pay us for, that you don’t value, that the people of Guyana has kept alive.”

President Ali pointed out that Guyana has the lowest deforestation rate in the world and that even with peak exploration for oil, Guyana would still be net zero (producing less carbon emissions than extracted from the atmosphere).

The President further acknowledged that Guyana was indeed committed to aggressively exploring and producing oil within the existing timeframe, noting that the country has developmental needs that only massive financing could solve.

“We are practical. You can say we are rushing. But we are very practical. We have this natural resource. And we are going to aggressively pursue this natural resource, be-

no one is bringing that for us,” President Ali further said.

For some time, Guyana has gained recognition on the global stage for its management of its forest management. This recognition saw Guyana being issued 33.4 million tons of Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART)-certified carbon credits – the first jurisdictional-scale programme in the world.

Guyana also entered into a US$750 million deal with United States energy major Hess Corporation, for the sale of the high-quality carbon credits during the period 2016

ly into Indigenous villages to finance their development. Monies have already been disbursed to benefiting communities.

During last year’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), President Ali had cause to call out developed countries over their failure to fulfil the US$100 billion per year pledge to assist developing nations’ fight against climate change.

According to the Head of State, Guyana is committed to a clean energy transition and is aiming for over 80 per cent reliance on renewable energy by 2030.

But he had also explained that COP28 would not achieve the desired objectives of definitively putting the planet on a net-zero trajectory, if certain realities, including the need for financing and the massive price tag to transition to net zero by 2050 of US$375 trillion (McKinsey and Company), continue to be ignored.

President Ali had contended that net zero by 2050 as a target could only be achieved by a combination of measures that include: a cut in fossil fuel production; incentivising the introduction of renewables at scale; exploring advances in technology in using carbon capture and storage; cutting deforestation and land degradation, and introducing measures to curb the demand for energy. (G3)

President Dr Irfaan Ali during the interview

The interviewer, Stephen Sackur (left) listens as President Ali makes a point

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Errant motorcyclists/ road users

Calls for better usage of our roadways seem to be falling on deaf ears as the accident death toll continues to climb.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has reported that it conducted a traffic enforcement exercise and among the significant outcomes is the fact that offences detected were unlicensed driving, failure to wear safety helmets, uncertified motor vehicles, unlicensed motor vehicles, failure to carry reflecting mirrors, and obscured identification marks.

The GPF also reported: “38 individuals were found operating motorcycles without a valid driver's licence, while another 38 motorcyclists were cited for neglecting to wear appropriate protective headgear. Additionally, 31 motorcycles were flagged for lacking proper certification, and 33 motorcyclists were found operating vehicles without the requisite licensing.”

Seemingly common now is the disrespect for designated major roads. Many drivers, including some within the public transportation system, refuse to adhere to what is mandatory. As a result, a number of accidents occur frequently at some of those points. Similarly, the practice of running red lights and the green signal that allows pedestrians to cross continues unabated, predominantly by minibus drivers. The danger this poses needs no explanation.

While there is a plethora of traffic violations on a daily basis, some appear more prominent. Undertaking, cutting in front of a vehicle, sticking out of a minibus conductor’s arm to do likewise from the other side, seem the new norm of driving. Aside from the obvious danger, especially to young and inexperienced drivers, and being an irritant, it is blatant bullyism and a potent source for road rage.

It appears that those who engage in such practices do not see themselves as being errant, or what they do as a traffic violation. Lanes that allow for turning-on-red are abused and used as if they are the right-of-way. Speeding is foremost, causing areas that are supposed to be free of minibuses to become dangerous.

There is no doubt that there is always an element of risk whenever someone uses the roadways, be it a motorist, passenger, cyclist or pedestrian. This is somewhat inherent, since it is believed that accidents will happen. Often, the fault is not with the one being cautious; the risks may manifest in various forms, such as a lack of street lighting while driving at nights; potholes, which when swerved from could place a vehicle in the direct path of another; absence of or non-functioning traffic lights, which can create uncertainty among drivers; roaming animals; speeding; drinking and driving; narrow streets and lack of traffic signage. In addition, disobedience of basic traffic etiquette and other rules exacerbate the risks.

In addition, some drivers seemingly take pride in having an alcoholic beverage in their possession while transporting passengers. Adding to the woes of those who abide by traffic rules is that they are verbally abused when trying to stave off a potential transgressor.

What is desperately needed is sustained campaigns like the one conducted on Wednesday by the GPF, to reduce traffic violations, and let the law take its course on the errant ones, regardless of who they are. The carelessness exhibited puts all road users at risk.

It must be noted that drivers are not the only violators of traffic rules, for some pedestrians are equally guilty. Aside from the common jaywalking, they cross busy intersections when not authorised, and refuse to use the overhead pedestrian walkways, thereby bringing danger to themselves and others. Like errant drivers, they seem empowered to not observe basic traffic rules. This will only change when there is a constant stream of violators up the stairs of the courts across the country. There is hope that that is not wishful thinking.

Helping OGGN to refocus their vision

Dear Editor,

The OGGN makes a feeble and ill-informed attempt to refute my assertions (via paid advertisement and letter to the editor) that their submissions to the UNCHR were politically motivated. The OGGN response focused on two issues: access to information on Guyana’s depletion policy, and legibility of laws (unlike their UNCHR submission, which ventured into every possible area, including the vagaries of US Immigration practices and policies).

OGGN began with their interpretation (or lack thereof) of the Access to Information Act 2011: OGGN would like the term “not in the public interest” to be defined. The history of this term is long and storied, and it is often left to the courts of a country to determine. Sir Stephen Sedly’s article appropriately titled ‘Not in the Public Interest’ deals with the issue cogently:

“The preparedness of the High Court to consider whether the state has abused its powers at the instance of an applicant who has nothing person -

ally to gain is one of the modern cornerstones of the rule of law. It is not an open door: for every individual or NGO that secures permission to apply for judicial review in the public interest, a good many are turned away. Some are considered to be busybodies, others lack what Lord Kenyon CJ once called “a very fair case” … In all such cases, the court has to determine whether the particular claimant has a “sufficient interest” in the subject matter of the claim.”

For the benefit of the OGGN, which has restricted itself to an interpretive source of information, the Government’s depletion policy has often been stated as “produce as much oil as possible before Zero Net becomes a reality”. in other words, do everything to convert underground resources into finance, and use that finance to build tangible infrastructure and economic opportunity for all Guyanese.

The OGGN focuses on the claim that Jagdeo said ‘Guyanese don’t need to know the oil reserves at this time’, when what

was explained by Jagdeo is Exxon (with Government support) is focusing on the production of oil (which is what earns Guyana revenue via our share of profit oil) and not on the lengthy and complex process of well appraisals, which includes additional (and costly) drilling and data evaluation. To quote from OGGN’s submission to the UNCHR, “Guyana, considering its limited population, benefits from a considerable number of media outlets. The media environment includes some twenty TV channels, thirty radio stations, four daily newspapers, and about ten popular online news media. All of them disseminate news content also via Facebook”.

I would suggest OGGN’s members seek information from more than one (subjective) source to assist with their understanding of any issue.

The other herring OGGN throws into the mix is that citizens cannot access legible copies of Guyana’s laws. “Some Laws are available only as images, so poorly orientated that optical character

recognition software cannot recognise the individual letters. And how are people – on the coast or in the hinterland – without special software, to read and know which parts of which Laws apply to them?”

1: the previous claim by OGGN to the UNCHR was that the laws were not in ‘word searchable’ format, the claim that the laws are not legible is new. 2. I know of no such illegible laws. I have never heard any member of the legal fraternity complain or use as a defense that there was no legible copy of the law available. 3: Ignorance of the law is not a defense, I for one have not read many of the laws of Guyana, but commonsense keeps me off the courtroom steps.

Editor, everything written by Darshanand Khusial in this ‘reply’ coincides with my original premise that OGGN stands for ‘Old Guys Griping Nonstop’, and maybe someone just needs to help them find their spectacles to assist with refocusing their vision.

Sincerely,

Robin Singh

Fisherfolk mending seine at the Three-Door Sluice at D'Edward, West Coast Berbice (WCB) (Office of the President photo)

PNC war of wits, wisdom, words and wickedness

Dear Editor, Parliament and the daily papers have always been the arena for political football to become the bone of contention, indulging in controversies, debates, verbal fireworks, and even physical explosions.

In December 2021, a Parliamentary staffer and personal assistant to the Speaker of the House was the subject of physical and verbal abuse when PNC Opposition members attacked the employee in an attempt to seize the Mace.

During a 2023 presidential outreach, the opposition press even claimed that a reporter was the subject of attempted harassment. On a regular basis, the media often misinterpret information for the sake of misguiding the innocent and creating marketable opportunity.

The worrisome war of wits, words, wisdom and wickedness weaken and also weaponize the PNC as they struggle to battle their sustenance for worth. A clueless leader continues to run around searching for an identity of significance while grounding himself in delusive content. His personal imposition (no fault of the public) may become an impediment for his in-

cumbency. Meanwhile, the PNC, their surrogates and affiliates align themselves to tongue twisting while maligning themselves to contortions and distortions of facts and figures in order to gain support from their disgruntled constituency. A common trend has been the exaggeration of falsified claims unsupported by any evidence.

The PNC’s propaganda campaign is a camouflage to hide their deficiencies, weaknesses and limitations. Consistent with their mantra to deceive and conceal the truth, they allude to a program of counter attacking with criticisms, painting the opposite picture, hyper inflate the logistics of any possibility, and demanding the execution of the improbable. Not to overlook, they also lean heavily on their overseas-based counterparts to unleash vicious attacks behind hidden locations. In addition, they use foreign officials in the higher ranks, who are part of their “kith and kin”, to influence other dignitaries to perpetuate their opinions, misrepresentations and falsifications. Using international forum, this artery has been a source of poisonous presentations, not caring about the decorum of

the country itself to which they belong, hopefully.

In order to prove the sharpness of their metal and convince their particular supporters that the PNC is a party qualified to fight for their direct rights and defend their hereditary cause, they unscrupulously ignite the flame of racism and dishearteningly propagate discrimination for unequal treatment. This has extended to dominating the streets with exited incense translated into the practice of violent behaviour. Party leaders were guilty of this insinuation when they misled crowds at wake-houses and misdirected gatherings at market areas. Those incidents have scorched the victims of torture and left uncompensated damages to be borne by members of one ethnicity. The PNC have scored uncreditable points during those skirmishes, and have managed to only strengthen the notion of their disreputableness.

Recalling the last Budget Debate, when the one-track- minded elements of the Opposition reflected their negative approach and their enthusiasm to stifle Guyana’s economic growth was transparent, it simply endorsed that the Opposition is callous and ir-

responsible of forging the interest of Guyanese.

The PNC’s open agenda is riddled with vile, venom and vexatious vicissitudes. Engrained in the defects of Burnham dictatorship, his successors have proven that their sole commitment is towards the indignity of selfishness and greed. On regaining governance in 2015, the first thing the PNC did was to fatten the salaries of their MPs by a 50% increase, and directed that the rest of the public service receive nothing. Taking away the Christmas bonus from the Joint Services was adding salt to the wound during their miserable reign.

The previous administration meticulously designed a careful program to ravage the quality of standard Guyanese were enjoying prior to 2015. The “sanctimonious gangster” ensured that Guyanese were burdened with hundreds of appropriate taxes, which would ensure that a certain stream filled the PNC’s coffers which they can then enjoy while the others were left to endure in an appalling state. The raped Treasury was left empty and cold in 2020. Denying the school children their Cash Grants was indeed an act of in -

OGGN’s unashamed behaviour

Dear Editor, Reference is made to the OGGN’s letter of March 27, 2024. The OGGN, an entity registered in the United States by a group of overseas-based Guyanese, none of whom pays taxes in Guyana, has sought to apparently clear its name of “false claims”.

The question is what false claims?

Interestingly, they have responded to another writer, but ignored this author, whom they reported to the UNHRC and have ignored my 15-page response that was also submitted to the UNHRC and published in the local media. Those are the real issues that they need to defend, not those frivolous matters they write about constantly.

In the said letter, the OGGN claimed that all the laws of Guyana are not accessible, so there is denial of access to information in contravention of the Guyana Constitution. This is a classic demonstration, however, of how the OGGN is clueless to the extent that they are totally unaware that all of the laws of Guyana are readily available and accessible on the Attorney

General and Minister of Legal Affairs’ website. Additionally, hard copies of all the laws of Guyana can be accessed at the Parliament Building’s library, which is open to the public.

The bogus entity goes on to state in their letter that other examples of denial of information were included in their report to the UNHRC. But guess what was one of the examples that they referred to?

In their shallow report, they complained about not receiving information under the “Access to Information Act” to confirm who is the Minister of Petroleum. Can you imagine that? This is the sort of question that found its way all the way to the UNHRC. Isn’t it public knowledge who all the ministers are, and their respective portfolios?

Furthermore, the official gazette is a public document accessible on the Attorney General’s website. This type of information can be sourced in the gazette as well.

This is the level of nonsense that the Government has to contend with from bogus NGOs like the OGGN and its members, whom it is

reasonable to question and expose their fraudulent intentions.

Yours respectfully, Joel Bhagwandin

sensitive responsibility. That’s what the PNC meant when they referred to the small man becoming the real man and living the good life!

From the many sittings of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), it is evident from the scrutinised reports that mischief was afoot when the previous administration was running the affairs of the country. The PNC Government twice led this country into bankruptcy, poverty, corruption and economic failure through mismanagement. The state auditors have not failed to address their undertakings, but encountered tremendous difficulties in performing their required tasks to adequately complete their audits due to incomplete or unavailable records and/or destroyed documents.

The word “trust” is a foreign language to the PNC, and alienated from their vocabulary. Their dubious DNA is decorated with the colours of deceit, dishonesty and double-dealing discomforts.

The PNC has engi -

neered an oil contract in which they have agreed to sell out the birth rights of Guyanese and allow foreigners to reap the benefits of Guyana’s gold, both liquid and solid. Hiding the US18 million signing bonus from the Guyanese public confirmed their true intention and real colour.

The Brutus-type PNC did back stab the sugar workers when they closed the sugar estates and left thousands on the breadline, after faithfully promising to keep sugar alive!

On a perpetual basis, the PNC has undermined the confidence of Guyanese at home and abroad. They have made a mockery of the international community with their daring attempt to rig the 2020 Election in front of their eyes. By using their wisdom and wits wastefully, they have watered their chance for re-election, and Guyanese can no longer be convinced of any integrity because of their wicked words, deeds and actions.

Yours respectfully,

Jai Lall

Page Foundation

Types of angles cont’d

Complementary angles are two angles that form a right angle. Their sum will be 90o.

Example:

Exercises:

If angle A = 30o, what is the measure of angle B?

Step 1: Think: A right angle = 90o

Step 2: Subtract: 90 – 30 = 60

So angle B = 60

Identify the complementary angles and vertical angles

Reaction time

When two lines intersect the angles opposite each other are called vertical angles. Those angles are equal.

In this fun and easy human body science experiment, we’re going to explore and investigate reaction time.

Materials:

20-dollar bill

Friend

Instructions:

Hold the 20-dollar bill vertically between the thumb and forefinger of one of your hands.

Now with the opposite hand, position your thumb and forefinger near the bottom of the bill.

Release the bill. You should be able to

easily catch the bill. Now have your friend hold the dollar bill vertically between their thumb and forefinger.

Position your thumb and forefinger near the bottom of the bill, but do not touch the bill.

Instruct your friend to drop the 20-dollar bill without you knowing when this will occur. You may find it much harder to catch the bill.

How it works:

Since you are controlling when the 20-dollar bill will drop during the first

test, you can anticipate the fall and easily catch the bill. In the second test, it is much harder because now your eye has to capture when your friend drops the bill and then send a nerve signal from your eye, to your brain, and then to your finger muscles. This happens in milliseconds, but the difference can be visualised in the extra difficulty involved when attempting to catch the bill dropped by your friend.

Make this a science project: Try dropping smaller, larger, longer, and shorter items. Try a blindfold and using a bell to signal when the item has been dropped. (sciencefun.org)

By Walt Whitman

1

When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom’d, And the great star early droop’d in the western sky in the night, I mourn’d, and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.

Ever-returning spring, trinity sure to me you bring, Lilac blooming perennial and drooping star in the west, And thought of him I love.

2 O powerful western fallen star!

O shades of night—O moody, tearful night!

O great star disappear’d—O the black murk that hides the star!

O cruel hands that hold me powerless—O helpless soul of me!

O harsh surrounding cloud that will not free my soul.

3

In the dooryard fronting an old farmhouse near the white-wash’d palings, Stands the lilac-bush tall-growing with heart-shaped leaves of rich green, With many a pointed blossom rising delicate, with the perfume strong I love, With every leaf a miracle—and from this bush in the dooryard, With delicate-color’d blossoms and heartshaped leaves of rich green, A sprig with its flower I break.

WORD SEARCH

Texas-based Lindsayca to work on petrochemical plant, refinery & oil block in Guyana

Texas-based oil and gas firm Lindsayca has revealed that it will be doing critical work on three major local initiatives: a petrochemical plant, as well as an oil refinery and an offshore oil block as part of the Dominican Republic-funded projects being advanced in Guyana.

On Tuesday, Chairman of the US-based oil and gas company Hector Fuentes participated in panel discussions at the United Caribbean Forum. He revealed that the company, which first came to Guyana

Several motorcycles seized from errant road users

In a concerted effort to enhance road safety, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) conducted a targeted traffic enforcement exercise along the East Coast road corridor on Monday. The operation, which spanned 15:15h to 23:20h, resulted in the seizure of numerous motorcycles for a range of offences.

According to Police reports, the operation yielded significant outcomes, with multiple cases made against errant motorcyclists. Among the offences detected were unlicensed driving, failure to wear safety helmets, uncertified motor vehicles, unlicensed motor vehicles, failure to carry reflecting mirrors, and obscured identification marks.

In total, 38 individuals were found operating motorcycles without a valid licence, while another 38 motorcyclists were cited for neglecting to wear appropriate protective headgear. Additionally, 31 motorcyclists’ bikes were flagged for lacking proper certification, and 33 motorcyclists were found operating vehicles without the requisite licensing.

Further, five individuals were reprimanded for failing to equip their motorcycles

with reflecting mirrors, and law enforcement officers identified one motorcycle with an obscured identification mark, prompting further investigation into potential violations.

In light of these developments, the Police Force has reiterated its commitment to upholding traffic regulations and fostering a culture of road safety awareness.

Only recently, the Police Force announced in preparation for the Easter celebration, there will be stringent enforcement measures to ensure public safety. Traffic Chief, Senior Superintendent Mahendra Singh emphasised heightened vigilance in densely-populated areas, with a focus on facilitating safe revelry.

Inspector Gavin Boyce, who is responsible for traffic operations in Regional

Division 4A (Georgetown), detailed plans to address challenges associated with Easter, including proactive measures in specific areas.

Inspector Michael Ramdass of Regional Division 4B (East Bank Demerara) emphasised responsible behaviour and urged respect for others’ preferences. Assistant Superintendent Maniram Jagnanan, who oversees traffic operations in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), stressed the importance of sober driving and alternative transportation options during celebrations.

The GPF said it remains committed to ensuring a safe celebration, with vigilance, responsible behaviour, and cooperation with law enforcement being crucial for public safety. (G9)

Lindsayca has been in Guyana for less than five years less than five years ago, is now expanding beyond the power plants and Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) facility it was contracted to build for the Gas-to-Shore Project.

According to Fuentes, the company is also planning to work on an oil refinery, a petrochemical plant and an offshore block. These projects are understood to have been conceived from the cooperation agreements the Dominican Republic signed with Guyana last year.

“We are working on three different fronts: the refinery, the petrochemical plant and a block. But I would like to highlight that this is not only an opportunity for the companies involved here but the broader Private Sectors of both countries,” Fuentes said.

Fuentes noted that during the company’s time in Guyana, it has been able see opportunities for business collaborations. However, he assured that Lindsayca was also committed to the social and environmental aspects of its operations.

“Lindsayca has been here for the past four to five years and we definitely see this as an opportunity to prosper for both the

Guyanese and Dominican Republic. Plus, it is a historical collaboration.

“We want energy to be the engine of positive change, not only in terms of economic capacity, but also as a catalyst for social improvement,” the business executive further explained during the panel discussion.

Back in 2022, the consortium of CH4 Guyana Inc/Lindsayca Inc emerged out of a competitive process as the winning bid to construct the 300-megawatt Combined Cycle Power Plant and NGL Plant under an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contract.

Nine firms were publicly pre-qualified to bid on the EPC contract, and Requests for Proposals (RFP) were issued to these bidders. By September, five bids, ranging between US$450 million and US$900 million, were submitted. The EPC contract will be supervised by a global supervision firm – Engineers India Limited.

Apart from the power plant and NGL plant, the scope of the US$900 million Gas-to-Shore project, which has a 25-year lifespan, also consists of the construction of 225 kilometres of pipeline from the Liza field in

offshore Guyana, where ExxonMobil and its partners are currently producing oil. Approximately 220 kilometres of subsea pipeline offshore will run from the Liza Destiny and Liza Unity Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in the Stabroek Block to the shore. Upon landing on the West Coast Demerara shore, the pipeline will continue for approximately 25 kilometres to the NGL plant in Wales.

Exxon, with funding from cost oil, is expected to deliver the completed pipeline by the fourth quarter, in order to allow for commissioning and testing ahead of the power plant coming online by the end of 2024.

The pipeline would be 12 inches wide and is expected to transport some 50 million standard cubic feet per day (mscfpd) of dry gas to the NGL plant, but has the capacity to push as much as 120 mscfpd.

The route of the pipeline onshore would follow the same path as the fibre-optic cables and would terminate at Hermitage, part of the Wales Development Zone (WDZ) where the Gasto-Shore project would be housed. (G3)

Chairman of US-based oil and gas company Lindsayca, Hector Fuentes

the Stabroek Block

Using…

…or selling influence?

It looks like the line of big ones jetting into our dear Mudland will never end – and they keep getting bigger, if not necessarily better!! Who woulda thought that fellas who ruled the US and the UK would actually deign to even step foot into our backwater? So, what it is that’s drawing fellas like Clinton and Blair down here? We gotta be honest and accept it’s not our famed hospitality – but simply for them to trade on their fame and smooth the way for companies and countries to try to get a piece of our newfound oil wealth!!

And this is on top of the locals who would be greasing palms so as to get an inside line into all the multibillion-dollar projects that invite bids every day in the newspapers. And we have the inevitable swell-mouth that some folks are getting unfair advantage. Now, it’s always been like this, no? Folks trying to influence power holders to get “their way” and have an advantage over their competitors. In our own history, weren’t we told about the influence of the “West Indian Lobby” in the British Parliament?? Then later about friends and relatives getting their young’uns plum jobs in our Civil Service? And later still, having “lines” to get anything done during the Burnham dictatorship?? Does anyone believe those “lines” didn’t mean “payoffs”??

But that doesn’t make having “lines” right, does it? If it ain’t a moral question, then at a minimum it’s an economic one. We’re told that such payments are “economic rents” and make transactions “inefficient”, since the market isn’t “free” to deliver the optimum outcome!! The system is being gamed!! The question is what’d we do about it. Let’s look at the Yanks, who are our model in all matters political and economic!!

Very simply, as with all institutions providing “checks and balances” and such like, they created an institution to deal with this aspect of human nature, and called it LOBBYING!! But soon the lobbyists got outta hand. And we’re informed: “The Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946 is a statute enacted by the US Congress to reduce the influence of lobbyists. The primary purpose of the Act was to provide information to members of Congress about those that lobby them. The 1946 Act was replaced by the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.” Lobbyists to members of Congress have to be registered, and as of last year, there were 12,937 of them!! Some even for “furriners” like us to use – as we well know during the attempted PNC elections heist of 2020!! We need this fix, since we’re on an inevitable spending spree that’ll attract these “middlemen” like bees to honey!!

Let’s introduce legislation to register lobbyists!! …or ousting?

Well, whadya know?? We always knew, and they always knew, that the big powers worked behind the scenes to oust governments inimical to their interests. Sometimes they didn’t bother to stay behind the scenes, like when the USSR invaded Hungary in 1956!! To show that oustings aren’t just about ideologies, look at Russia invading Ukraine. A big power’s gonna do what a big power’s gonna do – and deal with the consequences!! They even have a name for it nowadays – “regime change”.

But they don’t normally admit these behind-thescenes manoeuvres – even when they’ve been confirmed by declassified files etc!! “When asked, don’t tell!” was the rule!! Up to now, that is!!

The US has made no secret that Maduro over in Venezuela gotta go – even when he was probably getting elected legitimately!! He just made matters worse when he started fiddling around with elections!!

He’s about to repeat his rigging routine – and your Eyewitness wonders when – not if! – the Yanks are gonna take him out!!

…French charm?

France just announced they’ll be opening an Embassy here. Your Eyewitness wonders whether the move is connected to them being thrown out of those four Sahel African states?? Will they be sending those displaced troops in addition to the patrol boats??

11 homeless after fire destroys 2 NA homes

…fire caused by electricity theft – Fire Service

Eleven people are now homeless after fire destroyed the two houses they had occupied at Angoy's Avenue in New Amsterdam, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) on Wednesday.

Speaking with reporters following the fire, Rudolph Majeet disclosed that, at about 08:30h, he was at home in his hammock while his wife was sitting in a chair when they heard a crackling sound, and they initially thought it was dry grass burning. They went into

the house to ensure that everything was okay, only to be greeted with the blazing fire.

“When I run upstairs, the whole house catch afire! I run down and tell me wife, and I hussle fuh a bucket a water, but the water couldn't even ah do…The fire take place so fast that we couldn't even save anything!” Majeet related.

The New Amsterdam Fire Station was contacted, but by the time firefighters arrived on the scene, the houses at Lot 671 and 672

Angoy’s Avenue were already destroyed.

According to Majeet, he was occupying the two-bedroom wooden house at Lot 671 with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren, while his daughter, her husband and their two children were occupying the house at Lot 672. Majeet, a carpenter, said by the time the Guyana Fire Service arrived, the house had already been destroyed.

“My house was a 20x14 two-storey building, and we had a little business

doing. We lost everything,” he said as he spoke about his two-bedroom house from which he operated a community grocery shop. The fire, according to the carpenter, also burnt the money he had saved. Both families have said they lost everything, and are

The houses engulfed in fire

now homeless. Persons desirous of making contact with Majeet can do so by telephone number (592) 6439503.

Meanwhile, Divisional Fire Officer Kirkland Harry has said the fire resulted from persons steal -

ing electricity. He said the Fire Department cannot stop persons from stealing electricity, but also used the opportunity to advise persons to desist from lightning fires to burn garbage, noting the possible dangers of fire in the current dry spell.

The aftermath of the fire

Guyana supports UN-backed ceasefire in Gaza

…joins call for immediate release of hostages

Earlier this week, Guyana was one of 14 countries on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to support a resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where the Israel-Hamas conflict continues to wreak havoc and claim lives every day.

The vote was an almost unanimous one, with the lone abstention coming from the United States (US), represented by its UN Permanent Representative, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

In her statement following the vote, Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett welcomed the passage of the resolution for the ceasefire. According to her, its passage comes not a moment too soon.

“Guyana is pleased that this council has finally been able to adopt a resolution which demands an immediate ceasefire, albeit for the month of Ramadan, leading to a lasting and sustainable ceasefire. After more than five months of a war of utter terror and destruction, a ceasefire is the difference between life and death, for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and others,” she stated.

The diplomat also made a call for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages. She referenced the anguish of the families of hostages, on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides of the border.

“The anguish of the families of the hostages held in

Gaza, continue to mount, with no clear prospect for the return of their loved ones. Palestinians experience the same anguish, waiting for their relatives who are illegally detained in Israel, to come home.”

“Guyana emphasises the demand for immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. We also demand the release of all Palestinians held in Israeli jails, without trial,” the Ambassador further told the Council.

The resolution was drafted by the non-permanent members of the UNSC, including Guyana, Algeria, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland. It follows the failure of a previous US-led resolution that had also proposed a ceasefire, but was defeated last week Friday with 11 voting in favour, three against and one abstention.

Guyana had been that one abstention, with Rodrigues

explaining at the time that the resolution did not call for an immediate ceasefire, nor did it explicitly hold Israel accountable for its part in the carnage.

“Contrary to some media and other reports, this resolution does not call for an immediate ceasefire. Instead, we note that it ‘determines the imperative for a ceasefire,’ and calls for support for diplomatic efforts that are ongoing outside of the UN.

“While those efforts must be commended, given the responsibility and mandate of this Council, Guyana could not support a resolution that does not unequivocally call for an immediate ceasefire,” Rodrigues had said.

Guyana has been calling for a ceasefire in Gaza since last year and has supported Caricom’s calls for the UN Security Council Resolution 242 to be adhered to. Resolution 242 was adopted in 1967, and it calls for the withdrawal of Israeli troops

from the occupied territories.

Additionally, it acknowledges the claim of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of every state in the region, while calling on the UN Secretary General to appoint an envoy to facilitate an acceptable solution to the conflict.

The violence between Israel and Palestine group Hamas flared up in January 2023, when Gaza militants fired rockets after an Israeli raid in the West Bank. Israel responded with air strikes. A ceasefire that took effect in May ended, and in September, Israel attacked Hamas in a series of drone strikes after their troops were fired on.

On October 7, Hamas launched an attack on Israeli settlements on the West Bank, which were guarded by members of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF). They killed some 1200 Israelis, including women and children, and took 240 hostages.

Brazilian national pleads guilty to causing death of Guyanese woman

Casmero Cyril Juan, a 26-year-old resident of Boa Vista in Brazil, has pleaded guilty to all charges laid against him in relation to an accident that claimed the life of pedestrian Shammell Lovena Lindie, a 48-yearold mother of three, who had resided at Culvert City in Lethem, Central Rupununi.

That accident occurred on Friday on the Barrack Retreat Public Road within the Lethem Commercial Zone, and it involved motor pickup GAD 6773 which was being driven by Juan allegedly at a fast rate when Lindie was struck down.

Juan appeared before Lethem Magistrate Omadatt Chandan facing multiple charges stemming from that incident, among which are: causing death by dangerous driving, driving under the influence, failing to stop after an accident, failing to render assistance to an injured person, and five other related offences.

Juan has pleaded guilty to all charges, and has been remanded to prison until April 16, when he will be sentenced.

RECAP

This accident occurred at around 12:30h on Friday, March 22, as Lindie, who had had a disability that affected her speech and hearing, was crossing the Lethem Public

Road, a routine she had performed countless times. Witnesses described the shock that was evoked as the pickup driven by Juan slammed into the woman and dragged her for some distance, resulting in fatal injuries.

Despite swift efforts by bystanders to assist Lindie, she succumbed to her injuries at the scene.

In an interview with Sandra Lindie, sister of the deceased, on Friday afternoon, she revealed that her sister did odd jobs for a living. Sandra mentioned that her sister had stopped at a restaurant nearby for a break, and was on her way to a family member’s business place when the speeding vehicle struck her down.

“The car was going at a high speed, and when it hit her, it dragged her a considerable distance from where she was hit. After the collision, the driver fled the scene, but a bystander chased him down, leading to his arrest,” Sandra recounted. (G9)

Charged: Casmero Cyril Juan

Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett

Corentyne River bridge

Project should be marked by affordability, mutual benefit – SGCC

As the respective sides representing Guyana and Suriname advance talks on the financing and operational modalities of the highly-anticipated Corentyne River Bridge, the importance of this project being affordable and mutually beneficial to both countries has been underscored.

This aspect of the discussions was highlighted by the Suriname-Guyana Chamber of Commerce (SGCC), which applauded the progress made following last

the physical connection the bridge provides is just one piece of the puzzle.

“The true potential for enhanced agricultural cooperation, tourism promotion, and economic growth leading to sustainable prosperity for both nations lies not only in the steel and concrete of the bridge itself. Our members strongly emphasize that without a concerted effort to reduce bureaucracy, streamline logistical processes, and dismantle other non-physical barriers, the bridge will

perspective and expertise of our members to ensure that the bridge project not only strengthens the economic ties between our nations, but also fosters a deeper sense of community and shared destiny,” the Chamber has detailed.

Chairman of the SGCC, Dr Vishnu Doerga noted in Wednesday’s missive that “Guyana and Suriname have the best chance at full economic integration, due to our geographic and historical ties. The bridge will serve as a critical economic driver for both countries, allowing for both populations to experience the best goods and services from each respective country with more efficiency.”

Connectivity, progress Suriname’s Ambassador to Guyana, Liselle Blankendal, has echoed this sentiment by stating, “The bridge between Suriname and Guyana is more than just steel and concrete. It

Saturday’s meeting between President Dr Irfaan Ali and his Surinamese counterpart, President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, along with their respective teams of ministers.

The SGCC noted in a statement on Wednesday that the high-level involvement of key officials from both countries emphasizes the project’s critical nature and signifies a unified effort to realise a vision that would reshape the regional dynamics of both countries.

The SGCC has said the bridge across the Corentyne River is not just a physical manifestation of the connection between Suriname and Guyana, but would also serve as a cornerstone for regional integration, facilitating the movement of people and enhancing trade and investment opportunities.

While SGCC members have expressed positive feedback on this project through a recent survey – something which indicates a strong belief that the bridge would significantly increase the free movement of people and goods across the border -- they noted that it is paramount to recognize that

not be able to fully ‘earn back its money’ or realize its true potential. The SGCC thus urges the governments of both nations to take these concerns seriously and consider them in their planning and execution stages,” the statement has said.

According to SGCC, addressing these challenges in tandem with the construction of the bridge is critical to unlocking the full scope of benefits the Corentyne bridge can bring to the two neighbouring countries.

Nevertheless, as the two sides prepare to enter the project’s next stage, which focuses on pricing, technical aspects, financing, and operational modalities, SGCC has expressed full support for these efforts.

“The SGCC is confident that the collaborative approach adopted by the two governments will ensure that the project’s execution will be marked by affordability, efficiency, and mutual benefit.

“As the anticipation for the Strategic Dialogue and Cooperation Platform (SDCP) meeting in May 2024 grows, the SGCC looks forward to contributing at various levels, offering the

Experts will also jointly work towards a political and legal framework, start the supervisory tendering process, and draft the agreement regarding the ultimate board that would jointly manage the Corentyne River bridge. Clear timelines have been set for finalisation of these activities.

Only last month, during the recently-held trilateral summit in Guyana, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed satisfaction at efforts being undertaken for the construction of the bridge over the Corentyne River.

In a previous joint statement, issued last week following a recent meeting in Paramaribo, it was noted that as discussions progressed, construction of the bridge could commence before the end of 2024.

In October 2023, two companies – Dutch engineering company Ballast Nedam and Chinese-owned China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) – submitted proposals to build the bridge over the Corentyne River to link Guyana and Suriname. However, those companies have since indicated that they are unable to meet the pre-financing requirement.

Earlier this month, during an interview with Guyana Times on the sidelines of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Heads of Government Conference held in Georgetown, President Santokhi had said that financial institutions, including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), were willing to fund the construction of the bridge.

“The companies should come with prefinancing, but they are not interested in that modality, so we’re looking for other types of fi-

nancing. There are institutions from the region and outside the region who are willing to finance it. It can either be [through] the company, or it can be the state; but, you know, our case is a little bit different, because we are bound by the IMF (International Monetary Fund) programme, so we cannot take the loan. So, we need to be very pragmatic in this, so that is the advice that we’re looking for [from the Joint Ministerial and technical teams],” the Surinamese Head of State had said.

The Corentyne River bridge is one of the first agreements between Presidents Ali and Santokhi. The high-span Corentyne River bridge would be approximately 3.1 kilometres in length, and would connect Moleson Creek in Guyana to South Drain in Suriname with a landing on Long Island in the Corentyne River, where a commercial hub and tourist destination would be established. That duty-free zone would see major infrastructural development, such as hotels, recreational parks, entertainment spots, tourist attractions, malls, and farmers’ markets. (G8)

represents the culmination of years of collaboration, vision, and determination. It symbolizes both countries’ commitment to connectivity, progress, and mutual prosperity.” With Guyana and Suriname standing on the threshold of a new era of prosperity, connectivity, and regional cooperation, the Chamber has said, it commits to remaining an active partner in this journey, championing the benefits of the bridge and advocating for the interests of its members, to ensure that this project achieves its full potential for the betterment of both our countries.

Following Saturday’s meeting in Guyana, Presidents Ali and Santokhi instructed the Joint Ministerial Team – which comprises Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance, and Public Works from the two countries – to enter the next stage by engaging in discussions in relation to terms of pricing, technical aspects, financing, and operational modalities with the shared objective of optimising affordability and concessionality.

The preliminary design of the Corentyne River bridge that would link Guyana and Suriname

Chairman of SGCC, Dr Vishnu Doerga

Contact-tracing exercise ongoing after chickenpox outbreak at Lusignan Prison

…53 active cases recorded

The Health Ministry and the Guyana Prison Service have been collaboratively addressing an outbreak of chickenpox at the Lusignan Prison on the East Coast of Demerara. As confirmed in a statement from the Prison Service, there are 25 active cases of chickenpox besides 28 recovering cases. No new cases have been detected.

The Health Ministry has said it believes this outbreak of chickenpox was likely spread around the prison by either an inmate, staff member, or visitor. Once the first cases were diagnosed, care was taken to separate affected prisoners from those with no symptoms, measures were taken to evaluate staff who might have been exposed, and others were offered vaccination.

Dr Leslie Ramsammy, Advisor to the Minister of Health

Dr Leslie Ramsammy,

Advisor to the Health Minister, told this publication on Wednesday that the situa-

tion is under control. “Among the measures we have taken is to provide antivirals to treat the patients, and also calamine lotion to help relieve the itching,” he said.

“No visitor has been identified yet with symptoms of chickenpox; but because people could be infected without symptoms and therefore they will look normal and may develop later, so that’s why they are looking at a list of all the visitors and doing contact-tracing right now,” Dr Ramsammy explained.

Medical and surveillance teams are conducting contact-tracing to identify the source of the infection in an effort to arrest the spread of chickenpox at the Lusignan prison. Medical teams are also conducting surveillance and

Conducting a chickenpox vaccination drive at the Lusignan Prison screening exercises in other prisons, and advisories have been sent to officers-in-charge of penitentiaries to be alert to possible outbreaks.

“We have started advising the prison officers at other sites that they should be looking out for these symptoms, and we are also offer-

with the fever being in the 101°–102°F range, while the red, itchy skin rash usually starts on the belly or back and face, it has been explained.

The Varicella-Zoster virus is one of the most contagious infections among unvaccinated and non-immune populations.

ing vaccination to staff members at other prisons to ensure that there is no possibility of spread, given that prisoners are moved around sometimes to the courts etc,” Dr Ramsammy explained. “We suspect that its might have been a prisoner who came in and who was exposed in the home setting. We will be in a

Most adults are immunised through childhood exposure to Varicella-Zoster. But for those adults who have not been immunised either through vaccination or through previous infections or exposure, outbreaks in a detention or prison setting are common.

According to the World

better position to say as our contact-tracing is completed.”

Chickenpox often starts without the classic rash, but with a fever, headache, sore throat, or stomachache which may last for a few days,

Health Organization (WHO), approximately 140 million cases of chickenpox are recorded annually, with 4.2 million severe complications requiring hospitalisation, and 4200 deaths. (G1)

President Dr Irfaan Ali visited several agricultural projects in West Coast Berbice. The projects, which are expected to be commissioned during 2024, included the brackish water shrimp venture at Onverwagt, where ponds are currently being constructed and the regional state-of-the-art abattoir at Trafalgar. President Dr Irfaan Ali also toured NAREI's model farm (Office of the President photos)

Neglect, abuse of senior citizens must end – UG students advocate

Agroup of students from the Tain Berbice Campus of the University of Guyana are advocating for better conditions for older adults, who oftentimes are victims of neglect and abuse.

Referred to as senior citizens in some sections of society, the university students have said that many of these senior citizens are victims of abuse, in most cases perpetrated by family members; and sadly, society has come to accept it. The United Nations Charter on Older Persons says they should be able to live in dignity and security, and be free of exploitation and physical or mental abuse.

With this in mind, a group of third-year degree in social work students at the University of Guyana Berbice Campus are advocating for better conditions for older adults. Group members have said found that, in many instances, older adults are subjected to many types of abuse, from physical to sexual, emotional, and even neglect. Trudy Sinclair, one of the students, is hoping to play a role in changing this

culture of abuse and neglect of the elderly in Guyana.

“What is important is that they need comfort, they need love, they need support, and they are often neglected and left behind. Some of them that are with their families usually experience some form of abuse, and no one speaks about it. It is not recognized and spoken about; it is a topic that people usually sweep under the rug. So, we want to let you know that our older adults matter and are important. We are asking the general public to pay special attention to our older adults.”

The UN says older persons should be able to live in environments that are safe and adaptable to personal preferences and changing capacities.

Social Service Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud had previously called on the univer-

sity to play a more meaningful role in advocating for the rights of older adults. Sinclair and her colleagues have taken heed.

Addressing the issue of abuse meted out to older adults highlighted emotional neglect from which many older adults in our homes suffer.

“Did you know that older adults get financially abused?” Sinclair asked.

“Sometimes they have their pension or get money from external relatives or organisations and their relatives at the home where they stay would use it for their personal use and neglect them. Those are things that are usually left undetected because no sensitization or anyone is going to check on these people. You hear these stories when they go to draw their pension; some of them don’t even get access to their

pension, and some other person does it for them. Those types of abuse usually get swept under the rug,” Sinclair added.

According to the UN Charter, older persons should be able to reside at home for as long as possible. At the Good Samaritan Home for senior women in New Amsterdam, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), residents face many challenges. Residents range in age from 60 to 96.

Lolita Ramagan is the youngest. She says even though it is a home for older adults, they are still required to pay for water and electricity, and the home is badly in need of repairs.

“Nuff things need to be improved in this home. It is sometimes difficult to get meals. I am not a pensioner, so when anybody gives me a small piece, I does got to ‘pinch it’ [use sparingly]. Sometimes people bring meals. Here you have to do everything for yourself,” she explained.

Two of the inmates, aged 96 and 84, are confined to their beds. According to Ramagan, on many occasions she is forced to find her own meals, and has to do so with a steady flow of income.

Because of the ages of many of the other residents of the home, she has become the ‘errand girl’.

This is just one of the changes facing an older adult living in a home for seniors. Some of the inmates are confined to a bed, and

the Government has not been assisting the home.

Sinclair says that, as human beings and concerned citizens, we need to help our older adults. “If one is in your home or in your community, please pay special attention to them,” she has appealed.

She is calling on the community to assist the Good Samaritan Home. “If we can have a few persons pay a little bit more attention to this home, I think the folks here would be grateful,” she added.

It was reported in 2019 that there had been a hike in cases of older persons being taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) for medical treatment and being abandoned by their families at that institution. There are no updated statistics on the situation. However, last year, the Human Services and Social Security Ministry, through the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit, launched an awareness campaign across post offices countrywide to promote elderly care. Through the initiative, senior participants were educated on how to identify and report elder abuse, thereby empowering them to protect themselves and seek help when needed.

To further support seniors and combat elder abuse, the Human Services Ministry continues to direct persons in need to their 24hour toll-free hotline number 914. (G4)

Trudy Sinclair of the Tain, Berbice Campus of the University of Guyana chatting with a senior citizen

Shooting

of cop

Police seeking DPP's advice as probe concludes

The investigation into the fatal shooting of Police Sergeant Alex Vaughn earlier this month has concluded, with Police investigators wrapping up their probe.

The case file will be forwarded for legal advice on Wednesday, according to Mark Ramotar, Director of the Guyana Police Force’s Corporate Communications Department.

The file will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Chambers for review.

Following this, the DPP will provide legal guidance that will determine further course of action in the matter.

Sergeant Vaughn tragically lost his life when he was shot by a fellow officer, a Police Constable, on March 12 in Karrau, Region Seven (Cuyuni- Mazaruni).

In its initial statement on the shooting, the Guyana Police Force had announced that a Police Constable had been placed under close arrest after he had “unintentionally” shot the Police Sergeant. The two were part of a Police operation mounted to search for prison escapee Akeem Wong, who had chopped 49-year-old David Gomes and his 75-year-

old mother Elizabeth Gomes to death in Saxacalli village, situated along the Essequibo River.

Tragedy struck when the Police Constable, arriving on the scene on a tractor as part of a backup unit, allegedly discharged his firearm “accidentally” upon disembarking, resulting in Vaughn being fatally shot.

Following the shooting incident, a post-mortem examination conducted on the body revealed that Vaughn had sustained three gunshot wounds as follows: a graze to the right side of his abdomen; another graze to his right leg; and a wound made by a bullet that entered his left abdomen and exited through his right buttocks. That was the injury that

ultimately claimed his life.

Prison escapee

Under the directive of acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken, an investigation into the incident was launched by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), overseen by the Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority.

This incident was in the wake of heightened efforts to capture Wong, who had escaped on February 14 from the Mazaruni Prison in Region Seven, where he was serving a 15-year sentence for rape.

Wong, called “Bin Laden”, and another inmate, Gilbert Gill, were under the supervision of a prison officer, performing labour duties in a ‘wood bush’ when Wong requested permission to go defecate, and was granted same by the prison officer.

About five minutes later, a check was made for Wong, and it was discovered that he had gone missing. Law enforcement officials then began hunting for him.

Gruesome

David and Elizabeth Gomes had been chopped to

death on March 8 in a gruesome incident that took place at their Saxacalli home. It has been reported that since moving to the city, the family would often return to clean their house and surroundings at Saxacalli. However, their routine visit took a sinister turn when an unexpected visitor arrived at their doorstep.

Wong reportedly approached the Gomes residence seeking food and directions. Police have said that Gomes’s six-year-old son related that about 15:00h on the day in question, the suspect visited their home and requested something to eat, while asking for directions. He was given food, and also took a few drinks with the child’s father.

“The child also stated that

he later saw the suspect (arm) himself with a cutlass and (deal) his father several chops about his body. His grandmother (Nellie) went to (her son’s) rescue, and she was also dealt several chops about her body,” the Police release has stated.

The Police have said that after committing the act, the suspect attempted to wash down the blood, but in the process, he heard a boat approaching, and ran into the nearby bushes, making good his escape.

Law enforcement personnel were also told by the child that, during the ordeal, the suspect was chopped by his father. The child, the Police said, took his father’s cellular phone and sent a voice note to one of his father’s friends, who in turn contacted the Police.

Wong shot and killed

After these ordeals, Wong was fatally shot by members of the Joint Services on March 17, at Groete Creek Backdam, Essequibo River.

Police in a missive stated that upon seeing the ranks, the escapee allegedly emerged from some bushes and charged towards them

while wielding a cutlass. He was fired upon and fatally wounded.

The body was escorted to Bartica Hospital. At the scene, Police found one cutlass, $4700, three SIM cards, 1 flash drive, and memory card, one pair of scissors, four cigarettes, one flashlight with batteries, one fishing hook, CA$100, one cellular phone, and one lighter. An investigation was later launched.

Items found

Less than a week after Wong’s death, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed that investigators probing the deaths of David and his mother, Elizabeth examined items found in Wong’s possession after he was fatally shot.

Detectives discovered that a black Samsung Galaxy phone had a photograph of David Gomes on the display. Further checks revealed multiple videos and images of David, including those of his national identification card and driver’s licence. Two of the three SIM cards found with Wong were registered to David, while the other was registered with a foreign telephone company. (G9)

14, 924 scales & masses verified by GNBS …surveillance exercise to begin soon

The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) is gearing up to commence its annual surveillance inspections for weights and measures.

The exercise is a key aspect of the agency’s mandate to ensure consumers get value for money.

For the period January to March 2024, the (GNBS) stamped and verified a sum of 14, 924 scales and masses used by suppliers in various industries.

Instruments included electricity meters supplied by the Guyana Power and Light (GPL); scales; masses and measures used in markets, shops, retail stores, rice mills, and by airlines and manufactur -

Head of Corporate Communications, Lloyd David disclosed that the agency’s surveillance inspections for weights and measures are slated to

ing companies, across the country.

In an interview with Guyana Times, GNBS

commence in April. This exercise aims to remove all illegal and faulty instruments being

used by suppliers, especially those that were not verified and stamped by the Bureau earlier in the year.

According to David, the activity has the support of the Guyana Police Force, and as a result, he is urging suppliers to adhere to the right practice.

“This doesn’t say that as a vendor or shopkeeper you wait until then to get on the other side of the law. You should take every effort to – if you’re using a scale, it must be verified for the period and that is the law, so stay on the right side of the law I would encourage any person using a measure instrument,” David disclosed.

He explained that the businesses within the commercial sector usually have the most unverified devices, noting that this was an issue the Bureau was working assiduously to rectify.

“When it comes to the number of persons who did not do so well in ensuring that their devices are verified is the commercial sector, where we have the markets, shops and so forth. Most of our manufacturing are finding it very essential to have their instruments verified, so there is not much of a problem there,” David added.

In 2023, the GNBS ver -

ified over 33,000 instruments.

The Bureau, operating under the Tourism,

Industry and Commerce Ministry, is a semi-autonomous governmental organisation responsible for standards and quality in Guyana. It is an ISO 9001:2015 certified and ISO/IEC 17025 accredited agency. (G1)

GNBS Head of Corporate Communications, Lloyd David

Dead prison escapee: Akeem Wong

Dead: Sergeant Alex Vaughn

Guyanese no longer have to travel to Suriname for Schengen visas – EU Ambassador

The processing of Schengen visas will become available in Guyana next year following the opening of a French Embassy here – a development which will ease the burden on Guyanese wishing to travel to Europe.

Currently, Guyanese have to travel to Suriname in order to process visas for entry into a number of European countries.

“[Soon] if you want to travel to Europe, you can go next year to the French Embassy [in Georgetown] and get your Schengen visa here and you no longer have to go to Paramaribo, so that will be really, be a big change for everyone who wants to visit Europe,” EU Ambassador to Guyana, Rene Van Nes told Guyana Times.

The Schengen visa would entitle non-Europeans to travel to Slovenia and any of the other 26 Schengen countries, in-

cluding Austria, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland –for a stay of up to 90 days. President Dr Irfaan Ali had previously lament-

ed that one of the biggest hindrances to doing business between Guyana and the EU is the visa processing procedure that requires Guyanese to travel to Suriname. This, he had argued at several forums, can be remedied if the same service provided in Suriname can be provided in Guyana.

With the opening of an Embassy in Georgetown,

France will be the first EU country with this level of diplomatic representation in Guyana.

The opening of the Embassy, a joint communiqué by Guyana and France had outlined, would boost the development of cooperation in various sectors, including on the economy, and priority areas for Guyana where French companies hold renowned expertise. The Embassy would also contribute to strengthening ties between Guyana and French Guiana, as well as French relations with the Caribbean Community (Caricom), which is headquartered in Georgetown, the communiqué added.

Meanwhile, Guyana is also pushing for Schengen visa-free travel, with at least five EU countries agreeing to sponsor this bid.

“In terms of the removal of the visa, you have to have sponsoring countries, and I’m very pleased to tell you that we have at least five countries that have agreed to sponsor us to begin the process within the EU itself,” President Ali had told reporters in July 2023.

But the President had explained that for Guyana to be fully equipped to

gain Schengen visa-free travel, the country’s passport must be improved and upgraded.

“You know biometrics and e-passport are very critical for global travellers. So, we have to now work expeditiously on having our system transformed so that we can have ease of movement and ease of travel.”

Scholarships available for Guyanese to pursue higher education in China

With a holistic plan to ensure free and equitable education is provided to citizens, the Governments of Guyana and China continue to collaborate to open up more scholarship opportunities for Guyanese.

Over the years, the two countries have been in talks and fostering partnerships in education as well as infrastructure, energy, and trade, among others.

According to a Department of Public Information (DPI) report, just recently, the two States through the Youth of Excellence Scheme of China programme announced that they were offering a limited number of scholarships for Guyanese to pursue studies at the master’s degree level for the academic period of 2024 to 2025.

Some of the courses include software engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, agricultural ecology, geospatial information science, and

energy and power engineering.

Guyanese stand to reap significant benefits from these programmes.

Additionally, upon completion, these students can return home where they are guaranteed gainful employment by the Government.

To be eligible, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in the relevant field of study with a strong academic background.

They must also be 45 years or under and must be the holder of a valid Guyana Passport.

Interested persons are

required to register and complete the Ministry of Public Service’s online application via the website http://mps.gov.gy/. The closing date for applications is April 7, 2024.

The constant educational collaboration tightens the bilateral bond between the two countries. It oftentimes sees students from both nations coming together to enjoy each other’s culture and traditions.

In fact, in 2023, it was recorded that over 100 Guyanese benefited from this partnership.

EU Ambassador to Guyana, Rene Van Nes

167 squatters now landowners in Amelia’s Ward, Linden

The first 167 families who had been squatting in Amelia’s Ward Phase Four, Linden, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice), signed their agreements of sale for the processing of their certificates of title.

This is the fulfilment of a commitment made by Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry, Susan Rodrigues to the residents back in 2021, during an outreach there.

In this area, 424 house lots are earmarked for allocation.

The distribution exercise was held at Linden Foundation Secondary School, Linden on Wednesday, the Department of Public Information (DPI) reported.

With the ownership document, the residents now

The beneficiaries were ecstatic to be provided with their documents.

Wilma Pigott, who has been living in Amelia’s Ward for the past five years, applied for her ownership document three years ago.

“I am very excited about receiving my title, because I am renting and it is costly.

the completion of her house.

Another beneficiary, Chisara James, who had been squatting in the area for over three years, could not contain her excitement now that she was a landowner.

“I am very much grateful to the Government for this great opportunity. Don’t

So, getting my own will help me a lot,” she said.

The single mother said that her next steps involve

want to be an illegal squatter anymore…Being a landowner means a lot, because it is your name to something. It

Patentia fatal stabbing…

3 teens slapped with murder charge

Three juveniles charged with murder committed on 17-year-old Aaron Bess at Patentia, West Bank Demerara appeared on Wednesday before Wales Magistrate Rhondel Weaver and were remanded to the Juvenile Holding Center until April 30.

An old grievance between Bess and the teenage boys led to Bess being stabbed to death in an incident that occurred at about 21:30h on March 20. Based on police reports, Bess was walking from Two Field, Patentia heading to a nearby shop to make a purchase when the suspects allegedly began pelting him with bottles and bricks. Guyana Times understands that this attack stemmed from an old

misunderstanding. As Bess continued his journey, the suspects approached him, and one of the teens reportedly dealt him two lashes with a piece of steel, while the other suspect took out a knife from his waist and allegedly dealt him several stabs about his body. As a result of the injuries, Bess fell to the ground while the suspects made good their

escape on foot.

Bess was then picked up by public-spirited citizens and escorted to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where a doctor on duty pronounced him dead on arrival. Police examined the body and discovered wounds on the left upper chest, left lower stomach, and right side of the neck (to the jugular vein).

means so much to me, more than what you can imagine,” James expressed, according to the DPI report.

To other people who may have apprehension about applying for their lands or intentions to squat, she said, “I am encouraging others to apply for their lands…Just do the right thing.”

She plans to construct a formal structure on her land.

Twenty-two-year-old beneficiary, Vandy Van Lewin emphasised how happy he was to finally own the land he has been occupying since 2019.

“I am happy that I was one of the 167 persons they [the Ministry] called,” Lewin stated.

Minister Rodrigues highlighted that the Government’s housing programme went far beyond ensuring that Guyanese have access to affordable and sustainable housing.

“Your title will give you financial independence…It gives you the key to so much more. And for your house lot or the land that you occupy to have any significant value, it has to be situated in a sustainable, designed housing scheme…” Minister Rodrigues said.

And for the housing area to be sustainable, she add-

ed, the government is ensuring that the necessary infrastructure is installed such as roads, bridges, drainage, utilities and reserved areas for recreational spaces, schools, and health centres.

Re-emphasising that new squatting areas would not be regularised, Minister Rodrigues said that the Government was comprehensively addressing the issue of squatting.

Areas such as Blueberry Hill, Block 22, Green Valley, Ituni, and One Mile are among the communities which have been regularised by the Government.

Government is also working to acquire lands in the region.

Rodrigues further disclosed, “There are some areas that we are looking at some planned activities that were committed by His Excellency, [President Dr Irfaan Ali] as well. We have some areas here…Coomacka, Silver Hill, West Watooka, more areas in the Ward… All of these are areas that we are looking at and are going through the process now to acquire these lands, so that they can be regularised.”

Region 10 saw an investment of $356.8 million in 2021 for road upgrades and the construction of houses.

In 2022, $505.8 million was spent on the new infrastructure programme for the new Amelia’s Ward Phase Four.

In 2023, works were advanced while several upgrades were done in Wisroc. Additionally, a new housing area was cleared – Plantation York, where allocations will commence this year.

Over 500 allocations will be made this year in the new area that was recently acquired in Fitz Hope and over 200 lots are to be allocated in York.

“So, almost 1000 house lots, alone, this year for Linden. So, people do not need to squat…” Rodrigues emphasised.

She and her team inspected the housing areas in Plantation York and Fitz Hope.

Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Sherwyn Greaves; Regional Executive Officer (REO) Dwight John; Regional Chairman Deron Adams; Director of Community Development at CH&PA, Gladwin Charles; Member of Parliament, Jermaine Figueira, other officials and staff of the ministry were also at the activity.

GDF rank struck, killed by truck during annual walk

AGuyana Defence Force (GDF) Sergeant was struck down and killed by a vehicle while participating in the Force’s annual walk.

Dead is Sergeant Deslyn Nicholson.

According to the GDF, Sergeant Nicholson was among a number of ranks participating in the Force’s 30-km annual walk, which commenced at approximately 17:50h on Wednesday. While in the vicinity of the Splashmins Fun Park on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, Nicholson and two others were struck by a truck, GAC 5915. Nicholson

and

The GDF, in a statement, said, “The Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan, officers and ranks of the Guyana Defence Force extend sincere condolences to the family of Sergeant Deslyn Nicholson.”

was,

Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry, Susan Rodrigues handing over agreements of sale

A section of the gathering at the distribution exercise

Figueira, speaking

the two other soldiers were rushed to the Diamond hospital complex by a GDF ambulance. She

however, pronounced dead on arrival.

Regional

Argentina claims to be sheltering Venezuelan Opposition Leaders in Embassy

Members of Venezuela’s Opposition coalition have sought refuge in the Argentinian Embassy in Caracas, according to the office of Argentina’s President, Javier Milei.

“We have sheltered political Opposition Leaders in our embassy in Caracas,” presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni said in a news conference in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. “We call for a solution soon.”

Just one day prior, Milei’s Administration had released a statement expressing “concern” at the “acts of harassment and persecution directed against political figures in Venezuela”.

The far-right Milei also warned his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro, against “any deliberate action that endangers the safety of Argentinian diplomatic personnel or Venezuelan citizens under [the Embassy’s] protection”.

The announcement comes as members of Venezuela’s Opposition coalition face threats of arrest, amid a heated election season.

Maduro is seeking a third six-year term in office, and critics have accused him of attempting to derail and intimidate popular Opposition candidates in order to secure a victory.

Neither the landslide winner of an October

Opposition primary nor her alternate were able to register for the race before a Monday deadline, though two opposition groups managed to register candidates.

According to Reuters, Venezuela presidential hopeful Manuel Rosales said on Wednesday he was willing to hand over his place on the ballot to a unity candidate, amid uncertainty over who will carry the Opposition’s banner in a July contest against President Maduro.

Neither the landslide winner of an October opposition primary nor her alternate were able to register for the race before a Monday deadline, though two Opposition groups, including Rosales’ A New Time party, managed to reg-

Ecuadorean Mayors seek Police protection amid spiralling violence

Forty-five Mayors in Ecuador have requested Police protection in the past year as violence grips the country, where 22 local officials have died in violent circumstances since 2023, the Executive Director of the Association of Ecuadorean Municipalities (AME) said.

Officials have come under threat amid a national crackdown on criminal groups. President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency in January and designated 22 gangs as terrorist groups after armed men stormed a television channel in Guayaquil and more than a hundred prison guards were held hostage.

The crisis escalated last weekend when the bodies of Brigitte Garcia, the 27-year-old Mayor of San Vicente, and Jairo Loor, her communications director, were found in a car in the province of Manabi. Both had been shot to death, police said.

ister candidates.

The Opposition has until an April 20 substitution deadline to hold internal negotiations about whether to back one of the registered candidates or name alternates.

Rosales, who some in the Opposition say has become too close to the ruling party during his governorship, said on Tuesday he registered to ensure there was an Opposition candidate and prevent absenteeism.

Maria Corina Machado, who won the October Opposition primary by a landslide 93 per cent, but is barred from holding office, said this week she was taking decisions on any potential alliance with Rosales “day by day”. (Excerpts from Al Jazeera and Reuters)

Amid blackouts and scarce food, Cuba protests rattle ‘cradle’ of the Revolution

Acrowd swarms the steps of a small Staterun market on the outskirts of Santiago, Cuba’s second-largest city, sweating and shouting, jostling for a chance at a once-monthly ration of chicken.

A pound bag of thighs is going for a bargain 20 pesos – about a nickel at the black-market exchange rate – but furore devolves to chaos as word spreads there may not be enough for everyone.

And that’s when the lights go out.

“This is life here,” said Mauri Macias, a 39-yearold chef with two children who spoke with Reuters as he waited his turn to buy a handful of the Governmentsubsidised poultry. “You live without being able to make plans.”

The episode last Wednesday in Santiago –the site earlier this month of a rare public protest – provides a telling snapshot of the challenge facing Cuba’s Government: When the power

fails, tensions – even in areas sympathetic to Fidel Castro’s 1959 communist Revolution –begin to soar.

Reuters interviewed more than two dozen residents and local officials in the Santiago de Cuba neighbourhoods of Veguita del Galo, Jose Marti, Micro 9, and Abel Santamaria. They told of their frustration at food shortages and electricity outages that sometimes top 10 hours daily.

“Living without electricity is primitive,” said Yoni Mena, a 34-year-old who runs a vegetable stand in Abel

Santamaria, a hillside neighbourhood.

“The mosquitoes, the heat, sometimes there is no water. People are losing their minds. And that leads to other problems, like violence.”

Several hundred protesters gathered on March 17 in Santiago’s Carretera del Morro Park, chanting “power and food,” according to firsthand accounts from local residents.

Both the Government and observers characterised the protests as largely peaceful. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Haiti: US guns pour into Port-auPrince, fuelling surge in violence

More than two weeks after the country’s Prime Minister resigned, following a surge of

violence in Port-au-Prince, details of a presidential transitional council have still not been revealed.

Kamla lays down the UNC law, tells Paray, dissidents toe party line or face expulsion

TOne of the challenges this council will have to face is the illegal trafficking of guns, which has powered the gangs which have taken over.

The escalation in violence has sparked an exodus from the capital.

Agustin Intriago, the Mayor of Manta, was killed during a tour of a neighbourhood in the coastal city in July 2023, some two weeks before the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in Quito, the capital. Villavicencio had campaigned as an anti-corruption candidate.

Seventeen Ecuadorean Mayors have been granted Police security protection by the Government while others have hired private security, Homero Castanier, Executive Director of the AME, which represents the country’s 221 mayors, said late on Tuesday.

Galo Meza, the Mayor of Balzar, in Guayas province, is among those who has requested Police protection. He told local media on Tuesday that gunmen on Monday night had fired 65 shots at his house, where his wife and son were staying. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Garcia, who represented a city on Ecuador’s coast, was the second Mayor to have been killed since 2023.

rinidad and Tobago’s Opposition Leader Kamla PersadBissessar is threatening Mayaro Member of Parliament (MP) Rushton Paray with expulsion from the party if he begins to vote against the party line in Parliament. In an exclusive interview with Guardian Media, Persad-Bissessar spoke frankly about the latest internal discord after Paray, on a public platform last Friday, issued a call for the United National Congress’

Colombia expels Argentine diplomats after Milei calls Petro “terrorist”

Colombia ordered the expulsion of Argentine diplomats from their embassy in the Andean nation, Colombia’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, citing “denigrating” comments by Argentine President Javier Milei about Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

In a recent interview with news channel CNN, which has not yet been aired in full, Milei called Petro a “terrorist”, “murderer”, and “communist.”

“The Argentine President’s comments have deteriorated the trust of our

nation, in addition to offending the dignity of President Petro, who was democratically elected,” the Ministry said in a statement.

In January, Colombia recalled its Ambassador to Argentina after similar comments from Milei.

Petro, Colombia’s first leftist President, is a former member of the long-demobilised M-19 guerrilla movement.

Libertarian Milei also took swipes at other regional leaders in clips of the interview, including Mexico’s Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. (Reuters)

executive to “respect the voice of its members” and call the party’s internal elections, which he said are due in June.

Given the friction between Paray and PersadBissessar since the former’s announcement, Guardian Media asked what their relationship would be like leading up to the next General Election.

Addressing Paray and any other dissidents within the party, Persad-Bissessar said, “Thus far, they have not exhibited any divisions in the Parliament, they have voted along the party lines, I don’t know if he is one of those who spoilt their ballots for the election of the President (Christine Kangaloo), but in the Parliament thus far, they have gone along with the line put forward by the (chief) whip.

“But the day they should break the party line, the party’s constitution is very clear again on what would be the consequence, they will be expelled from the party.”

(Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Among those leaving is 14-year-old David Charles, whose father Israel is nervous with excitement as he waits for his son’s bus to arrive in Cap-Haitien.

A coach with boarded-up windows pulls up to the side of the road. He smiles in anticipation. His 14-year-old son David soon walks down the stairs with his luggage. They embrace tightly.

David has managed to escape Port-au-Prince – a city now torn apart by armed gangs and political chaos.

Most of the violence gripping Haiti is centred in the capital: the United Nations estimates 80 per cent of it is now controlled by gangs.

He had been living there for two years without his parents, in order to finish his education, but Israel did not want him “to become a victim”.

This month’s torrent of violence spurred him to get his son out to Cap-Haitien, a city in the north of the country which is safer.

“The journey was very long, more than six hours. I was praying the whole way,” says David. “The bus driver later told us there were a lot of gunshots in one area, our bus just missed them.”

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Argentina’s embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, is thought to be offering protection to six members of Venezuela’s Opposition coalition [Matias Delacroix/AP Photo]

People try to get a once-monthly ration of chicken during a blackout at a small State-run market in Santiago, Cuba, March 20, 2024 (Reuters/Alexandre Meneghini photo)

Around the World

OIL NEWS

Oil prices fall on stronger dollar, weak US gasoline demand

Oil prices fell for the second consecutive session on Wednesday as the dollar strengthened and Government data showed a surprise jump in US crude and gasoline stocks.

Brent crude futures for May shed 16 cents, or 0.2 per cent, to settle at US$86.09 a barrel while the more-actively traded June contract was down 22 cents to US$85.41. The May contract expires today.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures for May delivery dropped 27 cents, or 0.3 per cent, to US$81.35 a barrel. Both Brent and WTI futures have been under selling pressure since hitting more-than-four-month highs last week.

A stronger US dollar weighed on oil, with the US dollar index gaining for a second consecutive session. A rising US currency makes dollar-denominated oil more expensive for holders of other currencies, dampening demand.

A surprise jump in US crude and gasoline stockpiles also added to the pressure on oil prices, analysts said. US crude oil stocks rose by 3.2 million barrels while gasoline stocks rose by 1.3 million barrels in the week ending March 22, according to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Analysts polled by Reuters expected crude stocks to decline by 1.3 million barrels and gasoline stocks to drop by 1.7 million barrels.

Gasoline demand fell for a second straight week to 8.7 million barrels per day (bpd), down from 8.8 million bpd in the prior week, EIA data showed.

"Considering the fact that we're only making crude oil to make gasoline basically, that is a bearish development," said Robert Yawger, Director of Energy Futures at Mizuho.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies led by Russia, together known as OPEC+, are unlikely to change oil output policy until a full ministerial gathering in June, three OPEC+ sources told Reuters ahead of next week's meeting to review the market and members' implementation of output cuts.

OPEC+ this month agreed to extend output cuts of about 2.2 million bpd to the end of June, although Russia and Iraq have had to go to extra lengths to tackle over-production.

Those struggles have called into question the group's ability to comply with the agreed cuts, with OPEC having exceeded its targets by 190,000 bpd in February, a Reuters survey showed.

"The OPEC+ production cuts have sparked debate over volumes, particularly concerning Iraq's overproduction over the past two months," said Alex Hodes, energy analyst at StoneX.

"Another pivotal point is Russia's potential volume reduction," Hodes said. "Monitoring Russian oil flows in the upcoming quarter will be crucial for market observers," he added. (Reuters)

Israeli strikes on Rafah raise fear ground assault could begin

Israel bombed at least four homes in Rafah on Wednesday, raising new fear among the more than a million Palestinians sheltering in the last refuge on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip that a long-threatened ground assault could be coming.

One of the airstrikes killed 11 persons from a single family, health officials said.

Mussa Dhaheer, looking on from below as neighbours helped an emergency worker lower a victim in a black body bag from an upper storey, said he had awakened to the blast, kissed his terrified daughter, and rushed outside to find the destruction. His father, 75, and mother, 62, were among the dead.

"I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say. I can't make sense of what

happened. My parents. My father with his displaced friends who came from Gaza City," he told Reuters.

"They were all together, when suddenly they were all gone like dust."

At another bomb site, Jamil Abu Houri said the intensification of air strikes was Israel's way of showing its disdain for a United Nations Security Council resolution last week demanding an immediate Israel-Hamas ceasefire.

Next up, he fears a ground assault on Rafah, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to carry out despite warnings from closest ally Washington that this would wreak a humanitarian disaster.

"The bombing has increased, and they have threatened us with an incursion, and they say that have been given the green light for the Rafah incursion. Where is the Security Council?" Abu Houri said.

Baltimore divers recover 2 bodies from harbour after bridge collapse

Divers on Wednesday recovered the remains of two of the six workers missing since they were tossed into Baltimore Harbour from a highway bridge that collapsed into shipping lanes when a faltering cargo freighter rammed into the structure, officials said on Wednesday.

The bodies were pulled from the mouth of the Patapsco River a day after the massive container ship lost power and its ability to manoeuvre before ploughing into a support pylon of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, knocking most of it into the water below.

Maryland State Police Colonel Roland Butler said a red pickup truck containing the bodies of the two men was found in about 7.62 metres (25 feet) of water near the mid-section of the fallen bridge.

He also said that authorities had suspended efforts to locate and retrieve more bodies from the depths because of increasingly treacherous conditions in the wreck-

age-strewn river. Butler said sonar images showed additional submerged vehicles "encased" in fallen bridge debris and superstructure, making them difficult to reach.

The two men whose bodies were recovered on Wednesday were identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, of Baltimore, a native of Mexico, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, of nearby Dundalk, originally from Guatemala.

Four more workers who were part of a crew filling potholes on the bridge's road surface remained missing and presumed dead. The six workers also included immigrants from Honduras and El Salvador, officials said.

The collapse of the bridge, a major highway artery across the harbour, forced an indefinite closure of the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest on the US Eastern Seaboard, handling more automobile and farm equipment freight than any other in the country. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Crypto king to be sentenced

Sam Bankman-Fried, the former billionaire crypto boss who was convicted of fraud and money laundering last year, will return to court in New York today to be sentenced for his crimes.

It is certain the 32-yearold will be going to jail; what is not known is how long for.

The moment has revived debate about the extent of his crimes and what punishment might fit.

His legal team have called for leniency, but pros-

ecutors are seeking 40 to 50 years in prison. They say such a sentence is warranted for someone who lied to investors and banks, and stole billions in deposits from customers of his now-bankrupt crypto exchange, FTX.

His defence team has proposed five to 6.5 years, accusing the Government of adopting "a medieval view of punishment" by insisting on a lengthy term behind bars for a non-violent, first-time criminal.

The question has generated hundreds of pages of letters from former FTX customers, family, friends of his parents even complete strangers trying to sway Judge Lewis Kaplan, the federal justice who will decide his fate.

"He has shown no remorse so why would any Judge show any mercy?" said Sunil Kavuri, a British investor who had more than US$2 million worth of holdings on the exchange when it

collapsed, and one of the people mobilising former customers to share their experience with the court.

FTX's collapse in 2022 was a stunning fall for Bankman-Fried, who had become a billionaire and business celebrity promoting the firm, a platform people could use to deposit and trade crypto.

It attracted millions of customers, before rumours of financial trouble sparked a run on deposits.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

A US official said on Wednesday Israel had asked to reschedule a meeting in Washington to discuss its plans for Rafah, days after Netanyahu abruptly cancelled the talks over the passage of the Gaza ceasefire resolution by the Security Council.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Nearly 100 still missing after Moscow attack, Russian news site says

As many as 95 persons are still missing after last week's attack near Moscow when gunmen sprayed concertgoers with automatic weapons and set the venue on fire, a Russian news outlet reported on Wednesday.

The official toll from the attack on Crocus City Hall now stands at 140 dead and 182 wounded. But the Baza news service, which has good contacts in Russian security and law enforcement, said 95 more persons appeared in lists compiled by the emergency services based on appeals from people about missing relatives.

"These lists include people with whom relatives have not been able to get in touch since the terrorist attack, but who are not on the lists of wounded and dead," Baza said. "Some of these people died, but have not yet been identified."

The shooting began shortly before the Sovietera rock group "Picnic" was set to play to a full house of 6200 persons. More than 200 persons could have been in the blazing building moments before the roof collapsed, Baza reported on Saturday, citing emergency service sources who reviewed surveillance footage.

Russian social media channels have been flooded in the days since the shooting with appeals to help find victims.

Gathering in a Telegram chat called "Crocus. Help Centre", friends and relatives shared names of missing concertgoers and offered support.

Russian investigators said the attack was carried out by four shooters using Kalashnikov automatic weapons. More than 500 rounds were found at the scene.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

People carry the dead body of a Palestinian killed in an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip (Reuters/Ahmed Zakot photo)

A woman reacts next to a makeshift memorial near the Crocus City Hall following a deadly attack on the concert venue in the Moscow Region, Russia, March 27, 2024 (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov photo)

DAILY HOROSCOPES

(March 21-April 19)

(April 20-May 20)

(May 21-June 20)

(June 21-July 22)

(July 23-Aug. 22)

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

Join groups that offer support, information and cost-effective alternatives. Use your power of persuasion to convince people close to you to join in and be supportive.

Search for a project that touches you emotionally. If your heart is motivated, don’t hesitate to initiate changes. Be bold and live life your way, and you will attract love and support.

Recognize the dynamics of your situation and look for the best alternative. A quiet, straightforward approach is encouraged if you want to navigate your way through roadblocks.

Minimize discussions until you are sure you can win the debate. Put your energy into personal gains, increasing awareness and making a physical improvement that fortifies your confidence.

Put impulsive behavior aside and think matters through. An expert or insightful person you meet will join your fight to set standards and make progress. Don’t be afraid to take a stand.

You’ll get the go-ahead if you address issues and make your voice heard. A change of plans will work in your favor. Partnerships will offer opportunities to expand your ideas.

Take the initiative and make the first move. Your gesture will encourage a response and help you understand both sides of an issue. Reset your schedule and budget to ensure success.

Welcome change. Give your inner light a chance to shine, touch people’s lives and enrich the world around you. Focus on giving back, and satisfaction and gratification will be yours.

Don’t count on help or share too much information about what you intend to do next. Fly under the radar and get as much done as possible before someone steps in and tries to bulldoze your plans.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Adjust your surroundings to suit your lifestyle. Consider what and who make you happy. Love, romance and personal growth are apparent. Follow your heart and explore the possibilities.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Take a closer look before you commit to something. Familiarize yourself with the physical and emotional costs of a project before you proceed. Don’t let anyone pressure you.

Stop second-guessing and start believing in yourself. An energetic approach to your goal will pay off. You have plenty to gain if you take control. Put a strong and effective team together.

PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PICKLES

ARCHIE

Indian Premier League 2024…

Sunrisers trump Mumbai in record six-hitting carnage

Sixes were being hit for fun, and runs were flowing at a breakneck pace, you wouldn't be blamed for thinking you were watch ing a video game; but the car nage in Hyderabad saw an 11-year-old IPL record fall.

A fiery knock from Chris Gayle in 2013 had helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 263, a total that seemed in surmountable. But the col lective show from Sunrisers Hyderabad batters on a re cord-breaking Wednesday saw them notch up the high est total in the 16-year history of the IPL - 277 for 3.

Mumbai Indians almost paid them back with the same coin, their batters coming out attacking with a nothing-tolose attitude. Eventually, they lost steam and finished at 246 for 5, the fifth-highest total in a losing cause.

Travis Head struck an 18-ball half-century, the fastest for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. Moments later, Abhishek Sharma slammed a 16-ball fifty to snatch the record. An hour later, Heinrich Klaasen cut loose to seemingly bat Mumbai out of the contest.

But to their credit, Mumbai kept up with the asking rate for most part of the chase, and fell short by only 31.

Never were more runs

Travis Head, in for Marco Jansen, continued from where he had left off in his previous tour of India. He was off the mark with a four off IPL debutant Kwena Maphaka, the 17-year-old who played for South Africa at the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, and motored along like a car that had only one gear - the highest.

He was given a life when Tim David dropped him at mid-off off Hardik Pandya's first ball, but there was no looking back. He smacked

short and wide one - the widest Mumbai bowlers bowled to Head in the evening - which the batter only carved to deep

scored in a men's T20 match (523). Never were most sixes hit in a men's T20 (38). At the end of the close-to-four-hour six-fest, only two bowlers returned with an economy rate of under ten an over.

The perfect Head-start

two fours and two sixes in a 22-run Maphaka over, before hitting two fours and a six off Gerald Coetzee in an over that went for 23 to end the powerplay. Head had scored 59 off the 81 SRH made in the first six overs. In his next over, though, Coetzee bowled a

Markram b Shahbaz Ahmed 34

Naman Dhir c Cummins b Unadkat 30

Tilak Varma c Agarwal b Cummins 64 Hardik Pandya (c) c †Klaasen b Unadkat 24

Tim David not out 42

Romario Shepherd not out 15 Extras (b 1, lb 4, nb 1, w 5) 11

TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 12.30) 246/5

Did not bat: Gerald Coetzee, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Shams Mulani

Fall of wickets: 1-56 (Ishan Kishan, 3.2 ov), 2-66 (Rohit Sharma, 4.3 ov), 3-150 (Naman Dhir, 10.4 ov), 4-182 (Tilak Varma, 14.1 ov), 5-224 (Hardik Pandya, 17.6 ov) •

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4-0-53-0

Jaydev Unadkat 4-0-47-2

Shahbaz Ahmed 3-0-39-1

Klaasen, Markram add the finishing touches

backward point.

Abhishek shows his mettle

Head's inclusion in the XI meant Abhishek had to move down the order, and he walked in at No.3 after Mayank Agarwal fell in the fifth over. He got going with a pull off Coetzee, and then meted out a special treatment to Piyush Chawla, hitting him for three sixes in an over.

That helped Sunrisers notch up their 100 in just seven overs, their second-fastest in the IPL.

Abhishek also tore into Maphaka's third over, hitting him for a sequence of four, six, six and four to complete his fifty and snatch the record from Head. The key was in how early he picked the length of the bowlers and went all-out. He hit seven sixes in his 23-ball stay for 63, before heaving a half-tracker that Chawla fired in seam-up at 112.8kph straight to deep midwicket.

With nine overs to go and two right-handers in the middle, Hardik Pandya sensed an opportunity to get in leftarm spinner Shams Mulani in the game. That played into the hands of Klaasen, who is a spin-basher. In T20s since January 2022, no batter who has faced at least 500 balls has a higher strike rate that Klaasen's 174.38 before the start of the game.

True to the trait, he smacked Mulani over long-off to get his boundary-count going. He then hit a six each of Hardik and Jasprit Bumrah as Sunrisers crossed 200 in the 15th over. Aiden Markram at the other end had hit a six and a four, but was happy to give strike to his South Africa team-mate. Klaasen brought up his fifty off 22 balls, which was only the third quickest on the night.

Klaasen hit two successive sixes in the last over bowled by Mulani to break RCB's record. Sunrisers add-

ed 63 in the last four overs to post the third-highest total in all men's T20s.

Mumbai lose the fizz

Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan kicked off Mumbai's reply in fine fashion. Rohit muscled Bhuvneshwar

Kumar down the ground, before hitting Jaydev Unadkat - brought in for T Natarajan, who had a niggle - for backto-back sixes. Kishan then took 23 of Bhuvneshwar's second over, hitting him for one four and three sixes.

Kishan then slogged Shahbaz Ahmed to deep midwicket, but Rohit kept going. He whipped Pat

Pat Cummins 4-0-35-2

Umran Malik 1-0-15-0

Mayank Markande 4-0-52-0

Cummins's second ball over midwicket, before miscuing a pull to fall for 26 off just 12. Only twice in the IPL has Rohit scored more in the first 12 balls he faced - 37 in April 2015 vs RCB, and 27 in May 2015 vs CSK.

Naman Dhir and Tilak Varma then kept Mumbai abreast of the required rate. They found boundaries regularly, with Tilak leading the charge, and added 84 off 37 for the third wicket. But once they fell within 21 balls of each other, Mumbai never found the momentum. David managed to hit a few into the stands, but it was too late. (ESPNCricinfo)

GAPLF to convene AGM on April 13

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) is set to take place on Saturday, April 13th, 2024, at the National Racquet Centre on Woolford Avenue and Camp Street in Georgetown.

This AGM would be the first under the Presidency of Franklin Wilson, who took over at the helm of the Federation in March of 2023.

Apart from the election of a new executive, the audited financial report, which has not been done for many years, would be presented by Treasurer Maxwell

Denny. Reports from the President and General Secretary Roger Rogers would also be tabled. The AGM will be called to order at 09:00hrs.

Franklin Wilson is current President of the GAPLF

Abhishek Sharma was not afraid to take on Piyush Chawla

Tilak Varma's attacking fifty kept the massive chase alive

Travis Head smashed an 18-ball half-century for Sunrisers Hyderabad

Rodeo 2024 ‘Dusk Til Dawn’…

The highly anticipated Digicel Rupununi Ranchers Rodeo will take place in the bustling Region 9 town of Lethem from March 29th to March 31st. Lethem will be transformed into a hub of exciting rodeo ac tivity even as a pageant and other celebrations bring fans from all over.

Rodeo has become a major event on the na tional calendar, at tracting pri marily three groups of peo ple: those from Rupununi com munities, coast landers (Guyanese and expats), and tourists from adjacent Brazil. The event provides a significant eco nomic boost while highlight ing the rich cultural heritage of the Rupununi and its in digenous communities.

This year’s event has re ceived unprecedented sup port from corporate Guyana and the Government of Guyana through various

Corporate Guyana continues strong support for biggest Easter event yet

ministries. The Rupununi Livestock Producers Association (RLPA) and Rodeo Committee would like to recognise and thank their partners and sponsors for

Bartica Regatta Dominoes…

Quiet Storm claims 500K top prize in historic competition

Home team Quiet

Storm was not going to be subdued in its back yard, and its members did the work to emerge winners of the historic Bartica Regatta Dominoes Competition on Sunday last at the Regatta Beach Front.

In the final, Quiet Storm (84 games) defeated Providence (76 games) and Gold is Money (60 games) in that order to walk away with the top prize of $500,000, the largest first place prize in the history of the competition. The Lions have ended in 4th position.

Providence collected $250,000 for the first runner-up position, while Gold is Money pocketing $125,000 and Lions $40,000.

Ms. Candia Paul of Angels Dominoes Club received $10,000 for being the first female to share a love with Evanderous Waldron from Madhia ‘A’ Dominoes Team being similarly re-

year’s Rodeo 2024. Maria Munroe, Sponsorship Manager, has said the expense of the ground’s infrastructure maintenance increases year after year, “but

we are grateful to our partners/sponsors who continue to support this event”.

“We are really grateful to the private sector for assisting us in creating an unforget-

table event for all stakeholders. Our committee is greatly encouraged by the continued support of all the businesses and ministries that agree to participate year after

year. We would like to take this time to thank our partners: The Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI), Ministry of Tourism/GTA, Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, Corporate giant Banks DIH, Blue Spring Waters, and the Government of Guyana.”

Sponsors of this event are longstanding partner DIGICEL, the title sponsor; ExxonMobil Corporation, Frontier Pharmacy, and Team Mohamed’s.

Patrons can expect to enjoy 14 main events sponsored by businesses within Lethem and Georgetown; namely Trans Guyana, GBTI – Lethem and Republic Bank -Lethem and ICON Construction.

The Rupununi Livestock Producers Association (RLPA) is hosting this event in celebration of the people, animals, land, and values that make up the Rupununi.

You may expect a lot of prizes and promotions from our partners, Digicel, Banks DIH, and Blue Waters.

RHTY&SC receives $100,000 worth of cricket balls as donation from former secretary Raymond Haniff

…distributes hundreds of kites to kids

Former secretary of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, Raymond Haniff, last Sunday handed over $100,000 worth of cricket balls to the cricket team. Haniff, who also represented the RHTY&SC at the second and first division levels in its early days, also committed to contributing one hundred tennis balls toward the club’s coaching programme for its U11 and U13 teams.

warded as the first male.

A total of 25 teams from around the country converged in Bartica over two days to battle for the spoils, and at the presentation ceremony, Bartica Easter Regatta Chairman Kenneth Williams complimented the teams for coming to beautiful Bartica to make the competition a high level one, apart from a success.

“As Chairman of the Regatta Committee and the Region, I’d like to say that this was the largest dominoes competition in the history of Bartica. I am committing to supporting these events that boost our local economy and help to celebrate our Regatta season as a premier event, that caters for all sporting disciplines,” he said.

“Without you being here, this would not have been the success it was, so I extend to all you players and teams a heartfelt thank you.”

Now the Managing Director of Diversity Investment Inc, a company based at Lot 36 Happy Acres, ECD, Haniff has said he would always be grateful to the RHTY&SC for the role it played in his life. Haniff was a member of the club’s second-division team that won the Sydney Sabsook Memorial tournament in 1992, and the JC Budhu second-division Cup in 1994 and 1995. He also played numerous times for the club at the first-division level.

Haniff’s best bowling effort as a medium pacer was 5 for 27 versus Bloomfield. He served as secretary of the club for several years before being replaced by Hilbert Foster.

Foster expressed thanks to Haniff and his company for their assistance, and said the balls would be of great assistance to the large membership of the club.

The RHTY&SC has teams at the Under-11, Under-13, Under-15, Under-17, Under-19, Under-21, Under-23, second-division, female, and first-division levels. Since its formation in September 1990 by threetime Commonwealth Service Awardee St. Francis Xavier

Youth Club, the RHTY&SC has won a total of 122 cricket tournaments at all levels, including three national titles. The club has also produced an impressive list of 121 players who have either played for Berbice and Guyana. Additionally, a total of twelve RHTY&SC members have played for the West Indies and the United States, including Asad Fudadin, Royston Crandon, Kevin Sinclair, Shemaine Campbell, Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Erva Giddings, Dominic Ricky and Askay Homraj.

Foster also noted that the club has produced players like Esan Crandon, Delbert Hicks, Junior Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Jonathan Rampersaud, Matthew Pottaya, Shawn Grant, Plaffiana Millington and Kemraj Mahadeo.

For 2024, the RHTY&SC has produced eight national players at the senior level, female, under-15 level, and has won titles at the U11, U13, U23 and first division levels.

Organizing Secretary Robby Kissoonlall, who is also the cricket manager of the club, has expressed gratitude to Haniff and Diversity Investment Inc for their assistance. Kissoonlall has said the membership of the club keeps expanding on a daily basis, and noted that the developmental program of coaches Winston Smith and Ryan Kissoonlall would benefit most.

Over the last week, the cricket teams of the club have distributed more than 1000 kites to children across Berbice as part of their personal development program for Easter. The teams: Poonai Under-11 and Under-13, Farfan and Mendes Under-15, Bakewell Under-17 and second division, Pepsi Under-19 and Under-23, Metro females and Namilco Thunderbolt Under-21 and first division, have been able to get kites via sponsorship from friends of the club, and distributed them via the club’s network

of friends, including Port Mourant Hospital Therapy Unit, Whim Cricket Club, St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church, Maranatha Faith Ministries and the Sharon Congregational Chapel.

Maria Munroe (left), Sponsorship Manager, posing with Simone Pierre, Commercial Head at Digicel

Quiet Storm captain Wayne Heber (right) receiving the winner’s trophy from Chairman Kenneth Williams

Faeaaz Haniff handing over cricket balls to RHTY&SC officials Keith Hicks and Tyron Pottaya

Harpy Eagles move up to fourth after Round 5

After a commanding 254-run win over the Windward Islands Volcanoes last Friday, The Guyana Harpy Eagles (GHE) have moved up two places to fourth on the 2024 West Indies Championships points table.

After 5 rounds of 4-day cricket, the Harpy Eagles now have 66.8 points, consisting of 39 match points and 27.8 bonus points, having won three matches against one loss and one draw.

The Leeward Islands Hurricanes currently lead

the points table with 81.2 points from 4 wins and 1 loss in the 5 rounds. In second place are the Windward Islands Volcanoes with 71.6 points from 3 wins and two losses; while Barbados Pride, with similar stats, have 67.4 points.

The remaining teams: Jamaica Scorpions, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, West Indies Academy, and Combined Campuses and Colleges, fall 5th to 8th place with 53.4; 51; 49.8 and 24.2 points respectively.

The West Indies

Championships are currently on an Easter break, and will resume on April 10 for Round 6, with the Harpy Eagles battling the Jamaica Scorpions at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica; Combined Campuses and Colleges battling the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in St. Augustine, Trinidad; Leeward Islands Hurricanes taking on Barbados Pride in Port of Spain, Trinidad; and the West Indies Academy taking a shot at the Windward Islands Volcanoes in Antigua and Barbuda. Thereafter, the Harpy Eagles are scheduled to take on Combined Campuses and Colleges in Round 7, bowling off on March 17 in a push for a title defence.

GBA unveils National Academy Training Programme

In what can only be described as a move of historic proportions, the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) has officially launched its National Academy Training Programme, which will be rolled out in various sections of the country, with the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis Gym in Albouystown serving as the initial starting point.

The novel endeavour, which would feature a judge/ referee component, would be conducted during the month of August, as it seeks to further expand and consolidate its local scope. The primary function of the academy is to unearth and nurture new talents in the discipline.

Steve Ninvalle, President of the GBA, has said, “It’s not how you start, but how you finish. If we start with this group, I see that, when it comes to the end, we will have many more people here. It would be remiss of me if I did not applaud the efforts of some of our senior boxers, including Desmond Amsterdam, Colin Lewis, Abiola and Alesha Jackman, for seeing it fit to turn out to be something like this. It shows that their hearts are with boxing, as are all of us at the head table and all of you who are here. We decided to make this academy a reali-

ty not because the executive wants to pump its chest as being the first to do something, but because we think something like this is needed,” he said.

“We need to bring young and fresh blood to the sport of boxing. Maybe you don't know, and some of you are too young to know, that boxing has the only Olympic medal that Guyana has won. Boxing is the only sport where we have won world titles, and this is a sport that some people see as someone going out to intentionally hurt you,” he continued.

“But we see it as an art, and something that can be rehabilitative. It is an expensive exercise, but we see it as something fitting and something that is needed, and this academy will not be run in Georgetown alone; it will be run in Berbice, Linden, and other parts. So, if you ask me, and I hope to be honest at all times, boxing is moving. Last year, we would have had, for a very long time, the most international tournaments that we would have sent fighters to and participated in. This year, we expect to do the same thing. We would have had 16 U16 competitions last year, and this year we intend to improve that,” he explained.

“I must say thanks to the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport; the National Sports Commission, and the Government of Guyana for assisting us in all of our endeavours. As a matter of fact, as we speak, the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport has ordered and paid for three competition rings for boxing in Guyana. What that says is that we are better able to decentralise the sport and be able to have a quality ring in Berbice and in other places. So I want to say thank you to the Honourable Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr., because that is the sort of support that we need if we are to take boxing to where it should be and where we want it to be.”

Ninvalle disclosed, “Very soon, a team will be leaving Guyana to go to the Champion of Champions in St. Lucia, and we have shortlisted a squad. I don't think the entire squad will make the team, but we are working assiduously to make that a reality. What we also want to do is focus more on the female component of boxing. Before, we would have had one or two, but now that I will sit and see four, five, and six, it says that we are going in the right direction, and I would want to say to

the two Jackman sisters that you must take this on and shoulder it as your burden to make sure that you keep doing the right things so as to encourage other young women to come to the sport. They will be looking to see what you do, and it’s very important that you act as leaders so that we can have many more females coming into the sport of boxing.

“The reason we have our one star, who will soon go to a two-star referee or judge here, is because we want this to be a comprehensive programme. There is no way that we can be boxers, and good boxers, without knowing the rules. So, while you are physically capable, we want to make sure that we equip you with the rules so that you can become a much more rounded person and boxer. The longest journey begins with your first step, and your first step is never your best, but it gets you started. This may not be our best step in having this academy, but it has gotten us started, and as I sit here, I want to assure you that this will be an annual affair, because in August we expect to have a longer-running academy, but rest assured that this will become something of an annual nature,” he detailed.

CPL 2024

to

be broadcast on TV6 following stellar results

The Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) will again be broadcast on TV6 in Trinidad & Tobago in 2024, with the tournament taking place from 29 August to 6 October.

The CPL and WCPL had outstanding TV numbers in Trinidad & Tobago during the 2023 season, with the tournament outperforming the viewing figures achieved in the country for events like the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics.

The tournament achieved the highest prime time audience share of any broadcast in September 2023, with 41.87% of viewers tuning in to the “Biggest Party in Sport”. This was four times higher than the share of the second highest programme.

The viewership share in Trinidad & Tobago was a huge increase from the 2022 numbers, and further cemented the CPL as the leading sports brand in the region.

The 2023 tournament saw 34 matches being played in five countries, with games being played

in Barbados, Guyana, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago between 16 August and 23 September. The Guyana Amazon Warriors claimed their first title by defeating the Trinbago Knight Riders in the final.

Richard Purcell, General Manager for CCN TV6, said: “These are truly remarkable figures, and CCN TV6 is delighted that CPL and WCPL will be broadcast on our platforms in 2024. Regardless of where you are in T&T, you will be able to catch all the action on your TV, our website, or mobile app. As always, we anticipate an exciting, entertaining and successful tournament.”

Pete Russell, Republic Bank CPL CEO, said: “We are pleased to be partnering with CCN TV6 again in 2024, and we are delighted with these outstanding viewing figures and audience share numbers from last year. The CPL and WCPL continue to go from strength to strength, with last season (being) our most successful yet. We are looking forward to getting this year’s tournament underway on 29 August.”

The West Indies 2024 Championships points table at the end of 5 rounds

The Men’s and Women’s CPL will be broadcast by TV6 in Trinidad & Tobago

GBA President Steve Ninvalle (C), GBA coaches and youngsters who stand to benefit from the National Academy Training Programme