### Updated: Friday, 31 July 2026, 21:25 By Denis Chabrol
Weeks after the fatal July 19 capsizing of the MV Barima killed more than 100 passengers and crew off Guyana’s coast, political opposition and civil society activists escalated public pressure on the Guyanese government during a 100-person protest outside the Office of the President on Friday. The demonstration centers on demands for full accountability, immediate salvage of the sunken vessel, and broader safety reforms for the country’s state-operated ferry network.
Addressing protesters from the picket line, David Patterson, leader of the opposition Alliance For Change (AFC), issued a direct warning to captains and senior crew of all ferries run by the state’s Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD): refuse to sail any vessel that you deem unfit for service. He reminded crews that three of their colleagues already face unprecedented murder charges over the MV Barima disaster, a stark departure from the negligence charges that typically follow maritime accidents.
The three charged crew members—40-year-old captain Kevin “KP” Price from Melanie Damishana, 42-year-old chief mate Rondell Dwayne Roberts from Grove Public Road, and 33-year-old goods superintendent Delon Granderson from Fellowship—all face the same severe criminal charges. Patterson stressed that captains who choose to operate a known defective vessel put themselves at equal legal risk. “If you take a boat that you know is defective, sail it, and a tragedy happens, authorities will frame the incident as if you intentionally meant to harm people,” he said. “You won’t just face negligence charges—you’ll be charged with murder, just like your three colleagues.”
Beyond his warning, Patterson shared practical guidance for ferry crews to protect themselves: formally document all safety concerns about vessel conditions in writing to senior officials, including the Minister of Public Works, and require all orders to sail in unsafe conditions to be provided in writing. “If something goes wrong, you will have clear proof that you followed official instructions,” he explained. Holding a protest placard reading “Salvage MV Barima”, Patterson also revealed he has already been in contact with a marine salvage firm based in the United Kingdom, which has outlined a salvage plan that would cost far less than the Guyana government’s current US$8 million estimated price tag.
Patterson also pushed back against any suggestions that political leadership had previously pressured crews to cut safety corners, noting that when he served as Minister of Public Infrastructure, he never ordered any captain to overrule their own safety concerns or force vessels to carry excess cargo beyond safe limits.
The call for salvage has gained broad support across Guyanese civil society, including from prominent Guyanese international environmental activist Janet Bulkan, who joined Friday’s protest. Bulkan emphasized that the sunken ferry itself is critical evidence for the ongoing investigation, calling it the “murder weapon” at the center of the criminal case against the three crew members. “If authorities are pressing murder charges against these men, we need the vessel raised to get the full truth,” she told Demerara Waves Online News. She added that recovering the ferry would also give closure to the families of the over 100 victims, allowing them to bury their loved ones properly. Bulkan also noted that the investigation must follow the formal requirements laid out in Guyana’s Shipping Act and the international Safety Of Life At Sea (SOLAS) Convention.
In response to recent comments from Prime Minister Mark Phillips that the government would only salvage the vessel if victim families request it, Bulkan pushed back, arguing that such a major decision should not be left solely to grieving families. Instead, she said, it should be made by a multi-stakeholder group including investigators, legal representatives, civil society leaders and family advocates.
One young protester at Friday’s demonstration carried a placard calling for the resignation of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, and defended that demand in an interview. “The Ministry of Public Works has a legal and moral responsibility to provide safe, reliable public transportation for every Guyanese citizen,” she said. “Over 100 people died simply trying to travel to their destinations. This is the result of gross negligence, incompetence and complacency. If Minister Edghill truly considers himself an honorable person, the only honorable step he can take right now is to resign.”
In response to growing public outcry, President Irfaan Ali has approved a formal Commission of Inquiry to conduct a full, wide-ranging probe into the MV Barima tragedy. On Friday, Ali appointed three experts to lead the inquiry’s review of maritime safety compliance: Dr. Ivor English, former Director-General of the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD); Colonel Julius Skeete of the Guyana Defense Force; and Captain Joseph Lewis, a veteran marine officer and ship surveyor. The commission’s mandate includes examining whether existing maritime safety rules were followed, and making actionable recommendations to strengthen regulatory oversight, improve enforcement, and bring Guyana’s vessel operations, operator protocols and regulatory systems up to the highest achievable international standards for safety and accountability.