Carib Scope

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  • After Public Backlash, Isabella Zabaneh Says: “I Do Not Defend Corruption”

    After Public Backlash, Isabella Zabaneh Says: “I Do Not Defend Corruption”

    In the wake of days of widespread public criticism over her proposal to increase the Belizean government’s $10,000 public procurement threshold, former Miss Universe Belize Isabella Zabaneh has issued a formal public statement distancing herself from any association with corruption, emphasizing that she does not support corrupt practices under any circumstances.

    Released on Monday, the lengthy statement clarifies a key context for Zabaneh’s earlier remarks: her one-year tenure as Miss Universe Belize officially concluded on June 29, meaning her comments delivered at the People’s United Party (PUP) National Party Council meeting in Dangriga were not made in her capacity as a pageant titleholder. Instead, Zabaneh frames her intervention as an exercise in civic engagement by a private citizen, voter, and proud Belizean exercising her fundamental right to contribute to national public debate.

    The former pageant winner also addressed the ongoing corruption investigation into the so-called “Mira Millions” scandal at Belize’s Ministry of Defence, stressing that her comments were never intended to defend any individuals connected to the inquiry. She acknowledged that her original remarks were open to misinterpretation by segments of the Belizean public, noting, “If my remarks gave anyone the impression that I was suggesting transparency should be weakened or accountability should be compromised, then I understand why that caused concern.”

    Despite walking back the potential misreading of her initial intervention, Zabaneh has not fully retreated from her core position. She reaffirmed her call for a government review of public procurement thresholds, arguing that any adjustment should balance alignment with current economic conditions and the retention of robust, appropriate oversight mechanisms to prevent mismanagement and corruption.

    Zabaneh’s clarification comes as her political allies have rallied to her defense: the United Women’s Group of the PUP has dismissed the widespread criticism against her as a “malicious backlash,” framing the public pushback as an unfair attack on a young woman’s constitutional right to participate in public discourse.

  • CARICOM vraagt advies CCJ over herbenoeming secretaris-generaal

    CARICOM vraagt advies CCJ over herbenoeming secretaris-generaal

    During a retreat of regional government leaders held in Saint Lucia, heads of state and government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have reached a formal decision to seek an advisory opinion from the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) regarding the procedural rules governing the reappointment of current CARICOM Secretary-General Carla Barnett. The existing arrangement for the secretary-general’s post will remain unchanged in all aspects until the court issues its formal advisory ruling, regional leaders confirmed in an official joint statement. Suriname’s President Jennifer Simons traveled to Saint Lucia to participate in the summit and is scheduled to return to her home country the same evening, according to local reporting.

    The decision to escalate the internal dispute to the CCJ stems from ongoing objections raised by the government of Trinidad and Tobago over the process that led to the planned reappointment of Secretary-General Barnett. Per the joint statement released by CARICOM leaders, Trinidad and Tobago formally requested that the matter be referred to the regional court to obtain a binding interpretive ruling on the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, the foundational agreement that establishes the structure and authority of CARICOM. All remaining CARICOM member states have approved the request, and the advisory process will be initiated under the provisions of Article 212 of the treaty.

    CARICOM leaders emphasized that the CCJ was specifically established to serve as the ultimate authority on interpretations of the community’s founding treaty, making it the appropriate body to resolve this procedural disagreement. While awaiting the court’s opinion, no changes will be made to the current status of Barnett’s tenure, and the reappointment question will not be revisited until all leaders have reviewed the court’s guidance.

    Regional leaders noted that this collaborative approach creates a pathway to resolve the disagreement through constructive, peaceful mechanisms that avoid disrupting the ongoing work of the Caribbean Community. The current dispute over the secretary-general’s reappointment is unfolding alongside a broader evaluation of CARICOM’s governance structure, a process first launched at a previous heads of state conference held in Saint Kitts and Nevis. This broader reform initiative aims to strengthen the regional bloc’s institutional framework and improve its overall operational effectiveness.

    Leaders further stressed that the request for a CCJ advisory opinion is not intended as an attack on the integrity of any member state or any individual public official. Instead, they argued, the move reflects the shared commitment of all CARICOM members to upholding principles of good governance, institutional transparency, and continuous improvement of regional bodies. In closing, the heads of state reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to CARICOM’s core mission and agreed to continue collaborative work to advance the shared interests of the Caribbean region, even amid ongoing economic, social, and geopolitical challenges facing the bloc.

  • CARICOM to seek CCJ advisory opinion on Secretary-General reappointment following Trinidad & Tobago objection

    CARICOM to seek CCJ advisory opinion on Secretary-General reappointment following Trinidad & Tobago objection

    A long-simmering dispute over the reappointment process of CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett has led regional heads of government to approve a legal path forward, agreeing to request an official advisory opinion from the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to resolve the impasse. The decision was finalized on July 6, 2026, at a closed-door leadership retreat hosted in St. Lucia, following formal objections raised by the government of Trinidad and Tobago that the existing reappointment procedure violated the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, the foundational legal document governing the regional bloc.

    Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had laid out her administration’s formal position in a comprehensive 22-page letter circulated to all CARICOM heads on July 3. In the correspondence, Persad-Bissessar argued that the dispute should not be settled through behind-the-scenes political negotiation, but instead through the formal legal mechanisms laid out in the founding treaty. She additionally proposed that all heads commit in advance to abiding by the CCJ’s interpretation of the relevant treaty provisions. Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness also added his voice to calls for a formal resolution, penning a July 5 letter to CARICOM Chairman and St. Lucia Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre to express concern over the ongoing lack of resolution for the impasse. “It has become clear that we were not all on the same page. Therefore, it is important that any concerns be addressed in a meaningful manner to restore cohesion, if not unity, which is indispensable to the effective functioning of Caricom,” Holness wrote. According to local outlet T&T Guardian, deliberations over the dispute extended the closed-door retreat by several hours beyond its scheduled adjournment, highlighting the significance of the issue for regional governance.

    Per the official joint statement released by CARICOM on July 7, the bloc will initiate formal proceedings under Article 212 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas to request the CCJ’s advisory opinion. The statement notes that interpreting the terms of the founding treaty is one of the core mandated functions of the regional court, making it the appropriate body to resolve the disagreement. Until the CCJ delivers its opinion and CARICOM leaders have time to review the ruling, the current status of Barnett’s reappointment will remain unchanged. CARICOM emphasized that the agreed-upon process offers an amicable route to resolution that will not disrupt the bloc’s ongoing work to address regional challenges.

    The dispute resolution process is framed as part of a broader ongoing initiative to strengthen CARICOM’s institutional governance, a mandate that leaders approved during a previous heads of government conference held in St. Kitts and Nevis. In their statement, regional leaders stressed that referring the matter to the CCJ does not call into question the professional or personal integrity of any member state or individual involved in the process. Instead, the move reflects a collective commitment to upholding the rule of law within the bloc, strengthening regional institutions, and maintaining rigorous standards of good governance. Closing the statement, CARICOM heads reaffirmed their shared commitment to the founding ideals and objectives of the regional community, pledging to continue working collaboratively to advance the interests of Caribbean nations and populations amid the multiple complex challenges facing the region.

  • “Malicious Backlash” or Fair Scrutiny? PUP Women’s Group Defends MUB Zabaneh

    “Malicious Backlash” or Fair Scrutiny? PUP Women’s Group Defends MUB Zabaneh

    A political controversy in Belize has erupted into a heated debate over free speech and gender equity after Miss Universe Belize Isabella Zabaneh faced widespread public pushback for her comments on a high-stakes government procurement scandal tagged the “Mira Millions” case.\n\nZabaneh shared her unfiltered views on the controversy during the People’s United Party (PUP) National Party Council meeting held in Dangriga over the weekend, putting herself at the center of a growing national debate. At the heart of the scandal is a $10,000 procurement threshold that senior government officials have flagged as a tool to bypass formal treasury oversight.\n\nIn her remarks, Zabaneh argued that the long-standing $10,000 threshold is outdated, noting that while the limit may have made sense three decades ago, it currently places unnecessary administrative burdens on the office of the financial secretary and amounts to excessive top-down micromanagement across all levels of government. Her comments align with observations from Financial Secretary Joseph Waight, who previously labeled the repeated pattern of processing payments just under the $10,000 threshold tied to Minister Oscar Mira’s family as suspicious, with clear indications of willful intent to dodge official oversight.\n\nIn the wake of Zabaneh’s comments, a wave of public criticism circulated across social media platforms. But the PUP’s United Women’s Group (UWG) has stepped forward forcefully to defend the beauty queen and political commentator, dismissing the public criticism as a “malicious backlash” that targets a young woman’s fundamental right to engage in political discourse.\n\n“It is profoundly disheartening to witness the malicious backlash directed at Ms. Isabella Zabaneh,” the UWG said in an official statement. “Such attacks are precisely why young females, and women in general, are often wary of entering the political arena.” The group added that it unequivocally condemns all attempts to silence a young, articulate female voice contributing to national political conversation.\n\nCritics pushed back against the UWG’s framing, however, taking to Facebook to clarify that their scrutiny of Zabaneh has nothing to do with her gender. Online commentators emphasized that their criticism centers exclusively on her stance regarding the controversial threshold, which remains at the core of the unfolding “Mira Millions” corruption investigation. The debate has now drawn new attention to both the procurement scandal and the ongoing challenges women face when entering political spaces in Belize.

  • Saint Lucia, Finland strengthen diplomatic ties as consulate reopens

    Saint Lucia, Finland strengthen diplomatic ties as consulate reopens

    After a period of dormant diplomatic representation, Finland has formally reopened its honorary consulate on the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia, launching a new era of deepened cooperation between the two governments and peoples. The milestone event was marked by a formal cocktail reception held last Friday, drawing a cross-section of high-profile attendees including senior Saint Lucian government officials, representatives of the international diplomatic corps based in the country, leading regional business executives, and other specially invited guests.

    The ceremony operated under the official patronage of His Excellency Pertti Ikonen, Finland’s ambassador to the Caribbean region. At the event, Gordon Charles, chief executive officer of the prominent local enterprise JQ Group of Companies, was formally sworn in and introduced as the Nordic country’s new honorary consul to Saint Lucia.

    In his acceptance remarks following the appointment, Charles extended gratitude to the government of Finland for extending trust in his leadership, outlining his commitment to forging stronger bonds between the two nations through expanded bilateral collaboration and increased two-way trade. Central to his strategic vision for the consulate is a push to help Saint Lucian stakeholders leverage the existing EU-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), a landmark trade deal that grants all CARIFORUM signatory states – including Saint Lucia – duty-free and quota-free access to export goods to the 27-member European Union. Charles emphasized that the arrangement opens untapped avenues for expanded trade, attracted foreign direct investment, and inclusive economic growth for the small island nation.

    “We look forward to these opportunities and the growth of our relationship between the two nations,” Charles added in closing his remarks.

    Ambassador Ikonen echoed the new honorary consul’s optimistic outlook, affirming that the EPA serves as a critical structural framework to expand bilateral trade and economic cooperation between Finland and Saint Lucia. Echoing Charles’ call to action, he urged local Saint Lucian businesses to capitalize on the preferential access the agreement provides. In a light-hearted moment during his formal address, Ikonen even quipped that he may soon start importing Saint Lucia’s famous banana ketchup, praising the unique local product that remains unavailable to consumers in Finland.

    The ambassador also took the opportunity to honor the contributions of Berthia Parle, the previous honorary consul for Finland in Saint Lucia. Parle, a well-respected leader in Saint Lucia’s tourism sector and former president of the Saint Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association, served in the role for more than 10 years, with Ikonen describing her tenure as defined by “exemplary” service to advancing bilateral ties.

    Also in attendance at the reopening ceremony was Alva Baptiste, Saint Lucia’s Minister for External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs. Baptiste emphasized that for small developing island states such as Saint Lucia, building targeted strategic alliances and sustaining robust diplomatic relationships remain core pillars of long-term national development. He framed the bilateral partnership with Finland as a key example of the type of collaboration that advances the island’s development goals.

    “We are determined to pull through with strategic alignments. With good friends like Finland, we are going to continue that journey to the palace of victory and development. Our foreign policy posture will always encourage unity, peaceful resolutions to conflict, and for us to use diplomacy as a tool to resolve problems,” Baptiste stated.

  • CARICOM leaders agree to send SG’s appointment to CCJ

    CARICOM leaders agree to send SG’s appointment to CCJ

    CASTRIES, St. Lucia – July 7, 2026 – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders have reached a collective agreement to pursue an official advisory opinion from the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to resolve a long-running controversy surrounding the five-year reappointment of current CARICOM Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett.

    The decision comes after the government of Trinidad and Tobago refused to drop its formal objection to the procedural framework used to approve Barnett’s reappointment. CARICOM chair and St. Lucia Prime Minister Phillip J. Pierre outlined the consensus in an official statement shared with reporters on Tuesday.

    “CARICOM acknowledged that the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago desires to have the issue of the reappointment of the Secretary General referred to the Caribbean Court of Justice to render an advisory opinion thereon,” Pierre said.

    To accommodate Trinidad and Tobago’s request, regional heads of government have authorized the launch of formal court proceedings under Article 212 of the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, the foundational legal document governing CARICOM integration. Pierre emphasized that the process aligns perfectly with the core mandate the CCJ was created to fulfill.

    “This is the very purpose for which the CCJ was created, to be a treaty interpretation body,” Pierre added.

    In a 22-page formal correspondence sent to all CARICOM leaders ahead of the meeting, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar argued that regional integration cannot be built on procedural shortcuts or unregulated practices framed as historical precedent. She stressed that the bloc’s unity must be rooted in consistent adherence to the rules all member states have voluntarily agreed to uphold.

    Persad-Bissessar pushed for the CCJ – which serves as the official interpreter of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas for the regional integration movement – to weigh in on the legality of the reappointment process. She also proposed that Barnett remain in office on a month-to-month interim basis only until the CCJ issues its ruling, with the arrangement explicitly stated to not undermine the legal positions of any member state or validate the disputed reappointment process.

    Under Persad-Bissessar’s proposal, Barnett would also fully recuse herself from any decisions directly or indirectly related to the advisory proceedings, with all relevant authority transferred to the CARICOM Deputy Secretary General or an independent third party.

    However, CARICOM leaders opted to maintain the current status quo surrounding Barnett’s reappointment, and the arrangement will remain in place until the bloc reviews and acts on the CCJ’s upcoming advisory opinion. Pierre noted that this path was chosen to resolve the dispute amicably, while allowing CARICOM to continue carrying out its core business without disruption to any member state’s legal standing.

    In tandem with this dispute resolution process, Pierre reaffirmed that CARICOM is moving forward with a long-planned review of its internal governance architecture, a mandate first agreed at the bloc’s previous conference held in St. Kitts and Nevis, aimed at strengthening institutional governance and boosting operational effectiveness across the community.

    Leaders also emphasized that the legal review process does not call into question the integrity of any member state, nor that of any individual involved in the controversy. Instead, Pierre said, the process reflects the bloc’s shared commitment to upholding the highest standards of good governance and pursuing continuous institutional improvement.

    In closing, Pierre reaffirmed that all heads of government remain committed to CARICOM’s core mission and regional integration objectives. Despite the current internal dispute and the wide range of economic and social challenges facing the bloc, leaders remain dedicated to advancing collective regional interests in unity, he added.

  • Pot-banging protests continue for a second night across Santo Domingo

    Pot-banging protests continue for a second night across Santo Domingo

    For the second straight night on Tuesday, widespread pot-banging demonstrations rocked residential neighborhoods across Greater Santo Domingo, as Dominican residents rallied to voice their collective discontent with three major government actions: a recently implemented Penal Code, controversial new tax policies, and repeated allegations of excessive use of force by national police.

    Shortly after 8 p.m. local time, user-shared footage circulated across major social media platforms captured protesters of all ages banging pots, pans and other metal cookware from street corners, residential balconies and inside family homes across multiple upscale and working-class neighborhoods, including Mirador Sur, El Millón, Bella Vista, Naco, and Evaristo Morales. Event organizers have confirmed that the peaceful demonstrations will continue at the same time every evening, framing the noisy, accessible form of protest as a low-risk but high-impact way to pressure the sitting government and National Congress to reverse unpopular policies.

    The grassroots movement has emerged against a backdrop of mounting public anger that has built across political and social lines in recent weeks. Opponents of the newly enacted Penal Code have repeatedly derided the legislation as a de facto “gag law,” warning that its vague provisions and expanded restrictions open the door to widespread suppression of protected freedom of speech and peaceful political assembly. Beyond criticism of the penal reform, demonstrators have also expressed deep frustration with newly implemented tax increases that have raised costs for working and middle-class Dominican households already grappling with rising inflation. Adding fuel to the protests is the fatal police shooting of 19-year-old Darlin Mercado Reyes, a resident of the Guajimía sector in Santo Domingo Oeste. Reyes was killed on July 3 during a routine traffic stop conducted by a Dominican National Police officer, and a bystander’s viral video of the incident circulated rapidly across social media, amplifying longstanding public anger over police brutality.

    The decentralized protest movement gained significant traction after popular Dominican rapper Melymel shared calls to action with her large social media following, urging citizens across the country to join the nightly pot-banging demonstrations. Building on this growing momentum, organizers have now announced plans for a large-scale national rally scheduled for Thursday at Santo Domingo’s Plaza de la Bandera. The event is expected to draw thousands of participants from every region of the country, who will gather to demand sweeping amendments to the controversial penal legislation, a full and transparent investigation into Mercado Reyes’ killing that holds the responsible officer accountable, and increased commitment to government transparency and accountability from national leaders.

  • PM Browne Rejects Claims Government Blocked Cassada Gardens Redevelopment

    PM Browne Rejects Claims Government Blocked Cassada Gardens Redevelopment

    A public dispute over the fate of the EC$30 million Cassada Gardens Racetrack redevelopment project has prompted Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne to set the record straight on the government’s position, emphasizing that the administration has not blocked the project itself – only a controversial request to exempt the foreign investor from a mandatory industry levy.

    The controversy erupted after the Antigua Turf Club issued a public statement claiming that negotiations over the revitalization initiative had collapsed, citing an unresolved impasse between the government and the unnamed foreign investor over a key concession demand. In response, Browne published a detailed official statement on Tuesday, breaking down the package of incentives the government has already approved to demonstrate its ongoing support for upgrading the public racetrack facility.

    Per Browne’s account, the administration has already delivered substantial financial breaks to the investor, including a full decade-long corporate tax holiday and the approval of a casino license, alongside other tailored concessions. The sole sticking point, the prime minister explained, is the investor’s last-minute demand to waive the statutory 8% gaming fee that all licensed gaming and racetrack operators in the country are legally required to remit to the government.

    Browne argued that approving the requested exemption would fundamentally undermine fair competition across Antigua and Barbuda’s growing gaming sector, creating an unfair advantage for the foreign backer that would put existing local and compliant operators at a disadvantage. “To waive it would give them an unfair advantage and we declined their offer,” Browne noted, pushing back against widespread narratives that the government had outright rejected the redevelopment project. He questioned the logic of framing the refusal of one specific concession as a total withdrawal of support, asking, “How does that translate into the government not supporting the project?”

    The prime minister also outlined a clear alternative path forward for the initiative, noting that if the project can only move forward with the unfair tax exemption, the government is prepared to redirect the full package of concessions to a local operator instead. “If the foreign investor is depending on that tax waiver to develop the facility, we rather give the concession to a local operator, including the Turf Club itself,” Browne said.

    Closing his statement, Browne reaffirmed the government’s red line on fiscal responsibility, stressing that the administration will not approve concessions that erode public tax revenue beyond what is considered reasonable and fair for the Antiguan public. “No plundering and bartering of government’s tax revenue will be entertained,” he wrote.

    For its part, the Antigua Turf Club has defended the requested concession, arguing that the exemption is a core component of the project’s financial model, which is structured to reinvest all available funds back into upgrading the publicly owned racetrack rather than allowing capital to flow out of the initiative. The club has not walked away from negotiations, confirming that it is preparing an updated proposal to submit to the government and expressing hope that constructive discussions can resume in the near future.

  • President should decide on public disclosure of assets- PPP Executive Secretary

    President should decide on public disclosure of assets- PPP Executive Secretary

    A heated political debate over asset transparency has erupted in Guyana, centered on claims surrounding President Irfaan Ali’s agricultural holdings and the origin of his investment capital. The controversy first took shape Sunday, when opposition leader Azruddin Mohamed of the A Partnership for National Unity/People’s National Congress Reform (APNU/AFC) made explosive allegations: that President Ali misused his executive office to secure a 150-acre plot of land along the popular Linden-Soesdyke Highway, and poured at least 2 billion Guyanese dollars into the development of the farm. Mohamed has since doubled down on these claims, calling for the president to step down immediately over the alleged improprieties.

    President Ali has forcefully pushed back against all accusations, pushing back on claims that he has hidden the true origin of his investment. He confirmed that the farm is indeed his property, noting this fact has never been kept secret from the Guyanese public. To counter claims of illicit funding, Ali explained that he has already complied with existing ethics rules by submitting all required financial disclosures to the country’s Integrity Commission annually, and his official banking records confirm he used legitimate borrowed capital to fund the agricultural project.

    The clash has drawn comment from the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP), with the party’s Executive Secretary Zulfikar Mustapha weighing in on the growing demand for public disclosure of the president’s full asset records. After initially declining to address the issue with Demerara Waves Online News, Mustapha clarified his stance when pressed on whether Ali should authorize the Integrity Commission to release his full financial documents to the public.

    “That is for the President to decide on that,” Mustapha stated, declining to pressure the country’s leader one way or the other on the disclosure question. He did, however, emphasize that the president has already met all legal obligations for financial transparency, noting that annual mandatory disclosures to the Integrity Commission signal the president has no undeclared assets or hidden misconduct to conceal.

    Mustapha’s comments came just under an hour after the main opposition bloc publicly reiterated its position that the president has a clear democratic duty to release his full financial records to the public in order to put all lingering concerns about alleged financial misbehavior to rest. As of Tuesday morning, no final decision on public disclosure has been announced from the president’s office, leaving the Guyanese public waiting for clarity amid intensifying political pressure.

  • FARMGATE: PNCR says Ali must make “full disclosure” of assets

    FARMGATE: PNCR says Ali must make “full disclosure” of assets

    GEORGETOWN, Guyana – July 7, 2026 – Guyana’s second-largest parliamentary opposition bloc, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) led by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), has publicly called on President Irfaan Ali to release a complete breakdown of his personal finances to verify that his acquisition of a sprawling 150-acre agricultural property along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway aligns with his reported income and documented borrowing.

    In an official statement released Tuesday, the 12-seat opposition coalition emphasized that in a functional democratic system, no public official – regardless of the highest office in the land – is exempt from public oversight. The group argued that Ali is obligated to address growing public questions and deliver the level of accountability that Guyanese citizens are entitled to expect from their head of state.

    “PNCR/APNU calls on the President to make full public disclosure of all his income, assets, liabilities, and the specific financial arrangements underpinning the acquisition and development of these lands,” the statement read. “Full transparency would serve to dispel existing doubts, strengthen public trust in government, and demonstrate a clear commitment to the core principles of good governance.”

    The demand follows viral public scrutiny sparked earlier this week when Azruddin Mohamed, leader of the 16-seat main opposition party We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), published a video tour of the highly developed, modern agricultural operation on the site. Mohamed labeled the property a private ranch, noting it includes commercial livestock enclosures, fruit orchards, a private on-site electricity transmission network, climate-controlled ventilated poultry tunnel houses, shaded crop growing structures, cattle barns, and multi-level housing for sheep.

    Responding to the initial revelations over the weekend, President Ali confirmed he is the legal owner of the farm, but pushed back against allegations of impropriety. He stated that his asset declarations filed with Guyana’s Integrity Commission, paired with official banking records, confirm he funded the property and its development through personal borrowing. A former Minister of Housing and Water, Ali vehemently denied abusing his public office to acquire the land or secure the infrastructure for the project, adding that most long-time political observers and Guyanese citizens were already aware of his ownership of the farm.

    “There is absolutely no State involvement or no State financing for any single thing on my farm. It is in existence long before I became President and all of my assets have been declared to the Integrity Commission,” Ali told Demerara Waves Online in an interview Sunday. “Further to my assets being declared to the Integrity Commission, the financial system can verify and support every single investment I have made, and all my assets and liabilities which include my loan. So it is completely false that any part of this was supported by any State investment.”

    PNCR/APNU however pointed to a previous unresolved legal matter to back its call for full disclosure: the bloc noted that 19 fraud-related charges against Ali were ultimately dropped after he assumed the presidency, one of which specifically concerned parcels of land along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway. “The recent revelations regarding these lands are therefore not new and raise serious questions that demand clear and transparent answers,” the coalition said.

    The opposition is demanding Ali explicitly confirm whether he is the full beneficial owner of the farm land, and address questions over the property’s financing. Local reports put the annual lease payment for the land at approximately 25 million Guyanese dollars, a sum that PNCR/APNU argues demands public explanation. “The Guyanese people deserve to know how such payments are being financed and whether they are consistent with his declared sources of income,” the statement added.

    Ali’s monthly salary as President currently sits just under 4 million Guyanese dollars.

    The coalition stressed that as head of state, Ali holds a legal fiduciary responsibility to the people of Guyana and is required to uphold the highest standards of transparency and accountability. “The public is entitled to know how this wealth was acquired and whether all relevant declarations have been made in accordance with the law,” the statement concluded.