Carib Scope

标签： Guyana

圭亚那

  • Ali shows off young professionals saying govt backed their high-tech poultry farm

    Ali shows off young professionals saying govt backed their high-tech poultry farm

    On Saturday, 11 July 2026, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali moved to reframe public discourse around ongoing questions about his personal 75-acre farm along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway by showcasing a government-backed high-tech poultry initiative led by young Guyanese entrepreneurs in Region Three (West Demerara-Essequibo Islands).

    In a public Facebook post accompanying a video of the new project, President Ali explained that the cutting-edge tunnel-house poultry farm was developed through a public-private partnership: the cohort of young professionals contributed 10% of the total project cost, with the government providing targeted support and direct guidance from the President himself. The project aligns with the administration’s stated core priorities: empowering youth-led entrepreneurship, bolstering national food security, and expanding inclusive economic opportunity through modernized agricultural practices.

    The project video includes testimonials from two participating entrepreneurs, who described how the President’s encouragement and formal government support made their investment in the innovative farming venture possible. Starting from an initial flock of 20,000 birds, the operation has already begun rapidly scaling its production, with President Ali framing the model as a blueprint for innovative, efficient, and sustainable poultry production across Guyana.

    Even as the President highlights the new youth agriculture initiative, persistent public scrutiny continues to surround his personal private farm at Long Creek on the same Linden-Soesdyke Highway. While Ali has repeatedly denied that his private farm received any preferential treatment or special government exemptions due to his position as head of state, hundreds of commenters on his Saturday Facebook post renewed calls for full transparency around the land acquisition process, financing for the farm’s developed infrastructure, which includes a paved earthen access road and upgraded electricity distribution directly to the property.

    Many commenters pressed for immediate public disclosure, with local resident Robert Bacchus Bynoe asking, “Sir when can Guyanese see and access all of the ‘Public Information’ about your farm? Tell us where to look?” Another commenter, Patrick Ali, emphasized that the public would not drop the issue, writing: “WE WANT THIS ISSUE .. THE FARM GATE MATTER .. ALL DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO SHOW HOW ALI OWN THE FARM ? WE WILL NOT TURN OUR BACK ON THIS MATTER.”

    Not all public reaction focused on the controversy, however. A number of commenters offered praise for the new youth poultry project. Rhonda Samuels Benjamin noted, “The idea is great I’m interested in having same. The technology is excellent and a great business venture,” while Fato Sharma commented, “Great to know that His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfan Ali was always working with young professionals and will continue doing so.”

    The scrutiny of the President’s farm first emerged after opposition leader Azruddin Mohamed publicly revealed details of the property. Two days after his initial revelation, Mohamed visited the neighboring Long Creek community overnight to highlight a stark equity issue: the community adjacent to the President’s farm still lacks access to consistent electricity supply.

    Earlier on the same Saturday that he showcased the youth poultry project, President Ali posted separately about infrastructure development in the Waiakabra community along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway. He highlighted that his administration has directed significant investment to the area, including funding through Guyana’s national Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), to upgrade public infrastructure, improve community facilities, generate local economic opportunity, and raise resident quality of life.

    Mohamed has alleged that developing the President’s private farm — which includes poultry, cattle, sheep, goat and fish operations alongside a personal farmhouse — cost an estimated 2.2 billion Guyanese dollars. President Ali has yet to publicly confirm the development cost, exact acreage of the property, or any additional personal financial details, noting that all required asset disclosures have already been submitted confidentially to the country’s Integrity Commission. Under Guyana’s constitution, the sitting President is protected from civil or criminal legal action during their time in office, a provision that has added to public debate around accountability for the personal property.

  • Guyanese man admits to firebombing houses of worship in Queens, New York

    Guyanese man admits to firebombing houses of worship in Queens, New York

    A 36-year-old Guyanese national residing in the U.S. has pleaded responsible to orchestrating a coordinated series of Molotov cocktail attacks that targeted religious sites and commercial businesses across New York City, court documents and law enforcement officials confirm. The suspect, Yogesh Sayrange, already had an open arrest warrant for an unrelated prior charge of threatening to behead another person at the time of his capture, local outlet ABC7 New York first reported.

    Sayrange made his first formal appearance before a federal court Thursday, where he was arraigned in connection with the June 25 firebombing of a Brooklyn smoke shop located on Fulton Street. Federal prosecutors have laid out that Sayrange has been living in the United States unlawfully after immigration protections granted to him when he entered the country as a minor expired. He told investigators he currently has a pending application to renew his status under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the program that offers temporary protection from deportation for eligible people who arrived in the U.S. as children.

    During questioning, Sayrange openly confessed to carrying out the targeted attacks, explicitly stating to law enforcement: “Yes, I f-ing firebombed them. They’re Muslims, scum and terrorists.” This admission has confirmed authorities’ working theory that the attacks were driven by religious bigotry.

    Investigators now link Sayrange to a total of seven separate arson incidents dating back to late June, with the vast majority of the attacks targeting houses of worship representing multiple faiths, alongside a small number of commercial properties. The final trio of attacks unfolded late Wednesday night in Queens, just hours before Sayrange’s arrest.

    According to police accounts, at approximately 11:35 p.m., Sayrange allegedly threw a homemade Molotov cocktail at the main entrance of Iglesia Bautista El Mesias, a Baptist church located on 75th Street in the Ozone Park neighborhood. Surveillance footage obtained by investigators captures Sayrange speaking with a group of men standing outside the church moments before he ignited and threw the incendiary device. Prosecutors say that prior to launching the attack, Sayrange asked the assembled men: “Do you want this institution to be turned into a mosque?”

    The homemade incendiary bounced off the solid wood church door before detonating on the adjacent pavement, leaving the church building completely undamaged. No people inside or outside the church were harmed in the attempt.

    Immediately after the first attack, investigators say Sayrange traveled less than a mile to a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses on 78th Street in Woodhaven, where he threw a second Molotov cocktail at the building. Similar to the first attack, this device also bounced off the exterior wall and exploded on the ground, causing no structural damage or injuries.

    A third attack was reported shortly after at a nearby ambulette company located on Rockaway Boulevard in Cypress Hills. Late-shift mechanics working at the facility told police they saw a firebomb land in the company’s parking lot. One mechanic who witnessed the event recounted, “We heard like a little bang. I go outside. The floor was on fire.”

    Remarkably, none of the seven linked attacks resulted in any injuries to civilians, law enforcement or bystanders. Law enforcement apprehended Sayrange within minutes of the final Queens attack, and officers recovered two unused, fully assembled Molotov cocktails from his personal bag when he was taken into custody. When prosecutors asked about the unused devices following his arrest, Sayrange again openly admitted his plans, responding: “I had two more in my bag. I was going to finish the job.”

  • Para-social workers being trained in hinterland communities

    Para-social workers being trained in hinterland communities

    On Friday, Guyana’s Ministry of Human Services and Social Security officially launched a groundbreaking free training initiative to cultivate paraprofessional social workers, a response to the decades-long shortage of fully qualified social work professionals in the country’s remote interior, or hinterland, communities.

    The Certificate in Paraprofessional Social Services (CPSS) program, launched in Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), aims to close a critical service gap that has left marginalized interior communities underserved for years. Speaking at the launch, Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr. Vindhya Persaud framed the program’s first cohort of trainees as pioneers trailblazing a new model of accessible social care for Guyana’s most remote regions.

    For generations, key hinterland regions including Barima-Waini (Region One), Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region Seven), Potaro-Siparuni (Region Eight) and Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo (Region Nine) have lacked consistent access to specialized social services, a gap that has harmed outcomes for vulnerable groups across these areas. The new initiative directly advances the Guyanese government’s public commitment to expanding qualified social care coverage across the entire country, where demand for these critical services remains highest in remote interior zones.

    Developed as a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, the Guyana Association of Professional Social Workers (GAPSW), and the accredited University of Guyana, the program delivers no-cost foundational social work training that carries formal academic accreditation. Unlike ad-hoc community outreach, the initiative is designed to create long-term, meaningful career pathways for local hinterland residents, while simultaneously strengthening the country’s overall social services infrastructure. Upon successful completion of the course, graduates will be prioritized for open social services roles across government agencies, including the Childcare and Protection Agency, the central Social Services Department, and the Survivor Advocate Programme.

    Minister Persaud emphasized that the program is far more than a short-term training course: it serves as a permanent launchpad for a lifelong career in social work, empowering local trainees to drive tangible, lasting change within their own communities. “This is more than free training. It is a launchpad into a career in Social Work. So, think about this as a lifelong path, where you will make a tangible impact on the future of the people of your community, your region, and your country,” she told participating trainees.

    The minister also outlined the critical, multifaceted role that social workers play in advancing community well-being, from addressing child protection and family welfare to supporting survivors of gender-based and domestic violence and expanding access to mental health support. Strengthening these frontline services, she noted, is a non-negotiable foundation for building safer, healthier, more cohesive communities across Guyana.

    She further stressed the importance of rigorous professional standards for the new cohort of paraprofessional social workers, including accurate case documentation, adherence to national standard operating procedures, and unwavering ethical conduct. Because social workers often serve as key stakeholders in the national justice system, contributing evidence and support during court proceedings and ongoing case management, upholding principles of integrity, transparency, and accountability is central to the role. “Justice must always be served, and as a social worker, you become part of that wheel of justice. So when you get into this profession, integrity, transparency and accountability is what will drive you further,” Persaud said.

    Framed as a aligned investment paired with Guyana’s ongoing rapid economic expansion, the program reflects the government’s strategy to grow human capital in lockstep with national development. As Guyana experiences unprecedented economic growth driven largely by new offshore oil discoveries, the administration has prioritized ensuring that all communities — including remote interior regions left behind in past development cycles — gain access to the professional services and opportunities they deserve. “This programme is an investment in the education of the people of Guyana. As our country develops, we must ensure our human capacity develops alongside it, so that every community has access to the support and professional services it deserves,” the minister added.

  • Banks DIH Ltd hands over grand prize in “Crown the Road” promotion

    Banks DIH Ltd hands over grand prize in “Crown the Road” promotion

    Guyana’s leading beverage and consumer goods manufacturer Banks DIH Limited has formally concluded its highly anticipated ‘Crown the Road’ customer loyalty promotion, awarding the campaign’s top prize – a brand-new SWM SUV valued at $5.5 million – to Vijay Latchminarine, a resident of East Canefield, Canje, Berbice.

    Running over 10 consecutive weeks from April 10 to June 19 this year, the promotion was structured to reward regular patrons of Banks Beer at 15 participating bars scattered across Guyana. Throughout the campaign, organizers held regular draws that delivered instant $350,000 cash prizes to 15 lucky winners, bringing the total value of secondary consolation rewards to $5.25 million, before the much-awaited grand prize draw for the SUV that served as the event’s centerpiece.

    The awarding of the SUV to Latchminarine marks the successful completion of a campaign crafted specifically to celebrate and acknowledge the long-term loyalty of Banks Beer consumers across the country. Speaking on the wrap-up of the promotion, Lee Baptiste, Sales and Marketing Executive at Banks DIH, emphasized that the initiative was rooted in meeting customers where they already connect with the brand.

    “Crown the Road was about putting Banks Beer where our customers already are, at their favourite bars, enjoying time with friends and giving them a real chance to be rewarded for their loyalty,” Baptiste explained. “Seeing Mr. Latchminarine drive away in the grand prize SUV is exactly the kind of moment we hoped this promotion would create.”

    Banks Beer, the flagship product at the center of the campaign, holds a Monde Selection Gold Quality award and has maintained its position as one of the most popular beer choices among Guyanese consumers. The brand is backed by its parent company’s more than seven decades of proven manufacturing excellence in the region.

    As a cornerstone of Guyana’s consumer goods sector, Banks DIH Limited employs more than 1,600 local workers and holds a dominant position as a manufacturer and distributor of beverages, food items, and household products across the country. Beyond Banks Beer, the company’s extensive brand portfolio includes other well-known local favorites such as GT Beer, Guinness, XM Rum, Coca-Cola, Malta, Icee, and Qik Serv, alongside a wide range of other everyday consumer products. For decades, the firm has anchored its operations in three core priorities: delivering consistent high-quality products, investing in local community development, and supporting the long-term economic growth of Guyana.

  • Robbers attack Venezuelans in Sparendaam

    Robbers attack Venezuelans in Sparendaam

    A violent pre-dawn robbery left two Venezuelan travelers without their motorcycle in Sparendaam, a community along Guyana’s East Coast Demerara, local law enforcement confirmed. The assault took place around 4:00 a.m. on Friday, according to an official statement released by the Guyana Police Force, and no suspects have been taken into custody as of the latest update.

    Investigative records show the stolen two-wheeler is registered to a 22-year-old Venezuelan man who is a current resident of the Sparendaam area. Witness accounts passed along to police outline that the two victims were en route to the younger victim’s home when two unknown men riding a second motorcycle intercepted them.

    Law enforcement officials detailed the sequence of the attack in their statement: One of the two assailants, who was openly carrying a cutlass, got off their motorcycle and stepped forward to confront the pair. One of the victims attempted to fight back against the blade-wielding attacker, engaging in a brief physical scuffle. Despite the victim’s resistance, the armed suspect ultimately managed to seize the victims’ motorcycle, while his accomplice remained with the pair’s original getway vehicle.

    After stealing the victims’ bike, both suspects fled the scene, traveling eastward on both the stolen motorcycle and their own. As of the latest police update on 10 July 2026, the manhunt for the two attackers is ongoing, with investigators working to recover the stolen vehicle and identify the perpetrators.

  • APNU defends weak response to Ali’s land acquisition, other issues

    APNU defends weak response to Ali’s land acquisition, other issues

    As public anger simmers across Guyana over a high-profile land scandal involving President Irfaan Ali, the country’s largest opposition bloc, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) led by the People’s National Congress Reform, has moved to address growing accusations that it has offered a lackluster response to the controversy, pushing leadership for the probe to the smaller opposition party that first broke the story.

    In public comments delivered Friday, two senior APNU parliamentarians, Dr. Dexter Todd and Sherod Duncan, acknowledged that widespread public outrage has erupted over the President’s acquisition of acreage for his private commercial farm, which has dominated national headlines in recent weeks. Dr. Todd argued that based on widespread conversations and discourse across Guyana’s social media platforms, the entire situation is unacceptable for most citizens. He added that the President has failed to answer dozens of outstanding questions about the deal, and called on Ali to step down temporarily to clear the way for a full, independent investigation into the transaction. “There is a very large segment of the population that is deeply outraged by what has unfolded here. I believe that includes nearly all Guyanese,” Todd stated.

    Duncan expanded on the criticism, noting that while ordinary Guyanese citizens often wait 15 years or longer to secure a small plot of residential or agricultural land, the President moved ahead to acquire the large holding, which he has developed into a working farm for poultry, livestock, and high-value commercial crops. Duncan emphasized that the public anger over the issue is not manufactured by opposition parties, noting “We don’t have to stir up any kind of feeling or anger in people. It just comes naturally to the fore.”

    Despite that sharp criticism, Duncan sought to deflect pressure for APNU to lead a robust campaign on the issue, pointing out that the smaller opposition party We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) was the first group to bring the allegations to public attention. As the largest opposition party represented in Guyana’s parliament, WIN has taken the lead on the issue, Duncan said, and APNU intends to let WIN set the initial pace for a full, comprehensive response. “It is WIN that raised this issue and we’d love to see them continue on this one,” he said, while adding that APNU retains its own set of political tools that it is willing to deploy to secure the full transparency the public demands.

    President Ali has pushed back against the most severe allegations, disputing opposition claims by WIN leader Azruddin Mohamed that the farm, located near Long Creek along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, spans 150 acres. Ali has confirmed the holding is less than 75 acres, but has declined to provide an exact measurement. He has also stated that any profits generated by the farm are being reinvested back into the agricultural project, and has denied abusing his office to secure special treatment for the development.

    Records show Ali obtained an undisclosed loan through the domestic banking system to develop the farm, and that he has submitted all required asset disclosures to Guyana’s Integrity Commission, as required by law. To date, however, he has rejected repeated calls to release full, detailed public information about the land acquisition and farm operations.

    Dr. Todd rejected claims that APNU has limited its response to mere rhetoric, noting that within days of the scandal breaking, the bloc convened its 12-member parliamentary caucus to map out a legislative and political strategy for action in the National Assembly. He explained that APNU’s parliamentary leader Dr. Terrence Campbell has proposed a sweeping review of the Integrity Commission’s disclosure powers, and that the bloc is currently drafting new legislation to address gaps in existing law that enabled this controversy and to target systemic corruption across government. “You must not expect that it’s just cheap talk. We are prepared to mobilize. We are prepared to coordinate with all Guyanese and we are prepared to put this government under more pressure,” Todd said, while acknowledging that the approach requires careful organization, strategic planning, and intentional timing. The bloc intends to expand the scope of its campaign beyond the President’s land deal to tackle broader corruption issues across the administration.

    Todd added that APNU expects the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPPC) to ignore its demand for Ali’s temporary resignation, so the bloc plans to next engage the international community and rally allied stakeholders to support its call for a full investigation. He argued that an independent probe is non-negotiable because the President himself holds ultimate oversight responsibility for Guyana’s lands portfolio and signs off on all major land leases. “You can’t have a thorough investigation by the same President who has the same powers and oversees largely and is responsible for Lands and Survey,” he said. Under Guyana’s constitution, the President is granted legal immunity from criminal and civil court action during their time in office, and retains that protection after leaving office.

    Pressed on widespread public sentiment that street protests are needed to respond to the scandal, and that APNU has been uncharacteristically muted on the issue, Todd argued that public frustration actually points to a broader recognition of political dynamics. He noted that many people are also asking why WIN, the party that broke the story, has not organized street action. Echoing long-held positions from APNU leader Aubrey Norton, Todd pushed back on the idea that protests only count if they are held on public streets. “our protests- I think we have learnt this more in-depth from good leadership…And we have recognised that protesting is not only at the level of the streets,” he said.

  • NGSA pass rates improve across all four subject areas, including Math at the highest level

    NGSA pass rates improve across all four subject areas, including Math at the highest level

    On Friday, 10 July 2026, officials from Guyana’s Ministry of Education and the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) officially released the results of the 2026 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre in Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, announcing a historic milestone in the country’s primary education outcomes.

    Education Minister Sonia Parag confirmed that 15,706 Grade Six students sat this year’s assessment, and the 2026 results mark the strongest performance in Guyana’s national history. Not only do the results outperform all outcomes recorded over the past five years, they also meet the regional benchmark for comparable primary school assessments across the Caribbean, Parag said. She credited the landmark achievement to decades of consistent, targeted education investment by the People’s Progressive Party Civic-led government, and highlighted the foundational work laid by former education minister Priya Manickchand for building the framework that enabled this transformation of Guyana’s education system.

    CXC Director of Operations Dr Nicole Manning echoed Parag’s optimism, noting that steady year-over-year improvement in pass rates confirms the positive impact of ongoing education interventions across the country. Official data from Guyana’s Department of Public Information shows that the share of students scoring 50 percent or higher grew across all four core NGSA subject areas between 2025 and 2026. English Language posted the highest overall pass rate at 73.08 percent, rising from 69.25 percent in 2025; Social Studies saw a modest increase from 64.77 percent to 65.28 percent; Science improved from 63.70 percent to 65.38 percent; and Mathematics recorded the largest single gain, jumping from 55.51 percent of students hitting the 50 percent threshold in 2025 to 59.80 percent in 2026.

    Beyond improved pass rates, Manning highlighted additional positive trends: a marked increase in the number of students earning full marks across all four core subjects, and a historic drop in zero-score outcomes. No students received a zero mark in English Language or Social Studies this year, while Mathematics recorded its lowest number of zero scores in five years. Dr Manning emphasized that these gains were achieved even as CXC strengthened quality assurance protocols to protect the integrity of the results. Approximately 350 trained examiners were contracted to mark the 2026 assessments, with a multi-layered monitoring process including standardisation training for markers, a three-tiered system of independent review, targeted remarking for questionable scores, and forensic post-marking audits before final results were confirmed.

    The 2026 NGSA results are publicly available for access via the Guyana Ministry of Education’s official portal at https://exams.moegy.org/. Officials have also announced key dates for the 2027 assessment cycle, with the next NGSA scheduled to be held 14–15 April 2027 and results set for release on 25 June 2027. Top-performing students from each of Guyana’s administrative regions were also recognised, with dozens of highest-scoring students earning placement at the country’s most prestigious secondary institutions, including Queen’s College, The Bishops’ High School, and St. Stanislaus College.

  • “Careful planning” increasing Guyana’s international sport profile

    “Careful planning” increasing Guyana’s international sport profile

    GEORGETOWN, Guyana – July 9, 2026 – As Guyana prepares to welcome three back-to-back major international sporting events this weekend, the South American nation has received a transformative investment in grassroots cricket that underscores its growing reputation as a competitive regional sports hub.

    On Thursday, at the youth-focused “The WI Experience at Courts” event held on Main Street in Georgetown, local retail giant COURTS (Unicomer Guyana Inc.) pledged GY$850,000 in total support to the 124-year-old Malteenoes Sports Club Cricket Academy. The donation includes a GY$500,000 cash grant alongside GY$350,000 worth of professional cricket equipment – ranging from match-grade bats and batting pads to helmets, balls and wicket stumps – to outfit the academy’s rising young players for training and competition.

    The event, a collaborative initiative between Courts, Cricket West Indies (CWI) and Guyana’s Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, was staged just two days ahead of the West Indies’ opening One-Day International against New Zealand at Providence’s Guyana National Stadium, part of a five-match series that will see Guyana host the first three matches on July 11, 13 and 16. It gave 20 selected young Guyanese cricket fans a once-in-a-lifetime chance to interact informally with four current West Indies squad members, celebrating Caribbean cricket heritage and connecting the next generation of players to their sporting idols.

    Speaking at the event, Steve Ninvalle, Director of Sport at Guyana’s Ministry of Sport, framed the growing flow of investments and upcoming packed calendar of international events as the intentional outcome of the government’s long-term sports development strategy. “This is not by chance. It has happened because of careful planning by the government,” Ninvalle said, pointing to this weekend’s stacked schedule that combines the West Indies-New Zealand ODI series with the motor racing GT Challenge and a FIBA international basketball tournament.

    Ninvalle highlighted the government’s recent investments in upgraded sports infrastructure, including the fully resurfaced South Dakota Circuit motorsports venue, as evidence of the country’s progress. Multiple refurbished, world-class facilities now position Guyana to attract large-scale international tournaments that would have been out of reach just years ago, he added. “It says that we are moving in the right direction as it relates to sport.”

    To continue this upward trajectory, Ninvalle called for deeper collaboration between the public and private sectors, noting that government investment alone cannot unlock the nation’s full sporting potential. “We need to have private support also in order to get us to our full potential,” he emphasized.

    Gillian Matthews, Managing Director of Unicomer Guyana Inc., echoed that commitment to collaborative development, framing the company’s investment as more than a surface-level sponsorship. “At Unicomer Guyana and Courts, we believe that being a good corporate citizen means more than sponsoring a jersey or a scoreboard. It means investing in the people — and especially the young people — who make this sport, and this country, what it is. That’s why our partnership with Cricket West Indies means so much to us,” Matthews said in an official press statement.

    Dario Barthley, Events Manager for Cricket West Indies, expressed gratitude for Courts’ consistent, tangible support for cricket across the Caribbean, not just in Guyana. Following the formal ceremony, young academy players had the opportunity to take photos and meet one-on-one with the visiting West Indies players, capping a day of celebration for local cricket.

    As Guyana’s cricket fever builds ahead of this weekend’s first ODI, the donation to the historic Malteenoes academy secures long-term value beyond the current international tournament, nurturing the next generation of Guyanese and West Indian cricket talent. Courts, Guyana’s leading retailer of furniture, appliances and electronics and a member of the Unicomer Group, says it will continue prioritizing youth sports development through its ongoing community outreach initiatives across the country.

  • “Small anomaly” on natural gas pipeline but govt, Exxon Mobil refuse to provide further details

    “Small anomaly” on natural gas pipeline but govt, Exxon Mobil refuse to provide further details

    On Thursday, July 9, 2026, a public controversy emerged over a billion-dollar subsea natural gas pipeline off the coast of Guyana, after opposition leader Azruddin Mohamed publicly raised alarms over what he claimed was a ruptured line causing a gas leak. Less than 24 hours after Mohamed shared his concerns, paired with photos and video footage showing intense water bubbling near the anchored utility vessel MT Telesto off Georgetown’s coast, Guyana’s government has pushed back on the claims, confirming only that a “small anomaly” on the line is the subject of ongoing inspections.

    The 12-inch diameter, 140-mile pipeline connects an offshore floating production, storage and offloading vessel to two under-construction energy facilities at Wales, on the West Bank of Demerara. In a joint statement, Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Maritime Administration (MARAD) confirmed they received a report about the pipeline and identified an irregularity during an initial probe. The agencies noted that the anomaly had been “thoroughly investigated” in a preliminary assessment, but they have released no further details about the nature of the abnormality or the findings of that initial probe.

    Despite the joint statement’s promise that the government would deliver “accurate, timely updates” to the public and called on residents to verify claims through official channels to avoid unnecessary panic among West Coast Demerara communities, multiple regulatory and corporate officials have declined to answer pressing questions from reporters. Questions submitted to EPA head Khemraj Parsram, MARAD spokespeople, EPA representatives, and ExxonMobil Guyana – the operator behind the pipeline project – about whether the anomaly is a bend, warp, pinhole, or other defect, what the initial investigation found, and if any remedial work is currently underway to address the issue, have gone unanswered. A request for comment from ExxonMobil Guyana on what is causing the observed water bubbling also received no response.

    Officials have unequivocally rejected Mohamed’s repeated claims of a pipeline rupture, pushing back even after an earlier initial denial from Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat. The joint statement emphasizes that the pipeline is not yet active, with no natural gas currently flowing through the line. “As there is no gas passing through the line, there can be no leak or damage of the nature suggested in these reports,” the agencies said.

    MARAD and EPA added that additional inspections are ongoing out of an abundance of caution, to confirm the pipeline’s structural integrity in line with standard industry safety protocols. They also explained that the surface activity observed near MT Telesto is tied to a scheduled three-month inspection of the subsea pipeline that ExxonMobil Guyana launched in May 2026. The inspection work, which involves five vessels operating along the Demerara West Coast, was the subject of a prior public notice from MARAD, and area boaters and residents were notified of the activity in advance, the agencies added.

  • Rusty ammo, firearm parts, teargas cannister found in Lusignan

    Rusty ammo, firearm parts, teargas cannister found in Lusignan

    Guyanese law enforcement officials have announced the recovery of a large stockpile of ammunition, firearm parts, and military equipment at a new residential development on the East Coast of Demerara, the country’s major coastal region. The discovery was made during a routine sweep of the area on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, two days before the official police announcement dated July 9.

    According to official statements from the Guyana Police Force led by reporting correspondent Denis Chabrol, the cache was uncovered hidden within piles of construction waste on the eastern portion of an undeveloped, unoccupied residential plot in the Lusignan New Housing Scheme. A detailed inventory of the seized items includes multiple 7.62 x 39mm live ammunition rounds, spent bullet casings, 12-gauge shotgun cartridges, an intact tear gas canister, assorted firearm components, and standard military tactical gear.

    Following the recovery, all seized materials were transported under police escort to the nearby Vigilance Police Station, where they have been formally logged into evidence custody as of Thursday. As of the latest update, no persons of interest have been taken into custody in connection with the cached weapons and equipment, and investigations remain ongoing to determine the origin and intended use of the materials.

    The find draws historical context to a years-long wave of organized violent crime that shook Guyana between 2002 and 2008. At that time, criminal gangs based in the nearby village of Buxton regularly operated across the remote backlands of adjacent bordering communities, including the area where the new housing scheme is currently being developed. During that crime wave, more than 30 military-grade firearms were stolen from armories belonging to the Guyana Defence Force. While authorities recovered many of the stolen weapons during large-scale anti-crime operations launched in the aftermath of the violence, a portion of the stolen arsenal remained unaccounted for decades later.