标签： Guyana

As the global order continues to shift rapidly, bringing overlapping challenges to small and medium-sized states across the Americas, a leading Guyanese research institution is preparing to bring together cross-border experts to unpack pressing regional and international concerns.

The Centre for International and Border Studies (CIBS), a Georgetown-headquartered think tank focused on cross-border and global policy issues, will host its flagship two-day conference on May 14 and 15 this year, held at the Herdmanston Lodge in the nation’s capital. Designed to accommodate a wide range of attendees regardless of geographic barriers, the gathering will operate as a hybrid event, welcoming both in-person guests and remote participants joining via digital platforms.

Organized under the overarching theme “Navigating The Future: Guyana, the Caribbean and Latin America in a Changing Global Environment”, the conference will create space for rigorous critical discussion of four core priority areas: deepening regional integration progress, advancing inclusive sustainable development across the hemisphere, unpacking the evolving geopolitical landscape of the Americas, and addressing other emergent pressing international issues shaping the region’s trajectory.

The lineup of presenters and panelists draws top expertise from across the Americas and beyond. Attendees will hear from U.S. academic Dr. Scott McDonald, former United Nations official Dr. Bertrand Ramcharan who also serves as Chancellor of the University of Guyana, and multiple lecturers from the University of the West Indies: Dr. Kai-Ann Skeete, Dr. Marlon Anatol, and Dr. Jacqueline LaGuardia Martinez. Two prominent Brazilian scholars, Paulo Correa of the Federal University of Amapa and Ambere Freitas of Brazil’s Roraima Federal Institute, will also contribute analysis, alongside a roster of seasoned regional experts including Carl Greenidge, Dr. Ulric Trotz, Dr. Clement Henry, Neville Bissember, and CIBS’ current director Dr. Mark Kirton.

Founded as a collaborative transnational network, CIBS counts a diverse global membership of academics, policy professionals, and practitioners hailing from across Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the United States, Asia, and Africa. The upcoming conference marks a key effort to bridge cross-regional expertise and generate actionable insight for navigating the uncertain global shifts facing the Western Hemisphere in the coming years.

On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, the Guyana Police Force formally opened its purpose-built Bartica Police Boat House in Region 7, a major infrastructure investment designed to upgrade law enforcement reach and responsiveness across the country’s water-accessed riverine and remote hinterland communities.

The official commissioning ceremony, held between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in Bartica, drew roughly 350 attendees and concluded without any disruptions, kicking off official operations at the strategically located facility. The event opened with multi-faith prayers and a recitation of Guyana’s National Pledge, chaired by Superintendent D. Handy, Deputy Commander of Regional Division 7.

In his opening welcome, Assistant Commissioner Dion Moore, Commander of Regional Division 7, greeted Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond and her delegation. He extended public gratitude to the minister and the Guyanese government for consistent support to the division, highlighting not only the new boat house but also the recently completed Ekereku Police Station, and the provision of new patrol vehicles and all-terrain vehicles for frontline work.

Speaking on behalf of Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Errol Watts also addressed attendees, thanking the government for its sustained, substantial investment in the Guyana Police Force. Watts emphasized that this targeted resourcing allows law enforcement to carry out public safety duties in a more proactive, effective manner, closing gaps in coverage for remote communities.

The ceremony included cultural programming highlighting local community engagement with policing, featuring a vocal performance from Celena Pollydore of the Mora Camp High Flyers Police Youth Group and a spoken word poem from the Agatash United Police Youth Group.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Andre Ally shared details of the project’s financing, revealing the boat house was completed at an estimated total cost of 33 million Guyanese dollars. Ally urged police leadership to prioritize regular maintenance and careful stewardship of the new public infrastructure to extend its service life for the community.

In her keynote address, Minister Walrond highlighted a key recent win for Guyanese law enforcement: a 25% nationwide reduction in serious crimes. She framed the new boat house as a critical continuation of government investment in public safety infrastructure, noting that the facility will cut response times for emergency calls and crime reports across vast riverine areas that were previously hard for officers to access quickly.

Bartica’s unique position as the primary gateway to Guyana’s hinterland makes the boat house a strategically vital asset, the minister added. She called on officers to use the facility with discipline and integrity, and reaffirmed the Guyanese government’s long-term commitment to providing the police force with all necessary resources to reduce crime and raise public safety standards across every region of the country.

Following the formal program, Chief Inspector K. Gordon, Officer in Charge of the Bartica Police Station and Sub-Division 1, delivered the vote of thanks. Attendees then moved to the boat house for a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Zahir Rahaman, after which Minister Walrond led an official walkthrough and inspection of the completed facility.

The commissioning of the Bartica Police Boat House stands as a landmark milestone in the ongoing expansion and modernization of the Guyana Police Force. The project directly advances government efforts to improve police mobility, service delivery, and operational efficiency for remote communities that rely on water transport, bringing enhanced public safety coverage to long underserved regions of the country.

On April 23, 2026, Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd confirmed in an interview with local outlet Demerara Waves Online News that the country has recalled its High Commissioner to Canada, Keith George, who will now take up a new role as a senior advisor to Todd directly. While declining repeated questions about whether unstated personal factors contributed to the diplomat’s recall, Todd framed the move as a strategic adjustment tied to the rapidly expanding scope of Guyana’s diplomatic work, most notably the ongoing border dispute case the country has brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Venezuela.

According to unidentified sources, George left his Ottawa diplomatic posting back in September 2025 to travel home for the funeral of Elisabeth Harper, the former Permanent Secretary of Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs who passed away after a battle with cancer. He never resumed his post in Canada following that trip, the sources added. When pressed repeatedly on whether personal issues prompted his recall, Todd repeatedly declined to comment, eventually cutting short the phone interview before ending further discussion of the topic.

Instead of addressing speculation, Todd highlighted George’s decades of diplomatic experience and professional standing, describing the long-serving diplomat as an exceptional public servant with an unblemished, outstanding record of service to Guyana. “He served us well. There is nothing wrong with his record of service. I think he has done exemplary in terms of his diplomacy and in terms of his experience,” Todd told reporters.

Prior to his appointment as High Commissioner to Canada, George held the position of Director of Frontiers at Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, giving him deep specialized expertise in the long-running border dispute with Venezuela that is currently before the ICJ. That case centers on legal challenges to the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award that established the current border between the two South American nations. It is this specific background that makes George a critical addition to the country’s legal and diplomatic team for the ICJ proceedings, Todd explained.

In recent months, Guyana’s ICJ legal team has lost two key figures: co-agents Elisabeth Harper and Sir Shridath Ramphal, both of whom have passed away. To fill these vacancies, the government has appointed Sharon Roopchand-Edwards, current Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and George as the new co-agents for the case. Carl Greenidge, a former minister under previous PNC and APNU+AFC administrations, will remain as Guyana’s lead agent for the proceedings.

Todd added that even while George was stationed in Canada, he remained an active member of the ICJ case working group. However, coordinating the complex work of the case remotely created significant logistical and operational challenges. Given George’s unparalleled institutional knowledge of the border dispute, bringing him back to headquarters to work on the case full-time was the most pragmatic decision for the country, the minister concluded.

Last Updated: Thursday, 23 April 2026, 19:54
By Denis Chabrol

A simmering cross-border waterway fee dispute between Caribbean neighbors Guyana and Suriname has entered a new, uncertain phase, after a high-level government source confirmed Suriname has temporarily halted collection of controversial steep charges that previously reached over $5,000 USD per passage for Guyanese cargo vessels transiting the shared Corentyne River.

The suspended fees included a $5,000 USD pilotage charge per trip, plus an additional $1.50 USD per tonne levy on bulk quarry exports including stone and timber produced at Guyanese concessions on the river’s western bank. The sudden pause in collection has Guyana holding out hope for a permanent, mutually agreeable resolution that restores low-cost access for its commercial shipping, but key negotiating gaps remain wide as of this week.

Speaking exclusively to Demerara Waves Online News, Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd confirmed that Georgetown has yet to receive a formal response from the Suriname government to its core proposal: a return to the pre-2025 status quo, where Guyanese vessels paid a modest flat rate of just $75 USD per river crossing. Todd noted that this historic rate has long been viewed as fair and reasonable by the Guyanese government, and is the outcome the administration of President Irfaan Ali is pushing to reinstate.

As of Thursday, however, Todd confirmed that Suriname has not agreed to roll back its new, sharply higher fee structure. “What they’re implying is that the fees that they are charging now are going to remain,” the foreign minister explained.

The dispute escalated earlier this year after President Ali issued a warning that Guyana could implement reciprocal measures that would negatively impact Surinamese commercial operations based in Guyana. In response to that warning, authorities in Paramaribo, Suriname’s capital, offered a partial compromise: they asked Georgetown to submit a list of Guyanese vessels that it wanted exempted from the steep new fees.

But Todd said Guyana has rejected that partial workaround, and has not moved forward to prepare the requested exemption list. “That is not an agenda item for us so far,” he said. Government agencies across Guyana are still holding internal consultations to align on a unified negotiating position and potential long-term administrative frameworks for river access, he added.

Todd emphasized that Guyana remains committed to resolving the standoff through diplomatic channels, saying: “We’ll have to have continuous dialogue with our counterparts in Suriname because it is a matter that requires dialogue and a solution that is mutually acceptable.” The foreign minister added he remains optimistic that a bilateral resolution can be reached, despite the current impasse.

When asked if Guyana had shared a list of Guyanese firms affected by Suriname’s new fees with Suriname’s government, Todd said disclosing specific company names “is not necessary for us.” Demerara Waves has independently confirmed that the Guyanese government has raised specific concerns about the impact of the fees on at least one major Guyanese quarry operating along the river.

In the lead-up to Guyana’s milestone 60th anniversary of independence from British rule, a former senior leader of the country’s main opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) has publicly criticized his own party for failing to finalize a commemorative event schedule months after the 2025 calendar turned over.

Winston Jordan, who served as finance minister in the previous PNCR-led coalition government, made the remarks during an interview with local outlet KAMSTV on Thursday, April 23, 2026. Jordan stressed that the PNCR had a unique obligation to organize early celebrations, given that the party’s founding leader, Forbes Burnham, was the head of government who formally guided Guyana to full sovereignty when it gained independence on May 26, 1966. By his count, the party should have had a full program of activities ready to go no later than December 31, 2025, with just weeks remaining before the major anniversary as of his statement.

“What are you waiting for, PNC? With only a couple of weeks left, you still haven’t even unveiled a full schedule of activities,” Jordan said. “Even if you are facing financial constraints, you should at the very least ensure that our Founder-Leader, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, is not written out of this anniversary celebration. We all know that the ruling People’s Progressive Civic (PPPC) will not mention his name if they can avoid it this 60th year.”

Jordan, who has been an outspoken public critic of both the current PPPC government and PNCR opposition leadership, questioned whether the party was passively waiting for the ruling administration to honor Burnham during the national commemorations, rather than taking initiative on its own.

“The moment of independence is a core part of this party’s legacy,” Jordan noted. He also recalled a unifying moment from 1966: while Cheddi Jagan — the iconic leader of the PPP and another towering figure in Guyana’s independence movement — did not join Burnham at the final London independence negotiations, he embraced Burnham on stage at Georgetown’s National Park on the eve of independence, laying a foundation of national unity that ought to be remembered.

Jordan added that low-cost, simple commemorative events are fully within the party’s reach, even with limited funding.

To contextualize this political debate: while Jagan is widely recognized as the earliest and most vocal advocate for Guyana’s separation from British colonial rule, historians widely document that the United Kingdom, pressured by the United States, altered Guyana’s electoral system ahead of the 1964 vote. The change from a first-past-the-post system, under which Jagan’s PPP had won previous elections, to proportional representation was explicitly designed to remove Jagan from power. U.S. officials pushed for the shift over concerns that Jagan’s communist leanings would lead an independent Guyana to align with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The new electoral system allowed the PNCR to form a coalition government with the United Force party, and the PNCR retained power through elections widely regarded as fraudulent until free democratic elections were restored in 1992, following the end of the Cold War.

As the ruling PPPC has not moved to center Burnham in official 60th anniversary planning, a new opposition party has stepped forward to launch its own months-long national commemoration. Earlier this week, We Invest In Nationhood (WIN) — a new opposition bloc that won 16 parliamentary seats in the 2025 general and regional elections — rolled out a six-week national campaign themed “Rooted in Identity – Rising in Destiny.”

In an official statement, WIN outlined that the initiative is designed to restore meaning, dignity, and national pride to the 60th independence observance by inviting all Guyanese citizens to engage with the country’s anti-colonial history, assess its current development trajectory, and collectively build a shared vision for the future. “Guyana’s independence is more than a date on the calendar; it is the culmination of sacrifice, resilience, and the enduring spirit of a people determined to define their own destiny,” the party said. “This initiative goes beyond superficial celebration to deliver a national program that fosters deeper public awareness, cross-community unity, and broad citizen participation across every region of the country.”

WIN’s campaign includes a range of accessible activities spanning oral history storytelling projects, civic education and national reflection sessions, public dialogues on national identity and the responsibilities of citizenship, cultural festivals showcasing the diversity of Guyanese traditions and creative work, and community service and development projects designed to mobilize citizen action across all sectors of society. The campaign will culminate during Independence Week with a series of official national observances and a large-scale cross-disciplinary production titled *The Dawn of a Nation: Guyana 60*, which will weave together theater, live music, cultural performance, and national reflection to trace Guyana’s journey from colonial struggle to sovereign statehood. “This landmark initiative will reignite a spirit of unity, purpose, and pride that will carry us forward as one people, one nation, with one shared destiny,” WIN added.

As global oil price surges continue to squeeze household budgets across Guyana, a former senior finance official has laid out a series of urgent policy recommendations to the current Irfaan Ali-led administration, calling for immediate relief for working families and a flexible rethink of the 2026 national budget. Winston Jordan, who previously served as Guyana’s finance minister under the APNU+AFC coalition and previously held the role of budget director under the PPPC government, outlined his proposals during an interview with pro-opposition media outlet KAMS TV on Wednesday.

Jordan’s core proposal is an interim across-the-board increase in public sector wages and salaries, delivered far earlier than the traditional December timeline that he implies is often aligned with political timing. He argued that funding for this emergency relief is already available in the country’s current budget: the government has set aside a GY$9 billion allocation for cost-of-living mitigation that Jordan describes as “nebulous” and underutilized, saying the funds can be activated immediately to deliver relief to Guyanese struggling with soaring everyday costs.

Beyond immediate wage relief, Jordan is pushing for an early full review of the 2026 national budget, rejecting calls to wait until the midpoint of the fiscal year to address pressures stemming from the ongoing global energy crisis. He noted that global market shifts have drastically pushed up the cost of major infrastructure and public works projects, making the original spending projections outdated. Rather than sticking rigidly to pre-crisis spending plans, he said the government should re-evaluate all planned projects to assess their feasibility under current economic conditions.

As part of this budget reorientation, Jordan specifically highlighted the nearly GY$1 billion allocated to the Men on Mission (MoM) public project, suggesting that a portion of these funds could be redirected to expand direct cash grants for struggling households. He also called on the administration to speed up disbursement of the existing GY$100,000 cash grant program, putting much-needed money into families’ pockets faster.

Jordan also addressed other cost-of-living pressures rippling through Guyana’s economy, pointing to already implemented increases in domestic airfares driven by spiking aircraft fuel costs. He argued that the government should quickly move to negotiate fare adjustments for speedboat operators, noting that it is unreasonable to keep caps on fares that force operators to absorb immediate, sharp increases in operating costs that they cannot afford.

The former finance minister also criticized the current administration for its lack of urgent action on multiple fronts. He pointed out that during President Ali’s recent “Tea on the Terrace” social media broadcast, the head of state offered no concrete details on immediate or short-term measures to soften the blow of the global crisis on Guyanese households. He also called out the government for failing to develop and roll out a clear public policy and education campaign focused on fuel conservation, noting that no concrete measures have been introduced to crack down on predatory price gouging or expand alternative public transportation options to help households cut commuting costs.