Here we are in a new month – imagine half the year’s already gone!! – so you’d think there would be some new news!! But no!! It’s still about Suriname once again giving us the finger – and then sticking it into our eyes!! This time it’s about the Corentyne River Bridge – which your Eyewitness had written about only a week ago – advising that we have nothing to do with it!! So, what did the Surinamese do?? Well one of their government’s officials – having been asked by the Opposition about the status of the joint venture between them and us – announced the deal was off!! They’re gonna be proceeding with the structure all by themselves!! Your Eyewitness wondered whether the Surinamese official had read his column and reacted by throwing a hussy fit!!
Well, over here, our Pressie seemed to’ve been taken by surprised and recollected that just last month he’d hosted the Suriname President where she’d reaffirmed that the joint bridge venture was still on!! She, like Pres Ali, was waiting for the financing details to be worked out – the challenge ever since the Bridge was floated (pun intended!!) since 2013!! It was finally decided that a specific type of Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement – the “Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain model” (DBFOM) – be used. Meaning that the successful contractor of the joint venture would be responsible for the Bridge’s final design, construction, operation, financing of operations and maintenance.
The US$236M cost of the bridge was supposed to’ve been split 50-50 and last year our govt budgeted GY$5Billio or US$23M as a start for its commitment while the VP had assured that “financing wasn’t gonna be a problem” for our portion. Of the five contractors shortlisted, China Road and Bridge Corp (CRBC) were selected by both Guyana and Suriname. But Suriname had a hitch in securing their financing portion since they were in the throes of an IMF program to deal with their overhanging debt – most of it with the Chinese!!
So, for the Surinamese to now say they’ll be financing the total costs its just a matter of them blowing smoke up our posterior orifice – in pursuance of their seeming national mission to stick it to us!! As far as your Eyewitness is concerned now’s the time for us to call the Surinamese’ bluff!! With the IMF noting in Jan this year, “fiscal and monetary slippages in 2025 reduced cash buffers, weakened the currency, and increased inflation back to double digits…(plus) an increase in gross debt to an estimated 106 percent of GDP” Suriname’s chances of getting a loan right now is zilch!!
Finally, even if we concede they own the entire width of the Corentyne, the Bridge still gotta land on our bank!!
We should deny permission!!

…US citizenship
For many Guyanese, obtaining US citizenship far exceeds a secure place in heaven!! Wasn’t there a time when our per capita income was around US$800 yet- we were willing to pay more than US$10,000 to get there by the “back track” or by bribing that US Consular Officer Carroll?? For most of those folks to overcome their illegal status – and not live constantly looking over their shoulders for Immigration Officers – there were two paths open.
Marry a US citizen and become “sponsored” for citizenship as a “spouse” or – while illegal -deliver a baby who then became a citizen via US Birthright citizenship via their 14th amendment to their constitution. The child could then sponsor their parents when eighteen. Pres Trump – in his determination to rid the US of illegal or illegally-obtained citizens – had confined the birthright citizenship to babies with at least one parent who is a US citizen or green-card holder!!
The US Supreme Court just rescinded that order. Joy in the Guyanese community!!

…new warfare
With our existential invasion threat from Venezuela, we should follow South Korea – with their similar threat from N. Korea – plan to train every single member of its military to operate drones – just like personal firearms!

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