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The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has launched the third edition of the Blue Water Shipping Girls U15 National Championship, with more than 70 schools set to compete across the country.

The tournament, which officially launched on Wednesday at the National Training Centre in Providence, has seen rapid growth since its inception.

From 54 schools in 2024 to an expected 80 participants this year, the initiative now impacts over 1,300 young athletes nationwide.

This year’s edition is notable for the inclusion of several first-time participants, including Mahdia Secondary and schools from the Rupununi and Corentyne regions.

GFF President Wayne Forde emphasised that the focus on school-based football is a cornerstone of the federation’s development plan.

“Our emphasis on school-based football is deliberate,” Forde said. “Many clubs still do not have adequate female-friendly facilities, and we want parents to have confidence in the environment and structure in which their daughters are playing.”

The tournament utilises a 9v9 format, designed to maximise touches on the ball while promoting discipline and teamwork.

Blue Water Shipping manager Rowena Elliot reaffirmed the company’s long-term commitment to the sport, noting that the “value” of the championship is already evident in the rising participation numbers.

“When the right structures and opportunities are in place, girls will show up—not only to compete, but to build confidence and leadership.” — Rowena Elliot, Blue Water Shipping

Nicholas Fraser, representing the Ministry of Education, noted that approximately 60% of Guyana’s secondary schools are now involved, making the tournament one of the largest sporting events in the country, rivalled only by the National Schools Athletics Championship.

The championship is scheduled to run from May 16 to July 3, 2026.

Action begins this Saturday in Moruca (Region One) with a double-header:

• Kamwatta Secondary vs Kwebanna Secondary (10:00)
• Santa Rosa Secondary vs St. Nicholas Secondary (11:00)

Preliminary rounds will take place across various regions, including Bartica, Essequibo, and Linden, before the competition moves to the GFF National Training Centre for the final eight matches. (Modified Press Release) 

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The Cooperative Republic of Guyana is set to mark its 60th Independence Diamond Jubilee with a prestigious multi-discipline sporting showcase. Ten sporting disciplines will headline the national celebrations, offering the country’s elite athletes a historic opportunity to compete for commemorative trophies and secure their legacy during this once-in-a-lifetime milestone.

The National Gymnasium will serve as the hub for badminton enthusiasts from May 14–17.

Competition begins at 17:00 on Thursday and Friday, moving to a 13:00 start for the weekend sessions.

Athletes will compete across ten distinct categories, including Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, Mixed Doubles, and specialised Under-23 divisions.

Simultaneously, the National Racquet Centre will host the nation’s squash elite from Thursday through Sunday. This tournament features the “crème de la crème” of Guyanese talent—the top eight-ranked players in each category.

Given Guyana’s long-standing dominance in Caribbean squash, the stakes are exceptionally high. The schedule mirrors the badminton timings, featuring senior categories alongside comprehensive U-19 Boys and Girls singles and doubles events.

Cricket fans can head to the Police Sports Club Ground at Eve Leary this weekend for high-octane T20 Softball and Female 12/12 action. Play commences at 10:00 on Saturday and 09:30 on Sunday.

The tournament celebrates the sport’s longevity with Master’s 40+ and 50+ divisions, culminating in a full slate of finals on Sunday afternoon.

Tennis action joins the festivities starting this Sunday at the National Park Courts. The tournament runs daily through to May 24, with morning sessions beginning at 10:00 and weekday matches serving off at 15:30.

Spectators can look forward to five categories, ranging from the premier Men’s and Women’s Open to Junior and Novice divisions.

Beyond the courts and pitches, the Diamond Jubilee celebrations extend across the sporting spectrum.

Throughout the month, national competitions will also be held for Athletics, Basketball, Hockey, Table Tennis, Volleyball, and Dominoes, ensuring a comprehensive and inclusive celebration of Guyanese sporting prowess. (Modified Press Release) 

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The Government is pushing ahead with plans to strengthen legal protections against harassment while expanding workplace safeguards through a new accountability initiative, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Vindhya Persaud said.

Speaking at a Sexual Assault Awareness Month symposium recently, Dr Persaud outlined ongoing reforms to Guyana’s legal framework, noting that existing laws have already been modernised over time.

On the harassment legislation, Dr Persaud said a draft bill remains under consultation after two years of stakeholder input and is now nearing completion.

“We have taken everyone’s perspective into account and will come up with a final draft,” she said, explaining that the bill will then follow the usual legislative process.

But she stressed that action is already being taken beyond the draft stage, particularly in workplaces where harassment often goes unreported or unaddressed.

“We are rolling out a gender equality and empowerment seal because harassment happens everywhere,” Dr Persaud said, adding that the initiative is designed to tackle a broad range of harassment issues across different environments.

She said the programme is already being implemented in about 20 private sector companies, where employers are being trained and supported to adopt structured anti-harassment systems, including monitoring mechanisms and reporting frameworks aimed at holding perpetrators accountable.

A similar rollout, she added, is planned for the public service in partnership with Government ministries.

Dr Persaud emphasised that the goal is to strengthen awareness, reporting, and resolution processes in the workplace.

“Ensuring that there is education and awareness, recourse in the workplace and the ability to have a conclusion to whatever happens in the workplace,” she said.

She added that the measures are necessary to ensure workers feel protected and confident that their rights against harassment are being taken seriously.

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The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) of Georgetown is in talks with an app developer as it moves to modernise its vending system through a new digital application.

During an extraordinary statutory meeting, Mayor Alfred Mentore disclosed that the council is examining the introduction of an app aimed at improving revenue collection and tracking vendor information.

“The app being looked into will absorb data about the vendors but more importantly it will log information… what we need to establish is how much money we making and it would also give us a number of other information so that as we choose to deal with a number of other matters going forward we will know what is going on within the system,” the mayor said.

For years, City Hall has struggled with accurately tracking revenue collection from vendors and businesses, with concerns often raised about inefficiencies in the manual collection system. The proposed digital platform is expected to provide the council with more reliable data while reducing dependence on cash transactions conducted on the streets.

It would digitally record information about vendors operating within the city while also helping authorities monitor payments and compliance. During the meeting, the Council discussed the possibility of this app and it was also acknowledged that the app is still in its planning phase.

Addressing questions about what the initiative could mean for seasonal vendors, Mentore said the goal is to create a more transparent and accountable system.

“What we are trying to achieve is the fact that a lot of these things or vending or how it’s done where our staff go and pick up things and give people receipts, with this app and this thing set up they wouldn’t be paying on the road,” he stated.

According to the mayor, the app would allow vendors to make payments electronically while enabling council officers to verify compliance digitally.

“You can scan that information and people ain’t got to come to pay cash, they will pay that internally but they will be scanned externally. It’s really something to dot the Is and cross the Ts,” he said.

Mentore acknowledged that there may still be some difficulties during implementation but maintained that the system would significantly improve oversight and accountability.

While the proposed app is expected to initially focus on vendors, officials see it as part of a broader push toward digitisation and better financial management within the municipality.

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The ongoing territorial controversy between Guyana and Venezuela, now before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), remains a key backdrop to regional security discussions, with a senior U.S. official stressing that stability is essential for economic growth and investment.

Speaking during a press roundtable at the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown on Wednesday, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Jacob Helberg said Washington is closely monitoring developments at the ICJ while emphasizing that security is fundamental to prosperity in the hemisphere.

“We’re monitoring those events at the ICJ very closely,” Helberg said when asked about the case. “We understand and agree that security is a precondition for prosperity.”

The comments come as Guyana continues to press its legal case at the ICJ to uphold the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the current land boundary between Guyana and Venezuela. Venezuela, however, maintains its claim to the Essequibo region, a position Guyana rejects.

The case, formally known as Guyana v. Venezuela, was initiated after decades of diplomatic deadlock over the validity of the boundary settlement. The ICJ has already ruled that it has jurisdiction to hear the case and is now progressing through the merits phase, where both sides present historical and legal arguments.

Guyana argues that the 1899 award is final, binding, and valid under international law, while Venezuela contends that the agreement was the result of fraud and should be declared null and void.

The legal process has become one of the most closely watched territorial disputes in the hemisphere, given its implications for regional stability and offshore resource development.

The case is unfolding at a time when Guyana’s economic and geopolitical profile has sharply increased due to its offshore oil production, led by ExxonMobil, and growing foreign investment interest.

That economic transformation has added new weight to the longstanding border dispute, particularly as both countries assert competing claims over the resource-rich Essequibo region and adjacent maritime areas.

Guyana’s government has consistently maintained that it remains committed to a peaceful, legal resolution through the ICJ process, while continuing to strengthen diplomatic engagement with regional and international partners.

Helberg’s remarks reflect broader U.S. messaging that political and territorial stability in the region is essential for sustaining economic growth and attracting long-term investment.

While he did not comment on the legal merits of the case, he underscored the importance of maintaining peace and avoiding escalation.

The United States has repeatedly expressed support for Guyana’s sovereignty and the ICJ process as the appropriate forum for resolving the dispute.

The border controversy remains one of South America’s most sensitive geopolitical issues, with periodic diplomatic tensions between Georgetown and Caracas.

In recent years, concerns have intensified alongside Guyana’s emergence as a major oil-producing state, increasing the strategic value of both its offshore waters and inland territory.

Against this backdrop, the ICJ ruling—when it eventually comes—will carry significant implications not only for Guyana and Venezuela, but for regional stability, investment confidence, and international legal precedent.

The post ‘Security is precondition for prosperity’ – U.S. official says on Guyana–Venezuela border controversy   appeared first on News Room Guyana.

In a rare display of bipartisan solidarity, both Democratic and Republican members of the United States Congress have voiced strong support for Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, pushing back sharply against Venezuela’s continued egregious claims over the Essequibo region.

Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the chamber’s senior Democrat on foreign policy, issued a direct call to the Trump administration this week, urging it to stand firmly behind Guyana. “Any attempt by Venezuela’s interim government — whose party lost the 2024 elections — to unilaterally claim authority over Essequibo is unacceptable,” Meeks wrote on X. “The Trump administration should make it clear that the United States stands with our democratic partner, Guyana.”

The statement came as ICJ hearings on the longstanding border controversy concluded in The Hague, where Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said before the court that Venezuela would not relinquish what it describes as its historical and legitimate rights to the territory.

Meeks’ remarks align closely with those of Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar of Florida, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.

Writing on X, Salazar praised Guyana’s stewardship of its oil revenues, and concluded that Venezuela’s acting president should stop threatening Guyana and start learning from it.

That the Ranking Member and a senior Republican subcommittee chair are now speaking in unison on Essequibo is significant. The House Foreign Affairs Committee has been a frequent battleground for partisan disagreement in recent years, making its bipartisan posture on Guyana a clear signal to Caracas about the breadth of congressional sentiment in Washington.

For Guyanese citizens, the bipartisan congressional chorus from Washington represents a meaningful affirmation that the country’s sovereignty enjoys support across the aisle in the world’s most powerful democracy — and that Caracas will find no easy path in its campaign against Guyana’s territorial integrity.

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Immigration officers across Guyana are intensifying checks at key entry points as the country experiences a sharp rise in foreign nationals and travellers, with authorities warning that increased demand to enter Guyana is putting pressure on border monitoring systems.

Deputy Chief Immigration Officer Stephen Telford says the expanded use of immigration checkpoints is a critical part of efforts to verify that individuals entering the country are doing so through legal and authorised channels.

He explained that while the Immigration Department primarily deals with foreign nationals, officers also play a wider role in confirming lawful entry and supporting national security efforts at a time of growing international interest in Guyana.

“Guyana is the place that everyone is pushing to come to now and people would try all means to get to Guyana,” Telford said, pointing to what officials describe as rising attempts to enter the country through various formal and informal routes.

According to Telford, the country has recorded a steady increase in arrivals over recent years, reflecting Guyana’s expanding global profile and increased mobility into the country.

He disclosed that arrivals surpassed one million in the last year, underscoring what immigration officials see as a significant shift in travel volumes and border activity.

Authorities say the increased presence of immigration officers at checkpoints is intended to strengthen verification systems, ensure compliance with entry laws, and support ongoing monitoring as Guyana continues to experience higher levels of regional and international movement.

The Immigration Department maintains that the goal is not only enforcement, but also maintaining orderly and legal entry as the country continues to attract growing economic and international attention.

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The Carter Center says Guyana’s 2025 general and regional elections were generally peaceful and well administered on election day, but warned that long-standing structural issues continue to undermine public trust in the country’s democratic system.

In its final report following its sixth election observation mission in Guyana, the Center found that voting day procedures were calm and orderly, with observers reporting no significant irregularities across polling stations visited nationwide. It also noted that improvements to the tabulation process—introduced after the disputed 2020 elections—made results more transparent and verifiable.

The report states that the revised system, including the public posting of Statements of Poll and improved digital reporting, helped ensure that results more accurately reflected the will of voters.

However, the mission flagged several concerns that continue to affect confidence in elections.

Among them are the politically divided structure of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), ongoing disputes over the voter register, low public trust, and declining voter turnout, down significantly decreased compared to 2020.

The report also highlights concerns over the use of state resources during campaigning, limited transparency in campaign financing, and perceived bias in state media coverage, which opposition parties said affected fairness.

The election results saw the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) secure reelection with an expanded majority, while a major opposition realignment occurred. We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) emerged as the new official opposition, while A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) lost ground and the Alliance for Change (AFC) lost parliamentary representation.

In its final report, the Center recommends urgent reform of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), citing its politically divided structure and long-standing polarization as barriers to independence, efficiency, and transparency.

The report also calls for a comprehensive reform of Guyana’s electoral system, describing the current mixed proportional representation model as overly complex and difficult for voters to understand, with limited ability to ensure clear representation of citizens’ preferences.

A key recommendation is a nationwide independent audit of the voter registry well ahead of the next election, following repeated concerns from political stakeholders about its accuracy and credibility.

On campaign financing, the Center warns that the absence of modern laws allows for unequal political competition and weak transparency over donations and spending. It also raises concerns about the use of state resources by incumbent actors, which it says is magnified by Guyana’s rapidly expanding oil revenues.

The report further recommends reforms to constituency boundary delimitation, noting that electoral boundaries have not been updated since 2001 despite major population changes identified in the 2022 census.

The Carter Center also highlights gaps in political inclusion, pointing to limited representation of women, Indigenous communities, persons with disabilities, prisoners, and LGBTI citizens. It says legal and institutional barriers continue to restrict full political participation for marginalized groups.

Civil society weakness is another major concern, with the report noting the absence of active domestic election observers and limited capacity among rights-based organizations.

Finally, the Center stresses that Guyana’s ongoing constitutional reform process represents a critical opportunity, urging all political parties and stakeholders to ensure broad, inclusive participation and timely implementation ahead of future elections.

The report concludes that while Guyana’s 2025 elections showed improvement over 2020—especially in tabulation transparency—the country must now address deep institutional and legal gaps to safeguard democratic credibility in an era of rapid economic change driven by oil wealth.

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The two-day conference organized by the Guyana-based think-tank, the Centre for International and Border Studies (CIBS), under the theme: ‘‘Navigating the Future: Guyana, the Caribbean and Latin America in a Changing Global Environment” is set to take place on 14th and 15th May at Herdmanston Lodge Hotel from 9.00 am.

The opening address will be presented by Ms. Elizabeth Solomon, CARICOM Assistant Secretary General for Foreign and Community Relations. The first panel session will feature presentations from Dr. Bertrand Ramcharan, former UG Chancellor on the prospects and challenges for Guyana and the region in the shifting global landscape. US academic Dr. Scott B. Mc Donald will discuss the  current United States policy in the region and UWI St. Augustine Deputy Dean, Dr.Jacqueline  La Guardia Martinez will discuss the Caribbean in the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States ( CELAC).  Energy specialist  Dr. Dax Driver of Trinidad will assess the Caribbean energy security in the region and Dr. Kai – Ann Skeete of the UWI Cave Hill Ramphal Centre will present on the theme “Fault lines in the Caribbean: Regional Geopolitics in an era of fragmentation”.

During the two-day hybrid event, a panel “Securing the Caribbean’s future in a changing development landscape,” will feature Dr. Ulric Trotz, former  CCCCC-Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre-science adviser on food security and industrial transformation in the region, Dr. Marlon Anatol of UWI St.

Augustine Trinidad on the current migration issues impacting the region, and security specialist Dr. Clement Henry on “ Structural Violence and Citizen (in)Security in the region.

The event, which will be live-streamed, will also receive presentations from a panel, comprising Mr. Carl Greenidge, Government of Guyana Adviser on borders, and Mr. Neville Bissember, international law lecturer at the University of Guyana, on the issues of sovereignty and the current status of the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy.

A panel on  “Brazil in the Global South: Power, Partnership and Regional Influence”will feature Dr. Mark Kirton, CiBS Director, Professor Ambere Freitas of Roraima, Brazil, Professor Paulo Gustavo Correa of the Federal University of Amapa, among other panelists.

Online access to the event will also be available by registration at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/HHrY1imYRtGRzppMVkWwLA#/registration (Press release)

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The City Council has been ordered to remove all of the vendors outside of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) by May 31, 2026.

In a High Court ruling, the City Council was told to remove all vendors and any encumbrances outside the perimeter of the hospital on: Lamaha Street between Thomas and East Street; East Street between Lamaha Street and New Market Street; New Market Street between Thomas Street and East Street; and Middle Street between Thomas Street and East Street.

In a Fixed Date Application, GPHC, represented by lawyers Sase Gunraj and Jayaramm Sanasie, had sought court orders compelling the Town Clerk and City authorities to remove food vendors, carts, stalls, and other obstructions from key streets surrounding the hospital.

The hospital, Guyana’s largest public health facility, said the continued presence of vendors is severely affecting operations, particularly emergency access and the movement of patients and staff.

According to court documents, the encumbrances have “impeded ingress to and egress from the Applicant’s facilities,” including access for emergency vehicles, while vendors also leave behind garbage and debris along the pavements.

The hospital detailed a series of efforts over the past year to have vendors removed, including multiple letters sent to City Hall in April, May, and again in January this year, requesting urgent action. Despite assurances from the Mayor and City Council in 2024 that the matter would be addressed, the hospital had said that nothing meaningful was done.

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