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Raekwon Noel was a force to be reckoned with in the pools at the Centro Olímpico Juan Pablo Duarte in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Tuesday and Wednesday evening, even going on to smash a Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games record.
On Tuesday, Noel made a dominant start to his campaign in the Men’s 200m Individual Medley with a victory in heat one of the event.
The 20-year-old stopped the clock at two minutes, 01.73 seconds for the win, followed by Puerto Rico’s Xavier Ruiz in two minutes, 02.38 seconds, and Colombia’s Simon Bermudez in 2 minutes, 02.65 seconds.
Later that evening, in the final, Noel was rampant, clocking one minute, 59.35 seconds for the Gold medal win. Not only did he rewrite the Guyanese national record, but he also smashed the CAC Games record.
Noel also became the first Guyanese man to swim under two minutes in that event.
He bested Mexico’s Humberto Najera, who clocked two minutes, 0.07 seconds, and Guatemala’s Erick Gordillo, in two minutes, 1.29 seconds, who settled for Silver and Bronze, respectively.
Noel later reacted to the victory, expressing his intention to be a role model for up- and-coming athletes.
“I’d just like to say thank you to everyone back in Guyana for your support. I mean, I’m not on any social media right now, but I know the comments are flooding with love, and I’m really thankful to be a part of the entire story Guyana has to offer,” Noel shared.
He added, “We have so much potential; you know we have great athletes in the future too, and I just want to be a role model for as many Guyanese as possible to see that this is something that anyone can achieve and you can do it any day.”
On Wednesday, Noel followed up his win with another victory in the 200m Butterfly.
That morning, he clocked one minute, 59.52 seconds to become the fastest qualifier across three heats. The Guyanese was followed by Puerto Rico’s Andres Brooks in two minutes and 0.54 seconds, and El Salvador’s Rodrigo Ventura in two minutes and 0.98 seconds.
Replicating his dominance from the evening prior, Noel touched the board at one minute, 56.82 seconds for his second Gold medal at the games. The Guyanese was just split seconds away from reaching or breaking his national record of 1:56.62, set last month at the TYR Pro Swim Series.
Venezuela’s Manuel Diaz clocked 1.58.07 for the Silver, while Mexico’s Rafael Rizpe completed the podium with a Bronze medal swim in one minute, 58.77 seconds. Puerto Rico’s Andres Brooks equalled Rizpe’s 1:58.77 for a joint Bronze medal.
Noel is expected to take on the men’s 100m butterfly next, which is scheduled for tomorrow.

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…urges Guyanese to form consortiums to benefit from cluster loans

As the Government prepares for the official launch of the Guyana Development Bank, Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation, Zulfikar Ally, is encouraging Guyanese with viable business ideas to form consortiums so they can access cluster loans and accelerate the growth and development of their ventures.
“For example, a group of 10 individuals can come together with a consistent and worthwhile business model and benefit from up to $30 million in loans,” Minister Ally highlighted during an interview with the Guyana Times.
“One can easily imagine a scenario where five Guyanese form a consortium, apply for a loan through the Development Bank, and benefit from a loan of $15 million to set up eco-lodges in the Rupununi or the Pakaraimas to cater to our rapidly increasing eco-tourism sector,” he further suggested.

Opportunities
According to the Public Service Minister, as the country’s economy continues to expand, “we must be intentional about making sure that growth is inclusive, productive, and broad-based.”
He posited that growth cannot be concentrated among a small number of firms, sectors, or individuals.
“We are committed to building an economy where opportunity is broad-based, where citizens can become entrepreneurs, and where citizens of every region and community can participate in national development. We aim to ensure that opportunity does not remain concentrated among those who already have assets, networks, and collateral. But rather, that opportunity is available to each and every Guyanese,” Minister Ally emphasised.

Enterprise growth
Through the Guyana Development Bank, eligible applicants will be able to access zero-interest, zero-collateral loans of up to $3 million to start or expand their businesses. Additionally, the Government has secured agreements with commercial banks to leverage those funds, allowing small business owners an additional $7 million in financing, at subsidised interest rates as low as 3.5 per cent.
Minister Ally underscored the importance of this initiative, highlighting that the greatest barrier to enterprise development in Guyana is not the absence of ideas or ambition, but the lack of affordable financing options.
“Across Guyana, there are thousands of people with innovative business concepts, practical skills, market knowledge, and entrepreneurial drive. They know how to farm, manufacture, provide services, develop software, create products, and solve problems. Yet many remain unable to expand and capitalise on their ideas because they cannot access the capital necessary to move from concept to commercial success,” he outlined.
In fact, the Minister revealed that between, 2020 and 2025, 137,713 businesses were registered – an encouraging reality. He further disclosed that between 2020 and 2025, the Deeds and Commercial Registry saw 7842 companies filed.
“These metrics demonstrate that the landscape of business in Guyana today is vastly different from what it was just five to six years ago. This further exemplifies the need for additional and accommodating financing options,” the Public Service Minister posited.
Moreover, he highlighted that in 2025, Private Sector credit expanded significantly, reaching more than $531 billion. This growth, he said, was not confined to a single industry; rather, it occurred across several productive sectors of the economy, including agriculture, manufacturing, mining and quarrying, and services.
“The expansion of credit in agriculture indicates growing confidence in food production, value-added agriculture, and related activities. Increased lending within manufacturing suggests that businesses are investing in production capacity, processing facilities, and industrial activities. Growth in services reflects the expansion of commercial activity across a broad range of enterprises,” he noted.
“These trends are encouraging because they demonstrate that businesses are willing to invest and financial institutions are willing to lend. However, they also reveal an important policy challenge. While larger and more established businesses may be benefiting from existing financing mechanisms, many smaller enterprises continue to face barriers. This SME Development Bank is designed to address precisely this gap,” the Minister explained.
He further noted that while traditional financial institutions have played a critical role in supporting business development in Guyana, their lending models are often designed around risk management, which can make it difficult for first-time entrepreneurs to qualify for loans.
He added that there are other considerations that often present significant challenges for those at the beginning stages of their entrepreneurial journey, such as requirements for collateral, credit history, and onerously high interest rates.
“The consequence is that many potentially productive businesses remain undercapitalised. They operate below their potential. They employ fewer people than they could, and they invest less than they would like. In some cases, they never move beyond the informal sector. But worse of all, some never get off the ground,” he lamented.
This situation represents a loss for the entrepreneur as well as the economy, the Minister said, expressing that “unrealised business growth means unrealised employment, unrealised production, and unrealised tax revenues.”

Support
The Minister said what positions the Guyana Development Bank model for success is that it not only provides accessible financing options but also incorporates mechanisms to support and guide entrepreneurs through every stage of their journey.
“This is a very important point, because finance alone does not guarantee success. Many entrepreneurs have strong ideas and real potential, but they may lack access to formal business training, accounting systems, marketing knowledge, digital tools, or operational guidance. In other words, they may know how to produce or sell, but not always how to structure a business for long-term sustainability. The inclusion of financial literacy training, mentorship, and technical guidance reflects a deeper understanding of what small business growth actually requires. A business cannot grow sustainably if the owner does not know how to manage cash flow, separate personal and business finances, prepare basic records, price products appropriately, or plan for growth. By providing this kind of support, the Bank helps to close the gap between access to money and the ability to use that money effectively,” he explained.
Minister Ally added that the entrepreneur’s journey to success is also supported by the Government’s larger investments in the economy.
“We are building stronger links with Brazil. We are strengthening trade and commercial relationships with Suriname. We continue to benefit from access to CARICOM markets. We are improving linkages across our own Administrative Regions. We are creating opportunities for Guyanese businesses to serve markets that extend far beyond our borders and to expand inter-regional trade,” he highlighted.
For instance, the Minister pointed out that the farmer who starts a small agro-processing juice company is not necessarily producing only for a village, a town, or even a region.
“Through modern transportation networks, digital commerce, regional integration and expanding international connections, that entrepreneur can potentially serve customers across the Caribbean and beyond,” he remarked.
He also pointed to the Gas-to-Energy project, which, once operationalised, will cut electricity costs by 50 per cent, noting that lower energy costs will further support entrepreneurship.
“When energy costs are reduced, businesses become more competitive, production becomes more affordable, and investment becomes more attractive,” the Minister explained.
“The reality is that access to finance alone cannot transform an economy. Access to finance must be combined with affordable energy, reliable infrastructure, improved logistics, digital connectivity and access to markets. This Government is delivering on all of these fronts simultaneously,” he emphasised.

Sectors
Moreover, Minister Ally explained that the Bank will be targeting business ideas in sectors that support the development of key industries in Guyana.
These sectors include agriculture and agro-processing to ensure the country continues to strengthen food security, reduce import dependence, and build value-added production around what is grown locally.
He said another sector is tourism and hospitality in light of the country’s unprecedented level of visitor arrivals. The creative and digital industries are other priority areas, according to Minister Ally, who noted that “this is an untapped market for Guyana and Guyanese to excel in”.
The Guyana Development Bank Bill was on Monday passed in the National Assembly, paving the way for the establishment of the state-backed financial institution. The Government is in the process of establishing regional offices and recruiting the necessary personnel who can support prospective borrowers at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey.

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The PPP Govt just can’t win, can it?? Not even earn a draw!! It gotta be ground into the dust!! Your Eyewitness is referring to the charges for murder that have been filed against the Captain and two other officers of the sunken ferry!! Now it was made clear that these charges were recommended by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) – which was deliberately constitutionally made an independent office so as to prevent interference from any source, including (or maybe particularly after the Burnham excesses!) the Executive!!
But here it is – accusations are flying fast and furious from the Opposition and their camp followers that the Government is creating a diversion to take away from their alleged culpability in causing the ship to go down!! Maybe if the President and his entire Cabinet had been air-dropped as the ship went down to go down with it, you think the accusations would’ve been lessened? Naaah!! Your Eyewitness doesn’t think so. They woulda been blamed for adding to the weight!!
Now two legal worthies from the Opposition camp – Mr “34 is less than 32” Man and a younger one who is straining mightily to get some recognition – have immediately weighed in to declare UNEQUIVOCALLY that the charge is fatally flawed!! Why?? Well, according to them, a charge of murder demands that there must be a PREMEDITATED INTENT to kill – which they assert is absent with the Barima sinking!!  Now in normal circumstances, your Eyewitness would’ve figured they knew what they were talking about. But then he thought, “Whoa!!” This isn’t the DPP’s first rodeo – she’s been around the (murder) block and some!!
So he hit his search button on his trusted browser! And found that there is a murder charge based on “extreme indifference to human life” – that is, to knowingly engaging in conduct so extraordinarily dangerous that the law treats it as equivalent to intentional murder!! Applying that standard to the MV Barima disaster, prosecutors gonna have to prove something like: the Captain knew the vessel was dangerously overloaded or otherwise fatally unsafe; he appreciated that death was highly likely rather than merely possible; and despite that knowledge, he deliberately proceeded!!
By his own words after he was arrested, it’s clear he knowingly sailed an unseaworthy vessel, intentionally ignored flooding, and even became high on ganja!! The DPP’s role is simply to determine whether there’s sufficient evidence to prosecute – NOT whether guilt has been established beyond reasonable doubt!!  Whether the murder charges ultimately survive committal proceedings – or result in convictions – will depend on whether the prosecution can prove more than incompetence, negligence, or even gross recklessness!!
Gotta be conduct amounting to an extreme or depraved indifference to human life!!

…exoneration
In the wake of the Trinis and Frenchies – who’d generously volunteered to dive and reconnoitre the state of the MV Barima under the Atlantic – saying conditions were too “dangerous” for further operations – the Government said they were canvassing relatives of the dead on whether they wanted the ship to be raised or left where it is – as a monument to the deceased. They’ve received “SEVERAL” proposals for the raising.
But then up stepped Sanction Man to announce – in front of the cameras, of course! –  that he’d be willing to fund the salvage of the vessel!! He’d already been in touch with his “international partners”, who said the job could be done!!! Well, with all the experience OFAC says he’s got with smuggling gold out of Guyana, your Eyewitness is pretty sure Sanction Man does have the marine connections!!
Anyhow, if the decision were up to your Eyewitness, he’d call Sanction Man’s bluff!!  It’s pretty clear he figures the Government wants to blank him!!

…that orange jumpsuit
Sanction Man’s thought he got a reprieve when the CCJ paused his extradition hearing in the Magistrate’s Court. Sadly, for him, it merely stretched out – his swinging in the wind as he contemplates life in an orange jumpsuit!!

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Dear Editor,
The MV Barima tragedy has left Guyana mourning. Families continue to endure unimaginable anguish, many still waiting for answers while hoping against hope that their loved ones may yet be found. In moments such as these, the nation’s foremost obligation should be compassion, dignity, and unity.
It is against that backdrop that I find it deeply troubling that images of those who perished were displayed in Parliament as part of a political demonstration. While every Member of Parliament has not only the right but also the constitutional duty to hold the Government accountable, accountability must never come at the expense of the dignity of the deceased or the emotional well-being of grieving families.
The photographs of those who lost their lives are not political symbols. They are cherished sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, relatives, and friends whose absence has left an immeasurable void in the lives of those who loved them. Before employing such images in political protest, one ought to ask whether the affected families would have welcomed their loved ones’ final images becoming instruments in a parliamentary confrontation.
Public representatives must be especially mindful that grief belongs first to the families. It should never be appropriated in a manner that may unintentionally deepen their pain.
No one should mistake this position as an argument against accountability. On the contrary, accountability is precisely what the nation deserves. The President has already publicly committed to the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into the MV Barima tragedy.
Commissioners have already been identified and entrusted with a mandate to establish the facts surrounding this national disaster. The focus now must be on ensuring that the Commission is allowed to conduct its work independently, professionally, objectively, transparently and fairly, free from political interference or preconceived conclusions.
Equally, the Commission must not become an exercise in finding convenient scapegoats. The Guyanese people deserve a process that follows the evidence wherever it leads. Responsibility must not be shifted solely onto the “small man” while those responsible for policy, regulation, oversight, enforcement, operational management or executive decision-making escape scrutiny. If failures occurred at any level, then accountability must extend to every individual whose actions or omissions contributed to this tragedy, regardless of rank, office or influence. Justice commands public confidence only when it is impartial and applied equally.
Equally concerning was the manner in which the parliamentary protest unfolded. Loud desk-banging, shouting at the top of one’s voice and prolonged disorder may generate headlines, but history has repeatedly demonstrated that such tactics rarely alter a Government’s legislative agenda.
Having served as a Member of Parliament myself, I learned that Parliament offers something far more valuable than political theatre. It provides representatives with an opportunity to permanently place on the parliamentary record their ideas, criticisms, recommendations and alternative policies. Those contributions become part of the nation’s democratic history and frequently influence future policy discussions long after the day’s political drama has faded.
Regrettably, by choosing disruption over debate, the opposition missed several significant opportunities to advance the interests of the very people they were elected to represent.
They forfeited the opportunity to make substantive contributions to the National Development Bank Bill, a transformative initiative that has the potential to expand access to affordable financing, encourage entrepreneurship, stimulate small and medium-sized enterprises, strengthen agriculture, empower young people and create genuine economic opportunities for thousands of Guyanese.
They also missed the opportunity to rigorously examine the Supplementary Budget by asking probing questions, challenging expenditures where necessary, demanding explanations from ministers and proposing improvements where deficiencies were identified. That is one of Parliament’s most important constitutional responsibilities: ensuring that every dollar of public expenditure is subjected to meaningful scrutiny on behalf of the taxpayers.
These were not merely missed political opportunities; they were missed opportunities to represent the people’s interests in one of the highest decision-making forums of our democracy.
The opposition’s constitutional responsibility is not simply to oppose. It is to persuade, to scrutinise, to legislate, to propose alternatives and to strengthen public confidence in democratic institutions.
There are more dignified and potentially more effective ways to place pressure on any Government while honouring those affected by tragedy. These include presenting substantive motions, proposing legislative reforms to strengthen maritime safety, demanding regular ministerial reports, utilising parliamentary committees to examine witnesses and evidence, engaging victims’ families and technical experts in consultations, and ensuring that every recommendation arising from the Commission of Inquiry is debated and monitored through Parliament.
Outside Parliament, Members can organise respectful vigils, memorial services, public consultations and national forums where affected families, should they so choose, can have their voices heard with dignity and respect. Such approaches honour the victims while strengthening the national demand for justice and reform.
Strong opposition is indispensable to democracy. But strength should never be measured by the volume of one’s voice or the force with which one strikes a desk. It should be measured by the quality of one’s arguments, the seriousness of one’s proposals, the effectiveness of one’s oversight and the lasting value of one’s contribution to the nation.
The families affected by the MV Barima tragedy deserve justice. They deserve truth. They deserve transparency. They deserve accountability at every level. Above all, they deserve the assurance that even amid political disagreement, the memory of their loved ones will always be treated with dignity, compassion and humanity.
In moments of profound national grief, Parliament must rise above spectacle and reflect the very highest ideals of public service. Let the memory of those we lost inspire not political theatre but principled leadership, institutional reform, genuine accountability and a renewed commitment to ensuring that such a tragedy never occurs again.

Yours respectfully,
Jermaine Figueira
Former Member of Parliament

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Guyana’s Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, a candidate for the position of United Nations Secretary General (SG), has pledged that, if selected for the organisation’s top post, she will prioritise the critical reforms needed to ensure the UN remains effective, relevant, and equipped to meet the challenges of the present and the future.
She made the remarks during an interview with CGTN’s Elaine Reyes, host of UN Insider, where they discussed UN80, multilateralism, and the prospect of the UN electing its first female SG.
“The UN has stood the test of time. And it’s 80 years now. And I think in any organisation, there comes a time when you have to look at what you have done well, what you can do better. And I think we’re at that time right now. And as you know, reform is in the air. Work has started on that. But I truly believe that there is no alternative to the UN. And we can make it better,” Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett expressed.
“Even in the situation that the world is in right now, I think that all roads always lead back to the UN,” she added.
According to the UNSG candidate, if selected for the role, among her top priorities would be ensuring she is surrounded by a team that is balanced with the requisite skills needed for the organisation to succeed.
The second priority, she said, would be looking at ‘moving the needle’ on some of the global conflicts.
“There’s also a large humanitarian challenge. The humanitarian needs are ballooning, and the resources are shrinking. But we’re talking here about the lives of people, of men and women and children. And work has been done already on a pact, on a humanitarian pact. And I would like to see how we can accelerate that kind of assistance,” Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett explained.
“And thirdly, on the development side, where there is development, there is peace. Where there is peace, there is development.   So, we need to accelerate work with the international financial institutions and how we can make access to finance easier, especially for the developing world,” she added.

Fit for purpose
The Guyanese Ambassador has been meeting with various member states, as she has been outlining her vision for implementing reforms if elected to the next UNSG.
Commenting on these engagements, Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett related that “I’ve heard from member states that they believe in the UN, that we need the UN.”
“But also, I’ve heard from member states is that we need to better the UN and a commitment to do that. So, I think that’s the first, if I may call it, the first hurdle, in the sense that when you listen to people talking about the UN not being fit for purpose, being useless, things like that, I think it’s because they don’t have a perspective on the entire UN. The UN is about peace and security, but the UN is also about development. And the UN has been able to do quite a lot on the ground. And I’ve visited several countries during my time on the Security Council, but even before that, and in my own country, and I’ve seen how the UN functions. And I also see where we can make improvements. And this is why I’m running for Secretary General, because I want to be part of making the UN effective, making the UN efficient, making the UN ready for now and for the future,” she said.

 Reforms
According to Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett, there are three aspects to the current UN reform.
“One is the improvement in the Secretariat, more effective, more efficient, as I mentioned. The second part is how we deal with the mandates of member states. The Secretary General and the Secretariat are responsible for implementing those mandates. And that work has been done by member states in how we treat with new mandates. For example, we ensure that the cost that is associated when a mandate is created is known before we create those mandates or before member states create those mandates. And so that work is done, that resolution has been passed, and it’s for the Secretary General to implement that. As Secretary General, if I’m appointed, I would ensure that member states are provided with the information whenever those mandates are being created so that they make the decisions based on the information that’s provided to them,” the Guyanese diplomat noted.
The third aspect of reform, she added, would have the deepest impact because it deals with structural alignment of the UN and its agencies.
“And that work is going on at the moment. And should I be appointed, again, the work in the structural alignment would ensure that we deliver better, but it could only do that if what is approved by member states is geared at that delivery. Now, I believe that reform is an ongoing process; it’s not an event. And so, we have to continue to maybe call it adjustments, make adjustments as we go along, always bearing in mind the needs of member states on the ground,” she explained.

Multilateralism
During the interview, Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett also spoke about the importance of multilateralism, noting that “multilateralism is where we set the norms of the world, is how we set the norms of the world that we all agree to live by.”
“And I haven’t heard any member states say, ‘We are walking away from that.’ “ No one is leaving the UN. No one is leaving the Security Council. And to me, that tells me that that’s a commitment by all of us that multilateralism remains extremely important. And diplomacy is what we have to expand… Because wars don’t end by themselves. They end with diplomacy. And I, as Secretary General, should I be appointed, would ensure that diplomacy is always the first option, mindful of the geopolitical situation that we find ourselves in, but you would see that even when decisions are made outside of the UN, they come back to the UN for validation. We’ve seen that with Haiti. We’ve seen that also with the resolution that was passed in the Security Council on Gaza. The negotiations happened outside of the UN, but it was validated in the UN,” she posited.
“And we have to look at all methods of bringing peace. And so, some may start in the UN, some may start elsewhere, but I believe there’s no alternative to the UN as a validator and as a legitimiser,” she added.

 First female UNSG
The Guyanese diplomat also shared her thoughts on the prospect of becoming the first female UNSG.
“The fact of the matter is the UN has never had a woman Secretary General. So, I think that would send to the world, especially to young women out there, that ceilings can be broken, but it would also send a message to the world that men are with women on this. Because if you look at the United Nations of the 193 member states, less than 25 per cent of the permanent representatives are women. And given the process for the appointment of the Secretary General requires a recommendation from the Security Council, where we have a minority of women, and it goes to the General Assembly, where we have a minority of women as well. If that is approved, it would say that men are with women on this,” she noted.

Selection
The other candidates are María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, nominated by Antigua and Barbuda; Rafael Mariano Grossi, nominated by Argentina; Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis, nominated by Costa Rica; and former Senegalese President Macky Sall, nominated by Burundi. The SG is appointed by the 193-member United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on the recommendation of the Security Council.
While the Council, particularly its five permanent members with veto power, plays a decisive role in recommending a candidate, the final appointment is made by the General Assembly. If elected, Rodrigues-Birkett would become the first woman to serve as UNSG since the organisation was established in 1945, as well as the first Caribbean national to hold the post.
Rodrigues-Birkett has served as Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the UN since 2020. She previously served as Director of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Liaison Office in Geneva from 2017 to 2020, Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2008 to 2015, and Minister of Amerindian Affairs from 2001 to 2008.

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…as Guyana inks agreement to strengthen capacity to respond to health threats

The Guyana Government has been commended for its interventions as part of the emergency response following the MV Barima tragedy, which saw 76 persons being rescued, 73 bodies recovered and 30 others still unaccounted for after the vessel capsized and sank nearly two weeks ago.

Country Representative of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Guyana, Dr Kim Eva Dickson, made these remarks following a recent visit to Region One (Barima-Waini), where she observed the work being done on the ground. She emphasised the importance of coordination among the various State agencies during such national emergencies.
“We were really impressed with the efforts on the ground… The Ministry of Health is doing so much on the ground in Region One. They have the [Ministry of] Human Services and Social Security there, Education [Ministry] there. But when you’re on the ground, it is visible… This is not coming out to the population [and] we need to get it out… The [Health] Ministry is ready and doing its utmost to support emergencies as they emerge,” the PAHO representative stated.
MV Barima was en route to Port Kaituma, Region One, when the horrific accident occurred on July 18. Since a majority of the victims as well as survivors hail from that Barima region, the Government has established help centres for grieving families of those still missing. Medical and counselling services are also being offered to both survivors and other impacting relatives, as well as other support and assistance from the state. The Government has already covered the funeral expenses for dozens of victims of the ferry accident.

Moreover, President Dr Irfaan Ali this week continued his one-on-one engagements with those affected by the MV Barima tragedy. In keeping with an earlier commitment, the Head of State said the Government will remain closely engaged with every family impacted by this tragedy, ensuring they receive the care, support, and assistance they need – not only in the immediate aftermath, but throughout their journey toward healing and recovery.

Emergency response capabilities
Dr Dickson’s praise for the Government’s response came on Wednesday during the signing of an agreement between the Health Ministry and PAHO/WHO to build technical capacity across Guyana as part of the country’s efforts to strengthen its response systems to public health threats.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, which had highlighted how ill-equipped countries are to response to health emergencies, the Guyana Government launched a One Health Project aimed at strengthening national capacity to prevent, detect and respond to public health threats by upgrading laboratories, expanding surveillance systems, improving emergency preparedness, and reinforcing coordination across human, animal and environmental health sectors.
This initiative also seeks to strengthen Guyana’s International Health Regulations (IHR) core capacities while enhancing resilience against zoonotic and emerging diseases.

Through this new pact, the Health Ministry will be working with PAHO to deliver targeted technical activities, including laboratory strengthening, disease surveillance and emergency response, workforce training, and multisectoral One Health coordination.
According to Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony, many local health professionals will be trained under this initiative.
“With this component that PAHO is going to help us implement, there is a lot of training… We will train and hire new people under this project because, to achieve what we intend to do, we currently do not have all the human resources that are required. This project will provide us with the opportunity to recruit and build that capacity,” Minister Anthony said.
Greater resilience
While the PAHO Representative lauded the Region One response as progress Guyana has made in strengthening its systems, the Health Minister said more needs to be done to transform existing systems and build even greater resilience. In fact, he said this partnership with PAHO will build on the foundation works that the Ministry has already started post the COVID pandemic to strengthen its public health system.
“You don’t have to wait until there is a problem to build a system. You have to build systems in anticipation of problems. So, whenever these problems occur, we’re able to fix it… That’s what we’re trying to do here… This technical component that we will be working on with PAHO is extremely important, and I hope that the staff and all of our partner agencies will take this very seriously,” Dr Anthony stressed.
Guyana One Health Project
The Guyana One Health Project is being financed by a US$15 million grant from the Pandemic Fund and a US$7 million loan through an International Development Association (IDA) Credit by the World Bank. Of that US$22 million, some US$1.78 million is being used to finance this component of the initiative that will be executed through the partnership with PAHO.
Country Officer at the World Bank’s office in Guyana, Hubert Forrester, says this new partnership with PAHO will support the technical and implementation work needed to help translate the project’s ambitions into concrete results.
“Through this engagement, we expect stronger institutional coordination, improved technical support to implementation, and enhanced technical capacity to advance the One Health agenda in a way that is practical, measurable and responsive to Guyana’s needs. Ultimately, the success of the project will be measured not only by the systems strengthened or the plans prepared but by the benefits delivered to the people of Guyana,” the World Bank official stated.
On its second attempt, Guyana successfully received approval in January 2024 for financing from the Pandemic Fund – a global financing mechanism dedicated to strengthen country’s critical pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response efforts – for its national action plan for health security, that is, the Guyana One Health Project.
Introduced by the World Health Organization (WHO), the “One Health” concept is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems. It recognises that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and their shared environment.

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…clears path for committal hearing to resume in Magistrate’s Court
…says no bias by Home Affairs Minister in issuing ATP

United States-sanctioned and indicted Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, have lost their latest bid to fight off their extradition to the US to face an 11-count criminal indictment after the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on Wednesday dismissed an appeal filed by them.

Back in March, the Mohameds approached the CCJ, seeking special leave to appeal the decisions of the High Court and Appeal Court of Guyana – both of which had previously dismissed legal proceedings to halt their extradition to the US, where they are indicted on charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
The appeal sought to challenge aspects of the extradition process initiated against the father and son. The CCJ had decided to hear the application for special leave and the substantive appeal at the same time during the April 21 session.

During that hearing, the Mohameds had told the CCJ that they are not opposed to the extradition itself, but are asking the court to overturn the “Authority to Proceed” (ATP) issued under Guyana’s Fugitive Offenders Act by Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond, arguing that the Minister’s decision was legally flawed and politically biased.
The defence had noted that the speed at which the ATP was issued, shortly after the request was received, created an appearance of predetermined approval and raised questions about fairness at the earliest stage of the process.
But Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes, representing Guyana’s Government, defended the issuance of the ATP, contending that the Minister’s role at this stage is administrative and not adjudicative. He rejected the suggestion that the timing of the decision indicated bias, stating instead that any delay could have equally been criticised as a failure to act.

No bias
In a ruling delivered virtually on Wednesday, the CCJ unanimously decided to dismiss the appeal being sought by the Mohameds.

In the lead judgement delivered on behalf of himself and CCJ President Justice Winston Anderson, Justice Denys Barrow ruled that the Minister’s decision to issue the ATP was in fact merely an administrative step to initiate the extradition process and does not determine guilt or the extradition itself. They further found that the applicants had failed to establish that the issuance of the ATP was tainted by bias.
“There was no requirement for the Minister issuing the ATP to be free from political bias. What was required was for the Minister to engage in a process that allowed for consideration of the factors contemplated by the Act. Their Honours found that the applicants had not challenged the process that led to the issuance of the ATP, save for the allegation that the Minister was politically biased… While the Attorney General, as Chief Legal Advisor to the Government, must necessarily be circumspect in any comment on extradition requests, upon which his advice may be sought, the decision to issue the ATP was statutorily vested in and was, as a matter of fact, exercised by the Minister, with very minimal advice from the Attorney General,” the court ruled.
In separate opinions, however, Justices Maureen Rajnauth-Lee, Peter Jamadar, and Arif Bulkan, though agreeing that the case should be dismissed, found that there was a possibility of bias displayed by the Attorney General. But the Judges ruled that this did not influence the Home Affairs Minister’s decision.
The CCJ Judges “…concluded that there is no appearance of bias established against the Minister as the decision-maker or by reason of the larger ecosystem in which the Minister operated. However, in relation to the Attorney General, they concluded that there was a real possibility that the Attorney General was biased. Despite this, they were of the view that the Attorney General’s apparent bias had not so contaminated the process as to raise a real possibility that the decision of the Minister to issue the ATP was initiated by bias.”

No “clean hands”
But even as the regional court found some biasness on the part of other senior Government officials and underscored the importance of judicial independence while cautioning against public comments by public officials on pending judicial proceedings, it noted, however, that the appellants, particularly Azruddin Mohamed, was not without fault or with “clean hands”.
Justices Chantal Ononaiwu and Chile Eboe-Osuji, in their separate opinions, also agreed that the appeal should be dismissed, stressing that allegations of bias must be assessed from the perspective of a fair-minded and informed observer who considers all the surrounding circumstances.
“On the facts and circumstances of the present case, the second appellant [Azruddin Mohamed] does not have clean hands. He provoked verbal attacks against him by his own early attacks against Government officials or his own willing participation in a general brawl of political calumny,” the Judges ruled.

Committal hearing
The interim stay of the extradition proceedings that was imposed by the court back in March was lifted. This now paved the way for the committal proceedings in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to resume before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman.
Prior to the CCJ stay, the extradition proceedings had already faced extensive delays due to constitutional and legal challenges, health claims and lateness from parties involved. In fact, the last hearing on March 24 had to be adjourned after Azruddin Mohamed did not show up and the Magistrate’s court was told that he had suffered from dengue. His diagnosis and laboratory results were submitted to the court, and his doctor was called to give evidence on his condition.
Back in October 2025, the US Government had requested the extradition of the Mohameds to face charges regarding the alleged smuggling of more than 10,000 kilograms of gold through the United States and evading over US$50 million in taxes.
The father-and-son duo have been out on $150,000 bail each, pending the outcome of the extradition committal proceedings.

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