Following a meeting of President Dr. Irfaan Ali with the executives of Cargojet Airways Ltd. in Canada earlier this year, Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar met representatives of DHL who have hired Cargojet Airways, as the airline readies to commence operations in Guyana on June 12, 2026.
Cargo jet Airways will operate once weekly non-scheduled air cargo services on the Miami(MIA)/Caracas, Venezuela (CCS)/ Georgetown (GEO)/ Medellin, Colombia (MDE)/ Miami (MIA) route for DHL Express USA.
Minister Indar today congratulated DHL’s Executive Director, Maurice John, and DHL Aviation America’s Director of Business Development and ACS Strategy, Xavier Cerruto on the commencement of the new service.
The Minister noted Cargojet Airways is tapping into the opportunities that exist in Guyana at a time when the country is experiencing an unprecedented growth in the movement of international air cargo since 2020, reflecting the country’s expanding economy, increasing trade activity, and growing international connectivity
Total air cargo volumes increased from 7.6 million kilograms in 2020 to 14.4 million kilograms in 2025, representing an 88.5% increase over the five-year period. This sustained growth has been driven largely by the importation of industrial equipment and supplies supporting Guyana’s rapidly expanding oil and gas sector, coupled with the continued rise of e-commerce and demand for air freight services.
The upward trend has continued in 2026, with cargo volumes recording a further 21% increase year-to-date, underscoring the increasingly important role of air freight in supporting national development, trade, and business activity.
The sector has also benefited from the presence and expansion of international cargo operators, which have enhanced air cargo capacity and strengthened Guyana’s access to regional and global markets.
Among the international cargo carriers operating in Guyana since 2020 are LATAM Cargo and Avianca Cargo, both of which have contributed to the continued development and diversification of the country’s air freight network. [Press Release]
An Opposition Parliamentarian was arrested on Wednesday after a domestic violence incident in Moruca, North West District, Region One.
In a release, Police Headquarters said preliminary investigations revealed that the Parliamentarian and his wife were at their residence when an argument allegedly ensued between them, which escalated into a physical altercation.
During the incident, the suspect allegedly assaulted a child, causing the woman to intervene. The suspect allegedly dealt the woman several blows and pushed her to the ground, causing her to hit her head and briefly lose consciousness.
The woman further alleged that the suspect later armed himself with a chopper and advanced towards her in a threatening manner, causing her to fear for her life and personal safety.
The woman reported the matter at the Acquero Police Station and was escorted to seek medical attention.
The suspect was later arrested and placed into custody as investigations continue.
Nous sommes à quelques heures du coup d’envoi de la 23e édition de la Coupe du monde de la FIFA 2026. La Radio Télévision Caraïbes (RTVC) se dit prête à offrir au public une couverture à la hauteur de ses attentes. À cet effet, le nouveau Centre Culturel Caraïbes, situé à la rue Chavannes à Pétion-Ville, accueillera cet événement planétaire dans une ambiance festive et conviviale.
L’engouement est d’autant plus grand qu’Haïti participe à cette compétition après 52 ans d’absence, depuis sa première et unique participation à une phase finale de Coupe du monde en 1974.
Le football demeure la plus grande passion sportive des Haïtiens. Après plus d’un demi-siècle d’attente, les Grenadiers retrouveront enfin la plus prestigieuse scène du football mondial à l’occasion de cette 23e édition organisée conjointement par les États-Unis, le Canada et le Mexique.
Lors des précédentes éditions, les Haïtiens soutenaient des nations telles que le Brésil, l’Argentine, l’Espagne ou encore la France, en raison de l’absence d’Haïti parmi les qualifiés. Cette année, la situation est tout autre : c’est tout un peuple qui se mobilise pour apporter son soutien indéfectible à la sélection nationale, basée aux États-Unis pour la phase de groupes, où elle affrontera l’Écosse, le Brésil et le Maroc.
Dans ce contexte, la Radio Télévision Caraïbes, dont le siège historique de la ruelle Chavannes à Port-au-Prince a été incendié puis pillé par des groupes armés ayant pris le contrôle du centre-ville, a refusé de baisser les bras. Malgré les épreuves, la grande dame poursuit sa mission d’informer et de servir la population.
À Pétion-Ville, un nouveau Centre Culturel Caraïbes vient ainsi de voir le jour. Cet espace permettra non seulement la retransmission de tous les matchs de la Coupe du monde, mais offrira également aux passionnés de football un cadre idéal pour vivre pleinement la compétition. Des animations et des cadeaux seront proposés au public à la mi-temps et à l’issue des rencontres.
À seulement cinq jours de la célébration de son 77e anniversaire, toute l’équipe de la RTVC se mobilise afin d’assurer une couverture exceptionnelle de cette Coupe du monde historique.
Il convient de rappeler que les groupes armés opérant au centre-ville de Port-au-Prince ont incendié puis pillé les locaux de la station situés à la ruelle Chavannes. Depuis 2024, ce média septuagénaire a trouvé refuge à Pétion-Ville, d’où il continue à desservir la population haïtienne, fidèle à sa mission et à ses valeurs. Malgré les nombreuses difficultés rencontrées, la RTVC demeure une institution profondément ancrée dans le cœur des Haïtiens.
Ethan Christian, a one-year-old boy of Cracrana Village, South Pakaraimas, reportedly drowned on Wednesday near his home.
In a release, Police Headquarters said preliminary investigations revealed that about 11:30hrs, the child was at home with his mother when she reportedly left him lying on a bed inside the house and went to use a toilet located nearby.
Upon her return, she reportedly discovered that the child was no longer on the bed. A search was conducted in and around the house, and the child was subsequently found lying face down and motionless in a pool of water, approximately three feet deep, located about 100 feet away from the house.
The child was escorted to the Karasabai Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead by a doctor on duty. The body was examined, and no marks of violence were seen. It is presently at the Karasabai Public Hospital Mortuary.
A man was shot and killed by a Police rank on Wednesday night after he allegedly opened fire during an attempted robbery at a supermarket on Mandela Avenue, Georgetown.
The identity of the man is not yet known.
The News Room understands that the incident occurred at about 20:40 hrs at People Choice Supermarket.
According to information gathered by the News Room, three men allegedly entered the supermarket and attempted to carry out a robbery.
Reports are that the trio entered the supermarket and held two unarmed security guards at gunpoint and ordered them to lie on the ground.
At the same time, the Police rank, who was on mobile patrol in the area, reportedly observed the incident unfolding. As such, the rank stopped and approached the suspects, during which the armed bandit allegedly discharged a round in the direction of the rank.
The officer, who was armed with his service weapon, returned fire. The suspects then fled the supermarket in different directions.
The armed suspect ran onto Mandela Avenue before collapsing in a nearby drain. The News Room understands that the man was later found with a .38 revolver in his right hand.
The dead bandit was subsequently pronounced dead while his two accomplices escaped and are being sought by investigators.
The body of Wilbur Fonseca, a 53-year-old Cuban national of Eccles, East Bank Demerara, was found dead at Railway Embankment, Coldingen, East Coast Demerara, at about 06:30 hrs Wednesday.
In a release, Police Headquarters said the body was discovered lying motionless along the southern side of the embankment.
Police visited the scene, where the body was examined, and no visible marks of violence were observed. A cellular phone was found in the man’s pants pocket, while his driver’s licence and one boot were found nearby.
The body was pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor on duty and was subsequently escorted to Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, where it awaits a post-mortem examination.
In 1826, Onwerwacht left Plantation Blyendaal in Berbice, where he was enslaved, to spend the weekend with his wife nearby. When he returned, his enslaver locked him up. Onwerwacht complained to the ‘Protector of Slaves’, saying he considered the punishment “unmerited”.
Seven years later, in Georgetown, a woman named Angel went to the same colonial office with a different plea. The father of her children had told her he had freed her, only for her to discover that another man had purchased her. She went to the Protector of Slaves to try to have her freedom confirmed.
These two summary accounts of records are among thousands preserved in the Reports of the Protector of Slaves, a rare collection of testimonies from enslaved people in British Guiana who reported family separation, overwork, violence and other injustices in the final years before emancipation.
Through the Voices in Slavery’s Archive: Law, Place and Testimony in British Guiana, researchers Estherine Adams, Randy Browne, Juanita Cox, Philippa Hellawell, Linsey McMillan, Diana Paton and Kimberley Thomas are working to make these records more accessible to Guyanese communities.
A historical specimen of a book page from the Voices in Slavery’s Archive project, which seeks to preserve and make slavery-era testimonies from British Guiana more accessible to Guyanese communities
Now, almost 200 years later, those voices are at the centre of a three-year project seeking to make the records more accessible to Guyanese communities.
The project, which started on March 1, 2026, was introduced in Georgetown on Tuesday at the Walter Rodney National Archives, where participants gathered for the first in a series of workshops being held from June 9 to 11 in Georgetown, New Amsterdam and Anna Regina.
Led by the University of Edinburgh and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the project brings together partners from Guyana, the United Kingdom and the United States, including the University of Guyana, Xavier University, the University of Sheffield Digital Humanities Institute, The National Archives in the UK, the Walter Rodney National Archives of Guyana and Guyana SPEAKS.
At its centre, the project asks: how should Guyana read, preserve and share the words of enslaved people whose lives were recorded by a colonial system that both constrained and exposed them?
Participants at the opening of the Voices in Slavery’s Archive workshop at the Walter Rodney National Archives (News Room)
Professor Diana Paton, William Robertson Professor of History at the University of Edinburgh, said the project is a history project that is also concerned with the present and the future.
The documents, she told participants, are from roughly 200 years ago, when slavery dominated British Guiana. Unlike many colonial records, however, they do not only provide anonymous figures, economic data, plantation accounts or demographic details. They offer “snapshots” of individual enslaved people’s lives, often in their own words or close to their own words.
“These individual stories, we think, are very precious,” Paton said, adding that they provide insights few other sources from the period can offer.
Professor Diana Paton of the University of Edinburgh at the opening of the Voices in Slavery’s Archive workshop at the Walter Rodney National Archives (News Room)
But those records have not been easy for Guyanese people to access. Like much of the documentary history of former British colonies, the materials are held overseas, at The National Archives outside London. The project aims to address that distance by digitising, transcribing and mapping the records and making them freely available online.
Over the next three years, researchers plan to make all 26 large volumes of the Protector of Slaves records for British Guiana accessible in a searchable digital form. The collection includes about 2,500 individual cases and many thousands of testimonies. Physical facsimile copies will also be placed at the Walter Rodney National Archives so that researchers, students and members of the public in Guyana can consult them locally.
The records offer something personal for descendant communities. A way to reconnect names, places, plantations and families separated by slavery, migration, silence and colonisation.
The workshops are intended to introduce the project, share early insights, and invite feedback from Guyanese participants on how the material should be interpreted and presented. Attendees are being encouraged to bring their own knowledge of communities, place names and family histories to the process.
Researchers also hope the project will support family and community research, allowing Guyanese people to see how enslaved people used the limited legal mechanisms available to them to resist exploitation and seek redress.
Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Steven Jacobs, said the project is of “immense value” to Guyana because it helps recover testimony from one of the most painful chapters in the country’s history.
“These records do not merely document the period of slavery,” he said. “They bring us into closer contact with the lived experience, the struggles, the resilience of men, women and children, whose labour and suffering helped to shape this land.”
Jacobs said too much of Guyana’s history has remained distant, housed in overseas repositories and absent from national discourse. Making these materials available in Guyana, he said, is significant for education, research, cultural identity and justice.
Steven Jacobs, Minister within Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport at the opening of the Voices in Slavery’s Archive workshop at the Walter Rodney National Archives (News Room)
“When Guyanese, particularly our young people, are able to engage with these materials, they gain a fuller and more humane understanding of the foundations of our society,” he said.
The minister also linked the project to the wider digitisation work of the Walter Rodney National Archives, which he said forms part of the government’s efforts to preserve heritage and strengthen public access to national records.
Archivist Nadia Gamel-Carter of the Walter Rodney National Archives described it as a “labour of love” that has been years in the making, highlighting the work that went into building partnerships and securing support for the initiative.
The project will not be without difficulty. The materials include accounts of past violence and racism that may be distressing. Participants in the workshops are being asked to engage with them carefully, with consent procedures in place for discussions, audio recording and possible video interviews.
Still, the project’s ambition remains to move the testimonies of enslaved people from the margins of colonial record-keeping into public memory.
A temporary profile image for the project, an 1833 drawing of the Protector of Slaves Office in Trinidad by lithographer and draughtsman Richard Hicks Bridgens, held in the Yale Centre for British Art’s Paul Mellon Collection, offers a visual reminder of the world in which these complaints were made. It shows the kind of colonial space where people such as Onwerwacht and Angel may have had to appeal to authority for recognition of their humanity.
Protector of Slaves Office Trinidad by Richard_Bridgens
Historian Emilia Viotti da Costa has described the Reports of the Protector of Slaves as “one of the greatest indictments against slavery ever written”. Their power lies in what they reveal about cruelty, but more importantly in what they preserve of resistance. A husband objecting to punishment after visiting his wife; a mother seeking proof of freedom; enslaved people recording, in the language available to them, that what was done to them was wrong.
As the project develops, researchers say they want Guyanese communities to help shape the work ahead, as participants in deciding how that history is understood, shared and brought into the future.
Read full press release from the Ministry of Education:
The Ministry of Education has received more than 1,000 recommendations to shape a new nationwide Anti-Bullying and Anti-Violence Policy for schools, with key proposals calling for the establishment of anti-bullying clubs, the nurturing of peer advocates, increased and improved counselling services and stricter punishments like community service or withholding school cash grants for chronic offenders.
During the final consultation, hosted at the Mahaicony Technical and Vocational Training Centre in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) on June 9, some parents also suggested community-led after-school programmes to build camaraderie and good sportsmanship.
Education Minister, Sonia Parag, assured that all recommendations received throughout the campaign will be compiled and thoroughly reviewed by a multi-agency task force, including the Ministries of Home Affairs and Human Services and Social Security. The most substantial and impactful suggestions will then be used to craft a comprehensive policy with clear, standardized consequences for bad and violent behaviors by children and teachers in the school system.
Education Minister, Sonia Parag during the engagement. (Photo: Ministry of Education)
She noted that the policy will cover all forms of bullying and violence. “What we’re seeing is not simply an act of bullying, but it’s also translating into violence and it’s making our spaces that should be safe, unsafe for our children,” Minister Parag said, noting that bullying, even without violence, takes many forms, including social exclusion and verbal attacks. “…It is abuse, psychologically, that can be damaging to that individual.”
The education minister noted too that the policy will also take into crucial account, the manner in which bad behaviours have evolved in this digital age where children can be easily influenced in online spaces that remain readily accessible to them, and largely without proper parental supervision.
“Years ago, a child would be influenced by what happens in their homes, schools and neighbourhoods, but now, they are also influenced by social media and what happens online and the trends that dominate that space,” Minister Parag argued.
Outside of a robust and all-encompassing Anti-Bullying and Anti-Violence Policy for Schools, the Ministry of Education is also pursuing enhanced training for school guidance counsellors beginning this September.
“This will focus heavily on psychology, and help our counsellors to provide more wholesome psychological support, because now we’re dealing with mental health issues that our children are having from these issues, and the realities of suicide and so on.”
Minister Parag said that efforts have also begun to ensure greater supervision within schools and the prompt and timely reporting of incidents to the ministry. The minister is also hopeful that positive changes would stem from the introduction of programmes such as the presidential Prison Avoidance Programme, which aims to teach young people “how to be constructive to society.”
Ultimately though, Minister Parag emphasised that addressing school violence and bullying require an inclusive effort rather than a “one-man show.” She reminded educators that for the eight hours a child is at school, “you are their guardians.”
The education minister was also prompt in declaring that parents have the foundational responsibility of teaching their children good manners and behaviours even before they enter the school system. Parents, Minister Parag said, “cannot pass the buck to schools.”
She spoke extensively on the need for parents and families to look inward at how they manage discipline at home, reasoning that no child is “born bad” and that they instead “sponge up and adopt the behavioural patterns they see at home.”
The minister even gave a candid reality check to parents who often hand over unmonitored devices such as cell phones and tablets to their children. “We are disintegrating into a non-society if we don’t check ourselves,” Minister Parag warned.
She cautioned, however, that “Discipline and abuse are two different things… You absolutely do not need to beat someone to make them understand.”
Regional Education Officer Ms. Selestine La Rose, who spoke briefly at the forum, expressed great satisfaction with the high turnout, noting that the presence of so many key stakeholders highlighted the community’s shared commitment to making schools throughout the country safer.
The final consultation concluded with a frank interactive session, which allowed teachers, students and interested residents across Region Five, the opportunity to voice their concerns.
Minister Parag is hopeful that once the Anti-Bullying and Anti-Violence Policy is fully implemented, the push can begin for corresponding legislation.
West Indies batting all-rounder Kyle Mayers believes the Desert Vipers have got a fantastic Caribbean contingent for the upcoming ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL).
Mayers, from Barbados, is one of four local players who have been recruited to represent the Vipers in the July tournament, the others being Trinidad and Tobago left-arm spinning all-rounder Khary Pierre, left-arm fast bowler Ramon Simmonds and 19-year-old batting sensation Zachary Carter, with Simmonds and Carter, like Mayers, also hailing from Barbados.
Speaking to the Vipers Voices podcast, Mayers said the West Indian players’ local knowledge of conditions would be a huge asset to the Vipers.
Mayers himself was part of the Rangpur Riders of Bangladesh in the 2025 edition of the GSL, and said that experience was significant.
“Playing cricket in Guyana could be very tricky. It was tough for some of the foreign players. And it is a short tournament, so there is not much time to get acquainted with conditions and play a few games to see how the conditions are. So, it is (about) hit(ting) the ground running.
“I think that playing with them (Rangpur Riders) last season was a great experience. I got to see how the competition goes. I got to play against the strongest side, too, which is Guyana (Amazon Warriors). Guyana always put up a very good team and the support there is unreal. So playing against them was a great experience just to see how this tournament is evolving.”
Mayers has played 18 Tests, 28 One-Day Internationals (ODIs)and 41 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) for the West Indies, and while he has not played Tests or ODIs for the West Indies since 2023, he remains in the wider T20I pool.
Desert Vipers come to GSL on the back of winning the ILT20 for the first time this year (Photo: CREIMAS/ILT20)
In addition to his international quality, the left-handed batter and right-arm medium-pacer will bring an abundance of franchise experience to the Vipers table having played in the Pakistan Super League, the Bangladesh Premier League, the Indian Premier League, the SA20 in South Africa, the T20 Blast in England and Wales, and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), and he said he could not wait to help the Vipers succeed.
“I guess this journey has helped me gain a wealth of experience,” he said.
“I am always happy to share, because I am that kind of person who likes to teach or share information. I think travelling and playing these tournaments, playing in different conditions, playing against so many players, that is a great thing and (I have) a great wealth of experience to share with the team. I am looking forward to doing that.”
As for his own strengths, Mayers was very clear about where he saw himself fitting in the Vipers line-up: “(My strength is in the) Powerplay (with) both bat and ball. I always like to take on the game from the start.
“Recently I have been moving around the order in different franchises, obviously to accommodate different players and different tactics and stuff like that. But I think my strengths, if you look at the statistics, are probably batting in the first three (positions); (that) is where I am at my best.
“Obviously bowling (with) the new ball too is where I am at my best to get the ball to shape around, especially in these Caribbean conditions that I grew up playing in.
“I guess you can call me the powerplay man.”
Mayers also gave Vipers Voices the benefit of his knowledge concerning the three other Caribbean-based players joining the franchise.
Khary Pierre
On experienced slow left-armer Khary Pierre, who has played in all three formats for the West Indies, Mayers said he was a force to be reckoned with.
“I think he (Khary Pierre) is one of those players who you look past very fast. It is sad because he always performs in local cricket. He has always been competitive in local tournaments, whether it be the CPL or the first-class tournament. He is a top performer in those. I think he is very underrated as well.
“I would say (Khary Pierre is an) efficient player, gets his job done and is a very good fielder as well.
“He is quiet but should be a handful, especially in those conditions in Guyana (because) spinners always do well down there. He is a great character to have for the Vipers.
“Also, he was picked up in the draft for Guyana too, so it would be a good start for him to get to play some games in his new home.
“Teams usually use him in the powerplay where he is very effective, but I think with his ability he is capable of bowling at any stage of the innings, I think he is a very smart bowler, but he is tricky. So, he is not that that typical left-arm spinner where he looks for spin and bounce and turn, he just operates (with) what he sees in front of him.
“I think at any stage he can be harmful, but teams use him in the powerplay because he bowls wicket to wicket very well. That is his speciality, controlling the powerplay and bowling tight overs.”
Ramon Simmonds
Mayers said Ramon Simmonds, the 24-year-old left-arm seam and swing bowler recently named as the Barbados franchise’s breakout player in the retention list for the upcoming CPL, had a great future ahead of him.
“I think he (Ramon Simmonds) is a bright spark coming through in West Indies cricket,” Mayers said. “He is a class bowler. I witnessed that while playing for the Barbados franchise in CPL. We had one year where I had to captain the team in the absence of David Miller and he was my go-to bowler, and he was the youngest, so it just goes to show. That was three years ago.
“He has been very good since then, despite being injured and coming back. He had a brilliant first-class season the year before this (in 2025). Unfortunately, he did not get a chance to play this season because of injury but I think he is one for the future.
“He is a unique kind of bowler, a wicket-taker, a fighter. I think he is one of those bowlers that people say (has) got the golden arm. I think he is one of those bowlers that anytime in the game (can) get it over the line. That is very crucial in the T20 game.”
West Indies Under-19 batter Zachary Carter
Mayers said he had a close connection with 19-year-old Zachary Carter, a powerful hitter who excelled in the latest edition of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup for the West Indies.
“He (Zachary Carter) is my club mate – we represent the same club back home, the Carlton Club, and he is a very exciting player.
“I saw Zachary one evening at club training. (He is a) big lad (and) I was expecting him to tell me that he was 25, but he actually told me he was 18. I was excited to see what he was capable of doing.
“He started off bowling some left-arm spin and then, when he went to bat, it was like this kid packs a punch. A few weeks afterwards, he ended up playing for the club team. He scored 80 runs in 30 balls in a 50-over game.
“He then ended up playing (against) us a few weeks afterwards. Some of the guys who played for my club have actually played first-class cricket and he beat us to a pulp. He scored 80 not out, off 40 balls.
“From there, everyone was just talking about Zach and his ability to hit the ball. He got the chance to represent Barbados in the Under-19s and then he got a chance to play for West Indies (Under-19 team) and he showed his ability and his capabilities to play cricket at a big stage and showcase his talent.
“I think he is one for the future for sure. I think he will be a force to reckoned with, so I am looking forward to seeing him play senior cricket. I think he is capable of doing it.
“I know he is a very confident player too. He is looking forward to playing for his first franchise team (the Desert Vipers) so he does not keep quiet about it. He always talks to me about it and he is very excited to get to Guyana.”
Here is a list of players who will represent the Desert Vipers at the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League:
Chris Green (AUS) – Captain
Daryl Mitchell (NZ)
Bevon Jacobs (NZ)
Kyle Jamieson (NZ)
Shadab Khan (PAK)
Vriitya Aravind (UAE)
Khuzaima Bin Tanveer (UAE)
Matiullah Khan (UAE)
Sanjay Pahal (UAE)
Andries Gous (USA)
Kyle Mayers (WI)
Khary Pierre (WI)
Ramon Simmonds (WI)
Zachary Carter (WI)
Tickets for the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League can be purchased via this link: Click Here to Buy Tickets
