CARICOM at a Crossroads: Trinidad and Tobago’s Unprecedented Break

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Staff – Writer

An unprecedented fracture has emerged at the heart of Caribbean integration.
In a move without parallel in CARICOM’s 52-year history, Trinidad and Tobago has declared it will not recognise Dr. Carla Barnett as Secretary-General beyond the end of her current term in August 2026—flatly rejecting what regional leaders insist is a valid reappointment.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s position is not merely dissent; it is outright derecognition. That distinction matters. CARICOM has weathered disagreements before—over trade, free movement, and foreign policy—but never has a member state openly refused to acknowledge the authority of the Community’s chief administrative officer.

This is not a procedural quibble. It is an institutional rupture.
At the center of the dispute are allegations that strike at the credibility of the organisation’s governance: claims that the Secretary-General influenced or authored an official communiqué defending her own reappointment, and that Trinidad and Tobago’s representation was deliberately excluded from a decisive retreat via informal communication.

Whether proven or not, the mere plausibility of such claims has already inflicted reputational damage on the Community’s decision-making processes.
Equally troubling is the response—or lack thereof—from CARICOM leadership. Silence, deflection, and an apparent unwillingness to revisit the February decision have only deepened the perception of opacity. In regional governance, process is legitimacy. Once that is compromised, authority becomes contestable.

Persad-Bissessar’s stance goes further still. By signaling indifference to potential expulsion and openly pivoting toward alternative trade alliances in the Middle East, Africa, India, and South America, Trinidad and Tobago is testing the practical value of CARICOM membership itself. That is a dangerous precedent for a bloc already struggling with implementation deficits and uneven commitment among its members.
So, is this the beginning of the end for CARICOM?
Not necessarily—but it may well be the beginning of its most serious credibility crisis.

Regional integration has always depended less on treaties and more on political will and mutual trust. What is now unfolding suggests a breakdown in both. If one of CARICOM’s most economically significant members can reject a core institutional authority without consequence, the Community risks drifting from a rules-based arrangement into a loose, voluntary association vulnerable to fragmentation.

The real question is no longer about Dr. Barnett’s tenure. It is whether CARICOM’s governance architecture is robust enough to withstand open defiance—or whether it will buckle under the weight of its own unresolved contradictions.

If this moment is not met with transparency, accountability, and institutional reform, it will not be remembered as an isolated dispute. It will be seen as the point at which the Caribbean Community began to quietly unravel.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—

Massive 11,000-Carat Ruby Discovered in Myanmar’s Conflict Zone

/in , /by

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣

Bangkok, Thailand — May 12, 2026 — A rare and exceptionally large ruby weighing approximately 11,000 carats (2.2 kilograms or 4.8 pounds) has been discovered in Myanmar’s famed Mogok gem region, marking one of the most significant gemstone finds in recent decades.


According to state-run media, the rough ruby was unearthed in mid-April near Mogok, located in the upper Mandalay region — an area long regarded as the epicenter of Myanmar’s lucrative ruby mining industry. The discovery occurred shortly after the country’s traditional New Year celebrations.
The newly found gemstone is considered the second-largest ruby ever discovered in Myanmar by weight. While it is roughly half the size of a 21,450-carat ruby uncovered in 1996, experts suggest it may be of greater value due to its superior quality. The stone reportedly exhibits a purplish-red hue with yellowish undertones, moderate transparency, and a highly reflective surface — characteristics associated with high-grade rubies.


Myanmar remains the world’s dominant source of rubies, accounting for up to 90% of global supply, with most originating from Mogok and Mong Hsu. However, the gemstone trade has long been mired in controversy, as both legal and illicit sales have historically provided substantial revenue to military authorities and armed groups.


Human rights organizations, including Global Witness, have repeatedly called on transnational jewelers to halt the purchase of Myanmar-sourced gemstones, citing concerns that proceeds contribute to ongoing conflict and human right.


The discovery comes amid continued political instability in Myanmar. Earlier this year, a new government was installed following elections widely criticized by opposition groups and international observers as lacking credibility. President Min Aung Hlaing, the military leader who seized power in 2021, remains at the helm. He and members of his cabinet recently inspected the ruby in Naypyitaw, the nation’s capital.
Gemstone mining continues to play a dual role in Myanmar’s prolonged internal conflict, serving as a major revenue source for both the military establishment and ethnic armed groups seeking autonomy.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—

 

 

Crossing the Floor—or Chasing the Oil?

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BY: Staff — Writer

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣

In a political culture where loyalty has long been worn as a badge of honour, the sudden migration of former APNU/PNC figures into the arms of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is not just unusual—it is deeply revealing.

This is not the slow evolution of political thinking. It is not the result of ideological awakening. It is something far more transactional.
When former Members of Parliament and sitting Regional Councillors—individuals who once stood firmly opposed to the PPP’s governance model—now line up to praise that very same administration as visionary, inclusive, and transformative, the Guyanese public is entitled to ask a simple question: what changed?
Guyana changed.

More specifically, Guyana’s oil economy changed the stakes of political alignment. With billions flowing through the state and unprecedented infrastructure expansion underway, proximity to power now carries rewards unlike anything in the country’s history. Access, influence, contracts, and opportunity are no longer abstract—they are tangible, immediate, and immensely valuable.

Against that backdrop, this wave of defections begins to look less like patriotism and more like positioning.
The language used by the defectors—speaking glowingly of “technical expertise,” “inclusive governance,” and “national development”—reads less like conviction and more like careful calibration. These are not new arguments being discovered; they are new advantages being embraced.

And let us be clear: political parties are not social clubs. They are built on ideology, principles, and competing visions for national development. When individuals who once campaigned vigorously against the PPP suddenly find its philosophy appealing, it raises serious questions about whether those principles were ever genuinely held.
Because if ideology can be discarded this easily, what exactly was being defended in the first place?

This is not a story of APNU losing its footing. It is a story of individuals revealing theirs.
In reality, APNU may not have lost loyalists—it may have shed opportunists. And those opportunists have now aligned themselves where they believe the greatest personal benefit lies.

The PPP, for its part, will frame this as validation—proof of its growing national appeal and governance success. But political expansion built on crossovers of convenience carries its own risks. When allegiance is driven by opportunity rather than belief, it is as fluid as the conditions that created it.
Today’s allies can become tomorrow’s critics, just as easily as yesterday’s critics became today’s allies.

What Guyanese citizens are witnessing is not merely political movement—it is a recalibration of ambition in an oil-rich state. The danger lies in mistaking this for unity or progress. True national cohesion is built on shared values and trust, not on the gravitational pull of economic gain.
Oil was supposed to transform Guyana. It has—but perhaps not in the way many hoped.
It has exposed, with uncomfortable clarity, the line between patriotism and opportunism.
And in this moment, that line appears to be shifting.

𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮’𝙨 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙞𝙡 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙨𝙤-𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 “𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜” 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚—𝙣𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙤 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢.

Free Gas or Costly Lie? Questions Mount Over Hidden Exxon Agreement

/in /by

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo says there is no agreement for Guyana to buy gas from ExxonMobil. According to him, the gas for the Wales Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project is “free.” That claim, however, raises more questions than it answers—especially in a context where the government continues to withhold the very documents that could settle the issue once and for all.

If the gas is truly free, where are the agreements to prove it?
For years, the public has been told that the viability of the GTE project rests heavily on this “free gas” arrangement. It was the cornerstone of the promise: cheaper electricity, reduced dependence on heavy fuel oil, and long-term energy stability. But now, credible reports suggest that a Gas Sales Agreement may exist—one that could mean Guyana is paying for its own resource. The government denies this, yet refuses to produce the contracts.
That contradiction is not just troubling—it is unacceptable.
This is not a minor administrative matter. The financial structure of the GTE project will determine electricity tariffs, potential subsidies, and the long-term burden on taxpayers. If Guyana is required to pay commercial rates for gas, the entire economic foundation of the project shifts.

Will electricity still be cut by 50 percent? Or will citizens be forced to subsidize a project they were told would save them money?
The public cannot be expected to rely on verbal assurances while critical documents remain hidden.
Former Finance Minister Winston Jordan is right to demand clarity. If there is no agreement to purchase gas, then publish the evidence. If there is, then explain why the narrative has changed. Either way, the government has an obligation to come clean.
The continued secrecy surrounding the GTE project fuels speculation, erodes trust, and undermines confidence in public management of the country’s most significant energy initiative.

This is not about politics. It is about transparency, accountability, and the responsible management of national resources.
Guyana’s citizens do not need snippets, soundbites, or selective disclosures. They need the full picture.

Publish the agreements. Let the facts speak.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—

Key Witness Alleges Henry Boys Were Killed Over Destroyed Marijuana Farm

/in , /by

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣

The High Court trial into the brutal murders of cousins Joel and Isaiah Henry took a disturbing turn on Tuesday, as key witness Akash Singh delivered chilling testimony linking the killings to a dispute over destroyed marijuana crops in the Berbice backlands.

Singh, who appeared as one of the prosecution’s main witnesses, told the court that he accompanied the two accused—Anil Sancharra, also known as “Dan Pole” or “Rasta,” of D’Edward Village, West Coast Berbice, and Vinod Gopaul, called “Magga,” of Yakusari, Black Bush Polder—into the backdam to plant marijuana seedlings.
According to Singh, the group returned to the area approximately three weeks later, only to discover that their plants had been destroyed, allegedly by pesticide. He further claimed that additional crops at another nearby farm had also been damaged.

Singh testified that while the men were discussing the losses, two teenage boys approached their camp. He alleged that when the issue of the destroyed crops was mentioned, one of the teens laughed—an action that reportedly triggered suspicion.
He told the court that Gopaul confronted the boys, questioning whether they knew anything about the damaged plants. At that point, Singh claimed, one of the teens attempted to flee, prompting a violent response.

“The taller one tried to run,” Singh recounted, alleging that Gopaul attacked him with a cutlass, while Sancharra simultaneously assaulted the other teen.
Although Singh said he could not recall the exact number of blows inflicted, he described the aftermath as gruesome. He testified that he was instructed to assist in tying the bodies onto horses, after which the accused men transported them away from the scene.

Singh further claimed that he was ordered to dispose of evidence, including dismantling the cutlasses used in the attack and discarding them in a nearby canal, along with his blood-stained clothing.
He also told the court that both accused men threatened him with death if he reported what had happened. Despite these threats, Singh stated that he later disclosed the incident to others and eventually provided a full statement to police following his arrest in January 2021.
The trial, being heard in the Berbice High Court, is expected to continue today as the jury examines further testimony surrounding one of Guyana’s most shocking and controversial murder cases.

The gruesome deaths of the Henry cousins in September 2020 sparked nationwide outrage and protests, with calls for justice and accountability still resonating across the country.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—

Salazar’s “Forceful” Defense of Guyana Raises Questions About Lobbying Influence

/in , /by

Staff -Writer

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣

Guyana’s ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on Tuesday described as “forceful” the statement issued by United States Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar in defense of Guyana’s territorial sovereignty amid escalating rhetoric from Venezuela’s interim President, Delcy Rodríguez.

Congresswoman Salazar, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Affairs, took to X (formerly Twitter) to rebuke Venezuela’s posture, warning that Rodríguez appeared intent on attempting to mislead U.S. President Donald Trump in the same way she and the now-ousted Nicolás Maduro administration “tricked and destroyed” Venezuela.
“Delcy should stop threatening Guyana and start learning from it,” Salazar stated.

Her comments followed closely on the heels of Rodríguez’s declaration at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Venezuela would not recognize the Court’s authority in determining the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award. Rodríguez instead reaffirmed Venezuela’s position that the 1966 Geneva Agreement is the only legitimate mechanism for resolving the controversy, warning that any ICJ ruling could deepen divisions.
Salazar also criticized what she described as back-channel diplomacy, urging Rodríguez not to engage in “secret” communications with President Trump while advancing territorial claims against Guyana.

“You don’t deal with him through secret letters while trying to steal territory from a free and sovereign nation like Guyana,” she asserted.
The U.S. lawmaker further praised Guyana’s management of its oil revenues, highlighting the establishment of a sovereign wealth fund and rapid economic growth as evidence of responsible governance.

While the Guyana Government had not issued an immediate response, Salazar’s intervention is not occurring in a vacuum. She has previously been among the most vocal members of Congress linking Guyanese businessman Azruddin “Azz” Mohamed to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro—framing his business activities and political ambitions as part of a wider “malign influence” network tied to Caracas within the Caribbean.

That line of argument closely mirrors messaging historically associated with Continental Strategy, a U.S.-based lobbying firm retained by the PPP/C administration. The overlap has fueled assertions in some political quarters that Salazar’s positions on Guyana-related matters may be aligned with, or influenced by, lobbying narratives advanced on behalf of the government. However, no direct evidence of coordination has been publicly confirmed.

The ICJ is expected to deliver its ruling on the merits of the case by the end of 2026 or early 2027, a decision likely to have far-reaching implications for the decades-old border controversy.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—

Broadway now the PPP Govt way

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BY: GHK Lall

Compliments of a stream of articles from the 592Guardian site, it is intriguing how the top dogs in the PPP Govt go about the serious business of leading a troubled nation.  A nation divided.  A nation that boasts of a capital city that turns into an aqueduct when it rains beyond a drizzle.  An inviting blue aqueduct such as a swimming pool would be welcomed.  But not, I think, an aqueduct of darkened waters well-nourished by mud, the overflow of drains, and whatever else garbage strewn roads contribute to the lakes that spring up after any downpour of length and strength.

It rains and PPP headmen come out and fan out.  The headwomen runout in their well-clad in Balenciaga and Este Lauder and Prada ensembles.  Remember the title of that show about Prada, and let it stick.  It rains and there’s a snapshot.  A portrait for Facebook and Guyana’s history books.  Take a close look and see for self: who cares, who’s there, and who shares in sun and rain.  Leaders of a special kind?  Or actors who know their lines and stay within the lines they must walk.  So as not to spoil the fresh, inspiring images of true leadership on exhibition.

What was done before the rains came?  Why do leaders come out and umbrellas go up only when an environmental condition blows up into a crisis?  Like a deluge of rainwaters in GT that leads to floodwaters swirling to the knees and creating broad seas everywhere that the eye can see.  By gum, this is the capital city of a rich, the richest (by some accounts), oil producing nation, six years and counting. 

I recall one leader before.  It should emphasize how much playing acting and role playing have become enmeshed in real-life situations, in leadership practices.  It should expose what calls for answers and actions and not Bollywood or Broadway extravaganzas.  A few years ago, there was the figure of the leader in the pre-sunup hours at the Meadow Bank wharf.  He was all hatted and cloaked (just like around the recent floodwaters).  He was well-umbrellaed (just like the past few days), while a hovering entourage of lackeys and hangers-on were around to complete the feed for government channels to expand their propaganda assaults.  Even prawns were volunteered, painted over, and arrayed in inviting bundles to present a perfect picture.  The lengths that leaders in this country go to sell unreal, unconvincing propaganda.

Propaganda that sells sheen and gloss.  But not the grime of dismal reality.  Propaganda that sells the swept and polished surface.  But not the great, big, ugly, mucky, stinky underbelly of GT and other neglected communities across Guyana that are a disgrace to Guyanese.  Six years of increasing daily oil production.  Six years of major portions of the oil money withdrawn.  Still, six years later, Guyanese must use a capital city where they have to remove their shoes, roll-up their pants, and brave the potholes, the rodents, and the traffic whenever it rains more than a passing shower.  Big government blame li’l government.  City government point a finger right back at Central government.  Citizens stuck in between lift a foot, raise a finger, drop their clothes and moon them both.

In this scene repeated with reasonable frequency, leaders and ministers run out, run around, and roundup the cameramen as though they are making a Cowboy movie.  They are.  Most likely a la Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles.  It might be flood or funeral, dam breakaway or political getaway, and there is a guarantee: a leader, a minister, with a sad face, sadder words, and the saddest spirits ever captured on video.  This is the bull that is sold to Guyanese by leaders and ministers.  This is the Award-winning performances that from leaders to losers (sorry for the duplication) present to citizens, and are allowed to keep repeating the same.  Political acting jobs is the biggest growth sector in Guyana, and offer the richest career opportunities.  When anyone sees a real public servant getting the vital jobs done, please share.  Broadway and Bollywood in action.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—

“A Climate Warning Guyana Cannot Ignore: Food Security at Risk”

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BY: Hem Kumar 

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣

Guyana cannot afford to ignore the storm signals flashing across South America. What is unfolding is not just another cycle of bad weather—it is a deepening climate emergency that is already disrupting food systems, draining water supplies, and destabilizing rural livelihoods across the region. And it is heading in our direction.
From the Andes to the Pacific coast, extreme heat, vanishing water reserves, and violent floods have combined to cripple agricultural production. Inland lakes are drying up. Glaciers that once fed major rivers are disappearing. Farms are being washed out one season and scorched the next. The result is predictable: reduced crop yields, rising food prices, and a steady exodus of farmers who can no longer survive on the land.
Now, the full force of El Niño is building—and with it, the likelihood of even harsher extremes.

Peru is already bracing to spend over US$1 billion to cope with the fallout. That figure alone should be a wake-up call. If countries with larger economies are struggling, Guyana—with its low-lying coast and fragile drainage systems—faces an even more precarious future.
For Guyanese farmers, the warning is immediate and personal.
Rice farmers along the Essequibo and Berbice coasts are especially exposed. Too little rainfall can reduce yields and increase salinity in irrigation channels, while sudden heavy rains can flood fields and destroy entire crops within days. Sugar production, already under strain, is equally vulnerable to erratic weather patterns that disrupt planting and harvesting cycles.

In the hinterland, where farming depends heavily on natural rainfall, prolonged dry spells can devastate cassava, ground provisions, and small-scale cash crops. Livestock farmers are not spared either—heat stress, reduced pasture quality, and water shortages can quickly erode productivity.
All of this is unfolding against an already troubling backdrop: rising fertilizer costs, limited access to key agricultural inputs, and increasing transportation expenses. Farmers are being squeezed from every direction—by nature and by market forces.

For the average Guyanese household, the implications are stark. Food prices will rise. Availability will fluctuate. Basic staples could become harder to access consistently. What we are seeing is the early formation of a food security crisis, driven not by a single event but by overlapping pressures that are intensifying with each passing season.
This is how vulnerability turns into crisis—quietly at first, then all at once.

Yet where is the national response? Where is the coordinated plan to protect farmers, stabilize production, and shield citizens from the worst of these impacts? Climate resilience cannot remain a talking point; it must become policy, investment, and action.
Farmers need support to adapt—better drainage and irrigation systems, access to climate-resilient crops, and timely financial assistance. Citizens need to be informed and prepared for shifting food realities. And the country as a whole must begin treating climate threats with the seriousness they demand.

The warning signs are no longer distant. They are regional, they are escalating, and they are relevant to every Guyanese household.
If we fail to act now, food insecurity will not be a projection—it will be our reality.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—

A systemwide rot, and a government armored against scrutiny

/in , /by

BY: Hem Kumar 

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣

What is unfolding is no longer a matter of isolated incompetence or the occasional administrative lapse. It is becoming increasingly clear that this is a systemwide symptom — a deeper failure of governance, discipline, accountability, and institutional honesty. When a government repeatedly stumbles in the same areas, over the same issues, with the same excuses, the problem is no longer the rain, the flood, the blocked drain, or the delayed response. The problem is the system itself.

And at the center of that system is a political culture that has too often insulated itself from scrutiny. Over time, this administration has constructed a carefully curated shield against accountability. Parliament has been abandoned as a meaningful arena of interrogation. Inquisitive opposition voices have been excluded, minimized, or treated as inconveniences rather than necessary democratic checks. The result is an executive that increasingly appears enamored against scrutiny, answering to no one with any real seriousness. That is how a government begins to mistake silence for competence.

This is where the  “𝗮 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗻 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲” becomes not merely a phrase of frustration, but a diagnosis. It reflects a governing posture that seems detached from urgency, allergic to responsibility, and unwilling to confront its own failings with honesty. When institutions are weakened and dissent is brushed aside, poor performance does not stand exposed for correction. It hardens into habit. It becomes normalized. Then the public is left to absorb the consequences while those in authority continue to act as though appearance is a substitute for delivery.

The deeper tragedy is that none of this should be necessary. A president should not have to be dragged into the weeds of day-to-day micromanagement simply to discover whether pumps are working, sluices are opened, or a construction site has blocked a critical drain. That is not the function of the presidency. The role of a head of state is to ensure that systems are built, delegated properly, monitored effectively, and enforced without fear or favor. If those systems fail, then accountability should travel downward to the administrators responsible, not upward to the office already burdened with national leadership.

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱. 𝘈𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. 𝘏𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘤𝘶𝘶𝘮 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵, 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘺.  

𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙤𝙚𝙨, 𝙖 𝙛𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩.

That is the uncomfortable truth now confronting the country. If the head is failing to insist on standards, if the system is built to protect mediocrity, and if scrutiny is deliberately weakened, then the collapse cannot be blamed on those below alone. The harvest is coming from seeds already planted. The administration may now be reaping what it has sown: a governance model built on managed appearances, weak accountability, and an alarming comfort with failure.

This is why the issue cannot be reduced to floods alone, or to one environmental mishap after another. 

Those are only the visible symptoms. The real illness is institutional. It is the absence of decisive delegation, the refusal to demand performance, the erosion of oversight, and the deliberate narrowing of democratic pressure. A government that surrounds itself with obedient silence will eventually find that silence is not stability. 𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙮.

The public understands this far more clearly than the political class often admits. People know the difference between leadership and performance, between accountability and theater, between administration and improvisation. They know when a government is solving problems and when it is simply surviving them. And increasingly, they see a state that is reacting to failure rather than preventing it.

That is the danger of governing behind a shield. Once scrutiny is shut out, the same mistakes return uncorrected. Once opposition is excluded, the warning signals disappear. Once ministers and administrators are protected from consequence, the rot spreads upward until the highest office is forced to intervene where a competent system should already have done the work.

And so the central question remains: how long can a country sustain a system that mistakes insulation for strength? The answer, as events keep showing, is not very long at all.

𝙋𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚? 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚.

This government loves to talk the language of merit, results, and 𝒑𝒂𝒚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚.when it suits them. Fine. But then the same people who benefit from that slogan must be judged by it too. You cannot claim the mantle of efficiency while protecting shirkers, excusing incompetence, and rewarding failure with comfort, access, and continued relevance.

That is where the public’s patience runs thin. Too many of these beneficiaries are quick with the speeches and slow with the delivery. 

𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙨, 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙨, 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩’𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙬, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚.

 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙠𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙛.

But performance is not a slogan; it is a standard. If drains are blocked, if sluices are neglected, if response systems are weak, if institutions are asleep, then somebody has to answer for it. Not tomorrow. Not at the next photo op. Now.

And this is why the whole “pay with performance” line sounds hollow when the administration keeps carrying dead weight. You cannot build a culture of excellence with a culture of excuses. You cannot demand results while shielding the very people who keep missing the mark. At some point, the shirkers have to be named for what they are: beneficiaries of a system that demands less than it pretends to expect.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙜.

𝙄𝙛 “𝙥𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚” 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨: 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢, 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙥 𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—

𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬: 𝐅𝐢𝐱𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦

/in , /by

Dear Editor,

The Government’s announced plan to establish a dedicated forensic interview (FI) unit for child abuse victims is a necessary and long-overdue step toward strengthening the national response to one of the most serious social crises affecting our society.

Currently, these interviews — a critical component in securing evidence and protecting victims — are conducted by non-governmental organisations such as ChildLink and Blossoms Inc., supported by the Child Protection Agency (CPA). Transitioning this function into a State-managed unit should, in principle, improve access and timeliness. However, while this development is welcome, it does not go far enough in addressing the deeper structural deficiencies that continue to undermine child protection efforts.

The central issue is not merely who conducts forensic interviews, but the absence of a cohesive, end-to-end investigative framework. At present, cases are fragmented across multiple agencies — police, Child Protection Officers, medical personnel, and external service providers — creating gaps where accountability is diluted and critical missteps can occur. These gaps often result in delayed medical examinations, inconsistent documentation, and poorly coordinated case management, all of which can ultimately weaken prosecutions.

What is required is a dedicated, specialised investigative unit assigned to each case from the point of report through to its submission to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Such a unit should be responsible for coordinating every stage of the process: ensuring timely medical examinations, managing forensic interviews, liaising with child protection services, and producing comprehensive, high-quality case files. This continuity would eliminate the systemic lapses that currently allow cases to falter.

The Minister herself has acknowledged deficiencies in case reporting, noting that gaps in documentation can determine whether a matter “goes left or right.” While increased training is important, it cannot compensate for a system where responsibility is fragmented and no single entity is accountable for the integrity of the case from start to finish.

Equally concerning is the continued shortage of Child Protection Officers across regions. The existence of rapid response mechanisms is commendable, but these initiatives cannot function effectively without adequate staffing. One officer per region is not a solution; it is an admission of limited capacity in the face of a growing and complex problem.

The proposed digital tracking system is another positive initiative, offering the potential for greater visibility into how cases progress. However, tracking alone does not resolve systemic inefficiencies. It merely records them. Real reform requires structural alignment, clear lines of responsibility, and professional ownership of each case.

There is also concern regarding the extent of ministerial involvement in operational matters. While oversight is essential, the system risks inefficiency if it is subject to continuous micro-management at the political level. The role of the Minister should be to set policy direction, allocate resources, and conduct periodic audits to ensure accountability. The day-to-day management of cases must be left to trained professionals, supported by clear protocols and performance standards. Effective governance depends not on constant intervention, but on building a system that functions competently without it.

Child protection demands urgency, coordination, and professionalism. More importantly, it requires a system where accountability is clear and continuous, not dispersed across multiple actors. The establishment of a forensic interview unit is a step forward, but without broader structural reform, it risks becoming another isolated fix within an already strained framework.

If we are serious about protecting our children, then the approach must be comprehensive, integrated, and uncompromising in its focus on outcomes. Anything less will continue to leave vulnerable children exposed to the very failures we claim to be addressing.

Yours faithfully, 

Hemdutt Kumar 

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣 𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—