Kaieteur News

Armed bandits rob, assault shop owner, staff at Oku Backdam

T&T lawmen stop quarter billion TT$ in cocaine shipment from

Thousands flocked the Guyana National Stadium, Providence to observe Phagwah 2025.

Guyana’s legal framework too weak to punish Govt. corruption

...says procurement system

also needs reform - Ramkarran

Former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph

Ramkarran, believes Guyana's legal framework is not robust enough when it comes to punishing corruptioningovernment.

Ramkarran shared this view during a Globespan 24X7 programme, 'Nation Building- Guyana Beyond 2030'lastweek.

The Senior Counsel was asked by a Senior Journalist from this newspaper, who was a co-host of the inaugural episode, whether he believes the laws are robust enough for punishing government corruption Ramkarran also shared his perspectiveonhowthisissue couldbetackled.

Hesaid,“Idon'tthinkthe laws are robust enough but it's not only a question of laws, it's a question of systems.

Theprocurementsystem needs reforming in many ways and the procurement commission, the laws need reforming to enable the commission (to carry out certainfunctions).”

The Attorney-at-Law recalled that the body had previously expressed its limitations in intervening in a specific contract, subsequent to its award, although several breaches werefound.

To this end, he noted, “The whole apparatus needs reforming so that these bodies have the power to take decision to reject decisions and change contracts.”

Ramkarran pointed out

t h a t t h e N a t i o n a l Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) consists mainly of publicservants.

This Board plays an i m p o r t a n t r o l e i n scrutinizingbidsandmaking recommendations for the awardofcontracts.

The Lawyer is however, of the view of that there are other key stakeholders, in addition to public servants, who should be appointed to serve on that Board. For instance, Ramkarran said that members of the private

s e c t o r , e d u c a t o r s , independent individuals and journalists should be i n c l u d e d t o m a k e recommendations and

monitor the award of contracts.

“So, the system needs reforming, not only the question of laws, the system needs reforming,” he concluded.

Earlier this month, Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs), Ganesh Mahipaul and Christopher Jones,submittedaMotionto the National Assembly, seekinganamendmenttothe ProcurementActtoallowthe Opposition to have a seat on the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board.

The Motion stressed that it is essential to ensure that all segments of society, including the Parliamentary Opposition, are able to contribute to and oversee the p

n d strengthening the overall trust of the public in the government'sactions.

Opposition parties have continuously accused government of awarding contracts to family and friends of the People's Progressive Party (PPP) rather than ensuring a fair distribution to qualified entitiesorindividuals.

Powers of Procurement Commission

In April last year, the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) in a report found that TEPUI –the company closely linked to social media personality, Mikhail Rodrigues, popularly known as the 'Guyanese Critic'- had failed miserably during the evaluationprocessforbidsat the level of NPTAB but it was still handed an $865 million contract to build a pump station at Belle Vue, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

The PPC report highlighted several procurement breaches committed by TEPUI and overlooked by NPTAB in awardingthecontract. The investigation was launched into the award of thecontractafteracomplaint was lodged with the PPC by Opposition Member of Parliament,DavidPatterson, whoraisedconcernsoverthe questionable circumstances underwhichthecontractwas awarded For its part,

NPTAB had previously defended the contract award to TEPUI, claiming that it followed the systems, processes and procedures e n s h r i n e d i n t h e Procurement Act and its regulations in the award of contracts.

Former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran

According to the report, the contractor- TEPUI– did not demonstrate that it had construction experience or “[completed] projects of a similar nature” to the Belle Vue pump station project The document also highlighted several other breaches. Bethatasitmay,thePPC does not have the legal powertorevoketheawardof anycontract.

Kaieteur News

PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS

Tel:225-8465,225-8491. Fax:225-8473,226-8210

EDITORIAL

Public Procurement Commission

Guyanese are getting a raw deal from their Public ProcurementCommission(PPC). Insteadofagroupthatis vigilant and proactive in weeding out improprieties in procurement,thePPCisseeminglycontenttoadoptawaitand-react approach. Then, even in those circumstances, its efforts have been more restrained than vigorous, with worryingprocurementissueshanging.

It took the PPC 14 months from September 2023, the date of the contract award, to visit the Belle View Pump Stationanddiscoverthatameasly4%ofthis$865Mproject was completed. Another three months elapsed before the PPC wrote the procuring entity, the National Drainage and IrrigationAuthority(NDIA)aboutwhythisisso,andwhatit isgoingtodo.TheprojectdeadlineofJuly2025nowlooks very much out of reach of the contractor, Tepui, Inc. One questiononthemindsofGuyaneseiswhoinTepui,Inc.,isa frontforPPP/CGovernmenthustlers.Sofar,almost$200M hasbeenadvancedtoTepui,Inc.,tocommenceworksatthe Belle View Pump station. In the local procurement shell game,someofthosemillionscouldbeendingupnotatthe BelleViewsite,butwiththosewhohaveinfluenceoverhow contractsareawarded.

ThePPChasdancedaroundthiscontroversialissue,and lacks the will to do much more than wait, write, and wait again. With the national tender system seen in the worst light, the PPC has been conspicuous in its spineless impotence.Forone,thePPCcannotcomplainaboutlackof resourcesgiventheamountofmoneypouredintothePPC, moreisexpectedfromit-muchmorewhentheprocurement processspeakstocorruption. ThePPC'sbudgetwentupby closeto27%in2023,or$53.39M,withemploymentcosts increasingby$115Mfrom2022.Weighingthehundredsof billions budgeted for procurement in 2023, and the PPC's employment costs rising by almost 200 percent, what did taxpayersgetforthemoneyallocated?

Four investigations completed and two reports issued betweenJuly2022toDecember2023.Thegovernmentsaid that the PPC can only follow-up on complaints received, which is fair. It was subsequently acknowledged that a dozen requests (complaints) were lodged with the PPC, whichraisesthequestionofwhatthisgroupisreallydoing. Isitmakingagenuineefforttogettothebottomofawards challenged for different reasons? To investigate only one outofeverythree'requests'receivedispathetic.Whatisthe disposition of the other eight requests received from protestingbiddersaboutprocurementawards?Hasanything been started? Or have those been allowed to die from inattention?Weputthisquestionbeforethegovernment:isit the case that what the PPC does relative to requests (complaints) received is similar to what the Guyana Police Force cybercrimes unit is doing with reports of cyber violations filed with it by certain injured citizens? Human resource shortage cannot be a lament - it would hold no water So, we persist: is there PPC selectivity in followthrough,ordeliberateneglect?

Thefactthatinthesameyearandhalf,tworeportswere issued.Twooutoffourinvestigations(50%),andfoursuch investigationsoutofadozenreportsmade(33%)pointtoa nonperforming PPC Regarding compensation, PPC members shouldn't have any complaints, considering their cushynumbersandconditions.Whenthecompensationand allowancesofPPCmembersareconsidered,theyhavebeen well incentivized. But to do what, other than produce the negligible? The14monthsittookthePPCtodiscoverthe 4%TepuiprogressatBelleViewandthreemonthstowrite NDIAspeakvolumes.

It is helpful to have a PPC, but only one that is a formidableandrespectedpresence;thatitisanentity,which will check seriously into complaints, notwithstanding its other duties. One of the better ways that a committed and conscientiousPPCcandothisisbybeingontopofmatters like the Tepui contract performance. Too much has been spentonthePPC,toomuchisatstake,toolittlehascomeout of it. Much has been expected out of it. And what have Guyanesegot,ifnotmoresmokeandmirrors?

Role of ExxonMobil's Investments & Production in Guyana's record growth

DearEditor, Your Kaieteur News editorial (March 9) highlighted ExxonMobil's roleinvariousoilproductionprojectsin Guyanawaters.

Theprojectsshouldnotbelookedat only negatively even if one is not pleased with the percentage (royalty) returntoGuyanaoftotalrevenues.

Abalanced perspective will do just the subject. One must also look at how investmentinthevariedprojectsandthe royalties and profit sharing have contributedtogrowthanddevelopment ofGuyana.

Theamountissubstantial.Itcan'tbe disputed that without ExxonMobil investment and search and drilling for oil and its major finds and production, Guyanawon'tbeinthenewsandwon't begrowingatthecurrentrecordrate.No onewouldcareaboutGuyanaandwon't evenbotherwhereitisonthemap.

Without ExxonMobil, revenues (fromroyaltyandprofitsharing)would not have been available for the huge infrastructure projects that propel developmentandenrichmany Theoil industry has provided jobs for thousands. Money from Exxon have bene used to finance the gas-to-shore

projectontheWestCoastfortheWales power station. Revenues from Exxon have been used to fund the new Demerara bridge. Standard of living of most Guyanese has improved substantially from 2020 with investmentsandtheavailableoftheoil fundsinthenationalcoffers.

Astheeditorialnoted,thereareLiza 1,Liza2,andLiza3(Payara)andthree moreprojectsforatotalofsixinvolving outlaysofsomethirtybillionAmerican dollars. The Whiptail project recently approved is set to cost US$12.7B. Exxon had planned some US$50 in investment, and with additional oil finds, that amount will grow Some $40B were already spent and the rest coming.

Thatisahugeamountofmoneyfor a small economy KN reported that some US$33.9B was already repaid to Exxon through its 75% recovery of expenses from oil produced between December 2018 and currently and sold on the international market; the sooner expenses are recovered, the higher wouldbetherevenuesforGuyana.The paper also notes that ExxonMobil is working on a seventh project at which billions would be outlay for this

Hammerhead project. And plans are afoot for an eighth investment project thatwouldinvolvemorethantenbillion dollars. The more the projects, the greater would be the investments in Guyana and the amount in royalty and profitsharing.

As KN noted, the first three oil projects have been paid off and more willbepaidoffsoonandmorelinedup for outlay investment. The sooner the cost recovery is completed, the larger wouldbetheamountofmoneyflowing intothecoffersasprofitsharing(50%). One can't disagree with the paper that more projects mean more barrels of daily production, with 1 4 million barrelsperdayplannedbyendof2026 as an intermediate target, and two millionbarrelsdailynotlong(acouple years)afterthatachievement. Onecan't disagree with the paper that “all of this has its positives no matter how narrow forGuyanathepercentagesinroyalty”. The country has been growing rapidly since 2019 and will continue to experiencehugegrowthratesaslongas oil is produced and the price for it remainsrelativelyhigh.

Yourstruly,

VishnuBisram

Venezuela's smokescreen

DearEditor,

The recent assurance of United StatessupportstoGuyanainthefaceof continuing aggression and provocation by Venezuela is most welcome and reassuring According to US AmbassadorNicoleTheriot,theUnited Statesstands'shouldertoshoulder'with Guyana in the face of continuing aggression and provocation by the Venezuelan government. Such support is invaluable and sends a strong message to Caracas that the United Stateswillnotsitidlybyandallowthe Maduroregimetotrampleontherights oftheGuyanesepeople.

The United States is a major power

both economically and militarily and suchstatementsofsupportwillnodoubt have a sobering effect on the Maduro regimewhichcontinuestothreatenour country Guyana is today experiencing unprecedented levels of economic growthandprosperitywhichisinsharp contrasttoVenezuelawhichissuffering fromasevereeconomicandsocialcrisis due largely to the undemocratic and authoritarian character of the Maduro regime.ThesupportoftheUnitedStates for Guyana goes beyond the protection ofitscommercialandbusinessinterests inthecountry Itismoreacaseofshared valuesbasedontheruleofinternational lawandrespectfornationalsovereignty

andterritorialintegrityforallnations. The Maduro regime is desperately and falsely seeking to project political and ideological motives regarding United States and western support for Guyana. This is clearly a smokescreen designed to cloak its nefarious intentions and gain some support from thoseperceivedtobesympathetictothe left.

Thankfully, the ColdWar mentality is now on the decline. The world is evolvingtoarules-basedsocietywhere national sovereignty, territorial integrity,democracyandhumandignity arenowparamount.

HydarAlly

DearMs./Mr Editor,

On this very important topic of migrant workers, I wish to take the opportunity torecognizeandapplaudthe government for finally listeningtouswhohavebeen askingforthisforquiteafew years, especially since the new government of the PPP/Ctakingpowerin2020 Irecallhavingwrittenaletter to the media which was publishedunderletterstothe Editor in Kaieteur News on August 5, 2023 I also recall that the Private Sector Commission had meetings withthegovernmentandhad raised this important topic Bringingmigrantworkersinto a country has both enormous positivesaswellasnegatives Oneofthenegativesisthatit could wipe out the Indigenous peoples of the land which imported the migrant workers and could cause social and behavioral problems in the nation Therefore, serious laws need to be created for the protection of the migrant workerstopreventabuseand alsotosavethedemographic, cultureandnationalstructure of our local population I kindly ask that H E the

Migrant Workers

President, the Cabinet, the Private Sector Commission, theChambersofCommerce, etc , to please note the following: 1.We need to study countries where migrant workers were taken to.LetusrefertoDubai,Abu Dhabi and other Arab countries You may also refer to Israel, Canada, the USA and Europe. The laws governing migrant workers must be created with expediency and wisdom 2.Without laws governing migrant workers and protecting the population ecosystem of Guyana, tremendous destruction socially, culturally and economic heartaches could occur

3Lawenforcementneeds to be seriously linked to the immigration and registration system concerning foreign workers.

4 Companies cannot just be allowed to bring in how manypeopletheywant,they all must be under a serious umbrellafortheprotectionof the migrant workers, the protection of our laws and law enforcement. This is inclusive of the system of monitoring same Migrant

workers cannot just be allowed to live in the city or live wherever they wish.

They should live in designated areas, or this could create some serious structuralissueslikehousing, sewagesystem,consumption ofwateretc,thisiswhyIam suggesting that the systems bestudiedfromcountrieslike Dubai,AbuDhabietc,Israel etc It must be noted when migrant workers are brought in to work in Canada or the United States as field workers or to pick apples. They are brought in from certain countries like Jamaica to work for a few weeksorafewmonths,after whichtheyhavetodepart.

One comes as a migrant workerandbylawthatperson must remain a migrant worker That person must return to their country at the endoftheircontract

InCanadaandtheUSA,the farmers and persons who bring in these migrant workers have basic housing provided for them and may include meals as they may havetoworkovertime Inthe UAE, it is quite different, which is why I recommend that The UAE has special

housingandareascreatedfor them 5 Say in Dubai which hasasmallpopulationlikeus in Guyana in which the migrant workers are more than the native population, a serious social and law enforcement problem could occur if there are no proper controlmechanisms Special transportation is usually provided to get them to their housing areas which have everything they need to survive, inclusive of supermarkets and stores Uponenquiring,Iwasmade to understand if all those peopleweretocomeoutinto oursmallcitiesandtowns,a logistical nightmare could be created. This may even a f f e c t h y g i e n e , littering/mass littering, overcrowding in the streets etc. And overwhelming the healthcaresystemwhichhas to be financed by the tax dollarsofthecitizensofthis country, others must be allowed to pay their own taxes.

Housing:1Inthissituation, I would recommend that the government of Guyana provide some house lots for companies/persons who wish tobringmigrantworkersinto

the country To construct livable dorms and in some casesflatsforcouplestocreate communities so they could live and socialize 2 The employers/sponsors of the

construction of these buildings The government should provide these lots at nocostoratverylowcost,in order to make it easy to operate especially being in the embryonic stage of this venture. Further, building materials should be made VATfreeandDutyfreeforin thelongruntheentirenation wouldsurviveandenjoy

3 A system has to be createdinwhichtheywillbe given a temporary TIN number, NIS/Social Security

number They cannot all just be employed as contractors, they are living in a country, enjoying the country, they willbemakingmoneyinthat country, sending out most of the money they make here with the little foreign exchange we have Hence, they must pay the relevant taxes as all citizens of Guyana

4 Thefeesfor processing of migrant workers permit need to be cancelled or extremely minimal to cover the most basic costs. It is known in all of these cases employers everywhere will have systems in place to r e c o v e r t h e i r costs/investment(s).

5 With referenceto...

(ContinueonPage6)

Areefa Paul

Woman arrested for allegedly defrauding persons of $4.8 million in house lot scam

A 2 8 - y e a r - o l d unemployed woman was arrested on Thursday for reportedly defrauding persons of $4.8M, claiming to be able to provide them withhouselots.

Police said three reports of obtaining money by false pretensewerefiled.

The suspect has been identified as Areefa Paul, a resident of Lot 721 Plantation Best, West Coast Demerara. She allegedly defrauded three individuals

out of a total of $4.8 million, claiming that she is employed at the Ministry of Housing and could help themacquirehouselots.

According to the police, between November and December 2024, Paul allegedly defrauded a 33year-old female hairdresser from Non Pariel, East Coast Demerara (ECD) of $1.6 million for a house lot at Montrose,ECD. She is also accused of taking $600,000 on July 18,

2024, from a 23-year-old female resident of Sophia, for a house lot at the Young Professional Scheme at Le R e s s o u v e n i r, E C D

Additionally, Paul is said to have defrauded a 49-yearold goldsmith from Sophia of $2 6 million between JanuaryandSeptember2024 for a house lot at Le Ressouvenir,ECD.

The victims told police that they first met Paul on Facebook and later in person. "She told them that

she was employed at the Ministry of Housing and could help them get house lots. They believed her and gave her the money," police said.

On March 13, 2025, the victims spotted Paul at the Ministry of Housing compound. She was arrested b y E n f o r c e m e n t Investigation Officer, Hansel Elliot. Investigations areongoing.

Migrant Workers...

From Page 5 number (4) above, from enquiries I made in Abu DhabiandDubai,attheendof their contract the company who employed them will provide a ticket to return home.

However, if they decide to remain then that fee of repatriation is no longer required, and they would be allowed to work year to year as migrant workers The status cannot and should not change after 3, 4 or 5 years. ReasonbeingthepointImade prior, our entire cultural, social structure and demographic could change or bewipedout.

6 Someone might consider the idea of bringing migrant workers who are refugees.

Landless peoples who are looked down upon and shoved around without a state of their own, an example of such would be the Rohingya M u s l i m s o f B u r m a overwhelming Bangladesh The same to be considered in certain African nations who are being marginalized, under constant threats, attacks, revolutions,civilwars.

7 It must also be understoodthatcertainpeople will want to come and be refugees or whatever status, buttheydonotwanttowork.I have had a case whereby a refugee from Ethiopia was in thecountry.

Iheardofhim,andIknow how Ethiopia played an important part in saving Islam,soIofferedhimwork.I gavehimajob,aplacetostay, then he started to behave as if he was entitled, doing things that were not decent in our homeandourcompound.

So, they want to quickly jump into some form of business or do something which could disaffect this entire idea of migrant workers.

Thisisonereasonwehave to be careful with where these

peoplearebeingbroughtfrom asmigrantworkers.

Wemustbringpeoplewho aredecent,notwhoareknown for violence and constant overthrowing of their governments, prone to gangs etc.

We have to try to bring people from societies that could blend in very easily in Guyana, for example many Guyanese look like people from Kenya and Uganda When I saw them in Dubai, I thought they were Guyanese, also in some cases from Bangladesh and Rohingya.

8. In the USA when someone i s e m p l o y e d a s a domestic/housekeeper with the hope of getting a green card, they have to work for eightyears. 9.

Talking about UAE, I got to understand that the reason why they had to implement thelawstoprotectthemigrant workers, it is because some employers were taking advantage of the migrant workers.

We must also have a serious National Register and control system, or they could become problematic for the peaceofanation.

This is why I am suggesting the migrant worker who is brought into work should work by rules.

For emphasis, let me give an example. Persons are brought in to drive and be trained for tourism.

Thenonthecompletionof their contract, they quickly move to buy vehicles and compete with the citizens, by dropping prices, working cheaply thus creating an entire economic confusion andnightmare.

This is why migrant workers have to remain migrantworkers.

In Dubai and other such states that employ migrant workers, should they get a vehicle and try to compete with some employer or hoodwink the system and do

their own transportation, it is 10 to 14 years imprisonment, in other words they should remainworkersofthepersons thatbroughtthemin.

After five (5) years, they could switch employers, but they must remain workers at all times Some people in some countries are known to try and hoodwink the system So, they try to do that and there would be some serious imprisonment about 14 years jail time the guy told me, who was driving me from Dubai to AbuDhabi

With all of the above in mind, there might be other pointstoconsider

IamsuretheGovernment of Guyana through the Ministry of Labour will come up with excellent ideas andthoughtsonthis

I am also convinced that after this letter is published inthemedia,otherswillwant toaddideastoit

I will forward to most ministriesifnotallwithinthe government

This letter will go very far in the governmental and private sector structures in the country who may also want to make their own input, (e g ) the Private Sector Commission, the ChambersofCommerce

My appeal to employers who bring in migrant workers to always deal justly with workers and create systems and places of rest where they can be fairly comfortable and happy duringtheirstayinGuyana

They should also have recreational places for exerciseandfun

I reiterate that migrant workers must remain as migrantworkers

I know some may want to disagree with me but please think of the overwhelming and disappearing of ourselvesasapeople

Sincerely, Hajji Dr Roshan Khan

Opposition expresses concern over detention of 'Melly Mel'

Guyana's political opposition on Friday expressed grave concern over the detention of social media activist, Melissa 'Melly Mel' Atwell. In a statement to the media, the AFC said that Atwell's detentionwillhaveaserious impact on national efforts to expose corruption and unlawfulconductinGuyana. "Like most Guyanese, we have serious reservations on whether Ms. Atwell would getanythinglikeafairtrialif she was ever to return to Guyana Ms Atwell is viewedbythepresentregime asanenemyoftheState,"the AFCsaid.Thepartybelieves that Atwell's current circumstances may not be unconnectedtoeffortsbythe government to humiliate her andbringherbacktoGuyana asamessagetootherpersons whoarecriticalofthem. Under her social media handle “Melly Mel” has unveiled the corruption of government officials. Often corroborated with evidence, Atwell's social media posts expose how members of the ruling People's Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) have reportedly been siphoning off money to their friends, families and favourites, the partysaid.

Furthermore, the AFC is of the belief that, "Melly Mel's activism on social media for a better Guyana madeheratargetforthePPP despots.

However,despitealltheir threats and attacks, she continued to bravely expose the PPP's corruption, discrimination and negligence, placing her high uponthePPPlistofpersons targeted for victimisation andsuppression."

The party argued that rather than producing the evidence to refute Atwell's claims,

he c

ent administration has instead resorted to silencing her by makingfalseaccusations.

The AFC has described thegovernment'sactionas"a relentless attack” that oftentimes “utilising resourcesoftheStatefunded

by taxpayers to silence a Guyanese woman using her own resources to fight for a betterGuyana.

T h e b a t t l e f o r independent thought and legitimateresistancemustbe defendedandprotected."

The party warned that failure to identify sinister actions that are specifically designed to silence the citizens in the struggle to make Guyana a better place, will lead to being without one's brothers and sisters in the collective struggle for a fairerandbetterGuyana.

In this regard, the AFC saiditwillpaykeenattention to the developments in relation to Atwell and "is prepared to sound the bell and stop efforts which are designedtosilenceallcritics ofthepresentregime."

The party further stated

that they have seen “the acts of the PPP fascist regime bentonsubvertingtherights of the people including our fundamental right of Free Speech.

The PPP is well advised that no amount of intimidation will silence the thousands prepared to continue the fight through theballot."

Meanwhile, the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) in a statement said that they have noted reports onsocialmediaregardingthe detention of Atwell by U.S. authorities.

“There are speculations thatherdetentionislinkedto.

(Continueonpage23)

A meeting with Venezuelan President

Pres. Ali to determine whether meeting Venezuela's president good for country and national security - Jagdeo

Nicolas Maduro and

President Irfaan Ali will have to be assessed to determine whether it is in Guyana's best interest and the country's national security

ThisisaccordingtoVice President Bharrat Jagdeo who told reporters on Thursdaythattherehasbeen no plan to have a meeting withtheVenezuelanleader Respondingtoaquestion posed by Kaieteur News on

whether President Ali was considering the request, Jagdeosaid,“Ontheissueof Maduro trying to meet I think he has indicated that…I don't think they're currently any plans to meet that has been finalized. At this point in time, no such planhasbeenfinalized. He'sindicatedadesireto meet,thathastobeassessed against what he wants to meet on, and also whether it'sgoodforourcountryand our national security interest.”

J

at assessmentmustbemadeby PresidentIrfaanAliwhowas inTexasatthetime.

The president met with several top-ranking officials from the United States government including General Randall Reed, the 15thCommanderoftheU.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), United States Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and U.S. Secretary of Energy, Mr ChrisWright.

“So, we're hoping to

continue this highlevel engagement with not just with the Department of Energy, but State Department, the Justice Department and other entities,”Jagdeosaid.

VicePresident, Bharrat Jagdeo

On March 12, this publication reported that days after his warships illegally entered Guyana's waters, threatening ExxonMobil's operations offshore, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called for a face-to-face meeting with President IrfaanAli.

Maduro's call for the meeting was made during a live broadcast aired on Venezuelan national televisiononMarch6,2025.

Venezuela under the leadership of Maduro is indirectly threatening an invasion of Guyana's Essequibo despite both countries agreeing that they will not “directly or indirectly threaten or use force against one another under any circumstance, i n c l u d i n g t h o s e consequentialtoanyexisting controversies (the GuyanaVenezuela dispute) between the two States on December 14, 2023, via the Argyle Declaration signed in St. VincentandtheGrenadines.

Venezuelan Coast Guards illegally entered Guyana's Stabroek Block and issued a warning to ExxonMobil FPSOS and drillrigsonMarch1,2025.

The Maduro regime immediatelycameunderfire from the international community, with the United States of America, France, the United Kingdom, CARICOM, the OAS, and the Commonwealth of Nations showing strong supportforGuyana.

In response, Maduro, on his live show called “Maduro Live De Repente” attacked the Guyanese president and then tried to bullyhimintoaface-to-face meeting.

He accused Guyana of provoking Venezuela and called President Ali the “Zelenskyy” of the Caribbean.

“Yo he pedido que se convoque de inmediato desde hace cinco dias atras, una reunion del acuerdo Argyle para cara a cara demostrale a el (Ali) como esta violando los leyes internacionales.”

The translation is: “I have been asking for a meeting to be convened immediately under the Argyle Agreement for five

days now, to demonstrate to him(PresidentAli)howheis violating international laws.”

Guyana and Venezuela are presently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the territorial controversy The ICJ had ordered Venezuela torefrainfromtakingaction that would alter Guyana's control over the Essequibo untilitrulesonthecase.

Guyanahassincefiledin the registry of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) a request for provisional measures in the case concerning theArbitral Award of October 3, 1899 between Guyana and Venezuela.

Therequestwasmadeas a result of Venezuela's announcementofitsplansto hold elections in Guyana's Essequibo region, which is an integral part of its territory

Guyana maintains that Venezuela's intent to annex an area is in violation of the Court'sorderofDecember1, 2023 and the fundamental normsofinternationallaw.

Guyanahasinformedthe Court that the planned Venezuelan elections are scheduled to take place on May 25, 2025 and would inevitably be preceded by preparatory acts, including acts within Guyana's Essequibo region, affecting theGuyanesepopulationand Guyana's sovereignty over itsterritory

As a result, in order to preserveitsrights,Guyanais requesting that the Court order Venezuela to refrain from any acts within or affecting its sovereign territory, including the Essequiboregion.

Further, Guyana requested the Court to convene hearings on its requestassoonaspossibleto enable such provisional measures as might be indicated by the Court to be issued before serious and irremediable prejudice to Guyana'srightsoccurs.

Diplomacy demands clarity in principle

BharratJagdeohas,with characteristic hauteur, declaredforthesecondtime that he does not "do diplomacy in public." This comment was made as if to suggestthatstatesmanshipis best conducted behind closeddoors,awayfromthe pryingeyesoftheunwashed masses.

The remark, befuddling in its audacity, also implies that foreign policy is an esoteric exercise meant for the enlightened few—one thatshouldnotbesulliedby the inconvenient scrutiny of the press. However, this is not diplomacy; it is timidity wrapped in the garb of discretion.

Diplomacy, properly understood, is the art of managing international relationswithskill,tact,and transparency The great s t a t e s m e n o f history Churchill, Roosevelt, Mandela—never shrank from articulating their nations' positions with clarity and conviction. But Jagdeo, by his own admission, prefers the shadows. His statement is not a declaration of diplomatic prudence but a dancingaroundanimportant issueofpublicconcern.

This calculated retreat from public discourse is related to the Trump administration's threats against the Cuban medical brigade programme Washington is once again engaged in its usual ham-

fisted approach to hemispheric politics. It is threateningvisasanctionson government officials who supporttheinitiative.

Three Caribbean leaders—presumably with a f i r m e r g r i p o n principle have stated unequivocally that the Cuban medical programme is so important to their countries' national interest that they are willing to accept their visas being pulled.

Theyunderstandthatthe programmeservesthepublic good and that defending one's sovereignty requires courage and sacrifice Jagdeo, on the other hand, hesitates. He equivocates. Heevades.

And all the while, he cloaks his indecision in the feeble excuse of pursuing a regional solution. It could hardly have escaped his notice – in fact, it has not –that the three Caribbean leadershavenotgivenupon a diplomatic solution. But despitethis,theyarewilling to state clearly where they standonthisissue.

No one is asking Jagdeo to engage in negotiations in public. What is expected of him is what these Heads of Government in the Caribbean have already done make clear his administration's stance on this crucial matter

Diplomacy may well involve discretion in execution, but it demands clarityinprinciple.

The people of Guyana have a right to know where theirgovernmentstands,and the region has a right to know whether Guyana will uphold the spirit of Caribbean solidarity or shrinkfromthechallenge.

The irony here is

DEM BOYS SEH

inescapable. For a man who does not “do diplomacy in public,” Jagdeo is perfectly contenttoplaypoliticsinthe open, his weekly press conferences overflowing with partisan invective. He speaks freely when dismissing critics, when deriding journalists, when extolling his government's policymaking.

Hehasanintuitiveeyeto identifyawould-begangster and who wears slack underpants.Butwhenasked to articulate a firm position on an issue of regional consequence, he suddenly finds himself a disciple of timidity What,exactly,does Jagdeofear?

That his words might carry consequences? That theUnitedStatesmayfrown uponasmall,oil-richnation asserting its right to independent policy? That the spectre of visa restrictionsmightcurtailthe summer travel plans of his government's officials? The answer, one suspects, lies in the timeworn pattern of Guyanese officialdom, wherebravadoischeap,and principleisaluxury,feware willing to afford. Let us be clear: this is not an issue of politicalpreference.Leaders are defined not by their ability to sidestep controversy but by their willingness to confront it. If Jagdeo wishes to present himself as a statesman, he must abandon the pretence that diplomacy is some secretive rite performed in theantechambersofpower.

He must answer the fundamental question: does Guyana stand in solidarity

Phagwah or pool party?

Guyanese had a time of dem life yesterday! Phagwah come and gone, but de evidencestilldehpondemskin,clothes,and even some poor dog wah get ketch in de crossfire.Itwasablazeofcolours,afestival of love, a celebration of unity—until yuh checkdemschoolyardsandrealiseittuninto a full-blownwaterwar! Dem schoolchildren wenthomelookinglikerainbowsoldierswho just survive a tsunami. One lil bai tell he muddaheplayPhagwah;sheseh,“Thisain't no Phagwah this is a flood relief operation!”Demchirrenclotheswassowet, if yuh squeeze it, yuh could full a whole bucket.Onelikklegyalsehshedidn'tknowif she was playing Phagwah or training fuh Olympicswimming.

Now,isallfunandfrolic,butlehwetalk deseriousbusiness.Someparentswakingup dis morning and checking dem children schooluniformslikeCSIdetectives."Isdelil bai name Ravi or Ravioli? Because dis shirt look like it soak in sauce, powder and water wholeday!"Oneteachersehsheschoollook likeitgetpowerwashincolouredwater. Dem schools now got a big decision to

withCubaorwillitcowerin the face of American pressure? In relation to the issue with the Mohameds, Jagdeo has declared that he is not willing to put the nationalinterestatrisk.

Yet, what he is being asked to do regarding the Cuban medical brigade is simplytoanswerwhetherhe and his colleagues in Cabinet are willing to sacrifice their U.S. visas to stand up for Guyana's sovereignty

Thatiswhatisatstakeif Guyana cowers to U S bullyism whether its leaders have the fortitude to defend the nation's right to independent policy without f e a r o f p e r s o n a l inconvenience A leader worth his title would not hesitate.

make. Should we limit how much water getting fling around? Should we tell de childrenwater-gunisano-no?Orshouldwe just accept de reality dat every Phagwah, school does turn into a water park? One principalsehshedon'tminddepowderandde colours,butdewaterpartgettingouttahand.

“Is not just a lil sprinkle, is a full pressurewash!”Onelikkleteachersehshenearlycall de Fire Service, because de way some dem schoolboys spraying down each other, she thoughtwasahouseburningdown. But leh we be real—Guyanese love fun! Phagwah without a lil water is like cook-up withoutdecoconutmilk.Andifyuhtelldem schoolchirrentoplayPhagwahdry,demgon look at yuh like yuh mad. But still, parents might have to start sending two uniforms—one fuh Phagwah and one fuh when de tsunami done.Anyhow, Dem Boys seh Phagwah was a success, de country had fun,anddemchildrenhaddebestdayofdem life—even if dem schoolbag still leaking water.Nextyear,demparentsmightjusthave topackextraclothes…oralifejacket!

Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

But Jagdeo, ever the tactician, would rather equivocate.Hedoesnot“do diplomacy in public,” because to do so would require publicly stating his position on an issue of principle. And principle, it seems, to me, is in short supply. (The

Donald the dealmaker

The first Donald Trump is showing. So, also, is the realonethatheisatthecore. For what is Donald Trump first, if not a dealmaker supreme?Thehistoryislong and littered with bargains made, pressure situations workedouttohisadvantage. Fromrealestatetoknocking heads with prosecutors to squeezing out of tight corners,theartofthedealis what has facilitated Mr Trump still standing in one piece,andnowseeminglyat the top of his game. To prove this position, I submit Volodymyr Zelensky, NATO, and Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro. Everyone should note how Mr Trump ratchets up the pressure on thosewhoareinajamanddo not have the muscle to fight backontheirown.

The Europeans should have seen and heard President Trump coming in this,hissecondcoming.

He has always been about greater equity in carryingthedefenseburden. Europe has balked, and

Trump has shown his hand; his opening gambit, and knowing full well the vulnerabilities of that continent. It will take time forEuropetorebalance,and Mr Trump has time on his side.

TheEuropeansarenotso sure of their own strength (without the comforting shadow ofAmerica on their wings).

They know also that Vladimir Putin has his ambitions, and that he has been sizing up and stalking weaker countries on his borders.

Thelongandshortofall this is that Donald Trump holds the upper hand in the US-EU loggerheads He maynotgetallthathasbeen putonthetable.

But the Europeans are hostage to his calculations, andsubjecttohisseverearm twisting.

So,itishighlylikelythat Europe will cave, and that Mr Trump will walk away with some of his demands met. In sporting terms, he is

playing “hardball” and will succeed in gaining some ground.

Howmuchandhowsoon will come out shortly It is an unequal relationship; hence, I believe that the outcomeisforegone. Score onefortheDon.

The world knows that without the Americans, the Ukraine of Volodymyr Zelensky is a walkover for Putin's war machine. The Ukrainian's victories have been built, to a considerable extent,onUSsupport.

Evenitsmoralsupportis formidable; with Mr.Trump on his side, Mr Zelensky standsachance.Withoutthe backingofTrump'sAmerica, he is up the river without a paddle Donald Trump knowsthisalltoowell. ButI think he has a bigger vision inmindwithPutin.Onethat the latter is drawing him into,liketheoldjudokathat he is: Putin is taking an opponent'sthrustandweight and using both against him. Plus, he has some skills that the American doesn't have,

for all of his worldly sophistications and exposures. The Russian is well schooled in playing the clandestine hand of a spymaster He holds his assetsclosetohischest,and never really could afford to show all of them, since his success, his very existence, dependsonbeingcovertand cagey Zelensky and his people are the hapless ones caught in the middle of a biggerambition.

Trump seizes upon this and drives the hardest bargain. First, he beats him down publicly, with a prearranged assist alongside Vice President JD Vance, whoisnotapoliticianofany notablecaliber

Having humiliated the Ukrainian,Trumpnowdeals with him from the vantage pointofthebarrelofagunto his head. Zelensky doesn't knowifitisloaded,butcan't risk finding out, as the falloutcouldbecatastrophic forhim.

The warrior in Zelensky may want to push the

envelope; as the leader of a people with little going for them,heisdogmeat the hands of President Trump. In the instance of Venezuela,Madurocould not have been in worse shape Despite some assistance from allies, he is up against it, with Trump in charge. Chevronservedasa lifeline of sorts; a limited one, but still a lifeline, now yanked. First, the objective is to bring Maduro to his knees, which does not r e q u i r e t o o m u c h horsepower,giventheshape inwhichVenezuelais.

Theintentistowringthe residual oxygen out of him, and then help the stubborn Venezuelan back to his feet. Kneel, then deal. Chevron willbeback,andasIforesee, it would be with a much bulkier presence. With Venezuela pushed to the brink,thestagewillbesetfor agreaterAmericanpresence.

I think that this is the endgame of the American

dealmaker Gut and soften his opponent with the big stickalaRoughRiderTeddy Roosevelt, which renders him ready to come to terms. The terms of America's Donald Trump, master pressurizer and dealmaker Kickamanlongenough,and before long he will holler, “Surrender.”

Mr Trump can make all the deals he wants in the wider world out there. My anxietiesbeginifhewereto casthiseyeshere.

There is political intransigence, a border migraine, and a leadership crisishere.

Guyanalooksripeforthe plucking. Furtherplucking.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

VP Jagdeo tells Exxon boss taxes not the same as paying royalty and profits

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo does not agree

with President of

ExxonMobil Guyana Limited, Alistair Routledge that taxes are the same as royaltyandprofitsharing.

He made his position clear on Thursday during a Freedom House press conference in response to a question posed by Kaieteur News.

This newspaper had pointedly asked the Chief Policymaker for the Oil and Gassectorwhetherheagrees with the explanation by Routledge that taxes are the same as the royalty and profit-sharing provisions, outlined in the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement(PSA).

To this end, Jagdeo explained that while profits

fromvalue-addedtax,excise tax, duty, fee, charge, or impost in respect of income derived from petroleum operations, property held or transactions except as specified under the agreement.

Be that as it may, Routledge in an attempt to bamboozle Guyanese said the country is ultimately receiving taxes through the profitsharearrangementand the2%royaltyrequirements imbeddedinthedeal.

VicePresident, Bharrat Jagdeo

President,ExxonMobil GuyanaLimited, Alistair Routledge

androyaltyreceivedarekey elements of the oil contract, government does not agree that they are equivalent to taxes. In fact, he made it clear that he believes taxes shouldbepaid.

“On waving of taxes, profitsharingandroyaltyare a very important part of the PSA but we believe that there should be taxes too,” theformerPresidentsaid.

Consequently, he explained, “And that is why in the new PSA, we maintained the profit sharing, we increased the royaltyfromtwoto10%and we have now put in a 10% corporate tax in the new PSA.”

As such, Jagdeo made it clear that government does not agree with the explanation provided by Routledge.

Notably, ExxonMobil and its affiliates are exempt

Heexplained,“Thereare different forms of agreements that are used in theoilandgasindustry The one that is being implemented in Guyana is the Petroleum Sharing Agreement so it's literally a sharingagreementwherethe investors invest, the government doesn't have to make any investment up front but it shares in the profit and receives a royalty.”

As such, he continued, “Ineffect,thatprofit-sharing and royalty are tax. In other systemslikewhetheryouare running a different local business, you pay corporate tax–ineffectitisthesame.It is giving a tax, a revenue to the State. It is remitting revenue to the State…while it is not called tax in the Petroleum Sharing Agreement in effect that's whatitis.

ItispaymentstotheState in lieu of there being a tax agreement.”

Routledge pointed out t h a t G u y a n a h a s implemented a 25% corporate tax requirement. On the other hand, he highlighted that Guyana receives 52% in profit and royalty To this end, he

reasoned, “So would you prefer to have 25% income tax or 52% plus of revenues effectivetaxtothestatefrom thePSA?”

Notably, Kaieteur News told the President of EMGL thatinotherjurisdictions,the company is required to pay taxes, despite making royalty and profit oil payments.

While he admitted that the company does not pay corporate taxes to the State, he noted that Exxon is still required to pay other taxes under the Petroleum Agreement, such as withholdingtaxes.

Importantly, this skewed representation of the revenues received by Guyanaunderthe2016PSA hasalreadybeenrebuttedby stakeholders, including VP Bharrat Jagdeo. Previously, when Exxon erected billboardsacrossthecountry claiming that Guyana receives 52% of all profits, he said: “One thing I can agree with Vincent Adams on, is that these billboards thatExxon(is)puttingupall around the place, is misleading in many ways… Exxon's billboards are misleading. So, they said Guyana receives 52% of all profitsfromStabroekBlock, 50% profit share plus 2%, they don't speak about the 75% here going to cost recovery.”

Jagdeo pointed out that presently, 75% of the earnings are deducted to

cover costs, with the remaining 25% shared with Guyana. This means that Guyana actually receives 12.5% profit, in additiontoits2%royalty

In October last year, former President and Prime Minister,SamuelHindssaid that royalties paid by Exxon make up for the taxes lost throughthePSA.

InalettertotheEditor,he reasoned,“Firstly,whenitis saidthatourgovernmenthas to pay Exxon's (the Consortium's) taxes, our governmentdoesnothaveto take money from elsewhere to pay the taxes waived. Thereisusuallyaparagraph insuchAgreementsthatsays that royalties and other paymentstotheGovernment would be received in the place of taxes... a good question would then be whetherwearegettingmore from our royalty and profit share than we would have gottenfromregulartaxes.”

Government later distanced itself from the commentsmadebyHinds.

Venezuelan military vessel threatening Exxon’s FPSO in Guyana is unacceptable, infringement of Guyana’s sovereignty – G7 Foreign Ministers

TheGroupofSeven(G7) Foreign Ministers have strongly condemned the actions of a Venezuelan military vessel that entered G

threatened ExxonMobil's Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel,Prosperity

The G7 stated that such actionsareunacceptableand

internationally recognized sovereignty In a joint statement iss

March 14 following their meeting in Charlevoix, Canada, the foreignministersofCanada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along

Representative of the European Union said, “We also agreed Venezuelan naval vessels threatening G

vessels is unacceptable and aninfringementofGuyana's internationally recognized s

(Continuedonpage23)

We

Construction activities & road accidents primary cause of power outages in 2024 – GPL

Heavy infrastructural works -public and privateand road accidents were the primary causes of power outages in 2024, GPL's Divisional Director of Tr a n s m i s s i o n a n d Distribution, Shaun Hamlet, disclosed.

Hamletwasat t h e t i m e providing a review of G P L ' s performance f o r transmission and distributio tothePublicUtilities Commission (PUC) during a publichearingonThursday.

In her presentation, Hamlet detailed that in terms of customer interruption for 2024, when compared to 2023,therewasanincreasein service interruption, pointing specifically to the frequency durationofinterruptions.

“So, our target for 2024 for the frequency of interruption is 85 and we wouldnothaveachievedthat target and actually we recorded 123, and the duration, instead of 90, we would have passed that and recorded122,”shestated.

Hamlet further revealed that the power generation company would have accounted for most of the outages,notingthattheywere mainly due to external factors.

“External factors, meaning as a result of construction activities, farming activitiesconstructionactivitiesmainly privateandpublic.Now,most of these outages occurred along the Region 4 area, primarily along the East

Coastcorridor,wherethereis heavy infrastructure and developmentworksaswellas development works also along the East Bank, mainly in the vicinity of Eccles, Grove, Diamond and Craig area,soapproximately49%,” sheexplained Another major factor she listed was vehicular a c c i d e n t s impacting utility infrastructure Hamlet noted that this accounted for 17 percent of power outages.

“External factors; where you have accidents, construction and farming equipment coming into contact with transmission lines and construction works (public and private works),” sheadded.

That aside, the Director said that GPL had its shortfallsthatalsoresultedin outages “GPL factors there are overloaded feeders driven by unprecedented growth, hence, plans to upgrade and build redundanciesweakenedpoles structures as a result of soil erosion and construction activities.”She said that with the country's construction boom, larger equipment are traversing the roadways, causing tremendous soil movement Another challenge Hamlet said the company experienced is the migrationofstaff.

“We would have experiencedalotofstaffwho have migrated to the oil and gassectorandtheskill-which is a unique skill in utility work- is not readily available,”shesaid.

T&T lawmen stop quarter billion TT$ in cocaine shipment from vessel originated in Guyana

Trinidad Express - A cargo vessel that originated inGuyanaandwasheadedto French/Dutch island of St Martin, was searched in the waters off Trinidad on Wednesday

In what police described as a sealed compartment, they discovered 157 packets of cocaine, weighing more than 182 kilogrammes, with a local street value of more than a quarter billion Trinidadiandollars.

Some of the packets carried the 'Toyota' logo, similartopackagesonsome of the cocaine found when they searched a Sports Utility vehicle in a hotel car parkinChaguaramasinMay 2023, -168 packets worth morethan$234million.

Inthatcase,threepeople were arrested for the drugs whichpolicesaywasheaded toNorthAmerica.

The branding of cocaine packetswiththelogosofcar makers is known to be done bytheSinaloaCartel,which isconsideredthelargestand most powerful drug trafficking organisation in the Western Hemisphere, andisanetworkofMexico's mostimportantdruglords.

The Sinaloa Cartel has been operating in the Caribbeanfordecades.

It is involved in the trafficking of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and heroin,

The cocaine packages (left) found aboard the vessel compared to the packages found in the Chaguaramas hotel raid in April 2023.

primarily to the United States, and in human traffickingandextortion.

In Wednesday's case, police were told that a shipping vessel originating in Guyana, was carrying narcotics under the guise of legitimatecargodestinedfor St.Martin.

The ship arrived off TrinidadonFebruary25,and waskeptundersurveillance.

On Tuesday, the vessel

was observed receiving shipments of various goods, and clearance was granted for the vessel's departure to St.Martinthatafternoon.

However, the crew altered their departure schedule, setting sail during the early hours of Wednesday.The vessel was eventuallyinterceptedbythe CoastGuardandescortedto Staubles Bay.Over a twoday inspection, a concealed,

sealed compartment was discoveredwithinthevessel. Thisledtotheseizureof157 packetsofcocaine.

Meanwhile,onSaturday, Head of Guyana's Customs Anti-narcoticsUnit(CANU) James Singh told Kaieteur News that his agency is aware of the bust and is collaborating with counterparts inTrinidad and Tobago.

OnFebruary20thisyear,

the T&T Coast Guard boarded a narco-cub carrying a shipment of cocaine in waters between TrinidadandGrenada.

Three Colombian nationals who were in the semi-submersible were pulled out of the vessel, which was boarded byAble Seaman Keiron Simon who wentintothehatchtosecure thedrugs.

The vessel went down

with Simon in it. He has not been recovered. The narcosub has been located, and efforts are underway to get specialised vessels with remotely operated submersibles to go down to the sea floor to recover evidence.

Commendation fromAgCoP

“I extend my heartfelt commendationtoallofficers andagenciesinvolvedinthis exemplary operation, which underscores the power of real-time intelligence sharing and inter-agency collaboration. This seizure not only disrupts the illicit operations of organised crimebutalsosendsastrong message of our unwavering commitment to national security and combatting trans-national organised crime. Our law enforcement teams remain resolute in theireffortstosafeguardour nation and dismantle criminal networks that threatenourcommunities.”

T h i s , f r o m Commissioner of Police Ag Junior Benjamin following an intelligence-driven operation, executed in strategic collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Port of Spain Office, US JIATF South, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG), and the Trinidad andTobagoPoliceService.

Armed bandits rob, assault shop owner, staff at Oku Backdam

Three armed bandits on Wednesday robbed a small variety shop at OKUBackdam,Cuyuni-Mazaruni, RegionSeven.

A video circulating on Facebook displayed the incident which occurred around 19:00 hrs. In the footage, the three suspects can be seen ordering two women into the shop at gunpoint. The bandits were filmed taking several items from the store before one of them began firing multiple shots insidetheshop.

Astherobberyunfolded,oneof the bandits grabbed one of the women by the hand while threatening her with the gun. In a pleaformercy,shecriedout,"Don't chuck meh, buddy, of gawd, don't chuckme."

Attempts to contact the CommanderinchargeofRegion7 for further information proved unsuccessful.

A screengrab of the armed robbery

Guyana establishes local transplant testing lab

The Ministry of Health on Wednesday announced thatthecountrynowhasthe local capabilities to provide essential transplant testing throughtheestablishmentof aHumanLeukocyteAntigen (HLA)laboratory

In a release issued on Wednesday, the ministry noted the Guyana Human OrganandTissueTransplant

Agency (HOATTA) continues to build robust systems to strengthen both living and deceased organ

d o n a t i o n a n d

transplantation A significant milestone in this effortistheestablishmentof the Human Leukocyte Antigenlaboratory

According to the ministry, a key component

Businessman on $1M bail for killing cane cutter

Dead: Youganand Chaitram Grantedbail: Moonie Ramnarine

A 6 5 - y e a r - o l d businessmanappearedatthe Mibicuri Magistrate's Court on Wednesday and was placedon$1millionbailfor manslaughter, following the death of a cane harvester in Corentyne,Berbice.

Moonie Ramnarine of Lot 14 Lesbeholden, South Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, Berbice is accused of shooting and killing 29-year-old

Youganand Chaitram of Lot 19, Alness Village, Corentyne, during an altercation at Ramnarine's bar in Lesbeholden, Black Bush Polder.Ramnarine was arrestedonthesamedayand was subsequently charged for the said offence. He appeared before Magistrate Tauna Hardy who read the charge to him. Ramnarine was not required to enter a plea Attorney-at-law, Bernard Da Silva, who represented Ramnarine, arguedbailforhisclient.Da Silva explained to Kaieteur Newsthathearguedforbail, noting that the charge was bailable and that Ramnarine is not a flight risk. He also stated that Ramnarine had been cooperating with the police and had previously been on $1 million station bail, which he had adhered to.

of a successful transplant programme is HLA testing, whichplaysacriticalrolein determining donor-recipient compatibility

“HLA markers help matchdonorsandrecipients more effectively, reducing the risk of organ rejection and improving transplant outcomes,” the ministry explained. Currently, HLA testingisperformedabroad, leading to high costs and delaysforpatientsinneedof transplants, the ministry revealed.

As a result, Ramnarine was placed on $ 1 million bail and is scheduled to return to court on April 1, 2 0 2 5 f o r f u r t h e r proceedings. According to policereports,thealtercation began when an argument occurred among several patrons at Ramnarine's beer garden The businessman told police that the dispute escalated when Chaitram and others started breaking bottles and threatening each other.Ramnarine attempted to close his gate when Chaitram and another man allegedly threw him to the ground, injuring his elbow While on the ground and allegedly being threatened withbottles,Ramnarinesaid he discharged two rounds from his firearm, striking Chaitram, who collapsed outside the bar Ramnarine then secured his business, reported the incident to the police, and surrendered his firearm and license. Upon police arrival, they recovered two .32 calibre shells—one inside the shop andoneoutsidenearthegate. Chaitram was taken to the Mibicuri Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His body, found clad in a green jersey and brown 3/4 trousers, was examinedbyauthorities.

In establishing the testing locally and making the service more accessible and affordable for all Guyanese, the Health Ministry stated that it has since procured state-of-theart equipment to establish the HLA laboratory, including a Luminex machine, centrifuge and thermocyclerandreagentsat acostofUS$150,000.

“This investment

(Continuedonpage16)

Dr. Karina Omari (sitting) along with Representative from One Lambda and local training participants

Cell phone thief sentenced to 6 months in prison

A50-year-old labourer was on Wednesday sentenced to six months in prison for stealing a cell phone when he appeared at the Suddie

Magistrates'Court.

ManiramSinghcalled'Gabla'of Bounty Hall Essequibo Coast is accused of stealing a cellphone valued at $180,000 belonging to

Parsram Singh The incident occurredonMarch10,2025atLong Xin Supermarket Richmond, EssequiboCoast.

Magistrate Tamieka Clarke who read the charge to him. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to six months of imprisonment.

A56-year-old miner on Wednesday sentenced to onemonth imprisonment and fined $20,000 for assaulting and threatening Chairman of the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR), Prince Holder

The accused, Otis Baird of Richmond, Essequibo Coast, appeared before Magistrate Tameika Clarke at the Suddie Ma

H

reportedlycommittedtheacton January13,2025atRichmond, EssequiboCoast. Baird was found guilty of bothcharges.Hewassentenced to one month in jail for the assault charge and fined $20,000 (or one-month imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine) for the threatening languagecharge.

Maniram Singh

Otis Baird

10.55 lbs of ganja found in barrel at Laparkan Wharf

Police on Friday discovered 10.55 lbs (4.79 kilograms) of marijuana at the Laparkan Shipping Company's wharf, located at Lombard and Broad Streets inCharlestown,Georgetown.

Inastatementreleasedon Friday, the police explained thattheseizureresultedfrom an intelligence-led operation coordinated by the Special Branch. The operation involved a search of "a blue jumbo barrel that was sealed and shipped from one Junior SkeetofBrooklyn,NY,USA, to Clive James of Durban Street,Lodge."

The search took place in

thepresenceofa32-year-old customs officer During the inspection, officers found nine sealed, transparent plastic bags with the words "California TRACKSTR" markedonthem,containinga quantityofleaves,seeds,and stems suspected to be cannabis.The barrel, along with the suspected narcotic substance, was taken to the Crime Laboratory at the Criminal Investigation

D e p a r t m e n t ( C I D ) Headquarters, where it was processedandphotographed.

“It was then weighed and amounted to 10.55 lbs (4.79 kilograms),”policesaid.

Taxi driver on $50k bail for stealing cow

A 48-year-old taxi driver on Monday appeared at the CharityMagistrates'Courtto answer a charge of cattle larceny DennisSimoncalled “Wawa” of Lot 62 Reliance Essequibo Coast, is accused of stealing a cow valued $300,000 from Tassamottie Lawrie on November 10,

2024. He appeared before Magistrate Tamieka Clarke who read the charge to him. Simon pleaded not guilty to thecharge.

Simon was granted $ 50,000 bail and is scheduled to return to court on March 17, 2025 for disclosure of statements.

The suspected cannabis wassubsequentlyplacedinto separate evidence bags, sealed,marked,andlodgedat the Ruimveldt Police Station for further analysis at the ForensicLaboratory

CliveJames,theintended recipientofthebarrel,hasnot been located. Investigations are ongoing, and efforts are beingmadetotrackhim.

The ganja found inside of the barrel

Dennis Simon

Manon$400kbailfordamagingcar

A28-year-oldtaxidriver was on Wednesday granted $400,000 bail when he appeared at the Suddie Magistrates' Court for damagingacar

Navindra Latchman

called 'Rocky' , of Queenstown, Essequibo

Coast is accused of maliciously damaging a Nissan Tida motor car

valued $2,400,000 belonging to Cleedon Mercurius.

Theincidentoccurredon November 19, 2024 at HenriettaEssequiboCoast.

He appeared before Magistrate Tamieka Clake who read the charge to him. Latchmanpleadednotguilty and was granted bail. He is scheduled to return to court on April 1, 2025 for disclosure.

Notably, Latchman is no stranger to the law In February 2023, he was charged with rape of a child

undersixteenyears. He appeared at the Suddie Magistrates' Court virtually before Magistrate CrystalLambert.Itisalleged that between February and June 2022, at Queenstown, Essequibo Coast, the accused engaged in sexual acts with a child who was belowtheageofsixteen.

Latchmanwasplacedon $250,000 bail with conditions that he relocate from Que

wn, Essequ

bo Coast to Riverstown, Essequibo Coast. Additionally, in October 2024, Latchman was also charged with the offence of 'Attempt to Commit Murder', committed on Akeelah Maynard The accused appeared at the Charity Magistrates' Court before Magistrate Clarke. Hewasnotrequiredtoenter a plea and was remanded to prison.

Manjailedfor assaultingwife

A 32-year-old labourer was sentenced on Thursday to one month in jail for assaulting his 17-year-old wife.

Kevin Roberts of Queenstown, Essequibo Coast committed the act on March 9, 2025 at their residence and pleaded guilty when he appeared at the Suddie Magistrates' Court before Magistrate Tamieka Clarke.

Kevin Roberts

Navindra Latchman

WANTED VACANCY

Wanted waitress to work in a bar & Live-in, must have an I.D and be 18 years or older. Call / Whatsapp- 6591930/ 221-2785.

Puri/ Roti Marker & Porters needed at Rabbies Snackette 266 Thomas & New Market St. Call : 6488279 / 231-6591.

Domestic to work in Campbellville. Call now624-746. $6,000. Handyman to work 2 days per week. 621-5140.

SERVICES

Need a grocery shopper, ship chandler or visa application preparer: USA, Canada, UK ETA. 626-7040.

Elevate your brand with our professional Graphic design services. Call: 619-0007, 6295526.

For low cost repairs for AC units, refrigerators, freezers, gas stoves, washing machine, dryers, etc. Call: 6294946, 225-4822.

We repair & install fridge, freezer, washer & dryer, AC units, stove, etc. Whatsapp/ Call Omar: 654-9711/ 6838734.

Electrical Repairs- transformer, powertools, vaccum, water pump, air cooler, etc @ Friendship, EBD. WhatsApp: 659-5664, Call: 627-7835.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

One Unregistered Nissan X-Trail 2016 model, Mode Premiere. Call : 649-0956.

1 Honda CRV, includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, spoiler, crash, low mileage PTT Series (first owner). Call: 6490956.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Aracari Hotel renovated rooms ,A/C, TV, Restaurant, bar, pool, gym Stay 7 nights, 1 Free! Call: 2642946.

SALE

LAND FOR SALE

Riverside land for sale in Wales next to the Gas Shore. Call Star Alliance Realty: 6863231, 929-355-7639.

LEGAL NOTICE

, a daily newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana and on the worldwide web (Online).

AND FURTHER TAKE

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

One night Watchman needed. Call: 731-2125.

Maid for East Bank area. Call: 615-9132.

Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, age 23-50, Car/ Van licence. Call: 615-9132 or 645-8443.

Male cleaner for Eccles. Call: 615-9132 or 645-8443.

Male cleaner for yard in East Bank area, two (2) days a week, call 615-9132.

Enthusiastic, customer- focused sales rep for Georgetown , able-bodied sales driven. $90k / Month + benefits . Whatsapp : 6886868

Desk staff, Receptionist, Supervisor, Room attendant @ 33 South Road Lacytown. 25-50 years old. Call: 2250198.

Handyman with knowledge of plucking chicken. C/Ville area $6,000 daily & Cashier/ Counter staff, $5000 Daily. Call : 227-5222 / 617-4662.

Timber Grant manager , Tractor operator, Labourer, Chain saw operator, Wood Mizar Operator. Call Richard: 6097675 / 674-1705

Vacancy for 3 experienced Pastry Maker @ Humphrey's Bakery & Farm Products,38 Ketly St Charles town.Tel:225-7864/227-8607.

General Domestic ,Apply at Keyfood Mc Doom village next to the post office. 4 day work

ENTERTAINMENT

Family fun Aracari Resort! crystal clear pool, safe kids & adult sections, music & food. W.B.D. Call : 264-2946-9

EDUCATION

Supercharge your child/ loved ones reading and writing skills using the highly effective hooked on phonics program. 7 years & older. Call 650-8925.

TO LET

661-3030 or 626-8918.

FOR RENT

/ 728-

Craig (20 acres) Friendship East Bank, Yarrowkabra and long creek Soesdyke Linden Highway. Contact Ray's Realty: 627-9685.

Roadside Heroes Highway Land for Sale, Garden of Eden 3.8 or 6 acres, 65 Mil per acre Neg. Contact : 621-1139 / 7124020

PROPERTY FOR SALE

Providence (Public Road) Bent St, Queenstown, Princess street & Soesdyke. Contact Ray's Realty: 627-9685.

5 Miles Bartica & Garnett Street, Campbellville . Call : 679-9996

Durbar of Diamond/ Pearl Village E.B.D hereby asked to make contact with Yolland Nurse 694-1919 / 6667078 / 693-4698.

LEGAL NOTICE

2024-HC-DEM-CIV-FD-541 IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION Petition No. FD-541 HODGE (KENISHA ODELLA ABIOLA) nee PETERS

Petitioner/Applicant -VHODGE (LLOYD JUNIOR)

Respondent TO: LLOYD JUNIOR HODGE 53 Robb Street, Georgetown, Guyana TAKE

NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related documents.

AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (Forms are available at the Registry), Answer and/or Cross Petition in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 35 (thirtyfive) days from the date of the final publication of this Notice.

TAKE NOTICE that the Divorce is fixed for Directions on Friday the 23rd day of May, 2025 at 11:00 am before the Honourable Madam Chief Justice Roxane George via z00m (please contact the Chief Justice Chambers for zoom details)

IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of Service/ Notice of Intention to Defend, Answer and/or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Divorce. The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts [Georgetown, Demerara]. The office is open to the public between 8:00am and 3:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00amto 2:30pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed.

Dated the 26th day of February, 2025

LEGAL NOTICE

Camp Street, Top Floor (25'x40') Middle floor( 25x40') for offices or other types of business . Call : 609-7675 / 674-1705.

Commercial space, Enmore Mall Top and ground spaces, also 4 Acres Land to lease, Emore Public road. Call : 6097675 / 674-1705.

NOTICE that on the 11th day of April, 2024 a Petition for a Divorce was filed against you by KENISHA ODELLA ABIOLA HODGE nee PETERS the Petitioner/Applicant in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara.AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 20th day of February, 2025 the Petitioner/Applicant was directed to effect service of her Petition on you by publication of this in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the KAIETEUR NEWS

2024-HC-DEM-CIV-FD-1051 IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION Petition No. FD-1051 Between: - (SIMMONS) REANNA SHONDEL nee RAJBALLY Petitioner/Applicant -and- (SIMMONS) ORLANDO RECARDO Respondent TO: ORLANDO RECARDO SIMMONS Formerly of West Watooka Hilltop, Linden, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Guyana

TAKE NOTICE that on Wednesday the 29th day of July, 2024 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by REANNA SHONDEL SIMMONS nee RAJBALLY the Petitioner/Applicant in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 5th day of November, 2024 the Petitioner/Applicant was directed to effect service of his Petition on you by publication of this in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of a daily newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana and on the worldwide web (Online).AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorneyat-Law at the Registry of Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related documents. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (Forms are available at the Registry), Answer and/ or Cross Petition in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 35 (thirty-five) days from the date of the final publication of this Notice. TAKE NOTICE that the Divorce is fixed for Directions on Tuesday the 18th day of March, 2025 at 9:00 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Priscilla Chandra-Hanif via zoom Meeting ID: 766 308 6865 and Passcode: 123456. IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend, Answer and/or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Divorce. The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts [Georgetown, Demerara]. The office is open to the public between 8:00am and 3:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed. Dated the 31st day of January, 2025

2024-HC-DEM-CIV-FD-735

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION

FAMILY DIVISION Petition No. FD-735

BETWEEN:FAYANN

GREENE Applicant -and1. CLEYON OLWEN ALLEN 2. RAMESH SEEPERSAUD TO: CLEYON OLWEN ALLEN Formerly of Lot 33 Victor Street, Lodge, Georgetown, Guyana Respondents TAKE NOTICE that on the 21s day of May, 2024 an Application Relating to Child was filed against you the first named Respondent CLEYON OLWEN ALLEN, by FAYANN GREENE the Applicant in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 10th day of March, 2025 the Applicant were directed to effect service of the Application on you by the first named Respondent CLEYON OLWEN ALLEN publication of the Notice in one (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News, a daily newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around the Republic of Guyana and on the world wide web.AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Application together with related documents. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Application, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Application, you must file a Reply to Application Relating to Child, and/or Statement of Arrangements for child (Forms are available at the Registry) in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara. TAKE NOTICE that this matter is fixed for Directions Hearing on Monday the 2nd day of June, 2025 at 9:30 am via zoom before the Honourable Madam Damone Younge via zoom meeting ID: 845 1426 6584 and password: 786 445. IN DEFAULT of your filing a Reply to Application Relating toChild, an Answer and/or Notice of Intention to Defend the Court will proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including

Babita

LEGAL NOTICE

granting Custody.

The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts [Georgetown, Demerara].

The office is open to the public between 8:00am and 3:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 2:30pmon Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed. Dated the 12th day of March,2025.

LEGAL NOTICE

2024/143-FD-PET-DEM IN THE H GH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION

FAMILY DIVISION

Application No. FD-143

BETWEEN: (PERSAUD)

DWARKA Petitioner/ Applicant -V- (PERSAUD)

BIBI FARIEDA nee

BACCHUS Respondent

TO: BIBI FARIEDA

PERSAUD nee BACCHUS

Formerly of Lot 326

Cornelia Ida West Coast Demerara

Guyana TAKE NOTICE that on the 15th day of November, 2024 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by DWARKA PERSAUD the Petitioner/ Applicant in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara.AND FURTHER

TAKE NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 26th day of February, 2025 the Petitioner/Applicant was directed to effect service of his Petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News, a daily newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana and on the Worldwide Web.

AND FURTHER TAKE

NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of Family division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related documents.

Human Rights group concern over the deterioration of Haiti’s security

WASHINGTON – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is expressing its “deep concern” at the alarming deterioration of the security situation in Haiti, that it said is characterised by a new escalation of extreme violence.

It said that the violence perpetrated by armed groups continues to claim victims and cause massive population displacement.

According to IACHR said between January 27 and 30, more than 50 people were reportedly killed in Kenscoff by armed members of the Viv Ansanm criminal coalition.

The IACHR said it is also

LEGAL NOTICE

TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (Forms are available at the Registry), Answer and/or Cross Petition via the online portal, https:// ejudiciary.supremecourt.gy within 35 (thirty-five) days from the date of the final publication of this Notice. Your access code T57fXU TAKE NOTICE that the Divorce is fixed for Directions Hearing on Tuesday the 13th day of May, 2025 at 9:00am before the Honourable Madam Justice Fidela Corbin-Lincoln via Zoom Meeting ID: 882 1097 6231 & Passcode: Court12. IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend, Answer and/or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Divorce.

The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts [Georgetown, Demerara]. The office is open to the public between 8:00am and 3:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed. Dated the 12th day of March,2025.

condemning the murder of a two-month-old baby on February 14 and the death of his mother, who succumbed to the pain of the infant murder a day later, according to official information.

According to public information, in a reprehensible act, the baby was allegedly burned by members of criminal groups in the presence of his mother, who was fatally injured.

IACHR said that on the night of February 16-17, a

massacre in the Château Blond and Petit-Roupeau sectors, on the Frères Road, left at least 20 dead, including five members of the same family.

On February 12, in Montrouis, an attack against the Haitian National Police (PNH) left four injured and one dead.

Similarly, on February 25, two Haitian Armed Forces soldiers were killed in Delmas 30, reflecting the growing threat facing security institu-

tions and the general population.

“These facts, in addition to those previously presented and reported by the IACHR, highlight the lethal capacity of criminal gangs and the lack of effective responses to put an end to their actions,” said the IACHR, a principal and autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS), whose mandate derives from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. It said the violence in the country seriously threatens the lives and security of the civilian population and reflects the lack of state control over these armed groups.

This context leads to the forced displacement of thousands of people due to the violence. In less than a month, more than 6 000 people have been forced to flee their homes, according to a UN report published last February. (CMC)

Venezuelan military vessel threatening Exxon’s...

From page 12 reaffirmed respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations as an enduring value.”

The statement follows an incident on March 1, 2025, at approximately 07:00 hours, when a Venezuelan armed vessel entered Guyana’s waters and approached the FPSO Prosperity, which operates in the oil-rich Stabroek Block.

The Venezuelan vessel radioed the FPSO, claiming it was operating in “disputed

international waters” before continuing toward other FPSOs in the block.

Notably, Guyana’s head-of state President Irfaan Ali had underscored that while Guyana is firmly committed to the rule of international law, to peaceful resolution of controversies, and to the power of diplomacy, “Guyana will not allow Maduro and Venezuela to threaten or violate our sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The U.S. Department of

State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) had warned the Maduro regime.

The U.S. said that Venezuelan naval vessels threatening the FPSO unit is unacceptable and a clear violation of Guyana’s internationally-recognized maritime territory.

“Further provocation will result in consequences for the Maduro regime.

The United States reaffirms its support for Guyana’s territorial integrity and the

1899 arbitral award,” it was stated.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) had reiterated its unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana.

The body reminded that such acts of aggression and provocation are contrary to international law and the 2023 Argyle Declaration, which Guyana and Venezuela are bound by, to avoid unnecessary confrontational actions.

Opposition expresses concern over detention of ‘Melly Mel’...

From Page 07 complaints made by the Government of Guyana. In the interest of transparency, the PNCR calls on the PPP Government to provide clarity on whether it formally requested U.S. government action against Ms. Atwell, and if so, on what basis,” the PNC/R said.

Atwell has been openly critical of government as well as several ministers. The PNC/

R said that it also acknowledges that “threatening comments made about her by a very senior PPP official and the civil legal action filed against her by at least one PPP minister.”

As such, the party remains firm in its commitment to the fundamental principles of democracy including the right to free speech.

Even though Atwell has been openly critical of the

government and opposition, the PNC/R believes that all Guyanese, no matter their political stance, should be able to freely express their views without fear of undue persecution. “As such, we urge the government to be transparent about its role in this case, if any, and to reassure the public of its commitment to upholding democratic freedoms. The PNCR will continue to advocate for the rights of all Guyanese to speak freely, even when their views differ from ours,” the party said.

On March 14, Kaieteur News reported that Atwell was reportedly taken into custody by Homeland Security in the United States of America and is fully cooperating with the authorities. According to reports, she is allegedly being questioned in relation to her

Ukraine’s Zelensky says there is now a good chance to end war

KYIV, March 14

(Reuters) - Ukrainian

President Volodymyr ZelenskysaidonFridaythat hesawagoodchancetoend the war with Russia after Ukraine accepted a U S proposalfora30-dayinterim ceasefireandMoscowsaidit would only agree if certain conditionsweremet.

“Right now, we have a good chance to end this war quickly and secure peace We have solid security understandings

with our European partners,”Zelenskysaidon X

Get the latest news and expert analysis about the stateoftheglobaleconomy with the Reuters Econ World newsletter Sign up here “We are now close to the first step in ending any war – silence,” he said, referringtoatruce

Speaking to reporters, Zelensky urged the U.S. and other allies to apply pressure on Moscow, reiterating his belief that

R

P

Vladimir Putin will delay reachingaceasefireaslong aspossible

“If there is a strong response from the United States,theywillnotletthem playaround.Andifthereare stepsthatRussiaisnotafraid of, they will delay the process,” Zelensky told media.

H

ceasefire along a more

could be controlled with U.S. help via satellites and intelligence Washington resumedintelligencesharing and military aid after U.S. and Ukrainian officials met in Saudi Arabia this week

and Ukraine accepted the ceasefire.

Ukrainian President Zelensky shares iftar

Kyiv

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks toUkrainianMuslimservice members before sharing an iftar with them, a meal to break their fast at sunset, during the holy month of Ramadan, in a mosque in Kyiv, Ukraine March 13, 2025 REUTERS/Alina

Smutko/File Photo

PurchaseLicensingRights, opens new tab Zelensky also said that officials at that meeting discussed the issue of territory, but a difficult dialog would be required to resol“The issue of territories is the most difficult after the ceasefire,” Zelensky said at a media

briefing.

With the war is in its fourth year, Russian forces control nearly a fifth of Ukrainian territory and

y advanced in the eastern Donetsk region in recent months.

“Theceasefireunblocks the way for the sides to end the war And the territories will be the point that makes it possible to end the war after this issue is resolved,” the Ukrainian presidentsaid.

y Russia including Crimea and four other regions, a position Ukraine has rejected

Zelensky said he was discussing with Kyiv’s allies future security

economic support, adding that 100% air defence cover would be required as deterrence in ve it a peacedeal

Mark Carney sworn in as Canada’s prime minister

OTTAWA (Reuters) –

Ex-central banker Mark Carney was formally sworn in as prime minister of Canada on Friday, putting him in a position to fight tariffs from US President Donald Trump that could d

economy

In the presence of Governor General Mary

S

representative of King Charles, who is Canada’s head of state, Carney took theoathofoffice.

He reshaped his cabinet with a view to dealing with Washington, and cut several ministerial positions that he i

predecessor,JustinTrudeau. F

M

DominicLeBlancismoving to the international trade portfolio and will be

C

Minister Melanie Joly stays inherpost.

“We’re building a government that meets the moment. Canadians expect action—andthat’swhatthis team will deliver,” Carney saidinapostonX.

“Asmaller, experienced cabinet that moves faster, secures our economy, and protectsCanada’sfuture ”

He is due to address reporterslaterintheday

The moment capped a momentous rise for the 59year-old, who becomes the first Canadian prime minister without any s e r i o u s p o l i t i c a l experience

Carneyplanstotravelto London and Paris next week,saidadiplomataware of the plans Canada has soughttoshoreupalliances in Europe as its relations with the United States sink

tounprecedentedlows

Carneycrushedhisrivals on Sunday in a race to become leader of the ruling Liberal Party He replaces Trudeau, who spent more thannineyearsinoffice.

F o

m

f i n a n c e minister Chrystia Freeland, whose shock resignation last December triggered a crisis that helped push out Trudeau, becomestransportminister Carney, a former head of both the Bank of Canada and Bank of England, successfully argued his position as an outsider with a history of tacklingcrisesmeanthewas the best person to take on Trump, who has repeatedly talked about annexing Canada.

OnWednesday,Carney told reporters that he was readytomeetTrumpwhen “there is respect for Canadiansovereignty”

He also said he would keep in place retaliatory tariffsonUSgoodsuntilthe United States showed Canadasomerespect.

Efforts are underway to arrange a call between Trump and Carney in the nextcoupleofdays,Jolytold reportersonFriday

The cabinet will likely not be in office for long, since Liberal insiders say Carney will call a snap election within the next two weeks.

If he changes his mind, opposition parties say they will unite to bring down the m i n o r i t y L i b e r a l government in a confidence voteattheendofMarch.

Once the election is called, Carney will be very limited in what he can do politically because convention dictates he cannot make major decisions when running for office.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to Ukrainian Muslim service members before sharing an iftar with them, a meal to break their fast at sunset, during the holy month of Ramadan, in a mosque in Kyiv, Ukraine March 13, 2025.

REUTERS/Alina Smutko/File Photo

Mark Carney arrives before being sworn-in as Canada’s 24th prime minister, at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, March 14, 2025. (Reuters)

$49M estimated to refurbish sections of Charlestown Secondary Schools

The Ministry of Educationwillbe refurbishing s e c t i o n s o f t h e Charlestown Secondary School to ensure that the students and teachers are properlyaccommodated.

Bidswereopenedforthe project at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB)officerecently According to NPTAB, the ministry is seeking a contractor to rehabilitate

Below are the companies and their bids: MinistryofEducation RehabilitationofHomeEconomics Room/Storeroom-CharlestownSecondary

RefurbishingMainStaffroom -CharlestownSecondary

the Home Economics Room/ Storeroom with works estimated to cost $13 2 million, the staff room (Top Flat) at an estimated cost of $12 9 million, the staff room (Math Room) for $8 6

million and the Main Staff room for $14 million A total account of the engineer’s estima

revealed that $49,919,205

undertaketheseworks.

RefurbishingStaffroom(MathRoom) -CharlestownSecondary

RefurbishingStaffroom (TopFlat)-CharlestownSecondary

Iran using drones and apps to enforce women’s dress code

Iran is using drones

and intrusive digital technology tocrushdissent,especially among women who refuse to obey the Islamic republic’sstrictdresscode, the United Nations has said.

Investigators say Iranian security officials are using a strategy of “ s t a t e - s p o n s o r e d vigilantism” to encourage people to use specialist phone apps to report women for alleged dress code violations in private vehicles such as taxis and ambulances.

Their new report also highlights the increasing use of drones and security cameras to m o n i t o r h i j a b compliance in Tehran andinsouthernIran

For women who defy the laws, or protest against them, the consequences are severe – arrest, beating, and evenrapeincustody

The findings of the I n d e p e n d e n t International FactFinding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran come after it determined last year that the country’s theocracy was responsible for the “physical violence” that led to the death in custody of Mahsa Amini in2022

Witnesses said the 22-year-old Kurd was badly beaten by the morality police during herarrest,butauthorities d e n i e d s h e w a s mistreated and blamed “sudden heart failure” for her death Her killing sparked a massive wave ofproteststhatcontinues today, despite threats of violent arrest and imprisonment.

hijab compliance, portraying it as a civic responsibility.”

At Tehran’s Amirkabir University, authorities installed facial recognition software at its entrance gatetoalsofindwomennot wearing the hijab, the reportsaid.

Surveillance cameras on Iran’s major roads are also being used to search foruncoveredwomen Investigators also said they obtained the “Nazer” mobile phone app offered by Iranian police, which allows “vetted” members of the public and the police to report on uncovered women in vehicles, including ambulances, buses,metrocarsandtaxis.

“Users may add the location, date, time and the licence plate number of the vehicle in which the alleged m a n d a t o r y hijab infraction occurred, which then ‘flags’ the vehicle online, alerting the police,” the report said

According to the report, a text message is then sent to the registered owner of the vehicle, warning them they had been found in v i o l a t i o n o f t h e mandatory hijab laws Vehicles could be impounded for ignoring thewarnings,itadded

The UN investigators interviewed almost 300 victims and witnesses –theyalsolookedin-depthat Iran’s judicial system, which they said lacks any realindependence.Victims of torture and other violations were also persecuted while their

KINGSTON, Jamaica

—ABritishmanandwoman were arrested by the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division (FNID) after they were caught smuggling cocaine worth $92.7 million at the N

M

checks for passengers

B

h Airways flight destined for London During routine interviews, a British man’s actions aroused the suspicion of

(NMIA) in Kingston on Wednesday Theiridentitiesarebeing withheld pending further investigations. According to reports, about 4:25 pm, FNID p e r s o n n e l w e r e

thepoliceandhisluggage wassearchedwhichledto the discovery of seven kilograms (15 pounds) of cocaine concealed in the lining of two suitcases he had During the same screening process, a British woman also aroused the suspicionofthelawmenand a thorough search of her l u g g a g e r e v e a l e d

approximately7.2kilograms (16pounds)ofcocaineinthe liningofhersuitcases.

The combined street valueoftheseizedcocaineis approximately £454,400 or JM$92.7million.

Both individuals were taken into custody and are beingprocessed.

This is the first cocaine seizure at NMIA since the startoftheyear

“Two-and-a-half years after the protests began in September 2022,womenandgirlsin Iran continue to face s y s t e m a t i c discrimination, in law and in practice, that permeates all aspects of their lives, particularly with respect to the enforcement of the mandatory hijab,” the reportsaid.

“ T h e s t a t e i s increasingly reliant on

s t a t e - s p o n s o r e d vigilantism in an apparent effort to enlist businesses and private individuals in

c a l l y intimidated”, according to theirreport.

They also found e v i d e n c e o f t h e extrajudicial executions of three child and three adult protesters, later dismissed bythestateassuicides.

The report also established additional cases of sexual violence in custody, citing the case of one arrested woman who was beaten severely, subjected to two mock executions, raped and then gang-raped.

The report will be presented to the Human Rights Council on 18 March.

Team Lausanne confirmed for One Guyana 3x3 Quest

Lausanne, one of 3x3’s heavyweights, will journey to Georgetown for the One Guyana 3x3 Quest, set for April 5 - 6 at the Cliff AndersonSportsHall.

T

he tournament’s winning team will earn a coveted spot in Edmonton, Canada, one of the circuit’s mostcelebratedstopsonthe 3x3WorldTour

After a seventh-place finishatthe2024WorldTour in Edmonton, Lausanne, ranked 11th globally by

FIBA, is looking to book its ticketbacktoCanada.

However, to do so, Lausannemustfirstnavigate ahighlycompetitivefieldin the One Guyana Quest, which will feature some of the most talented 3x3 teams fromacrosstheAmericas.

Lausanne’s roster is a blend of seasoned veterans and rising stars, featuring some of the most elite 3x3 playersworldwide.

At the forefront of the squad is Carlos Martinez,

Spain’s number-one-ranked 3x3 player and a prominent figure in the global 3x3 scene.

Known for his sharp strategic play and composure under pressure, Martinezisanessentialasset inLausanne’squesttosecure aspotinEdmonton.

Joining Martinez is GillesMartin,adynamicand flamboyant player from Switzerland, currently ranked fourth in his country byFIBA.

Jonathan Dubas, ranked second in Switzerland, is alsoanimportantmemberof TeamLausanne.

HailingfromLaTour-dePeilz,Dubashasrepresented Switzerland on the national t e a m a n d p l a y s professionally in Sweden, bringing a wealth of experience to the Lausanne squad.

Roundingouttheteamis Przemyslaw Zamojski from Poland, a seasoned 3x3 star with an e

Saturday March 15, 2025

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

Difficult predicaments could arise today if you try to exert your will over others without having the most honorable intentions, Aries. It could be that you're using someone else's fear of you to control himorher

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

The fire within you is raging today,Taurus,andyoushould becarefulhowyouwieldthis power Be proud and triumphant. Walk with your shouldersbackandheadhigh. Freedomisimportant.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

There may be a great deal of fuss over something that seems quite insignificant to you, Gemini. Try to see the beauty and importance of everythingaroundyou.

CANCER(June21–July22)

Thingsarecomingtoacritical point for you today, Cancer, and you may find that other people openly object to your actions. It's OK to be a bit selfish if the situation is appropriate.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Feelfreetospeakmoreloudly today, Leo. You'll find that things fall into place more easily if you speak your thoughts outwardly and directly in the presence of others. Bring your internal powerunderyourcontrol.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

Youshouldbaskinaglorious splendortoday,Virgo.There's a great deal of power at your disposal.You'll find your ego ishealthy,charged,andready forthebattlefield.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Add more sunshine to your day, Libra. It may be time to stir up your inner passion and let it speak with greater confidencethanyouhavebeen lately Make sure you heal yourself by letting the people aroundyouhearyourtruth.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)

You'llfindthatyoursparkcan easily turn potential energy into kinetic energy, Scorpio. Don'tunderestimatethepower of your words. Realize the profound impact they have on othersandtakeresponsibility

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

Don't dwell on your fluctuating moods today, Sagittarius. Look at the larger trends and how positive elements are coming together inyourfavor

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Thisisyourdaytoshineinall your glory, Capricorn. There's noneedtoholdanythingback. You'll find that you have a great deal of love to share. Your heart is likely to go to extremes today in order to proveitslove.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)Trynottolosesightofyour own projects or desires, Aquarius. There's a great deal of power and manipulative energy in the air today that could throw you off course if youaren'tcareful.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Recharge today by getting outside and stretching your arms to the sky, Pisces. Be proud and courageous. You have the power to turn an unhealthy situation into a positiveone,

internationalresume. Zamojski is Poland’s top-ranked 3x3 player and has earned numerous accolades, including bronze medalsatthe2019FIBA3x3 World Cup, the 2023 European Games, and the 2021EuropeCup.

W i t h O l y m p i c experience in both the 2020 and 2024 Games, where he finished seventh and sixth, respectively, Zamojski adds further depth to the Lausannelineup.

Berbice RiverBridge Closure to RoadTraffic

Together,theworld-class quartet brings a blend of experience, flair, and international pedigree to Lausanne, making them a formidable contender in the OneGuyana3x3Quest.

The One Guyana 3x3 Quest is not only a major milestone for the participatingteamsbutalsoa historic event for the Caribbean.

It will be the first-ever 3x3 Quest held in the E n g l i s h - s p e a k i n g Caribbean, and it promises to shine a well-deserved spotlight on basketball in Guyana and the broader Caribbeanregion.

The tournament will feature teams from across

Guyana, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the USA, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, Bermuda, St. Kitts

Demerara RiverBridge Closure to Road Traffic

SundayMarch16,2025 SundayMarch16,2025

nada, Guatemala, Suriname, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, and the CaymanIslands.

Rawle Toney, Vice President of the Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF) and Coordinator of the tournament, noted that “having Team Lausanne compete at the One Guyana Quest adds quality to the tournament that’s on par with any of the top 3x3 events globally Lausanne is aformidableteam,andbeing one of the top teams in the world, playing in Guyana adds tremendous value and recognition to what we’re trying to achieve in the Caribbean.”

Volcanoes

10-wickets with a day to spare - Motie (3-44, 6-38), Permaul (4-55, 3-46)

TevinImlachcoupledwitha whopping 16 wickets between left-arm spinners

Gudakesh Motie and

VeerasammyPermaul,setup acrushing10-wicketwinfor

the champs with an entire dayremaining.

Guyana finished on 324 all out by the afternoon of Day 3, carried by their captain Imlach, who carved his way to hundred number twothisseason.

The West Indies Test batsman Imlach pushed his team to a decent position with his timed knock of 113 off201balls,punchingjust8 fours as he showed toughness and class during hismagicalinnings.

Vice-captain Kemol Savoryagainmissedoutona half-century or more, scoring a vital 49 with additional support coming from Gudakesh Motie (32), opener Raymond Perez (33) while all-rounders Kevin Sinclair and Ronaldo Alimohamed chipped in with20runsapiece.

Volcanoes had a decent outing with the ball as medium-pacer Gilon Tyson snared 3-51 with useful support coming from offbreak spinner Kenneth Dember (3-92), while leggy DarelCyrusclaimed(3-82).

With a lead of 111, the Guyana Eagles made light work of their opponents in the second innings, keeping them to 135 all out in 47.5 overs. Left-arm spinner Motie had his best game to date, bagging an impressive 6-38togoalongwithhis1st innings 3-44 as he ended with9wicketsintotal.

His partner, the rearguard Permaul who

bagged 4-55, returned to claim an additional 3-46 whichbroughthismatchhaul to 7 scalps Volcanoes lost theiropenersaftertheyadded 42 as Jeremy Solozano (17) who nabbed LBW by Motie while Stephan Pascal (22), who hit four fours, became Permaul’s 5th wicket of the match WhenTeaarrived,the Volcanoes were 70-2 with their two Test players in Hodge and Athanaze at the crease. Aftertheresumption of play, the duo progressed but Motie had other ideas, first dismissing Hodge, who was another caught and bowledvictim

Athanaze missed a delivery which struck him dead on the pads to give Permaul another scalp and while leaving Volcanoes reeling. With their two big guns back in the locker room,Motiebroughtouthis Test cricket bag as he attackedthelesserremaining batsmen.

Soon, the wickets of Sunil Ambris (6), Shadrack Descarte (0), Ryan John (5) andTyson(0)wereaddedto thecollectionoftheleft-arm spinner, who much like in the first innings; got the job done with some help from theveteranPermaul.

Both batsmen resumed on40oddbutSavorywasthe

unluckyone,fallingLBWto Tysonjustoneshyofhisfifty afewoversintothemorning session. All-rounder Kevin Sinclair provided a bit of steadiness, punching a quartet of fours in his 20 off 26 before falling to a catch off the bowling of Dember, while a returning Keemo Paul (0) also lost his wicket via a catch thanks to some goodbowlingbyDescarte. Having got to his halfcentury on the other end, Imlach’s loss of a few key partners put Guyana a few paces back, before Alimohamed injected a few shots of energy with, smashingtwosixesandafour before being caught and bowledbyCyrus

Prior to having his woodwork rearranged by Cyrus,MotiejoinedhisTest teammatesImlachasthetwo forgeanicefiftypartnership, with the former finding the fenceonfouroccasions. Imlach kept toying with theVolcanoes ball operators and with a new man in Permaul(4)atthecrease,the 28-year-old on 96, eventuallyreverseswepthis way to another hundred, before falling to the guile of Tyson; as Dember bagged the final wicket of Permaul to seal the innings. (Clifton Ross)

West Indies Breakout League...

Frompage31

PelicansvWindwardIslandsInfernos

30 Apr 2025 | 2:00 PM | Trinidad & TobagoLegionsvJamaicaTitans

30 Apr 2025 | 7:00 PM | Barbados

PelicansvLeewardIslandsThunder

2May2025|2:00PM|JamaicaTitansv BarbadosPelicans

2May2025|7:00PM|LeewardIslands

ThundervTrinidad&TobagoLegions

4 May 2025 | 2:00 PM | Windward

Islands Infernos v Trinidad & Tobago

Legions 4 May 2025 | 7:00 PM | Guyana Rainforest Rangers v Leeward Islands

Thunder 6 May 2025 | 2:00 PM | Barbados

PelicansvGuyanaRainforestRangers

6May2025|7:00PM|JamaicaTitansv WindwardIslandsInfernos

7May2025|7:00PM|LeewardIslands

ThundervWindwardIslandsInfernos

Playoffs

9 May 2025 | 7:00 PM | Playoff – 2nd placevs3rdPlace

10May2025|7:00PM|Final–1stplace

vswinnerofPlayoff ABOUTTHEWESTINDIES BREAKOUTLEAGUE

The West Indies Breakout League is a premierT20crickettournamentdesignedto spotlight emerging talent from across the Caribbean. The league will feature teams representing the six territorial boards that comprise Cricket West Indies: Barbados Pelicans, Guyana Rainforest Rangers, Jamaica Titans, Leeward Islands Thunder, Trinidad & Tobago Legions and the WindwardIslandsInfernos.

Eligibility for the league is limited to players aged 30 or under at the start of the 2025 tournament who have played fewer than40ListAT20matchesandfewerthan10 T20 Internationals, ensuring a focus on developingnewtalent.

Each team is closely affiliated with a CaribbeanPremierLeague(CPL)franchise, providing players with an opportunity to showcase their skills on a larger stage and progresstheircricketingcareers.

A rampant Guyana Harpy Eagles team led by a mighty 113 from skipper

Gudakesh Motie

ESCL T20 bowls off tomorrow

Patrick Rooplall

Afascinating openingroundis

h i g h l y anticipated in the 2025 Essequibo Softball Cricket League (ESCL) T20, Over-

40 competition at two venues on the Essequibo Coast, Region 2 tomorrow, Sunday Two matches are slated for Reliance Sports ground

with the hosts taking on Devonshire Castle from 9 amwhileat1pmatthesame venue,defendingchampions Caribbean Cricket Club 2 willmeetupUntouchables.

And across at Richmond

facility from 9 am, RichmondUnitedwilltackle EssequiboLegendsandthen at 1 pm also at Richmond, Hibernia Strikes and Queenstown Tigers will do battle.

Chairman of the ESCL

Wakeel Layne stated that everything is set and very

successfulagain.

H

champion team will collect $100,000 and a trophy with

monetaryprizesatstake.

L

competitions, it will be a round-robin tournament beforethesemi-finalstage. Layne also took the opportunity to express his

participating teams and echoedsimilarsentimentsto the sponsors both from GuyanaandtheUSA.

West Indies Breakout

League to Launch in 2025

St JOHN’S, AntiguaCricket West Indies (CWI) and the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) are jointly launching the inaugural West Indies Breakout League, a new crickettournamentdesigned to spotlight emerging talent acrosstheregion.

The competition is scheduledtotakeplacefrom 25 April to 10 May 2025, featuring six teams and 17 matches.All the games will take place at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad.

Thesixteamstakingpart will be Barbados Pelicans, GuyanaRainforestRangers, Jamaica Titans, Leeward IslandsThunder,Trinidad& Tobago Legions and the WindwardIslandsInfernos.

Players eligible to participatemustbeunder30 yearsoldoratthestartofthe 2025 event, with limited p r o f e s s i o n a l experience—fewer than 40 List A T20 matches and fewer than 10 International T20s.

This initiative aims to bridge the gap between

domestic, CPL and international cricket, with eachteamcloselyassociated with their local territorial boardandaCPLfranchise.

The tournament will provide a crucial platform for the next generation of T20 stars, allowing them to showcase their skills and takesignificantstepsintheir careers.

Miles Bascombe, CWI’s

Director of Cricket, expressedhisenthusiasmfor the tournament, stating: “This tournament is a fantastic opportunity for the next wave of players to get the game time they need to push through to the next level and add depth in our T20 talent pool. We are delightedtocollaboratewith the CPL on this initiative, whichpromisestoprovidea strong platform for up-andcoming talent in the West Indies.”

Pete Russell, CEO of RepublicBankCPL,echoed these sentiments, saying:

“We are excited to join forces with Cricket West Indies to deliver a worldclass and sustainable

expected to come down on May 25 at a venue to be

superstar batsman Patrick Rooplallissettobeonshow and will be representing

tournament.Thisinitiativeis notonlyaninvestmentinthe futureofWestIndiescricket

but also a valuable opportunityforstakeholders towitnessexceptionaltalent andgreatcricket.”

The West Indies BreakoutLeagueispoisedto becomeakeyelementinthe region’scricketingcalendar, offering fans, players, and franchises a chance to play their part nurturing the next waveofcricketingstars.

Thefixturesforthe2025 West Indies Breakout Leagueareasfollows:

25Apr 2025 | 2:00 PM | Guyana Rainforest Rangers

vWindwardIslandsInfernos

25Apr 2025 | 7:00 PM | Trinidad & Tobago Legions

vBarbadosPelicans

26Apr 2025 | 2:00 PM | Jamaica Titans v Leeward IslandsThunder

26Apr 2025 | 7:00 PM | Trinidad & Tobago Legions

v Guyana Rainforest Rangers

29Apr 2025 | 2:00 PM |

Jamaica Titans v Guyana Rainforest Rangers 29 Apr

2025|7:00PM|Barbados (Continuedonpage30)

Caribbean Cricket Club 2 again. He is appointed to captainthesideaswell.

Since the formation of the ESCL in 2021, Rooplall hasbeentheonlybatsmanto register two doublecenturies.

The pugnacious righthanded batter Rooplall featured for a number teams over the years in Guyana, USA and Canada to fortify hisreputation.

Bahamas clinch semi-final spot with thrilling win over T&T, US join last four at Concacaf Beach Soccer Champs

SportsMax - As expected, host Bahamas sealed their place in the semi-finals of the 2025 Concacaf Beach Soccer

Championship with a nailbiting 5-4 win over

Caribbean rivals Trinidad and Tobago, while the United States powered past

Panama 5-1 to also book their spot on Thursday’s finalmatchdayinGroupBat the Malcolm Park Beach SoccerFacilityinNassau.

TheBahamastoppedthe group with six points, while the United States finished second with four points, edging Panama—who also ended with four points—on goaldifference.Trinidadand Tobago finished without a pointafterthreegames.

Semi-finals action, set for Saturday, will likely see the Bahamas face Group A runners-up Guatemala, while the United States are oncourseforaclashwithEl Salvador

The two finalists will automaticallyqualifyforthe 2025 FIFA Beach Soccer WorldCup.

The Bahamas thrilled the home crowd with the hard-fought victory over Trinidad and Tobago to secure their place atop GroupB

ItwastheSocaWarriors who struck first through Jordan Riley in the 10th minute of the opening period, but the hosts responded swiftly Wood Julmis netted the equalizer three minutes later, and Lekenson Chery added another goal just a minute after to give the Bahamas a 2-1lead

Riley,however,grabbed his second in the dying secondsofthefirstperiodto levelthematchoncemore

Thesecondperiodwasa back-and-forth affair, with

both teams trading goals

Brandon Adderley’s brace in the 11th and seventh minutes kept the Bahamas in the fight, while Akinola Gregory (ninth) and Zane Coker (fifth) struck for Trinidad and Tobago to keep the score deadlocked at4-4headingintothefinal period

It was Kyle Williams whoultimatelydeliveredthe decisive blow, when he found the back of the net in the seventh minute of the third period to put the Bahamasahead.

Thehostsheldfirminthe closing minutes to ensure theyadvanced.

Earlier,theUnitedStates kept their qualification hopes alive with their

Bahamas overcame TT to move to the semifinals. (Concacaf Media)

commanding victory over Panama. Ricardo Carvalho got the Stars and Stripes off to a flying start with two goals in the sixth and first minutes of the opening periodtogivetheAmericans anearly2-0lead.

Panama pulled one back through Alfonso Maquensi in the sixth minute of the second period, but Andrés Navas restored the two-goal cushion shortly after in the thirdminute.

The United States continuedtopress,andGabe Silveiraaddedafourthinthe 11th minute of the final period before Navas completed his brace two minutes later to seal the victory and a semi-final berth.

West Indies Masters Edge Sri Lanka...

Frompage34

as Tino Best removed TharangaandThirimannein quick succession, reducing Sri Lanka to 57-3 in the eighthover

Asela Gunaratne (64 off 42) then staged a brilliant fightback, forming a 41-run partnership with Seekkuge Prasanna(9off10)andlater adding a 39-run stand with IsuruUdana(21off10).

The required run rate remained manageable, but West Indies kept striking at

crucialintervals.

WithSriLankaeyeinga remarkable victory in the finalover,thegamewasona knife’sedge.However,Best delivered when it mattered most, dismissing Dilruwan Perera (11 off 6) in the penultimate ball, before conceding just one run off the final delivery, as Sri Lankafellagonizinglyshort at173-9.

TheWestIndiesMasters will now face India Masters in the final on Sunday,

March16,lookingtoavenge their seven-run loss in the groupstage.

With both teams having found their rhythm in the tournament, the final promises to be an exciting battle between two cricketingpowerhouses.

Can the West Indies claim the title, or will India complete a perfect campaign?Fanswon’twant to miss the grand finale of the International Masters T20League2025.

West Indies set to open against Scotland...

Frompage34

Ireland—GaddafiStadium(D/N)

Monday,April14

Pakistan vs West Indies Gaddafi Stadium(D/N)

Tuesday,April15

ThailandvsIreland—LCCA(Day)

Scotland vs Bangladesh Gaddafi Stadium(D/N)

Thursday,April17

Bangladesh vs West Indies—LCCA

(Day)

Pakistan vs Thailand Gaddafi Stadium(D/N)

Friday,April18

Ireland vs Scotland Gaddafi Stadium(D/N)

Saturday,April19

Pakistan vs Bangladesh LCCA (Day)

West Indies vs Thailand Gaddafi Stadium(D/N)

CWI president Shallow pays tribute to Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley’s enduring legacy

SportsMax - Cricket

WestIndies(CWI)president

Dr Kishore Shallow paid heartfelt tribute to Trinidad andTobago’sPrimeMinister

Dr Keith Rowley, celebrating his unwavering support for West Indies cricket and his enduring legacy as he prepares to leaveoffice.

In a statement, Dr

sport and his visionary leadership as Chair of t h e C A R I C O M S

m

t t e e o n Cricket—arolethatsawhim push for greater unity and

reform within West Indies cricket.

“Dr Rowley is a giant amongst men an u

institutions that define

declared

D

S

“His tenure as Chair o f t h e C A R I C O M

S

n Cricket was marked by bold decision-making

and an unsh

e passion for the game,” Shallowsaid.

Among the standout m o m e n

D r Rowley’s stewardship w

CARICOM C

Symposium, held last year The event brought together key stakeholders in the region to address challenges facing West Indies cricket and plot a path forward, a move Dr Shallow described as “a

t e s t a m e n t t o h i s determination to chart a stronger future for the game ”

Dr Rowleystepsdown as Prime Minister on March 16, 2025, leaving behin

reaching deep into the heart of Caribbean sport andculture

Under his watch, cricket the thread that binds the islands was championed as a tool for regional cohesion and pride

“For all he has done not just for cricket, butfortheadvancementof o u r C a r i b b e a n civilization Dr Rowley ought to be respected by every citizen of this region,” Dr Shallow added ‘ “His dedication, integrity,andcommitmentto high standards have left an indelible mark, and he will foreverberegardedasoneof the greatest friends of West Indiescricket,”henoted.

CWI president Dr. Kishore Shallow paid heartfelt tribute to Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley.

West Indies Masters Edge Sri Lanka in Thriller to Set Up International Masters League Final Clash with India

Best took 4 wickets for the Windies Masters.

SportsMax - The West Indies Masters held their nerve in a pulsating contest to defeat Sri Lanka Masters bysixrunsinthesemi-final of the International Masters T20 League, securing their place in the final against India Masters on Sunday, March16.

The victory was a measure of revenge for the Caribbeanside,whohadlost to Sri Lanka by 21 runs in the group stage. This time, Denesh Ramdin’s unbeaten 50andacrucialfour-wicket haulfromTinoBestensured that the Windies averted a dramatic Sri Lankan comeback, setting up a rematchwithIndiaMasters, who had beaten them by seven runs earlier in the competition.

Batting first after Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bowl, the West Indies suffered an early setback, losing Dwayne Smith for a duck in the opening over Lendl Simmons (17 off 12) and William Perkins (24 off 30) then put together a 44-run stand, steadying the innings before both fell in quick succession.

At 48-3 in the eighth over, West Indies needed a stabilizing presence, and Brian Lara provided just that. The legendary lefthander, who retired out on 41 off 33 balls, played a vintage innings filled with elegant strokes, ensuring thatWestIndiesdidnotlose momentum.

Ramdin then took over, crafting a crucial 50 off just 22balls,anchoringa49-run stand with Chadwick Walton (31 off 20) before finishing the innings strongly alongside Ashley Nurse (2 off 4). The final push from Ramdin, which included four boundaries and two sixes, propelled WestIndiestoacompetitive 179-5in20overs,settingSri Lankaadauntingchase.

Sri Lanka’s chase began aggressively, with Upul Tharanga (30 off 22) and LahiruThirimanne(9 off 7) adding 31 runs for the first wicket However, Ashley Nurse made the key breakthrough, dismissing Kumar Sangakkara (17 off 15)inthefifthover West Indies turned the screwsinthemiddleovers

(Continuedonpage32)

West Indies set to open against Scotland in ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier

SportsMax - The West Indies Women will begin their quest for a spot in the ICCWomen’sCricketWorld Cup 2025 when they face Scotlandontheopeningday oftheQualifier,whichbowls off on April 9 in Pakistan. The two sides will clash at the Lahore City Cricket

Association (LCCA)

Gr

Pakistan take on Ireland at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium in the other opening-day fixture.This sixth edition of the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier runs from April 9 to 19 and will see

, Ireland, Pakistan, and the West Indies compete along

A

ociate Members Scotland and Thailand in a 15-match league tournament. The top two teams will secure their spots in the ICC Women’s CricketWorldCuplaterthis year Australia,England,New Zealand, South Africa, and Sri Lanka have already sealed their places in the World Cup by virtue of finishinginthetopsixofthe

I C C W o m e n ’ s Championship (2022–25), alongsidehostsIndia.

The Qualifier features teams that finished between seventh and 10th in the Championship Banglades h, Ireland, Pakistan, and the West Indies—as well as the two highest-ranked sides fromtheICCWomen’sODI Team Rankings as of October28,2024,whichare ThailandandScotland.

By all indications, the tournamentpromisesseveral mouthwatering encounters, with the West Indies set to face Pakistan under lights at the Gaddafi Stadium on April 14, and a showdown

against Bangladesh at the LCCA on April 17. The group stage wraps up with a clash between subcontinental rivals Pakistan andBangladeshattheLCCA onApril19.

ICC CEO Geoff Allardice expressed his excitement about the competition.

“The six competing teamsarejustonestepaway from the Women’s Cricket World Cup, and I am sure they will all be eagerly looking forward to the competition. On behalf of theICC,Iwouldliketowish theteamsallthebestforthe tournamentinLahoreaspart

ofthebuild-uptotheCricket World Cup later this year,” Allardicesaid.

FullMatchSchedule:

Wednesday,April9

P a k i s t a n v s

Ireland Gaddafi Stadium (Day) West Indies vs Scotland LCCA (Day) Thursday,April10Thailand vs Bangladesh LCCA (Day) Friday, April 11

P a k i s t a n v s

Scotland LCCA (Day)

I r e l a n d v s W e s t Indies Gaddafi Stadium (Day) Sunday, April 13

S c o t l a n d v s

Thailand LCCA (Day) Bangladeshvs (Continuedonpage32)

Denesh Ramdin hit an unbeaten 50.

The West Indies Women will begin their quest for a spot in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 when they face Scotland on the opening day of the Qualifier on April 9 in Pakistan. 2025

MessiscoresoffthebenchasMiamiprogressinJamaica

AFP - Lionel Messi came off the bench and scoredasInterMiamieased intothequarter-finalsofthe CONCACAF Champions Cup with a 2-0 win at Jamaica’s Cavalier earning

them a 4-0 win on aggregate.

Messi, who had been rested for Miami’s last three games including the first leg against Cavalier, started on the bench but came on in the 53rd minutetothedelightofthe crowd at the National Stadium

The Argentine scored Miami’s second with the final kick of the game, running on to a fine

through ball from

teenager Santiago Morales and clipping it

first-time past the advancingVincoBarclett

With the home side’s hopes of an upset win already dashed there were cheers for the goal from the Jamaican fans who were delighted to see the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner play in their countryforthefirsttime Miami knew an away goal would kill the tie

and they began in positive mode with a long-range drive from Te l a s c o S e g o v i a flashing wide

A bumpy surface made it tricky for either side to play much in the way of attractive passing football but Miami showed urgency and Luis Suarez flashed a well-struck volley just widefromatightangle.

M i a m i l o s t midfielder David Ruiz to injury with Benjamin

Cremaschi replacing him in the centre of the park but the visitors

continued to press forward

The goal came in the

37th minute when

Inter ’s Argentine forward Tadeo Allende

went down under

c h a l l e n g e f r o m

Christopher Ainsworth

and referee Keylor Villalobos pointed the spot

Suarez confidently rattled home the penalty to give the visitor’s a 30 lead on aggregate and a cushion of comfort that allowed them to play out the rest of the game with little stress

Gilles Martin, one of Switzerland’s top 3x3 players.

Team Lausanne confirmed for One Guyana 3x3 Quest

10-wickets with a day to spare

Skipper Tevin Imlach led the performers with a century

- Motie (3-44, 6-38), Permaul (4-55, 3-46)

CWI and the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League are set to jointly launching the inaugural West Indies Breakout League.

West Indies Breakout League to Launch in 2025

Carlos Martinez, Spain’ one 3x3 player