…call for suspension of mining in the area

SINCE the discovery of the first Coronavirus case here was made public in March, several South Rupununi villages have been putting measures in place to prevent the pandemic from reaching their communities.

Recently, the villages which fall under the South Rupununi District Council (SRDC) have been facing an uphill task, since miners who pass through the villages en route to the mining areas have had little regard for the preventative measures put in place to ensure the safety of their residents.

The SRDC noted on Saturday that it is particularly worried about the continuous influx of miners into the villages while en route to the Wakadanao and Marudi gold mines, and that business people from Georgetown are also adding to the issue. “We find this to be disrespectful and a violation of our right to safeguard the well-being and health of our people. We are very concerned that persons coming in can bring undetected cases of the Coronavirus into the mining areas, which can then spread into our villages,” the SRDC said.

On Monday last, a Guyanese man with Brazilian citizenship tested positive for the coronavirus, the first confirmed case in the Rupununi. The man fled the isolation facility at the Lethem Regional Hospital, but was arrested hours later by the Brazilian federal police. It was then revealed that the man village-hopped several areas in the Rupununi, as well as parts of Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), including Monkey Mountain and Paramakatoi.
“The confirmation of the first case of COVID-19 in Lethem, Region 9 on May 11 underscores the urgency and necessity of the measures our villages have put in place,” the SRDC said.

Sources say that the man reportedly travelled across SRDC territory to and from the Marudi mines, making stops within several villages along the way. “This case reveals how easy it is for the coronavirus to enter our communities, and why we sent an urgent request on April 14 and 21 that the Government halt mining in the South Rupununi,” the village councils said.

MINING NOT ‘ESSENTIAL’
It was noted that a request was finally acknowledged recently after the Council presented a copy of its requests to Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence, when she visited Aishalton Village on May 8. “The case also highlights the question of why Guyana has designated mining as an “essential service” and put the lives of miners and the communities living near mining areas at risk,” the SRDC said.

It was noted by the SRDC that with the participation of village councils, it has been working “hard to protect our people during this global public health crisis.”
It said that this is being undertaken by ensuring that residents have updated, accurate information regarding the pandemic; and that 15 illegal border crossings have been blocked, and monitoring checkpoints and gates into Wapichan territory have been established.

“We find the suggestions by the Region 9 REO that we ‘misunderstand’ our role to be offensive and misguided. The fundamental duty of governments is to safeguard and protect its people, and we have taken up our responsibilities with the heavy burden of knowledge of the devastating impacts of past pandemics on indigenous populations. Miners, on more than one occasion, have misrepresented information to authorities in order to gain passage through the gates,” the SRDC said.

It said that in one instance, police ranks from Lethem travelled the hours-long trip to demand that the keepers of the gate at the village of Shulinab open the gate for a particular miner who has had a history of exploiting Amerindians. The SRDC said it has complained to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) about the miner on numerous occasions.

“We therefore again repeat our urgent request for support in this cause by the Government and relevant agencies to protect our people and to minimize the infiltration and spread of COVID-19 into Wapichan communities. In particular, we demand that mining be halted for the duration of the public health crisis and that our authority to monitor entry and access into our territory be respected,” the villages said.

“We remain vigilant and hopeful in overcoming this dreadful pandemic and stand in solidarity with all who are affected during this time,” the villages noted.

INCREASINGLY WORRIED
Rupununi residents are growing increasingly worried over the state of affairs in neighbouring Brazil, as that country’s positive cases of the Coronavirus have climbed sharply past the 150,000 mark in recent days. More than 10,000 persons have died from complications attributed to the virus in the neighbouring country.

On Friday, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Karen Boyle called on miners who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 to seek medical assistance before venturing into the mining communities.
At the moment, a debate is ongoing as regards mining being deemed an essential service.