Guyana-Suriname ferry service suspended
Guyana-Suriname ferry terminal at Moleson Creek
Guyana-Suriname ferry terminal at Moleson Creek

–service expected to recommence next Wednesday

THE management of the Guyana-Suriname ferry service on Friday announced a full lockdown for the coming weekend, from 18:00 hours on Friday, April 16, to 05:00 hours on Monday, April 19. Although no information was given as to the reason for the lockdown, an advisory published on the Ministry of Public Works’ social media pages, disclosed that lockdown was instituted by the Government of Suriname. As a result, there will be no service on Sunday, April 18. The ferry, which plies the Moleson Creek, Corentyne to South Drain, Suriname route, recommenced its service on Sunday, February 21, 2021, after an almost one-year suspension due to COVID-19-related health concerns. The service, however, was limited to usage by only Guyanese and Surinamese. The Moleson Creek crossing was slated to be reopened on December 12, 2020, following its closure in March 2020, owing to the emergence of the novel coronavirus that had quickly developed into a pandemic.

Unfortunately, even with the reopening of Guyana’s major airports and borders, the resumption of the Guyana-Suriname ferry service was stalled after it was reported that a number of Cuban refugees had been camping out at the Suriname end of the border, waiting to travel to Guyana.
It is believed that the Cubans had intended to use Guyana as a trans-shipment point to the United States of America.
For years, the Guyana-Suriname ferry service served as a critical and legal link between the two countries, mutually improving economic and cultural relations. Without the ferry service, scores of persons in Suriname and Guyana usually resort to the alternative “backtrack” routes.
The management of the ferry service apologised for the inconvenience caused, and noted that service will recommence on Wednesday, April 21, 2021.

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