A senior Indigenous leader has called for national unity and condemned efforts to “exploit” the MV Barima tragedy for divisive ends, urging residents to stand in solidarity with the government as it works towards a resolution.
Speaking at a community engagement on Wednesday, Senior Councillor Earl Rodrigues of Karaburi Village said he was “strongly” opposed to what he described as a movement seeking to use the incident to turn communities against each other.
“As a leader, as part of the Village Council, I strongly condemn the movement that has been trying to exploit the people to the means of causing division among the communities,” Rodrigues said.
Rodrigues stressed that villagers were aware of the administration’s ongoing efforts to address the fallout from the MV Barima tragedy and urged residents to reject narratives aimed at deepening tensions.
“Rest assured, we all know this and see that the President and his government is trying their best to bring these issues to a conclusion,” he said.
Calling for a unified response, Rodrigues appealed to residents to back the authorities as investigations and remedial efforts continue.
“I believe we should stand in solidarity with the government,” he added, while reiterating his concern about external actors seeking to “cause division among the communities”
On Tuesday, it was reported that recovery operations following the sinking of the MV Barima were concluded, bringing an end to more than two weeks of intensive efforts following the maritime disaster.
The Office of the Prime Minister also confirmed that there has been no change in the status of the identification of the recovered bodies.
The conclusion of the operation comes after authorities mounted what has been described as the largest maritime search and recovery effort in the country’s history, deploying aircraft, maritime vessels, specialist divers and emergency response teams in an attempt to locate victims trapped inside or around the wreck.
French military divers involved in the operation had earlier reported extremely challenging conditions at the wreck site, including zero visibility, strong currents and a maze of ropes and hammocks inside the submerged vessel.
Authorities have determined that approximately 179 people were aboard the vessel when it sank on the night of July 18, while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma in Region One (Barima-Waini). Although only 133 names appeared on the official passenger manifest, the disaster claimed 73 lives, 76 people were rescued, and 30 remain missing.
While the search and recovery phase has now concluded, efforts are continuing to address the aftermath of the tragedy.
The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) has already invited qualified marine salvage contractors to submit Expressions of Interest for the recovery of the wreck, which remains submerged about 28 nautical miles off the Guyana coast in approximately 15 metres of water.
According to the tender notice, the vessel is lying on its side in soft mud under difficult operating conditions, with poor visibility, strong currents and tidal streams.
Prospective contractors will be required to demonstrate their ability to safely recover the vessel while preserving evidence for investigators, including the international Commission of Inquiry (CoI), which formally began its work last week.
The five-member commission, chaired by former Belizean Justice of Appeal, Justice Godfrey Phillip Smith, has been tasked with establishing the facts surrounding the sinking, determining its causes and contributing factors, assessing compliance with maritime laws and operational standards, evaluating the effectiveness of the search, rescue and recovery operations, and recommending reforms to strengthen Guyana’s maritime transportation system.
Expressions of Interest for the salvage operation must be submitted to MARAD by August 14, after which shortlisted, firms will be invited to submit detailed technical and financial proposals before a contractor is selected.
