CARICOM crime symposium to coincide with Indian PM’s visit to Guyana

Last Updated on Sunday, 20 October 2024, 11:58 by Writer

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders are to hold a second symposium on widespread violent crime across the region in Guyana, shortly after holding talks with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi in Georgetown, officials said Saturday.

Though Barbados’ Prime Minister, Mia Mottley did not name the visiting leader to the region, multiple sources have confirmed that Mr Modi is due to visit Guyana next month for a CARICOM-India summit.

“It is a troubling development that threatens the safety and harmony of our communities and that is why for the second time in recent years, the Heads of Government will go to Georgetown, Guyana – they were to do it in Barbados but from the time we knew that we have a Heads of  Government Conference with a visiting Head of State from elsewhere, we would need to shift the conference to next month – November ,” she said.

Word of the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Guyana was first made known by Norway’s former Environment Minister, Erik Solheim at a high-level meeting with President Irfaan Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo.

The first symposium of regional leaders on tackling gun violence was held in Trinidad in April 2023, but since then Caribbean countries continue to grapple with gang warfare, and gun-related shootings including homicides.

Current and former police chiefs of Barbados and Dutch St Maarten as well as lawmakers in The Bahamas have lamented the extent to which criminal violence has been affecting the entire Caribbean. The United States has been assisting CARICOM nations through their Implementing Agency on Crime and Security to stem the flow of guns from the US to the region.