Indigenous Peoples

Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall on Thursday said the refusal of two politicians into the National Toshaos Council Conference (NTC) was justified because the Amerindian Act does not give all Amerindians the automatic right to participation. “This section clearly requires the National Toshaos Council to permit persons to attend its meeting. In other words, persons can only attend the meeting ...

At least two opposition Amerindian politicians were barred from participating in the National Toshaos Council Conference, arguing that their legal right to be there was violated. A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) parliamentarian, Vincent Henry, who is also Leader of the Guyana Action Party, and the People’s National Congress Reform’s Mervyn Williams said they were not allowed to ...

The Amerindian People’s Association (APA) on Wednesday assailed President Irfaan Ali for a number of misrepresentations and inaccuracies in his address to the opening of the 2024 National Toshaos Council (NTC) Conference. In an address dotted with several implicit references to the APA and the political opposition, the President said his address was aimed at “factually” addressing several matters and ...

Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Aubrey Norton on Tuesday said he did not believe that cash and other disbursements to Indigenous Amerindian communities would dent the opposition’s chances of securing their votes in next year’s general and regional elections. “In fact, I believe that the PPP’s support will increase our votes,” he said when asked by Demerara ...

President Irfaan Ali on Monday announced that more carbon credit earnings would be allocated to Indigenous Amerindian communities this year although the actual revenue has dropped compared to 2023. While Guyana this year earned US$87.5 million from the American oil company, Hess Corporation, for the purchase of carbon credits, he said Amerindian communities would not take less based on the ...

Guyana on Thursday signalled that it would not abide by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) recommendation that that the Akawaio community of Isseneru in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) be compensated for violation of their land, health and other rights. After speaking with Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said Thursday she related that ...

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has ordered the Guyana government to compensate the Akawaio community at Isseneru (Region 7: Cuyuni-Mazaruni) for violating their rights to land, mining by themselves and health services. “Such reparations should include compensation, satisfaction and any other measures that may be appropriate in accordance with Inter-American standards, including the provision of the required health ...

Amid concerns by Guyana that Venezuela’s military is increasing activity on their side of the border, Brazil and the United States (US) on Wednesday reiterated at the Organisation of American States (OAS) that there must be a peaceful settlement of the territorial controversy over the Essequibo county. US Ambassador to the OAS, Francisco Mora told the OAS’ Permanent Council that ...

The Caribbean Organisation of Indigenous Peoples (COIP) plans to ask the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to fund a project to preserve and promote the use of Indigenous languages, according to COIP Chairman Chief Ricardo Bharath-Hernandez. He said the proposal could be formulated and submitted to the Barbados-headquartered regional bank within the next three months, after the COIP and its affiliates ...

The opposition People’s National Congress Reform-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), and the Alliance For Change (AFC) have issued separate calls for the carbon credit payout to Amerindian villages to be increased from 15 percent to between 25 percent and 85 percent. Questions are lingering about how exactly government apparently arrived unilaterally at 15 percent. For its part, AFC ...