GEORGETOWN — The Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) has issued a powerful statement condemning the deadly explosion at the Mobil Gas Station on Regent and King Streets, Georgetown, which claimed the life of six-year-old Soraya Bourne and left several others injured. Calling the event a “national tragedy that has shaken the conscience of every Guyanese,” the Movement extended heartfelt condolences to the Bourne family and wished the injured victims a full recovery.
The FGM said that while the investigation must determine the facts, early reports and CCTV footage suggesting the involvement of a foreign national raise serious national security concerns. The group linked the tragedy to what it described as “longstanding failures in immigration oversight, border control, and intelligence coordination”, weaknesses, it said, that have been repeatedly ignored by the government despite prior warnings.
The Movement recalled that in recent months, Guyana experienced two similar incidents, explosions at the East Ruimveldt Police Outpost and a nearby Guyana Power and Light (GPL) facility, both of which remain under investigation. “Whether or not these events are connected, the trend points to a disturbing lapse in national preparedness,” the FGM stated.
“The government’s inability to anticipate and neutralize these threats has placed the Guyanese public in a position of fear and uncertainty.” In a direct appeal to President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the Movement called for an emergency bipartisan meeting with all opposition leaders to craft a coordinated national response to emerging security threats.
“This is not a time for political division,” the statement read. “It is a time for collective leadership, for standing as one people in defense of our country and our children.”The FGM urged the government to provide clear and credible reassurances to citizens, including concrete plans to tighten border security, improve intelligence-sharing among law enforcement agencies, and strengthen national emergency response systems.
It also called on the Guyana Police Force and other authorities to “deploy every available resource” to track down and prosecute those responsible for the explosion. Still, the Movement cautioned the public against xenophobia or racial scapegoating in the aftermath of the tragedy. “This is a moment for solidarity, not suspicion,” it emphasized.
“No one should be targeted based on ethnicity, language, or nationality. The true strength of Guyana lies in unity, justice, and humanity.”
