“Way Past Sickening”: MP Amanza Walton-Desir Blasts GPL and Gov’t Over Massive Sunday Blackout
By: Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Frustration reached a boiling point on Sunday as a widespread power outage plunged large sections of Demerara into darkness, prompting a scathing rebuke from Opposition Member of Parliament Amanza Walton-Desir. During a raw and “informative” Facebook Live broadcast, the MP took the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and the Ali administration to task, questioning why billions in oil-funded investments have failed to secure even the most basic grid stability.
The outage, which struck at approximately 08:50 hrs on Sunday, April 26, 2026, was triggered when heavy-duty machinery at a road construction site made contact with a critical high-voltage transmission line.
The Incident: Excavator vs. The L10 Line
GPL confirmed that the disruption was caused by an excavator attached to China Railway First Group, which was conducting road expansion works on Dennis Street.
- The Fault: The machinery struck the 69,000-volt L10 transmission line, which serves as a vital artery linking the New Georgetown and Sophia substations.
- The Fallout: The contact caused the entire Demerara Interconnected System (DIS) to trip, affecting Georgetown, the East Bank, East Coast, and West Demerara for several hours.
- The Arrest: In a move Walton-Desir labeled “political grandstanding,” the Guyana Police Force arrested the site engineer, Xiou Wei, shortly after the incident.
“Smart Switches” and the Fragile Grid
A central theme of Walton-Desir’s critique was the technical “incompetence” of a grid that can be brought down by a single localized accident.
- Grid Sectioning: The MP reminded the public of previous parliamentary debates regarding smart switches and “sectioning off” transmission lines. “If an incident affects utility poles in one area, the entire grid should not be affected,” she argued.
- The “Rat and Bird” Paradox: She expressed disbelief that despite having two power ships and massive subventions, a single excavator—or even a bird or a rat—could still collapse the entire interconnected system.
- Expensive Failure: Walton-Desir questioned the “billions and billions” being funneled into GPL, asserting that the company remains the most unreliable utility provider in CARICOM despite Guyana’s status as the world’s fastest-growing economy.
The Solution: Digital Permits and Accountability
Rather than arresting engineers after the fact, Walton-Desir proposed a proactive, digitized approach to infrastructure safety.
- Digital “Dig” Permits: She advocated for legislation requiring any contractor using heavy machinery near major power lines to obtain a digital permit from GPL.
- Real-Time Monitoring: This system would notify GPL of exactly when and where work is occurring, allowing the company to mobilize safety staff to the site to prevent contact with high-powered lines.
- Systemic Overhaul: “Arresting the engineer does not say how the problem would be solved,” she challenged, calling for an organized approach that holds both contractors and the utility provider accountable.
A Call for Collective Advocacy
In her closing remarks, Walton-Desir turned her focus to the citizenry, asking if the public’s own political divisions are preventing the collective advocacy needed to force change. As the government continues to boast of oil wealth and modernization, the MP’s “hot and bothered” address serves as a reminder that for the average Guyanese, the true measure of development is not found in GDP percentages, but in the simple reliability of a light switch.
