By: Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News |
An Amerindian community in Region Eight has moved to the High Court, challenging what it describes as an unlawful security operation that resulted in the arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment of dozens of people in the North Pakaraimas.
The Village Council of Kanapang has filed legal proceedings against the State, seeking $3 million per day in damages over the alleged незакон arrest and detention of residents and neighbouring villagers during a multi-agency operation carried out on November 13.
The operation involved ranks from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Guyana Police Force (GPF), and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), and was conducted on Kanapang’s titled Amerindian lands.
According to the village’s attorney, Darren Wade, the operation was executed without the consent of the Village Council, without warrants, and without prior notice, actions he says violate both the Amerindian Act and constitutional safeguards.
During the operation, 27 Brazilian nationals—men and women from border communities along the Guyana–Brazil frontier—were arrested and charged with illegal entry and illegal mining. Several of those accused were taken before the Mahdia Magistrates’ Court, where some were convicted and sentenced to up to six months’ imprisonment.
However, Wade has raised serious concerns about the legality of the proceedings. He argues that many of the accused do not speak or understand English, are fluent only in Portuguese, and were either provided with inadequate interpretation services or no interpreter at all during court hearings.
The attorney further disclosed that prosecutors have since acknowledged that formal authority to prosecute was not properly presented, leading to the matter being adjourned to January 29, 2026.
The Kanapang Village Council contends that the arrests, prosecutions, and detentions amount to arbitrary detention, breaching constitutional protections, domestic law, and international human rights obligations, including the rights to liberty, a fair trial, and equal protection under the law.
Wade added that the case has drawn significant attention in Brazil, with the Brazilian Embassy engaging Guyanese authorities over humanitarian and consular concerns related to the detained nationals.
The matter now awaits further judicial review in the High Court.
