By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Relatives of passengers still unaccounted for following the sinking of the M.V. Barima, joined by the families of maritime workers currently facing criminal charges over the catastrophe, staged a demonstration outside the Office of the President on Shiv Chanderpaul Drive on Tuesday, demanding that the state immediately salvage the sunken vessel as the maritime tragedy approaches two months.
The picket line brought to the fore sharp accusations of systemic injustice, state negligence, and unequal financial compensation, alongside claims that lower-level operational employees are being scapegoated while senior administrative officials evade judicial scrutiny.
Families Demand Vessel Be Raised to Recover Bodies and Physical Evidence
A core demand uniting the grieving families on the picket line is the immediate refloating and salvage of the sunken M.V. Barima, which foundered on July 18, 2026:
- Desperate Search for Remains: Relatives expressed anguish that divers and state recovery teams have not retrieved their loved ones from the submerged wreckage. Georgina Lowe, whose son Brian Thomas remains missing at sea while the body of another son was previously recovered, pleaded for the vessel to be raised without further delay.
- Forensic Value for Accountability: Indigenous rights activist Laura George, who joined the demonstration, underscored that refloating the ship is critical not only to provide closure to grieving relatives, but also to recover essential physical evidence to establish the root causes of the maritime disaster. George criticized the government’s approach to date as sluggish and dismissive of victims’ families.
“I would glad if they raise the vessel early as possible because I need to see my son, even if is he bone or something,” Lowe told reporters outside the presidential complex.
Disparity in State Funeral Grants Sparks Outrage
Demonstrators also raised concerns regarding what they described as inconsistent and unexplained disparities in state financial aid distributed to affected families:
- Inconsistent Burial Sums: Jasmine Cort, the daughter and niece of missing brothers Neil Cort and Kenrick Cort, disclosed that while her family was allocated $650,000 for each brother to assist with funeral and burial expenses, another bereaved family received significantly less.
- The Thomas Case Discrepancy: Cort stated that upon consulting with the Thomas family, relatives were informed they had received only $350,000 following the death of their nine-year-old boy.
- Call for Equity: Cort questioned why compensation figures varied so sharply between families, demanding uniform standards for all victims of the tragedy.
“I will stand every single Tuesday until that is done. They will not sweep this under the rug. These are real people,” Cort declared. “After talking with the Thomas’ family, that is when we were made to understand that they received 350,000 dollars… for their 9-year-old brother. Why is the figure different? There is no life that is more important. All lives on that boat deserve the same amount of treatment, same amount of respect.”
Families of Remanded Maritime Workers Allege Scapegoating
The protest also served as a rallying point for relatives of Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) personnel who have been arrested, criminally charged, and remanded to prison in connection with the shipwreck:
- Goods Superintendent Remanded: Marlene Grandison, mother of remanded T&HD Goods Superintendent Delon Grandison, insisted her son is innocent of criminal negligence, highlighting that he had completed his shift and was at home when the vessel sank.
- Targeting Lower-Level Staff: Demonstrators argued that authorities have focused prosecutorial actions on lower-level civil servants while shielding high-ranking transport administrators and maritime regulators responsible for vessel seaworthiness, inspections, and fleet maintenance.
- High Spirits in Custody: Marlene Grandison noted that while her son remains in good spirits behind bars, his continued incarceration is a miscarriage of justice that the state must rectify.
“I don’t think Delon should be in prison… because he was not on the boat. He finished working and was at home, and all of a sudden he ended up in prison,” Marlene Grandison stated. “I would like my son to be with his family—that is where he belongs.”
Protesters reiterated their intention to maintain regular demonstrations outside the Office of the President every Tuesday until the administration commits to a firm timeline to salvage the M.V. Barima, levels state compensation across all affected households, and holds senior transport officials accountable.
