By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News |
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — A tense standoff has developed in front of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) as residents of “Red Road,” Sophia (D Field), entered their second day of protests against a government mandate to vacate their homes. The demonstration coincided with the ongoing 2026 Budget Debates, adding a layer of high-stakes political friction to the residents’ plea for housing justice.
Protesters claim they were issued a final ultimatum by government representatives to remove their structures by Saturday, February 7, 2026, to make way for the expansion of critical road and drainage infrastructure.
Grievances of the Displaced
The residents, many of whom have occupied the road shoulders for years, expressed deep frustration over what they termed “unfair and unequal treatment.” While the Ministry of Housing and Water has engaged in relocation talks, the residents highlighted several core issues:
- Lack of Infrastructure: Those who were allocated house lots elsewhere claim the new sites are undeveloped, lacking water, electricity, drainage, and basic road access.
- Affordability Crisis: Squatters reported being asked to pay between $1.5 million and $1.7 million for new plots—figures they say are impossible to meet given their low-income status.
- Treatment of “Foreigners”: In a poignant moment of the protest, some residents accused the government of prioritizing foreign developers and investors over the housing needs of local Guyanese citizens.
“We’ve been victimized, and we believe that is enough,” one resident stated. “We are out here because we should be treated fairly and equally. If the theme of the 2026 budget is ‘Putting People First,’ we are asking if this is the way the government intends to do it.”
The “Red Road” Upgrade Project
The Ministry of Public Works has previously defended the relocation as necessary for the $1.5 billion upgrade of the E Field main access road. The project, which commenced in late 2025, aims to widen the thoroughfare to 10 meters to connect Sophia to the new Cummings Lodge Housing Scheme and Eccles.
Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill recently noted that while 62 persons are currently occupying the road shoulder, these “encumbrances” must be cleared to complete the concrete drains and pedestrian walkways by the July 2026 deadline.
Political Tensions Rise
The protest comes at a time when the opposition has been hammering the government over its “concrete-heavy” budget. Opposition MPs used the scene outside the ACCC to bolster their arguments that the $1.558 trillion fiscal plan favors contractors over human welfare.
As the Saturday deadline looms, residents of Red Road say they have nowhere to go and are calling for a stay of the “bulldozing” orders until viable, fully-equipped housing alternatives are provided.
