‘Guyana still ranked among corrupt nations’ …flagged for intimidation of independent media, civil society

Feb 11, 2026 News

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…moves one point up corruption index

(Kaieteur News) – Guyana has edged up one place on Transparency International’s (TI) 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), but the modest improvement is overshadowed by renewed warnings about harassment of independent media and civil society, which the watchdog says is weakening oversight and accountability.

The report which was released on Tuesday noted that Guyana scored 39 points on the index last year and this year moved to 40. The country is ranked 84 out of the 184 countries. Last year the group had stated that Guyana had been captured by the economic and political elites here, fostering misappropriation of resources, illicit enrichment and environmental crimes.

“In Guyana, state capture by economic and political elites fosters misappropriation of resources, illicit enrichment and an environmental crime,” the Transparency International report said last year. It added: “Although the country has created anti-corruption institutions and laws, transparency and law enforcement are very low, and attacks on dissenting voices, activists and journalists increasingly common.”

There has been widespread complaints of massive corruption in government and accusations that billion-dollar contracts are being handed out to friends and families of government officials. Several government ministers are also fingered in corruption schemes – some allegedly owning construction companies, hotels and other businesses and have assigned persons to front them. In its 2023 report, Transparency International had said that the fight against corruption here had stagnated in recent years after the country had dug itself out of the morass during the years of the previous PPP/C government. When the PPP/C had demitted office back in 2015, the country was scoring below 30 points, however during the years of the APNU+AFC that score steadily improved reaching 41 by 2020. Five full years since the PPP/C returned to government, the ranking has dropped to 40.

Back in March 2024, the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) had released its findings on Guyana, expressing concerns over the nation’s institutional framework to combat corruption. The report acknowledged Guyana’s adoption of laws and regulations to tackle corruption, including the establishment of a Special Organised Crime Unit (S.O.C.U) within the Guyana Police Force (GPF). However, it highlights lingering concerns regarding the effectiveness of the institutional setup to prevent and prosecute corruption, particularly within the police force and among high-level public officials. Specific concerns outlined in the report include instances where the Commissioner of Information failed to address public requests and the delayed enforcement of the Protected Disclosures and Witness Protection Act.

To address these issues, the Committee urged Guyana to intensify its efforts to promote good governance and combat corruption at all levels of government. This includes addressing the root causes of corruption as a priority, ensuring impartial investigation and prosecution of all corruption cases, enhancing the independence, transparency, and accountability of anti-corruption bodies, guaranteeing effective access to information held by relevant authorities, and expediting the implementation of measures to protect whistleblowers and witnesses. Additionally, the Committee calls for thorough investigations into allegations of corruption in the management of natural resources, particularly within the oil and gas sector, highlighting the importance of transparency and accountability measures in this critical area. Moreover, the Committee had expressed concern over reports of corruption and lack of transparency in the management of natural resources, particularly within the oil and gas sector. It calls for thorough investigations into allegations of corruption in this sector and emphasises the importance of transparency and accountability measures.

No progress

Meanwhile, according to Transparency International, the Americas showed no progress in the fight against corruption in 2025 with the region scoring an average of just 42 out of 100. Since 2012,12 of the 33 countries have significantly worsened, the group said while only Dominican Republic (37) and Guyana (40) have significantly improved, highlighting a decade of stalled or reversed efforts. The group said years of government inaction have eroded democracy, enabled organised crime, and directly harmed citizens by undermining human rights, public services, and security.

“For years, corruption has enabled organised crime to infiltrate politics in countries like Colombia (37), Mexico (27) and Brazil (35), affecting people’s lives. Now, Costa Rica (56) and Uruguay (73), the region’s strongest democracies and CPI performers, are suffering from the violence fuelled by corruption and organised crime, while countries with failed and co-opted institutions, including Haiti (16) and Nicaragua (14), continue to struggle with entrenched corruption and criminal networks,” the report stated.

In Peru (30), corruption in public services has had severe consequences, including a scandal in which alleged bribes to bypass health inspections reportedly led to contaminated food being distributed in public schools. In Argentina (36), investigations into alleged corruption in the management of funds for medicines for people with disabilities show similar risks for vulnerable groups. In Venezuela (10), the country’s low score reflects years of widespread corruption and illicit activities that have seen poverty and malnutrition soar as millions of families survive on limited food, water and electricity.

Oversight and accountability are being weakened in several countries as civic space contracts. In El Salvador (32), restrictions on civil society organisations limit scrutiny and independent monitoring of government actions.  Luciana Torchiaro, Regional Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean at Transparency International said: “To improve people’s lives and build resilience to organised crime, governments must put the fight against corruption at the centre of their agenda. This means protecting fundamental freedoms, enforcing the law through a strong and independent judiciary, enhancing international cooperation on corruption cases, and making public procurement more transparent.”

The CPI ranks 182 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). Top scorers in the Americas are: Canada (75), Uruguay (73) and Barbados (68). These are among the region’s strongest democracies, but limited growth and setbacks are concerning.  Venezuela (10), Nicaragua (14) and Haiti (16) are again the three lowest in the region marked by high levels of repression, failed or co-opted institutions, and entrenched corruption.

The United States (64) sustained its downward slide to its lowest-ever score. While the full impact of 2025 developments are not yet reflected, recent actions, such as targeting independent voices and undermining judicial independence, raise serious concerns. Beyond the CPI findings, the temporary freeze and weakening of enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act signal tolerance for corrupt business practices, while cuts to US aid for overseas civil society have weakened global anti-corruption efforts. Countries like El Salvador (32) and Ecuador (33) are experiencing a decline in transparency and civic freedoms, with laws limiting NGOs’ access to funding and obstructing their operations, paired with intimidation and hostility toward independent media, reducing citizen oversight and the ability to hold government accountable.

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• civil society, corrupt nations, harassment, independent media, intimidation, transparency international

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