Latest update September 24th, 2026 10:31 AM
MV Barima protesters demand resignations as PPP supporter confronts picket line
(Kaieteur News) – Dozens of grieving relatives, civil society members, and opposition politicians converged on the corner of Fort Street and Wight’s Lane on Tuesday morning, mounting a fiery protest outside the Ministry of Public Works.
The demonstration targeted the office of Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill, as families of the victims of the MV Barima disaster demanded immediate accountability, the salvage of the sunken vessel, and the immediate resignation of himself and Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar following the loss of over 100 lives.
Protestors infront of Ministry of Public Works.
The atmosphere outside the ministry grew tense for the police early in the day as families of the victims, activists, and the men who have been criminally charged in connection with the vessel, gathered along Wight’s Lane. Demonstrators expressed deep frustration over what they described as a total lack of transparency regarding the government’s efforts to salvage the vessel and the stalled progress of the Commission of Inquiry.
The MV Barima sank on 18th July and currently remains at the bottom of the ocean, though the government has promised more than once to salvage the vessel, leaving families agonised by the lack of recovery operations for missing loved ones. Among those protesting was Gailaan Thomas and her parents, who joined the picket line mourning the loss of 13-year-old Bryan Thomas, whose body has still not been recovered.
“It is another week without answers about our relatives who lost their lives,” said Jasmin Cort, whose family is mourning the deaths of Neil and Kenrick Cort. Neither of the men’s bodies has been recovered from the submerged wreckage. Demonstrators highlighted that weeks after the disaster, they remain entirely in the dark about when or if the government will attempt to raise the vessel to retrieve the remaining bodies.
Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill
As the crowd chanted “WHO MUST GO! EDGHILL AND INDAR!”, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) operative Claudine Benn arrived on the scene and attempted to distract the protesters. Her efforts were swiftly met with vocal resistance from the crowd, who drowned out her counter-messaging. Unfased, Benn hastily hand-wrote a sign of her own that read, “Edghill and Indar going nowhere!” and held it up against the crowd of demonstrators.
The protest brought together civil society figures and political representatives calling for systemic overhaul and executive accountability. Sharon La Rose representing the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), condemned the government’s delay in addressing the disaster’s impact on hinterland communities. She stated that families have been forced to wait far too long for straightforward answers regarding the ferry’s maintenance history, safety clearances, and recovery efforts for their missing relatives.
Echoing calls for executive resignations, former public works minister Annette Ferguson called directly on Minister Juan Edghill and Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar to step down immediately. Ferguson stressed that a maritime tragedy claiming more than 100 lives warrants immediate political accountability at the highest level.
Member of Parliament, Sherod Duncan, who joined the picket line, emphasised that demanding the resignations of Edghill and Indar is only the baseline requirement for justice. Duncan noted that while calling for their departure is not the sole accountability measure required, it remains a critical first step to address the ongoing injustice being meted out to the grieving families.
Rights advocates also pointed to broader systemic failures and a lack of humanitarian support for those affected. Maeve Ramsay of the Red Thread Youth Group joined the call, demanding urgent, transparent answers from the government regarding the ongoing investigation and the timeline for physical recovery operations at the wreck site.
As the protest continued into the afternoon along Fort Street, demonstrators vowed to maintain public pressure on the Ministry of Public Works until the MV Barima is salvaged and official answers are provided.
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