Government Orders Maritime Safety Audit After MV Barima Disaster Raises Questions Over Years of Oversight

In the wake of the deadly MV Barima disaster, President Irfaan Ali has established a three-member Safety and Compliance Audit Team to conduct a comprehensive review of Guyana’s maritime safety system, a move that comes amid growing questions over why such an assessment is being undertaken only after one of the country’s worst maritime tragedies.

The MV Barima capsized late on July 18 while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, Region One, with an estimated 179 passengers and crew on board. According to official figures, 76 people were rescued, 73 bodies have been recovered and approximately 30 remain unaccounted for. The tragedy devastated families—particularly in Indigenous communities in the North West—and sparked nationwide mourning, protests demanding accountability and renewed scrutiny of the Government’s oversight of the maritime sector.