Academic and Indigenous rights advocate Dr. Janette Bulkan has mounted a searing critique of the Government’s handling of the MV Barima tragedy, arguing that the State has both a moral and legal duty to raise the sunken vessel, recover those still trapped inside and ensure its response is governed by law rather than political expediency.

In three strongly worded letters to the press, Bulkan contends that the Government’s initial reluctance to salvage the State-owned ferry prolonged the anguish of grieving families and risked compromising both justice and the recovery of vital evidence.

The MV Barima capsized late on July 18 while sailing 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 about 30 people remain unaccounted for. The disaster, one of Guyana’s deadliest maritime tragedies, devastated Indigenous communities in the North West and triggered nationwide protests demanding accountability, justice and the recovery of the wreck.