Opposition Parliamentarian Amanza Walton-Desir has called for an immediate, legally mandated, and fully independent investigation into the sinking of the MV Barima, arguing that Guyana’s current institutional framework is inadequate for investigating major transportation disasters and warning that public confidence cannot be restored if the government investigates itself.

Speaking at a press conference, Walton-Desir began by extending sympathy to the families of those who lost loved ones, survivors still coping with trauma, and the many individuals involved in the ongoing recovery effort, including members of the Guyana Coast Guard, the Guyana Defence Force, Transport and Harbours Department staff, fisherfolk, volunteers, and private citizens. She stressed that while the nation continues to mourn, lawmakers have a responsibility to ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated.

“The tragedy demands more than condolences,” Walton-Desir declared. “It demands a fair, independent and capable investigation that can command public confidence.” The parliamentarian argued that Guyana’s rapid economic expansion has significantly outpaced the country’s institutional capacity to regulate and oversee increasingly complex transportation systems. “We are one of the fastest-growing economies in the world,” she said. “Our development has outpaced our institutional capacity, and unless we build institutions equivalent to our growth, more Guyanese will pay with their lives.”