…says concerns being addressed with “undeveloped” strategy
In light of the escalation of COVID-19 cases in the interior location, the Amerindian Peoples’ Association (APA) has reiterated its calls for mining to be suspended so that Indigenous communities can remain safe.
Executive Director of the APA, Jean La Rose
During an engagement on Monday, Executive Director of the APA, Jean La Rose noted that they had written the National COVID-19 Task Force, venting its concerns about the impacts of mining especially since the chances are high of a person contracting the spreading the virus.
She questioned the reason for mining to be added onto the list of essential services, even as several organisations signalled grave consequences. This has already been seen with the rise in cases in Regions One (Barima-Waini) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
“If we look at what is going on at Southern Guyana at the moment where mining is taking place in the Murudi Mountains and the deep south areas; and where communities have little or no control, the chances of an infected person passing through and leaving the virus is very strong,” she explained.
According to the APA Executive, mining has been taking place in an “uncontrolled” and “unmonitored” manner at the Chinese Landing in the Moruca sub-region, Region One (Barima-Waini).
It is even worrying that the neighbouring village does not have adequate resources and medical supplies to protect themselves. La Rose said the Santa Rosa situation with regards to increased cases signals at an “undeveloped” strategy to monitor mining activities.
A mining location in Region Seven
“The Chinese Landing Village that is close to the mining area, they do not have medications, PPEs (personal protective equipment). They have a basic health outpost if any at all. Miners are not necessarily people from the villages themselves. Those could all have serious impacts on the communities…We saw how Santa Rosa dealt with it but you have cases popping up in all the other regions. How will those be dealt with? There seems to be an undeveloped strategy and that continues to be the situation,” she explained.
In light of coronavirus being detected in Indigenous communities, the South Rupununi District Council (SRDC) in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) had ordered complete lockdown for 21 villages one week ago in that district.
According to the SRDC, the lockdown took effect with the aim of stopping the spread of the virus. This drastic measure was in light of the Government’s refusal to suspend mining in the district.
“Indeed, our efforts have been stymied by the Government’s continued refusal to remove mining from its list of essential services and by its interventions on behalf of miners which have allowed them to continue to traverse our territory, threatening and challenging our gatekeepers,” the District Council had complained.
Following the outbreak earlier this year, the District Council had blocked several illegal crossings along the Guyana-Brazil border, in order to reinforce the porous border.
“The inadequate healthcare systems and supplies in our region leave our people extremely vulnerable to disease, particularly this novel coronavirus,” the SRDC said.
As such, several efforts were made to contact the National COVID-19 Task Force, asking for mining activities in Region Nine to be suspended. However, those efforts have proven futile.
“The Government’s prioritisation of interests such as mining is compounded by the inadequacy of the public health response to this global pandemic,” the Indigenous leaders said, adding that there have been cases where persons take weeks to get tested after a report was made and then several days to receive their results.
Assistance to monitor the border crossings, and access to medical equipment and supplies to the South Rupununi communities were also requested by the SRDC but those pleas went unanswered. The monitoring of the crossings is aimed at preventing the entry of persons who are not residents.
Officials from the Iwokrama Rainforest had expressed deep concerns about operators who are transporting illegal persons, most likely from Brazil into Guyana.
Government had responded by stopping mining operations, specifically Aranka and Arangoy’s Landing in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Moruca in Region One (Barima-Waini), without catering for the other areas.
