Foreign diplomats flag high transportation costs in C’bean as hindrance to regional integration

With Guyana currently undergoing major economic transformation and neighbouring Suriname on the verge of similar developments, calls are being made for interventions to address the high cost of transportation and lack of connectivity within the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region.

The calls were highlighted during a panel discussion at the International Business Conference (IBC) Guyana 2025 – the flagship event of the Suriname-Guyana Chamber of Commerce that is being held in Georgetown.
Tuesday’s panel saw the participation of Mexican Ambassador to Guyana Mauricio Vizcaíno Crespo, British High Commissioner to Guyana Jane Miller, Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana Sébastien Sigouin, and Indian High Commissioner to Guyana Dr Amit Telang – the latter three also holding non-resident diplomatic posts in Suriname.
Under the topic “Strategic Partnerships for Regional Development: Guyana, Suriname and Beyond”, the foreign envoys discussed how diplomacy is enabling development in both Guyana and Suriname and how strategic partnerships can help turn regional potential into tangible and sustainable progress.
One of the deterrents to integration within the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region that was highlighted, especially amongst Caribbean Community (CARICOM) members, is the high cost of transportation.
In fact, High Commissioner Miller pointed out that, “…It costs as much for me to fly to Suriname as of me to go to New York. Now, that’s a huge barrier.”
Similar sentiments were expressed by Ambassador Crespo, who noted that while there are flights through Panama with COPA Airlines and more recently through Colombia with Avianca and the Dominican Republic with Skyscanner, there are potential opportunities for investment into the movement of people and resources across the LAC region.
He noted that, in the case of his home country, the political will at the level of government to do this is there, but the private sector, especially within the aviation sector, has to step up.
“In terms of air transportation, I think the private sector could do even more, so much more… To connect to Mexico [from Guyana], you have to go through either Panama, Colombia, Dominican Republic, or the United States. So, one would ask, why aren’t the Mexican airlines looking into that? Because Mexico is very well connected to Canada, to the United States… Mexico could be the point of connection to the rest of the region, as right now is Panama or Bogota,” Ambassador Crespo noted.

New trans-Atlantic route
Moreover, the Mexican diplomat spoke about his country’s efforts to enhance connectivity with the Caribbean, including the new railway system that links the Yucatán Peninsula with the Caribbean. He said the Mayan train that runs through that peninsula not only serves as a touristic tool but also for trade and people transportation, with interest already from Belize – a CARICOM member state – to be connected to the railway network.
According to Crespo, this railway network could help move food and people from the Atlantic to the Pacific, opening up regional access to Asia and the rest of the Atlantic. In fact, he noted that Guyana and Suriname are positioned on the way to this new trans-Atlantic route, and this presents more opportunities for integration.
“So, new trans-Atlantic routes could be open with more ports or larger ports in Guyana and Suriname that could also connect us to market in Africa… So, with Mexico on one side and Guyana and Suriname on the other, we definitely are the doors to the Caribbean region and inter-connection to the rest of nations there… Mexico, because of its intransigent position, we will soon have a new route connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific which is open to all Caribbean nations that want to [send] their goods and products and services from the Atlantic to the Pacific,” he posited.
The Mexican Ambassador pointed out that this alternative route has become necessary, especially since some existing routes in the region are hit by consequences of climate change that could hinder trade from the Atlantic into the Pacific.
Similarly, British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller, emphasised the importance of the Linden to Lethem Road, which the United Kingdom is funding.

Northern Brazil
“In Guyana, we’re working the corridor that would connect the Atlantic to Brazil. So, we’re working currently on the Linden to Mabura Hill [section]. It’s a really important road because we know that trade corridors are important where they are in the world, and I think enabling Northern Brazil to be able to get to the coast is really important,” she posited.
The US$190 million Phase One of the Linden to Lethem project will see 121 kilometres (km) of asphaltic road being built from Linden to Mabura Hill in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice). This project is being funded through the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) via a US$112 million loan, a grant of £50 million (US$66 million) from the United Kingdom’s Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund (UKCIF), and an input of US$12 million from the Guyana Government.
Phase Two of this project will see the all-weather road being extended from Mabura Hill to Lethem in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) – a section that could also be funded by the UK government.
Just last week, the United Kingdom Export Finance (UKEF) – the UK’s official export credit agency – raised its financing capacity for Guyana from £2.1 billion to £3 billion, and Guyana has already highlighted some of the projects that this money could be used for.
President Dr Irfaan Ali has already indicated that the UKEF funding could be used to finance the second phase of the Linden to Lethem Road Expansion Project as well as the deep-water port facility in Berbice and the modernisation of the country’s electricity transmission system.
The Guyanese leader has long touted this road to Northern Brazil as a key piece of infrastructure that would position Guyana as a transport hub in the region. This vision will see the road network building out from Lethem, which borders Brazil, all the way to Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), leading to neighbouring Suriname.

Corentyne River Bridge
Currently, Guyana and Suriname are looking to bridge the two South American neighbours via the Corentyne River Bridge.
The high-span bridge will run approximately 3.1 km, connecting Moleson Creek in Guyana to South Drain in Suriname with a landing on Long Island in the Corentyne River, where a commercial hub and tourist destination will be established. That free zone will see major infrastructural development such as hotels, recreational parks, entertainment spots, tourist attractions, malls, and farmers’ markets.
High Commissioner Telang says that connectivity and infrastructure will largely determine the pace of future development for both Guyana and Suriname, adding that the Corentyne River Bridge is also key to advancing regional integration.
“That would probably be a major transformation, contributing to regional growth… It should be probably the biggest priority right now… From our own experience [in India], we can say having connectivity, having good infrastructure is probably the most important thing in order to have that kind of [integration and] more business to come… So, focusing on infrastructure and investing more in infrastructure, I think is the need and it’s an imperative for business and economic to flourish,” the Indian diplomat contended.
During a high-level meeting in Nieuw Nickerie last month, President Ali and Surinamese President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons recommitted to bringing the Corentyne River Bridge project to reality and agreed to have a specific coordinating group look at addressing all outstanding technical, financial and legal issues to advance the project.
Previously, both Guyana and Suriname had settled on the Chinese construction company, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), as the preferred contractor to build the new bridge. Back in October 2024, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had told Guyana Times that the contract between the contractor and the two countries would be signed as soon as the financing mechanism for the bridge is sorted out.