“African states must unite (for the continent) or sell themselves out to imperialist and colonialist exploiters for a mess of pottage…”: Kwame Nkrumah. Or as our own Cheddi Jagan told the National Assembly in 1983 in a speech following the invasion of Grenada: “Right now Washington is …hoping to get these puppets one by one…
Introduction Having established in the previous parts the considerable assistance that Guyana can draw from the Churchill Falls case in pursuing renegotiation of the 2016 Agreement, this part examines the specific mechanisms available under the 2016 Agreement that allow Guyana to achieve that end. Additionally, I argue that ExxonMobil’s recent categorical refusal to consider any…
Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Column 148 – December 24, 2024 Introduction The two previous parts set out the parallels between the Canadian Churchill Falls case and Guyana’s 2016 PSA. Both deal with agreements governing natural resources and involve the legal principle of sanctity of contract, which is common…
WINTRESS MORRIS AND JOY MARCUS LEGAL CASE FILED AGAINST ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Hammerhead EIA set to ignore serious harm to the Guyanese people We, Wintress Morris and Joy Marcus have gone to court against the Environmental Protection Agency to protect Guyana and the Guyanese people from the impacts of the proposed Hammerhead petroleum project. The…
Every Man, Woman and Child in Guyana Must Become Oil-Minded – Column 147 Last week’s part 1 of this mini-series dealt mainly with the court case and subsequent renegotiation of the Churchill Falls Hydro project in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. In that case, the Canadian Supreme Court rejected an application for an…
Most weirdly, EPA’s purported December 14, 2024 response to my Kaieteur News interview of December 11, 2024, “Guyana cannot seize and sell its own assets to pay for an oil spill” did not match my interview subject, obviously admitting the idiocy that Guyana can seize Guyana’s own assets to pay for an oil spill. Nevertheless,…
Contrary to the clear wishes of the Ali Administration and its sidekick ExxonMobil, the call for the renegotiation of the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (Exxon PSA) will not likely end soon. I would not be surprised if a cohort of youths in the year 2040 would be asking why Raphael Trotman signed such a diabolical…
The public deserves information on the outcomes of the 2016 Petroleum Sharing Agreement, PSA2016. Article 15.1 purports that Guyana’s tax laws are complied with by the contractor and its affiliated companies. This is in form only. Substance of actual corporation profits tax, under Guyana’s Sovereign Tax laws, are not paid into Guyana’s Consolidated Fund. This…
On December 8th, 2024, ExxonMobil Guyana claimed that they “adhere to the highest ethical standards and are committed to transparency and integrity in all our dealings”. They do not! On the contrary, ExxonMobil Guyana does not even consistently comply with the law. ExxonMobil rejected a valid penalty for a polluting spill, and did not pay. It waited instead until a…
Introduction The recent dismissal by Vice President Jagdeo of a potential referendum on the ExxonMobil contract renegotiation exposes deeper questions about the government’s true commitment to securing better terms for Guyana’s oil resources. His announcement ruling out a referendum alongside the 2025 elections – notably made without any statement from President Ali – adds another…
