President Dr. Irfaan Ali has assured Guyanese that there will be a time for answers and accountability in the wake of the MV Barima tragedy, but stressed that the country’s immediate priority is mourning the dead, supporting survivours and standing with grieving families.
Speaking during Tuesday evening’s national prayer and remembrance service in Charity, Region Two, the President said while many questions will eventually have to be answered, now is not the time to lose sight of those who are suffering.
“There will come a time for questions, for truth to rise, for justice to speak. But today is not that day,” Dr. Ali said.
“Today we mourn. Today we comforted each other. Today we stand beside the broken and say with our every breath, ‘You are not alone.'”
His remarks came after the government announced that an independent Commission of Inquiry (CoI) would be established to investigate the circumstances surrounding the sinking of the MV Barima, one of the deadliest maritime disasters in Guyana’s history.
Addressing families who lost loved ones, the President acknowledged that while no words could erase their pain, they would not have to face the tragedy alone.
He said, “To every family carrying an unbearable loss, to every mother waiting for one more embrace that will never come, to every father whose heart has been broken beyond words, to every husband, wife, child, brother, sister, grandparent and friend whose world has been forever changed, I speak to you directly today.”
“Your grief is our nation’s grief. Your tears are our nation’s tears.”
Dr. Ali said the government remains committed to supporting affected families throughout the difficult period ahead.
“We cannot remove your pain, nor can we restore what has been taken from you. But I want you to know this with absolute certainty. We stand with you. Your government stands with you. Your fellow citizens stand with you. Your country stands with you.”
“As long as there is breath within this nation, we shall carry you in our prayers, in our compassion and in our unwavering commitment to your healing,” he added.
The President also urged Guyanese to remain united as the country continues to grapple with the aftermath of the disaster.
“This wound is deep and terrible. It has shaken us to the core, but it shall not break us,” he said.
President Ali called on citizens to support one another, encouraging neighbours, religious organisations and communities to rally around those affected.
“Let us bear each other now. Let us uplift each other. Let every grieving house be wrapped in a warm cloak of our prayers. Let neighbours become kin and every temple, mosque and church become a harbour in the storm.”
He expressed confidence that, despite the scale of the tragedy, the country would recover together.
The President said, “The grief is not the end of the story. Tragedy does not have the final say. Hope shall rise from the depths of despair… Together, as one nation under God, we shall overcome.”
The President is meeting individually with survivours and grieving relatives, hearing firsthand accounts of the tragedy and assuring them of the government’s continued support.
