Police arrest squatters

– as tension escalates at Success for residents to vacate GuySuCo’s lands

The police have reportedly detained several persons at the Success squatting area based on allegations that suspect(s) were in the possession of a handgun. At around 16:00 hours, the police were seen running through the squatting area with guns in their hands seemingly searching for individuals of interest.

Speaking to the Village Voice Guyana one of the squatters who lives in a zinc shack with her three small children said: “Police shooting at we just so dry, nobody ain’t start nothing, nobody ain’t do them nothing and they start shooting at we. Me ain’t get nowhere to go. I went in my bed sleeping when I start hearing the gunshots, when I come to front is bare gunshots they shooting at we. Somebody fall down…them police collect a guard man gun and they holler that they looking for some gun. Is the NICIL guard people had their own gun, nobody don’t have gun, all of we just stand up and watching them,” she said emotionally.

A large portion of the squatting area is now flooded with water as the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has justified that to restart operations at the Enmore Sugar Factory in early 2022, it must flood the lands to rid it of pests and vegetation.

However, occupying the land in make-shift houses are scores of persons, some with very small children, who told the Village Voice that they have nowhere else to go.

Some in the area, fearful of the floodwaters and the high police presence have left. This is a developing story, the Village Voice will bring you more details subsequently.