Hundreds of Guyanese, led primarily by students of the University of Guyana, gathered outside the Office of the President on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown, on Friday in a silent protest dubbed “Float the Boat”—a pointed reference to the sunken MV Barima and the Government’s earlier decision not to salvage the vessel from the seabed.
The demonstration, organised independently by the students, brought together first-time protesters, trade unionists, civil society activists and opposition figures, all demanding accountability for one of Guyana’s deadliest maritime disasters. Protesters also called for the resignation of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and Public Utilities and Aviation Minister Deodat Indar, arguing that both should step aside while investigations continue.
The protest came just days after the MV Barima capsized on July 18 during a voyage from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, claiming 53 lives. The vessel was carrying 116 passengers and 17 crew members, according to the official manifest, although concerns have since been raised that additional passengers may have been on board but were never recorded, leaving uncertainty over the true number of people who travelled on the ferry that night.
The tragedy has left dozens of families grieving and has sparked widespread demands for accountability over the vessel’s seaworthiness, regulatory oversight and emergency response.
The growing public pressure appeared to have an immediate impact. On Saturday, the Government announced an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the salvage of the sunken MV Barima, reversing its earlier position that recovering the vessel was unnecessary.
Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, who had previously offered to deploy his own private resources to recover the vessel, welcomed the announcement but questioned why the process would take so long.
Mohamed argued that while the Government had moved swiftly to establish what he described as a partisan Commission of Inquiry, grieving families were now being told they must wait another two weeks for the EOI process to close before salvage operations could begin. He said victims’ relatives should not have to endure further delays and reiterated his call for Edghill to resign, insisting ministerial accountability cannot be separated from the ongoing investigation.
Sharing her views from the protest line on Friday, Opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) parliamentarian Juretha Fernandes said the tragedy had “rocked this nation” and condemned the Government for refusing to accept responsibility.
“It has pulled at the hearts of anybody with a conscience,” Campbell declared. “To see the persons who hold direct responsibility for this tragedy sitting comfortably in office and not willing to take accountability is unacceptable.”
Fernandes argued that despite presiding over a $1.558 trillion national budget, in 2026, the People’s Pressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration had consistently neglected transportation and essential services in Guyana’s hinterland and riverain communities.
“The farther into the hinterland we go, the deeper the corruption is,” he claimed, adding that Indigenous communities continue to bear the brunt of poor public services.
She insisted that Edghill, whose ministry oversees the Transport and Harbours Department, and Indar, whose ministry has responsibility for the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), must immediately leave office.
“Every day they remain in office, the investigation is being compromised,” Campbell alleged. “They can pick up their phones, call employees at MARAD and the Transport and Harbours Department and give instructions. They must be sent home.”
Fernandes also urged Guyanese to continue demonstrating until those responsible are held accountable.
“If this does not touch you, nothing else will,” she said.
Lead APNU Parliamentarian Dr. Terrence Campbell praised the students for organising the demonstration, describing it as evidence that young people are becoming a powerful force for civic action.
“This was organised by young people from the University of Guyana,” Campbell said. “Throughout the world, many revolutions and movements for change have been driven by young people. I am proud to stand with them today.”
Leader of the Forward Guyana Movement and parliamentarian and Attorney at-Law Amanza Walton-Desir echoed the calls for ministerial accountability, revealing that she and Attorney-at-Law Dexter Todd had met with the three men charged in connection with the tragedy—Captain Kevin Price, Chief Mate Rondell Dwayne Roberts, and Cargo Superintendent Delon Granderson.
Walton-Desir said all three men remain adamant about their innocence, noting that two are themselves survivors.
While declining to disclose details because of the pending court proceedings, she said she was “very satisfied that the State has no case against these men” and urged prosecutors to withdraw the charges.
She maintained that Edghill and Indar must accept responsibility for failures within the agencies under their ministerial portfolios.
“With power comes responsibility and accountability,” Walton-Desir said. “When things go well, they enjoy the accolades. They must also accept responsibility when things go wrong.”
Friday’s “Float the Boat” protest marked a dramatic escalation in public outrage over the MV Barima tragedy, but the wave of anger extended far beyond Georgetown. By Friday evening, the movement had spread to Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara, where residents were joined by opposition politicians, civil society representatives, trade union leaders and other supporters in a show of solidarity with Cargo Superintendent Delon Granderson, a son of the village. Protesters demanded that the Government release Granderson and his two co-accused, insisting they had been wrongly charged while those with ultimate responsibility remain untouched.
The twin demonstrations underscored that the movement for accountability has spread beyond the capital and is rapidly becoming a nationwide campaign.
To a grieving nation, families and supporters, the demand to “Float the Boat” is about far more than recovering a vessel from the seabed—it is a call to recover the truth, preserve critical evidence, secure justice for the 53 victims, and ensure that every person responsible, from the operational level to those charged with oversight, is held fully accountable.
