Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and 14 other MPs joined hundreds of Guyanese in protests outside the US Embassy and Canadian High Commission on Tuesday, demanding international intervention and an independent investigation into the October 12 shooting incident involving his vehicle and allegations against senior police officers.
The demonstrations, organised by the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, called for the preservation and release of CCTV footage, an independent investigation into Special Branch Head Senior Superintendent Prem Narine, and action concerning the Canadian and US visas of Narine and Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officer Rodwell Sarabo.
The opposition office described the shooting as an assassination attempt against Mohamed, Guyana’s constitutional Leader of the Opposition. It said gunfire struck the vehicle carrying Mohamed and his two employees, Eugene Thorne and Mario Mohamed, on October 12.
Eight days after the incident, protesters questioned why they had not seen what they considered a sufficiently transparent response from the authorities and demanded that evidence be preserved and independently examined.
Placards called for Narine to be investigated and for the revocation of his Canadian and US visas, as well as those of Sarabo. Protesters also demanded Narine’s deportation from Canada, subject to applicable law, and his return to Guyana to face investigation.
The allegations against the officers have not been established as fact in the information provided by the opposition office. The statement did not include a response from the police or government.
Demands for CCTV footage and forensic investigation
The opposition office said Sarabo was present on the night of the shooting and alleged that he had also been implicated in claims concerning the planting of a firearm in Mohamed’s vehicle. It called for an immediate, transparent and independent forensic investigation into those allegations.
The protesters questioned why CCTV footage they consider critical to establishing what happened remained unavailable to the public and why the officers named in their allegations had not been subjected to an independent investigation.
The opposition office said Mohamed had formally brought the October 12 incident to the attention of the Canadian and US diplomatic missions, seeking scrutiny and appropriate action from their respective authorities.
The protesters urged both countries and the wider international community to speak publicly in defence of democratic institutions, constitutional protections, human rights and the rule of law in Guyana.
“The central message delivered outside both diplomatic missions was unmistakable: the assassination attempt of the Opposition Leader on October 12 must not be ignored, the evidence must be preserved, and those implicated must be independently investigated, regardless of their political connections, official positions or authority,” the statement said.
The demonstrations also raised wider concerns about alleged political victimisation and the independence of Guyana’s law-enforcement institutions. The opposition office called for investigations into alleged corruption and misconduct involving government officials and political appointees, including the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Commissioner of Police and government ministers.
It also demanded the removal of Deputy Commissioner of Police Karim Baksh pending what it described as serious and independent investigations.
MV Barima families demand accountability
The protests extended beyond the shooting, with families of victims and survivors of the MV Barima tragedy joining the demonstrations to demand justice more than three months after the disaster.
They called for the immediate salvage and flotation of the vessel, the release of three detained crew members and financial compensation for all 179 victims, survivors and affected families.
The opposition office also renewed its demand for the resignation and removal of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar over alleged failures connected to the tragedy.
The disaster has prompted scrutiny of maritime safety, the handling of the vessel and the response to the incident, including testimony before a Commission of Inquiry. The protesters said accountability must extend to those in positions of political and administrative responsibility.
The office characterised the demonstrations as a response to what it described as a pattern of institutional failures, selective justice, political interference and inadequate accountability.
It called on the government to address the allegations surrounding the October 12 shooting, ensure that relevant evidence is preserved and allow independent investigations to proceed. The government’s response to the protest demands was not included in the statement.
