The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association has said that it is “greatly perturbed at the events which resulted in the loss of life, damage to property, and the general state of unease in Linden.”
The GGDMA in a press release further stated that it “is also deeply disturbed by the use of deadly force by the Guyana Police Force.”
In the meantime, the association is advising miners who would, by custom, use the Linden route to seek alternative routes to access their operations in the hinterland. Following last Wednesday’s killing of three Linden protestors during the massive demonstrations against the hike in electricity tariffs and the shutdown of the community, the GGDMA expressed its support for “the call for peace, good order and any investigation that will help bring the truth to light.” The association also expressed hopes that “there is a speedy removal of all obstacles that stand in the way of peaceful negotiations and a resolution of the issues,” and offered “to assist in any way possible to help arrive at a peaceful resolution of this matter.”
The GGDMA stated that “as representatives of the mining industry we are further concerned about the socio-economic impact that the current conflict will have on mining,” and noted also that the association is obviously concerned about the wellbeing of Linden, given that it is the largest mining community in Guyana.
