The Lethem business community is requesting government intervention as protestors in the Brazilian town of Bon Fim have blocked the main highway to the Takutu River bridge preventing the delivery of essential goods.
“Shortage of essential goods looms in the Rupununi. Trucks laden with goods for Guyana are now blocked from travelling to Port Lethem to deliver goods. The people are protesting what they see as unfair, that Guyanese are allegedly being granted permission by the Regional Chairman and the Guyana Police to cross over to Bon Fim while the Brazilians are being prevented from doing the same,” President of the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), Daniel Gajie stated in a Facebook post on the issue.
Speaking to Stabroek News yesterday Gajie explained that in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic the border between Guyana and Brazil was closed on May 19, 2020 but both governments have granted the concession of one day for essential goods to travel into Lethem from Brazil. That day is Thursday.
Gajie stressed that transportation costs from Georgetown to Lethem makes it infeasible to bring goods from that distance so in an effort to lower the cost of living most essentials for the Rupununi area are sourced from Brazil.
Last week, Brazilians who work and trade in Lethem first blocked the highway preventing the delivery of essentials such as cooking gas in protest at their own lack of access to Guyana. The protest lasted for six hours until a “government official” promised to listen to the concerns of the protestors.
That meeting occurred on Tuesday with Region 9 Chairman Bryan Allicock and Lethem Mayor John Macedo meeting with the Mayor of Bon Fim Joner Chagas. Also present were representatives from the private sector in both border communities and several councillors from the Bon Fim municipality.
According to Gajie who was present at the meeting, the Brazilians requested that the border be open for three days to allow Brazilians to travel and trade.
“The regional chair told them that he was instructed to meet with them to find out what it was they wanted so they said they wanted Thursday, Friday and Saturday for traffic to go both ways. Not just goods but people as well. The regional chairman took it to the National [COVID-19] Task Force and the task force has rejected it,” he shared.
Following the rejection of the request the protestors have once again taken to the roads blocking access to the border.
“During [Wednesday] night they blocked the road and set up a tent saying the blockage will be indefinitely so no goods will come to Guyana and no Guyanese will travel to Bon Fim”, Gajie said.
He lamented that the Rupununi is entirely dependent on these goods and therefore is likely to be significantly affected since the state of the Georgetown to Lethem road makes it impossible for the type and quantity of goods needed to be transported. Further some of the goods such as soy are actually being transported to Georgetown and Berbice so as to manufacture feed for poultry and other livestock.
According to the businessman, the request from the Brazilians is not unreasonable.
“Our position is that the representatives from the Government of Guyana who can make a decision should travel to Bon Fim and listen to the people. Both sides are hurting economically,” he shared.
Gajie stressed that the business community would support a requirement that any traveller must present a vaccination card, a measure which the authorities in Bon Fim have supported.
“The Mayor of Bon Fim is willing to send a team to Lethem to verify the vaccination cards presented. We should approach it in a friendly manner. The Bon Fim municipality has already disclosed that their population is 90% vaccinated while the Rupununi has a 70% vaccination rate,” he concluded.
