Guyana’s Dirty Secrets: A Hub for Illegal Activities

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Georgetown, Guyana - Behind its lush rainforests and majestic waterfalls, Guyana is secretly thriving as a major hub for illegal activities. The small South American country has become a hotbed for organized crime, with criminal networks exploiting its porous borders, corrupt officials, and lack of effective law enforcement.

Cocaine Capital

Guyana’s main illicit market is cocaine trafficking. The country serves as a major transit point for Colombian cocaine bound for the United States, Canada, Europe, and West Africa. The drug is often disguised among legal goods, including food and textiles, making it difficult to detect at ports of entry.

Wildlife Smuggling

Guyana’s lush forests are also home to some of the world’s most threatened species. Thousands of birds, mammals, and reptiles are smuggled out of neighboring Amazonian countries through Guyana into Mexico, the United States, and Singapore.

Golden Opportunities

Gold mining is another lucrative illegal activity in Guyana. Organized criminal networks control the industry, importing mercury illegally from Venezuela to use in small-scale mining. This poses a significant threat to human health and the environment.

Corrupt Politics

Guyana’s political leadership has been accused of electoral fraud and government collusion with drug-trafficking organizations. The country’s judiciary is plagued by corruption, lack of independence, and inadequate resources, making it difficult to prosecute organized crime.

Economic Woes

Guyana’s economy struggles due to its high risk of money laundering, poor regulation, and limited financial transparency. The authorities are trying to strengthen their capacity to tackle money laundering through training and agreements with relevant agencies, but political uncertainty has had a negative impact on business and consumer confidence.

Civil Society Under Siege

Guyana’s civil society is also under siege. Journalists investigating organized crime face harassment, prosecution, suspension, and intimidation. The authorities have launched drug-prevention campaigns, but the lack of protection for witnesses and victims remains a major concern.

Funding

This article was funded in part by a grant from the United States Department of State. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.