Guyana has begun regional preparations to host CARIFESTA Sixteen in 2027, while the government reviews contracts connected to the Port Kaituma wharf following the deadly MV Barima tragedy.
Culture Minister Charles Ramson and Minister Steven Jacobs met with CARICOM officials to discuss the festival’s programme, financing, logistics, marketing and opportunities for Caribbean creative-industry development.
Guyana hosted the inaugural CARIFESTA in 1972 and again in 2008. The most recent festival was held in Barbados in 2025.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Anil Nandlall says his chambers are examining contractual arrangements for the Port Kaituma wharf, which was intended to accommodate the MV Ma Lisha.
The newly constructed facility reportedly developed structural problems after significant movement of surrounding soil, forcing sections to be rebuilt.
The contractual review forms part of the government’s wider response to the July eighteenth MV Barima tragedy. Legal action could follow if evidence of negligence is uncovered.
A Commission of Inquiry and criminal investigation are continuing. Nandlall stressed that the inquiry will complement—not replace—the work of law-enforcement agencies and the courts.
Search-and-recovery operations have ended after 73 confirmed deaths, with more than 30 people still missing and presumed dead.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre remains operational.