Foreign Office travel advice: New warning issued for destination in South America, Guyana, as 'curfew' imposed amid 'violent protests'

The Foreign Office has issued a new warning for Guyana, on South America’s North Atlantic coast. The country is defined by its dense rainforest and is part of the historic British West Indies.

The new warning reads: “There are ongoing violent protests in Georgetown and other locations across Guyana. Protesters may gather at short notice. Be aware of your surroundings, stay away from protests and follow the advice of local authorities. A curfew has been imposed by the authorities. People are advised to remain at home or in safe spaces from 10pm on Tuesday 29 April until 05 am on Wednesday 30 April.”

The warning comes as Guyana hopes to open the site of the largest suicide-murder in recent history as a tourist attraction. The plan is to open the former commune, now shrouded by lush vegetation, to visitors. A proposal that is reopening old wounds, with critics saying it would disrespect victims and dig up a sordid past.

The tour would ferry visitors to the far-flung village of Port Kaituma nestled in the lush jungles of northern Guyana. It’s a trip available only by boat, helicopter or plane; rivers instead of roads connect Guyana’s interior. Once there, it’s another six miles via a rough and overgrown dirt trail to the abandoned commune and former agricultural settlement.

Neville Bissember, a law professor at the University of Guyana, questioned the proposed tour, calling it a “ghoulish and bizarre” idea in a recently published letter. Despite ongoing criticism, the tour has strong support from the government’s Tourism Authority and Guyana’s Tourism and Hospitality Association.