Concerns are mounting over reported bulldozing activity at Fort Island in the Essequibo River, with historians, academics and citizens calling on the government to protect one of Guyana’s most significant colonial-era heritage sites.
Historian and Professor of Africana Studies Nigel Westmaas said he was deeply troubled by the reports, stating that in Guyana’s 60th year of independence, authorities must show greater respect for the country’s historical legacy. He called for collaboration among the state, the National Trust of Guyana, and civil society to safeguard what he described as the nation’s patrimony.
Fort Zeelandia, constructed in the mid-18th century by the Dutch using enslaved labour, is among the oldest standing structures in Guyana. It forms part of a designated national monument alongside the historic Court of Policy building and was officially gazetted in 1999. The National Trust Act prohibits damage or interference with national monuments without written permission, with offenders subject to fines and restoration costs.
Academic and environmental specialist Allyson Stoll described the reported bulldozing as reckless destruction of a protected heritage site. She noted that a natural mangrove and vegetation barrier, which took more than 25 years to develop, had also been lost.
Citizen Dwayne Hackett raised additional concerns, arguing that damage to Fort Zeelandia could weaken Guyana’s position in its ongoing territorial dispute with Venezuela over the Essequibo region, as the site provides physical evidence of Dutch rather than Spanish colonial presence.
The reported activity comes as Guyana prepares Diamond Jubilee independence celebrations under a “Homecoming” theme, with Fort Island listed as a venue for the official flag-raising ceremony. The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has not commented. Attempts to reach Minister Charles Ramson Junior were unsuccessful.
SOURCE: Kaieteur News, Citizens Call on Govt. to Preserve Historical Sites, April 26, 2026
