persecution ahead of the September 1 elections. The party claims several banks in Guyana — including the Bank of Nova Scotia, the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry, the New Building Society, and Demerara Bank — closed the accounts of WIN candidates, forced early repayment of loans, and refused services. WIN’s General Secretary, Odessa Primus, asserts these actions are not due to any legal or regulatory violations but are instead aimed at punishing members for supporting WIN, led by Azruddin Mohamed, whose businesses were sanctioned by OFAC.

In the UN letter, Primus argues there is no legal basis for closing the accounts and frames the move as political discrimination and persecution. She urges the UN Secretary-General to condemn the banks’ actions and to demand that the accounts be reopened. The consequences cited include public servants losing access to salaries, candidates losing the right to participate in the financial system, some being fired from work for political reasons, and small business owners being pushed to operate outside the banking system. A shopkeeper and single mother described carrying large cash in public due to banking restrictions, highlighting safety concerns.

Primus contends the banks’ actions violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. She argues that by targeting WIN members and supporters, the banks erode citizens’ legal, social, and political rights, contravening international norms Guyana has endorsed. The letter calls on the UN and regional leaders to pressure banks to reinstate accounts and uphold financial access as a basic right. (Jamaica Gleaner)