GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has warned that flying of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) over public or private property is prohibited unless permission is granted after Amerindian Affairs Minister, Sarah Browne-Shadeek, publicly complained on Sunday that a drone flew over her husband’s residence and violated her sister’s privacy.
Browne-Shadeek said on social media that a drone flew over her husband’s home on Sunday, adding, “The drone came so low that a close female relative of mine who had just exited the bathroom felt exposed and ran for cover.”
She said she was forced to ask for a security guard for the safety of the family after noticing suspicious activities and that vehicles had been following her since an earlier incident at a hotel where “I was bullied” in the presence of others.
“I want to let those involved know that this will not move me or deter me from representing my people,” she said.
The main opposition, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), on Sunday posted several aerial pictures of the Amerindian Affairs minister’s husband’s property, saying they were taken on Saturday.
In a separate post, Opposition Leader, Azruddin Mohamed, said, with the building in the background, that there was “Not a troolie leaf in sight. Minister Sarah Browne-Shadeek, some of our Indigenous people want to live like you, too, in a more than 100-million-dollar home. As MP Deon La Cruz rightly stated, they do not wish to be born and die in a trailer house.”
The GCAA said flying the aircraft over or near private or public property is only possible if there is explicit permission from the property owner, and that drones are expressly forbidden from operating within 150 metres of any congested area, organized open-air assembly, or within 100 metres of any vessel, vehicle, or structure not under the operator’s control.
The GCAA warned that a “breach of these regulations constitutes a serious criminal offence” and that violators could be fined up to one million dollars (One Guyana dollar = 0.004 cents) and/or be imprisoned for up to two years.
Non-compliance with permit conditions, operations outside the limitations specified in the GCAA directive, or failure to adhere to an approved operations manual will result in the immediate suspension of the UAV drone permit and will be prosecuted as a breach of the GCAA regulations.
The regulator said that to ensure that persons adhere to the legislation and avoid undue violations, it is appealing to the public to comply accordingly with its directive.
The public was urged to immediately report any unauthorized operations, suspicious or unsafe drone activity to the nearest police station or to the GCAA safety hotline at 608-4222.
“The full force of the law will be applied to defaulters. The GCAA is committed to maintaining the integrity of Guyana’s airspace,” the GCAA said.
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