Guyana’s president has promised to “crush” anyone who tries to destabilise the country, a day after warning of a possible coordinated criminal plot against its power grid. Irfaan Ali made the pledge at a news conference at the Office of the President on Friday 13 November 2026, the Guyana Times, a Guyanese daily newspaper, reported on 14 November.
He said intelligence gathered with international partners points to “an engagement with actors that are not safe for our country”. The reports do not name those actors, and the vow follows a firebomb attack on a power substation on 10 November.
Key Facts
—What. President Irfaan Ali vowed on 13 November to crush all actors seeking to destabilise Guyana.
—Trigger. A firebomb hit a power substation on 10 November; one suspect is held, three are sought.
—Gang. Ali cited possible movement of senior Tren de Aragua (Venezuelan gang) members; no link shown.
—As of. 14 November 2026, 11:30 GMT.
The pledge follows a failed firebomb attack on the electricity grid and a warning about a wider plot, with no public proof yet of who is behind either.
What Ali Said on Friday
The president said he was “confident that our systems and our partnership would allow us to crush… all actors who seek to destabilise”, as quoted by the Guyana Times. He added that investigators are making “enormous progress” and that officials would “get to the bottom of it very soon”.
Ali said intelligence agencies, working with international partners, hold “credible information” of that engagement with unsafe actors. The Guyana Times report names neither the actors nor the partners.
What Happened at the Good Hope Substation
Someone threw an improvised Molotov cocktail, a bottle of fuel set alight, into the 69-kilovolt switchyard of a substation run by Guyana Power and Light (GPL), the power utility, at Good Hope, east of Georgetown. It happened at about 22:45 on Tuesday 10 November, two people were filmed on camera, and the device did not ignite, according to the Guyana Times.
The Guyana Times also reports that police said on Thursday 12 November that one suspect is in custody and three more people are being sought, two of whom allegedly arranged the attack. Our earlier report covers the police warning that the suspect said another attack was planned in Georgetown.
The Tren de Aragua Question
In his Thursday 12 November national address, Ali spoke of “the possible movement of senior members” of Tren de Aragua, which he called a terrorist-designated criminal organisation, the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a Barbados broadcaster, reported on 13 November. Tren de Aragua is a crime syndicate that began in Venezuela and now operates in several South American countries (see our Venezuela coverage).
The address, as published by the government’s information agency, the Department of Public Information (DPI), does not mention the group. The Guyana Times report does not say police linked the attack to any gang, and Ali’s remark about the group was general, so no link is established.
What Is Not Known
The reports do not say who the “actors” are, who the three wanted people are, or which partners supplied the intelligence. Ali also said two “politically affiliated individuals” were recorded days before the attack discussing how to make incendiary devices, according to the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), and nobody has been named.
No charges had been announced when police spoke on 12 November. Ali said offences could fall under Section 309A of Guyana’s Criminal Law (Offences) Act, which covers terrorism-related crimes, where the legal tests are met, the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported.
Why It Matters for US Readers
Guyana is one of 19 members of the Shield of the Americas, a coalition against criminal networks started by the United States, the Guyana Times reported on 14 November. It says that in September members committed to pursue asset freezes and visa restrictions on people tied to 24 groups, Tren de Aragua among them, and to criminalise knowingly giving material support.
That is why the question of who stands behind the attack reaches beyond Guyana: a link to a listed group would bring those commitments into play. A purely local motive would leave the case with Guyana’s police and courts, and we follow it in our Guyana news hub.
What It Means for You
Ali urged citizens to cooperate with police and report suspicious activity, the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported, and police ask anyone with information to call 911, 225-6411 or 227-1149, according to the Guyana Times. Travellers should rely on their own government’s advisories, which this report does not replace.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Guyana’s president say on 13 November?
He said Guyana’s systems and partnerships would let it “crush” all actors who seek to destabilise the country. He also said investigators are making “enormous progress”.
Who is behind the Good Hope substation attack?
That is not known. One suspect is in custody, three more people are sought, and Ali has spoken of a possible coordinated plot without naming anyone.
Is Tren de Aragua blamed for the attack?
Ali cited possible movement of senior members of the group in his 12 November address. The police statement, as reported, names no gang.
Sources: Office of the President address of 12 November 2026, via the Department of Public Information (DPI); Police statement of 12 November, and the Friday 13 November news conference, as reported by the Guyana Times on 14 November; the Thursday address as reported by the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) on 13 November.
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