🎬 SCRIPT 1: 60-SECOND VERSION (HeyGen Quick Brief)

[TITLE CARD: GUYANA DAILY BRIEF — TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2026]

Hey Guyana! Here’s your 60-second Daily Brief.

Budget 2026 debates opened yesterday and it was WILD. Animal noises in Parliament, heckling from every bench, and the first time ever a party other than PNC or PPP opened for the opposition. WIN MP Dr. André Lewis said the budget measures success in billions but not in people’s lives. Meanwhile, his party leader is fighting extradition on gold-smuggling charges. You can’t make this up.

Speaker Nadir revived COVID rules to limit media to FIVE journalists inside the chamber. Kaieteur is calling it a war on the press.

President Ali was in Belize telling their Parliament that Guyana should lead regional food security. He cited unemployment dropping from 12.8 percent to 6.8 percent.

Agriculture Minister Mustapha says GuySuCo will return to profitability — again — with 59,000 tonnes produced in 2025.

And in the Rupununi, the community is demanding justice for Leon “Rasta” Baird, a beloved tour guide murdered by cattle rustlers. No arrests yet.

That’s your Tuesday Brief. Budget debates continue today. Stay sharp, Guyana.

[END CARD: SUBSCRIBE | guyanadailybrief.com]

Estimated runtime: 55-60 seconds Tone: Energetic, punchy, slightly wry Background: Guyana flag gradient or Parliament exterior

🎬 SCRIPT 2: 4-MINUTE VERSION (HeyGen Full Brief)

[TITLE CARD: GUYANA DAILY BRIEF — TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2026]

[INTRO — 0:00-0:20]

Good morning, Guyana! Welcome to the Daily Brief for Tuesday, February 3rd. Today we’re covering the budget debate chaos, a press freedom controversy, President Ali’s Belize trip, and a murder that has the entire Rupununi demanding justice. Let’s get into it.

[SEGMENT 1: BUDGET DEBATE — 0:20-1:30]

Budget 2026 debates opened yesterday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, and let me tell you — it was something. Stabroek News reported “bizarre animal noises” from the parliamentary benches. Welcome to democracy.

For the first time in Guyana’s history, a party that is neither PNC nor PPP opened the debate for the opposition. WIN MP Dr. André Lewis delivered his maiden speech, arguing that the $1.558 trillion budget measures success in barrels and billions but not in the quality of people’s lives.

Now here’s the irony of the century. Lewis demanded more oversight and transparency in mining. Meanwhile, the LEADER of his party, Azruddin Mohamed, is currently fighting extradition to Florida on eleven counts — including gold smuggling, wire fraud, and money laundering worth an alleged fifty million US dollars. Plus a Lamborghini. You truly cannot script this.

On the government side, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill called the budget a social contract of inclusion and rattled off the new bridge, new highways, and new airstrips. Education Minister Parag called the opposition’s tenure “lost years” and pointed to 6,000 GOAL graduates.

APNU’s Vinceroy Jordan went after agriculture spending, saying 85% of the agriculture budget goes to just two entities — Drainage and Irrigation and GuySuCo — leaving almost nothing for livestock and food production.

The most heated moment came when WIN’s Natasha Singh-Lewis called the budget “a farce,” citing women sleeping on road corners and children sleeping at Kumaka Landing. Minister Persaud fired back with Guyana’s Gender Gap ranking, the WIIN programme training 21,000 women, and $70 billion going directly to beneficiaries.

Both sides had points. Neither side was listening.

[SEGMENT 2: MEDIA LOCKOUT — 1:30-2:15]

Here’s a story that should concern every Guyanese regardless of party. Speaker Manzoor Nadir revived pandemic-era restrictions and limited press access to FIVE journalists at a time during budget debates. Five. In a building that cost billions and can seat hundreds.

The old Parliament Building on Brickdam — a tiny colonial-era space — allowed more journalists than that. Reporters now have to surrender their ID cards to receive a media pass. Kaieteur News is calling it a war on the press. Veteran reporters say they’ve never seen this level of contempt for media access.

The Speaker’s defense? He called it a continuation of COVID-era rules. The pandemic ended years ago. The budget is being livestreamed, yes — but camera coverage is not the same as journalists asking questions, observing body language, and holding power accountable in real time.

[SEGMENT 3: ALI IN BELIZE — 2:15-2:50]

While Parliament was erupting, President Ali was in Belize, addressing their National Assembly. He called on Guyana and Belize to lead Caribbean food security, demanded an end to trade barriers hurting regional farmers, and signed a sugar cooperation agreement.

He also cited unemployment data showing a drop from 12.8% in 2020 to 6.8% in late 2024, with female unemployment falling from 14.4% to under 9%.

The numbers sound good on paper. The opposition says they don’t match what people experience in their daily lives. The cost of living remains high, the Guyana dollar sits at 210 to the US dollar, and Kaieteur’s editorial asked the sharpest question of the day: “What is your bottom line?” Not the country’s. Yours.

[SEGMENT 4: JUSTICE FOR RASTA — 2:50-3:30]

This is the story that deserves more attention than it’s getting. Leon “Rasta” Baird, a 38-year-old tour guide at Wichabai Ranch in the South Rupununi, was murdered on January 23rd after he stumbled upon cattle rustlers butchering stolen animals. His partially burnt body was found two days later.

Baird wasn’t just anyone. He was a celebrated guide, an experienced vaquero, a senior ranger with the South Rupununi Conservation Society, and a co-author of published biodiversity research. He taught children to ride horses, harvest açaí berries, and respect the land. The ranch said simply: “Rasta died because he came across a crime being committed.”

His brother is demanding arrests. Visit Rupununi and the Rupununi Livestock Producers Association are calling for zero tolerance on cattle rustling. No one has been charged. The Guyana Police Force says the investigation is ongoing.

[SEGMENT 5: QUICK HITS — 3:30-3:50]

Quick hits: A Guyanese-American biotech innovator won the 2026 Sabga Award for Caribbean Excellence. Public Works rolled out a $4.3 billion sea defence plan with 21 projects. GOAL’s first PhD cohort graduated — 32 scholars, free of charge. And the Golden Jags Under-17 boys start CONCACAF qualifiers today in Honduras. A historic World Cup qualification is on the line. Good luck, boys.

[OUTRO — 3:50-4:00]

That’s your Tuesday Daily Brief, Guyana. Budget debates continue today. The question isn’t who wins the debate — it’s whether any of this changes your bottom line. I’m the Daily Brief. Stay sharp.

[END CARD: SUBSCRIBE | guyanadailybrief.com | Like & Share]

Estimated runtime: 3:55-4:05 Tone: Informative, conversational, balanced with wit Transitions: Use text overlays for numbers/stats, split screen for debate clash moments Background music: Low Caribbean-style instrumental, upbeat but not overpowering