Guyana - bracing for the oil boom
South America鈥檚 second poorest nation is about to get very rich - but will the prosperity be shared?
South America鈥檚 second poorest nation is about to get very rich - but will the prosperity be shared?
A series of oil discoveries in Guyanese waters has revealed almost unimaginable riches beneath the seabed; enough oil to catapult Guyana to the top of the continent鈥檚 rich list. Next year, the oil - and cash - is due to start flowing. The major new industry could help solve two of Guyana鈥檚 big problems: high youth unemployment and the emigration of most of its graduates. But as young Guyanese prepare for a future in oil and dream of lives transformed, some fear the so-called oil curse will see a corrupt elite squander and steal the country鈥檚 newfound wealth.
Presenter/producer: Simon Maybin
(Photo: Kiwana Baker, right, hopes that a career in oil will give her opportunities that her mother, Marslyn Pollard, left, never had. Credit: 大象传媒)
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