History of Port Kaituma

y:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Port Kaituma's significance grew further following the proclamation from the then President of Guyana, Forbes Burnham, that Guyana should become more self-sufficient by populating the interior of the country. Matthew's Ridge was highlighted as a potential new capital city, and within Port Kaituma a large secondary school was constructed to educate students sent from all over Guyana. During its heyday, the school boasted over 800 students, of which most were housed in two large dormitory buildings.

In the 1970s, Jim Jones' commune of Jonestown was built only seven miles away from Port Kaituma. The first killings of the November 1978 Jonestown massacre occurred in Port Kaituma when Leo Ryan, a U.S. Congressman from California, and others were gunned down while boarding a small Twin Otter aircraft on the local airstrip. In the aftermath and clean-up operation that ensued, many items from the commune were acquired by the residents of Port Kaituma.

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