Carib Scope

博客

  • CARICOM urged to strengthen regional unity, implement strategy, to mitigate effects of war in Middle East

    CARICOM urged to strengthen regional unity, implement strategy, to mitigate effects of war in Middle East

    As global geopolitical instability continues to escalate, policymakers across the Caribbean region have received an urgent call to coordinate bold, collective action to counter spillovers from ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The appeal was delivered by Dr. Wendell Samuel, Acting Assistant Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), during a virtual policy forum hosted on April 10, co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

    During the discussion, which centered on the far-reaching impacts of Middle East tensions on nations across Latin America and the Caribbean, Dr. Samuel emphasized that forward-looking, coordinated strategy, rather than fragmented national action, is the only path to effectively counter emerging global shocks. “This moment calls for strategic thinking and regional solidarity,” he told attendees. “The decisions we take now will determine not only how CARICOM navigates this crisis, but how prepared we are for future global disruptions. Resilience, cooperation, and shared responsibility must guide our response.”

    The forum centered heavily on the region’s unique vulnerabilities to external shocks, particularly in three critical areas: food security, domestic agricultural systems, and overall macroeconomic stability. Though the Caribbean sits thousands of miles from the Middle East, Dr. Samuel noted that the region’s highly open, trade-reliant economies leave it deeply exposed to disruptions in global energy, food, and supply chain networks. He added that long-standing structural weaknesses have amplified this risk: the region remains heavily dependent on imports for core necessities including food, fuel, agricultural fertilizers, and commercial shipping services, leaving it acutely sensitive to price swings and supply interruptions driven by geopolitical tension.

    Dr. Samuel, who also leads the Economic Integration, Innovation and Development Directorate at the CARICOM Secretariat, confirmed that regional officials have already developed a preliminary draft response framework to address these risks. Outlined as a comprehensive policy matrix, the draft framework maps direct links between external global disruptions and targeted national and regional policy actions. It lays out a clear sequence and priority for interventions, balancing near-term stabilization efforts to address immediate price and supply pressures with longer-term structural reforms designed to boost regional resilience and reduce systemic risk over time. A core tenet of the framework is its requirement for coordinated action across all CARICOM member states.

    The draft framework will next be submitted for review to CARICOM’s Ministers of Agriculture, who will deliberate on its final adoption and outline a roadmap for implementation. In laying out core priorities for the region’s response, Dr. Samuel called for deeper cross-border collaboration on three foundational fronts: coordinated public and private procurement, integrated regional transportation networks, and better collective management of strategic commodity reserves to buffer against supply shocks.

    He also underscored the urgent need for accelerated investment in renewable energy infrastructure, alongside intentional investment to restructure and strengthen regional food systems to reduce import dependence. Strengthened cross-border policy coordination, he argued, will allow the region to mount faster, more effective collective responses when external pressures emerge. Finally, he flagged targeted investment to strengthen regional institutions focused on food security monitoring and macroeconomic tracking as a critical, underaddressed need for the region.

    Dr. Samuel stressed that the economic risks stemming from the current conflict are not abstract hypothetical concerns. Rising price inflation, skyrocketing food costs, and growing pressure on strained government budgets are already emerging as pressing challenges across the region, he said, requiring immediate policy intervention. Only by clearly understanding the specific channels through which global shocks impact Caribbean economies, he concluded, can the region mount practical, coordinated responses to reduce harm and build long-term stability.

  • Oral Contraceptives Open Only for Existing Users

    Oral Contraceptives Open Only for Existing Users

    In a coordinated policy update aimed at strengthening pharmaceutical regulation across the country, the Pharmacists Association of Belize (PAB) and the nation’s Ministry of Health and Wellness have finalized an agreement to implement a 12-month phased transition for new mandatory prescription requirements covering most prescription medications. The framework was agreed upon during a stakeholder gathering held April 13 at Belize’s Western Regional Hospital, bringing together public health officials and pharmacy leaders to address gaps in current dispensing practices.

    Under the transition terms, pharmacists will retain limited permission to continue supplying chronic disease medications — including those used to manage diabetes and hypertension — to established patients even if their existing prescriptions have expired. All such dispensing transactions, however, must be formally recorded in an official prescription register to maintain full regulatory transparency and patient care tracking.

    This gradual rollout applies exclusively to medications used to treat non-communicable chronic conditions. Strict, no-exception prescription mandates already in place for antibiotics and controlled substances will remain unchanged, with regulators retaining their current tight oversight of these high-risk drug classes to curb overuse and misuse.

    One notable restriction that will remain in effect through the transition period applies to oral contraceptives: the medication will only be dispensed to continuing users who already hold a prior prescription. Pharmacists are prohibited from initiating new contraceptive therapy for first-time users under the current rules. PAB has submitted a formal standardized dispensing protocol for oral contraceptives to the Ministry of Health and Wellness, which is currently undergoing official review.

    In a related move, the Ministry has reopened the public list of over-the-counter (OTC) medications for a full regulatory revision. PAB has been tasked with developing evidence-based recommendations for updates to the OTC list, with all proposals required to align with established international pharmaceutical safety standards.

    Both regulatory and industry stakeholders emphasize that the 12-month transition period is designed to give the general public sufficient time to adapt to the new requirements, rather than creating new access privileges for medications. To support public understanding of the changes, a joint public education campaign is already in planning stages. The campaign will include educational content focused on medication safety distributed via video, as well as targeted outreach efforts to reach rural communities that may face greater barriers to accessing new information and care.

    Jada Parchue, president of the Pharmacists Association of Belize, highlighted the balanced approach of the new policy in a statement following the agreement. “The twelve-month transition protects patient continuity of care while the public is sensitised on the prescription requirements,” Parchue explained.

  • Below-Normal Hurricane Season? El Niño May Change That, Here’s Why

    Below-Normal Hurricane Season? El Niño May Change That, Here’s Why

    As the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season approaches, Belize’s National Meteorological Service (NMS) has released an early projection calling for slightly below-normal storm activity across the region — but forecasters are sounding a clear note of caution, warning that a developing moderate-to-strong El Niño event, with a non-negligible chance of a rare “super El Niño”, could upend expectations and leave communities vulnerable to unexpected extreme weather.

    The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirms that global forecast models put the probability of El Niño developing in the coming months at over 60%. What is more, current climate data suggests roughly a one-in-four chance that this event will strengthen into a super El Niño, one of the most powerful classifications of this natural climate phenomenon.

    To contextualize the risk, El Niño is a cyclical global climate pattern driven by abnormal warming of surface waters across the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. This shift in ocean temperatures disrupts large-scale atmospheric wind patterns and jet stream trajectories, triggering far-reaching shifts in rainfall and temperature distributions across every continent. The phenomenon can bring crippling drought to some regions while sparking catastrophic flooding in others, and major El Niño events have been repeatedly tied to record-breaking global heatwaves, widespread crop failures, systemic water shortages, and unprecedented swings in extreme weather.

    For Belize and the broader Caribbean basin, El Niño’s characteristic impact actually works to suppress hurricane formation in most cases. NMS chief meteorologist Ronald Gordon explained that the pattern typically generates increased vertical wind shear across the Atlantic, a atmospheric condition that tears apart developing storm systems and prevents them from intensifying into full hurricanes. That dynamic is the core reason behind the NMS’s early projection of a slightly slower-than-average 2026 hurricane season.

    However, Gordon emphasized that this lower baseline risk does not eliminate the threat entirely — and he urged Belizean residents to avoid complacency in the face of the forecast. “As we always say, ‘Don’t study those numbers, because just one hurricane could impact us and be very bad,’” Gordon noted. “So, again, reminding citizens to be alert, be aware, and be prepared.”

    History bears out this warning: even in the quietest hurricane seasons, individual storms can rapidly intensify as they move across warm Atlantic waters, leaving coastal communities with little time to prepare and often causing catastrophic damage.

    What makes this year’s forecast particularly tense for climate scientists is the confluence of factors that could push the approaching El Niño into super strength. Current ocean temperature readings and long-term climate trends are aligning in a pattern that favors extreme strengthening. When combined with decades of human-caused global warming that has already raised baseline ocean and atmospheric temperatures, a super El Niño could shatter existing global heat records and exacerbate extreme weather events across the globe far beyond Belize’s borders.

    For local officials in Belize, the key takeaway from this mixed forecast is a simple one: preparation matters more than prediction. Seasonal projections can shift dramatically as new climate data emerges, and even a suppressed hurricane season driven by El Niño still carries significant risk for coastal, low-lying nations like Belize.

  • PHOTOS: Lower Ottos Road Upgrade Moves Ahead as Constituency Improvements Continue

    PHOTOS: Lower Ottos Road Upgrade Moves Ahead as Constituency Improvements Continue

    Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Infrastructure Daryll Matthew has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to upgrading domestic public infrastructure, pointing to the ongoing road rehabilitation project in Lower Ottos as a tangible example of that promise in action.

    For months, residents of the Lower Ottos community have navigated uneven pavement, persistent potholes, and limited accessibility that have complicated daily commutes, emergency service access, and local business operations. The current construction initiative is designed to directly address these longstanding grievances, with the explicit goal of delivering a far smoother, more dependable road network that meets the community’s current and future needs.

    In a recent public statement, Matthew emphasized that infrastructure investment is a top policy priority for his ministry, noting that reliable transportation networks form the backbone of thriving communities. The ongoing works in Lower Ottos, he explained, are just one component of a broader, island-wide strategy to rehabilitate aging transportation assets and connect neighborhoods more effectively. Once completed, the project is expected to cut down on travel time for local residents, reduce vehicle maintenance costs, improve response times for emergency services, and create a more welcoming environment for visitors to the area.

  • Why your electricity bill might go up: Understanding the fuel surcharge

    Why your electricity bill might go up: Understanding the fuel surcharge

    Residents of the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia are bracing for a sharp jump in monthly electricity costs, driven by skyrocketing global crude oil prices that are rippling through the country’s fossil fuel-dependent energy sector.

    To understand the price increase, it is first necessary to break down the structure of consumer electricity bills from LUCELEC, the island’s main electricity provider. Every bill is split into two core components: a fixed basic rate that covers infrastructure and operational overhead, and a variable fuel cost adjustment, more commonly referred to as a fuel surcharge. Unlike fixed basic rates, this surcharge scales directly with a customer’s energy consumption, and its sole purpose is to pass through the fluctuating cost of fuel used to generate electricity to end users.

    Currently, Saint Lucia generates the vast majority of its electricity using imported crude oil, leaving its entire energy market extremely vulnerable to shifts in global commodity prices. The most recent data confirms the scale of the increase: in April 2026, the fuel surcharge jumped to 25.5 cents per unit of electricity, a dramatic surge from just 0.7 cents per unit recorded in March. In plain terms, the global market has pushed the cost of fuel for power generation far higher, and that additional expense is now being passed directly to Saint Lucian households.

    The root of this sudden price spike lies in broader global market instability. International oil prices are primarily driven by supply and demand dynamics, and ongoing geopolitical tensions, most notably the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, have created significant uncertainty around global oil supply. Market uncertainty around supply almost always pushes prices upward, and for small net energy importers like Saint Lucia, these price hikes hit the electricity sector almost immediately.

    Crucially, even households that have cut their electricity consumption to save money will still see an increase in their total bills, because the surcharge itself has risen per unit. For many local families, this additional cost comes at an already strained moment, when the rising cost of living across the Caribbean has put growing pressure on household budgets.

    Beyond the immediate financial strain on consumers, the sharp surge in the fuel surcharge has reignited public debate around energy policy in Saint Lucia. The crisis lays bare how deeply exposed the island nation is to unpredictable global commodity shocks, which has pushed calls for accelerated investment in domestic renewable energy resources to cut reliance on imported fossil fuel. It also clarifies a key point for consumers: the fuel surcharge is not an arbitrary new tax or fee imposed by the utility, but a direct pass-through of global market costs that will continue to fluctuate alongside international oil prices.

  • Wotton stun Kickstart to grab first points

    Wotton stun Kickstart to grab first points

    The tight battle for the 202X Barbados Football Association Premier League crown took an unforeseen, dramatic turn on a tense Tuesday night of matchweek action, as two underdog sides pulled off stunning results to upend the league table projections. The biggest headline came from the BFA Technical Centre in Wildey, where cellar-dwelling Wotton pulled off what is already being called the upset of the season: a 1-0 defeat of title contender Kickstart Rush, a result no pundit predicted before kickoff.

    Heading into the fixture, Wotton had endured one of the most difficult campaigns in recent league history, failing to pick up a single point from their opening 11 outings. In stark contrast, Kickstart Rush sat comfortably in fourth position on 23 points, with a clear path to climb the table: a win would have lifted them into second place, just one point behind long-time leaders Paradise. But a flat, below-par performance from the title hopeful left them empty-handed, opening the door for the basement club to create history.

    The decisive moment came in the 61st minute, when a long, probing clearance down the left flank caught Kickstart’s backline out of position. A misjudged sliding tackle inside the 18-yard box gave referee no choice but to point to the spot, and Wotton’s Terry Rollock stepped up to fire a powerful penalty into the back of the net, securing the club’s first three points of the season.

    The second fixture of the night delivered even more late drama, as fifth-ranked Brittons Hill United hosted eighth-placed Eyre’s Meat Shop Pride of Gall, with both sides eyeing three points to improve their league standing. Brittons Hill got off to a dream start, with Steven Pierre opening the scoring in the 20th minute to put the home side ahead. But Pride of Gall’s Shakarie Mottley had other plans, equalizing for the visitors 17 minutes later. Just before halftime, Ray Snagg restored Brittons Hill’s lead, sending the sides into the break with a 2-1 scoreline.

    Eight minutes into the second half, Mottley found the back of the net again to level the match, setting up a frantic final half-hour that delivered one twist after another. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Pride of Gall earned a penalty of their own, and Mottley converted to complete his hat-trick, putting his side 3-2 up and on the cusp of just their fourth win of a tough season. But in an even more shocking turn of events, Brittons Hill won a second stoppage-time penalty in the 12th minute of added time. Kirtney Franklyn held his nerve from the spot, slotting home to make the final score 3-3 and steal a late point for his side.

    After 12 completed rounds of fixtures, the updated table shows Paradise holding onto the top spot with 27 points, just two points clear of defending champions Weymouth Wales who sit second on 25 points. Third place is currently held by Ellerton on 23 points, with Kickstart Rush dropping to fourth on the same points due to an inferior goal difference. Brittons Hill also hold 23 points, sitting in fifth place. Further down the table, Bagatelle hold sixth place on 14 points, followed by UWI Blackbirds in seventh and Pride of Gall Hill in eighth, both on 12 points. The relegation zone is currently occupied by St. Andrew Lions in ninth with six points, and newly-pointed Wotton in last with three.

    League action will resume this coming Sunday at the BFA Technical Centre, with a stacked slate of fixtures that could reshape the title race once again. The headline fixture is a high-stakes top-of-the-table clash between leaders Paradise and defending champions Weymouth Wales, kicking off at 6 p.m. Earlier in the day at 4 p.m., Kickstart Rush will face UWI Blackbirds, with both sides desperate to bounce back from recent losses and get their title campaigns back on track. The final match of the night, kicking off at 8 p.m., will see Pride of Gall Hill face third-placed Ellerton.

    Off the pitch, the race for the league’s Golden Boot award is also shaping up to be a tight contest. Bagatelle’s Torian Joseph currently leads the charts with 11 goals from 12 appearances, just two goals clear of a chasing pack that includes Ellerton’s Shakille Belle, Brittons Hill’s Kirtney Franklyn and Paradise’s Kamol Griffith, all of whom have nine goals so far this season.

  • Officials From Central Africa Come to Belize to Exchange Ideas

    Officials From Central Africa Come to Belize to Exchange Ideas

    In a collaborative effort to advance marine conservation and sustainable blue economic development, Belize opened its doors this Tuesday to a nine-member delegation of officials and project partners from Gabon, a small Central African nation bordering the Atlantic Ocean. The visit, centered on sharing expertise around nature and blue finance mechanisms, is organized jointly by The Nature Conservancy and the government of Belize under the framework of the newly launched Nature Bonds Knowledge Exchange initiative.

    The core focus of this cross-continental exchange is to disseminate actionable, on-the-ground lessons drawn from Belize’s groundbreaking work in ocean debt-for-conservation swaps, a policy tool that has drawn global attention for its ability to tie debt restructuring to environmental protection commitments. Over the first day of talks, participants dived into critical operational details of these deals, including the architecture of fund management, cross-ministerial coordination frameworks, and strategies for aligning conservation goals with high-priority blue economy sectors—specifically sustainable commercial fishing and nature-based tourism.

    In addition to debt swap insights, Belize’s delegation also showcased its innovative pilot initiative for electronic fishing vessel monitoring, a technology-driven solution designed to curb illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and protect vulnerable marine ecosystems. For their part, Gabonese representatives shared an overview of their national marine governance structure, as well as the unique ecological and socioeconomic challenges their country faces as it works to expand blue conservation finance.

    For the remainder of the week, the Gabonese delegation will hold closed-door working sessions with a broad range of Belizean stakeholders, including federal government agencies, local non-governmental conservation organizations, and other key partners that have been involved in implementing Belize’s blue bond and debt swap commitments. The exchange is expected to lay the groundwork for future cross-regional collaboration on ocean conservation, as both nations work to balance environmental protection with inclusive economic growth for coastal communities.

  • Three Dominican writers make it to 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize longlist

    Three Dominican writers make it to 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize longlist

    In a recent announcement from the Commonwealth Foundation dated April 14, three emerging writers from the Caribbean nation of Dominica have earned a coveted spot on the 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize longlist, earning recognition from the award’s judging panel as standout new voices in global fiction. Launched to spotlight untapped storytelling talent across the 56-nation Commonwealth bloc, the 2026 edition of the prize drew a record-breaking 7,806 total submissions from writers around the world, with fewer than 200 works advancing to the longlist phase of the competition, per official details published on the Foundation’s website. The three Dominican authors named to the extended longlist are Michelle A. Belle, recognized for her story *Breakfast Fete*, Nadege Roach for her entry *The Names He Carried*, and Zephrine Royer for her narrative *Witness*. While the longlisted works are not slated for official publication as part of the prize’s programming, the selection cements the three writers’ places among a curated group of up-and-coming literary talents that judges have flagged as names to watch in coming years. Industry observers note that this recognition carries meaningful weight for the emerging creators: the Commonwealth Short Story Prize ranks among the most fiercely competitive international literary awards for short-form fiction, drawing entries from both established and first-time writers across every inhabited region of the Commonwealth. In its official announcement, the Commonwealth Foundation underlined that longlisted honorees are those whose work sparked vigorous, enthusiastic debate among the judging panel. Though they did not advance to the final shortlist, their creative storytelling was deemed by the panel to rank just below the top tier of selected entries. In a public post shared to the Foundation’s official Facebook page, the organization extended formal congratulations to the three Dominican writers, writing, “We say congratulations to them, and look forward to seeing them grow in their craft and continue making Dominica proud!” Readers can access the full 2026 longlist via the link published on the Commonwealth Foundation’s website.

  • Trump Says He’s “Permanently Opening” the Strait of Hormuz for China

    Trump Says He’s “Permanently Opening” the Strait of Hormuz for China

    In a provocative series of statements posted to his Truth Social platform on April 15, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he is “permanently opening” the Strait of Hormuz for China, adding that Beijing has expressed strong approval of the move and agreed to halt arms shipments to Iran in what he framed as a reciprocal arrangement.

    “China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also – And the World. This situation will never happen again,” Trump wrote in his post. He went on to claim he expects a warm reception on his upcoming trip to Beijing in May, including what he called a “big, fat hug” from Chinese President Xi Jinping.

    Trump’s remarks come as the U.S. military has formally confirmed that its full naval blockade of Iranian ports is now operational. U.S. military officials stated that American forces have “completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea,” a move that has sharply escalated already fraught tensions between Washington and Tehran. Iranian military commanders have decried the blockade as a violation of international law, issuing stark warnings that they and their regional allied armed groups are capable of shutting down commercial shipping across the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and even the Red Sea if the blockade is not lifted.

    Contradicting the U.S. military’s claims of a total trade halt, Al Jazeera reported Tuesday that maritime tracking data shows multiple commercial vessels departed Iranian ports and successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz even after the blockade was announced, bringing into question the effectiveness of Washington’s current operational posture.

    Diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the crisis remain stalled, following the collapse of bilateral peace talks between the U.S. and Iran over the weekend. The two sides have continued to exchange indirect communications through Pakistan as a neutral intermediary. Iranian officials have said they remain open to returning to good-faith negotiations, but have rejected key American demands as unrealistic, and say the burden is on Washington to demonstrate it is serious about reaching a diplomatic resolution.

    The broader regional conflict that has gripped the Middle East in recent weeks continues to inflict mounting civilian and military casualties. Local authorities report that more than 5,500 people have been killed across Iran and Lebanon in just the past six weeks. CNN reports that over the past 24 hours alone, Israel has carried out airstrikes against more than 200 Hezbollah-linked sites in southern Lebanon. Israel’s security cabinet is convening Wednesday to discuss a potential ceasefire agreement with the Iran-aligned militant group.

    A separate two-week temporary truce between the United States and Iran is scheduled to expire on April 22, leaving open the possibility of a further sharp escalation in hostilities in the coming week if no new diplomatic breakthrough is reached.

  • Calderon makes Round of 16 in CAC table tennis

    Calderon makes Round of 16 in CAC table tennis

    The 2026 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Senior Table Tennis Championships, hosted at the newly renovated Table Tennis Pavilion in Santo Domingo’s Parque del Este, have delivered standout performances from two of Saint Lucia’s top young competitors, marking a promising milestone for the island nation’s table tennis program this week.

    Leading the Saint Lucian contingent was 21-year-old DeAndre Calderon, a right-handed player hailing from Corinth, Gros Islet, who recently returned to regional competition after competing with his club team in Germany. Competing in Group 13 of the men’s singles draw, Calderon secured second place in group play to advance to the knockout rounds. His group stage run included a confident 3-1 win over Barbados’ Mark Dowell, with set scores of 11-8, 11-3, 8-11, 11-7, a 3-1 defeat of Guyana’s Niran Bissu (11-3, 6-11, 11-6, 11-5), and a hard-fought 3-0 loss to top-ranked host nation competitor Isaac Vila.

    In the Round of 32 knockout stage, Calderon delivered a polished performance to defeat Costa Rica’s Gabriel Quiros 4-1, wrapping up the match with set results of 14-12, 12-10, 11-4, 8-11, 11-4. His impressive run ultimately came to a close in the Round of 16 on the evening of April 14, where he fell 4-1 to Cuba’s highly ranked Jorge Campos, who took sets 11-6, 11-3, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7.

    Fifteen-year-old LeShon Francis, one of the youngest athletes to qualify for the senior draw and a already a qualifier for the Pan Am Senior Championships, turned heads with his own strong performance that earned him a spot in the Round of 32. Competing in Group 3, the left-handed prospect also finished second in group play, notching a clean 3-0 sweep of Barbados’ Ramario Gill (11-5, 20-18, 11-9) and a 3-1 win over Trinidad & Tobago’s Anson Lowkie (7-11, 11-6, 11-1, 11-5), with his only group stage loss coming to Mexico’s Marcos Madrid via 3-0 sweep. Francis’ run ended in the Round of 32 with a 4-1 defeat to Guatemala’s Ricardo Gatica.

    Third Saint Lucian men’s competitor Manie Eleuthere finished fourth in Group 12, dropping all three of his group stage matches in 3-0 sweeps to Rafael Cabrera of the Dominican Republic, Shemar Britton of Guyana, and Gabriel Quiros of Costa Rica.

    All three of Saint Lucia’s women’s singles competitors faced tough draws in their group stage campaigns. Shatal Charles dropped two 3-1 matches, falling to familiar opponent Stuti Kashyap of Antigua & Barbuda and host nation player Yasiris Ortiz. Zarianne Anthony was defeated in 3-0 sweeps by Guatemala’s Lucia Cordero and Mexico’s Monica Munoz, while Cherese Darcheville fell to three higher-ranked opponents: Mexico’s Marbella Aceves, El Salvador’s Cristina Machado, and Cuba’s Karla Perez Gonzalez, all via 3-0.

    In doubles competition, the only Saint Lucian match win came from the mixed doubles pairing of Calderon and Anthony, who earned a 3-0 sweep (11-6, 12-10, 12-10) over Trinidad & Tobago’s pair of Josiah Joseph and Imani Taylor-Edwards, before falling 3-0 to Cuba’s Adrian Perez and Estela Crespo. All other doubles campaigns ended in opening-round defeats: Charles and Francis lost to their Puerto Rican opponents, the women’s doubles pair of Charles and Anthony dropped their opening match, and the men’s doubles team of Eleuthere and Francis also exited in their first match. The tournament kicked off with men’s and women’s singles play on April 13, with doubles launching the following day, and finals for all disciplines scheduled for April 15.