Carib Scope

作者： admin

  • PM Briceño Tells UN Guatemalan Aircraft “Intentionally Disabled” Transponder Over Belizean Airspace

    PM Briceño Tells UN Guatemalan Aircraft “Intentionally Disabled” Transponder Over Belizean Airspace

    On September 26, 2026, during his formal address to the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Belizean Prime Minister John Briceño brought a pressing cross-border incident to the attention of the global community, accusing Guatemala of a deliberate violation of international law. Three days prior, on September 23, a military aircraft operated by the Guatemalan government entered the sovereign airspace of Belize, with its transponder intentionally disabled, according to Briceño’s official statement to the assembly.

    Briceño emphasized that this single incursion violates multiple binding international agreements and long-standing legal norms. The act, he noted, runs counter to the standards set out in the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, established customary rules governing the operation of state-owned aircraft, and the core principle of territorial sovereignty enshrined in Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter.

    Further, the Belizean Prime Minister framed the airspace incident as not an isolated mistake, but the latest development in a sustained pattern of unlawful activity along the shared border between the two nations. The Sarstoon River, which forms a section of the contested border between Belize and Guatemala, has seen repeated illegal entry by Guatemalan state vessels and personnel into Belizean territorial waters, Briceño claimed. These actions, he added, directly contradict existing mutual obligations that require both parties to avoid any actions that would escalate or expand the territorial dispute, which is already pending before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

    With formal public hearings in the ICJ’s territorial dispute case scheduled to begin in February 2027, Briceño warned that Guatemala’s repeated incursions carry significant risks for the international dispute settlement process. He stated that these provocative actions threaten to compromise the authority of the ICJ and erode the foundational principle of peaceful dispute resolution outlined in Article 33 of the UN Charter.

    In his address, Briceño laid out clear demands for Guatemala. Belize calls on the neighboring state to immediately end all incursions across air, land, and maritime borders, to fully comply with its legal obligations under the UN Charter, the Chicago Convention, and existing confidence-building measures overseen by the Organization of American States (OAS), and to uphold the integrity of the ongoing ICJ judicial process. Additionally, Briceño requested strengthened international monitoring of the border region: he called on both the United Nations and the OAS to increase oversight to ensure no UN member state uses military pressure or intimidation to sway the outcome of ongoing judicial proceedings. Closing his address, Briceño expressed confidence in the upcoming ICJ ruling and reaffirmed Belize’s commitment to seeing its territorial borders fully respected by all neighboring states.

  • COMMENTARY: World Contraception Day – September 26

    COMMENTARY: World Contraception Day – September 26

    On World Contraception Day (WCD), regional reproductive health advocacy group ASPIRE is amplifying urgent calls for widespread, unrestricted access to contraceptive care across Dominica, building on a historic legal victory earlier this year that upended the country’s existing abortion legislation.

    This year’s WCD theme, “No Barriers, Just Choices: Contraceptive Access Now,” aligns directly with the core demands of ASPIRE’s work, which has involved four years of steady research and grassroots advocacy culminating in a landmark July 23 High Court ruling that deemed Dominica’s current abortion law unconstitutional and ordered it to be revised.

    WCD was established to center a critical public health message: universal access to evidence-based, reliable contraception is a fundamental reproductive right. The day also works to counter widespread misinformation about contraceptive safety and efficacy, while educating the public on the full range of options available to suit diverse health needs and life plans. These options cover five main categories: barrier methods such as condoms and diaphragms; hormonal methods including oral pills and injectable treatments; long-acting reversible contraceptives like intrauterine devices (IUDs) and subdermal implants; permanent sterilization options such as vasectomy for men and tubal ligation for women; and emergency contraception, which can effectively prevent pregnancy when taken up to 72 to 120 hours after unprotected intercourse.

    Advocates emphasize that expanding contraceptive access is the most effective long-term solution to reduce unsafe and unplanned abortions, because unintended pregnancy is the single leading driver of abortion across the globe. The core public health challenge the region faces is unplanned pregnancy, not the act of abortion itself — and addressing that root cause requires proactive investment in contraceptive access and education.

    New regional data collected across the Caribbean paints a stark picture of the current crisis. Among women accessing care at public health clinics across the region, 80% report that their most recent pregnancy was unplanned, and roughly 37% of these unplanned pregnancies end in abortion.

    When ASPIRE surveyed women who had undergone abortions about their age at the time of their first procedure, the results exposed a deeply troubling gap in adolescent reproductive care: 81% of respondents said they were teenagers when they had their first abortion, and a staggering 59% were under the age of 16. These figures, advocacy leaders say, make an irrefutable case for policy reform in Dominica to align with seven other Caribbean nations that have already eliminated requirements for parental consent for adolescents to access contraceptive health care.

    Current law in Dominica requires parental consent for people under 18 to access contraceptive care, even though the country permits children as young as 12 to be held criminally responsible for their actions. ASPIRE points out this six-year gap between criminal responsibility and legal access to independent health care is logically and ethically incoherent. The group notes that lowering the age of independent access to 16, as most neighboring countries have already done, simply closes the arbitrary legal gap between the age of consent for sexual activity and the right to access contraceptive care without parental approval. To fully address the public health reality of early sexual debut in the region, ASPIRE argues there should be no arbitrary age restrictions on access, and that the clinical professionalism of Dominica’s health care workforce should be trusted to provide appropriate, patient-centered care.

    The broader Caribbean region faces some of the most stark reproductive health metrics in the world: it holds the highest abortion rate globally and the second-earliest average age of sexual debut, making expanded contraceptive access an urgent public health priority.

    ASPIRE is a pro-motherhood, pro-family, pro-choice non-governmental organization registered in Dominica and five other Caribbean countries. The group works to advance evidence-based research and constructive dialogue with civil society organizations and national governments to expand fairness and justice in regional reproductive health policy.

  • Flow Gives Lucky Customers Ultimate CPL Final Experience!

    Flow Gives Lucky Customers Ultimate CPL Final Experience!

    The 2026 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 cricket tournament wrapped up on September 20 at Barbados’ iconic Kensington Oval, and four lucky Flow customers from across the region got a front-row seat to the championship clash, all expenses paid alongside a guest, as part of Flow’s popular ‘We Live For This’ fan engagement campaign.

    Two winners from Trinidad and Tobago, one from Jamaica, and one from Antigua joined thousands of cricket lovers from across the Caribbean to witness the thrilling conclusion of the six-week tournament, creating lasting memories at one of the region’s biggest annual sporting events. The ‘We Live For This’ campaign was designed to honor the deep passion, collective pride, and shared community experiences that have cemented cricket as a cornerstone of Caribbean cultural life. It highlighted all the elements that have earned CPL the nickname of ‘the Biggest Party in Sport’ — from edge-of-your-seat on-field performances and sold-out stadiums to lively music, fan celebrations, neighborhood pride, and the unwavering loyalty of regional cricket supporters.

    Today, CPL stands as one of the most-watched domestic T20 cricket leagues on the planet, drawing more than a billion cumulative viewers globally and serving as a global showcase for Caribbean athletic talent, cultural vibrancy, and world-class entertainment. “Cricket has a unique ability to bring our region together, and CPL embodies that one-of-a-kind Caribbean spirit,” explained Marilyn Sealy, Senior Director of Communications at Flow. “Through the ‘We Live For This’ campaign, our goal was to center fans and celebrate the special moments that make this tournament irreplaceable. It was a true pleasure to grant these four winners and their guests this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the CPL Final live in Barbados.”

    Flow’s long-term partnership with CPL aligns with the brand’s ongoing commitment to investing in events that unite Caribbean people and strengthen regional communities. This sponsorship builds on Flow’s previous work as the Official Telecommunications Partner for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, further cementing the brand’s mission to deliver world-class sporting experiences across the Caribbean. Beyond fan engagement, Flow has leveraged its CPL partnership to drive tangible community impact through its ‘Every Six Gives Back’ initiative. Across five regional markets, every boundary six hit during the tournament unlocked funding for local causes spanning education, youth sports, public health, and social inclusion.

    “Turning a moment of on-field excitement into tangible support for local communities is incredibly meaningful,” Sealy added. “With every six, we don’t just celebrate the thrill of the game — we invest in young people, families, and local organizations that are doing critical work across our region.”

    As CPL continues to grow into one of the top T20 leagues in global cricket, blending elite athletic competition with the distinct vibrant energy and culture of the Caribbean, Flow’s partnership has strengthened the tournament’s ability to deliver unforgettable experiences both for in-stadium fans and global digital audiences.

    Flow is a consumer brand of Liberty Caribbean, a leading regional communications and technology provider with operations in more than 20 Caribbean markets. Liberty Caribbean delivers broadband, mobile, video, and voice services to residential customers through its Flow and BTC consumer brands, while its B2B division, Liberty Business, provides enterprise-grade connectivity, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and data center services to businesses and governments across the region, supporting national digital growth. With a 150-year legacy rooted in the Caribbean, Liberty Caribbean remains committed to building robust regional networks, delivering personalized local support, and creating solutions tailored to the needs of Caribbean people and communities.

    First launched in 2013, the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League is a franchise-based T20 cricket tournament that uniquely blends high-stakes competitive cricket with the Caribbean’s iconic carnival atmosphere. In 2025, the tournament reached a global broadcast and digital audience of 1.17 billion viewers, solidifying its position as one of the most-watched cricket leagues in the world. The 2026 tournament runs from August 7 to September 20, with seven franchise teams competing: the current title holders Trinbago Knight Riders, plus Antigua & Barbuda Falcons, Barbados Royals, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Kingsmen, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, and Saint Lucia Kings.

  • Police confirm seizure of 95 kg of cocaine in Canouan

    Police confirm seizure of 95 kg of cocaine in Canouan

    In a press briefing held Saturday in Kingstown, the top leadership of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) has confirmed details of a major drug bust first teased on social media last month, while also laying out an aggressive, ongoing strategy to curb rising violent gun crime and stem cross-border trafficking of illegal contraband.

    The confirmation marked the first official update from the RSVGPF on the Canouan seizure after an initial September 17 Facebook post that first alerted the public to the operation. In that early social media alert, the force announced that its Coast Guard Service had launched a major drug seizure operation in the Grenadines that same day, recovered a large shipment of suspected cocaine, and had multiple individuals in custody for questioning. The post noted investigators were still processing the scene and securing evidence, with a promise of further updates once appropriate.

    Addressing reporter questions at Saturday’s briefing, acting Commissioner of Police Trevor “Buju” Bailey officially put the size of the seizure at 95 kilograms of cocaine. Bailey clarified that while three individuals remain in custody to assist with ongoing investigations, no formal arrests or charges have been filed to date. Insisting on the importance of evidence-based prosecution, Bailey noted, “I cannot take someone before the court on mere suspicion. I have to have evidence, hard evidence.”

    The commissioner declined to release additional specific details about the location of the seizure or the backgrounds of the individuals being questioned, but emphasized that the entire shipment would never reach public markets, blocking a major load of illegal narcotics from entering local or regional supply chains.

    Saturday’s press conference was primarily focused on the RSVGPF’s response to a surge in gun violence, including a fatal shooting that left four people dead in Green Hill the previous night. Bailey outlined a series of recent successful weapons seizures, including one earlier in September where officers recovered an AR-15 rifle and more than 40 rounds of ammunition in Kingstown. In that case, 41-year-old machine operator Damon Mason of Ottley Hall has been granted EC$20,000 bail. Mason is accused of illegally possessing the AR-15 and 19 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition without a valid license on September 10.

    Bailey also referenced a second separate weapons incident roughly two weeks prior, where patrolling officers discovered an illegal firearm during a routine search, leading to an arrest and formal charges for weapons and ammunition offenses.

    Outlining operational next steps, Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Brenton Smith confirmed that the force will maintain both mobile vehicle patrols and foot patrols across Kingstown and its surrounding suburbs. These deployments will be paired with increased random searches of individuals and expanded intelligence sharing between different police units. Smith explained that the stepped-up operations serve two key goals: removing illegal firearms already in circulation and deterring potential offenders from carrying weapons in the first place. He added that operations targeting violent crime and illegal weapons will continue indefinitely, and will be intensified in high-need areas as required.

    Smith issued two appeals to the public: first, he urged all residents to share any information they have about illegal weapons or criminal activity with law enforcement, noting that even seemingly minor details can prove critical to advancing active investigations. Second, he asked the public and media outlets to avoid spreading unconfirmed information that could cause unnecessary distress to affected families or compromise ongoing investigations.

    Addressing long-term structural challenges to crime fighting, Bailey acknowledged that the country’s extensive borders remain vulnerable to cross-border trafficking of both narcotics and illegal firearms, noting that weapons are currently entering the country via both air and sea routes. To counter this flow, the RSVGPF has boosted Coast Guard patrols across the nation’s territorial waters and is working closely with key regional security partners, including the Regional Security System, to disrupt trafficking networks. Additional resources have also been allocated to increase screening of people and goods entering the country through official ports of entry.

    When asked to comment on the status of surveillance scanning equipment at the country’s main airport and container port, Bailey declined to discuss specific operational capabilities or arrangements, but confirmed that the RSVGPF has previously made multiple arrests at both facilities in cases involving trafficking of cocaine, marijuana and other controlled substances.

    The commissioner also highlighted new investments in the force’s investigative capacity, noting that the government has provided new funding for upgraded forensic equipment. A key new asset, a comparative microscope, will allow investigators to examine and compare firearm-related evidence locally for the first time, eliminating the need to send evidence overseas for testing. Regional forensic experts will also deploy to support the local police force for a 12-month period to build local capacity and assist with ongoing cases.

  • Several earthquakes recorded in the Dominican Republic this Sunday

    Several earthquakes recorded in the Dominican Republic this Sunday

    On Sunday, September 27, the Dominican Republic was hit by a sequence of seismic events, with the strongest tremor recorded in the eastern portion of the Caribbean nation, according to compiled data from global and local geological monitoring agencies.

    The first notable tremor was captured by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at roughly 6:06 a.m. local time, with its epicenter positioned just 13 kilometers (8 miles) south-southwest of Bayaguana, a town in the province of Monte Plata. The USGS registered this event as a magnitude 4.2 earthquake.

    Nearly simultaneous to that measurement, the National Seismology Center of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) recorded a separate magnitude 4.3 quake near San Antonio de Guerra, located in the country’s central Santo Domingo province. This tremor originated at a depth of approximately 95.7 kilometers, and shaking was reported across multiple districts of Greater Santo Domingo.

    Residents and local officials confirmed the tremors were felt across a wide swathe of the country, extending beyond the capital region to neighboring provinces including Monte Plata, San Cristóbal, San Pedro de Macorís, Hato Mayor, Sánchez Ramírez, Monseñor Nouel and El Seibo. At the time of initial on-the-ground checks, emergency management teams had not received any reports of fatalities, injuries, or major structural damage linked to the morning’s seismic activity.

    Later in the same day, a stronger, third earthquake was detected in the eastern region of the country. Global geological monitoring site Volcanodiscovery, processing raw seismic data, logged a magnitude 5.2 tremor at around 5:49 p.m. local Dominican Republic time, centered just 8 kilometers southeast of Ramón Santana in the San Pedro de Macorís area.

    As of the most recent update compiled for this report, there are still no confirmed reports of significant structural destruction or human casualties linked to any of Sunday’s three recorded earthquakes.

    Geographically, the Dominican Republic sits within one of the most seismically active zones in the Caribbean, where the interaction of multiple tectonic plates and underlying geological structures creates regular earthquake activity. Local and international seismological authorities maintain continuous monitoring of the region, updating magnitude and location measurements as new data is collected and processed.

  • Rivers of the Dominican Republic: what are the main ones and what threats do they face?

    Rivers of the Dominican Republic: what are the main ones and what threats do they face?

    The Dominican Republic’s geographic landscape is woven together by an extensive, interconnected network of rivers and watersheds, all fed by mountain springs from the nation’s central mountain range. These water systems underpin every critical sector of Dominican life: they supply drinking water to millions of residents, support large-scale agricultural production, and fuel the country’s energy generation infrastructure. Among the nation’s most significant waterways are four that stand out for their economic, cultural, and ecological importance: Yaque del Norte, the longest river in the country, which acts as a lifeline for agricultural development across the northwest region; Yaque del Sur, a core source of irrigation for the highly productive southern agricultural zone; the Yuna River, which drains the fertile Cibao Valley before emptying into Samaná Bay; and the Ozama River, which flows along the capital city and holds deep historical and commercial importance for the nation.

  • Man pursued by the National Police kills two people and wounds another at a fried chicken restaurant in Sabana Perdida

    Man pursued by the National Police kills two people and wounds another at a fried chicken restaurant in Sabana Perdida

    A violent incident unfolded this week in the Lotes y Servicios sector of Sabana Perdida, located in northern Santo Domingo, when a fugitive wanted by Dominican law enforcement opened violence inside a local fried chicken food business, leaving two people dead and a third person with serious injuries. The tragedy unfolded as the suspect, who was actively being pursued by Dominican National Police, barricaded himself inside the popular food establishment after the attack.

    National Police spokesperson Diego Pesqueira confirmed to reporters that the suspect was already a person of interest in prior homicide investigations in the eastern Dominican city of San Pedro de Macorís, making him a high-priority target for law enforcement before the Sabana Perdida attack. After the violent outburst inside the food store, law enforcement teams successfully took the suspect into custody, ending the standoff that unfolded at the site.

    As of the latest update, law enforcement officials are holding the detained suspect while they conduct a thorough, ongoing investigation into the full sequence of events that led to the mass casualty incident. Investigators are working to clarify key details, including the motive for the attack, whether the victims were targeted at random or had prior connections to the suspect, and any additional factors that contributed to the violent episode. Local residents have been left shaken by the unexpected violence in the normally quiet residential and commercial sector, as authorities work to bring clarity to the case.

  • Be aware this afternoon: a trough will bring downpours to several provinces

    Be aware this afternoon: a trough will bring downpours to several provinces

    The Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet) has released a detailed weather forecast for this Sunday, outlining a mix of atmospheric conditions, persistent heat, and updates on two Atlantic tropical systems that currently pose no danger to the nation.

    According to Indomet’s projections, most of the Dominican Republic will wake up to a blend of partial sunshine and hazy overcast skies on Sunday. This initial sky condition is driven by two key atmospheric factors: a dominant anticyclonic system that stabilizes conditions near the surface, and light concentrations of fine dust particles carried across the Atlantic from the Sahara Desert.

    While the morning and early afternoon will remain largely calm, meteorologists warn that conditions will shift by the later afternoon. An upper-atmosphere trough linked to a distant frontal system, when combined with intense daytime solar heating and local topographical effects, will create enough atmospheric instability to trigger sudden downpours, rumbling thunderstorms, and gusty wind bursts across inland regions of the country.

    Indomet has identified 10 northern and central provinces that are most likely to see these stormy conditions: La Vega, Santiago, Santiago Rodríguez, San Juan, Dajabón, Monte Cristi, Valverde, Puerto Plata, Espaillat, as well as adjacent areas surrounding these localities. Forecasters added that the rain activity could linger into the early overnight hours, bringing moderate wet accumulation to some communities.

    Beyond the chance of afternoon storms, the agency emphasized that the ongoing stretch of hot weather will continue through Sunday, with elevated heat index values recorded across most of the national territory. To help residents avoid heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion or stroke, Indomet has issued a series of public health advisories. The guidance urges people to stay consistently hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day, opt for light, loose-fitting, pale-colored clothing that reflects sunlight, avoid prolonged unprotected exposure to direct sun between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. when UV and heat levels peak, and prioritize staying in cool, well-ventilated spaces during the warmest parts of the day.

    In its weekly tropical cyclone outlook, Indomet also provided updates on two active weather systems in the Atlantic Ocean. The first, Tropical Depression Fay, is currently churning over open Atlantic waters more than 1,840 kilometers west of the Azores archipelago. The system carries maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour and is tracking slowly southward at a speed of 6 kilometers per hour. Based on its current position and projected trajectory, Fay does not pose any threat to the Dominican Republic’s land or coastal areas.

    The second system under monitoring is a broad area of low pressure located southeast of Bermuda. Meteorologists give this disturbance a 10% probability of strengthening into a tropical cyclone over the next 48 hours, and a 20% chance of development over the coming seven days. Like Tropical Depression Fay, this low-pressure system’s location and forecast path mean it also carries no threat to Dominican territory at this time.

  • Beto Cuevas debuts in Santiago with an acoustic journey through his musical history

    Beto Cuevas debuts in Santiago with an acoustic journey through his musical history

    On a warm Saturday night in late September 2026, Chilean-Canadian music icon Beto Cuevas made his long-awaited debut in Santiago de los Caballeros, the Dominican Republic’s beloved “Heart City”, bringing his intimate, critically celebrated *Beto Cuevas Acústico* tour to the stage of the historic Gran Teatro del Cibao’s Restoration Hall. Drawing direct inspiration from La Ley’s genre-defining 2001 MTV Unplugged album — a project that cemented the rock band’s place in Latin American music history — the two-hour performance took attendees on a nostalgic yet deeply personal journey through every chapter of Cuevas’ 30-year career, blending chart-topping La Ley classics with fan-favorite solo tracks.

    Opening the night with the beloved hit *La Mitad*, Cuevas immediately built an organic connection with the local crowd, pointing out a special shared bond: he was born in Santiago, Chile, making this first visit to the Dominican Santiago feel like a homecoming. Before diving into his set, the artist shared that he had already explored a bit of the city during his stay, stopping to see its iconic main monument and connect with local residents, and thanked the audience for the warm welcome they extended. “I’ve been able to see a little bit of the city, its main monument, and its people. Above all, what characterizes them. So thank you very much for the affection, the respect, and for being with us tonight,” he told the crowd.

    Cuevas went on to explain the core concept behind the tour, which launched in 2025 and has already spanned more than 40 shows across Latin America. The entire project is conceived as a loving tribute to the 2001 MTV Unplugged album recorded with his former band La Ley, a release that marked a transformative milestone in the group’s trajectory. “It’s a tribute album to the famous album we made with La Ley in 2001, in La Ley Unplugged,” Cuevas explained, before inviting the audience to embrace the moment: “I invite you to live in the present, today, now.”

    One of the most celebrated highlights of the evening was a surprise guest appearance by rising Chilean vocalist Javi Flores, whom Cuevas first discovered during his time as a judge on a Chilean talent competition. Gushing to the audience about Flores’ extraordinary talent, Cuevas called her “the best singer in Latin America,” noting that he knew she deserved global recognition far beyond the confines of a televised competition. “This girl can’t just get lost in a talent show; she needs to go out and be known all over the world,” he said before inviting her to the stage for a collaborative performance of *Todo es perfecto* (Everything is Perfect), an original new track recorded specifically for the acoustic tour. Cuevas added that the show marked both of their first performances in Santiago de los Caballeros, making the collaboration even more special.

    Beyond the music, the show wove in moments of reflection and connection. The set included a dedicated segment featuring the track “Raymond”, followed by “La Luna” and a immersive sound bath experience. Speaking about this portion of the performance, Cuevas highlighted the deeply therapeutic power of music, drawing a parallel between sound and healing that resonated with the crowd. “Music is what we do in medicine for ourselves, and being able to share it with you throughout our history. Your music has literally been medicine for us,” he shared, thanking producers and collaborators for bringing the unique concept to life.

    Midway through the set, Cuevas also took a moment to share a thoughtful message about global peace and mindful leadership, touching on his experience as a Chilean-Canadian artist residing in the United States. “I respect everyone’s opinion, but I think it’s important—especially when the time comes to elect leaders who will become the leaders of our nations—that we choose wisely, above all based on their values,” he said, reaffirming his unwavering support for peace across borders.

    After running through a repertoire that also included *Día Cero*, *Vuelvo*, *Paraíso*, *Intenta Amar*, *Hombre*, *Animal*, *Cielo Market*, *Prisoners*, *Out of Me*, *Krazyworld*, a cover of Depeche Mode’s *Enjoy the Silence*, *Háblame* (Talk to Me), *Al final*, *Mentira*, *Tejedores de ilusión*, and *Delirando*, Cuevas saved the most iconic tracks for last, closing out the night with fan favorites that defined his decades-long career. The final sequence included a cover of Radiohead’s *Creep*, the legendary La Ley staple *El duelo*, *The Corridor*, and *Más allá*, bringing the performance to a close at 10:51 pm.

    The stop at Gran Teatro del Cibao marked Cuevas’ first ever public appearance in Santiago de los Caballeros, coming fresh off a performance in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo as part of the tour’s regional run. Centered on raw vocal performance, stripped-back acoustic arrangements, and genuine dialogue with the audience, the *Beto Cuevas Acústico* tour brings new life to the 30-year catalog of one of Latin rock’s most recognizable voices, while honoring the landmark MTV Unplugged session that redefined the genre more than two decades ago.

  • The Dominican Republic will face a moderate but persistent risk from El Niño

    The Dominican Republic will face a moderate but persistent risk from El Niño

    As forecasts point to one of the most intense El Niño events since 1950 set to peak in 2026, the Dominican Republic faces layered economic risks driven by extreme weather, even as the climate phenomenon delivers one unexpected upside for its key tourism industry, a new Deloitte analysis finds.

    International meteorological bodies warn there is a 90% probability that the 2026 El Niño event will strengthen into a “very strong” category, with lingering impacts stretching into 2027. While the Dominican Republic holds a more advantageous position compared to neighboring nations across Central America and Panama, the primary threat does not stem from excess rainfall. Instead, the biggest danger comes from the combined stress of prolonged drought, systemic water scarcity, and record-high heat that threatens to disrupt the country’s most economically critical sectors.

    Unlike Central America’s Dry Corridor, which faces catastrophic risks of widespread crop failure and deepening food insecurity, the Dominican Republic faces a moderate medium-term drought risk that will ripple through global and domestic supply chains to stoke inflation. Reduced rainfall across the region will cut into access to key production inputs including fertilizers and diesel, while low water levels on major global shipping routes have forced draft restrictions that push up global freight costs by as much as 15%. These higher costs are passed along step-by-step from logistics providers to retail outlets, ending with higher price tags for consumers at supermarkets and grocery stores.

    Deloitte’s report notes that fertilizers and diesel make up between 50% and 70% of total agricultural production costs for the country. Though global urea prices saw a partial correction after nearly doubling in the first half of the year, the earlier price surge has already been locked in for the 2026 planting season, putting consistent downward pressure on corporate profit margins across the agricultural sector.

    The country’s energy sector will also feel significant strain from reduced water availability. Lower reservoir levels at local hydropower dams will force grid operators to shift generation to more expensive fossil fuel-powered thermal plants, driving up overall electricity production costs thanks to the lagged economic impact of the weather event.

    Despite these broad risks, El Niño brings one clear benefit to the Dominican Republic’s economy: the climate phenomenon’s warm Atlantic phase is historically tied to reduced cyclonic activity, cutting the risk of destructive hurricanes and tropical storms hitting the island. This lower storm risk guarantees greater operational stability for the tourism sector, the single largest source of foreign exchange for the national economy.