Carib Scope

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  • UPDATE: Police confirm body found in Capuchin; DNA testing needed for identification

    UPDATE: Police confirm body found in Capuchin; DNA testing needed for identification

    Authorities in Dominica have launched an identification process after severely decomposed human remains were discovered in a remote precipice in the Capuchin region this week, prompting police to move quickly to address public speculation around a recently missing local teenager.

    In an official statement released late Wednesday, Acting Assistant Superintendent of Police and Public Relations Officer Fixton Henderson confirmed that law enforcement personnel had recovered the partial human remains from the steep cliff location. Henderson detailed that the remains match the general description of an adult female, who was found wearing a blue top at the time of discovery. Due to extensive decomposition that has left the body completely unrecognizable, police confirmed forensic DNA analysis will be required to formally confirm the individual’s identity.

    Henderson emphasized that the update was shared proactively with the public to curb unfounded rumors, stopping short of officially confirming whether the remains belong to 16-year-old Jerbia Paul, a teenager who has been listed as missing since July 24, 2026. Multiple unnamed police sources had previously told local outlet Dominica News Online earlier the same day that the recovered body was that of Paul, who was last seen wearing a dark blue shirt – a detail that aligns with the clothing description of the remains found.

    To provide full transparency to the public and Paul’s family, law enforcement has scheduled an official press conference for 9:00 a.m. local time on Thursday at the Dominican Police Headquarters, where officials will share new details on the investigation, initial forensic findings, and next steps in the identification process.

  • Investigating, removing CCJ President not so easy- Lawyer Nigel Hughes

    Investigating, removing CCJ President not so easy- Lawyer Nigel Hughes

    On August 12, 2026, prominent Guyanese attorney Nigel Hughes issued a public clarification on the legal requirements for investigating and potentially removing the President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), emphasizing that the process cannot be advanced through a routine internal review and requires formal action from at least three CARICOM leaders to proceed.

    In a public statement shared via Facebook, Hughes stressed that the recently surfaced “grave” allegations against the sitting CCJ President strike at the core of the regional court’s institutional integrity, and demand a full, legally compliant inquiry to protect the court’s independence and public trust. Under the text of the agreement that established the CCJ, the formal process for removing the court’s President can only be triggered when three or more CARICOM Heads of Government jointly present a formal request to the full body of regional leaders to open an investigation. Once this threshold is met, CARICOM’s Heads of Government are required to convene an independent tribunal to review the claims.

    Hughes argued that Caribbean citizens have a clear right to a thorough inquiry led by senior, impartial judges, rather than empty political maneuvering or institutional inaction. “The CCJ belongs to the people of the Caribbean. Its credibility depends on the rule of law being applied to its leaders with the same rigour it is applied to everyone else,” Hughes wrote.

    The legal framework for removing CCJ officials differs sharply between the President and other sitting judges: ordinary judges fall under the oversight of the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission (RJLSC), which has the authority to initiate removal proceedings. The President, by contrast, can only be appointed or removed via a three-quarters qualified majority vote of the CCJ’s contracting parties, acting on a formal recommendation from a specially convened commission. Hughes emphasized that the RJLSC lacks the legal jurisdiction to launch a full investigation into the CCJ President, only holding that authority over other court judges.

    The RJLSC has previously announced it would conduct a “transparent and independent review” of the allegations against the President, a move Hughes noted aligns with the body’s response to a similar complaint filed in 2025. Under the CCJ’s founding agreement, the path to removal requires a tribunal to first conclude that the President is unfit for office due to misbehavior or incapacity, after which the RJLSC forwards the tribunal’s recommendation to CARICOM leaders for a final vote. The agreement also allows for the President to be suspended from duties during the tribunal’s investigation, with suspension lifted if the tribunal finds removal is not warranted.

    Hughes also flagged a critical unaddressed conflict of interest in the current framework: the sitting CCJ President serves concurrently as chair of the RJLSC, the body tasked with forwarding the tribunal’s removal recommendation to CARICOM leaders. The founding treaty does not include explicit guidance for this scenario, where the subject of a removal probe also leads the body that must act on the tribunal’s findings. “Basic principles of fairness — the right not to be a judge in one’s own cause — clearly require the President to step aside from those deliberations,” Hughes said, adding that while the treaty’s provision for a Deputy Chairman to preside in the chair’s absence supports this interpretation, the gap in explicit text leaves room for dispute.

    Hughes emphasized that the deliberately complex design of the removal process is intended to protect judicial independence, preventing any single national government, political faction, or dissatisfied litigant from arbitrarily removing the head of the Caribbean’s highest regional court. At the same time, he noted, the framework establishes a clear, legitimate accountability pathway for cases where credible claims of misbehavior or incapacity meet the required threshold.

    Headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago, the CCJ serves a key role across the Caribbean bloc: it is responsible for adjudicating single market and economy disputes for 14 full CARICOM member states (The Bahamas is not part of the single market), and acts as the final court of appeal for both criminal and civil cases in five regional nations: Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana and St Lucia.

  • OKGS treedt op tegen illegale goudwinning in Brownsberg Natuurpark

    OKGS treedt op tegen illegale goudwinning in Brownsberg Natuurpark

    Suriname’s regulatory body for the small-scale gold sector has taken decisive action against unauthorized mining operations inside a protected national nature reserve, seizing mining equipment and ordering illegal prospectors to leave the ecologically sensitive area.

    The Commission for the Ordering of the Small-Scale Gold Sector (OKGS) launched an inspection of Brownsberg Nature Park on Tuesday this week, following confirmed reports of unpermitted gold extraction activity at multiple sites across the protected territory. Managed by the Suriname Nature Conservation Foundation (STINASU), Brownsberg Nature Park is one of the country’s key protected ecological areas, home to unique biodiversity and fragile ecosystems that are highly vulnerable to the destructive impact of unregulated mining.

    During the inspection, OKGS teams discovered stockpiles of gold mining equipment near the Irenevallen waterfall, which were immediately seized as evidence. All illegal miners found on site were formally ordered to evacuate the protected zone immediately. The inspection also included working discussions with STINASU to clarify the formal boundary line of the protected area, a step designed to eliminate ambiguity around zones where all gold extraction activities are permanently prohibited.

    OKGS was established specifically to improve governance of Suriname’s growing small-scale gold mining sector, with a multi-pronged mandate that includes addressing widespread environmental degradation, cracking down on unlicensed activity and associated criminal networks, regulating financial flows within the sector, and ensuring the Surinamese state captures a fair share of revenue from gold production and export. The commission operates in close coordination with a range of national and local stakeholders, including the Ministries of Justice and Security, Defense, and Natural Resources, STINASU, traditional community leaders, and district commissioners, with participating partners adjusted based on the specific region of operations.

    As part of its broader sector reform push, OKGS launched a six-month pilot registration program for all individuals working in or connected to the small-scale gold sector in early July. The soft launch of the registration scheme is rolling out across multiple mining regions over the half-year pilot period. Miners seeking formal registration can also submit applications directly at the OKGS headquarters located at 181 Mr. Jagernath Lachmonstraat. Officials confirmed that follow-up inspections of the Brownsberg area will be conducted in the near future to ensure no illegal mining activity resumes, as part of ongoing efforts to bring structured regulation to the small-scale gold sector and protect Suriname’s critical natural protected areas.

  • Unions Set Two Dates: “Wear Black” Friday, Then a National Rally

    Unions Set Two Dates: “Wear Black” Friday, Then a National Rally

    As the Belizean Cabinet continues to weigh stakeholder input on the controversial proposed BTL-Speednet acquisition, the country’s organized labor movement has ramped up its resistance, scheduling two high-profile, coordinated public actions to push back against the deal within the same week.

    The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB), the umbrella body leading the opposition campaign, has launched a nationwide call for all workers and ordinary Belizeans to participate in a visible, social media-powered demonstration of dissent this coming Friday. The organizing body is urging participants to wear black clothing in all settings — whether heading to workplaces, classrooms, or commercial activities — then share photos of their participation online using the dedicated campaign hashtag #BlackOutBTL. The NTUCB’s official messaging frames the action as a collective show of solidarity: “Wear black. Stand together. Let our voices be heard.”

    The Friday visible protest is only the opening phase of the escalated campaign. Dated August 12, a formal notice from the Belize National Teachers’ Union (BNTU) to school administrators across the country confirmed that unionized teachers will join a larger national rally organized by the NTUCB on August 18, the following Tuesday. Beyond their opposition to the Speednet acquisition, the BNTU notes that the demonstration also addresses a range of growing unresolved concerns affecting workers across Belize. In its correspondence to school leaders, the union emphasized its unwavering position, writing: “We sincerely hope that we have your support and co-operation. We shall NOT be moved.”

    These two back-to-back actions mark the most significant escalation of union resistance to date, moving beyond routine press statements and isolated small protests to a unified, coordinated mobilization that brings together multiple union affiliates under a single opposition banner. The timing of the mobilization comes as the country’s Cabinet holds ongoing stakeholder hearings, with presentations from both proponents and opponents of the proposed corporate transaction. In a separate related development, independent senators have reaffirmed that they have not received any formal invitation for engagement or briefing from BTL amid the ongoing debate over the deal.

  • Bayview Urgent Care partners with RUBIS to offer discounted preventative health screenings

    Bayview Urgent Care partners with RUBIS to offer discounted preventative health screenings

    Barbados is seeing a groundbreaking public-private collaboration that aims to expand access to life-saving preventive healthcare for thousands of residents, as Bayview Urgent Care has officially launched a new partnership with energy firm Rubis to deliver discounted basic health screening packages to both corporate and retail customers of Rubis.

    Against a backdrop of rising rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) across the Caribbean, the initiative targets a long-standing gap in care: the financial barriers that leave many uninsured Barbadians putting off routine check-ups that can catch chronic conditions early. This aligns directly with Bayview Urgent Care’s core mission to shift healthcare from reactive treatment of advanced illness to proactive prevention before symptoms develop.

    Dr. David Byer, Lead Consultant at Bayview Urgent Care, emphasized the urgent on-the-ground need for this program. “Working in urgent care, we see every day how much difference early intervention makes for patients facing chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension,” Byer explained. “By making these basic screening packages available at a discount to Rubis customers, we’re encouraging all Barbadians to take control of their wellbeing before small health concerns become life-threatening. Early detection remains our most powerful tool in the fight against NCDs, and this partnership lets us put that tool in more people’s hands.”

    For Rubis, a leading fuel retailer operating across Barbados, the collaboration is a natural extension of the company’s long-standing commitment to local community welfare. Unlike traditional corporate social responsibility initiatives that focus only on large-scale projects, this effort brings direct, tangible benefits to every customer who walks through Rubis’ doors or holds a RubisCard.

    “At Rubis, our promise to the communities we serve goes way beyond supplying high-quality fuel,” said Andrea Gooding, Rubis’ Marketing Manager. “Corporate social responsibility isn’t an afterthought for us—it’s baked into everything we do. We’re always looking for meaningful ways to support our customers, and this partnership lets us deliver life-saving value to every driver that stops at our stations. We want to help people prioritize their health, so they can be truly fueled for every part of their life journey ahead.”

    The basic screening package at the core of the partnership includes all the core baseline tests needed to flag early signs of chronic illness: a full physical examination, urinalysis, blood sugar testing, and cholesterol screening, with all consultation fees included in the discounted price. For patients who require additional follow-up testing based on initial results, a range of advanced diagnostics are also available, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, full blood counts (FBC), ECGs, digital mammograms, and CT calcium scoring, when medically necessary.

    Peter Harris, Chairman of Bayview Hospital, noted that the partnership reflects a broader shared goal to make high-quality private healthcare accessible and affordable for a wider cross-section of Barbadian society. “Our top priority with this collaboration is opening up affordable quality care to more families across the country,” Harris explained. “Addressing the NCD crisis in Barbados can’t be done by the healthcare sector alone—it takes collective action from all parts of society, and that work starts with making affordable preventive screening available to everyone. The Bayview Board is fully committed to keeping our urgent care center a welcoming, accessible hub for wellness, and partnering with community-focused organizations like Rubis is the key to turning that vision into real change for people across the island.”

    Residents interested in booking a screening appointment can contact Bayview Urgent Care’s Patient Coordination team at 433-9999 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or reach out via email at patientcarecoordinator@bayviewhospital.com.bb to schedule their visit.

  • MSME Roadshow Lands in Belize City, Three More Stops To Go

    MSME Roadshow Lands in Belize City, Three More Stops To Go

    As the 2026 National MSME (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise) Roadshow organized by Belize’s Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE) reaches its seventh stop in Belize City, the initiative continues its momentum with three additional stops planned before concluding in the capital city of Belmopan.

    This first day of the Belize City leg is structured as an intensive bootcamp-style training experience, with segmented hour-long workshops curated to cover high-priority topics for local entrepreneurs: e-commerce expansion, foundational financial literacy, data-driven digital marketing strategy, and core export procedures. Jorge Gentle, manager of the Small Business Development Centre Belize (SBDC) — a technical division of BELTRAIDE — emphasized that the training curriculum was developed to directly address demands voiced by past and current participants.

    Gentle explained that the selection of workshop topics is rooted in years of aggregated feedback from MSME owners across the country, paired with analysis of shifting global and local business trends that impact small operators. Beyond core skill-building training, two additional government bodies — the Ministry of Rural Transformation and the Belize Tax Service — have joined the event to deliver guided briefings on business licensing protocols and up-to-date tax compliance requirements for small operations.

    On the second day of the Belize City stop, the roadshow will host a dedicated business formalization clinic at the city’s Civic Centre. The clinic will bring together roughly 25 to 30 separate supporting organizations, ranging from BELTRAIDE and the Belize Chamber of Commerce to leading local financial institutions including Atlantic Bank and Belize Bank, all on hand to provide one-on-one guidance to entrepreneurs.

    BELTRAIDE Executive Director Ishmael Quiroz noted that the 2026 iteration of the roadshow has placed a greater focus on expanding public-private partnerships than any previous tour, a shift that has contributed to robust turnout across the four already completed stops in Corozal, Orange Walk, San Ignacio and Punta Gorda. To date, nearly 600 individual MSME operators have officially registered to participate in 2026 events, a strong indicator of the demand for targeted small business support across the country.

    Quiroz reinforced the central economic role that small and medium enterprises play in Belize, stating, “It’s acknowledged that micro, small and medium enterprises are the backbone of our economy. They create opportunities; they create livelihoods. They also enable the opportunity to transform something that you may have as a hobby into a livelihood, something that’s a craft, but you can make it sustainable and you can have it feed yourself and your family.”

    For many returning participants, the roadshow has already delivered tangible, long-term benefits to their operations. Lindbergh Smith, founder of local business Smithy’s Natural Blend, has attended every roadshow since he launched his brand in 2022. Smith credits earlier roadshow sessions with helping him formalize his unregistered home business and expand his distribution network to reach customers across the entire country, adding that professional networking opportunities alone make repeat participation worthwhile.

    “When I first participated in these roadshows, it helped tremendously because through the expo, they have exposed Smithy’s to a lot of customers, and that’s how I’ve grown to now distribute nationally,” Smith explained.

    Coinciding with the roadshow’s stop in Belize City, the Belize City Council will host its popular Super Sale on the same Saturday, creating additional opportunities for participating small businesses to connect with local consumers.

  • Man Pleads Guilty After Accidentally Shooting Himself With Homemade Gun

    Man Pleads Guilty After Accidentally Shooting Himself With Homemade Gun

    A 20-year-old resident of Clare Hall has entered guilty pleas to charges of unlawful manufacturing and possession of a modified firearm and matching ammunition, following an incident where he reportedly accidentally shot himself with the homemade weapon.

    Sekani Isaac appeared before the St. John’s Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday to formally answer to the criminal counts against him. Following the plea hearing, Chief Magistrate ordered Isaac to be held in custody at His Majesty’s Prison, with sentencing scheduled to take place on August 26.

    When Isaac arrived in court, he was wearing a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his left hand, covering the wound he sustained in the accidental shooting. After Isaac informed the judge that the injury had not stopped bleeding, the court ordered that he receive immediate appropriate medical care while in custody ahead of his sentencing.

    The entire investigation was launched back on August 8, when local law enforcement received an official notification from the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre about the gunshot wound case. Detectives subsequently executed a search warrant at Isaac’s residential property, where they reportedly recovered the modified homemade pipe gun. Upon inspection, officers found a spent bullet casing stuck inside the weapon’s barrel, confirming it had been discharged recently.

  • CARICOM education ministers focus on skills, innovation and preparing Caribbean youth for the future

    CARICOM education ministers focus on skills, innovation and preparing Caribbean youth for the future

    In a pivotal gathering focused on transforming regional learning outcomes, Caribbean education ministers and key regional stakeholders have convened in Georgetown, Guyana, for the 52nd Meeting of the CARICOM Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) focused on the education sector. The event, hosted under the overarching theme “Educating for life, purpose and Caribbean progress”, marks a collective shift away from the traditional model of education that centers primarily on examination performance, toward a more holistic approach that prepares learners for long-term success in a rapidly evolving global landscape. Chaired by Guyana’s Minister of Education Hon. Sonia Parag, the meeting brings together senior education officials from across CARICOM member states, representatives of leading regional educational institutions, international development partners, and community stakeholders to address pressing gaps in the regional education system.

    In her opening address to delegates, Parag emphasized that the meeting’s theme pushes regional education leaders to re-evaluate core assumptions about what education should deliver. Rather than framing education as a linear process of knowledge memorization focused solely on passing standardized tests, Parag argued that systems must be redesigned to equip every learner with transferable foundational competencies. These include critical thinking skills, the confidence to challenge outdated norms, and the adaptive capacity to navigate constant economic, technological and social change. She further highlighted that non-academic learning pathways – including technical and vocational education and training (TVET), work-based apprenticeships, industry-aligned training programs, and targeted talent development initiatives – are critical components of a modern, inclusive education ecosystem that serves the diverse needs of all Caribbean learners.

    CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett echoed these priorities, drawing a direct connection between updated skills frameworks and the Caribbean region’s ability to address overlapping economic and environmental challenges. As Caribbean economies adapt to rapid technological advancement, persistent global economic uncertainty, and escalating climate-related pressures, Barnett noted that demand for technical, vocational, and digital skills has grown sharply across every sector. She framed this growing demand as a unique opportunity to close the persistent gap between education outcomes and employment needs, strengthening the link between learning, skills development, and accessible, decent work for Caribbean youth.

    Barnett explained that expanding access to high-quality TVET delivers multiple interconnected benefits for the region: it equips young people with job-ready practical skills, boosts the overall resilience and global competitiveness of Caribbean economies, supports ongoing digital transformation, facilitates the transition to a green, climate-resilient economy, and drives innovation and productivity across sectors. Beyond economic gains, expanded TVET creates clear, accessible pathways to formal employment, entrepreneurship, and greater economic participation for groups that have historically been underserved by traditional academic education systems. She also noted that the region already has a strong foundational framework for skills development, including the widely recognized Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (CVQs), regional cross-border qualifications frameworks, and ongoing work by the Caribbean Association of National Training Agencies (CANTA). Leading regional educational institutions have already begun aligning their programming with this vision: the Caribbean Examinations Council has expanded its footprint in technical and vocational education, while The University of the West Indies has increasingly prioritized professional certification and deep industry engagement to better serve learner and employer needs.

    Against the backdrop of the annual observance of International Youth Day, Barnett also emphasized that education alone is not enough to empower young Caribbean people to thrive. To build productive lives and take on leadership roles stewarding the region’s future, young people also need expanded access to decent work opportunities, accessible financing for entrepreneurial ventures, and integrated mental health support services that address the unique pressures facing the region’s youth population.

    Over the course of the meeting, delegates are scheduled to deliberate on a range of high-priority policy topics, including the expansion of micro-credentialing programs to support lifelong learning, coordinated regional assessment frameworks to align standards across member states, targeted improvements to primary and secondary mathematics education, and evidence-based strategies to strengthen the teaching profession, support educator well-being, and elevate the status of teaching across the region. At the close of the gathering, CARICOM officials expressed optimism that the meeting will yield actionable, collaborative policies that strengthen national education systems while advancing a shared regional vision for inclusive learning. This vision centers on valuing every learner, fostering collaboration across students, teachers, and families, recognizing multiple equal pathways to success, deepening regional integration, and equipping all Caribbean citizens to succeed in a fast-changing world.

  • Orange Walk Family Needs Support

    Orange Walk Family Needs Support

    On a quiet Sunday in Orange Walk, what began as a routine trip to a short evening church service ended in catastrophic loss for a local mother and daughter. Sixty-three-year-old Blanca Estela Pena and her 20-year-old daughter Elia Meza left their wooden residence, located near the intersection of Sparrow Street and San Lorenzo Road, to attend the religious gathering. When they returned to the property just before 6 p.m., they were met with a scene of chaos: an out-of-control blaze had already engulfed most of their home.

    Emergency fire crews were dispatched quickly to the scene and worked to bring the fire under control. Despite their rapid response, the damage was already done: the entire wooden structure was reduced to nearly total ruin. To make the devastating situation even worse, the family carried no insurance policy on the home, meaning they will have to cover all rebuilding costs out of pocket.

    Thankfully, no residents or first responders were injured in the incident. Local investigative authorities have launched an inquiry to pinpoint the exact cause of the blaze, but have not yet released a definitive conclusion.

    For Pena and Meza, the focus now shifts from shock to immediate action: they face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives and their home from almost nothing. To get the rebuilding project off the ground, the family has issued a public appeal for support, specifically requesting donations of building materials including zinc, cement and lumber. They are also in need of basic household goods, including clothing, baby care supplies, Pampers diapers, and any monetary contributions that community members can afford to give.

    Community members who wish to offer assistance to the family can contact Elia Meza directly via phone at 620-1951 to coordinate donations.

  • Indigenous Water Rights Under Threat? IACHR Demands Action

    Indigenous Water Rights Under Threat? IACHR Demands Action

    Against the backdrop of the Ninth Inter-American Week for Indigenous Peoples and the United Nations International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), an autonomous human rights body under the Organization of American States (OAS), has issued an urgent appeal to governments throughout the Americas to prioritize and entrench Indigenous peoples’ fundamental right to self-determination.

    The week-long conference, which runs from August 11 to 15 2026, structured its agenda around key themes tied to Indigenous stewardship. Opening sessions on Monday centered on the critical connection between Indigenous identity and territorial sovereignty, while the agenda on August 12 shifted focus to water and air, designed to highlight the deep, interdependent relationship between Indigenous communities and the natural resources they have guarded for millennia.

    In a formal statement addressing the day’s theme, Riyad Insanally, IACHR’s Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, emphasized the unique cultural and existential role of water in Indigenous life across the hemisphere. “For Indigenous communities, water is far more than a commodity to be extracted or traded,” Insanally explained. “Rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers are living entities that carry generations of collective memory, anchor spiritual belief systems, and sustain the very fabric of community life. For centuries, Indigenous peoples have nurtured these water sources through traditional, sustainable practices that benefit entire regions.”

    Despite this centuries-long stewardship, Insanally confirmed that the IACHR continues to receive widespread reports of threats to Indigenous water access. Large-scale extractive industry operations, unregulated industrial agribusiness, and major infrastructure development projects have repeatedly contaminated critical water sources or blocked Indigenous communities’ access to these resources, in most cases without free, prior, and informed consultation required under international human rights law, he said.

    Water rights are not the only pressing concern documented by the commission. The IACHR’s ongoing monitoring has also uncovered a range of systemic harms facing Indigenous communities across the Americas, including widespread forced evictions from traditional territories, the criminalization of Indigenous leaders who peacefully defend their community’s lands, and persistent structural exclusion that disproportionately endangers Indigenous women through targeted violence and disenfranchisement.

    To address these escalating threats, Insanally urged all OAS member states to integrate the IACHR’s past recommendations into binding public policy, uphold existing legal and institutional protections for Indigenous rights, and expand meaningful, good-faith dialogue with elected Indigenous and tribal authorities and representative community organizations.

    The commission has also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting implementation efforts, stating it stands ready to provide targeted technical assistance to both national governments and Indigenous and tribal peoples as they work to codify and exercise the right to self-determination.

    The Inter-American Week for Indigenous Peoples will continue through Friday, with additional panel discussions, community testimonials, and working sessions planned to address ongoing challenges and advance collaborative solutions for Indigenous rights across the region.