Carib Scope

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  • More Pain at the Pump! How Are Belizeans Coping?

    More Pain at the Pump! How Are Belizeans Coping?

    In a fresh blow to household budgets across Belize, motorists are grappling with another steep increase in fuel prices that has forced widespread cuts to discretionary spending and major overhauls of daily travel routines. As of midnight October 2, 2026, regular gasoline now retails at $14.28 per gallon following a 67-cent jump, while premium-grade gasoline now costs $14.53 per gallon. The new price increase arrives on top of already elevated fuel costs that have stretched household finances thin for months.

    Interviews with residents across the country reveal how the latest price surge has upended everyday life. For residents in both Belmopan, the nation’s capital, and Belize City, the country’s largest urban center, cutting back on non-essential travel and consolidating errands has become a necessary adjustment. Where families once could make multiple quick trips to local stores for forgotten items, most now rely on detailed shopping lists to combine all errands into a single outing to minimize fuel consumption.

    Beyond trip planning, the rising fuel burden has eaten deep into monthly incomes, leaving little room for leisure and non-essential expenses. One Belize City resident shared that they have completely cut back on nights out and restaurant dining, describing the ongoing cost crunch as “rough” for working households. Low-income families and small businesses that depend on personal vehicles for daily operations have been hit particularly hard, as transportation costs now claim a far larger share of their limited budgets.

    Currently, only commercial bus operators have received targeted government fuel subsidies to offset rising costs, leaving private motorists and countless small businesses without support. Many affected residents are now calling on national authorities to implement temporary relief measures to ease the pressure. Common proposals include cutting fuel taxes, and launching a temporary relief program similar to the existing GST-free weekends, especially during peak travel seasons such as Christmas and Easter when travel demand surges. Residents argue that even short-term relief would make a meaningful difference for struggling households, easing the financial pressure that has forced widespread cutbacks to quality of life.

  • Breast clinic at St Patrick’s Anglican School

    Breast clinic at St Patrick’s Anglican School

    A new, accessible community health initiative focused on critical women’s wellness is set to launch in rural Grenada later this month, organized by the Women in Medicine (WIM) chapter at St George’s University (SGU).

    The free Breast Clinic event is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, hosted at St Patrick’s Anglican School in the town of Sauteurs, located in the country’s St Patrick parish.

    Designed to address gaps in preventive health access for local communities, the initiative centers on three core goals: raising widespread awareness of breast health, empowering people to prioritize early detection and prevention of breast cancer and other breast-related conditions, and expanding public access to evidence-based health education and basic screening services.

    Attendees will be able to access a full suite of no-cost services during the event, including one-on-one breast health education sessions, clinical breast examinations, blood pressure screenings, and tailored guidance on ongoing appropriate screening pathways and referral options for further care if needed.

    A spokesperson for WIM explained that the event was developed to remove common barriers to preventive health resources, noting that the organization’s primary objective is to make these life-saving services available to as many community members as possible. Unlike many specialized health services that require referral or out-of-pocket payment, the clinic is open to all members of the public, regardless of age, background, or existing health coverage, and organizers encourage widespread attendance.

    The announcement was originally shared via WIM, with NOW Grenada noting it does not take responsibility for contributor-shared content and provides a reporting pathway for content violations.

  • Milieuproject langs Surinamerivier loopt tot 2029

    Milieuproject langs Surinamerivier loopt tot 2029

    Suriname has launched a series of interconnected environmental and spatial planning initiatives designed to strike a critical balance between economic progress and the preservation of natural ecosystems and biodiversity, starting with a targeted marine conservation project along the banks of the Suriname River.

    The 6-year project, named Greening Transportation Infrastructure Development, broke ground in March this year and is scheduled to run through 2029. It receives funding from the eighth funding cycle of the Global Environment Facility, with WWF-US appointed as the international lead implementing partner for the initiative. The project’s core mandate is to integrate sustainable environmental practices into regional development along the Suriname River’s marine corridor, aligning with Suriname’s broader national policy goals for spatial planning and infrastructure investment.

    In a parallel development, Suriname kicked off the first phase of a new National Spatial Planning Framework in 2026, which will create legally binding guidelines for all levels of the national government. This initial phase focuses on establishing a national land use blueprint, with targeted attention given to eight priority zones, including both urban development areas and marine ecosystems. A second phase will see the development of customized structural plans for districts, regional jurisdictions, and larger aggregated geographic areas. Additionally, the framework outlines the creation of binding zoning plans that, following formal legislative approval, will apply to both government bodies and private citizens across the country.

    Suriname’s 2027 Financial Year Plan identifies the absence of a codified national spatial planning law and approved structural and zoning plans as one of the most pressing current challenges to sustainable development. The new framework is built around several core guiding principles: promoting more compact urban development to reduce sprawl, curbing linear ribbon development along major transportation routes, expanding urban park networks and green public spaces, and protecting Suriname’s unique status as a carbon-negative nation. These initiatives mark a significant step forward for Suriname’s commitment to sustainable development, demonstrating that economic growth and environmental stewardship do not have to be mutually exclusive goals.

  • Haymans Market: Barbados’ Largest Indoor Market Blends History, Local Business and Lifestyle

    Haymans Market: Barbados’ Largest Indoor Market Blends History, Local Business and Lifestyle

    Nestled in the rolling countryside of St. Peter, just a short drive from Barbados’ most popular coastal towns, Haymans Market has emerged as far more than the island’s largest indoor retail space—it has evolved into a self-contained, vibrant lifestyle hub that weaves centuries of Barbadian history into a modern, multi-faceted visitor experience.

    The market’s distinctive identity is rooted in its industrial past: the sprawling property off Highway 2A is built within the walls of the decommissioned Haymans Sugar Factory, a site with a legacy stretching back to 1649. That year, English planter Henry Haymans purchased a collection of smaller surrounding plantations to establish Haymans Plantation, launching a sugar operation that would operate on the site for more than 300 years. What began as a small wind-powered mill with open-air sugar boiling evolved over generations into a fully electrified modern factory, until sugar production ceased entirely in 1988. After sitting vacant for decades, the site was acquired by Sun Group Inc. in 2020, kicking off an ambitious restoration project that balances historic preservation with adaptive reuse. Today, a non-operational vintage sugar cane transport crane still hangs preserved above the market’s entrance, serving as a tangible reminder of the site’s origins.

    “The former Haymans Sugar Factory gave us an authentic identity and a meaningful connection to Barbados’ history. We had the opportunity to restore and reimagine the former Haymans Sugar Factory while retaining the character that makes the site distinctive,” explained Jacob Weatherhead, Haymans Market’s Operations Manager.

    The result of that restoration is a thriving hub home to more than 85 unique businesses, ranging from independent local traders and artisans to restaurants, wellness providers and service-based enterprises. One of the market’s biggest successes has been its role in nurturing homegrown Barbadian entrepreneurship: many early vendors who launched from compact 10-by-10-foot booths have now expanded into much larger retail spaces as their customer bases have grown.

    “We are particularly proud to see local entrepreneurs who began in small booths build loyal customer bases and move into larger spaces at Haymans. That growth is one of the clearest signs that the market is creating genuine opportunities for Barbadian businesses,” Weatherhead noted.

    Reflecting the market’s core values of diversity, enthusiasm and commitment to quality, vendor offerings span nearly every consumer interest. Shoppers can browse handcrafted Barbadian gifts, locally made souvenirs, artisanal fashion and handcrafted home goods, while regularly scheduled community events keep the visitor experience fresh. A monthly farmers’ market is set to transition to a weekly Sunday attraction, and the market also hosts quarterly pop-up and vintage markets that draw both locals and tourists.

    In recent years, the site has expanded far beyond retail and dining to become a leading regional wellness and recreation destination. It now houses a fully equipped gym, professional padel tennis courts, and dedicated studios for yoga, Pilates and Reiki. Visitors can refuel at an on-site juice bar serving cold-pressed fresh juices or a local bakery offering homemade pastries and baked goods. A dedicated on-site art gallery showcases work from Barbadian and Caribbean creators, cementing the market’s role as a hub for local cultural expression.

    Food remains one of Haymans’ biggest draws, with more than 25 food and beverage outlets catering to every taste. The full-service Haymans Social, led by Culinary Director Jeremy Dupire, serves lunch and dinner during the week, with added Saturday breakfast and all-day Sunday brunch offerings. Its professional catering kitchen supports the restaurant and the market’s large event spaces, which can host private and public gatherings for up to 1,500 attendees. For a more relaxed experience, The Cooling Deck Bar offers open-air seating beneath native bearded fig trees, with unobstructed views of Barbados’ scenic west coast.

    Following a soft opening in December 2023, Haymans Market was officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley at a public ceremony on March 13, 2024. The path to success was not without hurdles, Weatherhead acknowledged: building awareness of the new destination and establishing consistent visitor foot traffic took months of targeted outreach and community engagement. “The journey has involved a great deal of learning. In the early days, our greatest challenge was establishing Haymans Market as a new destination and building consistent patterns of visitation. As the businesses became more established and people became familiar with everything Haymans had to offer, foot traffic grew steadily,” he said, noting that the market drew 250,000 visits in the past year alone.

    Now that Haymans is firmly established as a St. Peter landmark, leadership has laid out an ambitious long-term vision: to position the market as one of Barbados’ leading lifestyle and tourism destinations, a must-visit spot for both locals and international travelers. The site even offers a self-guided audio-visual tour that walks visitors through the market’s history and the broader story of sugar production in Barbados, turning a casual trip into an immersive cultural experience.

    Located just five minutes from Speightstown, 10 minutes from Holetown and 15 minutes from Warrens, Haymans Market balances convenient access with a secluded, escape-like atmosphere. “We see Haymans Market as the heart of a broader destination, bringing together shopping, dining, entertainment, wellness, professional services and community events within one historic setting,” Weatherhead said. “As we grow, we want to attract a strong mix of established and emerging Barbadian businesses, create new reasons for people—locals and visitors alike—to visit throughout the week, because there is always something happening, and continue restoring the former sugar factory and surrounding property in a way that respects its heritage.”

    What was once a working factory processing sugar cane from surrounding fields is now a space where visitors can eat, explore, exercise or unwind, blending hundreds of years of Barbadian history with 21st-century lifestyle experiences. Ultimately, the project aims to set a blueprint for adaptive reuse of the island’s historic industrial sites: “Ultimately, we want Haymans to support local entrepreneurship, contribute positively to St. Peter and demonstrate how Barbados’ historic properties can be successfully reimagined for the future,” Weatherhead added.

  • Briceño Sits Down With National Garifuna Council

    Briceño Sits Down With National Garifuna Council

    Weeks after triggering widespread backlash from inaccurate remarks about the Garifuna community’s population size, Belize Prime Minister John Briceño has sat down for direct negotiations with leadership of the National Garifuna Council to address longstanding community priorities, chief among them land rights and formal indigenous recognition.

    The face-to-face meeting marks a key step toward de-escalating tensions that erupted after Briceño’s conversation with internationally renowned soca artist Machel Montano, where the prime minister incorrectly claimed the Garifuna population in Belize numbered only between 3,000 and 4,000. Following swift public criticism from the community and Indigenous Affairs leaders, Briceño issued a formal public apology and proactively reached out to council leadership to schedule the discussion.

    Following the meeting, Briceño reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to advancing indigenous rights across the country. “Our government remains dedicated to upholding the inherent rights of all indigenous peoples, and protecting the unique Garifuna culture and heritage that form such an invaluable part of Belize’s national identity,” he stated in remarks after the talks, confirming that land rights topped the agenda of issues addressed during the session.

    National Garifuna Council President Alex Nolberto confirmed that Briceño openly acknowledged the error in his earlier population statistics, and that the community’s focus extends far beyond correcting the misstatement. Nolberto highlighted that a long-awaited memorandum of understanding remains the group’s top legislative priority: if finalized, the agreement will formally legally recognize the Garifuna people as an indigenous group within Belize and unlock critical public funding needed for community development projects.

    Indigenous Affairs Minister Dr. Louis Zabaneh had previously framed Briceño’s earlier comment as an accidental misstatement, noting that “it was an innocent mistake” while also emphasizing that he fully understands why the community reacted with frustration. Zabaneh added that all parties now agree the focus should shift from the controversy to advancing substantive policy changes that benefit the Garifuna community, aligning with the government’s broader commitments to equity and indigenous self-determination.

  • Three Armed Men Rob Restaurant, Take Security Guard’s Gun

    Three Armed Men Rob Restaurant, Take Security Guard’s Gun

    In a brazen daytime incident that has shaken local business communities in Belize City, three heavily armed men carried out an armed robbery at the popular Midtown Restaurant on Friday, October 5, 2026, making off with the on-duty security guard’s 9mm service weapon and a confidential document bag from inside the establishment.

    Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero confirmed the details of the attack in an official statement released shortly after the incident. According to Romero’s account, the security guard was stationed at his post outside the restaurant, carrying his issued 9mm pistol, when a suspicious vehicle pulled onto the property carrying the three male suspects, all of whom were openly carrying firearms.

    The confrontation unfolded quickly: one of the armed suspects immediately engaged the security guard in a physical struggle, overpowering him before seizing his service pistol. Meanwhile, a second suspect entered the main dining area of the restaurant to steal the document bag, while the third suspect remained at the vehicle as a getaway driver. The trio fled the scene before local law enforcement could respond.

    In the immediate aftermath of the robbery, police units managed to track down and recover the abandoned vehicle that investigators believe was used by the suspects to reach and flee the restaurant. The vehicle has now been impounded as key evidence for the ongoing investigation.

    Romero noted that law enforcement teams are currently working through multiple lines of inquiry to identify and apprehend the three attackers. Investigators are reviewing closed-circuit security footage from the restaurant and surrounding businesses to get clear visuals of the suspects, and are coordinating with the Belize Transport Department to trace the vehicle’s registered owner, a step that could provide critical breaks in the case. No further details on potential suspects or the value of the stolen documents have been released as of yet.

  • Two Suspects Detained After Attempted Abduction in Corozal

    Two Suspects Detained After Attempted Abduction in Corozal

    On October 5, 2026, a botched forced detention incident in the quiet community of San Andres, located in Belize’s Corozal District, has left local residents shaken after law enforcement intervened to rescue two targeted men and take two alleged perpetrators into custody. According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero, the incident unfolded when authorities received an urgent tip about a red pickup truck that had been used to forcibly seize two local men. Moving quickly on the information provided, police units intercepted the vehicle within the San Andres area, where they discovered a total of four people inside the truck: the two detained victims and the two suspects now in custody. The victims have been publicly identified as Ricardo Zetina and Walter Pineda, who told investigators that their captors held them against their will to question them about a cache of reportedly stolen property in the region. Following the initial detention of Zetina and Pineda, the suspects then traveled to the home of one victim’s brother, pressing him for additional information about the alleged stolen goods before witnesses alerted local police. Romero confirmed that the suspects have claimed the two men purchased stolen property from other individuals operating within the San Andres area. As of the initial report, both suspects remain behind bars at a local police facility, with formal criminal charges scheduled to be filed on the following Monday. Local law enforcement has not released additional details about the value of the alleged stolen items or any prior criminal history of the suspects, as the investigation remains active in the lead-up to the filing of charges.

  • Thirty organizations call for voter confirmation extension in Dominica

    Thirty organizations call for voter confirmation extension in Dominica

    Dominica’s electoral reform process, launched years ago to address long-running accusations of voting irregularities and rebuild public trust in the country’s democratic systems, is facing new hurdles as more than 30 major civic and business organizations demand a three-month extension of the ongoing voter confirmation period.

    The root of the current process stretches back to the late 2010s, when the opposition United Workers Party raised formal claims of unfair voting practices against the sitting Dominica Labour Party government. To resolve the dispute and create a more accountable framework for future elections, the government commissioned an independent, three-year assessment of the national electoral system led by prominent jurist Sir Dennis Byron, which ran from 2020 to 2023. The findings of that review paved the way for the passage of three landmark electoral reform bills in March 2025, designed explicitly to boost electoral integrity, increase process transparency, and bring outdated voting procedures into the modern era.

    Under the new rules, the current voter confirmation phase is scheduled to conclude on October 14, 2026. But a coalition of leading groups led by the Dominica Business Forum (DBF) is sounding the alarm over what it calls documented administrative and implementation challenges that have left the process far behind schedule. In a formal petition signed by all 30+ participating organizations, the coalition laid out stark data showing just how far behind the effort has fallen: as of the petition’s filing, only 22,183 voters have completed the confirmation process. For context, a total of 39,702 voters were confirmed ahead of the 2019 general election, meaning that if an election were called immediately under the current rules, only 56% of the 2019 voter base would be eligible to cast a ballot.

    The coalition emphasized that widespread, inclusive participation is the foundation of a legitimate democratic process, and that years of work have already been invested to reform Dominica’s electoral framework and rebuild public confidence in its election institutions. “Considerable effort has been made to reform our electoral system and rebuild confidence in our electoral institutions and democracy,” the petition reads. The groups also stressed that a three-month extension is explicitly permitted under the 2025 electoral reform legislation, so the request does not require rewriting existing law or deviating from the already agreed reform roadmap. They argue that the extra time will allow administrators to work through existing backlogs at a fair, sustainable pace, remove barriers to voter participation, and ultimately solidify the public trust that the entire reform process was designed to restore.

    The broad coalition backing the petition underscores the widespread cross-sector support for the extension: it includes major business associations such as the Dominica Employers Federation, Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce, and Dominica Manufacturers Association; leading tourism groups including the Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association; religious bodies such as the Dominica Christian Council and Dominica Association of Evangelical Churches; citizen advocacy groups including the Dominica Council on Ageing, National Youth Council, and Dominica Association of Persons with Disabilities; multiple trade unions; every major national sports governing body, from the Dominica Cricket Association to the Dominica Olympic Committee; all of the country’s village councils; leading financial institutions including the National Bank of Dominica and multiple cooperative credit unions; and the country’s two top higher education institutions, University of the West Indies Global Campus and Dominica State College.

  • Student injured in Cas En Bas accident still awaiting surgery

    Student injured in Cas En Bas accident still awaiting surgery

    It has been over 14 days since a devastating vehicle-pedestrian collision left a teenage girl seriously injured in the Cas En Bas community of Saint Lucia, and the 16-year-old victim, Tatiyana Innocent, remains stuck in a hospital bed without the surgery she needs to recover. Her mother, Vanessa Martin, has spoken publicly about the growing stress and uncertainty the family is facing amid the repeated delays to her daughter’s procedure.

    Innocent is one of two students from Entrepot Secondary School who were hurt in the September 18 crash, both suffering significant lower-body injuries that required immediate hospital admission. What was supposed to be a clear path to treatment has instead turned into a frustrating waiting game, according to Martin.

    Initially, medical providers scheduled Innocent’s surgery for September 28, just 10 days after the crash. But shortly before the procedure was set to begin, hospital administrators rescheduled it with no clear new timeline for when the operation will go forward. Martin says she has already completed every step the hospital asked of her to prepare: when staff requested a blood donation to support the surgery, she stepped forward to donate, and rallied additional community members to contribute as well. Those efforts paid off: the hospital now holds a sufficient supply of matching blood, and Innocent’s hemoglobin levels have stabilized at levels that meet all clinical requirements for a safe procedure. From Martin’s perspective, every box has been checked, and there are no remaining barriers to moving forward with the surgery.

    Per hospital classifications, the procedure is labeled as elective surgery. While elective procedures are not classified as immediate life-saving emergencies, the term does not mean the surgery is optional or unnecessary; many medically critical procedures that improve long-term health and quality of life are categorized as elective to distinguish them from unplanned emergency interventions. For Innocent, the surgery is still essential to address her crash-related injuries and prevent permanent complications.

    Growing increasingly frustrated by the indefinite delay, Martin has made a public appeal for community support to push for her daughter’s treatment. She says she is asking for the public to stand with her to push the hospital to schedule the surgery as soon as possible. If the local health system cannot accommodate the procedure in a timely manner, Martin says she wants hospital officials to release Innocent so she can seek alternative care elsewhere, where her daughter can access the urgent, appropriate treatment she needs to heal.

  • Medicinal Cannabis Authority Substance Awareness Message reaches over 1,000 students

    Medicinal Cannabis Authority Substance Awareness Message reaches over 1,000 students

    The Medicinal Cannabis Authority (MCA) has brought its proactive Substance Abuse and Awareness Learning (SAAL) initiative to Otto Comprehensive School, marking the fifth educational institution reached by the program since its launch in September. This on-site outreach session centered on equipping adolescent students with evidence-based information to make informed choices about delaying or completely avoiding the initiation of substance use during their critical developmental years.

    Designed to guide young people through the complex transitions from adolescence to adulthood, the interactive presentation pushed back against widespread cultural narratives that frame cannabis as a harmless recreational activity. MCA representatives stressed that for developing brains and bodies, the substance carries significant avoidable risks, urging students to not adopt the normalization of adult substance use as a template for their own behavior.

    The open discussion also covered underdiscussed dangers of unregulated substance use: when young people obtain cannabis or other drugs from unvetted sources, they face severe risks including contamination with toxic chemicals and unexpected adulterants that can cause acute harm. The outreach also addressed the growing public health threat of youth vaping, reminding attendees that most commercial vaping products contain highly addictive nicotine, engineered to encourage compulsive, repeated use that can lead to long-term dependence.

    Across all covered topics—including cannabis, tobacco, vaping, and alcohol—the core message of SAAL remained consistent: all mood-altering substances require intentional, responsible decision-making, and young people are best served by avoiding misuse to prioritize their personal growth, academic progress, and long-term life outcomes.

    Beyond educating students, the session also reinforced the critical role that adults play in youth substance use prevention. Teachers, parents, guardians and other community adults are positioned both as positive role models for healthy decision-making and as the first point of support for young people navigating questions or concerns about substance use.

    To extend the impact of the program beyond single outreach sessions, MCA has built a formal partnership with the Substance-Use Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation Center (SPARC) to provide ongoing support for schools and families. The authority encourages educators, administrators, parents and guardians to reach out directly for additional guidance—whether a student is already showing signs of needing targeted support, or adults simply want to deepen their own understanding of cannabis-related issues to better guide young people.

    Schools can also contact MCA to arrange tailored counselling referrals, ongoing student support programming, and customized educational sessions focused on cannabis literacy and responsible substance use. The initiative is rooted in a proactive public health framework, prioritizing early access to accurate information and support before problematic use develops, rather than responding only after crises emerge. Through consistent, repeated engagement with schools via SAAL, MCA is working to build sustained, trusting relationships that create space for honest conversations, empower informed decision-making, and enable early intervention when it is most needed.