Carib Scope

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  • State of Emergency Declared in Colombia Following Deadly Earthquake

    State of Emergency Declared in Colombia Following Deadly Earthquake

    On August 10, 2026, a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, triggering one of the worst seismic disasters the nation has seen in modern history. Eleven days after the tremor hit, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella announced a national state of emergency covering 15 hardest-hit regions, a measure designed to unlock rapid budget reallocation and speed up the government’s disaster response and recovery efforts.

    As of the latest official update, the death toll from the quake has climbed to 319, with more than 4,600 people sustaining injuries and at least 260 people still unaccounted for. Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) confirmed that this earthquake is the deadliest seismic event recorded in the country in recent decades. Emergency search and rescue teams have managed to pull 364 survivors out of the rubble of collapsed buildings across the affected zones.

    The physical destruction caused by the quake is catastrophic. Official statistics show more than 30,000 residential properties have been completely destroyed, and nearly 137,000 additional homes have suffered severe structural damage. Over 300 public and private buildings have collapsed entirely, and critical community infrastructure including schools, hospitals, and transportation networks have sustained widespread damage across western Colombia.

    In major urban centers like Cali and Pereira, structural engineers have deemed hundreds of surviving buildings unsafe for occupancy, issuing formal warnings banning people from reentering the properties. Five regional airports across the country remain inoperable due to severe damage, throwing local and regional transportation networks into disarray.

    For communities near the earthquake’s epicenter in San José del Palmar and across the wider Chocó region, the delivery of life-saving emergency relief has been severely hampered by the destruction of infrastructure. Blocked mountain roads, broken water aqueducts, and a steady stream of ongoing aftershocks continue to slow aid distribution, leaving many remote, isolated communities without access to critical supplies and medical care. The Colombian government estimates that full reconstruction of all damaged and destroyed infrastructure across the country could cost as much as 40 trillion Colombian pesos.

  • Antigua’s Lewis dominant in regional youth tournament

    Antigua’s Lewis dominant in regional youth tournament

    As the fifth annual Aloysius “Loloy” Daniel Youth Basketball Tournament enters its final preliminary round matchday at Beausejour Gymnasium, Thursday’s slate of games delivered standout individual and team performances that have reshaped the tournament’s pre-knockout standings. The night was headlined by a historic individual scoring outburst from Antigua & Barbuda rising star Jayden Lewis, while three-time defending champions New Chapter Academy (NCA) Warriors of Trinidad & Tobago extended their undefeated streak, and the East Coast Academy (ECA) Lions bounced back from a prior loss to lock in their third win of the week.

    Lewis turned in the most impressive individual performance of the tournament to date, pouring in a tournament-high 41 points to power the Antigua Pitbulls to a lopsided 118-51 victory over Guyana’s D-Up Academy. The young guard was not just a scoring threat: he rounded out his stat line with four steals, four assists, and three rebounds, dominating both ends of the floor from opening tip to final buzzer. Teammate Gabriel De Souza provided valuable secondary scoring, adding 17 points to the winning effort.

    Even in the 67-point blowout defeat, D-Up Academy’s Kemal Pickering turned in a gritty, commendable performance, notching a double-double of 21 points and 17 rebounds. Teammate Aliandro Wickman joined Pickering in double-digit production, finishing the game with 13 points and 10 rebounds of his own.

    In the first matchup of the day, the three-time defending champion NCA Warriors cemented their status as overwhelming title favorites, extending their perfect win record at the top of the tournament standings with a 123-29 rout of Basketball For The Future (BFTF) Pitbulls. The defending champions locked in their signature suffocating transition defense from the opening minute, forcing constant turnovers that translated into easy scoring opportunities on the other end of the floor. Zayden Charles led the charge for the Warriors with 19 points and seven steals, while playmaker Nhyim Pierre anchored the team’s offensive flow with 14 points and seven assists. For the outmatched BFTF Pitbulls, Hushan Simon led all scorers with eight points and added four rebounds.

    The final game of the day featured an intrasquad local derby between the ECA Lions and ECA Tigers, where the Lions bounced back in dominant fashion from a narrow one-point defeat on Day 3 of the tournament. The Lions brushed aside their lower-ranked intrasquad opponents 113-26, led by Nyel Joseph’s all-around performance of 26 points, nine steals, and six rebounds. Forward Jabari Archibald notched a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds, and added four blocks to anchor the Lions’ defense. For the winless Tigers, Daelan Magloire led the team with eight points and seven rebounds, while David Chandler chipped in six points and seven boards.

    With the preliminary round set to conclude on Friday, the tournament standings have taken a clear shape. The undefeated NCA Warriors (4-0, 8 points) sit comfortably atop the rankings, boasting an eye-popping plus-308 point differential that reflects their dominant run through group play. The ECA Lions and Antigua Pitbulls enter the final matchday tied for second place with matching 3-1 records and 7 points, with the Lions holding the advantage on point differential. D-Up Academy and the BFTF Pitbulls are tied at 1-3 with 5 points each, occupying fourth and fifth place respectively, while the ECA Tigers remain winless at 0-4 with 4 points heading into their final preliminary round matchup.

  • Belize Turns to IDB for $8 Million to Rein In Public Sector Costs

    Belize Turns to IDB for $8 Million to Rein In Public Sector Costs

    Belize is moving forward with a major public sector reform initiative, requesting its National Assembly to greenlight an $8 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to overhaul the country’s civil service management systems and rein in growing public expenditure.

    The IDB’s Board of Directors already gave formal approval to the financing package back on June 26, earmarked for the Support to Civil Service Modernisation Project, an initiative designed to boost efficiency in the central government’s wage bill and enhance strategic oversight of public sector employment. With public sector wage costs representing a significant portion of Belize’s annual government spending, the reform effort targets longstanding inefficiencies that have strained the country’s fiscal balance.

    The project will channel investment into three core priority areas. First, it will strengthen systems for expenditure control and long-term workforce planning, helping policymakers align civil service staffing levels with actual public service needs. Second, it will drive digital transformation and expand the use of data analytics in public sector human resources management, replacing outdated manual processes with data-driven decision-making tools. Third, it will invest in institutional capacity building to embed modern HR management practices across all central government departments.

    Overall, the full project is projected to cost $9 million total. The IDB is covering the vast majority of the expense with its $8 million commitment, while the Government of Belize will contribute the remaining $1 million in local counterpart resources. The Ministry of Public Service and Disaster Risk Management has been tapped as the lead executing agency responsible for rolling out all project activities and meeting key implementation milestones.

    The loan agreement comes with favorable long-term terms tailored to Belize’s fiscal capacity. The country will have a five-year window from the contract’s effective date to access and draw down the full loan amount. Repayment will stretch over 25 years, including a 66-month grace period that delays the start of principal repayments to give the project time to deliver cost-saving results. Once principal repayments begin, Belize will make 39 semi-annual installments of approximately $205,128.21 each. Interest is calculated based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) applied to the outstanding balance, and a maximum annual credit fee of 0.75% is charged on any portion of the loan that has not yet been disbursed.

  • Belize’s Constitution Review Moves Forward

    Belize’s Constitution Review Moves Forward

    Four years after its formal establishment to spearhead a national conversation on constitutional overhaul, Belize’s People’s Constitution Commission (PCC) has delivered its landmark final report to the country’s National Assembly, marking a critical milestone in the nation’s long-awaited constitutional reform process.

    Prime Minister John Briceño confirmed details of the report’s evolution in official remarks following the tabling, noting that the document initially included 167 original policy and structural recommendations. These proposals were first streamlined to 53 full constitutional amendments after a rigorous review by an independent external expert committee chaired by King’s Counsel Edward Fitzgerald — a mandatory step outlined in the PCC founding legislation that was required to be completed by May 2026. Following the expert committee’s assessment, the 53 remaining proposals were passed to Belize’s Attorney General’s Ministry for additional legal and procedural review.

    Briceño explained that the panel of constitutional experts evaluated each proposal against eight core criteria to ensure alignment with the nation’s long-term interests. Key benchmarks included alignment with modern governance standards, protection of fundamental human rights, long-term structural durability, democratic legitimacy, and the ability for courts to enforce amendments without overstepping into the role of elected policymakers.

    Under the framework established by the PCC Act, the final stage of the reform process will require a national referendum to approve any changes to Belize’s constitution. However, before any public vote is held, the country will enter an extended period of public engagement to ensure all Belizeans have the opportunity to understand and weigh in on the proposed changes.

    The prime minister outlined that the government will first roll out a nationwide public awareness campaign designed to educate citizens on the content and implications of the 53 proposed amendments, before the full package returns to the National Assembly for further procedural consideration. Briceño emphasized that not all recommendations will ultimately be adopted as part of the final reform package, noting that public input will play a central role in shaping the government’s final position.

    “This consultation process creates a formal mechanism for the public to review and analyze the PCC’s recommendations, as well as understand the government’s rationale for any adjustments it proposes,” Briceño said. “In turn, this process allows the government to gather critical feedback directly from the Belizean people that we will use to refine our approach.”

    Briceño projected the full public engagement and consultation period will take between six and eight months to complete, and he issued a formal call for all Belizean citizens to engage with the report and participate actively in the upcoming public discussions.

    “I encourage all Belizeans to take the time to assess and review the PCC report and its recommendations,” Briceño said. “As the government rolls out its awareness campaign over the coming months, I urge you to participate in a sober and responsible manner to help shape the future of our nation’s governing framework.”

  • 91 years on, Caribbean Union of Teachers says the fight continues

    91 years on, Caribbean Union of Teachers says the fight continues

    Ninety-one years after a collective of regional educators joined forces to amplify their shared professional voice, the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) is celebrating more than nine decades of relentless advocacy for teaching professionals across the Caribbean, while continuing to push forward on its unaddressed priorities.

    Founded on August 21, 1935, under its original name the West Indies Teachers Association, the organization’s 91st anniversary offers a pivotal moment to honor the sacrifices of early leaders who laid the groundwork for better working conditions for Caribbean educators, according to current CUT President Sharon Kelsick.

    Kelsick emphasized that the modern gains educators benefit from did not come without significant hardship for the trailblazers who came before. “For us at CUT, we do not take the 91 years lightly, because we know we stand on the shoulders of educators and union leaders who have fought, who have gone hungry, educators who have been arrested, and who have experienced the hardships that we are able to enjoy the fruits of their labours,” she shared in an interview with St Lucia Times.

    Nine decades on, representing Caribbean teaching professionals brings a distinct set of modern challenges. Kelsick notes that today’s complex industrial relations landscape creates unprecedented headwinds for all labor organizations, including the CUT, making the union’s century-spanning longevity a meaningful milestone on its own. “The CUT continues to exist, and that in and of itself is a milestone, because the complex landscape of industrial relations right now is very challenging for every union, including the CUT,” she explained.

    Among the most notable progress the organization has achieved over the past year is a new collaborative partnership with the Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies, a relationship designed to expand specialized training opportunities for union leadership and support targeted research to strengthen the CUT’s advocacy work.

    “With this partnership, we were able to bring trade union courses. Our executives can be trained; we will do research with the college that will help us to better advocate for our people,” Kelsick said of the agreement. This focus on cross-organizational collaboration sits at the center of Kelsick’s broader strategic vision for the CUT. She has pushed for deeper, more productive relationships with national education ministries, local member unions, and other stakeholder groups, arguing that isolated advocacy cannot deliver meaningful change. “We cannot exist within a vacuum,” she noted. “We have to cooperate, we have to work together in order to push education, not just for our individual member units, but for us as a Caribbean society.”

    Even as the union celebrates the progress it has made over 91 years, many of the core issues that drove its founding remain urgent priorities for today’s leadership. Kelsick reaffirmed that the fight for equitable working conditions, professional respect, workplace dignity, and competitive compensation for educators is ongoing, and the CUT will never cease its advocacy on these fronts.

    As the CUT enters its 92nd year of operation, Kelsick’s message echoes the unifying principle that brought the region’s educators together more than nine decades ago: collective action creates lasting power. “We are the CUT. We are committed. We stand united. And our impact is transgenerational. Long live the CUT!”

  • Security Agencies Admit More Intelligence Sharing Is Needed to Fight Crime

    Security Agencies Admit More Intelligence Sharing Is Needed to Fight Crime

    Antigua and Barbuda’s national security ecosystem has openly admitted critical flaws in cross-agency intelligence sharing among domestic law enforcement groups, as the island nation’s government moves to ramp up its overall capabilities to combat growing criminal activity.

    The breakdown in coordinated information flows was first flagged during high-level talks between members of the national Cabinet and senior security sector officials, according to Maurice Merchant, the country’s Director General of Communications. Merchant shared details of the findings during an official press briefing held Thursday immediately after the Cabinet’s closed-door discussions.

    “One of the key shortcomings that was identified and thoroughly debated during the talks was the lack of streamlined information sharing across different units of the country’s security forces,” Merchant told reporters.

    He went on to explain the practical harms of this fragmented approach: one security agency often holds critical, actionable intelligence related to criminal activity, but lacks the jurisdictional authority, operational capacity, or manpower to act on that information on its own. If that intelligence were shared promptly and effectively with another relevant branch of the national security apparatus, it could lead to successful law enforcement operations and disrupt criminal networks.

    “They may hold key intelligence that could stop a major crime, but simply do not have the on-the-ground capacity to act on that information themselves,” Merchant elaborated. “If they can share that intelligence seamlessly with other branches that do have that capacity, it would translate into meaningful, positive progress in reducing crime across the country.”

    Merchant was careful to note that limited, informal cooperation and information sharing is already standard practice between the country’s security agencies, but emphasized that systemic reforms are needed to deliver substantial improvements to the current framework. “Information sharing is already happening to some degree, but there is a clear and urgent need for far greater coordination and improvement across the board,” he said.

    Following the identification of this gap, all involved national security agencies have reportedly pledged to implement new structured measures that embed regular, centralized intelligence sharing as a core component of the country’s national anti-crime strategy.

    The announcement of the intelligence-sharing gap came as part of a broader policy discussion that covered a range of pressing national security issues, including the proliferation of illegal firearms, strengthening national border surveillance protocols, and ongoing questions around potential restructuring of the country’s Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP).

    On the topic of ONDCP, Merchant confirmed that the national Cabinet has not held any new formal discussions about dissolving the agency. Ongoing negotiations between government representatives, ONDCP employees and their labor unions are still in progress, and the vast majority of the office’s staff have now returned to their regular duties after being instructed to resume work, following a period of industrial action or uncertainty about the agency’s future.

  • Babonneau J’ouvert assault victim stable; police still investigating

    Babonneau J’ouvert assault victim stable; police still investigating

    A violent public brawl that broke out at the tail end of a community J’ouvert celebration in Babonneau, Saint Lucia has left one man hospitalized, with law enforcement confirming Wednesday that the injured victim is still in stable condition as the probe into the incident moves forward. The confrontation unfolded this past Sunday, when the annual Caribbean street festival’s activities were drawing to a close in the Babonneau community. A cell phone video obtained by local publication St Lucia Times captures the full scope of the chaos: four men clashing openly on Babonneau’s main public road, just a short walk away from the district’s local police precinct. In the circulating footage, the four combatants can be seen throwing dangerous projectiles at one another, while a crowd of onlookers stands nearby without intervening. Midway through the heated confrontation, one man stumbled and fell to the pavement, at which point another attacker struck him in the head with what observers have identified as a large rock. Immediately after the assault, all four men involved in the fight fled the scene before law enforcement could arrive to detain them. During a scheduled press update this Wednesday, Elvis Thomas, Assistant Commissioner of Police assigned to Saint Lucia’s Northern Division, shared the latest official update on the case with local reporters. “I can report that the individual, or the victim in that particular matter, remains in a stable condition and is recovering, and investigations are continuing in this matter,” Thomas confirmed to the press. As of the latest update, law enforcement has not released any details about the victim’s identity, nor have authorities issued any public statement confirming whether any suspects have been taken into custody in connection with the assault.

  • Humane Society Seeks Persons to Adopt Marley, a Previously Abused Donkey

    Humane Society Seeks Persons to Adopt Marley, a Previously Abused Donkey

    At the Donkey Sanctuary run by the Antigua and Barbuda Humane Society, a young donkey named Marley is waiting for a special kind of new owner — one that will support his ongoing care at the facility rather than take him home. The gentle equine is one of the newest additions to the island nation’s donkey sanctuary, brought into the care of animal welfare workers after an alert member of the public flagged ongoing abuse he was facing. According to the Humane Society’s reports, a group of local young boys had been riding Marley roughly and mistreating him before intervention rescued the animal from his harmful situation. What makes Marley’s story particularly touching is that even after surviving mistreatment at the hands of humans, he has retained a warm, trusting nature towards people. The animal welfare organization shared that Marley is exceptionally outgoing, loves being around people, and will regularly walk alongside visitors as they tour the sanctuary grounds, eager for attention and interaction. Now, the Humane Society has launched a public appeal to find an adopter for Marley to help cover the costs of his lifelong care at the sanctuary. Unlike traditional pet adoption, this program is structured as a sponsorship arrangement, meaning adopters do not remove the animal from the sanctuary’s protected grounds. Instead, participants make regular contributions that go directly toward covering the daily and specialized care needs of their sponsored donkey. “This does not mean that you can take Marley home with you,” the organization clarified in their public statement. “But it does mean that you get the opportunity to help the Donkey Sanctuary continue to provide food, water, medical, veterinary and farrier care to the donkeys.” Marley’s adoption appeal is part of the Humane Society’s larger ongoing initiative, which opens up sponsorship opportunities for every donkey housed at the Antigua sanctuary, allowing animal lovers to connect with and support individual animals in need of permanent care.

  • St. Anthony’s Secondary School Records 90.4 Per Cent CAPE Pass Rate

    St. Anthony’s Secondary School Records 90.4 Per Cent CAPE Pass Rate

    Preliminary results published by Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Education have revealed strong performance across the country’s two Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) testing centers for 2026, with St. Anthony’s Secondary School securing the top spot with an impressive 90.4 percent overall pass rate.

    The results put St. Anthony’s narrowly ahead of the ABICE Alister Francis Campus, the nation’s second CAPE center, which posted a strong 88.8 percent pass rate — a 1.6 percentage point gap between the two top performing institutions.

    CXC Local Registrar Maritza West shared the official performance figures during a public discussion focused on national examination outcomes hosted by ABS Presents. In her remarks, West praised both facilities for their strong results, noting that both pass rates represent excellent outcomes for secondary and post-secondary advanced learners across Antigua and Barbuda.
    “For the Alister Francis Campus, we have 88.8 per cent pass — excellent,” West told attendees of the discussion. “And for the St. Anthony’s Secondary School, we have 90.4 per cent pass — excellent.”
    Beyond performance data, officials also confirmed that a routine administrative update will be required in the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)’s official records. The ABICE Alister Francis Campus was formerly known as Antigua State College, a name that still appears in CXC’s internal systems. West confirmed that the records will be updated to reflect the institution’s current official branding in the near term.
    “ We will definitely have to make a change in the CXC system because it’s still reflecting Antigua State College,” West added.
    The 2026 results mark a milestone for both institutions, with both centers delivering overall pass rates that either approach or exceed the 90 percent threshold, signaling strong academic preparation for advanced learners across the country.

  • ‘Reds’ Perreira pays tribute to late cricket administrator

    ‘Reds’ Perreira pays tribute to late cricket administrator

    The West Indies cricket community is mourning the passing of one of its most influential behind-the-scenes leaders, Reverend Lennox John, who died August 2 in his home country of St Vincent & the Grenadines. For nearly three decades, John dedicated his professional life to elevating the sport across regional and national levels, leaving an indelible mark that touched generations of young players. Now, his longtime friend and colleague, legendary cricket commentator Joseph “Reds” Perreira, is sharing memories of John’s quiet dedication and outsized impact on Caribbean cricket.

    John’s decades-long career in cricket administration stands as one of the longest tenures of service in the region’s history. He spent 27 years as a senior leader with the St Vincent & the Grenadines Cricket Association, 17 of those years serving as the organization’s president. Beyond his national role, he led the Windward Islands Cricket Board for 16 years and held a seat on the West Indies Cricket Board for a quarter century, shaping policy and development across the entire regional cricket ecosystem.

    Perreira, who counted John as a friend and professional collaborator for more than 40 years, remembered John as a leader defined by humility, unwavering commitment to duty, and a complete lack of interest in public fanfare for his work. “His work made a great contribution without shouting from the hilltops for Windwards and West Indies Cricket,” Perreira shared in tribute.

    One of the roles that highlighted John’s unique strengths, Perreira recalled, was his appointment as manager of the West Indies Youth team at the ICC Under-15 World Cup hosted in England. John proved a perfect fit for the position: he had a gift for connecting with young athletes and grounding them amid the pressure of international competition. What stood out most to Perreira was John’s long-term investment in his players: he continued to follow their careers long after the tour concluded, taking quiet pride in those who advanced through the ranks to represent the West Indies at multiple levels, and celebrating privately when players earned a spot in elite First Class Cricket.

    Beyond administration, John shared Perreira’s experience in commentary, calling domestic matches in his native SVG. His first passion, however, was expanding access to cricket through education, a focus that drove much of his grassroots development work. When Perreira served as sports director for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), he saw first-hand how John’s exceptional networking skills and media background helped build youth cricket programs across the sub-region.

    A key example of this partnership came when the OECS Sports Desk secured a major sponsorship from United Insurance to support cricket in OECS member state school systems. For 12 consecutive years, John coordinated full media publicity for the program, and worked alongside the government’s sports director to deliver detailed match reports and results to the sponsor’s Kingstown office, ensuring consistent accountability that kept the program running for more than a decade. He also opened his office doors to Perreira, providing workspace for Perreira during his official visits to St Vincent & the Grenadines.

    One of John’s most lasting contributions to Windward Islands cricket came through his work on elite youth development: he supported Perreira in organizing the Shell-sponsored Michael Findley Wicketkeeping Coaching Clinic, which brought together the most promising young wicketkeeping talent from across the Windward Islands. The clinic produced a generation of elite players, most notably Junior Murray of Grenada, who went on to become the first Grenadian player to represent the West Indies at the international level.

    As the cricket community grieves John’s passing, Perreira is calling on regional governing bodies to honor his decades of service with a permanent tribute. “It is my humble wish that the present Windwards Cricket Board, in collaboration with Cricket West Indies, should arrange a relevant event so that the name of Reverend Lennox John will always be remembered,” he said.