Carib Scope

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  • Four students head to US boarding schools through MDC study programme

    Four students head to US boarding schools through MDC study programme

    A landmark educational opportunity is about to open new doors for four young Caribbean scholars, who have earned coveted spots in the 2026 boarding school cohort of the Marigot Development Corporation’s (MDC) U.S. Study Programme. As the award-winning initiative enters its 14th year of expanding regional access to global education, it is also adjusting eligibility rules in response to shifting U.S. immigration policies.

    According to an official press statement from MDC, the four incoming students — Gabrielle St. Jean, Abria Bannis, Kherna Stevens, and Nkosi Woodley — will spend the next three years completing their secondary education at elite boarding institutions across the United States. Each scholar has been placed at a different school tailored to their academic and personal goals: St. Jean will enroll at Oregon Episcopal School in Portland, Oregon; Bannis will join Grand River Academy in Ohio; Stevens will attend Wayland Academy in Wisconsin; and Woodley will pursue studies at St. Mary’s School in North Carolina.

    More than just a chance to study abroad, the MDC U.S. Study Programme is designed to deliver holistic growth for emerging regional leaders. Beyond core academics, the boarding school experience is structured to build critical interpersonal skills, nurture confident leadership, and expose participants to diverse cultural perspectives that broaden their worldviews. The program also acts as a structured pathway to future higher education, preparing students competitively for admission to top universities across the United States and beyond, with the end goal of developing capable, globally minded citizens ready to contribute to their home communities.

    MDC officials emphasized that the success of this year’s selected students dispels myths about limited opportunity in the region, proving that young people from Dominica and the wider Caribbean can thrive on global academic stages when given access to quality, tailored educational opportunities. The organization extended formal congratulations to the four students, as well as their parents, families, teachers, and community mentors who supported them through their application and preparation journeys.

    As the 2026 cohort prepares to depart for their U.S. campuses, MDC has already scheduled the launch of the next application cycle, set to open on Saturday, September 26, 2026. Over its 14 years of operation, the program has supported roughly 120 students in accessing life-changing educational opportunities across the United States, ranging from secondary boarding school placements to undergraduate university placements and other immersive academic experiences. Today, MDC’s growing network of program alumni stands as a testament to the initiative’s long-term impact, and the transformative power of creating access to opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach for many talented regional youth.

    In a key policy update for prospective applicants, MDC announced that holders of Dominican and Antiguan passports will not be eligible for the upcoming intake, a change implemented in response to recent shifts in U.S. immigration and visa eligibility rules. The organization encouraged all interested students and family members who meet eligibility criteria to reach out to program administrators via WhatsApp at 767-612-2248 for further details on eligibility requirements and the application process.

    Reaffirming its core mission, the MDC U.S. Study Programme shared in its statement: “We look forward to welcoming the next generation of students and continuing our commitment to expanding educational opportunities for talented young people across the region.”

  • Cherissa Roberts Thomas Appointed Magistrate, Veronica E. Thomas Elevated to Senior Magistrate

    Cherissa Roberts Thomas Appointed Magistrate, Veronica E. Thomas Elevated to Senior Magistrate

    Antigua and Barbuda’s judicial branch is receiving a targeted boost, following the confirmation of two key judicial appointments that went into effect on July 1, 2026. Veteran legal professional Cherissa Roberts Thomas has joined the Magistracy as a Magistrate for the Family Division, while long-sitting judicial officer Veronica E. Thomas has been elevated to the role of Senior Magistrate.

    Roberts Thomas brings more than 24 years of specialized legal experience to her new post, building a distinguished career across private practice, legal leadership and community service. She earned an Upper Second-Class Honours Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Wolverhampton, followed by a Legal Education Certificate from Jamaica’s prestigious Norman Manley Law School. In 2002, she was formally admitted to the Bar of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in Antigua and Barbuda, marking the start of her public-facing legal work.

    After eight years working in established private practices, Roberts Thomas launched her own independent law firm, C. Roberts Thomas & Associates, in 2010, leading the practice as Founder and Managing Attorney for more than 15 years. A committed leader within the local legal community, she has held multiple governance roles within the Antigua and Barbuda Bar Association, culminating in her service as the organization’s President from 2022 to 2025. Her professional credentials also include certification as a court-appointed mediator, with a particular focus on family law mediation. Outside of her formal legal work, Roberts Thomas has long volunteered with community and non-profit groups dedicated to local development and equitable social progress. Officials note that her diverse background in legal practice, mediation, leadership and community outreach will bring valuable perspective to the Family Division, which handles sensitive legal matters impacting families and children across the islands.

    In a parallel change to the Magistracy leadership, Veronica E. Thomas has been promoted to the position of Senior Magistrate, with her appointment officially taking effect on November 14, 2025, ahead of her assuming duties at the St. John’s Magistrate’s Court in July 2026. First called to the Antigua and Barbuda Bar in October 1998, Thomas brings nearly 30 years of legal and judicial experience to her new role. She joined the judicial bench in 2012, and made history as the first ever Magistrate assigned exclusively to Antigua and Barbuda’s Family Court Division. Prior to her judicial career, Thomas held public legal roles including Crown Counsel and Assistant Registrar of the High Court, before entering private legal practice. She has also contributed to policy and operational work across multiple committees of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, and holds active membership in the Eastern Caribbean Association of Women Judges. Like Roberts Thomas, she is a trained mediator specializing in both civil and family law matters. In her new capacity as Senior Magistrate, Thomas will oversee criminal and civil cases across the court’s Districts A, B and C.

    Attorney General Sir Steadroy C. Benjamin has publicly welcomed both appointments, emphasizing that the expanded leadership team will strengthen the Magistracy’s overall operational capacity. Benjamin highlighted that the changes are designed to cut down on long-standing case processing delays, and improve equitable access to justice for all Antigua and Barbuda citizens. He offered official congratulations to both jurists, wishing them continued success in their new roles as they support the fair and efficient administration of justice across the country. Officials confirmed that the two appointments are part of a sustained, multi-year government initiative to reinforce Antigua and Barbuda’s judicial framework, ensuring all matters brought before the Magistrate’s Court are resolved in a timely, fair and transparent manner.

  • National Seminar to prepare Dominica’s livestock farmers for expanded poultry and pig production

    National Seminar to prepare Dominica’s livestock farmers for expanded poultry and pig production

    Against a backdrop of growing global focus on strengthening local food systems and boosting national food security, the Commonwealth of Dominica is set to convene a landmark two-day professional gathering focused on advancing its domestic livestock sector. Scheduled for September 22–23, 2026, the National Seminar on Poultry and Pig Production is being organized by the Livestock Development Unit under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy, in partnership with two key regional and local stakeholders: the East Caribbean Group of Companies (ECGC) based in St. Vincent, and Jireh Animal Health Center, Dominica’s local agricultural input distributor. The event will take place at the St. Alphonsus Parish Hall, carrying a clear, mission-driven theme: “Produce Local, Consume Local, Secure the Future.”

    Organizers project that roughly 85 attendees will participate in the seminar, representing a cross-section of the island’s agricultural ecosystem. These participants include active poultry and pig farmers, entrepreneurs looking to enter the local livestock production space, key agricultural sector stakeholders, government technical extension officers, and suppliers of agricultural production inputs. Beyond being a simple informational workshop, the seminar is a core preparatory step for the upcoming full launch of operations at Dominica’s new National Poultry and Pig Abattoirs, facilities designed to transform the island’s domestic livestock processing capacity.

    The central goal of the event is to equip local producers with the knowledge and tools needed to align their operations with the new abattoirs’ strict requirements across four key areas: production volume, product quality, animal weight standards, and output consistency. The capacity of the new facilities underscores just how critical a consistent, high-quality local supply is: the national poultry abattoir is built to process up to 1,000 birds per hour, while the dedicated pig abattoir can handle 50 heads of swine per day. Without a steady stream of locally raised animals meeting the facilities’ standards, these new public investments cannot reach their full potential to support the domestic economy.

    Seminar sessions will combine structured presentations and interactive collaborative discussions, covering a comprehensive range of topics critical to modern, profitable livestock production. Core thematic areas include optimized commercial farm management, science-backed animal nutrition and disease prevention, rigorous biosecurity protocols to prevent costly disease outbreaks, strategies to improve feed efficiency and reduce production costs, long-term and short-term production planning, alignment with domestic and regional market quality standards, and the development of stable, reliable supply cycles that meet abattoir and consumer demand.

    Beyond delivering targeted training to individual producers, the seminar is designed to advance a broader structural goal: organizing fragmented local producers into a coordinated, formalized supply system that can reliably serve the new abattoirs. After the conclusion of the event, the Ministry of Agriculture has laid out a clear follow-up plan to extend the impact of the seminar. Ministry teams will work one-on-one with interested farmers to develop customized production plans, deliver ongoing on-site technical support, and implement regular farm monitoring to help producers implement the knowledge gained at the event. The government also plans to strengthen cross-stakeholder collaboration between producers, technical experts, input suppliers, and the abattoir management teams to create a more integrated, efficient local livestock value chain.

    In a public statement encouraging participation, the Ministry emphasized that the seminar represents a unique opportunity for both existing and aspiring livestock producers to build skills, connect with industry partners, and contribute to a larger national goal. By expanding local poultry and pig production, strengthening the overall competitiveness of the domestic livestock sector, producers will play a direct role in advancing Dominica’s long-term food and nutrition security, reducing reliance on imported animal products, and strengthening the island’s rural economy.

  • Nazar “Shell” Mohamed denies knowing Justice Gino Persaud

    Nazar “Shell” Mohamed denies knowing Justice Gino Persaud

    On Monday, September 21, 2026, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, a billionaire Guyanese businessman currently wanted by the United States to face trial for alleged financial crimes alongside his son Azruddin, issued a public statement pushing back against growing public speculation over an alleged improper relationship with High Court Judge Gino Persaud, who recently ruled in their favor in a high-stakes civil tax case.

    In the carefully worded statement, the elder Mohamed sought to eliminate all ambiguity surrounding the pair’s connection to the judge, emphasizing that he and his son have never met Persaud, either during his prior career as a private attorney or his tenure on the High Court bench. Mohamed stated that Persaud has never engaged in any business dealings with the father-son pair, and the two parties share no personal, professional, or social ties of any kind. The only link between them, Mohamed confirmed, is that legal matters involving his family were assigned to Persaud in his official capacity as a sitting High Court judge.

    Persaud, who delivered a ruling favorable to the Mohameds in the multimillion-dollar civil tax evasion case, was recently blocked from boarding a flight bound for Jamaica – where he planned to attend a judicial conference with a transit stop in Florida – after learning his U.S. visa was placed under official review. As of Monday, Persaud has not made any public comment on the visa situation or the broader controversy surrounding the case.

    The elder Mohamed drew a direct connection between the judge’s visa troubles and fierce public criticism of Persaud leveled by Guyana’s top government officials following the tax ruling, which centered on luxury vehicles including a Lamborghini and a Ferrari owned by the Mohamed family. President Irfaan Ali, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, and Attorney General Anil Nandlall all publicly condemned the ruling, adding to a longer pattern of public pushback against the judge from senior government figures.

    Against this backdrop, which also includes the Guyanese government’s hiring of U.S.-based lobbyists to tie the Mohameds to ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Nazar Mohamed said he has growing doubts that he and his son will receive a fair adjudication of their ongoing legal matters in Guyana’s domestic court system. He argued that the visa issue creates a coercive chilling effect that could intimidate sitting judges from ruling in the pair’s favor out of fear of professional or personal repercussions.

    “Judicial independence demands that a judge be able to reach a decision rooted exclusively in applicable law and presented evidence, free from concern over which parties will be angered by the outcome or what consequences may follow that ruling,” Mohamed said. “No judge should be forced to question whether a ruling against the government will put their career, their ability to travel internationally, their reputation, or their personal life at risk.”

    Notably, Mohamed was once a prominent public supporter and financial backer of the governing People’s Progressive Party Civic, the current ruling party in Guyana. The Mohameds first drew international legal scrutiny in June 2024, when the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed formal sanctions on the pair over allegations of tax evasion connected to gold exports from Guyana. They now also face an 11-count grand jury indictment in U.S. Federal Court for the Southern District of Florida, which charges them with wire fraud, money laundering, and mail fraud tied to their formerly registered gold trading business.

  • Eleven Officers Complete EMT Recertification Training

    Eleven Officers Complete EMT Recertification Training

    In a major step to boost the country’s emergency response capabilities just weeks ahead of a high-profile international summit, 11 officers from the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda’s fire and regular divisions have successfully graduated from a rigorous Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) recertification program. The five-day intensive training course was hosted by the American University of Antigua (AUA), and concluded ahead of the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) scheduled to be held in the nation.

    The program was structured to refresh and expand participants’ foundational theoretical knowledge and hands-on practical skills for pre-hospital emergency medical response. Beyond skill-building, the curriculum also reinforced core professional values including continuous improvement, clinical accuracy, operational efficiency, cross-team collaboration, and consistent emergency preparedness. A central theme of the training, “Unlearn to Relearn”, underscored the evolving nature of emergency medical protocols: instructors emphasized that best practices in pre-hospital care are constantly updated, requiring first responders to remain open to new approaches, revised techniques, and shifting professional standards to deliver optimal care.

    Dr. Courtney Lewis, Director of the Emergency Medical Training Centre, opened the program by urging officers to uphold strict standards of readiness, telling participants to “practice until it becomes instinct.” He repeated the call for ongoing collaboration and sustained professional development as non-negotiable pillars of effective emergency medical intervention.

    Vivian Parker, who serves as both Fire Chief and Deputy Commissioner of Police, stressed the life-or-death stakes of high-quality EMT training for frontline first responders. “When an emergency strikes, the knowledge and skills these officers carry are the difference between life and death for those affected,” Parker said. He also extended formal gratitude to the nation’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team for their critical support throughout the training period, specifically recognizing two EMS personnel who were temporarily reassigned to the Airport Fire Outpost Station to cover response duties while fire officers completed their coursework.

    Royal Police Force Commissioner Everton Jeffers officially congratulated the 11 graduating officers—Jess Bristol, Akeem Finch, Brad Benjamin, Darius Ambrose, Julion Daniel, Leona Ogarro, Orson Joseph, Tammie Ann Brookes, Tijahma Burns, Tyrell Benjamin, and Xavier Fernes—on their successful completion of the program. Jeffers urged the officers to immediately apply their updated knowledge and refined skills in their daily frontline duties.

    The top police official noted the timing of the recertification initiative is particularly strategic, as Antigua and Barbuda makes final preparations to host CHOGM, an event drawing global heads of state and thousands of attendees in just a few weeks. “Emergency preparedness, and the ability of our first responders to deliver fast, effective medical care when it is needed, is a core component of the Royal Police Force’s overall readiness for an event of this national and international importance,” Jeffers explained. He closed by thanking program facilitators, EMS staff, and all stakeholders who contributed to the successful execution of the recertification training.

  • Dominica’s Creole season set to deliver a month of music, culture and community events

    Dominica’s Creole season set to deliver a month of music, culture and community events

    The Caribbean island nation of Dominica is preparing to welcome visitors and locals alike to a months-long celebration of Creole heritage, culture and creativity in 2026, with a full schedule of events spanning from the start of October through the first week of November. Moving far beyond the compressed single-weekend festival format of past years, this expanded 2026 Creole season will fill 33 days with curated experiences ranging from live musical performances and culinary showcases to community gatherings and traditional cultural competitions, giving attendees more opportunities than ever to engage with the island’s vibrant Creole identity.

    The celebration will kick off on October 3 in the coastal village of Mahaut, where the Belles Combo Benefit Concert will set the festive tone for the weeks ahead. Just one day after the opening concert, the Flavours of the World Festival will invite guests to sample a diverse mix of local and international cuisine, highlighting the fusion of culinary traditions that shape modern Dominica. Mid-October will bring the President’s Charities Foundation Fundraising Dinner on October 10, followed by the lively NDFD Creole in the Streets public celebration on October 16. Two days later, the island will mark Rize N Shine and Heritage Day to honor the ancestral roots of Creole culture, before launching the immersive Ti-Vilaj Kweyol: Tout Biten Dominik village experience at the island’s iconic Botanic Gardens from October 19 to 22. The pre-festival lineup also includes long-standing fan favorites: the Miss Wob Dwiyet traditional pageant, the cultural observance of White Sunday, and a series of gospel performances tied to Dominica’s upcoming Independence celebrations.

    The undisputed centerpiece of the 2026 Creole season will be the 26th edition of the World Creole Music Festival (WCMF), which will return to its longtime home at Windsor Park Sports Stadium from October 23 to 25. This landmark annual event draws top Creole music acts from across the Caribbean and around the globe, attracting international tourists and music lovers to Dominica each year. To complement the main festival performances, organizers have filled out the mid-season schedule with a range of auxiliary events: the Prime Breakfast community gathering in Morne Daniel on October 23, the casual Pour Decisions Brunch on October 24, and the coastal Kweyol Bod La Mer celebration on October 25.

    Once the World Creole Music Festival wraps up, the celebration will continue through the end of October and into November with a diverse lineup of smaller community-focused events. From October 26 to 30, the Bwè Dominik Fest will take over Le Village Beach Club in Canefield, offering ongoing live music and local craft beverages. Creativity will take center stage at the GEMS Artisan Market on October 28 and 29, where local makers will showcase handcrafted goods, art and traditional textiles. The same day will see the Madam Wob Dwiyet competition held at the Massacre Indoor Facility, extending the pageant traditions of the season. October 29 will host the premiere of the new local production “Rebel & Jango”, before the island marks Creole Day and officially launches preparations for the 2027 Mas Dominik carnival on October 30.

    The final stretch of the expanded season will bring a series of regional and national celebrations leading up to Dominica’s Independence Day. Fete La Pwent will run from October 30 to November 1, with Wato Dominica taking place on October 31 and the Ediflor Creole Edition cultural event kicking off in Giraudel on November 1. The full Creole season will conclude with three major closing events: a lavish Cultural Gala held at the Botanic Gardens, official Independence Day celebrations at Windsor Park Sports Stadium on November 3, and a nationwide Community Day of Service on November 4 that invites locals to give back to their neighborhoods to cap off the season of cultural pride.

  • Politic : Launch of the portfolio review for externally funded programs and projects (2025–2026 / MPCE)

    Politic : Launch of the portfolio review for externally funded programs and projects (2025–2026 / MPCE)

    In a landmark step toward more effective development governance, Haiti’s Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation (MPCE) officially kicked off a national portfolio review of all active externally financed development programs and projects for the 2025–2026 fiscal year on September 18, 2026. The launch event brought together senior Haitian government officials, United Nations representatives, international donor bodies, and development partner stakeholders to lay out core priorities for the multi-week review process.

    Opening the proceedings, Planning Minister Sandra Paulemon framed the review as far more than a routine administrative exercise: she positioned it as a critical space for cross-stakeholder dialogue, institutional accountability, and evidence-based policy decision-making. Paulemon anchored the review’s approach in three non-negotiable core priorities: national ownership of development agendas, efficient resource utilization focused on tangible outcomes, and mutual accountability between Haitian institutions and international partners.

    In a pointed rebuke to historical models of external-led development in Haiti, Paulemon emphasized that the country must take the driver’s seat in shaping its own growth trajectory. “Haiti cannot simply be a site for the execution of a multitude of projects,” she told attendees. “Haiti must be the lead actor in defining, directing, and monitoring and evaluating the interventions that contribute to its development.” The minister also called for far stronger coordination of donor activities across sectors and regions, urging partners to eliminate duplicate programming, leverage complementary strengths, and channel all available resources toward Haiti’s most pressing development priorities. She additionally welcomed the relaunch of the country’s External Aid Management Module, a digital tool designed to streamline aid tracking and coordination.

    Fritz Gérald Louis, representing Haiti’s Minister of Economy and Finance, echoed these remarks, stressing that strategic resource management is foundational to unlocking meaningful, sustainable development across the country. He added that closer alignment between national development planning, external resource mobilization, national budget programming, and on-the-ground project execution is essential to improve outcomes for Haitian communities.

    MPCE Director General Guy Roméro Latry expanded on the practical purpose of the review, noting that the process serves as a core monitoring and coordination mechanism for all externally backed initiatives. Latry emphasized that national institutions and international partners must align on a shared understanding of project progress, delivered results, and on-the-ground implementation barriers to move forward effectively.

    Yvrose Guerrier, Director of the MPCE’s External Cooperation Directorate, delivered a detailed breakdown of the current donor portfolio during her presentation on the review process. As of the review launch, the total value of all active externally funded projects amounts to 364.75 billion Haitian Gourdes, with just 38.74% (141.29 billion Gourdes) disbursed to date. This leaves an outstanding 223.46 billion Gourdes yet to be allocated to implementing activities. The portfolio includes 118 separate financing lines that support 112 distinct development projects across the country. Guerrier explained that the review will systematically assess the technical and financial performance of each project, identify persistent implementation bottlenecks, and evaluate how well each initiative aligns with Haiti’s official national development priorities.

    United Nations Resident Coordinator Nicole Boni Kouassi reaffirmed the UN’s support for the review process, underlining the urgent need for coordinated development intervention across Haiti. She noted that the review creates a critical shared platform for Haitian government authorities, technical and financial partners, and implementing agencies to collectively assess progress and address shared challenges.

    Annalisa Lombardo, President of the Inter-Organization Liaison Framework (CLIO), also reaffirmed her organization’s long-term commitment to strengthening constructive dialogue between Haitian national institutions and international development partners.

    Luca Trinchieri, Head of Cooperation with Haiti for the European Union, delivered remarks via pre-recorded videoconference, reiterating the EU’s ongoing commitment to deepening and improving its development partnership with Haiti.

    When the review process concludes, the MPCE aims to produce a clear, data-driven snapshot of implementation status across all externally funded projects, and collaborate with all relevant national institutions and partners to develop concrete, actionable solutions to address the implementation constraints uncovered during the assessment.

  • Dominica Social Security marks 50 years by honoring nearly 9,000 pensioners

    Dominica Social Security marks 50 years by honoring nearly 9,000 pensioners

    Half a century after its founding, the Dominica Social Security (DSS) marked its golden anniversary with a special islandwide Pensioners’ Appreciation Day held on September 17, 2026. The flagship celebration, centered on the theme “Honoring Our Age Pensioners – A Promise Fulfilled – Your Reward,” took place at Roseau’s scenic State House Grounds, bringing together stakeholders and honorees to recognize the foundational contributions of nearly 9,000 age pensioners across the country. These individuals have steadily paid into the social security system over the past five decades, creating a stable safety net that has supported generations of Dominican citizens.

    Dr. Irving McIntyre, Dominica’s Minister for Finance, delivered the keynote address at the event, framing the 50-year milestone as both a moment for joyful celebration and thoughtful reflection on the institution’s journey. He emphasized that the anniversary would not hold meaning without centering the pensioners who built the system from its earliest days. “Our pensioners are the ones who laid the foundation of this noble institution,” Dr. McIntyre stated, highlighting their unwavering commitment to the system that now provides them with critical financial protection.

    Established on February 1, 1976, the Dominica Social Security was launched with a clear core mandate: to deliver income security and social protection to Dominican citizens across a range of life circumstances, including sickness, maternity leave, and old age retirement. From its inception, the system has operated on a promise that workers who contribute throughout their working lives will receive guaranteed support when they reach retirement age. This year’s anniversary celebrations were intentionally designed to honor that promise, acknowledging the trust that early contributors placed in the institution, and their years of steady contributions that have allowed the system to grow and thrive into its fifth decade.

  • OECS and United States Embassy Advance Dialogue on Areas of Mutual Interest

    OECS and United States Embassy Advance Dialogue on Areas of Mutual Interest

    The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) recently hosted a landmark diplomatic meeting at its Saint Lucia-based Commission headquarters, where it formally welcomed Stacy M. Lomba, the newly appointed Political and Economic Counselor of the U.S. Embassy with accreditation to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean region and the OECS. The gathering centered on forging stronger collaborative ties between the United States and the 11-member regional integration bloc, building on momentum from earlier high-level exchanges between OECS leadership and U.S. diplomatic representatives, including a previous meeting with former Chargé d’Affaires Ms. Sullivan.

    Leading the OECS delegation was Dr. Kisha Grant, Chief of Staff for Strategic Diplomacy at the OECS Commission, who stepped into the role on behalf of OECS Director General Dr. Didacus Jules. Participants opened the discussion by reflecting on the deep, decades-long diplomatic and people-to-people connections that have bound the United States and individual OECS member states. Both sides emphasized the unique strategic value of expanding direct engagement with the OECS as a unified regional body and a robust platform for coordinated collective action across the Eastern Caribbean.

    During the talks, representatives from both sides mapped out a broad range of priority areas where mutual cooperation aligns with shared strategic and economic goals. These areas span investment attraction and inclusive economic development, bolstering regional energy security, countering cross-border security threats, managing irregular migration, accelerating the region’s digital transformation, building climate-resilient infrastructure, expanding educational access, and growing people-to-people exchange programs that connect communities across the United States and the Eastern Caribbean.

    A core focus of the meeting was the need to establish a more formal, structured dialogue framework to address these shared priorities. Attendees agreed that the OECS Commission is uniquely positioned to streamline coordination between its member states on regional priorities, creating a clearer channel for consistent engagement with U.S. diplomatic stakeholders.

    As the primary takeaway from the gathering, OECS Commission representatives and the U.S. Embassy reached a formal agreement to move forward with preparations for a full OECS-U.S. planning and working-level dialogue at the earliest possible date. This upcoming meeting will serve as a space to identify and align on the specific priority cooperation areas for individual OECS member states, laying the groundwork for broader strategic discussions between OECS Heads of Government and senior U.S. Embassy leadership.

  • UWI Guild President Urges Jamaica to Appoint New Honorary Consul in Antigua and Barbuda

    UWI Guild President Urges Jamaica to Appoint New Honorary Consul in Antigua and Barbuda

    A student leader from The University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus is pushing Jamaican officials to fill a long-vacant honorary consul position in Antigua and Barbuda, arguing that Jamaican residents in the twin-island nation currently lack accessible on-the-ground support.

    Jake Taylor, president of the UWI Five Islands Campus Guild, raised the issue during a formal courtesy meeting between leaders of the Inter-Campus Guild Council (ICGC) and Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holless. The meeting was part of the opening leg of the ICGC’s 2026/2027 academic year itinerary, hosted by the UWI Mona Campus Guild of Students in Kingston, Jamaica.

    Taylor told the prime minister that the post has sat empty for roughly two years, ever since the previous honorary consul stepped down. In his remarks, Taylor emphasized the critical role the office played for Jamaicans living in Antigua and Barbuda, offering support ranging from official document preparation and scholarship access to advocacy on labor and immigration issues. Without a local representative, Jamaican residents in the twin-island state are left without a dedicated point of contact for these critical needs.

    Prime Minister Holness acknowledged that he had not previously been aware that the position was vacant. He reassured Taylor that Jamaican residents in Antigua and Barbuda have not been abandoned by the government, noting that the Jamaican High Commission based in Trinidad and Tobago continues to offer services to this community. Even so, Holness conceded that accessing support from a distant mission creates unnecessary barriers for people living in Antigua and Barbuda, mirroring the concerns Taylor had raised.

    To move the process forward, Holness directed Taylor to schedule a follow-up meeting with Abka Fitz-Henley, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, to work through next steps. During that subsequent discussion, Fitz-Henley committed that his office would reach out to the Jamaican High Commission to gather the latest information and coordinate efforts to appoint a new honorary consul in a timely manner.

    Taylor has expressed cautious optimism about the Jamaican government’s response and says he intends to keep pushing for progress on the appointment until a new officeholder is named. The UWI Five Islands Campus Guild of Students reaffirmed its longstanding commitment to advocating for not just its student body, but also members of the broader Jamaican community residing in Antigua and Barbuda, many of whom rely on the services an honorary consul provides.

    As the official student government of UWI Five Islands Campus, the Guild Council comprises elected student leaders spanning a range of portfolios including academics, student welfare, publications, campus events, athletics, and international affairs. Its core mission is to serve as the unified representative voice for the campus student body, advancing student interests, elevating student concerns to university administration, and championing the rights, well-being, and professional development of all students. Guided by the principle “Together We Can Make It Happen,” the Guild Council runs programs and initiatives focused on fostering student leadership, deepening campus engagement, and building a more connected, inclusive campus community.