Carib Scope

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  • PM says carnival weekend should be reserved for Carnival’s strongest and best-attended events

    PM says carnival weekend should be reserved for Carnival’s strongest and best-attended events

    One of Antigua and Barbuda’s most cherished Carnival traditions may be facing a major scheduling shakeup, after Prime Minister Gaston Browne opened a public discussion about reallocating the festival’s most high-demand peak time slots to drive higher attendance. Speaking during an appearance on the local *Browne and Browne Show*, the country’s leader has questioned whether the long-running Calypso Monarch competition still draws enough audience support to justify holding its final round on the coveted Friday night before the iconic J’ouvert celebration, raising the prospect that the beloved event could be moved to an earlier or later date in the Carnival calendar.

    Browne’s core argument centers on prioritizing the three consecutive nights immediately leading up to J’ouvert — Thursday, Friday, and Saturday — for Carnival’s highest-drawing, most popular events. At present, Calypso Monarch holds the traditional prime Friday night spot, but Browne argues that declining attendance numbers no longer support keeping the event in that high-value slot. “I don’t think that Calypso can justify Carnival Friday anymore,” he stated during the broadcast.

    The prime minister has floated multiple alternative scheduling options to spark public discussion. An early proposal put forward moving the competition to either Wednesday or Thursday, with Thursday emerging as the more viable of the two early alternatives. Later in the conversation, Browne introduced a second option that would shift the popular Party Monarch competition to Saturday night and reposition the Calypso Monarch final to Sunday, just hours before the early morning J’ouvert street party that kicks off on Monday.

    That Sunday proposal has already drawn pushback from critics participating in the discussion, who warn that staging a major competitive event so close to J’ouvert could lead to even lower turnout for Calypso. Many attendees prioritize preparing for the overnight J’ouvert celebration and would likely skip a Sunday night competition, opponents argue.

    Browne pushed back on these concerns, however, noting that attendance was already dismal in the previous year’s Calypso Monarch final. He cited industry reports showing that only 80 paying patrons turned out for the 2023 event, arguing that the competition has very little attendance to lose from a schedule change. He added that a Sunday night slot could actually work in Calypso’s favor: many Carnival-goers plan to stay out overnight ahead of Monday’s early J’ouvert start, so a Sunday night final could draw those revelers who are already looking for events to fill their evening.

    The prime minister emphasized that no final decision has been made on the schedule change, and he has issued an open invitation to members of the Antiguan public and Carnival stakeholders to submit their own suggestions and feedback on the proposed calendar adjustments. For Browne, the end goal is simple: ensuring that the final three nights of Carnival before J’ouvert feature events that can draw large crowds and build momentum for a memorable closing to the annual festival.

  • WATCH: PM Browne Praises Carnival Production but Says Local Music Fell Short

    WATCH: PM Browne Praises Carnival Production but Says Local Music Fell Short

    As Antigua and Barbuda wraps up another annual Carnival celebration, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has offered a mixed assessment of the 2024 festival, applauding its seamless organization and high-end production while calling out local musicians for failing to deliver a robust lineup of homegrown tracks for the event.

    Speaking during an appearance on the local *Browne and Browne Show* this past Saturday, the prime minister clarified that he was unable to participate in the multi-day celebrations due to pre-scheduled overseas official commitments. Even with his absence, Browne noted that consistent on-the-ground reports from organizers, attendees, and security teams painted a largely positive picture of this year’s festival, describing it as energetic and broadly successful.

    One of Browne’s biggest points of relief surrounded public safety during the event. While the prime minister confirmed a small number of isolated incidents, including one to two reported stabbings, he emphasized that the outcome could have been far more severe, and expressed gratitude that widespread disorder or major violent events were avoided. “We give thanks,” he shared, noting that the level of disruption to the festival remained minimal.

    On the production side, the prime minister offered unreserved praise, singling out the event’s stage design and audio infrastructure as “first class.” He framed these upgrades as clear evidence that targeted efforts to push Carnival service providers to elevate their professional standards are delivering tangible, positive results for attendees and stakeholders alike.

    That positive feedback did not extend to the contributions of local artists, however. Browne argued that the annual festival continues to face a persistent gap: a lack of high-quality, original homegrown music released specifically for the Carnival season. He pushed back against widespread claims from local performers that the country’s April general election disrupted preparation timelines and cut into the time artists had to create new music, dismissing the argument outright. “A lot of foolishness,” he said of the explanation, noting that veteran, long-established artists had a full 12 months to develop new work for the festival.

    Browne stressed that original local music is a foundational element of Carnival, shaping both the overall quality of the celebration and its unique cultural identity. He issued a direct call to local artists to begin their preparation for future Carnival seasons much earlier, and to prioritize creating stronger, more compelling original material each year.

    The prime minister’s comments arrive at a key planning moment for the festival: local officials and industry stakeholders have already begun early discussions about upgrades and improvements ahead of Antigua Carnival’s milestone 70th anniversary, scheduled to take place in 2027.

  • Antigua & Barbuda Announces Senior National Teams for the 2026 ECVA Senior Volleyball Championships

    Antigua & Barbuda Announces Senior National Teams for the 2026 ECVA Senior Volleyball Championships

    The Antigua & Barbuda Volleyball Association (ABAVA) has formally announced the rosters for the nation’s senior men’s and women’s national volleyball teams, who will carry the country’s flag at the 2026 Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Volleyball Championships. The biennial regional competition is scheduled to run from August 12 to 16, 2026, and will be hosted in Tortola, the largest city of the British Virgin Islands.

    In an official statement, ABAVA extended warm congratulations to every athlete who earned a spot on the two rosters, noting that their selection is a direct reflection of the relentless effort, unwavering discipline, consistent commitment, and profound dedication each competitor has demonstrated throughout months of intensive preparation. The association expressed full confidence that both squads will compete with fierce national pride, upholding Antigua & Barbuda’s sporting reputation with distinction on the regional stage.

    Both national programs have been engaged in systematic training for months, with players and coaching staff building cohesion and refining strategies to match up against top-ranked teams from across the Eastern Caribbean. Entering the tournament, the teams carry the nation’s iconic black, red, blue, white, and gold colors with a shared spirit of determination, unity, and national pride.

    The senior men’s national squad will be led by head coach Fitzroy Benjamin, with Braulio Estrada-Lopez serving as assistant coach. Long-time team standout Cairon Davis has been named team captain, and the full roster includes: Dominick Anthony, Collin Thomas, Dwight Bonnie, Abner Farquare, Asafa Donavan, Paul Richards, Erwin Mathurin, Jamarie James, Cairon Davis, Amali Mannix, and Jedidiah Christian.

    For the senior women’s national team, Carl Williams will step into the role of head coach, supported by assistant coach Rosemarie Simon. Nyota Peters has been appointed to lead the squad as captain, with the full roster featuring: Jaanai Jacobs, Alliyah Smith, Rayana Regis, Josanne Lewis, Faith Gibson, Phillisha Burnette, Jahzara Donavan, Anik Jarvis, Allisha Jno-Baptiste, Jaya Carr, and Sharifa Simmons.

    Looking ahead to the 2026 tournament, ABAVA reiterated its congratulations to all selected competitors, while also issuing a public note of gratitude to the broader volleyball ecosystem that supports athlete development across the country. This includes the participating coaching staff, local volleyball clubs, loyal community supporters, corporate sponsors, and the family members of each athlete, all of whom contribute consistent time, resources, and encouragement to grow the sport in Antigua & Barbuda. The association closed by urging local sports fans to rally behind both national teams, as they prepare to compete against the region’s best talent and proudly represent their nation.

  • Mulokot en partners: Vijfkilometerwet geen oplossing voor grondenrechten

    Mulokot en partners: Vijfkilometerwet geen oplossing voor grondenrechten

    On August 10, a coalition of seven civil society organizations led by Suriname’s Stichting Mulokot issued a public appeal to President Jennifer Simons and the national government, calling for an immediate halt to the rushed enactment of the Wet Bescherming Woon- en Leefgebieden — widely known as the five-kilometer law. The coalition, which represents Indigenous and Tribal communities across Suriname, argues that the proposed legislation fails to deliver adequate protection for marginalized ethnic communities and risks creating another unnecessary delay to the long-overdue legal recognition of these groups’ collective land rights.

    While the coalition acknowledges the stated goal of the bill — safeguarding the living environments of Indigenous and Tribal communities — it stresses that the legislation does not address the core issue of formalizing collective land rights, a longstanding demand from these communities. Beyond this fundamental gap, the groups also criticize the law’s five-kilometer protected zone framework as deeply inadequate. Traditional Indigenous and Tribal territories are not rigid circular boundaries centered on village cores, they explain: hunting grounds, fishing areas, subsistence farm plots, sacred sites, and other culturally and economically critical lands often extend far beyond this arbitrary five-kilometer limit.

    The organizations also raised sharp concerns about the slow progress the Surinamese state has made in fulfilling its obligations stemming from binding rulings by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on Indigenous land rights. They emphasize that enacting a temporary piece of legislation like the five-kilometer law must not be used as an excuse to further postpone the formal recognition of full collective land rights for affected communities.

    A core principle highlighted in the appeal is that no decisions impacting the territories of Indigenous and Tribal peoples can be considered legitimate without the full, meaningful participation of these communities. The international standard of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), the coalition stresses, must be fully respected in this process. Communities need sufficient time and space to conduct internal deliberations and formalize their own collective positions before any legislation is advanced.

    These concerns are rooted in Suriname’s own political history, the groups note. Decades of experience have shown that narrow political and commercial interests have often been prioritized over the public good, including the rights of Indigenous and Tribal groups. For this reason, the coalition argues that land rights must not be reduced to a political bargaining chip, and protection of these rights must not be dependent on the shifting priorities of sitting administrations.

    In place of rushed enactment, the coalition is calling on President Simons and her government to first complete a comprehensive, meaningful consultation process with all impacted Indigenous and Tribal communities before moving forward with any legislation. The groups also demand that the government release a clear, binding timeline for implementing the Inter-American Court of Human Rights rulings and delivering full legal recognition of collective land rights.

    “We do not accept a temporary fix that only delays a permanent solution,” the statement reads. “We demand recognition of our rights, protection of our traditional territories, and respect for our voice.”

    The appeal was signed by Stichting Mulokot on behalf of all six partner organizations: the Organisatie van Inheemsen in Suriname (OIS), SCV Juku Jume Maro, Stichting Key Holders of Sustainable Environment, Vereniging van Saamaka Gemeenschappen, Making Waves, and Inheems Kollectief Suriname (IKSur).

  • 60 years of ties, but no T&T mission in Japan

    60 years of ties, but no T&T mission in Japan

    Roughly 300 citizens of Trinidad and Tobago build their lives nearly 9,000 miles from home across Japan, a gap that has grown increasingly problematic amid more than six decades of formal diplomatic relations between the two nations: to date, the Caribbean nation has never established a permanent diplomatic outpost in Tokyo. Currently, the closest diplomatic mission responsible for Japanese affairs is based 3,000 miles away in New Delhi, India, and the mandate to open a consulate or embassy on Japanese soil rests solely with the government of Trinidad and Tobago, local media outlet *Express* has confirmed. The question of a new mission came into focus during an official visit by Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi to Port of Spain this Friday, where he held bilateral talks with his Trinidadian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sean Sobers. While top Japanese foreign affairs officials confirmed that the creation of a Trinidadian mission in Tokyo was not raised during these high-level talks, they noted that a permanent presence would deliver widespread benefits to both nations. “Trinidad and Tobago has managed Japanese affairs through its New Delhi mission since the 1970s, while Japan maintains a full diplomatic mission in Port of Spain. If your government were to establish an independent mission in Tokyo, it would be very helpful for our bilateral cooperation,” explained Toshihiro Kitamura, Director General for Press and Public Diplomacy at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in an interview with *Express*. The absence of a local mission creates tangible administrative barriers that slow bilateral cooperation already. *Express* confirmed with multiple officials that without a registered diplomatic mission operating in Japan, the government of Trinidad and Tobago is unable to open an official bank account on Japanese territory. This technical barrier has repeatedly complicated Tokyo’s efforts to deliver direct financial assistance, including development grants, to Port of Spain. Over the past decade, the Japanese government has donated millions of dollars to support Trinidad and Tobago’s priorities, ranging from climate adaptation to disaster resilience infrastructure. But due to the lack of a local diplomatic presence, all funding must be routed through third-party international agencies rather than delivered directly to the Trinidadian government. For example, when Japan provided funding to address Trinidad and Tobago’s growing sargassum seaweed crisis, the donation was disbursed through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) rather than sent directly to Port of Spain. Japan also frequently uses the Caricom Secretariat as an intermediary for disaster prevention assistance, Kitamura confirmed. The gap also leaves Trinidad and Tobago’s own citizens residing in Japan without timely access to consular support. During a reporting trip to Tokyo in late 2025, *Express* spoke with local Trinidadian nationals and residents with close ties to the Caribbean nation, many of whom expressed growing anxiety over the lack of on-the-ground consular services. One anonymous participant in the Japan Exchange and Teaching programme told reporters: “If a personal emergency or legal issue arises here, I would have to travel all the way to India to get the consular assistance I need. That uncertainty is really concerning.” *Express* reached out to Foreign Minister Sean Sobers—who traveled to Japan last year to attend the 2025 Osaka World Expo—to request comment on whether the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is actively considering the establishment of a permanent diplomatic mission in Tokyo. As of publication, no response has been received from Sobers or his office.

  • Parade closer to President’s House

    Parade closer to President’s House

    Trinidad and Tobago is set to shake up its annual Independence Day celebrations this year, with the national parade moving to a new section of the iconic Queen’s Park Savannah, directly opposite the President’s House. The shift has drawn mixed reactions from political figures, with one opposition lawmaker framing the change as a long-overdue chance to reinvent national traditions while delivering millions in taxpayer savings, and a ruling party MP raising urgent alarms over potential harm to the park’s protected green spaces.

    Shadow Member of Parliament for Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West Phillip Edward Alexander confirmed the venue change for the August 31 parade in an interview with local outlet Express on Wednesday, noting that the move is not a signal of a scaled-back celebration, but rather an opportunity to test a new, more cost-effective format for the national holiday.

    For decades, the Independence Day parade has been hosted on a different stretch of the Queen’s Park Savannah, with senior government dignitaries including the Prime Minister gathering at the site’s historic Grand Stand to review the procession. Last year, however, the traditional parade and accompanying fireworks display were canceled entirely after the government imposed a national state of emergency to support ongoing security operations. Officials heeding security expert advice replaced the public event with a low-key National Day of Prayer and Reflection, leaving many citizens without the iconic annual celebration.

    Alexander argued that the break from tradition created the perfect opening to reimagine how the country marks its independence. He noted that the new, tree-lined venue opposite the President’s House offers naturally shaded viewing areas for spectators and a more scenic backdrop for the procession, qualities that could turn the one-time experimental change into a permanent improvement. “This could very well be a grand reinvention of the parade in a nice picturesque part of the Savannah. It is a really good location for the event. I am surprised it was not done before,” Alexander said.

    Beyond aesthetic improvements, Alexander highlighted a major financial benefit to the relocation: the existing Carnival North Stand remains in place at the traditional parade route, and moving the Independence Day event eliminates the need to fully dismantle the stand ahead of the parade and rebuild it ahead of the annual Carnival celebration. Alexander estimates that this annual dismantling and reconstruction process costs the country roughly TT $5 million, a sum that can be redirected to other pressing public needs if the venue change becomes permanent. “That is a substantial saving,” he noted, adding that the new format could deliver a better experience for attendees while cutting unnecessary public spending.

    Pointing to the 2026 Trinidad and Tobago Carnival as evidence that updating long-held traditions can produce positive results, Alexander noted that the government’s new free-admission Flava Village culinary and cultural hub was met with initial skepticism but quickly became a fan-favorite addition to the festival, with attendees calling for it to be hosted year-round. “Everything this government has done so far has been bigger and better than what obtained before,” Alexander said, urging citizens to approach the parade change with an open mind rather than pre-judging the new format. “Change is good. Change can be beneficial. We have been carrying on a certain way for some time and now we have the opportunity to experiment with different ways of doing things, better ways of doing things. This new location may become something we never knew we always needed,” he added, saying he is eager to see the reinvented parade come to life on August 31.

    Not all political figures have welcomed the change, however. Stuart Young, the incumbent MP for Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West, took to Facebook earlier this week to raise urgent environmental concerns after observing active construction at the new parade site, including piles of construction aggregate, a steamroller, and work on what appeared to be a substantial new permanent structure.

    Young called on the ruling Kamla Persad Bissessar government to provide immediate transparency around the work, asking multiple pointed questions about the project: what structure is being erected, what paving work is planned for the green space, is the construction directly tied to the relocated Independence Day parade, who is funding and carrying out the work, and what long-term impact will the development have on the Queen’s Park Savannah’s protected green areas? “The green spaces in our beloved Savannah should not be destroyed and desecrated. What is taking place? I look forward to urgent answers,” Young wrote alongside photos of the active construction site.

    Port of Spain Mayor Chinua Alleyne echoed Young’s concerns, noting that any permanent damage to the Queen’s Park Savannah’s green spaces would have a lasting negative impact on capital city residents. Alleyne said he has already instructed the Port of Spain City Corporation’s leadership to launch an inquiry into the construction activity, though the section of the park where work is underway falls under the jurisdiction of the Horticultural Services Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, not the city corporation.

    As of Wednesday, multiple requests for comment and information from Mayor Alleyne, Agriculture Minister Ravi Rattiram, and Defence Minister Wayne Sturge went unanswered, leaving key questions about the construction project and parade plans unresolved as the country approaches the August 31 holiday.

  • Penny: T&T remains a First Peoples homeland

    Penny: T&T remains a First Peoples homeland

    On the occasion of the United Nations International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, Trinidad and Tobago’s Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles has reaffirmed a long-overdue foundational truth of the nation: the twin islands were first a homeland for Indigenous peoples, and remain that homeland to this day.

    As the Member of Parliament for Arima, a district that is home to the country’s prominent Santa Rosa First Peoples Community, Beckles emphasized that this annual observance is not a symbolic gesture disconnected from daily life in her constituency. Over years of engagement, she has walked alongside the community through its core cultural traditions, including the annual Santa Rosa Month celebrations, the sacred Water Ritual, and the historic reburial of ancestral Indigenous remains at Trinidad’s Red House government building. Far from being just a community hosted by Arima, Beckles noted, Indigenous culture and history are core to what defines the district’s identity.

    Beckles extended specific praise to Chief Ricardo Bharath Hernandez, the community’s leader, whose decades of relentless advocacy have carried Indigenous Trinidadian voices to leading global institutions including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and the United Nations. Throughout his work, Chief Bharath Hernandez has consistently called for formal national recognition of Indigenous rights aligned with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

    Beyond the Santa Rosa community, Beckles also acknowledged the full breadth of Indigenous descendants across the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. This includes Warao communities that have formed kinship ties in the country, people connected to the ancient Banwari Trace archaeological site in San Francique, and the thousands of ordinary citizens whose Indigenous ancestry is woven into their names, traditional cuisine, and national cultural heritage.

    Challenging outdated narratives that relegate Indigenous peoples to a marginal footnote in national history, Beckles stressed that First Peoples are the very foundation of Trinidad and Tobago’s national story. Long before the first European vessels arrived in the Caribbean, Indigenous communities cultivated the land of the twin islands and established the region’s first permanent settlements more than 7,000 years ago. Every subsequent wave of migration to Trinidad and Tobago came to land that was already stewarded and inhabited, Beckles noted.

    While the government has taken incremental positive steps, including the 2017 establishment of a public holiday for Indigenous peoples and the 2019 Red House ancestral reburial, Beckles argued that partial progress does not equal full justice. “Recognition without redress is not enough,” she said.

    Drawing on her own long history of engagement with the issue across multiple senior government roles, Beckles recalled her early work as Minister of Social Development and later Minister of Culture and Tourism in the Manning Cabinet, portfolios that put her at the center of shaping national cultural and community policy. She also highlighted her time as Minister of Planning and Development under Prime Minister Rowley, where she stood alongside Chief Bharath Hernandez at the Red House reburial and successfully advocated for IDB recognition of Trinidad and Tobago’s First Peoples at the bank’s Ottawa meeting, bringing their story to a global audience.

    Beckles confirmed that advancing Indigenous rights and recognition will be a core priority under her leadership, outlining five key policy commitments:

    First, her administration will advance permanent legal recognition of the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community and align all national policy with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Second, it will complete and fully fund the stalled First Peoples Heritage Village project in Arima, positioning it as a respected national heritage site rather than an abandoned initiative. Third, the government will establish a permanent, adequately resourced consultation protocol between the state and Indigenous communities for all decisions related to heritage, land management, and cultural policy. Fourth, it will embed accurate Indigenous history and cultural knowledge into the national education curriculum to ensure all Trinidadian students learn the true foundational story of their nation. Fifth, it will support the community’s regional and international advocacy efforts as a genuine equal national partner.

    Closing her statement, Beckles offered a firm pledge to Chief Bharath Hernandez, the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community, and all Indigenous descendants across Trinidad and Tobago: “Your rightful place at our nation’s foundation will be defended.”

  • Camille says sorry to UDeCOTT chairman

    Camille says sorry to UDeCOTT chairman

    A high-profile political controversy in Trinidad and Tobago took a swift turn this week, when opposition Member of Parliament Camille Robinson-Regis issued a public apology to Shankar Bidaisee, chair of the country’s Urban Development Corporation (UDeCOTT), over incorrect statements she made during a Thursday press briefing. The apology came on the heels of a public warning from Bidaisee that legal action would be launched if Robinson-Regis did not retract and apologize for her remarks linking him to two controversial housing development contracts, a threat that was first reported in the *Sunday Express*.

  • Call for probe into CCJ allegations

    Call for probe into CCJ allegations

    A prominent regional legal organization is sounding the alarm over unaddressed governance concerns at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), demanding that regional leaders launch an immediate, transparent investigation to prevent lasting damage to public trust in the court’s work.

    The call for action comes from Kiel Taklalsingh, chairman of the Assembly of Central Legal Practitioners (ACLP), after he reviewed leaked internal correspondence between CCJ judges that was first reported by the Sunday Express. According to Taklalsingh, the exchange contained troubling red flags that raise serious questions about how the regional court is managed and hints at inappropriate efforts to sway judicial rulings.

    In remarks outlining the organization’s position, Taklalsingh said the document left him with deep foreboding about the court’s internal operations. He argued the correspondence suggests the court could be at risk of authoritarian-style management, and pointed to what he described as possible improper interference with the independent decision-making of sitting judges.

    Specifically, Taklalsingh highlighted the targeting of Justice Jamadar, a Trinidad and Tobago judge widely respected across the legal community. He noted that anyone with experience practicing law in the jurisdiction knows Jamadar as a fiercely independent, intellectually rigorous jurist and a dedicated defender of the rule of law — making any allegations of interference with his work particularly alarming.

    These concerns cannot be brushed aside or left unaddressed, Taklalsingh emphasized. He is urging all Caribbean prime ministers and the Caribbean Community (Caricom), the regional governing body that oversees the CCJ, to move forward with a formal probe without delay.

    “Having seen and read what has been brought to light, I have no choice but to call upon Caribbean prime ministers and Caricom as a whole to launch an immediate investigation into these matters,” Taklalsingh said. He stressed that any probe must be conducted quickly, comprehensively, and openly to rebuild public trust in the institution, if that trust has already been shaken.

    Taklalsingh acknowledged that the CCJ has spent years building a strong reputation and earning the trust of Caribbean populations, with long-term goals of becoming the final appellate apex court for all regional territories. The current allegations, if left unresolved, threaten to erase all of that hard-won progress, he warned.

    If the issue is allowed to fester without a thorough public investigation, the consequences will stretch far beyond the immediate questions of court administration, he added. “If this problem is not dealt with thoroughly, if it is allowed to fester, unfortunately all of the hard work that the CCJ has done in the past will go to waste,” Taklalsingh said.

  • US deputy Secretary of State Landau in T&T

    US deputy Secretary of State Landau in T&T

    The second-highest ranking diplomat at the U.S. Department of State, Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau, touched down in Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday for an official working visit centered on deepening long-standing bilateral ties between the two nations. High on his meeting agenda are key collaborative areas: cross-border energy strategy, joint security initiatives, and expanded economic partnership.

    Upon his arrival at the port of entry, Landau was formally welcomed by Sean Sobers, Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs, alongside Philip Kern, the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires based in the country. Over the course of his two-day stop, Landau is scheduled to hold high-level talks with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. The two leaders are set to align on mutual energy and security objectives, as well as map out new pathways to grow mutually beneficial economic cooperation between Washington and Port of Spain.

    On the second day of his stay, Landau will also take part in a formal ribbon-cutting inauguration for Ibis Steel Company T&T Ltd, marking the opening of the new regional industrial operation.

    According to official statements from the U.S. State Department, Landau’s stop in Trinidad and Tobago is just one segment of a broader multi-country regional tour that will run through August 12. Following his engagements in the twin-island nation, the deputy secretary will travel onward to Guyana for the next leg of the trip.

    In Guyana, Landau is set to hold official meetings with President Irfaan Ali and senior members of the Guyanese cabinet. The discussions there will center on broadening bilateral economic collaboration, unlocking new cross-border investment opportunities, and ramping up joint work in high-priority strategic sectors, including energy development and critical mineral supply chains.

    The State Department emphasized in its release that the regional tour underscores the Biden administration’s sustained commitment to strengthening diplomatic and economic partnerships across the Western Hemisphere. The trip is structured to advance shared priorities for all participating nations, from bolstering regional security frameworks and strengthening global energy resilience to driving inclusive economic prosperity across the Caribbean and South American region.