Carib Scope

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  • Autopsy conducted on remains believed to be those of Jerbiah Paul

    Autopsy conducted on remains believed to be those of Jerbiah Paul

    An official post-mortem examination has been completed on unidentified human remains found in the Capuchin district of Dominica, as part of the ongoing criminal investigation into the disappearance and suspected killing of 17-year-old Jerbiah Paul.

    According to Fixton Henderson, the Acting Assistant Superintendent and official Police Public Relations Officer, the forensic autopsy was carried out by a certified forensic pathologist at the Government Mortuary located inside the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital.

    This forensic procedure represents a key step in the active police probe into Paul’s disappearance, which authorities are treating as a suspected homicide. Investigative teams are now waiting for the full official report from the examining pathologist, a document that is anticipated to deliver critical insights into the exact cause of death of the individual whose remains were recovered.

    To date, local law enforcement has not formally confirmed that the recovered remains belong to Jerbiah Paul. Henderson confirmed that to resolve the question of identity, DNA samples from the remains will be sent to an accredited forensic laboratory based outside of Dominica for detailed testing. The outcome of this testing will allow investigators to officially confirm whether the remains are those of the missing teenager.

    Paul was first reported missing to authorities on July 24, after she was last seen by family and acquaintances. The first set of human remains was discovered in the Capuchin region on August 12, carried out by search teams deployed specifically to locate the missing teenager.

    In a surprising development that has drawn widespread public attention, two serving police officers have already been formally charged in connection with the case. The first officer, 23-year-old Jean-Luc Langlais, was charged on August 13, while a second officer, Joshua Hamlet, was charged four days later on August 17.

    Both accused men have been placed on remand in police custody, and their next court appearance is scheduled for October 2, as the legal process moves forward alongside the ongoing forensic investigation.

  • 100% of Belize’s Ocean by 2030: What Does this New Ocean Alliance Mean?

    100% of Belize’s Ocean by 2030: What Does this New Ocean Alliance Mean?

    In a landmark step for global marine conservation, the Central American nation of Belize has formally committed to sustainably managing 100% of its jurisdictional ocean territory by 2030, joining an expanding global alliance that now protects nearly two-fifths of the world’s national waters.

    The government announced its official membership in the 100% Alliance for Sustainable Ocean Management during a formal announcement on August 21, 2026. Coordinated by the World Resources Institute, the alliance works to secure binding political commitments from coastal and maritime nations to advance comprehensive, science-based sustainable ocean governance across all their national waters.

    Belize’s entrance into the alliance does not represent an entirely new policy direction, but rather a formal consolidation of years of existing marine conservation work already underway in the country. These pre-existing efforts include the national Belize Sustainable Ocean Plan, the country’s Blue Bonds conservation financing commitments, and ongoing marine spatial planning initiatives that map out sustainable use of different ocean zones.

    To support Belize’s work under the new alliance framework, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has signed a formal cooperation agreement with the Belizean government to deliver targeted support for the country’s national ocean agenda. Under the terms of the agreement, IDB will provide specialized technical assistance to strengthen core foundational systems for Belize’s ocean conservation efforts, including policy development, marine data collection and analysis, governance structures, and sustainable financing frameworks. This support will directly advance the existing Sustainable Ocean Plan and enable the rollout of a broader, cross-sector National Oceans Programme.

    In an official statement following the announcement, Belize Prime Minister John Briceño emphasized that the alliance membership aligns with the country’s long-term priorities for both people and the environment. “Belize’s decision to join the 100% Alliance is about ensuring that every part of our ocean is managed with purpose, for our people, our economy, and future generations,” Briceño said. “It gives us an opportunity to bring our existing commitments and investments together under one national ocean vision, supported by strong science, clear planning, and sustainable financing.”

    The upcoming National Oceans Programme is designed to coordinate sustainable development and conservation priorities across key ocean-reliant sectors in Belize, including commercial and artisanal fisheries, coastal tourism, natural disaster and coastal erosion resilience, and marine pollution reduction. Beyond coordination, the programme will also position Belize to attract additional investment from public, private, and results-based financing sources to fund high-priority ocean conservation and sustainable development projects across the country.

    With Belize’s membership, the alliance now includes the 19 member states of the Ocean Panel, alongside fellow new entrants Colombia, Panama, and the Republic of Korea, bringing the total share of the world’s national waters covered by alliance commitments to 40 percent.

  • Mother and daughter arrested at port over suspected ammunition importation

    Mother and daughter arrested at port over suspected ammunition importation

    In a developing law enforcement operation in Dominica, two female suspects — an adult mother and her adult daughter, both residents of the Mahaut district — have been taken into custody at a local port. The arrests, which took place on Thursday, August 20, 2026, stem from allegations the pair were connected to an illegal plot to import ammunition into the island nation.

    Acting Assistant Superintendent Fixton Henderson, the Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the details of the detention in an official statement. According to Henderson, law enforcement officers suspect the two women were involved in bringing a shipment of 9mm ammunition, alongside two 9mm ammunition magazines, into the country through the port.

    As of the latest update, the investigation remains active and ongoing. Authorities have not yet released additional information about the specific circumstances that led to the discovery of the suspected contraband, nor have they made the identities of the two detained women public. Police have indicated that they will continue to pursue all leads in the case before announcing further updates.

  • Bus Drivers Call for Immediate Fare Increase After More Than 20 Years

    Bus Drivers Call for Immediate Fare Increase After More Than 20 Years

    Public transportation providers across Antigua and Barbuda are intensifying calls for comprehensive fare increases, arguing that skyrocketing costs for fuel, vehicle maintenance, insurance, and new buses have eroded profit margins to unsustainable levels.

    Glenn Miller, a former president of the Antigua and Barbuda Bus Association who currently runs the route connecting St. John’s to Jolly Harbour, outlined that operators are seeking a fare increase of between 50 and 75 Eastern Caribbean dollars cents on all service routes. Miller highlighted that the sticker price of new transit buses has surged dramatically over the past decade: a model that retailed for roughly $80,000 in 2014 now costs approximately $190,000. This steep jump in capital costs is paired with across-the-board increases in every other major operating expense, he added.

    According to Miller, negotiations over a necessary fare adjustment have dragged on for roughly two years with senior officials including Transport Board manager Hubert Jarvis and Tourism Minister Charles “Max” Fernandez, but no binding agreement has been finalized to date. Current fares sit between $2.25 and $3.75 per trip, and Miller explained that even a fully loaded bus only generates around $42 in revenue before deducting fuel and other mandatory operating costs.

    Drivers based at both the islands’ West and East bus terminals echoed this frustration, noting that base fares have remained largely stagnant for more than 20 years, even as costs for spare parts, insurance coverage, and routine maintenance have climbed steadily. Operators also pointed to the elimination of a temporary Covid-19 pandemic fuel subsidy as an extra financial strain that has pushed many small bus owners closer to breaking point.

    Beyond the fare debate, operators at the West Bus Station have raised separate, longstanding complaints about the poor condition of the terminal itself. The facility lacks adequate passenger shelter, functional bathroom amenities, and dedicated space for drivers to rest or perform basic cleaning on their vehicles. Operators are also demanding transparency around how the $5 daily entrance fee charged to each bus using the terminal is allocated and spent. Miller noted that around 140 buses pass through the West Bus Station every day, generating thousands of dollars in monthly fee revenue for authorities.

    Operators based at the East Bus Station added their own grievances, explaining that they have been forced to operate out of an unimproved open-air lot with no covered terminal structure to protect drivers, passengers, and vehicles from the elements.

    Across the industry, bus operators agree that a fare adjustment is no longer avoidable if public transit services are to remain viable in Antigua and Barbuda, as operating costs continue to outpace stagnant fare revenue. Multiple outlets attempted to contact Transport Board manager Hubert Jarvis for an official response to the operators’ demands, but no comment was obtained prior to publication.

  • Two seismic events reported near Punta Cana within hours

    Two seismic events reported near Punta Cana within hours

    Early on Saturday, August 22, two successive earthquakes were detected off the coast of the popular Dominican destination Punta Cana, according to initial readings from regional seismic monitoring networks.

    The first seismic event, registered at a magnitude of 3.7, struck at approximately 1:50 a.m. local time. Seismologists placed its epicenter around 84 kilometers northeast of Punta Cana, with the earthquake’s origin sitting roughly 71 kilometers below the Earth’s surface.

    Roughly half an hour later, a second, smaller tremor was recorded in the same general offshore area. This second quake measured magnitude 3.2, hitting at 2:22 a.m. It was centered approximately 93 kilometers directly east of Punta Cana, and originated at a much shallower depth of around 17 kilometers beneath the seabed.

    As of the latest updates from Dominican civil defense and emergency management authorities, there have been no immediate reports of structural damage to infrastructure or harm to local residents and visitors tied to either seismic event.

    Geographically, the Dominican Republic sits within a geologically active zone where the Caribbean and North American tectonic plates meet. The constant tectonic interaction between these two massive crustal plates creates regular seismic activity across the nation and its adjacent surrounding waters, making small to moderate tremors a common occurrence in the region.

  • New director of Intrant faces the challenge of reducing accidents on Punta Cana highways

    New director of Intrant faces the challenge of reducing accidents on Punta Cana highways

    The Dominican Republic has kicked off a wide-ranging effort to upgrade road safety across its top tourism hubs, with the newly launched National Plan for Tourist Road Signage, developed in partnership with RD-Vial, marking just the opening phase of a broader government strategy to strengthen the country’s position as a leading global tourist destination.

    David Collado, the nation’s Minister of Tourism, outlined the government’s priorities in recent remarks, noting that reducing preventable traffic incidents stands as one of the most urgent core challenges for Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the National Institute of Traffic and Land Transport (Intrant). Focused efforts are already prioritized for the high-traffic Bávaro-Punta Cana region, one of the country’s most popular coastal tourism draws, where the government is targeting sweeping reforms to cut fatalities.

    “On the Tourist Boulevard of the East, we must implement corrective measures to prevent the loss of any more lives — whether those are Dominican residents or international visitors,” Collado emphasized. “This is a shared mission that we all undertake alongside the President of the Republic. We are closely monitoring these issues and we will deliver tangible solutions.”

    Beyond improved signage, the government’s plan includes a full organizational restructuring of road access and routing across all of the country’s major tourism zones, including Las Terrenas, Samaná, Puerto Plata, and Bayahibe. The overarching goal is to build a far more structured, visitor-focused travel environment that extends safety protections beyond resort properties and into the public road network that connects tourist sites.

    Collado framed the road safety push as a critical component of the Dominican Republic’s long-term tourism vision, noting that competing regional destinations have faced unforeseen disruptions in recent years, creating a strategic opportunity for the DR to differentiate itself through superior infrastructure and safety management.

    With the Dominican tourism sector already posting strong, consistent growth in international visitor arrivals, Collado explained that the current policy focus is on laying durable foundational infrastructure to ensure decades of sustained expansion. “Our work is geared toward keeping the Dominican Republic a global tourism powerhouse and a world benchmark for excellence in the sector,” he added.

  • Tourists visiting the Dominican Republic will be able to receive roadside assistance in English through 511

    Tourists visiting the Dominican Republic will be able to receive roadside assistance in English through 511

    The Dominican Republic has rolled out a key update to its national road emergency system, introducing English-language support for international travelers through its dedicated 511 hotline. This new service is the product of a strategic partnership between RD-Vial Trust and the nation’s Ministry of Tourism (Mitur), designed to boost visitor safety and improve the overall travel experience for guests from English-speaking countries.

    Hostos Rizik, executive director of the RD-Vial Trust, shared details of the update in a recent statement, noting that tourism officials had flagged the gap in English-language support for foreign travelers. When Mitur raised the request for multilingual assistance, Rizik confirmed that no English service was previously available, and he immediately issued internal directives to roll out the new capability and enhance cross-agency support for visitors.

    Rizik emphasized that the addition of English support sends a clear signal to global travelers: the Dominican Republic now boasts one of the most robust road assistance frameworks in the Caribbean region. Beyond the updated 511 hotline, tourists already benefit from layered security support across the country, including dedicated tourist police units, the General Directorate of Traffic Safety and Land Transportation (Digesett), and the National Institute of Traffic (Intrant), all of which maintain regular patrols across high-traffic tourist areas.

    According to Rizik, incremental upgrades to the nation’s travel safety infrastructure play a critical role in supporting the long-term growth of the Dominican Republic’s key tourism sector, which drives a large share of the national economy.

    Established as the unified national contact point for road emergency reports across the Dominican Republic’s primary highway network, the 511 hotline was created to deliver faster, more coordinated emergency responses and improve overall roadside safety. It officially replaced the previous multi-digit contact number 829-688-1000 as the official hotline for the country’s Integrated Road Assistance Service, which is managed by the Military and Police Commission (Comipol).

    Through the 511 line, both local drivers and visiting travelers can request immediate support for a wide range of roadside incidents, including vehicle breakdowns, traffic collisions, and other hazardous situations across the national road network. The hotline aligns with the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), a system that the Dominican Republic participates in alongside major tourism source markets like the United States and Canada, making it easier for North American visitors to remember and access the emergency line during their trips.

  • El Niño drastically decreases the levels of dams in the country

    El Niño drastically decreases the levels of dams in the country

    SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — A strengthening El Niño phenomenon is pushing the Dominican Republic toward one of its most severe drought events in modern history, bringing widespread cuts to water production and raising urgent concerns about long-term water security across the country, according to updated forecasts from U.S. and local meteorological authorities.

    The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed in its August 13 update that there is a greater than 90% probability El Niño will continue to intensify through the coming months, reaching a peak of very high intensity. For the Caribbean region, this forecast translates to sharply elevated risks of sustained below-average rainfall and prolonged drought conditions that have already begun to upend normal water access for thousands of Dominican residents.

    Since May, the key river basins that feed the country’s major aqueduct systems — including the Higüey, Isa-Mana, Duey, Isabela and Nizao rivers that supply the critical Valdesia aqueduct — have recorded dramatic drops in rainfall. Data from the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet) shows precipitation has remained well below historical seasonal averages for three consecutive months: a 46% deficit in May, a 54.5% deficit in June, and a 45.3% deficit in July.

    These sustained dry conditions have gutted water production at the nation’s largest aqueduct networks, according to the Santo Domingo Aqueduct and Sewerage Corporation (CAASD). The Haina-Manoguayabo aqueduct, which is designed to output 90 million gallons of drinking water per day, was operating at just 21 million gallons daily as of mid-August, representing a 68% cut to total production. The Isabela aqueduct has seen a similar 65% reduction, falling from a normal 9 million gallons per day to just 3 million gallons daily. Both the Isa-Mana and Duey aqueducts have also endured production drops of more than 60% amid the ongoing dry spell.

    The hardest-hit areas are low-income and elevated neighborhoods that already faced chronic groundwater scarcity, including the municipalities of Los Alcarrizos and Pedro Brand, and the districts of Los Peralejos, Pantoja and Los Girasoles. Multiple residential communities across the National District, including Puerta de Hierro, all three phases of Cuesta Hermosa, and areas south of Kennedy Avenue such as El Cacique, El Portal and 30 de Mayo in the university zone, are also grappling with severe service interruptions. CAASD communications director Fidel Sánchez told local outlet Listín Diario that households at higher elevations in these affected sectors face the most acute difficulties accessing consistent water service.

    Looking ahead, Indomet’s seasonal projection for October through December predicts drought intensity could reach 69% — a level comparable to or exceeding the most severe dry events recorded in the country since 1950. Juana Sille, an Indomet meteorological specialist, noted that the country has a small buffer against the worst impacts: above-average rainfall in the first four months of 2025 left stored water reserves that have softened the blow of the mid-year rainfall deficit so far.

    While a single hurricane during the remaining Atlantic hurricane season could bring enough precipitation to reverse current drought trends, current forecasts do not point to sufficient storm activity to ease conditions. An updated early August forecast from Colorado State University (CSU) lead researcher Phil Klotzbach projects total Atlantic cyclone activity will remain well below historical averages, with just nine named storms, four hurricanes, and only one major hurricane of Category 3 strength or higher.

    As of mid-August, aggregated data from the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INDRHI) shows total national reservoir storage stands at 1.34 billion cubic meters of water, equal to 66.57% of total maximum capacity. Storage levels vary across the country’s major dams: the Monte Grande dam holds just 44.7% of its capacity, while Sabana Yegua and Sabaneta dams are at roughly 55% capacity. Larger dams including Hatillo and Monción hold between 80% and 88% of their maximum capacity, providing a partial buffer for the country’s long-term water needs amid the growing dry spell.

  • J.P. Morgan shows interest in expanding its investments in the Dominican Republic

    J.P. Morgan shows interest in expanding its investments in the Dominican Republic

    A high-stakes meeting between top Dominican Republic Central Bank leadership and a leading J.P. Morgan delegation has opened a new chapter for foreign direct investment in the Caribbean nation, as the U.S.-based financial giant confirms plans to scale up its local operations amid growing confidence in Dominican economic fundamentals.

    Central Bank Governor Héctor Valdez Albizu hosted the visiting J.P. Morgan team, which was led by Carlos Aspillaga, the firm’s executive director for the Latin American public sector. The gathering built on a multi-year correspondent banking relationship between the two institutions, and centered on J.P. Morgan’s assessment of the Dominican Republic’s growing appeal as a stable investment destination.

    After completing on-the-ground analyses and drawing on decades of regional market experience, J.P. Morgan representatives confirmed that the Dominican economy stands out as one of the most resilient in Latin America, anchored by solid and consistent macroeconomic foundations. The firm specifically highlighted the country’s strong first-half growth performance: June 2024 posted a 6.4% year-on-year expansion, pushing aggregate growth for the first six months of the year to 4.5%.

    Looking ahead, J.P. Morgan’s latest projections forecast that Dominican GDP will maintain an average annual growth rate of roughly 4.5% through 2026. On the inflation front, the firm also struck an optimistic tone: after July’s annual inflation came in below analyst expectations at 5.5%, J.P. Morgan forecasts that the cooling trend will continue, with annual inflation moderating to approximately 4.2% in coming quarters.

    “The reliability shown by these data reaffirms our intention to expand our business in the country,” J.P. Morgan’s delegation said in a statement following the meeting.

    Beyond their Dominican economic outlook, the J.P. Morgan executives shared a sober assessment of current global financial conditions, pointing to widespread uncertainty and market volatility driven by heightened geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran. They noted a growing disconnect between global fixed-income and equity markets, highlighted by the recent surge in yields on 30-year U.S. Treasury bonds, which hit their highest level since 2007. This shift, they explained, reflects investor expectations of widening U.S. fiscal deficits and stubbornly persistent inflation that could keep monetary policy tighter for longer.

    For his part, Governor Valdez Albizu echoed the delegation’s observations on global turbulence, while emphasizing the Dominican Republic’s ability to outperform peer economies amid ongoing headwinds. “We have shown remarkable resilience in this turbulent international panorama, marked by episodes of high geopolitical and financial volatility,” Valdez Albizu noted. He added that despite the challenging global environment, the Dominican Republic has managed to sustain steady growth momentum while preserving stability across all core macroeconomic indicators.

  • ECLAC forecasts economy to grow 4% GDP in 2026 and 4.4% in 2027

    ECLAC forecasts economy to grow 4% GDP in 2026 and 4.4% in 2027

    The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has released its 2026 Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean, which centers its analysis on growth, productivity, and the persistent challenge of high informality across the region, outlining key projections and trends for national economies. Among the findings, the Dominican Republic stands out as one of the region’s faster-growing economies, with a forecasted 4% expansion in 2026 and an acceleration to 4.4% growth by 2027.

    The Dominican Republic falls into a group of 15 regional economies projected to grow between 2% and 4% this year, alongside major and smaller economies including Colombia, Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador, Peru, and several Caribbean island nations. When compared to peer countries in 2026 growth projections, the Dominican Republic outpaces Mexico’s 1.3% forecast and El Salvador’s 3.9% growth estimate, but lands just behind Nicaragua’s projected 4.5% expansion and matches Panama’s 4.4% outlook.

    Looking across the broader region, the macroeconomic environment for 2026 and 2027 is expected to grow more challenging, ECLAC warns. Headwinds include slowing global economic momentum, elevated geopolitical tensions that ripple through trade and supply chains, heightened uncertainty in global financial markets, and intensified price and supply pressures on international energy markets.

    A core focus of this year’s survey is the link between economic growth and productivity across formal and informal sectors, measured by the Verdoorn coefficient, which quantifies how much growth drives productivity gains. Across the region, the coefficient registers at 0.59 for the formal sector and 0.41 for the informal sector, confirming that economic expansion delivers far stronger productivity improvements in formally registered activities, where workers and businesses operate within regulatory frameworks.

    For the Dominican Republic specifically, the informal sector’s Verdoorn coefficient of 0.41 lags behind peer economies such as Chile, which recorded a 0.52 coefficient, and Peru, which hit 0.55. This gap indicates that economic growth in the Dominican Republic has a far weaker impact on boosting productivity in informal activities than in many other regional economies.

    On a more positive note, the survey finds that informality rates are trending downward across much of the region. Of the 15 major economies tracked, 11 saw their informality rates decline in 2025. Chile and Costa Rica led the region with a 4.4% drop in informality, while the Dominican Republic and Brazil both recorded a solid 2.5% reduction. Region-wide, the median informality rate between 1993 and 2025 stands at 44.6%, down from 44.9% in 1993 to 42.1% in 2025, marking gradual progress toward broader formalization of economic activity.