Carib Scope

作者： admin

  • 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.

  • Rains and Indomet monitors three systems with cyclonic potential

    Rains and Indomet monitors three systems with cyclonic potential

    Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – August 22, 2026 – The Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet) has released a detailed daily weather forecast for the nation, outlining scattered rain events, thunderstorm activity, elevated temperature risks, and ongoing monitoring of potential tropical cyclone development across the Atlantic basin. According to the agency’s Saturday report, the day’s unstable weather conditions are driven by two key atmospheric factors: a slow-moving trough and daytime solar heating, which will combine to produce uneven precipitation across different regions of the country through the next 24 hours.

    Indomet’s forecast breaks down weather activity by time frame and geographic zone. In the morning hours, wind-driven cloud systems have already begun bringing isolated showers and thunderstorms to eastern and northern coastal towns including La Altagracia, La Romana, El Seibo, Higüey, and Samaná. After midday, the combined influence of the trough and increasing daytime heating will trigger greater cloud buildup, expanding the zone of active weather to the central, southern, and greater capital regions. San Pedro de Macorís, Monte Plata, San Cristóbal, La Vega, Monseñor Nouel, Azua, San Juan, Elías Piña, and all of Greater Santo Domingo can expect scattered heavy downpours, thunderstorms, and possible sudden wind gusts through the late afternoon, with activity tapering off as temperatures cool heading into the evening. Overnight and into early Sunday morning, scattered light to moderate showers are expected to persist across the country’s eastern and northeastern localities.

    Temperatures across the Dominican Republic will remain unusually high through the forecast period, with a heightened thermal sensation that poses mild health risks for vulnerable populations. To help residents stay safe, Indomet has issued a series of public health recommendations: maintain steady hydration by drinking water frequently, opt for light, loose-fitting, pale-colored clothing that reflects solar radiation, avoid prolonged unprotected exposure to direct sunlight, and prioritize staying in cool, well-ventilated spaces during the hottest parts of the day.

    In addition to land-based weather warnings, Indomet has released guidance for maritime activity along the country’s coastlines. On the Caribbean coast, specifically in waters south and southwest of Pedernales, abnormal wind and wave conditions have prompted the agency to urge operators of small, fragile, and medium-sized vessels to exercise extreme caution when operating near the shore and avoid venturing into open ocean. This precautionary advisory is expected to be lifted by late afternoon as weather conditions stabilize. All other sections of the Caribbean coast, as well as the entire Atlantic coast of the Dominican Republic, remain open to all navigation with no restrictions in place.

    Beyond the daily forecast, Indomet is currently monitoring multiple areas of potential tropical cyclone development across the Atlantic Ocean as part of its regular hurricane season monitoring program. The agency reports that a tropical wave is projected to emerge off the western coast of Africa early next week. Conditions are expected to be favorable for gradual organization after the system moves offshore, with current models indicating a 20% probability that the system will strengthen to tropical cyclone status within the next seven days. While the system remains hundreds of miles from the Dominican Republic at this stage, Indomet has emphasized that continuous monitoring of its track and intensification is critical for public safety planning.

    Indomet is also tracking two other disorganized weather systems across the eastern Atlantic, both of which carry very low odds of tropical cyclone development in the next 48 hours. The first system, located northeast of the Azores, has a 20% chance of organization, while the second, positioned east-southeast of Bermuda, has just a 10% probability of strengthening into a cyclone. The agency confirmed that neither of these systems poses any current threat to the Dominican Republic or its surrounding waters.

    To ensure the public has access to the most up-to-date weather information, Indomet is urging all residents to check for regular updates through its official web portal at www.indomet.gob.do, as well as its official social media channels @indometrd.

  • How has the Dominican Republic managed to be the last country to reach zero hunger?

    How has the Dominican Republic managed to be the last country to reach zero hunger?

    Against a backdrop of persistent economic and social challenges across Latin America and the Caribbean, a landmark new United Nations report has delivered a rare positive milestone: the region has recorded a fifth straight annual drop in hunger levels, with the Dominican Republic becoming the sixth nation in the area to reach the official “zero hunger” threshold.

    Released in late July 2026 by multiple UN agencies, *The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026* documents that over the past five years alone, the share of the Latin American population facing chronic hunger has fallen by 4.8 percentage points. As of the report’s data cutoff, just over 30 million people across the region still live with undernourishment – a significant decline from years prior. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defines hunger, or chronic undernourishment, as a condition of insufficient calorie intake lasting at least one year, measured via the Prevalence of Undernourishment (PoU) indicator. Under FAO standards, a country qualifies for zero hunger when less than 2.5% of its population lives with chronic undernourishment.

    Six countries in Latin America have now crossed this threshold, starting with Uruguay, which reached the mark in 2005, followed by Brazil in 2012, Costa Rica in 2013, Chile and Guyana both in 2021, and most recently the Dominican Republic in 2026. Brazil’s trajectory offers a key case study: the large nation first hit zero hunger more than a decade ago, saw undernourishment tick back up during the COVID-19 pandemic, and regained its zero hunger status in 2025. Its long-running integrated policies have become a regional model replicated by other nations working to end hunger.

    FAO Chief Economist Máximo Torero told BBC Mundo that the policies of the six zero-hunger nations share a clear, replicable pattern. “Hunger decreases when agricultural, economic and social policies reinforce each other,” Torero explained. The core of successful strategy, experts agree, does not rely on untested, innovative frameworks. Instead, it hinges on consistent, long-term government commitment that combines targeted social protection for vulnerable groups with investments in sustainable agricultural production.

    While the 2026 report highlights major progress, significant gaps remain across the region. Argentina currently comes closest to joining the zero hunger group with a 2.8% undernourishment rate, followed by Mexico at 3.1%. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Bolivia has the region’s highest hunger rate, with nearly 20% of its population facing chronic undernourishment. No recent official data was available for Nicaragua and Cuba for this report.

    The Dominican Republic stands out as the most improved nation in the region, cutting its hunger rate from 21% of the population in 2004 to zero over just two decades. The journey to this milestone was a decades-long cross-administration effort, built after the country’s devastating 2003 banking collapse that sent inflation soaring and pushed unemployment to record highs. Following a 2004 macroeconomic stabilization program implemented with the International Monetary Fund, the Dominican economy entered a prolonged period of growth, driven by expanded tourism, construction, free-trade zones, and rising remittance flows. Two successive ruling parties – the Dominican Liberation Party, which governed from 2004 to 2020, and the Modern Revolutionary Party, which has held power since 2020 – sustained and expanded anti-hunger policies through changing political cycles.

    The story of small-scale agricultural entrepreneur Dioris Rijo, a 50-year-old farmer from the eastern province of La Altagracia, illustrates how these policies have transformed lives on the ground. Two decades ago, Rijo and her young family faced hunger after the 2003 economic collapse. She left farming to work in hotels near Punta Cana, only to lose her job when the pandemic shut down tourism in 2020. Returning to her family’s land, Rijo received state support to launch a community agricultural business, where she and her neighbors grow leafy greens and raise tilapia for local sale. “Here I am earning my living, and I don’t have to go to work far away,” Rijo told BBC Mundo. “Even if I go little by little, the little is mine.”

    Not all experts agree that the zero hunger designation fully reflects on-the-ground reality. Dominican economist Maribel Suero Castillo, secretary of Technical Affairs at the Dominican College of Economists, notes that the FAO’s PoU indicator measures national average calorie availability rather than actual income distribution or equitable access to food, meaning the aggregate figure can mask persistent hardship for vulnerable groups. Currently, 41% of the Dominican population still faces moderate or severe food insecurity, a condition defined by inconsistent access to sufficient, nutritious food – a far more challenging goal to address than meeting minimum calorie requirements.

    To reach its zero hunger milestone, the Dominican Republic rolled out a multi-pronged long-term strategy that combined economic growth with targeted social investment. Key programs include the expanded School Feeding Program, which provides breakfast, lunch, and snacks to all public school students with extended school days; a national Food Program that serves 14% of the population via targeted electronic benefit cards for low-income households; a subsidized cooking gas program; free community dining halls in high-poverty areas; and widespread agricultural incentives including low-interest financing for smallholder farmers, production technification, land titling support, and government purchasing from local producers.

    Manuel Robles, director of the Dominican government’s Technical Secretariat for Food and Nutritional Sovereignty and Security, called the achievement a cumulative, cross-generational effort, noting that zero hunger arrived earlier than official projections. “Without the economic growth that the country has experienced in its recent history, this goal would not have been possible,” Robles said, adding that the progress also required consistent political will to allocate fiscal resources to anti-hunger programs. Even as the region celebrates this major milestone, experts emphasize that the work to end all forms of food insecurity is far from over, with the successful model of integrated, long-term policy now available for other nations to adapt.

  • US delegation meets IICA leadership to discuss food security and agricultural cooperation

    US delegation meets IICA leadership to discuss food security and agricultural cooperation

    A high-ranking delegation from the United States government has convened strategic discussions with leadership of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) at the institution’s headquarters, marking a key milestone in efforts to consolidate IICA’s mandate as the primary agricultural agency for the Americas. The talks, held against a backdrop of growing global and regional challenges to agricultural stability, covered a broad range of shared priorities spanning food security, nutritional access, emergency disaster response, agricultural trade facilitation, transboundary animal and plant disease control, and coordinated action between regional and global agricultural bodies.

    The U.S. delegation brought together senior diplomatic and policy leaders across relevant portfolios, including Lynda C. Blanchard, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations food and agricultural agencies based in Rome; Melinda Hildebrand, U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica, where IICA is headquartered; Laken Rapier, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State; and Kumar Lakhavani, the State Department’s Regional Advisor for Disasters and Humanitarian Affairs. IICA Director General Muhammad Ibrahim, who currently leads a sweeping package of institutional reforms across the organization, led the IICA negotiating team.

    Since taking office, Ibrahim has prioritized reforms designed to streamline IICA’s operations, eliminate redundant programming across its 34 Member States, and position the institute as a more agile, responsive technical partner aligned with regional priorities. A core focus of these reforms has been advancing collective progress on food security and expanded agricultural trade across the Western Hemisphere.

    During the talks, Ambassador Blanchard called for enhanced coordination between IICA and the three Rome-based United Nations food agencies: the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the World Food Programme (WFP). “To unlock greater trade opportunities and safeguard our food supply, the Americas and the Caribbean must unite around agricultural policies grounded in sound science,” Blanchard stated. She highlighted agricultural biotechnology, alignment with international food safety and health standards, and strengthened cross-border plant and animal health protections as high-priority areas for deepened collaboration.

    Ambassador Hildebrand underscored the deep, decades-long partnership between the United States and IICA, noting that the U.S. remains the institution’s largest financial contributor. She emphasized that the ongoing collaboration has delivered tangible benefits, including direct support for smallholder and commercial farmers, investment in rural community development, and more resilient regional agricultural supply chains. Hildebrand identified two pressing transboundary health threats facing the region—New World Screwworm and African Swine Fever—and said the U.S. is committed to continued joint work with IICA to address these risks.

    Deputy Assistant Secretary Rapier added that the U.S. views IICA as a critical strategic partner for advancing American agricultural interests and reducing unnecessary regulatory barriers that hinder cross-border trade. She outlined that future cooperation will center on three core goals: eliminating fragmented regulatory barriers across the region, championing American agricultural innovation, and advancing science-backed policy frameworks to strengthen regional food security.

    Kumar Lakhavani echoed the focus on joint action to address food and nutrition challenges, emphasizing the urgent need for coordinated prevention and control measures for transboundary pests including New World Screwworm.

    In his remarks following the talks, Director General Ibrahim reaffirmed that the high-level visit reinforces IICA’s position as the leading agricultural agency for the Americas, committed to serving all 34 Member States efficiently without procedural delays or redundant programming. He noted that the ongoing institutional reforms are aimed at making the institute’s work “faster, more focused, and more accountable” to regional stakeholders. Ibrahim also echoed Blanchard’s call for strengthened collaboration with the FAO, WFP and IFAD to tailor global agricultural action to the unique needs of the Western Hemisphere.

    The U.S.-IICA partnership has deep historical roots, stretching back to IICA’s founding in 1942. The institution was established under the vision of then-U.S. Vice President Henry A. Wallace, and the United States was one of its original Member States. More than eight decades later, the partnership continues to center on advancing inclusive agricultural development, widespread food security, and sustained economic growth across every corner of the Americas.

  • DAA opens applications for 2026 Athletic Legacy Scholarship

    DAA opens applications for 2026 Athletic Legacy Scholarship

    Young Dominican student-athletes balancing academic pursuits and athletic training now have new financial support to help them thrive, as the Dominica Athletics Association Inc. (DAA) has officially opened applications for its 2026 Athletic Legacy Scholarship. Launched last year as a core community initiative of the association, the program is designed to remove financial barriers that often prevent promising young athletes from advancing both in their studies and their sporting careers.

    Unlike many general academic scholarships, this initiative is tailored specifically to emerging athletic talent. The need-based award provides one-time funding of EC$1,000, which can be put toward a range of core educational expenses, from tuition fees and textbooks to school uniforms and required classroom supplies. Since its founding in 2025, the scholarship program has aligned with the DAA’s broader mission to nurture well-rounded young people who excel both in the classroom and on the track, field, and other competitive sporting venues.

    To be eligible for the 2026 award, applicants must meet several clear criteria set by the DAA. First, candidates must hold citizenship of the Commonwealth of Dominica, and be confirmed as enrolled students at a government-recognized secondary school across the country for the 2026–2027 academic year. Additionally, applicants must prove their active commitment to competitive athletics by having participated in no fewer than three official athletic competitions during the 2025–2026 athletic season, and must demonstrate verifiable financial need that would otherwise hinder their ability to cover educational costs.

    The DAA has structured the application process to be accessible for students across the island, offering two convenient submission pathways. Digital-native applicants can complete and send their applications entirely online via the DAA’s official Facebook Page or Instagram account, making the process fast and remote for those with access to social media. For students who prefer or require physical forms, applications can be collected and returned in-person at the Dominica Olympic Committee (DOC) Office located in Bath Estate. The office accepts forms during standard business hours, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

    All eligible candidates must note the strict application deadline: all submissions must be received no later than Friday, September 4, 2026. In a public statement, the DAA urged all qualifying student-athletes to take advantage of this targeted opportunity to invest in their dual goals of academic advancement and athletic development. For applicants who have questions about eligibility, the form, or the submission process, the DAA can be reached directly via email at [email protected], or through telephone and WhatsApp at 767-285-3206.

  • ‘Women of Dominica’ film set for first public screening in Miami

    ‘Women of Dominica’ film set for first public screening in Miami

    Six years in the making, first-time documentary filmmaker Farrah La Ronde-Hutchison’s deeply personal project *Women of Dominica* is set to make its world public premiere at the 2026 Urban Film Festival in Miami, Florida, this September.

    Rooted in intergenerational connection and cultural celebration, the documentary centers on 10 Dominican women spanning multiple age groups. Each participant opens up about their personal journeys, unpacking nuanced conversations around what it means to be a woman, Caribbean cultural identity, the power of mentorship, the bonds of sisterhood, and the vital cultural wisdom that passes from older generations to younger ones.

    The idea for the project grew directly out of La Ronde-Hutchison’s own family story. Her own mother, a lifelong cultural steward who has dedicated decades to preserving Dominica’s traditional garment craft, was honored with the island’s prestigious Golden Drum Award in 2019 for her contributions to cultural heritage. On the other side of the generational divide, La Ronde-Hutchison’s daughter is growing up in the United States, navigating and building her own relationship to her Dominican roots.

    “My mother and my daughter were the core inspiration for this film,” La Ronde-Hutchison shared in a statement about the project. “All through my life, women have been my pillars, my support system, and my teachers. I wanted to honor that legacy and pay tribute to those bonds on screen.”

    Beyond its personal origins, the documentary took six years of careful development to complete, with each of the 10 featured women collaborating closely with the filmmaker to verify cultural details and source original archival and personal materials for the production. One of the documentary’s key thematic insights is its framing of mentorship as a reciprocal, two-way exchange: while older women pass down hard-won wisdom, La Ronde-Hutchison emphasizes that younger generations equally have critical, valuable perspectives to share with their elders.

    The Caribbean island nation of Dominica itself acts as a central character in the film, with its lush, iconic landscapes, vibrant Creole cultural traditions, handcrafted traditional clothing, local cuisine, and native music woven throughout each woman’s story. The documentary also turns a thoughtful lens on the remarkable resilience of Dominican women and local communities in the wake of repeated devastating natural disasters that have impacted the island in recent decades.

    La Ronde-Hutchison is far more than a storyteller: a trained environmental scientist, educator, and cultural advocate with over 10 years of hands-on experience working in coastal restoration and sustainability policy, she also founded the Wild Dominica Conservancy, a U.S.-based non-profit organization dedicated to advancing environmental conservation efforts on the island.

    Selected as an official entry for the 2026 Urban Film Festival, *Women of Dominica* will hold its first public screening on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at 3:05 p.m. in Theater 14 of Silverspot Cinema, located in downtown Miami. General registration to attend the festival is free for all audiences.

  • Police Seize 22 Pounds of Cannabis Worth EC$132,000 at V.C. Bird International Airport

    Police Seize 22 Pounds of Cannabis Worth EC$132,000 at V.C. Bird International Airport

    Law enforcement teams in Antigua and Barbuda have successfully intercepted a large shipment of cannabis at the country’s primary air gateway, marking a major win for regional drug interdiction efforts.

    In a formal media statement released Friday, 21 August 2026, the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda’s Office of Strategic Communications confirmed that the seizure was carried out during a collaborative operation between the Police Narcotics Department and the national Customs Enforcement Unit. The bust unfolded around 3:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, 20 August, when officers targeted cargo held at the V.C. Bird International Airport’s on-site cargo shed, where incoming and outgoing freight is processed and inspected.

    Following the initial interception of suspicious packages, the contraband was moved securely to Police Headquarters in St. John’s for formal processing and weighing. Officials confirmed that the seized cannabis totals approximately 22 pounds, with an estimated street value of 132,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars.

    As of the latest update, no arrests have been announced in connection with the shipment. Law enforcement officials note that the investigation into the origin of the cannabis, its intended recipient, and any potential associated criminal networks remains active and ongoing.

    The seizure highlights the continued focus of Antigua and Barbuda’s security agencies on cracking down on illicit drug trafficking through the country’s main ports of entry, a priority that protects local communities from the harms of illegal drug trade and supports regional security cooperation.

  • Jannou Credit Union awards scholarships and bursaries to 20 students

    Jannou Credit Union awards scholarships and bursaries to 20 students

    On August 11, 2026, member-owned financial cooperative Jannou Credit Union gathered at its Castries headquarters to mark a major milestone: 46 years of advancing educational access for its community through the iconic CPEA Scholarship and Bursary Programme. Held under the unifying theme “We Excel Together”, this year’s ceremony celebrated 20 outstanding student recipients while reaffirming the cooperative’s decades-long commitment to putting people and community growth above all else.

    For nearly half a century, Jannou Credit Union has centered its mission on investing in its most valuable asset: the members it serves. Unlike traditional financial institutions, this member-governed cooperative was built on the core principle that collective progress outpaces individual achievement, a philosophy woven into every aspect of its long-running education initiative. The programme does not reward academic excellence alone; selected students must also demonstrate a deep alignment with cooperative values, from active community engagement to shared investment in the Jannou network.

    This year’s “We Excel Together” theme is not just a slogan — it is reflected in the everyday participation of recipient students and their families across the credit union’s ecosystem. Many student awardees hold Jannou’s Spirit of the Calabash (SOCA) savings accounts, regularly use the cooperative’s products and services, attend annual general meetings, take part in community-wide events, and volunteer their time for local initiatives. These experiences embody the four foundational cooperative values that guide the programme: active participation, collective ownership, community service, and mutual connection.

    Participation sits at the core of Jannou’s identity as a cooperative. The organization grows stronger not when members only use its services, but when they contribute, volunteer, learn, support one another, and take shared ownership of the cooperative community. This ethos extends to the principle of “Concern for Community”, a core cooperative tenet that drives Jannou’s commitment to youth development and educational access. As a financial cooperative, the institution’s long-term success is inherently tied to the success of its members and the broader Saint Lucian communities it serves, making investment in education a natural extension of its core mission.

    Over 46 years, the programme’s success has been rooted in the collective contribution of Jannou’s entire membership. The shared strength and contributions of thousands of members allow the credit union to deliver educational opportunities that extend far beyond traditional financial services. For Jannou, the Scholarship and Bursary Programme is a living example of what collective action can achieve when a community unites around the core cooperative mission of “people helping people” — the defining difference that sets member-owned cooperatives apart from other financial institutions.

    This year’s cycle awarded 12 competitive scholarships to students across secondary institutions in Saint Lucia: Brielle Hosanna Myers and Lalibela Zola James of St Joseph’s Convent; Liam Patrick Jan Freeman, Daveril Albert, Caleb C. G. Antoinе, Jahdai Adams, Tehj Day Weekes, Tristian Seth Khadoo, and Ashvini Meena of St Mary’s College; Esther V. Phillip of Beanfield Comprehensive Secondary School; Sernil Edison John of Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School; and Elijah Desir of Choiseul Secondary School, who received the program’s staff-funded scholarship. An additional eight students received need-based bursaries to ease financial burdens for families ahead of the new academic year: Caleb Dray Marshall and Aizen Lionel of St Mary’s College; Alena William of Saint Lucia Seventh-day Adventist Academy; Seth Clairmont of Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School; Shae Vitalis of Castries Comprehensive Secondary School; Romel Jameson of Corinth Secondary School; Kaniah J. J. Duncan of Babonneau Secondary School; and Zoey S. Edgar of Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School.

    For Jannou Credit Union, these 20 students represent far more than award recipients: they are the cooperative’s future members, leaders, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, volunteers, and community builders. The institution prioritizes building meaningful connections with young people from early in their academic careers to lay the groundwork for a future generation of cooperative members who understand the value of collective action and the importance of giving back to their communities.

    Jannou’s investment through the programme serves a dual purpose: it advances educational access for current students and strengthens the long-term future of the cooperative itself. By supporting students who excel academically and contribute positively to their communities, the credit union is cultivating a generation that understands success is never achieved in isolation. True progress grows from support from family, connection to community, active collective participation, and shared cooperation — the very idea at the heart of this year’s “We Excel Together” theme.

    Looking ahead, Jannou Credit Union has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to investing in members and creating pathways for all community members to thrive. The institution emphasizes that its responsibility extends far beyond offering financial products and services; it also requires fostering a deep sense of belonging, collective ownership, and community connection. The 46th iteration of the CPEA Scholarship and Bursary Programme stands as a clear testament to that enduring commitment. In closing, Jannou Credit Union extended congratulations to all 2026 scholarship and bursary recipients and their families, urging students to embrace the opportunity, pursue their goals with purpose, and remember that their own success can serve as inspiration to lift up other members of their community.