Carib Scope

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  • Motie stars as Tridents book playoff spot

    Motie stars as Tridents book playoff spot

    The Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League delivered one of its most thrilling matches of the 2024 season on Saturday night, as an all-round masterclass from Gudakesh Motie carried the Barbados Tridents to a dramatic last-ball victory over the Jamaica Kingsmen at Kensington Oval. The win secured the Tridents’ spot in the tournament playoffs with one regular-season match still remaining, capping a nail-biting contest that had the home crowd on their feet from the first delivery to the final hit.

    When Tridents captain Chris Green won the toss and elected to bowl first, the Jamaica Kingsmen got off to a promising start, reaching 50 for the loss of just one wicket by the end of the mandatory powerplay. But the Tridents’ bowling attack turned the tide in the middle overs, dragging the Kingsmen into a steep collapse. By the middle of the 16th over, Jamaica had slumped to 112 for six, with Motie leading the charge with key breakthroughs.

    The left-arm spinner claimed the wickets of Jamaica’s top batter Maaz Sadaqat, who had smashed 47 runs off 34 deliveries, and Usman Khan for 18, finishing his incredible three-over spell with figures of two wickets for just seven runs. Pacer Jakeem Pollard continued his strong run of form, picking up three wickets for 38 runs, while all-rounder Daniel Sams chipped in with two wickets for 41 runs. The combined bowling effort restricted the Kingsmen to a total of 150 for nine at the end of their 20 overs, a target that seemed gettable but far from comfortable for the home side.

    The Tridents’ run chase got off to a rocky start, extending the team’s pattern of inconsistent batting through the group stage. By the end of the powerplay, Barbados was reeling at 36 for three, with early losses to Zachary Carter (3), Brandon King (18) and Rivaldo Clarke (1). More wickets fell quickly: Quinton de Kock departed for 14, and Sherfane Rutherford was run out for five, leaving the Tridents at 76 for five in the 14th over and the outcome looking increasingly likely to go Jamaica’s way.

    Shadrack Descarte held the crumbling innings together with a polished 56 runs off 42 deliveries, hitting six fours and two sixes to keep the Tridents in the hunt. But when he fell with the total at 107 for six at the start of the 17th over, Barbados was still left in a precarious position. Daniel Sams added five runs, and captain Chris Green struck a quick 17 off 12 balls, but Green’s dismissal on the fifth ball of the penultimate over left the home side with a mountain to climb: 17 runs needed from the final six deliveries to secure the win that would seal their playoff spot.

    That set the stage for Motie, who was already at the crease unbeaten on six, to produce one of the most memorable finishes in Caribbean Premier League history. The Kingsmen assigned fast bowler Odean Smith to bowl the decisive final over, and Motie took control from the first ball, hammering it for a boundary through the off side. A rattled Smith conceded consecutive wides before Motie launched the second legal delivery over the long off boundary for a massive six.

    A leg bye off the third ball, a pair of runs from batting partner A.M. Ghazanfar, and a single from Ghazanfar off the penultimate delivery of the match leveled the scores, leaving just one run required off the final ball to win. With the capacity crowd at Kensington Oval rising to their feet and chanting Motie’s name as Smith prepared to deliver, the all-rounder pulled a short ball over the midwicket boundary to seal the win. Motie finished the innings unbeaten on 17 runs off just eight deliveries, completing a performance for the highlight reels with match-winning contributions in both disciplines.

    After the match, an visibly relieved Tridents skipper Green praised his star player, after the side locked in their playoff berth ahead of their final group stage match against the Guyana Amazon Warriors on Sunday. “We’ve obviously got a lot of depth all the way down to Motie, and look, what a game he had! The way he stepped up with the bat and finished the game off, I’m immensely proud. To get us over the line and qualify was an amazing effort from a key player to this side.”

  • Soufriere has a new mayor

    Soufriere has a new mayor

    Located on the tropical island of Saint Lucia, the coastal town of Soufriere has long held the reputation as the country’s top tourism destination, drawing visitors from across the globe to its iconic volcanic landscapes, lush rainforests, and world-class luxury resorts. Now, this popular hub is entering a new two-year governance period with a fresh leadership team at the helm of its local Constituency Council.

    At a formal swearing-in ceremony held for the Soufriere/Fond St Jacques Constituency Council, Yasha Troubetzkoy — currently serving as chief executive officer of the high-end Jade Mountain resort — officially took office as the new mayor of the district. Troubetzkoy was not alone in taking his oath of office: a full slate of newly appointed councillors joined him, marking the completion of the leadership transition that will set the direction for local governance through the next two years.

    The ceremony carried notable political weight, drawing attendance from key regional and national officials. Among the guests were Emma Hippolyte, the sitting Parliamentary Representative for the Soufriere/Fond St Jacques constituency, and Stephenson King, who currently serves as Saint Lucia’s acting Minister for Local Government. Their presence underscores the importance of the new leadership appointment for both the local community and national governance priorities, particularly given Soufriere’s outsize role in driving Saint Lucia’s tourism-reliant economy.

  • $10 million in emergency aid for Haiti from the United Arab Emirates

    $10 million in emergency aid for Haiti from the United Arab Emirates

    Amid Haiti’s rapidly deteriorating humanitarian catastrophe, the United Arab Emirates has stepped forward with a $10 million emergency aid pledge to support vulnerable populations affected by the country’s spiraling violence and collapsing essential services. The funding and support package was authorized on the direct orders of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, marking one of the largest bilateral humanitarian contributions to Haiti from the Gulf region in recent years. The United Arab Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), the country’s leading humanitarian disaster response agency, will lead the distribution of aid across the most hard-hit regions of the Caribbean nation. The assistance package will cover a broad range of life-saving needs, including staple food supplies, emergency shelter materials, critical pharmaceutical products, medical equipment, and targeted investment to restore water access, sanitation infrastructure, and public hygiene services. The initiative is structured in sequential phases, with the first round of operations prioritizing the most urgent survival needs: food, emergency housing, primary healthcare, and clean water access. Internally displaced persons and other marginalized, at-risk groups – including children, elderly people, and communities cut off from basic services – will receive top priority in aid allocation. To ensure efficient and transparent delivery, the ERC is coordinating closely with UAE diplomatic missions based in the region, leading international humanitarian organizations, and local Haitian partner groups. These collaborative partnerships are designed to cut through logistical barriers and reach communities that have been most severely impacted by the ongoing crisis. Haiti’s situation has reached alarming levels in recent months, driven by rapidly escalating gang violence, widespread insecurity, and the near-total breakdown of core public services. Citing the latest aggregated international humanitarian data, the ERC reports that more than 1.5 million Haitians have been forced from their homes, with children accounting for nearly half of all displaced people. Millions more across the country face acute food insecurity, and more than half of Haiti’s total population currently requires some form of emergency humanitarian assistance, according to recent UN estimates. This new contribution from the UAE comes as international aid organizations warn that existing funding for Haiti’s response is drastically insufficient to meet growing needs, making new pledges critical to preventing a further escalation of preventable death and suffering.

  • WTCG’s major global trade confab to examine trade implications of Artificial Intelligence

    WTCG’s major global trade confab to examine trade implications of Artificial Intelligence

    Georgetown’s World Trade Centre (WTCG) has announced that its upcoming annual International Trade and Investment Conference, scheduled for October 19 to 23 in Guyana, will dedicate a flagship session to examining how artificial intelligence reshapes competitiveness and growth for small, open developing economies. The announcement was made publicly by WTCG on Saturday, following preliminary stakeholder discussions held earlier this month.

    The special session, titled “AI, Trade and the Future Competitiveness of Small Economies,” is designed to cut through widespread industry hype surrounding generative and advanced AI, and deliver practical, context-specific analysis for local and regional stakeholders. Unlike broad global AI dialogues that often overlook the unique needs of small developing nations, the session will directly explore what AI adoption means for on-the-ground actors across Guyana and the wider Caribbean: from small-scale export producers and domestic manufacturers to family-owned agricultural operations, regional financial institutions and cross-border logistics providers.

    Ahead of the main conference, WTCG organized a closed-door informal roundtable to map out key risks and opportunities for CARICOM member states, including Guyana, which is currently experiencing one of the fastest economic growth rates in the Western Hemisphere. Attendees reached a clear consensus: while the risks posed by unregulated AI are tangible, small developing economies cannot afford to slow or resist AI integration. Instead, they argue that countries like Guyana should accelerate responsible AI adoption, while simultaneously investing in critical safeguards: robust cybersecurity infrastructure, risk management frameworks, and institutional capacity to govern emerging AI tools.

    WTCG Executive Director Wesley Kirton, who is currently preparing to represent the organization at the Food and Beverage Show of Americas opening Monday at Miami Beach Convention Center, outlined three core risk categories identified during the roundtable discussion. These include immediate malicious misuse of AI tools by bad actors, widespread structural economic disruption that could displace existing labor and industries, and the long-term risk of losing human oversight over highly advanced autonomous AI systems. Citing the 2026 Global AI Safety Report, which highlights the growing emergence of fully autonomous AI agents that can operate without any human input, roundtable participants acknowledged that these risks cannot be ignored.

    Despite these concerns, the majority of attendees agreed that AI offers transformative cost-saving benefits that can help small economies overcome longstanding structural disadvantages in global trade. For example, AI tools can dramatically streamline routine trade processes from market research and competitor analysis to tariff calculation, export documentation preparation and consumer demand forecasting. These efficiency gains cut overhead costs for small and medium-sized enterprises that often lack the resources of large multinational corporations, leveling the playing field for small producers looking to access global markets.

    Following the roundtable, a dedicated working group has been convened to develop a comprehensive policy paper, titled “AI and the Future of Guyana and CARICOM: Threat, Opportunity or Both?”, which will be presented as a foundational discussion document at October’s main conference. Kirton emphasized that Guyana’s ongoing rapid economic transformation creates a unique window of opportunity to embed AI into growing sectors, allowing the country to leapfrog traditional development barriers that have held back many small developing economies for decades.

  • LETTER: I still think we made the right decision!

    LETTER: I still think we made the right decision!

    A concerned citizen has issued a stark warning to Antigua and Barbuda’s main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP): immediate, comprehensive internal restructuring is non-negotiable, or the party will consign incumbent Prime Minister Gaston Browne to at least two more terms in office.

    In an open letter to the editor, the writer questions the strategic direction of the UPP following its recent general election performance, pointing out a critical misstep in the party’s post-poll approach. Many political observers and grassroots stakeholders expected the UPP to launch immediate organizational overhauls the moment election results were finalized, but the party has yet to demonstrate the urgent action the writer says is required.

    At the heart of the citizen’s critique is the need for a robust, unified leadership team that can earn back public trust. The letter argues that election victories are not built in the final months before voting begins; instead, long-term groundwork — laid through consistent, strong leadership, streamlined internal organization, vetted credible candidates, and a clear policy platform that offers a tangible alternative to the incumbent government — is the only foundation for electoral success.

    Reflecting on the most recent general election, the writer notes that the Pringle-led UPP entered the race visibly unprepared to assume national governance, a weakness that was clearly reflected in the final poll results. The citizen contends that the electorate made the correct call in that contest, given the opposition’s lack of readiness.

    Moving forward, the warning remains clear: unless the UPP openly confronts its organizational and leadership shortcomings and implements substantive, meaningful changes, voters will once again draw the same conclusion. Even with widespread frustrations over Browne’s administration, the electorate will not back an opposition that fails to prove it is a credible alternative capable of leading the country.

    The UPP now faces a defining choice: commit to the hard work of restructuring to position itself as a serious contender for government, or accept its current role as a permanent opposition bloc content to stay out of power.

  • FLASH Election : Submission of documents and formalities regarding declarations of candidacy

    FLASH Election : Submission of documents and formalities regarding declarations of candidacy

    Haiti’s electoral preparations have entered a critical new phase, with the country’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) officially opening the window for candidates to complete their candidacy declarations for the upcoming 2026 general elections. In an official memorandum released on September 12, the CEP outlined a clear 10-day timeline for all documentation submission and procedural requirements, running from September 13 through September 22, 2026.

    To streamline the filing process and align with Haiti’s administrative electoral structure, the CEP has assigned different submission locations based on the position a candidate is seeking. Senate hopefuls are required to submit all their required paperwork to the Departmental Electoral Office (BED) that corresponds to their home department. For candidates running for seats in the Chamber of Deputies or positions in local government bodies, the standard submission point is the competent Municipal Electoral Office (BEC) serving their electoral district.

    Special arrangements have been put in place for high-volume and geographically specific candidacies based in the country’s West Department. All presidential candidates, along with West Department-based Senate contenders, will complete their filing procedures at the West I BED headquarters, which is housed in the CEP annex along Route de Frères.

    In a move to address existing operational constraints and ensure no eligible candidate is blocked from participating due to local administrative disruptions, the CEP has revised submission protocols for a number of specific districts across the country. For deputy and local government candidates running in 10 West Department districts—Carrefour, Gressier, Kenscoff, Cabaret, Cornillon/Grand-Bois, Croix-des-Bouquets, Fonds-Verrettes, Ganthier, Thomazeau, and Port-au-Prince III—all candidacy declarations and supporting documentation will be accepted directly by the West I BED, pending a final formal review of submissions. Similar centralized adjustments have been made for districts in Artibonite and Centre departments: deputy and local government candidates from Grande-Saline, La Chapelle, Liancourt, Marchand-Dessalines, Montrouis, Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite, and Verrettes will file with the Artibonite BED, while candidates from Mirebalais and Saut-d’Eau will submit their materials to the Centre BED.

    In closing the official announcement, the CEP reaffirmed its public commitment to upholding the highest standards for the upcoming electoral process. The council emphasized that it will run the election in an inclusive, impartial, transparent, and accountable manner, strictly adhering to core principles of electoral independence and integrity, while protecting the constitutional right of all Haitian citizens to participate in the country’s democratic governance.

  • Guyana verdiende ruim US$2,5 miljard aan olie in 2025

    Guyana verdiende ruim US$2,5 miljard aan olie in 2025

    Guyana, one of South America’s fastest-emerging oil producers, has released its 2025 annual report for the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) — the sovereign wealth vehicle that holds all of the country’s oil and gas sector revenue — revealing key figures that shed light on how the nation manages its newly found natural resource wealth.

    Last year, total inflows into the NRF reached $2.509 billion from the country’s offshore oil operations, representing a modest 2.3% decline from the 2024 total inflow of $2.568 billion. The vast majority of this 2025 revenue came from profit oil — the share of crude output that Guyana claims as part of its production sharing agreements with international oil companies. According to prior data published by Minister of Finance Ashni Singh, profit oil contributed roughly $2.1 billion to the fund in 2025. Royalty payments added another $330.7 million, while a $15 million signing bonus from a new production contract was also deposited into the sovereign fund.

    The most striking takeaway from the annual report is that Guyana’s government withdrew nearly as much capital from the NRF as was deposited over the course of the year. Total withdrawals hit $2.463 billion, a more than 55% jump from the $1.586 billion pulled from the fund in 2024. This 2025 withdrawal amount aligns almost exactly with the annual approved budget ceiling of $2.464 billion, meaning the government utilized nearly 100% of its permitted withdrawal allocation for the year. Disbursements were spread evenly across 2025: two $400 million transfers to Guyana’s Consolidated Fund were made in February and April, followed by multiple $200 million installments, with a final $463 million withdrawal processed in late December.

    Under Guyana’s existing national legislation, all funds withdrawn from the NRF are transferred to the country’s Consolidated Fund, where they are earmarked for national development priorities and economic growth-driving investments that benefit the broader public. This framework was designed to ensure that oil revenue is directed toward long-term national progress rather than accumulated solely as reserve capital.

    Guyana first launched commercial crude production from its massive offshore Stabroek Block in December 2019. Over the subsequent six years, production has expanded rapidly as multiple floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels were brought online. By the end of 2025, four FPSOs — the Liza Destiny, Liza Unity, Prosperity, and One Guyana — were operating at the Stabroek Block, supporting ongoing output growth.

    Looking ahead, Guyana’s government projects that total oil revenue will grow in 2026. Forecasts call for around $2.4 billion in profit oil earnings and $375.3 million in royalty payments next year, alongside an additional $17 million in signing bonuses from a new exploration agreement for Block S7. Despite the large-scale withdrawals in 2025, the NRF still holds more than $3 billion in reserve capital, with an end-of-year 2025 balance sitting at approximately $3.25 billion.

    In just a few years, substantial oil reserves and consistent revenue growth have transformed Guyana into one of the fastest-growing oil producers in the Western Hemisphere, with far-reaching implications for the country’s economic trajectory and regional standing.

  • RR- en DR-leden binnenland krijgen training in taken en verantwoordelijkheden

    RR- en DR-leden binnenland krijgen training in taken en verantwoordelijkheden

    Paramaribo, Suriname – September 13 – Over 60 administrative officials and elected members from Regional Councils (RR) and District Councils (DR) representing the Sipaliwini and Boven-Suriname regions are gathered in Nieuw Aurora for a three-day capacity-building training focused on clarifying roles, responsibilities and official functions within Suriname’s local governance framework. Running from September 11 to 13, the program is being delivered by Zagra’s Consultancy N.V. and forms a core initiative under the Tyubi di Matu project, led by the Vereniging van Samaaka Gemeenschappen (VSG, or the Association of Saramaka Communities).

    The training curriculum centers explicitly on defining the formal position of local government officials within Suriname’s broader governance hierarchy. Participants are guided through deep dives into job scope, mandated tasks, and clear boundaries of authority and accountability. Organizers designed the program to directly address gaps in role clarity that often hinder rural public administration, with the core goal of equipping participants to carry out their work more professionally and effectively.

    Event leaders emphasize that clearly delineated roles and responsibilities are a foundational requirement for a well-functioning local public sector. When officials have a precise understanding of their individual and collective roles, the benefits extend beyond improved personal performance: clearer role boundaries also foster smoother cross-functional collaboration across different levels of local governance structures.

    Beyond theoretical knowledge transfer, the training incorporates interactive sessions that center on real-world practical scenarios and peer-to-peer experience sharing. Participants work through case studies to explore how different governance responsibilities play out in day-to-day rural administration, testing best practices for implementation in their home districts. “Professional performance starts with knowing exactly what your role entails and what accountability comes with it,” organizers explained in a statement during the event. “When every official understands their position well, they can deliver better results and complement the work of other team members within the governance structure more effectively.”

    For the VSG and Zagra’s Consultancy, the training represents a targeted investment in advancing the professionalization of local governance in Suriname’s inland rural regions. Ultimately, the program’s backers argue that stronger role clarity, expanded knowledge of mandates, and clearer accountability frameworks will translate to tangible improvements in public service delivery for local communities across Sipaliwini and Boven-Suriname. The three-day program is scheduled to conclude later on September 13, with a closing session focused on synthesizing key takeaways and developing actionable plans for participants to apply new skills and knowledge in their daily work moving forward.

  • Doctors’ social media advertising under review

    Doctors’ social media advertising under review

    Against a backdrop of rapidly expanding digital self-promotion by medical professionals, the Council of the Medical Board of Trinidad and Tobago (MBTT) has launched a comprehensive update of its regulatory guidelines governing how doctors can advertise their clinical services. This sweeping review addresses a range of emerging issues, from unregulated social media marketing and exaggerated treatment outcome claims to undisclosed financial incentives that could mislead patients.

    Dr. Ian Ramnarine, a cardiothoracic surgeon and MBTT Secretary, confirmed the review in an interview with the *Sunday Express*, noting that the exponential rise in doctors marketing their practices across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and other digital platforms has created an urgent need to modernize outdated rules. While medical advertising has long been a sensitive regulatory concern for the board, the mainstream adoption of social media has upended existing frameworks, pushing leadership to re-evaluate what constitutes acceptable professional practice.

    “The Medical Council takes this issue extremely seriously, and it is far more complex than many realize. Drawing a clear line between permissible communication and harmful misleading promotion is critical, because our core mandate is protecting public health. Every part of these guidelines needs to be crafted with extreme care,” Ramnarine explained.

    He added that foundational ethical standards for advertising already exist, developed in a collaborative partnership with the Trinidad and Tobago Medical Association (TTMA). Now, in response to the digital shift, those foundational standards have been updated for the modern era, and the full MBTT board is set to conduct the final review of the draft framework.

    When asked which specific practices have sparked the most regulatory concern, Ramnarine highlighted three key problem areas: false or unsubstantiated claims about treatment success, branded advertising centered on individual doctors, and the failure to disclose financial conflicts of interest that incentivize doctors to push specific products or procedures to patients. Currently, the regulatory body is still refining definitions of what exactly counts as inappropriate or unethical advertising, with multiple open points still under active discussion.

    The updated guidelines will cover all forms of doctor-led promotion, including organic social media posts, paid sponsored content, promotional videos and patient testimonials. Several high-stakes questions remain unresolved, however: the board is still debating whether individual doctors should be allowed to advertise specific procedures, particularly elective cosmetic treatments. Current rules prohibit individual clinicians from promoting specific services, a restriction that only applies to institutional medical providers – that ban is now up for re-evaluation.

    Another open question centers on whether advertising price points, discounts, limited-time special offers and promotional service packages will be permitted. Ramnarine noted that a full ban on this type of promotion remains the most likely outcome, though the discussion is still ongoing.

    Ramnarine also emphasized a core ethical principle that will anchor the new guidelines: medicine is an individualized practice that requires a full patient assessment, formal diagnosis and personalized treatment plan. Any promotion of a procedure that is not clinically appropriate for a patient, but that generates personal financial profit for the clinician, will be explicitly classified as both inappropriate and unethical.

    The review also covers how to regulate common marketing tools such as before-and-after treatment photos, patient success testimonials and claims of high treatment success rates. The board is also expanding existing conflict of interest disclosure rules: currently, disclosure of financial ties is already required for doctors presenting at scientific conferences and continuing medical education events, where presenters must clearly state any benefits they receive that relate to their presented work. The new guidelines will extend this requirement to doctors promoting commercial health products, including supplements, skincare items and other patient-facing wellness goods.

    Additional unresolved topics include whether doctors will be banned from criticizing competing medical practices or comparing their services directly to other clinicians in advertising, as well as what specific sanctions will be imposed on clinicians found to violate the new rules. Both issues remain under active review, Ramnarine confirmed.

    For context, the MBTT already maintains an established formal complaints process for concerns about unethical doctor behavior, governed by the national Medical Board Act that regulates medical practitioner registration and oversight. Instructions for members of the public to submit reports of unethical advertising are already posted publicly on the MBTT official website.

    When asked how the board will balance clinicians’ right to grow their practice with the critical need to protect patients from misleading medical claims, Ramnarine said clear, proactive regulation is non-negotiable. He noted that the draft guidelines have been developed through extensive multi-stakeholder consultations to ensure all perspectives are considered. Once the draft is submitted to the full board, all public and stakeholder comments will be compiled, reviewed by the MBTT ethics committee, revised, and recirculated for further input before finalization.

    While Ramnarine confirmed that a near-final draft could be circulated to board members within the next two weeks, he cautioned that this timeline does not guarantee a finalized set of rules will be released to all practicing doctors before the end of September. Once the guidelines are formally approved, Ramnarine added it is standard practice for the board to offer clarification for doctors looking to bring existing advertisements and social media profiles into compliance with the new rules. In line with the board’s core mandate, Ramnarine reaffirmed that unregulated medical advertising is not an option: “Advertising cannot be unregulated. Clear guidelines must exist to protect patients.”

    The MBTT’s existing code of ethics for medical advertising, which the updated rules will replace, currently includes the following key provisions: practice location signage may only include the doctor’s name, professional qualifications, area of specialization, office hours and appointment requirements, and may only be sized for basic identification; all claims about clinician competence, experience, service quality and treatment outcomes must be factually accurate and supported by formal certification or evidence of appropriate training; promotional materials may not include financial incentives to attract patients, nor may they include third-party endorsements or testimonials about the clinician or their services; doctors may not advertise under a pseudonym, and all advertising must use their full legal name as registered with the MBTT; doctors may not attach their name to the promotion of commercial organizations, and any public comment on issues related to a linked medical, pharmaceutical or biomedical organization requires full disclosure of the professional relationship and a clarification of whether views represent the doctor or the organization.

  • Fishermen’s US strike death lawsuit stalls

    Fishermen’s US strike death lawsuit stalls

    Almost 12 months after Trinidadian fishermen Chad Joseph and Rishi Samaroo disappeared mid-voyage home from Venezuela, legal progress on a high-profile wrongful death lawsuit alleging the pair were killed in an unacknowledged United States military strike remains paused. The case is now held up waiting for Trinidad and Tobago’s domestic courts to issue a formal declaration of death, a procedural step required to move the federal lawsuit forward.