Carib Scope

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  • Antigua and Barbuda Police Strengthen INTERPOL Ties to Combat Cross-Border Crime

    Antigua and Barbuda Police Strengthen INTERPOL Ties to Combat Cross-Border Crime

    On September 7, 2026, the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda (RPFAB) joined law enforcement agencies across the globe to celebrate the United Nations International Day of Police Cooperation, a yearly observance that spotlights how cross-border collaboration strengthens public safety, supports crime victims, and shields local communities.

    Established by the UN General Assembly in 2022, the annual day honors the critical role of international policing partnerships in advancing global peace, security, and equal justice. This year’s commemoration centers on the official theme: “Protecting against Vulnerability, Building Trust and Legitimacy in Policing,” which prioritizes safeguarding populations most at risk of criminal harm while reinforcing the transparency, accountability, and public trust that underpin effective modern policing.

    For the small island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, cross-border police cooperation has become an indispensable tool for tackling transnational crime, which by nature does not respect national borders. Through long-standing partnerships with INTERPOL, regional security bodies, and other global law enforcement counterparts, the RPFAB has gained critical capabilities to advance public safety. These collaborations enable real-time intelligence sharing, targeted tracking of wanted fugitives, coordinated probes into cross-border criminal activity, more robust defense against cybercrime, and more effective tracing of illicit firearms and drug traffickers moving across jurisdictions. Beyond operational coordination, global partnerships also grant the RPFAB access to cutting-edge specialized training, expert knowledge, investigative technologies, global criminal databases, and shared resources that drastically boost the force’s capacity to prevent, detect, and solve crime.

    The tangible benefits of these partnerships extend far beyond routine law enforcement operations. They directly contribute to protecting vulnerable crime victims, dismantling transnational organized criminal networks, recovering stolen assets and property, arresting fugitives who have fled across borders, and upholding the overall safety and security of Antigua and Barbuda’s population.

    RPFAB Commissioner Everton Jeffers emphasized that sustained, strong ties with regional and international policing partners are non-negotiable for effective public safety. “Crime recognizes no geographical boundary, and neither can our determination to confront it,” Jeffers stated. “International police cooperation gives us the ability to combine our intelligence, expertise and resources with those of trusted partners around the world to protect our people and bring offenders to justice.”

    Jeffers also noted that a police force’s effectiveness is ultimately rooted in the confidence of the communities it serves. “We will therefore continue to strengthen our partnerships at home, across the region and internationally, while policing with integrity, professionalism, fairness and respect for all,” he added. The commissioner also publicly recognized the relentless dedication of rank-and-file police officers and law enforcement professionals who work daily with global counterparts to exchange information, coordinate cross-border investigations, and support operations designed to make local communities safer.

    As it stands today, INTERPOL connects law enforcement agencies across 196 member countries, creating a global network that allows intelligence and evidence shared in one jurisdiction to directly advance investigations and operations in another. As policing organizations around the world marked the 2026 International Day of Police Cooperation, the RPFAB reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to deepening its relationships with INTERPOL and all other regional and international law enforcement partners.

    The force also renewed its core pledges: to protect vulnerable populations, build and maintain public trust, uphold the rule of law, and collaborate closely with both local communities and global partners to address evolving transnational security threats. The end goal, the force confirmed, is to build a safer, more secure future for all residents of Antigua and Barbuda.

  • Derelict Vehicles Could Attract Fines of at Least EC$3,000 Under Planned Law

    Derelict Vehicles Could Attract Fines of at Least EC$3,000 Under Planned Law

    Across the twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, abandoned unroadworthy vehicles left scattered along public roadways have emerged as a growing nuisance, clogging critical alternative routes and impeding smooth traffic flow. To tackle this persistent public problem, the country’s government has tabled plans to amend existing national legislation, introducing harsh new penalties that will categorize the practice as a form of unlawful littering.

    During an appearance on the local *Browne and Browne Show* over the weekend, Prime Minister Gaston Browne laid out the details of the proposed regulatory changes. Under the current framework, abandoning derelict vehicles along public roads is not explicitly classified as littering, a gap that the amendment aims to close. “We’re going to change the law, and the parking of a vehicle that is not roadworthy at the side of the road will be constituted as littering,” Browne confirmed during the interview.

    When it comes to penalties, the prime minister revised his initial proposal to set a higher starting fine. Early plans floated a penalty range between EC$2,500 and EC$3,000, but the updated proposal will mandate a minimum fine of EC$3,000, with the maximum penalty potentially climbing as high as EC$5,000 for repeat or severe offenders. Beyond monetary penalties, Browne has put forward an alternative penalty for non-payers: court-ordered community service valued up to the maximum fine amount, with tasks including public street cleaning and native tree planting. “If we don’t criminalize them, at least there must be some form of compensation by way of labor,” Browne explained, noting that stricter consequences are needed to deter the practice even among vehicle owners who have adequate private storage space on their own property.

    The push for legislative change comes directly after senior traffic officials raised urgent concerns about the impact of abandoned vehicles on the country’s road network. Superintendent Elson Quammie, head of Antigua and Barbuda’s Traffic Department, told authorities that the problem has gotten worse as more motorists divert to secondary and community roads to avoid chronic congestion on the nation’s main highways. Many of these alternative routes, which are critical for easing peak-time travel, are now partially blocked by derelict vehicles and other unauthorised roadside obstructions.

    Quammie added that ongoing targeted removal operations have already cleared abandoned vehicles from several high-problem communities, including Point and Villa. But the issue has bounced back quickly: within weeks of these areas being cleared, residents have begun leaving new unroadworthy vehicles along the road verges. With limited staffing and resources, traffic enforcement teams cannot maintain a permanent presence in every community across the country, Quammie noted, making legislative change a necessary long-term solution. Browne also highlighted specific problem spots, including a newly built concrete thoroughfare leading to Yorks Bay and Hermitage, where multiple abandoned vehicles have been left, blocking access for local residents and visitors.

    While removal operations will continue in the short term to clear the most dangerous obstructions, the government is still drafting the amendment text. As of the latest announcement, no timeline has been set for the proposed changes to be introduced for debate and a vote in the national Parliament.

  • Dominican Republic : The Dominican military industry is booming

    Dominican Republic : The Dominican military industry is booming

    Shared between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, a 392-kilometer land border cuts across varied terrain, from winding river corridors to paved international highways. Of this boundary, 172 kilometers run along four major waterways—the Massacre, Artibonite, Libón, and Pedernales rivers—while 48 kilometers are made up of cross-border trading routes, with four official entry points at Dajabón, Elías Piña, Jimaní, and Pedernales that anchor critical bilateral commerce and binational market activity. In recent years, the Dominican government has prioritized upgrading border control, launching an ambitious infrastructure project that has become a cornerstone of its national security strategy, even as its domestic military industrial sector grows at an unexpected pace.

    At the core of the border upgrade is a continuous perimeter barrier combining reinforced concrete foundations, reinforced metal fencing, and dedicated paved patrol lanes that let security forces respond to incursions rapidly. Complementing the physical barrier are elevated watchtowers staffed around the clock, plus a cutting-edge fiber-optic communications network that transmits real-time voice and high-resolution image data across the entire border surveillance system. Dominican Defense Minister Lieutenant General Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre outlined that the perimeter infrastructure is being targeted at the border’s most strategically vulnerable points, with an expanding synchronized network of autonomous drones and fixed surveillance cameras being rolled out incrementally to match evolving security needs.

    Early results from the infrastructure buildout have already exceeded expectations, according to Fernández Onofre. Areas that once faced persistent crime, including rampant theft of cattle, motorcycles, and vehicles, have seen these illegal activities virtually eliminated since the new security systems went online. Beyond ground-based infrastructure, the upgrade has leveraged the Dominican Republic’s growing domestic military industry, most notably the TP-75 DULUS—the first domestically assembled surveillance aircraft built by national producers, specifically designed for border reconnaissance and airborne monitoring.

    Fernández Onofre emphasized that the locally built aircraft has drastically improved coordination between Dominican air and ground security units, delivering timely, actionable intelligence to support defense and counter-smuggling operations along the entire boundary. A key advantage of the TP-75 DULUS is its low operational cost: the plane can complete a full patrol of the entire land border in just four hours when taking off from the San Isidro Airbase, regardless of whether it departs for the northern or southern segment of the border, at a total cost of just 2,000 Dominican pesos, equal to less than 7 gallons of high-octane SP95 fuel per flight hour.

    The TP-75 DULUS is not an isolated achievement for the Dominican military industrial sector. The country already produces its own FURIA armored personnel vehicles for domestic security use, and Fernández Onofre confirmed that domestic manufacturing of surveillance drones is set to launch in the near future, expanding the country’s self-sufficiency in defense technology.

    Border security efforts extend far beyond the land boundary, however. The Dominican Navy has significantly upgraded its maritime surveillance capabilities at both the northern and southern maritime ends of the Haiti-Dominican border, with patrol missions focused on protecting national sovereignty, cracking down on a range of illicit activities including illegal unregulated fishing, smuggling of contraband, and human trafficking, as well as conducting search and rescue operations to preserve life at sea—all of which contribute to broader stability in the border region.

    Fernández Onofre confirmed that maritime patrol intensity will continue to increase as new vessels ordered by the Dominican government are commissioned into service. “We have already reinforced patrols along both the northern and southern maritime borders with Dominican Navy vessels, and this buildout will continue as all ordered patrol units are delivered and brought into active service,” he said. Most recently, the Dominican Republic signed a new agreement this year with Portugal to acquire four new offshore patrol vessels, which will further expand the Navy’s operational reach in both territorial waters and international maritime border zones, cementing the country’s improved border security posture. As domestic military production expands, the country is moving closer to full self-sufficiency in core defense technologies for border protection.

  • LUCELEC-backed scholar aiming higher after SPISE experience

    LUCELEC-backed scholar aiming higher after SPISE experience

    For promising young Saint Lucian STEM enthusiast Anaiah Bousquet, a summer spent at the Student Programme for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE) has been far more than a five-week academic crash course. It has reshaped her perspective on her career, expanded her professional boundaries, and given her newfound confidence to chase ambitious goals that will benefit her home region.

    A recent graduate of St Joseph’s Convent, Bousquet is one of the 2024 cohort’s two Saint Lucian SPISE participants, supported by a full scholarship from St Lucia Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC) that will carry through to her 2026 university enrollment. This year’s intensive residential STEM initiative was hosted at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus in Barbados, bringing together top young talent from across the Caribbean.

    LUCELEC’s long-standing commitment to nurturing local STEM leadership has stretched more than 13 years, with the utility company awarding an annual SPISE scholarship to high-achieving Saint Lucian students seeking access to this elite regional programme. For Bousquet, the experience balanced intense academic challenge with engaging, collaborative work that opened new doors. “It was a very rigorous but entertaining experience,” she explained of the programme, which introduced her to cutting-edge concepts while connecting her to a network of like-minded young STEM lovers from every corner of the Caribbean.

    Throughout the programme, university recruitment officers encouraged participants to look beyond regional higher education options and frame their academic journeys as investments in the Caribbean’s long-term development. For Bousquet, that message landed deeply. “Being around others who enjoy STEM and who come from many different backgrounds has certainly prepared me for university and further education,” she noted. “SPISE has allowed me to think bigger and to have higher aspirations.”

    Bousquet emphasized that LUCELEC’s sponsorship was far more than financial support—it was a vote of confidence that made the entire experience possible. “For me, having a company such as this sponsoring me was a very big deal,” she said. “To have a company that focuses so much on youth development in our country really means a lot, and it really enhanced my belief in myself and allowed me to perform my best at SPISE.”

    Beyond the impact on her own journey, Bousquet says the scholarship sends a critical message to other young Saint Lucians facing financial barriers to advanced learning. “Oftentimes, for economic reasons, people are not always able to go into all the programmes or the courses they would like, but it shows that there are companies like LUCELEC that are willing to support you throughout your journey,” she explained. That visibility makes elite STEM opportunities feel attainable for a new generation of local students.

    Bousquet also argues that collaborative regional STEM programmes like SPISE are foundational to growth for both individual Caribbean nations and the bloc as a whole. A key benefit, she notes, is the access to hands-on practical learning that fills gaps in traditional secondary education. “One of my challenges in STEM was getting practical experience, because oftentimes in school, we learn a lot of theory, but it is difficult to get hands-on experience with the areas of study,” she said. “So, the way I overcome this is by enrolling in many practical courses such as SPISE…. I would certainly aim to do more of these in the future.”
    Bousquet’s track record—including a gold medal at the Caribbean Science Foundation’s annual Mathematics Olympiad and her standout performance at SPISE—speaks to her relentless dedication to advancing her STEM skills. Looking ahead, she plans to pursue a career as a chemical engineer, with a focus on solving one of the Caribbean’s most pressing challenges: improving regional food security. “This is something I am very passionate about as it combines my interest in food and in STEM,” she said.

    Developed by the Caribbean Science Foundation, SPISE holds its annual session between July and August at UWI’s Barbados campus. In Saint Lucia, the programme has long depended on LUCELEC’s sustained support to open its doors to local emerging talent.

  • Eleven Canefield East families receive keys to climate-resilient homes

    Eleven Canefield East families receive keys to climate-resilient homes

    In a major milestone for Dominica’s ongoing national affordable housing strategy, 11 households in the Canefield East community have officially moved into newly built climate-resilient residences, marking the latest progress in the government’s push to expand access to safe, long-lasting housing for all citizens.

    This handover ceremony is not an isolated project, but a key phase of a broader national housing program that carries a dual mission: expanding access to low-cost, quality homes for Dominican families while upgrading the nation’s overall ability to withstand the growing threat of hurricanes and other extreme natural disasters amplified by climate change.

    The government’s heightened focus on climate-resilient housing development traces its origins back to the catastrophic damage inflicted by Hurricane Maria, a storm that devastated large swathes of Dominica’s housing stock and exposed the critical vulnerability of traditional construction to extreme weather. In the wake of that disaster, officials redirected increased public and partner funding toward designing and building homes engineered to resist severe wind, flooding, and other climate-driven hazards.

    Supported by funding from a diverse range of international and domestic partners, the long-term national housing strategy has already delivered thousands of resilient homes across the island. These constructions form a core pillar of a wider national effort to boost both household-level security and overall national resilience to climate shocks.

    The Canefield East handover is part of the program’s current active phase, which is on track to deliver a total of 215 new homes and apartment units across nine different Dominican communities before completion. For the 11 families that have already taken possession of their new properties, the residences represent far more than just shelter: they deliver long-term stability, enhanced personal and financial security, and much-needed peace of mind, while equipping these households with a far stronger foundation to navigate future climate-related challenges.

  • Motorists Urged to Conserve Fuel as International Prices Rise

    Motorists Urged to Conserve Fuel as International Prices Rise

    Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne is calling on motorists across the twin-island nation to cut back on non-essential fuel use, as skyrocketing international petroleum prices loom to push pump costs even higher for local consumers.

    Speaking during the weekly Browne and Browne Show on Saturday, Browne delivered a clear warning: the government has hit the ceiling of what it can do to shield citizens from rising costs, after years of absorbing the gap between global price spikes and local retail rates.

    “We are asking our people to be a little more conservative,” Browne stated, urging drivers to use fuel responsibly and cut down on unnecessary trips to reduce demand.

    His public appeal comes just after the government implemented a EC$2 per gallon increase on both gasoline and diesel earlier this month. The prime minister explained that the price adjustment was unavoidable: it was needed to cover ballooning import costs and stop the country’s existing fuel subsidy program from growing even more costly for public finances.

    Browne traced the root of the current crisis to unfolding global events, noting that international crude prices have surged dramatically in recent months driven by persistent geopolitical instability, most notably ongoing tensions involving Iran. The prime minister shared that he closely tracks daily fluctuations in Brent crude, the global benchmark, and that recent upward trends in the international market left the government with no option but to pre-warn residents of coming local price changes.

    “These are not things that we have any control over,” Browne emphasized.

    If global prices continue their upward climb, the prime minister confirmed that consumers will almost certainly face additional pump price hikes in the near future. “We have absolutely no choice but to continue to increase the price of petroleum products,” he said.

    Even with the recent adjustments, Browne argued that fuel prices in Antigua and Barbuda still rank among the lowest in the entire Caribbean, a notable feat given the country produces no crude oil of its own. He attributed this to intentional, costly government intervention designed to buffer households and local businesses from the full brunt of global price swings.

    To keep prices low, the government previously scrapped a 15% fuel consumption tax that typically generated roughly EC$4 million in monthly public revenue. It has also transferred millions of dollars directly to the West Indies Oil Company to keep retail pump prices below their actual market value.

    To date, Browne confirmed, these relief measures have cost the national treasury more than EC$40 million, forcing the administration to delay payments on other critical public obligations. Going further, the prime minister disclosed that the government was even forced to take on more than EC$30 million in new borrowing to settle a debt that would have otherwise been paid using regular revenue from the West Indies Oil Company.

    Browne stressed that the government did not fund these consumer protections from surplus cash reserves. Instead, it redirected funding earmarked for other government priorities to keep fuel costs down. “What we did, we robbed Peter to pay Paul,” he summarized.

    While the administration remains committed to offering as much relief as possible to residents, Browne reiterated that the government’s financial capacity is finite. He urged local motorists to adjust their habits and prepare for the very real possibility of further fuel price increases in the coming months.

  • Opposition Leader seeks international intervention in Guyana’s political situation

    Opposition Leader seeks international intervention in Guyana’s political situation

    In a formal five-page memorandum dated September 5, 2026, Azruddin Mohamed, leader of Guyana’s main opposition party Working People’s Alliance (WIN), has issued an urgent appeal for international intervention to address what he frames as escalating unconstitutional state interference targeting his political bloc. The appeal comes on the heels of a series of contentious actions against Mohamed, his staff, and allied elected officials, including arrests, impoundment of personal vehicles, seizure of digital communication devices, and the unexplained removal of his 500,000-follower political platform from Facebook.

    The deep-rooted political friction between Mohamed’s bloc and the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) government led by President Irfan Ali traces back to 2025, when the United States Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Mohamed, his father Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, and their son Azruddin Mohamed Jr. over allegations of a US$50 million tax evasion scheme tied to the smuggling of more than 10 kilograms of gold. Later that year, a U.S. Grand Jury indicted the trio on charges of wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering linked to their gold trading enterprise. The family is currently contesting an extradition request to stand trial in a Florida federal court. Despite repeated public warnings about the Mohameds issued to voters by the PPPC during the 2025 general and regional elections, WIN secured 109,075 votes and 16 parliamentary seats, catapulting the party to the position of official opposition.

    The most recent escalation began last week, when Mohamed and two other opposition figures were taken into custody near President Ali’s official residence in Leonora, West Coast Demerara. Authorities alleged the group was traveling in vehicles with illegally dark tinted windows. Mohamed was eventually released from custody, but law enforcement has retained his personal mobile phone and a laptop belonging to his daughter. Mohamed alleges that during the period his devices were held by police, his official political Facebook page, Team Mohamed’s, was permanently deleted.

    In the memorandum, Mohamed’s office emphasizes that the search and seizure of communication devices belonging to elected representatives carries unique constitutional weight, as these devices regularly store confidential political strategy, privileged legal correspondence, and private communications with constituents. The ability of opposition leaders, parliamentarians, and locally elected regional councillors to carry out their constitutionally mandated roles without intimidation or unlawful state interference is, the brief argues, directly tied to the legitimacy and integrity of Guyana’s entire democratic system.

    At the core of the opposition’s demands for clarification is a critical question: what specific legal authority authorizes the Guyanese state to seize, access, and review the private communications of the country’s duly elected opposition leader. The brief notes that the seized devices hold a wide range of sensitive information, including legally protected attorney-client communications, confidential internal political discussions, correspondence with sitting members of parliament, journalists and ordinary voters, and sensitive materials related to opposition political organizing.

    On the subject of the deleted Facebook page, labeled “a vital political communication outlet” for Mohamed’s movement, the brief outlines that the page remained fully operational until after Mohamed’s devices were taken into state custody, and became inaccessible only while law enforcement held control of his accounts. The circumstances of the page’s disappearance raise urgent red flags about deliberate state interference with opposition political speech, the document argues. At minimum, the opposition is calling for an independent forensic digital investigation to determine whether state actors accessed the account credentials from the seized devices, and whether the page was intentionally disabled or deleted through official action. The brief also demands that all relevant digital evidence be preserved pending the outcome of this probe.

    Beyond these two core issues, the opposition memorandum asks the international community to press the Guyanese government for clarification on three key fronts: the legal foundation for the detention of the opposition leader, elected representatives, and political staff; the legal authority justifying the seizure and ongoing retention of electronic devices belonging to opposition officials; and the chain of custody for all seized items, including an explanation for the disappearance of a regional councillor Nelson’s phone following his release from custody.

    Mohamed’s office stresses that the incidents outlined in the brief should not be dismissed as isolated disputes involving individual politicians. The cumulative effect of these actions, the document argues, raises systemic, serious concerns about the future of political pluralism in Guyana, the impartiality and independence of state institutions, the protection of private political speech, and the ability of the opposition to fulfill its constitutional oversight and representative functions without intimidation or improper interference.

    WIN concludes the memorandum by reaffirming its unwavering commitment to peaceful, constitutional, and democratic political participation, and its mission to protect the right of all Guyanese citizens to exercise their democratic rights free from fear and intimidation. In closing, the brief argues that now is the moment for international democratic partners to act: it is far more effective to address threats to democratic norms before they are damaged beyond repair, rather than intervene after irreversible harm has been done.

  • COMMENTARY: Whatever happened to the Castle Bruce Police Station?

    COMMENTARY: Whatever happened to the Castle Bruce Police Station?

    It has been nearly a decade since Hurricane Maria tore through Dominica in 2017, leaving the Castle Bruce local police station in ruins. In the aftermath of the storm, law enforcement officers serving the region stretching from Petite Soufrière to Castle Bruce have been forced to operate out of a rotating series of makeshift, borrowed residential spaces across the community. Within a year of the destruction, the government of Dominica launched a long-promised initiative: the construction of a purpose-built, modern police station that would restore consistent, accessible public safety services to the area. But what was supposed to be a landmark infrastructural improvement has instead turned into a years-long saga of delay, leaving a half-built concrete shell standing as a stark reminder of unfulfilled government promises.

    Construction progress has ground to a halt repeatedly at multiple stages of the build. Eight years after ground was first broken, the site still holds nothing more than an incomplete, exposed structure. What work has been completed — a poured foundation and partial framing — sits open to the elements, unused by anyone. Unprotected construction materials stacked across the lot have steadily degraded from years of exposure to sun, wind, and tropical rain. Today, the abandoned site is far more than an uncompleted public project: overgrown vegetation has choked the perimeter, the unfinished structure poses unseen safety risks to local residents, and the blighted lot is widely considered an eyesore that disrupts the village landscape.

    For the past 27 months, no visible construction work has taken place at the site, and local residents have been given no official explanation for the shutdown. This lack of transparency has spawned a host of unanswered questions among community members, who have waited years for a permanent, functional police presence. Many wonder if stalled budget allocations or repeated holdups in government funding disbursement are to blame for the deadlock. Others question whether shifting government policy priorities, combined with a complete lack of dedicated project oversight, have left the initiative to languish. Some local residents speculate that unforeseen engineering challenges required costly redesigns that drained project resources, while others hypothesize that widespread infrastructural needs across the island stretched government resources too thin, forcing officials to redirect attention and funding to other higher-priority projects.

    This stalled initiative is more than a local inconvenience; it serves as a high-profile example of deep-rooted failures in public project planning and governance across the country’s infrastructural development sector. To reverse the damage and deliver the police station the community was promised, a series of targeted actions are needed. First, government authorities must launch a full, public audit of the project’s current status to identify exactly what has caused the multi-year delay. Second, officials must move quickly to secure the full funding and material resources required to push the project across the finish line without further holdup. Third, the government should reassess the project’s original design and scope to address any unforeseen challenges, then appoint an independent, dedicated project management team to oversee all remaining work and keep construction on schedule.

    After eight years of waiting, the community of Castle Bruce still lacks the permanent public safety infrastructure it was promised. Resurrecting and completing this stalled project will require coordinated action across government agencies, consistent long-term funding commitments, and transparent, strategic planning. Only through these steps can the unfinished structure finally fulfill its original purpose: serving as a stable, modern public safety hub that supports the safety and well-being of thousands of residents across the region.

  • Education : Scholarships in Italy, Applications open

    Education : Scholarships in Italy, Applications open

    Opportunities for early-career scholars and professionals from IILA member Latin American countries, including Haiti, are now available, as applications have launched for the 2026 IILA–MAECI/DGCS scholarship program. The announcement was made public by Haiti’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which shared full details of the postgraduate specialization and professional development internship program with interested candidates.

    Organized by the International Italo-Latin American Organization (IILA), the program supports individuals looking to advance their skills and academic credentials across six high-priority, growing fields. These include agri-food science and food technology, sustainable development and renewable energies, life sciences and biotechnology, space science and technology, cultural heritage preservation and management, and contemporary creative practices. Each of these sectors aligns with global development priorities and growing market demand for skilled specialists, giving recipients unique opportunities to build impactful careers.

    To be considered for the scholarship, candidates must meet a clear set of eligibility requirements. All applicants must hold a valid government-issued passport, be under 35 years of age at the time of application, demonstrate basic working knowledge of the Italian language, and hold a completed bachelor’s degree in a field related to their chosen study area.

    The application window will close on September 30, 2026. Interested candidates can access full program guidelines, official registration forms, and additional details about the scholarship terms through the IILA official website at www.iila.org. This initiative represents a ongoing partnership between Italian educational institutions and Latin American member states, designed to foster cross-regional knowledge exchange and professional growth for emerging leaders.

  • New disability affairs unit raises questions about role of existing commission in Dominica

    New disability affairs unit raises questions about role of existing commission in Dominica

    A planned government overhaul of Dominica’s disability policy infrastructure has emerged as a widely welcomed step toward more coordinated, effective support for the island’s disabled community, though key stakeholders are pushing for much greater transparency around how the new body will interact with existing institutions.

    At the center of the conversation is the government’s proposal to create a standalone National Disability Affairs Unit, a dedicated administrative body that backers frame as a breakthrough in streamlining fragmented services and policies for persons living with disabilities across the country. But even as supporters applaud the government’s commitment to elevating disability issues to a higher national priority, unresolved questions about the new unit’s relationship to the existing National Commission for Persons with Disabilities have left stakeholders seeking clarity.

    For years, the National Commission has served as the lead advisory and advocacy body advancing disability-focused policy in Dominica. Most recently, the organization wrapped a major full review of the country’s National Action Plan for Persons with Disabilities — a multiphase revision process led by a specially appointed committee within the Commission. After the review was completed, the Commission’s chairperson formally submitted the updated plan to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Persons with Disabilities in 2025.

    With formal plans for the new unit now on the table, one of the most pressing open questions is whether the revised National Action Plan will serve as the foundational policy framework for the new unit’s work, or if the body will reset the policy agenda entirely. Beverly Leblanc, a sitting member of the National Commission, has emerged as a leading voice calling for public clarification on how ongoing work from the Commission will be integrated into the new structure.

    Leblanc emphasized that the creation of the National Disability Affairs Unit should strengthen, rather than weaken, the Commission’s existing mandate. The core goal of the new body, she argued, should be to move the extensive policy planning the Commission has already completed off paper and into tangible, on-the-ground implementation that improves outcomes for disabled Dominicans.

    Beyond the future of the revised action plan, major uncertainty remains around the National Commission’s role once the new unit is established. It is still unclear whether the unit will function as a complementary support body, providing additional administrative and technical resources to help the Commission deliver on its existing mandate, or if it will absorb core functions that the Commission has overseen for years.

    Observers and stakeholders alike have also raised concerns about the risk of institutional duplication, administrative confusion, and the potential sidelining of the years of work the Commission has already invested in advancing Dominica’s disability agenda. Without clear delineation of responsibilities, they warn, the new initiative could end up hindering progress rather than accelerating it.

    Crucially, these concerns do not amount to opposition to the creation of a dedicated national body for disability affairs. Stakeholders uniformly frame their calls for clarity as a push to ensure the new initiative builds on, rather than discards, the progress the Commission has already made, and strengthens existing institutional mechanisms rather than replacing them haphazardly.

    Advocates for the disability community stress that disabled Dominicans require three core things to see meaningful improvement: consistent, uninterrupted policy development, clearly defined lines of institutional responsibility, and measurable, actionable progress that delivers tangible benefits. That starts with full transparency around the current status of the revised National Action Plan, and how the document will shape the government’s approach to disability policy moving forward. The calls for clarity take on added urgency given the significant time, labor, and resources the National Commission has already invested in developing evidence-based policy recommendations and moving the national disability agenda forward.