Carib Scope

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  • Colombian man has US$600,000 seized at Las Américas Airport

    Colombian man has US$600,000 seized at Las Américas Airport

    Authorities at the Dominican Republic’s busiest international air hub, Las Américas International Airport (AILA), have taken a Colombian national into custody after discovering more than $600,000 in undeclared cash hidden in his luggage and on his person ahead of a planned flight to Panama.

    The interception was a coordinated operation led by the Dominican Republic’s General Directorate of Customs (DGA), working alongside the Specialized Corps in Airport and Civil Aviation Security (CESAC) and the Public Ministry’s Prevention and Prosecution Unit targeting smuggling and illicit trafficking. According to official details released after the seizure, the passenger hid $599,700 in U.S. currency inside his carry-on bag, stashed an additional $1,000 in his personal pockets, and also carried 647,000 Colombian pesos that went unreported to customs screeners.

    At the official exchange rate published by Dominican authorities, the total seized U.S. dollars convert to roughly 35,981,930 Dominican pesos (RD$). Dominican law sets a strict cap on the amount of cash travelers can carry across the border without submitting a formal declaration, and this far exceeded that legal threshold. Following the detention, the unnamed passenger was turned over to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which will launch a full investigation to trace the origin and intended final destination of the unreported currency before determining what formal legal charges or actions will be pursued.

    DGA Director General Nelson Arroyo used the high-profile seizure to reaffirm his agency’s ongoing commitment to cracking down on cross-border illicit activity. Arroyo noted that the DGA maintains round-the-clock, enhanced surveillance at all of the country’s ports, airports, and official border crossing points as a core part of its national strategy to disrupt smuggling networks and the illicit trafficking of controlled goods and high-value assets.

    This latest cash seizure is just one of several successful enforcement actions carried out by the DGA in recent weeks. Just one month prior, the agency announced another major win against contraband: the interception of two incoming shipping containers that held 4.5 million contraband cigarettes from the Jaisalmer brand and 961 unreported televisions spanning multiple brands and sizes. Officials estimate that seizure prevented more than RD$42.2 million in lost import duties and tax revenue that would have otherwise gone uncollected by the Dominican government.

    In response to rising concerns about transnational money laundering and illicit cash flows, Dominican customs and airport security teams have ramped up screening protocols for all passengers entering and exiting the country who carry large volumes of cash. The enhanced controls are designed to flag potential smuggling operations, money laundering schemes, and other illegal financial activities before they can be carried out across national borders.

  • There have been 19 deaths due to leptospirosis

    There have been 19 deaths due to leptospirosis

    Over the past week, national public health officials have updated the country’s epidemiological database with two new confirmed cases of leptospirosis, a zoonotic illness that spreads through contact with contaminated sources. As of the latest update from the Ministry of Public Health’s National Epidemiological Surveillance System (Sinave), the cumulative number of confirmed leptospirosis cases recorded since the start of the calendar year stands at 272, with at least 19 fatalities linked to the disease. Unlike many common communicable illnesses, leptospirosis is most often contracted through direct exposure to the urine of infected animals—particularly rodents—or by consuming water and food that has been contaminated by this bacteria. This means poor sanitation and unhygienic living environments significantly increase a community’s risk of an outbreak.

  • ABWU Representatives Attend PSI Regional Meetings in Trinidad

    ABWU Representatives Attend PSI Regional Meetings in Trinidad

    The Caribbean island nation of Trinidad has recently become the hub for crucial regional labor discussions, with delegates from the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union (ABWU) making the journey to take part in two landmark meetings organized by Public Services International (PSI).

    Public Services International, a global federation representing millions of public sector workers across the globe, called the regional gatherings to address pressing challenges facing public service employees across the Caribbean and Latin America. The meetings brought together union leaders, labor organizers and worker representatives from across the region to collaborate on policy priorities, coordinate advocacy efforts and share strategies for defending workers’ rights.

    For the ABWU, participation in these high-level talks marks a key step in reinforcing the union’s regional ties and amplifying the voices of Antigua and Barbuda’s workers on a broader international platform. Delegates from the union were able to present the unique challenges faced by workers in small island developing states, from persistent wage stagnation to the growing impact of climate change on public sector infrastructure and employment. They also joined fellow union representatives in open dialogues about strengthening collective bargaining frameworks, improving workplace safety standards, and expanding social protection for workers across all sectors of the economy.

    Beyond formal discussions, the meetings also provided valuable opportunities for cross-union networking and capacity building. ABWU delegates gained insights from successful labor campaigns led by other regional unions, particularly in areas such as advocating for fair public sector funding and opposing privatization efforts that threaten worker job security. The outcomes of the PSI regional meetings are expected to shape coordinated regional action over the coming two years, with participating unions committing to work together on shared goals that benefit working people across the Caribbean.

  • DNO POLL: Who do you think will win the Roseau north By-election?

    DNO POLL: Who do you think will win the Roseau north By-election?

    As the highly anticipated by-election for the Roseau North Constituency draws near, local media outlet Dominica News Online (DNO) has opened a public opinion poll to invite community members and political observers to share their predictions on which candidate will secure victory.

    Three contenders are currently in the running for the vacant constituency seat, each bringing different political backgrounds and platforms to the contest. The ruling Labour Party has fielded Ashma McDougall as its official candidate, while the main opposition United Workers Party has put forward Danny Lugay to challenge for the position. Completing the candidate lineup is Sherman Boston, who is running as an independent candidate aiming to win support from voters unaligned with the two major established political parties.

    DNO is encouraging all interested participants, regardless of their voting status or political affiliation, to not only cast their prediction in the public poll but also share their detailed thoughts and perspectives on the upcoming race in the comment section below the survey. The poll serves as an informal snapshot of public sentiment ahead of the official vote, giving political analysts and local residents an early look at which candidate may hold a leading edge among engaged community members.

  • Very Strong El Niño Could Bring Extreme Weather Into 2027

    Very Strong El Niño Could Bring Extreme Weather Into 2027

    The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued a stark new warning that the ongoing El Niño event is strengthening far faster than initial projections, with high confidence it will intensify into a historic, very strong weather pattern by the end of 2026 that elevates the threat of destructive extreme weather across every inhabited continent.

    In a formal forecast update published Thursday, the WMO revealed that climate models show a near-100% chance El Niño will hold its influence through February 2027 — an almost unprecedented level of certainty for long-range seasonal climate outlooks.

    This recurring climate pattern, defined by anomalous warm ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific, is already being driven by ocean waters that have reached far above average warmth. The WMO’s latest projections indicate the event will continue to gain intensity over the coming months, with its peak strength likely to arrive between November and December 2026.

    WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasized that current trajectory puts the event on track to become exceptionally strong, noting that if current warming trends in the tropical Pacific hold, it could surpass the intensity of any El Niño event recorded since the organization began systematic global climate monitoring decades ago.

    A powerful El Niño event reshapes global atmospheric circulation, triggering major shifts in typical rainfall and temperature patterns across the globe. This disruption dramatically increases the probability of simultaneous extreme weather events, including prolonged droughts, catastrophic flash flooding, and record-breaking heatwaves across different regions worldwide.

    The upcoming event also carries specific risks for Caribbean nations, though the WMO was careful to note that the overall strength of El Niño does not directly dictate the severity of local impacts in individual countries. Regional sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and other independent climate drivers can amplify, dampen, or even redirect the typical weather shifts associated with El Niño, meaning local preparedness planning remains critical regardless of global intensity projections.

    For the September-to-November 2026 period, the WMO’s outlook confirms a sharply elevated chance of above-average temperatures across nearly all global land masses. The tropical Atlantic is also projected to stay warmer than the long-term seasonal average through the end of the year, adding another layer of climate influence for Atlantic basin nations.

    To reduce the risk of avoidable loss of life and property, the WMO is calling on national governments and local meteorological agencies around the world to ramp up continuous monitoring of regional and national climate forecasts, and to invest in early action and improved preparedness for potential climate-related hazards that may arise from the event.

    In a clarification of the event’s origins, the organization stressed that El Niño is a naturally occurring periodic climate phenomenon, and is not directly caused by human-driven climate change. Even so, its impacts are unfolding against the backdrop of long-term global warming, which can amplify the severity of heatwaves and other extreme weather tied to the event.

  • Grassalco laat na NMA-onderzoek eigen extern onderzoek uitvoeren

    Grassalco laat na NMA-onderzoek eigen extern onderzoek uitvoeren

    State-owned gold mining company N.V. Grassalco has announced it will commission an independent external investigation into pollution affecting the Moeroekreek and Saramaccarivier in Suriname, following a government inquiry that has already held the company accountable for the environmental damage. The incident, which has resulted in widespread fish death and harm to riverside local communities, has drawn sharp attention from national authorities, with President Jennifer Simons formally naming Grassalco as responsible for the contamination.

    In response, Grassalco has contracted SEPCO Industries, an international environmental consulting firm with a local presence in the region, to conduct what the mining company describes as an independent baseline assessment and environmental impact report. The firm has committed to carrying out full remediation of the affected area if the independent investigation confirms a causal link between its mining operations and the observed ecological damage, including the mass fish mortality.

    In an official statement released Wednesday, Grassalco noted that it takes the government’s formal liability finding “extremely seriously”, and expressed regret over the ecological harm, large-scale fish death, and negative impacts on local communities living along the two waterways. However, the company stopped short of accepting responsibility for the contamination at this stage, pointing out that the site where the fish kill was detected sits roughly 15 kilometers away from its active mining concession in Maripaston.

    The new external probe runs parallel to an internal investigation being led by Grassalco’s own Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) department, and comes after the National Environment Authority (NMA) already completed its own inquiry into the contamination, prompting presidential action against the firm. Grassalco emphasized that hiring an independent third-party researcher is intended to guarantee that findings will be credible and free from corporate influence. Results of the external investigation are expected within six to eight weeks, and will be published in full directly to the public with no redaction, according to the company.

    The investigation will combine desk research, on-site fieldwork, and sampling of surface water, groundwater, soil, sediment, and local biota. All laboratory test results will be benchmarked against both national Surinamese and international environmental quality standards, before a final report is issued with findings and recommendations for any required cleanup. Beyond the full investigation, Grassalco also plans to run a small-scale remediation pilot project in the affected area to test cleanup methods before any potential large-scale deployment.

    Grassalco reiterated that these preliminary actions do not constitute an admission of guilt for the pollution. “If the independent probe confirms the link between our operations and the reported fish death, we will proceed immediately with full remediation of the affected area,” the company said.

    Moving ahead of investigation results, the mining firm has already begun providing support to impacted local populations. Grassalco says it has already established direct contact with affected households, and will provide clean drinking water to communities on an as-needed basis, with plans to expand support to address any additional identified needs.

    To maintain transparency throughout the process, Grassalco has committed to keeping local communities updated during and after the investigation. Public community meetings will be held where residents can ask questions directly to Grassalco’s leadership, and a dedicated hotline will be launched to field questions and reports from affected residents.

  • Aleka Lewis Crowned 2026 Taste of Wadadli Top Junior Chef

    Aleka Lewis Crowned 2026 Taste of Wadadli Top Junior Chef

    A promising young culinary talent from Antigua and Barbuda has taken the top honor in one of the region’s most anticipated junior cooking competitions, capping off six weeks of immersive professional training with a standout performance in the final challenge.

    Aleka Lewis, a secondary school student at St. Mary’s Secondary School, was officially named the 2026 Taste of Wadadli Top Junior Chef by the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association (ABHTA). Alongside Lewis’s win, her mentor Desroy Spence, executive chef at the luxury Hermitage Bay resort, was honored with the 2026 Top Chef Mentor title for his guidance throughout the competition.

    The pair accumulated a total score of 687.5 points out of a maximum 775, a result that merges feedback from Lewis’s industry internship and her scoring in the final live cook-off. For her decisive final round, Lewis showcased a creative, locally inspired menu: Dry Creole Rubbed Red Snapper paired with Brown Butter Sweet Potato and Chives, finished with a rich Coconut Creole Sauce. Competition judges evaluated all participating contestants across four key criteria: originality of concept, technical cooking proficiency, professional demeanor, and on-stage confidence.

    Launched by ABHTA, the 2026 Junior Chef Academy was designed as a six-week immersive initiative to give secondary school students from across Antigua and Barbuda hands-on practical experience working in professional commercial kitchens. The program bridges classroom learning and real-world industry practice, nurturing young talent interested in pursuing culinary careers aligned with the region’s booming tourism sector.

    As the winner, Lewis has earned two incredible career-building opportunities. First, she will join the Antigua and Barbuda National Culinary Team as an understudy, gaining access to elite training and high-level competition experience. Second, through a reciprocal partnership between ABHTA and the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association, Lewis will travel to the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2027 to compete in the Junior Lit’l Chefs Program, representing her home country on an international stage.

  • PM Browne Warns of Further Fuel Increases as APUA Keeps Electricity Fuel Charge at 80 Cents

    PM Browne Warns of Further Fuel Increases as APUA Keeps Electricity Fuel Charge at 80 Cents

    As global energy markets continue to grapple with sustained upward pressure on crude oil prices, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne has issued an urgent alert, urging local residents to make proactive preparations for potential additional increases in petroleum product prices.

    Browne’s warning comes just one week after new, higher price caps for gasoline and diesel took effect across the twin-island nation on September 1. This latest adjustment marks the end of months of targeted government intervention, which was implemented to insulate domestic consumers from the sharp spikes in international petroleum costs that have rippled across global markets in recent quarters. Following the September 1 adjustment, the retail price of gasoline now stands at 16.50 Eastern Caribbean dollars per imperial gallon.

    In a separate but related announcement, the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) has confirmed that its September Fuel Variation Rate – a surcharge tied to fuel costs for power generation that is added to residential and commercial electricity bills – will hold steady at 80 cents per kilowatt-hour. This marks the fourth consecutive month that the rate has remained unchanged, after it was raised to this level back in June.

    Even as the utility has frozen the fuel surcharge for consumers, APUA itself has been forced to absorb skyrocketing fuel expenses amid the global market upswing. Recent disclosures from the authority show that its monthly fuel expenditure has surged dramatically over the first seven months of the year, jumping from just 11 million Eastern Caribbean dollars in January to 21.8 million Eastern Caribbean dollars by July.

    To avoid passing the full brunt of these cost increases onto consumers immediately, APUA has implemented gradual adjustments to the Fuel Variation Rate over the past several months. In May, the authority’s internal calculation put the required rate at 88 cents per kilowatt-hour, but leaders chose to cap the charge passed to customers at just 70 cents to soften the financial blow for households. The rate was only raised to 80 cents in June, where it has remained through September.

    Energy analysts and local economic observers note that the current situation points to ongoing financial pressure for both domestic households and local businesses in the coming months. If global petroleum prices continue to climb or remain at their current elevated levels, further price adjustments for both transportation fuel and electricity will be unavoidable, putting sustained strain on household budgets and business operating costs across Antigua and Barbuda.

  • Electoral Reform Coalition backs Nassief as Dominica Business Forum raises concern over alleged monitoring of private meeting

    Electoral Reform Coalition backs Nassief as Dominica Business Forum raises concern over alleged monitoring of private meeting

    A growing political dispute centered on governance transparency, electoral reform, and the management of Dominica’s lucrative Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program has intensified this week, after two major domestic organizations threw their weight behind prominent local businessman Gregor Nassief and condemned actions by the administration of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.

    The conflict dates back eight months, when Nassief began publicly and privately pressing for answers around the country’s voter confirmation process, submitting formal proposals for improvement directly to the Electoral Commission. His scrutiny extends further: correspondence shared with the Electoral Reform Coalition (ERC) shows Nassief has raised serious, unresolved concerns about the administration of the CBI program with Prime Minister Skerrit dating as far back as 2019.

    Tensions boiled over at an August 29 executive meeting of the ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP), where Skerrit delivered what the ERC describes as a vulgar, insulting, and unprovoked verbal attack on Nassief, delivered without naming him directly. In an official September 2 statement, the coalition, which advocates for fair and transparent electoral processes in Dominica, announced its full solidarity with Nassief, saying the Prime Minister’s remarks are deeply alarming and entirely inappropriate for a sitting head of government.

    Rather than engaging in personal attacks, the ERC argues, Skerrit should address the core substantive questions Nassief has raised about transparency and democratic accountability. The coalition also praised Nassief for his courage in speaking out on issues of public concern, noting that open debate is a cornerstone of healthy democratic governance.

    Separately, the Dominica Business Forum (DBF) has sparked fresh controversy over allegations of state surveillance of a private gathering involving Nassief. On August 26, the DBF co-hosted an invitation-only closed meeting at Roseau’s Fort Young Hotel, bringing together a cross-section of Dominican society: local business owners, legal and medical professionals, construction contractors, sitting and retired political figures, former military and public service personnel, and ordinary engaged citizens. Attendees were told the off-the-record discussion would focus on new ideas and global best practices for key sectors of the Dominican economy, including tourism, the CBI program, and reforms to the national voter registration and confirmation process.

    Meeting organizers explicitly promised all attendees that the gathering would remain private. But in an official letter signed by DBF President Daryl Bobb, the organization confirmed it has obtained concrete hard evidence that unidentified state operatives accessed the hotel property during the meeting and were actively recording the identities and actions of attendees.

    The DBF said it regrets that the trust placed in it by participants was broken by the alleged surveillance, and reaffirmed its institutional mandate to facilitate open, inclusive national dialogue on critical issues “without fear or favor.” Nassief has confirmed he is currently seeking formal legal advice over the reported presence of state-funded security personnel at the private event.

    The back-to-back developments are the latest escalation in a widening public confrontation between Nassief and Skerrit, as questions around electoral integrity and the governance of the CBI program continue to dominate public discourse in Dominica.

  • PM Questions DPP Over Withdrawn Cases as Latest Gun Prosecution Ends

    PM Questions DPP Over Withdrawn Cases as Latest Gun Prosecution Ends

    Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has publicly raised pointed questions with Director of Public Prosecutions Clement Joseph over the unusually swift discontinuation of high-stakes criminal cases centered on illegal firearms, ammunition and narcotics. In his public remarks, Browne argued that courts, not prosecutorial offices, should be given the opportunity to deliver final rulings on these serious criminal matters.

    Browne stopped short of naming a specific case that triggered his critique, nor did he detail what led him to raise the issue publicly. However, his comments emerged just days after the DPP’s office ordered an end to a prominent firearms prosecution involving two defendants, Shiloh Martin and Wayne Knowles.

    On Wednesday, Chief Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel formally dismissed all charges against the pair, acting on the direction from Joseph to end the prosecution. The case against Martin and Knowles stemmed from a targeted police raid carried out at a private residence in Liberta on October 16, 2024. Prosecutors had assembled evidence including two recovered weapons – a Taurus .40-caliber pistol and a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun – along with associated ammunition, extended magazines, and four ballistic vests.

    During the early-morning operation, law enforcement officers took several additional individuals into custody, including three minors. All of those detained beyond Martin and Knowles were later released without any charges being filed. Warren Cassell served as legal counsel for Knowles, while Damian Benjamin represented Martin in the proceedings.

    To date, there has been no official confirmation that Browne’s critical comments were specifically aimed at the discontinuation of the Martin and Knowles case. The prime minister also did not reference either defendant by name in his public statement. Instead, his intervention has opened a broader conversation about transparency and decision-making in prosecutorial handling of serious violent crime-related cases across the country’s judicial system.