Carib Scope

作者： admin

  • Panamakanaal beperkt dagelijks scheepvaartsverkeer door El Niño

    Panamakanaal beperkt dagelijks scheepvaartsverkeer door El Niño

    One of the world’s most critical maritime trade arteries is facing unprecedented strain from extreme drought, driven by one of the strongest El Niño events in recent decades. The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) announced in late August 2026 that it will implement deep cuts to the number of vessels allowed to transit the iconic interoceanic route starting September 3, responding to plummeting water reserves that are essential to the canal’s lock operations.

    Currently, the waterway accommodates 32 vessels per day. Under the new restrictions, that number will first drop to 34 daily transits on September 3, before falling further to 32 daily passages by September 15. Additional water conservation measures have already been put in place, including a reduction in the maximum allowable draft for large vessels, to slow the depletion of stored water.

    Unlike most major shipping routes, the 108-year-old Panama Canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, relies entirely on rainwater collected in two artificial reservoirs—Gatún Lake and Alhajuela Lake—to operate its lock system. The locks, which raise and lower vessels between the different ocean levels, consume large volumes of water with every transit. This year, an extreme drought across Central America, amplified by El Niño, has brought far less rainfall than expected to the canal’s watershed.

    El Niño, a cyclical climate phenomenon characterized by elevated sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, reshapes global weather patterns, shifting wind currents, atmospheric pressure and rainfall distribution. For Central America, this shift consistently brings prolonged dry conditions and below-average precipitation. This year’s event has been particularly severe, pushing drought conditions across much of the region: just last week, Honduras declared drought emergencies for 80 percent of its national territory.

    The impact of the canal’s new restrictions extends far beyond Panama’s borders. The waterway handles roughly 5 percent of total global maritime trade volume, and carries approximately 40 percent of all container cargo that enters or departs the United States, serving as a vital link connecting trade flows between the Americas, Asia and Europe. Any disruption to transit capacity has immediate ripple effects on global supply chains, shipping schedules and logistics costs.

    This is not the first time drought has forced cuts to canal operations. Similar restrictions on daily transits and vessel draft were implemented in 2019 and 2023 during previous dry periods. But canal officials warn that the current crisis is more severe, as drought conditions are becoming increasingly frequent and intense due to long-term climate change, which has made rainfall patterns across Central America far less predictable.

    ACP officials emphasized that the immediate cuts are a necessary measure to protect the long-term sustainability of the canal, rather than just a short-term response to the current dry spell. In the longer term, the authority is working on permanent solutions, including upgrades to water management infrastructure and targeted investments to reduce the canal’s vulnerability to future drought events. As El Niño conditions persist through the end of 2026, the canal faces a prolonged period of uncertainty as it works to maintain reliable operations for the global shipping industry.

  • SSB Reports $45 Million Surplus as Pension Claims Increase

    SSB Reports $45 Million Surplus as Pension Claims Increase

    In a transparency-focused media gathering held on August 21, 2026, Belize’s Social Security Board (SSB) announced a $45 million operational surplus while issuing a public warning about growing long-term pension obligations that threaten the fund’s future stability.

    SSB Chief Executive Officer Jerome Palma framed the media mixer as a deliberate step to demystify the board’s operations, addressing widespread public confusion around three core areas: benefit disbursement, contribution collection from employers and workers, and the board’s investment strategy. The current surplus is entirely drawn from contribution payments, with the system boasting a 95% compliance rate from contributing entities – a strong performance that has propped up the board’s current financial position.

    Despite this near-term positive result, Palma highlighted a worrying trend that will reshape SSB’s financial outlook in the coming years. Pension payouts alone rose by $8 million in 2025, and this incremental increase represents a permanent new obligation for the system: the additional $8 million will be paid annually for the rest of the lifetime of the new beneficiaries accessing these benefits. Palma projected that over the next three to five years, cumulative increases in pension costs will add between $35 million and $40 million in new annual benefit obligations to SSB’s payout ledger.

    As part of the board’s ongoing five-year strategic plan to adapt to these challenges, SSB has rolled out major upgrades to its digital service infrastructure to streamline processes and improve oversight. Belizean contributors can now submit claims for retirement benefits, maternity support, and funeral grants entirely through the board’s upgraded online portal. A revamped mobile application also allows workers to directly access and review their full contribution history dating back 40 years.

    This digital upgrade also delivers a powerful new accountability tool for contributors. Workers can now identify missing employer contributions through their mobile app, then file an anonymous report directly via the SSB website. All such reports trigger an official investigation, where SSB compliance officers audit employer payroll records and engage with staff to recover any unpaid contributions that have been withheld from the system.

    In addition to service and accountability upgrades, SSB is also pursuing a $20 million investment in Hydro Belize, aligning its investment strategy with long-term sustainable asset growth while the board works to balance expanded digital self-service for the public with its core goal of long-term fund sustainability. Palma emphasized that ongoing open engagement with media and the public will remain a core priority as the board navigates this transition, ensuring full public awareness of challenges and progress across the implementation of the five-year plan.

  • Bromfietser omgekomen bij aanrijding Dageraadweg hoek Martin Luther Kingweg

    Bromfietser omgekomen bij aanrijding Dageraadweg hoek Martin Luther Kingweg

    A fatal traffic collision between a heavy goods truck and a moped left the moped’s driver dead at the scene on Tuesday morning in the Netherlands, local law enforcement confirmed. The crash occurred on Dageraadweg, at its intersection with Martin Luther Kingweg, with the driver suffering fatal traumatic injuries that claimed their life before emergency responders could transport them for care.

    A second person riding as a passenger on the moped sustained non-fatal injuries in the impact. Emergency medical teams transferred the injured passenger via ambulance to a local hospital’s emergency department for urgent medical treatment, and no further updates on their condition have been released as of Tuesday evening.

    Following the incident, a on-site physician formally pronounced the moped driver dead at the scene. In line with standard protocol for fatal road incidents, the deceased driver’s remains were taken into custody after consultation with the Public Prosecution Service of the Netherlands. Local police have launched a formal investigation to determine the full circumstances and contributing factors that led to the collision, with no preliminary findings released to the public as of the 21 August 20:40 publication deadline.

  • ‘Grandfathers’ enlisted to steer young men

    ‘Grandfathers’ enlisted to steer young men

    In a push to reverse rising rates of delinquency and violent behavior among young males across the island nation, Barbados is preparing to launch a groundbreaking intergenerational mentorship initiative in the coming weeks: the Grandfather Programme. The project, announced Friday by Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Adrian Forde during a media briefing at the Warrens Office Complex, pairs experienced senior men with at-risk young males in local communities, filling a critical gap in positive guidance and role modeling for the country’s youth.

    Forde emphasized that the targeted focus on young men stems from widespread, visible challenges the population is currently facing, issues that play out regularly in the country’s court systems and community spaces. Spearheaded by the Division of Elder Affairs, the core mission of the programme is to leverage the decades of lived wisdom and practical knowledge held by older generations, equipping impressionable young men with the foundational values and coping skills they need to navigate life’s obstacles.

    “This initiative is designed to build the intergenerational connections that our communities desperately need right now,” Forde explained, noting that widespread social shifts have left many young people without consistent, positive male guidance. Unlike centralized mentorship schemes that require participants to travel outside their neighborhoods, the Grandfather Programme is structured around local community roots. Volunteers will work directly with young people in their own residential areas, creating comfort and trust through familiar surroundings. For example, a senior man living in the parish of St Andrew will have the flexibility to mentor local youth within that same community, a structure organizers say will help foster long-term, meaningful relationships.

    Forde expressed strong optimism about the programme’s potential to drive durable, positive change if it receives broad buy-in from communities across Barbados. “When fully realized, this project will deliver the intergenerational shift our society needs to support our young people,” he said. To date, a number of senior volunteers have already stepped forward to participate through existing men’s organizations across the island. Even with this early momentum, organizers are still actively recruiting additional volunteers who feel they have the experience and commitment to make a lasting difference in the lives of local youth. The appeal is open to all eligible senior men across Barbados, with organizers emphasizing that even small contributions of time and guidance can strengthen communities and curb cycles of violence and delinquency.

  • CAPE Success, CSEC gains highlight local CXC results

    CAPE Success, CSEC gains highlight local CXC results

    Barbados has delivered strong academic results in the 2026 round of regional Caribbean examinations, posting a near-94% overall pass rate for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) while recording consistent improvement in key core subjects for secondary-level assessments. The outcomes were officially announced by Chief Education Officer Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw during a ceremony at the Ministry of Education Transformation, where the country’s top Scholarship and Exhibition award winners were also honored.

    Breaking down the 2026 CAPE data, Dr. Archer-Bradshaw noted that candidate registrations grew slightly year-over-year, rising from 4,999 in 2025 to 5,196 this year. Of that cohort, 5,022 candidates completed their scheduled subject sittings, with 4,710 earning passing marks to bring the national overall pass rate to 93.8%. Female candidates made up 55.4% of test-takers, while males accounted for the remaining 44.6%.

    Performance across the two CAPE units remained uniformly strong: Unit 1 recorded a 93.1% pass rate, while Unit 2 hit 95.1%. Female students posted a 94.3% overall pass rate, edging out their male peers who logged a 93.2% pass rate. Seventeen Unit 1 subjects achieved a perfect 100% pass rate, spanning disciplines from French, History, and Literatures in English to technical and innovative fields including Information Technology, Green Engineering, Animation and Gaming Design, and Building and Mechanical Engineering Drawing. For Unit 2, perfect pass rates were recorded for subjects including Art and Design, Food and Nutrition, Geography, Sociology, and Spanish. An additional 23 subjects across both units posted pass rates between 90% and 99%.

    Dr. Archer-Bradshaw emphasized that the achievements of this year’s scholarship and exhibition recipients carry extra weight against the backdrop of the nation’s strong overall CAPE performance. She congratulated all awardees, noting that their success was the product of consistent, often unseen effort: “Your accomplishments did not happen by chance. Behind every grade one, every exceptional GPA, and every scholarship qualification lies a story that very few people see. It is a story of very early mornings and very late nights, of balancing internal assessments with examinations, of choosing commitment over convenience… Today your names are being called because your hard work spoke louder than your obstacles.” She also extended recognition to students who did not earn top honors but pushed through challenges to deliver their best possible performance, saying the education community is equally proud of their perseverance.

    Alongside the CAPE outcomes, Dr. Archer-Bradshaw shared results for the 2026 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), the region’s secondary-level graduation assessment. A total of 22,967 candidates registered for the exams across 42 test centers, including 21 public secondary schools and 20 private institutions, with 21,047 completing their assessments. The national pass rate for grades one to three stood at 69.9%, just slightly below the regional average of 72.18%. For CSEC, male students recorded a 70.9% pass rate, a narrow lead over the 69.2% pass rate for female candidates.

    Notably, Barbadian students outperformed regional averages in all core CSEC subjects, building on three consecutive years of progress. The national CSEC Mathematics pass rate rose to 47% this year, five full percentage points above the regional benchmark of 42.15%. Dr. Archer-Bradshaw highlighted that Barbados has now held a regional lead in mathematics pass rates for three straight years of consistent growth. CSEC English A posted an 82% pass rate, exceeding the regional average of 80% and marking a clear improvement from 2025’s lower result, while English B hit a 60% pass rate, a 1.2% increase year-over-year.

    Several public secondary schools delivered dramatic turnarounds in core subject pass rates, earning official praise from the Chief Education Officer. St. George Secondary School recorded an extraordinary 61.8% jump in its mathematics pass rate compared to 2025, while other schools posting double-digit mathematics gains included Coleridge and Parris School (up 23.6%), Parkinson Memorial Secondary School (up 22.8%), The Alexandra School (up 13.1%), and Christ Church Foundation School (up 10.7%). In English, Darryl Jordan Secondary School stood out with a 48.7% increase in its pass rate, a result Dr. Archer-Bradshaw called truly outstanding.

    The 2026 exam cycle also marked a historic milestone for regional assessment, with the launch of the pilot for the Caribbean Examinations Council’s new Caribbean Targeted Examination Certificate, a modular approach to CSEC certification. The pilot launched with Module One for CSEC mathematics, enrolling 589 students from six Barbadian secondary schools. Of that group, 493 completed the assessment, and 358 earned passing marks for an overall 72.6% pass rate. Female candidates posted a 76.6% pass rate in the pilot, compared to 68% for male candidates. Dr. Archer-Bradshaw added that education officials are optimistic the next phase of the pilot will deliver even stronger outcomes.

    Closing the announcement, Dr. Archer-Bradshaw credited collective effort across Barbados’ education ecosystem for the year’s strong results, emphasizing that no student succeeds alone. She thanked teachers for their countless hours of lesson preparation, assignment grading, practical training, and encouragement that helps students pursue excellence. She also recognized principals and school leaders for building high-expectation learning environments rooted in strong leadership and positive school culture. Gratitude was also extended to parents and guardians for their sacrifices, encouragement, and unwavering support, as well as to Ministry of Education Transformation staff for their ongoing work to reform and strengthen the national education system, so every student can reach their full potential. Echoing a core theme of the event, Dr. Archer-Bradshaw reaffirmed that education remains one of the most valuable investments any nation can make in its future.

  • FLASH : 2025/2026 State Exam Results (Part 1)

    FLASH : 2025/2026 State Exam Results (Part 1)

    On August 21, 2026, Haiti’s Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP) unveiled the first batch of official results for the 2025-2026 national state examinations, covering three key assessment levels across a subset of the country’s 10 administrative departments. This release marks a key milestone for tens of thousands of Haitian students who have waited for their academic outcomes after months of preparation.

    For the 9th year of fundamental education, results have been published for 8 of Haiti’s 10 departments, with Artibonite and Northwest departments set to release their findings in the coming weeks. Data compiled by the National Bureau of State Examinations (BUNEXE) shows mixed shifts in pass rates compared to the 2024-2025 academic cycle. The Centre department recorded a 0.34 percentage point increase in pass rate, reaching 86.24% with 10,404 successful candidates out of 12,064 total participants. Grand’Anse saw the sharpest drop, falling from 93.74% last year to 85.99% this cycle, with 6,125 passes from 7,123 test-takers. Nippes recorded a small 3.01 percentage point gain to hit 75.50%, while the North department slipped 3.09 points to 93.45% with 17,945 successful candidates out of 19,203 entrants.

    Northeast department posted a 4.38 percentage point increase, bringing its pass rate to 91.73% with 7,410 passes from 8,078 participants. The West department, which had the largest pool of 9th year candidates at 67,811, saw a small decline from 95.16% to 91.90%, with 62,319 students advancing. South department recorded a minimal 0.23 percentage point increase to reach 91.45%, and Southeast slipped 4.13 points to 80.34% with 7,721 successful test-takers.

    Partial results have also been released for the new NS-IV Baccalaureate, Haiti’s secondary school leaving examination, with only the West and Nippes departments published in this first round. All remaining eight departments will announce their results at a later date. Both reporting departments saw significant drops in pass rates compared to the previous academic year. In West, which had 40,996 Baccalaureate candidates, just 18,746 passed for a 45.73% pass rate, down sharply from 95.16% last cycle. Nippes recorded a 40.36% pass rate, with 1,649 successful candidates out of 4,086 participants, representing a 34.64 percentage point decline from 2024-2025.

    In addition to the fundamental and secondary exams, full national results were released for the 2025-2026 graduating class of the École Normale Institute des Instituteurs et Jardin d’Enfants (ENIJE), Haiti’s primary training institution for preschool and elementary school teachers. Of the 2,510 total candidates across both preschool and elementary education tracks, 1,759 passed their final examinations, resulting in an overall national success rate of 70.08%.

    Following the publication of this first batch of results, MENFP has issued guidance for schools and candidates. The ministry has called on all school principals to collect their institution’s full result rosters from their local departmental education directorate (DDE) as soon as possible. Education Minister Vijonet Déméro confirmed that official candidate certificates and academic transcripts will be available for pickup starting at the end of August 2026 at local DDE offices. Candidates will only need to present their payment receipt from the General Directorate of Taxes (DGI) to collect their documents with no additional barriers.

  • Christ Church club seal second successive promotion after just one season in Division One

    Christ Church club seal second successive promotion after just one season in Division One

    A small Christ Church-based football club is celebrating one of the most impressive ascents in Barbadian domestic football, after booking its place in the Barbados Football Association’s top-tier Premier League for the 2027 season with two consecutive promotions. Parish Land locked in their promotion following a tense 3-2 win over Technique this Wednesday, a result that pushed the side to 53 points and second place in the Division One standings. With only one final round of regular season matches left to play, third-placed Pinelands has already been mathematically eliminated from catching Parish Land for the second and final promotion spot. What makes this milestone even more remarkable is the speed of the club’s climb: Parish Land spent just one season competing in Division One after earning promotion from Division Two, also in a single season. Club president Kemar Ward shared that securing Premier League promotion was the team’s core target from the very first kick of the current campaign. “It was always a goal from the beginning. We were a really united unit and played together and for each other like a big family,” Ward said in a post-confirmation interview. When breaking down the keys to the team’s historic success, Ward highlighted the side’s dynamic attacking force as a standout strength, noting that Parish Land has netted more than 50 goals across the current Division One season. He also added that the club’s defensive organization has been equally solid, conceding only 22 goals so far. The confirmation of Parish Land’s promotion came even after Pinelands earned a 3-0 win over Empire that lifted the side three spots to third in the table with 47 points. Even with maximum points from their remaining fixture on August 26, Pinelands cannot close the 6-point gap to overtake Parish Land for the promotion slot. Pro Shottas, the other team that has already secured promotion to the Premier League, currently sits atop the Division One standings with 55 points, leaving the league title still up for grabs in the final match week. If Pro Shottas drops points with a loss in their final game and Parish Land secures a win, the Christ Church club will overtake the league leaders to claim the Division One championship title. Ward, however, struck a realistic tone when talking about his side’s chances of topping the table. While he is confident his team will put in a winning performance in their final fixture, he expects Pro Shottas to hold onto their lead. “I don’t see them losing honestly, but it was a good season. We fought it out twice and they won the first game while we won the second and everyone dropped some points in between. We ended up also drawing one more game than them and this is where the difference in points came about. We began the season with the intention of being promoted and are fine with second place to be honest,” Ward conceded. Now that their Division One campaign is all but wrapped up, the club will shift its focus to the upcoming Prime Minister’s Cup, which is scheduled to kick off on September 7. Ward noted that Parish Land will enter the cup competition in peak physical and competitive form, thanks to the tight end to their regular season and a recent run of consistent wins. For Ward, who has overseen the club’s climb since taking over as president, the back-to-back promotions are a point of particular pride. “We actually only spent one year in Division One. Most of the other teams spent several years at this level and some even got demoted. We only spent one year in Division Two as well. Since I became president, we got promoted each season,” he said. In other Division One matches held this Wednesday, Whitehall claimed a narrow 3-2 win over Notre Dame, Deacons delivered a dominant 13-4 victory over Fitts Village, and Potential Ballers beat Greens by a 3-0 scoreline.

  • Carib Beer Continues Partnership With Antigua and Barbuda Falcons for Third Year

    Carib Beer Continues Partnership With Antigua and Barbuda Falcons for Third Year

    The Antigua and Barbuda Falcons cricket franchise is stepping into a new era under new ownership, and one familiar pillar of support will remain in place: Carib Beer has signed on for a third straight term as the team’s official beer sponsor.

    The renewal was officially announced in an August 2026 press statement from A.S. Bryden & Sons (Antigua) Ltd., Carib Beer’s authorized local distributor. The company confirmed that its commitment to the Falcons extends far beyond match day, encompassing support for both the team’s on-pitch performance and off-field community engagement.

    As part of the extended partnership, a lineup of interactive fan and consumer events will roll out across the upcoming season. One of the highlighted gatherings is a joint Carib Beer-Falcons meet-and-greet hosted at Bar None, a local venue that will bring Falcons players face-to-face with Carib customers, brand promoters, and dedicated team supporters.

    Senior representatives from both organizations emphasized that the three-year collaboration has evolved into a deeply rooted community alliance, rather than a simple logo placement deal. “Three years into this partnership, it’s not just a logo on a boundary board. It is Carib showing up for the Falcons the way our customers show up for us, season after season,” shared Attong, a representative from the brewing brand’s side.

    Sabrina Webster, head of franchise operations for the Falcons, echoed that sentiment, noting that the ongoing sponsorship will be a critical asset as the franchise builds stronger bonds with its fanbase under new leadership. “Carib understands that cricket in the Caribbean is about more than what happens on the field. It is also about culture, community, and the shared experience of our supporters,” Webster explained.

    The partnership aligns with Carib Beer’s long history of backing cricket across the Caribbean region, a sport that serves as a unifying cultural touchstone for the area. Antigua and Barbuda itself holds deep roots in elite international cricket: the nation is the birthplace of several iconic West Indies cricket stars, and hosts the world-famous Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, one of the region’s premier cricket venues. The Falcons franchise further leans into this legacy, counting cricket legends Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Andy Roberts as official team ambassadors, with another hall of fame player, Sir Curtly Ambrose, leading the squad as head coach.

    In closing, A.S. Bryden & Sons reaffirmed its long-term commitment to building partnerships that uplift local sport, culture, and community ties. The company noted that aligning its represented brands with initiatives that resonate with Antigua and Barbuda residents remains a core strategic priority, and this extended sponsorship is a clear reflection of that mission.

  • US$100M Loan from Taiwan: Where Will Money Go?

    US$100M Loan from Taiwan: Where Will Money Go?

    In a special sitting of Belize’s House of Representatives held on August 21, 2026, Prime Minister John Briceño confirmed details of a $100 million concessionary loan agreement with Taiwan, announcing that the first disbursement of $40 million will be made available to the Central American nation by the end of the calendar year.

    Unlike many development lending packages that tie funding to pre-approved infrastructure or social programs, this five-year financing facility is structured to cover general government funding requirements across Belize’s public sector, with no binding project-specific allocation built into the agreement. The loan terms offer a 20-year repayment window with a three-year grace period, designed to ease near-term fiscal pressure on Belize’s government. Repayments will be structured as 34 semi-annual installments of approximately $2.94 million, starting 42 months after the first tranche is issued.

    Briceño outlined that his administration intends to prioritize capital investments when allocating the loan funds, specifically noting that the money will be used to meet counterpart financing requirements for projects backed by international development partners. “While there is no legal restriction that dictates how these funds must be distributed across our annual national budgets,” Briceño told legislators, “we have no plans to divert this money to covering routine government operating costs such as public servant salaries. Instead, we will direct these resources to long-term investments across the country, spanning infrastructure, education, health care and other priority development projects.”

    The announcement drew immediate scrutiny from Opposition Leader Tracy Panton, who challenged the government’s vague allocation framework, particularly amid widespread public frustration over skyrocketing energy costs that have strained household budgets across Belize. Panton pressed the administration to clarify how much of the $100 million facility would be dedicated to shoring up the country’s energy security, a top public concern as electricity rates have continued to climb with no government relief plan in sight.

    “The obvious question that every Belizean is asking right now is, what portion of this $100 million will go toward addressing the energy crisis?” Panton said during the debate. “Electricity bills have increased exponentially and keep going up, with no end in sight and no solution put forward by this administration.”

    Briceño declined to set aside any specific portion of the Taiwan loan for energy cost relief or energy security investments, sticking to his original framing that the funds would be allocated across the administration’s existing priority investment areas of infrastructure, education and health.

  • CFU Challenge 2026 (U-14) : Haiti qualifies for the final after crushing the Dominican Republic [6-1] in the semi-final

    CFU Challenge 2026 (U-14) : Haiti qualifies for the final after crushing the Dominican Republic [6-1] in the semi-final

    In a stunning display of attacking dominance at the 2026 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) U-14 Boys Challenge Tournament, Haiti’s youth national team – nicknamed the Young Grenadiers – secured their spot in the championship final with a lopsided 6-1 victory over hosts Dominican Republic on August 21. The semi-final clash, held at Los Establos in Cap Cana’s Punta Cana region, saw Haiti take control of the game from the opening kickoff, never relinquishing their upper hand en route to a historic spot in the title decider.

    Led by head coach and technical director Jean Marc Alexandre, Haiti’s starting 11 featured a lineup of homegrown talent from top Haitian youth clubs, with captain Cédric Claremond of Les Rouleurs FC anchoring the side. The Grenadiers broke the deadlock just 60 seconds into the match, when Jerry Petit-Homme of FC Toro unleashed a powerful long-range strike from midfield that slipped through the gloves of Dominican goalkeeper Ricardo Sang, putting Haiti ahead 1-0.

    Haiti doubled their lead just four minutes later. Wensley Dumorne collected a loose pass on the left edge of the Dominican penalty area, cut inside to create space, and fired a clinical finish into the far corner of the net to make the score 2-0. The young Haitian side extended their advantage in the 25th minute, when Jodley Sheeckensley Delmas capitalized on a poor defensive clearance outside the box, hammering a low shot past Sang to put Haiti up 3-0.

    The Dominican Republic got their only goal of the match three minutes later, when forward Pedro Ramirez converted a rebound after Haitian starting goalkeeper Marc-Evens Lubin parried an initial shot on goal, cutting the deficit to 3-1. But Haiti restored their three-goal advantage before halftime, when Eddyson Paul-Jean intercepted a short backpass to Sang and rounded the goalkeeper to slot home, making the score 4-1 at the break.

    Coming out of the halftime interval, the Grenadiers continued their attacking pressure. Dumorne notched his second goal of the game in the 41st minute, pushing the score to 5-1, and Haiti sealed the win with a 52nd-minute penalty. Ronelson Pelé Janvier converted the spot kick after a Dominican defender handled the ball in the area, closing out the 6-1 rout.

    For Haiti, this semi-final victory books a spot in the August 23 grand final against Jamaica’s U-14 Reggae Boyz. It also marks a major milestone for the country’s youth soccer program: Haiti lifted the CFU U-14 Challenge trophy in both 2021 and 2022, and the team has now achieved its pre-tournament goal of reaching the final to defend those past titles. Throughout the 2026 tournament, the Grenadiers have posted strong results, including wins over French Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, with their only group stage loss coming against Puerto Rico’s Huracanes Azul.

    The all-Haitian technical staff, led by Alexandre, has emphasized developing homegrown young talent throughout the tournament, setting the stage for a highly anticipated title clash with Jamaica this weekend.