Carib Scope

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  • Investments : USD$69 for the modernization of Les Cayes airport and the rehabilitation of RN2

    Investments : USD$69 for the modernization of Les Cayes airport and the rehabilitation of RN2

    In a landmark move to boost economic connectivity and regional development in southern Haiti, the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) Board of Executive Directors greenlit $69 million in non-reimbursable financing on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, for two critical infrastructure projects: the full modernization of Les Cayes International Airport and the rehabilitation of high-priority segments of National Route 2 (RN2).

    The airport modernization initiative marks a pivotal turning point for connectivity across southern Haiti, a region that has long faced limitations in reliable transportation for people, commercial cargo, and life-saving emergency supplies. The project is structured to bring the facility’s aviation safety protocols fully in line with global international standards, creating a resilient alternative transportation hub for the entire southern corridor. Work will be rolled out in sequential phases to minimize disruptions to existing operations, with capacity expansions designed to accommodate projected passenger and cargo demand through 2045.

    Key upgrades to Les Cayes Airport include expanding the main runway to a width of 30 meters, resurfacing the aircraft apron and updating pavement navigation markings, installing state-of-the-art aeronautical lighting and enhanced approach systems to support safer operations in all weather conditions, deploying cutting-edge meteorological observation technology, and constructing a reinforced perimeter fence to improve site security. The project also includes new purpose-built operational infrastructure, including a modern air traffic control tower and a dedicated rescue and firefighting facility.

    Complementing the airport upgrades, the initiative will deliver structural rehabilitation to 11 kilometers of RN2 along the busy Étang de Miragoâne–Carrefour Moussignac corridor. As southern Haiti’s primary arterial roadway connecting the region to Port-au-Prince and Haiti’s core economic centers, improved RN2 will create a more continuous, safe, and reliable route for all traffic.

    When completed, these two projects will work in tandem with other ongoing infrastructure investments in the region, including upgrades to the Port of Saint-Louis du Sud and the Les Cayes–Jérémie road link, to create a synergistic, interconnected transport network. The combined upgrades are expected to lower trade barriers, strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to natural disasters and public health emergencies, expand local access to national and international markets and essential services, generate sustained local job opportunities, and deepen regional economic integration across the Caribbean.

    The initiative will deliver immediate, tangible benefits to more than 61,000 annual air travelers and 6,500 daily roadway users, who will experience more reliable schedules, reduced travel times, and vastly improved safety. Beyond physical infrastructure, the program also includes dedicated technical assistance to build the institutional and operational capacity of Haiti’s Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communications (MTPTC). This capacity building will improve the country’s ability to manage and execute major infrastructure projects, ensure the long-term sustainability of the new investments, and boost efficiency in future infrastructure maintenance and development across the country.

  • Preserving Belize’s Rich and Diverse Food Heritage

    Preserving Belize’s Rich and Diverse Food Heritage

    On June 24, 2026, the Museum of Belizean Arts in Belize City came alive with the sizzle of frying banana fritters and the rich, savory scent of spiced fried snapper, as the Belize Food Heritage Project hosted a community-focused cookout and workshop. This hands-on gathering brought together a diverse group of stakeholders: seasoned local chefs, lifelong cultural practitioners, everyday community members, and avid food lovers, all united by a shared mission to document, protect, and celebrate the extraordinary mosaic of Belize’s food culture.

    At the core of the initiative is an ambitious long-term goal: securing a spot for Belizean culinary traditions on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, according to Rolando Cocom, Director of the Institute for Social and Cultural Research, which leads the project. Cocom explained that by the project’s conclusion, the team aims to catalog 80 distinct Belizean food traditions, complete with verified recipes, high-quality visual documentation, and oral histories. To build local capacity for this work, participating community members have received training in professional photography and videography, skills they put into practice at the cookout, where they documented their own cooking processes to add to the project’s growing national inventory.

    This inventory, Cocom noted, is the same foundational resource that supported Belize’s successful 2025 nomination of Christmas Brammen Sambar to the UNESCO intangible heritage list, clearing a path for future international recognition of the country’s food culture.

    The event was far more than a showcase: it was a hands-on exchange of intergenerational knowledge centered on traditional cooking techniques that have been passed down through centuries. Many chefs prepared their dishes on a fiyahaat, Belize’s traditional open-hearth cooking apparatus, and shared the closely guarded secrets that give local dishes their distinct character.

    Baselio Pook, a chef from Racho Dolores who has cooked on open hearths for more than 18 years, summed up his approach simply: proper seasoning is everything. Pook explained that balanced seasoning, with a careful hand for salt, makes all the difference, and he swears by oak wood for heating his hearth, as it infuses a one-of-a-kind smoky flavor into his dishes. He also highlighted the superior flavor of free-range local Belizean chicken, noting that while the commercially raised broiler chicken has a softer texture, the slower-cooking, foraged local chicken delivers a far deeper, richer taste that can’t be replicated.

    Another participating chef, Ainsley Castro, tested his own open-hearth skills preparing a hearty beef soup served with callaloo and chaya white rice infused with fresh coconut milk, after years away from traditional open-fire cooking. Castro emphasized that the core ingredient for any great traditional Belizean dish is not a spice or cut of meat, but intention: “The key to a good fire heart beef soup is starting with the love that you’re preparing it with your mind, and make sure that it come out good.” After years off the hearth, Castro found his skills remained sharp, proving that practice and passion keep culinary traditions alive.

    For emerging chef Sasha Eiley, who worked alongside veteran cook Dorla Guiterez to prepare fried fish, banana fritters, hiu, and grapefruit porridge, the workshop offered far more than just cooking tips. She learned little-known regional variations of staple dishes, including “sweat rice,” a unique preparation from the Flowers Bank area that involves harvesting unripe green rice, boiling it, sun-drying it, and processing it by hand to produce a distinct brown finished rice. Beyond recipes, Eiley gained insight into the cultural histories and community stories that make Belizean cuisine unique.

    Beyond cultural preservation, the initiative also frames Belize’s food heritage as a driver for sustainable growth across the country. Project leaders are exploring how elevating traditional food practices can boost cultural tourism, create new economic opportunities for small-scale food producers and chefs, and strengthen resilient, sustainable local food systems. Cocom noted that food heritage is a core draw for tourism, offering both returning Belizeans from the diaspora and international visitors an authentic, immersive connection to the country’s history and identity.

    As the day of cooking, sharing, and documenting came to a close, the event reinforced a simple truth at the heart of Belize’s culinary traditions: behind every iconic dish is generations of knowledge, community connection, and love – the secret ingredient that ties Belize’s food heritage to its people, past and future.

  • Morales Ojeda denounces U.S. intention to take over Cuba

    Morales Ojeda denounces U.S. intention to take over Cuba

    HAVANA, June 24 – A top leader of Cuba’s ruling Communist Party has publicly condemned long-standing United States policy toward his country, saying Washington’s end goal is to achieve complete political and economic domination over the Caribbean island. Roberto Morales Ojeda, who serves as a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party Central Committee and the body’s Organization Secretary, made the accusation in a post published to his official Facebook profile, echoing longstanding Cuban pushback against decades of U.S. pressure.

  • Belize Launches First Homegrown Dental Academy

    Belize Launches First Homegrown Dental Academy

    In a landmark step to strengthen Belize’s public health infrastructure and expand access to oral care training, the Central American nation has launched its first homegrown dental training institute, the Magazine Dental Academy, set to welcome its first cohort of students this summer.

    For years, Belizean residents hoping to enter the dental profession have been forced to travel abroad to complete accredited training, a pathway that comes with prohibitive costs that block many talented aspiring clinicians from pursuing their career goals. This new academy eliminates that barrier, keeping training local and making dental education accessible to a far broader pool of applicants.

    Founded by Dr. Osbert Usher, who also serves as the academy’s president, the institution has a dual mission: growing the domestic dental workforce and tackling the root causes of widespread chronic disease across Belize. Medical research has long established a clear connection between poor oral health and the development of serious systemic conditions including heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory illness – a link Usher aims to address through expanded prevention and community education.

    “In Belize, we do have a lot of systemic disease that plague our population. And most of these things initiate from the oral cavity. And as such, we want to educate more cadre of students so that they can go out eventually and treat and educate patient so that in their latter years they don’t end up with these systemic diseases,” Usher explained in an interview ahead of the academy’s official launch this Friday.

    The academy is designed to train mid-tier dental providers who can fill critical gaps in Belize’s current care system. Each 12-month training program will have capacity for 25 new students, allowing the institution to graduate a new cohort of qualified professionals every year. Usher estimates that Belize currently needs roughly 100 additional trained dental care workers to meet existing demand for oral health services that link directly to preventing long-term chronic illness.

    Graduates of the program will earn qualifications that allow them to carry out a wide range of core dental services: they will deliver oral health education to communities and local schools, treat early-stage gum disease, conduct screenings for cavities and other oral conditions, administer fluoride treatments, and refer patients with more complex health needs to fully licensed specialist dentists.

    Applications for the academy’s inaugural cohort, which is scheduled to begin classes on July 16, are still open to interested candidates. The initiative marks a foundational shift in Belize’s approach to public health, turning local training into a tool for long-term improvement in population health outcomes that extends far beyond oral care.

  • Daly Challenges Young Athletes After Successful Super Nationals

    Daly Challenges Young Athletes After Successful Super Nationals

    In a motivational address to emerging athletic talent across Belize, Minister of State for Tourism, Youths and Sports Devin Daly has issued a bold challenge to participants of the just-concluded first-ever Super Nationals, urging the young competitors to chase ambitious long-term goals rooted in personal discipline and clear purpose.

    Launched as a groundbreaking new multi-sport initiative for Belizean youth, the inaugural Super Nationals brought together hundreds of the nation’s most promising young athletes from every region of the country. Far more than a simple competition, the event was crafted to fill a critical gap in the national youth sports ecosystem: it serves as a dedicated platform to nurture young talent, identify standout athletes for future development, and elevate the standard of domestic youth competition across all disciplines.

    Drawing from his own journey from youth athlete to senior government leader, Daly connected with the audience through a deeply personal backstory that resonated with the student-athletes in attendance. “Not so many years ago, I was standing right where you are,” he shared. Daly’s own athletic path began with basketball, a passion he still holds today. Balancing academic progress with skill development, he earned a high school opportunity after primary education, then parlayed strong academic performance and dedicated training into an athletic scholarship to study in the United States. After completing his college degree, he went on to compete professionally in basketball before entering public service.

    Daly emphasized that his story holds a lesson for every young athlete still navigating their own path, noting that it is normal for competitors to adjust their goals or switch sports as they grow and explore their strengths. Regardless of where an athlete’s journey leads, he said, three core principles will always serve as a foundation for lasting success – what he calls the “three Cs”: communication, commitment, and consistency.

    “First, you have to be clear about what you want, and communicate that openly to the people around you – your parents, your family, your coaches and support team,” Daly explained. Once your goals are out in the open, the next step is unwavering commitment: if a coach offers to train at 6 a.m. every day for your sport, whether that’s football, basketball, track or any other discipline, you show up on time, ready to work. The final and most often overlooked principle, Daly said, is consistency. While a tiny fraction of the population boasts innate talent that requires little effort to excel, the vast majority of successful athletes build their achievements through steady, repeated work over time.

    The first edition of the Super Nationals has been hailed as a resounding success, laying the groundwork for what organizers hope will become a staple annual event for Belizean youth sports, opening new pathways for athletic and personal growth for generations of competitors to come.

  • Twee krachtige aardbevingen treffen Venezuela, gebouwen ingestort

    Twee krachtige aardbevingen treffen Venezuela, gebouwen ingestort

    On a Wednesday evening, Venezuela was hit by an extremely rare geological event: two powerful earthquakes struck within just one minute of each other off the nation’s northern Caribbean coast. Recorded at magnitudes 7.1 and 7.5 respectively, the consecutive quakes rank among the most intense seismic events to strike the South American nation in more than 100 years.

    Data published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) details the exact positioning of the two seismic events. The first tremor had its epicenter located west of the coastal community Morón, roughly 168 kilometers west of Venezuela’s capital Caracas, at a shallow depth of 13 kilometers below the Earth’s surface. Less than 60 seconds after the first shock, a second, stronger 7.5-magnitude quake hit just 16 kilometers southwest of Morón, at an even shallower depth of 10 kilometers.

    The powerful shaking was felt sharply across the entire northern region of the country, including the capital Caracas, where widespread structural damage was immediately reported. Multiple buildings collapsed across the capital, forcing panicked residents to evacuate swaying, unstable structures and gather outside in the wake of the tremors. Witness accounts and on-site photos show crumbled exterior walls in multiple residential neighborhoods, with damaged household furniture visible out in the streets from partially collapsed buildings. Dense clouds of dust and debris were also reported in heavily trafficked commercial areas including popular restaurants and retail stores, leaving many residents visibly shaken by the sudden disaster.

    In response to the large coastal quakes, the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued an emergency tsunami warning for the Virgin Islands shortly after the seismic event. Authorities in the Dominican Republic quickly followed with their own public safety warning for coastal areas. A tsunami warning issued for Puerto Rico was lifted within a short timeframe after no abnormal sea level movements were detected.

  • Shyne Teases Big Names for Upcoming Tour Dates

    Shyne Teases Big Names for Upcoming Tour Dates

    Nearly two decades after first rising to fame as a hip-hop artist, Shyne Barrow is stepping away from a career in politics to reembrace his first passion: full-time work in the entertainment industry. Fresh off a high-profile, sold-out collaborative performance in Atlantic City over the weekend, the multi-hyphenate creator opened up about his new professional chapter, upcoming projects, and heavily anticipated national tour in an exclusive interview.

    Barrow, who most recently served in political office in Belize, confirmed that his first official full headline tour will launch at the end of September, and he already has lined up a slate of major guest acts to join him on the road. While he is holding off on confirming the full roster of supporting artists, he teased that an official announcement revealing all participating names is scheduled for mid-July, giving fans just a few weeks to wait for the full details.

    The Atlantic City warm-up performance gave audiences a taste of what to expect from the upcoming tour: Barrow shared the Boardwalk Hall stage over the weekend with A-list hip-hop and R&B acts Meek Mill, T.I., and Eve, playing for a packed crowd of more than 15,000 excited concertgoers. He added that a handful of additional small preview dates will take place before the official full tour kicks off this fall.

    Beyond touring, Barrow is juggling a robust slate of new entertainment projects set to launch over the coming year. His new full-length studio album is scheduled to drop this coming November, followed by a currently untitled original TV series and a book set for release in 2027. Even as he shifts his focus to growing his entertainment career, Barrow emphasized that he remains fully committed to his public service work for the people of Belize, blending his cultural influence and political experience in this new chapter of his professional life.

    This report is adapted from a transcribed evening television broadcast, with original Kriol language content preserved via a standardized spelling system for accuracy.

  • Tsang wil onderzoek naar UNESCO-risico voor historisch Paramaribo

    Tsang wil onderzoek naar UNESCO-risico voor historisch Paramaribo

    Paramaribo, the capital city of Suriname, has held a prized spot on UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 2002, recognized globally for its one-of-a-kind fusion of Dutch colonial architectural traditions and indigenous Caribbean building styles. But that protected status is now under unprecedented threat, with two recent construction projects — a new National Assembly parliamentary chamber and a privately owned parking garage — identified as violations of UNESCO’s heritage conservation rules that could push the historic downtown district onto the organization’s *List of World Heritage in Danger*.

    In remarks delivered Tuesday during budget debate in Suriname’s National Assembly, Minister of Public Works and Spatial Planning Stephen Tsang sounded the alarm over the looming risk, calling for a full, independent investigation into how the unregulated construction moved forward despite clear UNESCO guidelines for the protected site. In a frank address to legislators, Tsang emphasized that the threat to Paramaribo’s heritage status was entirely avoidable, noting that both high-profile projects were already nearly complete when he took office, leaving little room for intervention to reverse the damage.

    “When I assumed my post, the Yogh parking garage was 95 percent finished, and the new parliamentary assembly chamber had already been built up to its roof,” Tsang told lawmakers. He added that during his previous term as a member of parliament, he repeatedly raised formal questions about the design and approval process for the new parliamentary chamber, but never received clear, satisfactory answers from previous administrations. According to Tsang, the National Assembly never formally approved the final design of the chamber that was ultimately constructed, and all key recommendations UNESCO issued to guide construction work on the site were ignored by project planners and previous officials.

    The minister stressed that the international community now views the unregulated construction as a direct threat to the outstanding universal value that earned Paramaribo its World Heritage designation, and he has proposed launching a joint investigation with the National Assembly to trace the full chain of decision-making that led to the crisis. “We need to sit down together as a legislature and executive to unpack exactly how this situation was allowed to develop,” Tsang said.

    UNESCO’s *List of World Heritage in Danger* does not immediately strip a site of its World Heritage status, but it functions as a formal, high-level warning that the site’s unique cultural and historical value is under severe threat. The designation is designed to pressure national governments to implement corrective measures to remove threats to protected heritage sites. Placement on the danger list can also have long-term impacts on a destination’s international reputation and cultural tourism economy, which often relies heavily on the cachet of World Heritage designation to draw visitors.

    Tsang’s call for an investigation comes as debate over balancing heritage conservation, restoration work, and modern urban development within Paramaribo’s historic center grows increasingly urgent across Suriname’s political and cultural spheres. The minister made clear his priority is to full uncover how the two unauthorized projects moved forward, and to assess the full scope of potential damage to Paramaribo’s standing as a globally recognized cultural heritage site.

  • Derde helft WK 2026: Marokko breekt taai Haïti na spectaculaire strijd

    Derde helft WK 2026: Marokko breekt taai Haïti na spectaculaire strijd

    On Tuesday evening, a high-scoring, action-packed Group C clash at Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium near Boston sealed Morocco’s place in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as the 2022 semi-finalists edged a valiant Haiti side 4-2. The Caribbean underdogs pushed their more fancied opponents to the final minutes, but Morocco’s greater tournament experience and elite individual quality ultimately proved decisive in a game that swung wildly from start to finish, bringing Haiti’s inspiring World Cup run to an end.

    The match got off to a sensational start, with Haiti grabbing an early lead in the 10th minute. An unlucky deflection off Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine “Bono” Bounou sent the ball rolling into his own net, sending thousands of travelling Haitian supporters into raptures and boosting the underdogs’ belief that they could pull off another major upset. After the early setback, Morocco dominated possession and pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but struggled to break down Haiti’s well-drilled defensive block. It was not until the 39th minute that the North Africans finally found a deserved leveller, as Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi finished off a fine team move to draw the score level at 1-1.

    Before the first half could wrap up, the match delivered another twist. In the 43rd minute, Wesley Isidor put Haiti back in front after a clever build-up from Jean Duverne, leaving the Moroccan side reeling. But the Caribbeans’ joy was short-lived: deep into first-half stoppage time at 45+1, Ismael Saibari netted off another assist from Hakimi to restore parity at 2-2, sending both sides into the halftime break all square.

    The second half continued to deliver end-to-end entertainment. Haiti maintained its aggressive, high-energy approach, looking to hit Morocco on the counter with pace and intensity, while the North Africans held most of the ball and probed patiently for gaps in the Haitian defence. The game’s decisive moment arrived in the 78th minute, when Soufiane Rahimi collected a pinpoint pass from Chadi Riad and fired home to put Morocco ahead for the first time all game, making the score 3-2. Barely had Haiti processed the setback when another blow followed just a minute later, as tempers flared in a heated passage of play that saw Duckens Nazon and Haitian goalkeeper Johny Placide both receive yellow cards.

    In the closing stages, Haiti threw everything forward in search of an equaliser, but their all-out attacking approach left space at the back for Morocco’s dangerous forwards to exploit. The Atlas Lions capitalised on the space in stoppage time, netting a fourth goal to put the result beyond doubt and secure a 4-2 full-time score.

    The three points from the win confirm Morocco’s progression to the knockout round as Group C’s second-placed team, finishing behind group leaders Brazil, who topped the table to secure their own knockout spot. While Haiti exits the tournament, the underdog side leaves the competition with heads held high. Throughout their 2026 World Cup campaign, the Caribbean side proved they can compete with the world’s top teams, impressing audiences and pundits alike with their fearless attacking style, relentless fighting spirit, and uncompromising approach to the game. Bosnia and Herzegovina also closed out their tournament with a win, but fell short of the points required to advance to the knockout stage.

    This result once again underlines why Morocco has emerged as one of Africa’s strongest men’s football nations over the past decade. The side that made history as the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final in 2022 once again showed their composure under intense pressure, stepping up when it mattered most to see off a spirited challenger. For Haiti, the match proved that Caribbean football is continuing its rapid development. Playing without fear of their more established opponent, Haiti attacked from the first whistle and pushed Morocco to the very final whistle. While Morocco left the pitch relieved to have secured their progression, Haiti departed with disappointment balanced by a quiet pride in a performance that earned the side new respect on the global football stage.

  • Storm batters over 100 Essequibo Coast buildings; one injured

    Storm batters over 100 Essequibo Coast buildings; one injured

    On Wednesday, 24 June 2026, a severe windstorm with gusts exceeding 30 kilometres per hour swept across Guyana’s Essequibo Coast, leaving a trail of destruction across more than 100 public and private structures, local authorities confirmed. The extreme weather event left one person injured and forced four residents to temporarily leave their damaged homes in Henrietta village.

    Visual evidence shared on President Irfaan Ali’s official Facebook page shows multiple structures with their entire roofs torn away by the strong winds. One local resident described the sudden violence of the storm, recounting that wind combined with heavy rain lifted all the zinc roofing from his home and dragged it across the property, leaving all of his personal belongings destroyed with nothing salvageable.

    Retired Colonel Nazrul Hussain, head of Guyana’s Civil Defence Commission (CDC), told local outlet Demerara Waves Online News that the injured person was a teacher working at Riverstown Primary School, who was hurt when a section of the school’s wall collapsed under the wind. No other injuries were reported at the school, and the teacher has been placed under ongoing medical observation to monitor her recovery. “They are conducting all necessary precautionary tests to confirm she is out of danger and on track to recover,” Hussain stated.

    The four residents displaced by the storm, all elderly, have been moved to stay with relatives while repair works are carried out on their damaged properties. Regional administration for Pomeroon-Supenaam (Region Two) alongside Guyana’s central government have already launched full rehabilitation efforts, with the displaced residents’ homes prioritized for rapid repairs to allow them to return as soon as possible. Outside of the Essequibo Coast, damage across other parts of Guyana remained minimal, Hussain added.

    Among the damaged infrastructure was an under-construction regional stadium, which sustained mild to moderate damage from the gale-force winds. “Overall damage is not widespread across the region, but we have seen a partial structural collapse in Charity and measurable harm to the new stadium currently under development,” Hussain explained. A senior Region Two official briefing President Ali and Junior Public Works Minister Madanlall Ramraj confirmed that the storm caused severe damage to both government and privately owned properties along the entire Essequibo Coast, with 10 roofs destroyed in the village of Lima alone.

    In response to the disaster, President Ali announced that the Guyana Defence Force’s Engineering Corps has been deployed to support the CDC’s roof replacement and recovery operations. The storm also knocked out power across the entire Essequibo Coast, but utility crews from Guyana Power and Light quickly restored service after clearing fallen utility poles, downed power lines and wind-torn mangled zinc roofing that had tangled electrical infrastructure.