Carib Scope

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  • Lawmakers welcome new safeguards for credit union members

    Lawmakers welcome new safeguards for credit union members

    After decades of uneven financial protection for Barbados’ small-scale savers, the House of Assembly has passed a landmark piece of legislation that extends deposit insurance coverage to credit union members, ending a long-standing two-tier system that left hundreds of thousands of ordinary depositors unprotected. The Protection of Depositors Insurance Bill, which has drawn bipartisan support from veteran lawmakers and cabinet ministers, aligns regulatory protection for credit unions with that of commercial banks, cementing the sector’s place in the country’s formal financial ecosystem. For Christ Church West Member of Parliament Dr. William Duguid, a long-serving parliamentarian, the bill represents the finalization of a project launched 20 years ago, when deposit insurance was first rolled out for commercial bank customers. Until now, bank depositors enjoyed a government-backed safety net if their institution failed, while credit union members were left with no such guarantee—a disparity Duguid and other supporters have pushed to eliminate.

    “This nullifies this two-tier system,” Duguid told the house. “We in Barbados don’t want a two-tier system, that only the banks got the coverage and the credit unions ain’t got none. We’re saying no.” To illustrate the real-world impact of the new law, Duguid shared the example of Dolores, a small-scale food vendor from Sargeant’s Village who saves small increments of her income. The bill, he explained, will give peace of mind to savers like her, guaranteeing that even if their credit union collapses, they will recover their savings up to a cap of $25,000.

    “This legislation is to protect her,” he said. “Through this legislation, Dolores could say, you ain’t got to worry, your money insured, and after a period of time, you’re going to get back your money, and that’s what this legislation is about. That’s what this legislation is about, protecting the small man, the man that just got the $25 000, the $20 000, the $10 000, the $5 000, whatever it is up to $25 000.”

    Beyond core deposit protection, Duguid highlighted two key structural provisions that make the legislation flexible and efficient. First, the law requires periodic reviews of the $25,000 coverage limit every three years, eliminating the need for full parliamentary amendments to adjust coverage amounts as economic conditions shift. Second, the bill establishes a dedicated public corporation that will also act as the official liquidation authority if a credit union fails, cutting through bureaucratic red tape to speed up compensation for eligible depositors. For Duguid, the entire framework aligns perfectly with the core credit union ethos of “people helping people,” a principle that has guided the movement since its founding in Barbados.

    Minister of Labour Colin Jordan, the Member of Parliament for St Peter, echoed Duguid’s support, framing the bill as a historic recognition of credit unions as foundational institutions for working-class Barbadians. Jordan noted that the credit union movement grew directly out of grassroots community financial systems including the landship, susu, and meeting turn—traditional collective savings models created by ordinary people to overcome systemic financial exclusion. Today, he added, the sector boasts roughly 200,000 members, meaning a majority of Barbados’ population relies on credit unions for daily savings and financial services.

    “Credit unions represent the people’s institutions,” Jordan said. “The bill represented another step in recognising the importance and legitimacy of credit unions within the financial system. Offering protection to depositors in these institutions is another step in saying to those depositors, those owners of these institutions, the state sees you. The state understands that these are credible institutions. And the state is prepared to put systems in place that will further protect your investments in your institutions.”

    Jordan acknowledged that some smaller credit unions have raised concerns about the cost of participating in the new insurance scheme, but argued that protecting ordinary depositors must take priority over institutional cost concerns. He emphasized that the bill targets exactly the demographic that has the most to lose from a credit union collapse: working people with modest savings who built the movement from the ground up. To support the launch of the scheme, the government has committed a $1.7 million contribution to the initial insurance fund, a investment Jordan said demonstrates the administration’s commitment to standing with working Barbadians and the community institutions they built.

    “This investment says to the people of this country that we understand the role of the credit union movement, we recognise its importance, and we are prepared to allocate resources to make sure that the people of this country are protected,” Jordan said. Closing his address to the house, Jordan commended the bill to lawmakers and the public, reaffirming the government’s commitment to supporting institutions built by and for ordinary people. “We stand with the people. We stand with their institutions,” he said. “I commend this protection of depositors bill to this house and to this country.”

  • Island economy Taiwan moves into global top four for competitiveness

    Island economy Taiwan moves into global top four for competitiveness

    Against a backdrop of rising geopolitical tension and accelerating global economic fragmentation, small open economies are redefining what it means to compete on the world stage. In a striking shift that underscores this new paradigm, Taiwan has secured its highest-ever position in the International Institute for Management Development (IMD)’s annual World Competitiveness Ranking, jumping two spots to claim fourth place among the 70 global economies evaluated for 2026.

    Released by the Switzerland-based leading business and international management research body, the 2026 ranking places only three economies ahead of Taiwan: Singapore, which retains the top spot, followed by Hong Kong in second and Switzerland in third. Rounding out the 2026 top 10 are the United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States, which landed in 10th place — an outcome that highlights Taiwan’s outperformance of far larger, more populous advanced economies. When ranked by population size, Taiwan is one of the smallest economies to break into the top 10 bracket, a feat that aligns closely with the core findings of this year’s IMD report.

    This year’s analysis upends long-held assumptions about what drives national competitiveness. The IMD concludes that in the current global economic climate, competitive advantage is no longer primarily determined by the total size of an economy or low production costs. Instead, it hinges far more heavily on less tangible, governance-focused factors: institutional credibility, clear and predictable regulatory frameworks, and robust capacity to absorb unforeseen economic shocks. As geopolitical rifts and supply chain disruptions continue to roil global markets, the report finds that economies with mature legal systems and trustworthy, stable institutions have consistently gained a competitive edge over their peers.

    Taiwan’s climb from sixth place in the 2025 ranking was fueled by broad-based improvements across all four core competitiveness pillars that the IMD measures: economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure. Strong year-over-year GDP expansion and robust export growth served as key near-term drivers of the jump in ranking. Taiwan’s representative to Switzerland, Wang Szu-wei, attributed the sustained upgrade to a confluence of structural gains: the repatriation of Taiwanese businesses, skilled talent, and overseas capital back to the island, paired with rapid growth in high-value manufacturing, expanded investment in research and development, and breakout progress in the domestic artificial intelligence sector.

    The report’s findings carry broader implications for small economies and island nations beyond Taiwan, including small developing states like Saint Lucia. For smaller economic entities seeking to carve out stable footholds in the increasingly fragmented global system, the 2026 ranking makes clear that prioritizing strong institutional foundations, pro-business regulatory environments, and adaptive capacity to respond to shifting global conditions has become far more critical than relying on traditional advantages tied to size or low labor costs. In an era of constant economic volatility, the report confirms that intentional investment in governance and resilience can help even the smallest economies outperform much larger global rivals.

  • Insurance gaps leave Barbados exposed to climate, economic shocks, minister warns

    Insurance gaps leave Barbados exposed to climate, economic shocks, minister warns

    As a small island nation on the front lines of accelerating climate change, Barbados faces urgent pressure to expand insurance coverage across critical economic sectors including housing and agriculture to cut the crippling post-disaster financial burden that falls on public coffers, the country’s Minister of Economic Affairs Marsha Caddle has emphasized. Her comments came during Tuesday’s parliamentary debate on the newly introduced Protection of Depositors Bill, legislation designed to extend formal insurance protection to savings held by credit union members across the island.

    While Caddle publicly affirmed that the new deposit insurance framework marks a meaningful and necessary step forward for Barbados’ financial system, she stressed that equivalent risk-mitigating protections remain sorely lacking across most other parts of the national economy. “That this bill strengthens and makes insurance accessible to credit union depositors is key,” Caddle told lawmakers during the debate. “But frankly, so are all the other kinds of insurance.”

    Barbados, like many other small Caribbean island states, faces repeated and intensifying extreme weather events linked to the climate crisis, and consistently struggles to cover the massive costs of post-disaster recovery and reconstruction. Caddle identified low insurance penetration across high-risk sectors as one of the core structural drivers of this ongoing fiscal challenge. “Whether we’re talking about reinsurance in agriculture, whether we’re talking about home insurance in cases where there may be damage to homes as a result of severe weather events, penetration of insurance is critical,” she explained.

    Drawing a comparison to higher-income economies such as the United States and the United Kingdom, Caddle noted that those nations’ more robust disaster response systems are rooted in far higher insurance uptake among individual households and private businesses. When more property and assets are covered by private insurance, the public sector is not forced to absorb the vast majority of recovery costs after a major weather event. “When you have a lower penetration of insurance, it means that the state now has to bear the cost of whatever that event is,” she said. For small developing island states like Barbados, that unplanned fiscal burden can set back national development goals for years, she added.

    Beyond expanding access to coverage, Caddle also highlighted the need for broader public education to help Barbadians understand the core value of insurance as a long-term risk management tool, even when no immediate payout is received after paying premiums. “We understand that people often think, ‘Why am I putting money into this thing that I may never see a return from?’” she said. “But that is what you call managing your risk, and it is worth it, particularly when the risk is changing and increasing and coming closer to home every time.”

    Caddle framed the debate over credit union deposit insurance as a jumping-off point for broader policy action to close persistent insurance gaps that leave homeowners, farmers and other climate-vulnerable groups exposed to crippling financial losses. Closing these gaps would not only protect individual households and businesses, she argued, but also speed up disaster recovery efforts that are often delayed by the enormous uncompensated costs governments are forced to cover. “Just like depositors need to be able to secure the money that they put in a credit union or a bank, homeowners need to be able to secure their investments, farmers need to be able to secure their investments,” Caddle said. “All of us need to be able to make sure that we are managing the risk in our lives every day.”

  • Simons en Mitchell zien kansen voor nauwere samenwerking binnen Caricom

    Simons en Mitchell zien kansen voor nauwere samenwerking binnen Caricom

    On the sidelines of the 6th annual Suriname Energy, Oil & Gas Summit and Exhibition (SEOGS), top leaders of Suriname and Grenada have held high-level talks focused on expanding bilateral and regional collaboration across multiple priority sectors, laying new groundwork for strengthened ties within the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

    Suriname’s President Jennifer Simons hosted Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell for the closed-door meeting at the Surinamese presidential palace on Tuesday, during the energy conference that has drawn regional and global industry and government leaders this year. This meeting marked Mitchell’s first participation in a major regional energy-focused conference, after he accepted a personal invitation from Simons to attend the 2026 SEOGS.

    In statements released by Suriname’s Communication Service following the meeting, President Simons emphasized the fundamental value of robust bilateral partnerships among Caricom member states as small island and developing Caribbean nations navigate shifting global economic conditions and shared cross-border challenges. “As nations working to unlock new economic opportunities while confronting pressing global challenges, it is essential that we continue exchanging expertise and exploring pathways for closer collaboration, particularly in energy development, sustainable growth, climate resilience, and economic diversification,” Simons said. She added that Mitchell’s attendance at the 2026 SEOGS created an ideal opportunity to deepen bilateral relations and advance aligned policy goals shared by the two countries.

    For his part, Prime Minister Mitchell commended Suriname’s approach to developing its emergent oil and gas sector, noting that the South American Caribbean nation has emerged as a responsible model for resource development. “We look to Suriname as an example of a country that pursues oil and gas exploration in a responsible manner while advancing the core economic interests of its people,” Mitchell said. Like Suriname, Grenada is currently working to develop its own domestic oil and gas industry, making knowledge-sharing and collaboration in this sector a top talking point for the bilateral meeting.

    Beyond energy development, the two leaders covered a wide range of shared regional priorities, including renewable energy expansion, food security, improved regional connectivity, and the growing impacts of climate change. Mitchell noted that these cross-cutting issues form a strong foundation for deeper collective action across all Caricom member states. He also highlighted that small island developing states (SIDS) like Grenada remain disproportionately vulnerable to climate change, and require increased international financial support to build resilience and recover from climate-linked disasters.

    The Grenadian prime minister also extended praise for Suriname’s longstanding environmental leadership, noting the country has maintained its status as one of the world’s few carbon-negative nations through the conservation of its vast tropical forest landscapes. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continued high-level engagement to advance collaborative projects that deliver mutual benefit and support shared regional development goals within Caricom.

  • BUT blames funding gap, closures for private schools outperforming public

    BUT blames funding gap, closures for private schools outperforming public

    Following the release of 2025 Common Entrance examination results that placed private schools clearly ahead of their public-sector counterparts, the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) is pressing the nation’s Ministry of Education Transformation for urgent answers about the growing performance divide between the two education systems.

    BUT President Rudy Lovell is pushing for full transparency from the ministry, arguing that any direct comparison of outcomes between private and public schools is inherently unfair given the stark, well-documented gaps in resourcing, parental participation and operational stability that separate the two sectors. The results released Monday made headlines for one key data point: St Gabriel’s, a private Anglican institution, produced both the top-performing boy and top-performing girl in this year’s Common Entrance examination. Notably, the ministry did not release any additional granular data breaking down top-scoring student distribution between private and public schools, leaving broader trends unconfirmed.

    “There are multiple external factors that could drive this performance gap between public and private education institutions,” Lovell stated in his address to reporters. “We need the ministry to share its own analysis of what factors are leading to private schools consistently outperforming public ones.”

    While Lovell was quick to affirm that teaching staff in both sectors hold equally high qualifications, he outlined three key structural advantages that benefit private schools, starting with funding and resource allocation. This point comes despite Barbados consistently allocating roughly 5% of its gross domestic product to public education, a share that ranks among the highest for North American and Caribbean nations. Even with this substantial government investment, Lovell claims that public school teachers are frequently forced to spend personal funds to cover basic classroom needs that go unmet by public budgets.

    “From our perspective, private schools operate with far more robust resourcing than public institutions,” Lovell explained. “Public school teachers already contribute a huge amount of personal funding to keep their classrooms running, purchasing essential learning materials out of their own pockets. We have yet to see whether private school teachers face the same financial burden, and we want clarity on that.”

    A second key disparity Lovell highlighted is the level of parental engagement. While public schools do receive support from caregivers, he noted that this involvement pales in comparison to the consistent, heavy participation seen in most private school communities, a gap that directly impacts student outcomes.

    The third and most disruptive disadvantage facing public schools, Lovell argued, is ongoing infrastructural and environmental challenges that repeatedly force campus closures. These unplanned shutdowns have severely disrupted the academic calendar for public school students, a crisis that almost never impacts private school operations.

    “Any head-to-head comparison of results is unfair when both sectors follow the exact national curriculum set by the Ministry of Education, but operate in completely different conditions,” Lovell emphasized. “When can anyone remember the last time a private school was forced to close for environmental or infrastructural reasons? This year alone, public schools have faced repeated closures tied to these issues, interrupting learning week after week.”

    Beyond the private-public performance divide, Lovell also raised alarm over the persistent downward trend in male student performance relative to female peers. When asked whether current government efforts to support male learners are sufficient, Lovell replied that far more action is needed, and called on the ministry to implement a full overhaul of public school staffing frameworks.

    A core demand from the BUT is the introduction of specialized teaching roles in core subject areas across public primary schools. “We want to see public schools bring on specialized teachers focused specifically on high-priority subjects like mathematics, English, and reading,” Lovell urged. “This targeted expertise would help address performance gaps and support all learners, including our male students who have been falling behind in recent years.”

  • 40+ Belize Responders Now Ready for Regional Disaster Deployments

    40+ Belize Responders Now Ready for Regional Disaster Deployments

    On June 20, 2026, a week-long intensive disaster response training program hosted for Belizean emergency personnel wrapped up with an official certification ceremony, bringing more than 40 newly qualified responders into the Caribbean’s regional rapid deployment disaster relief network.

    Organized as the 2026 iteration of the CARICOM Disaster Relief Unit (CDRU) National Training Programme, the initiative ran from June 13 to 20, drawing participants from four of Belize’s key emergency response agencies: the Belize Defence Force, Belize Coast Guard, National Fire Service, and Belize Search and Rescue Institute. Over the seven-day program, trainees underwent a blended curriculum of theoretical classroom instruction and hands-on field drills, all crafted to replicate the high-stress conditions of real disaster scenarios.

    Training modules centered on four core competencies critical to effective disaster response: cross-agency relief operation coordination, logistics and supply chain management for crisis situations, establishment of robust emergency communications networks, and cohesive team performance under extreme pressure. These skills are designed not only to boost Belize’s domestic disaster preparedness but also to enable the country’s responders to contribute to regional humanitarian efforts across the Caribbean.

    The CDRU is the primary coordinated humanitarian response mechanism for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), pooling pre-vetted, trained personnel from military, fire, and law enforcement agencies across member states. When large-scale disasters such as hurricanes, floods, or seismic events strike the region, this network can be rapidly mobilized to support affected member states that lack sufficient local response capacity. With the completion of this training, Belize’s 40+ newly certified responders have formally joined this regional standby deployment pool.

    The collaborative training program is a joint initiative between the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and Belize’s National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), with additional logistical and technical support from the Regional Security System (RSS) and Belize’s Ministry of the Public Service and Disaster Risk Management. During the closing certification ceremony, each participant received official documentation recognizing their successful completion of the rigorous program, confirming their qualification to serve both domestic and regional response missions. Officials noted that the expansion of Belize’s trained responder pool will strengthen both the country’s own disaster resilience and the overall capacity of the Caribbean’s collective disaster response system.

  • Setting the record straight – a response to falsehoods

    Setting the record straight – a response to falsehoods

    In response to widespread public speculation and misleading media reports surrounding her appointment and impending departure from the top role at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Tourism Authority, former chief executive Annette Mark has stepped forward to set the record straight, pushing back against unfounded rumors and detailing her years of results-driven public service to the country.

    Mark notes that she rarely engages with public commentary about her professional work, but recent inaccurate claims about her hiring process left her with no choice but to provide clarity for the SVG public. Addressing widespread claims that she was improperly “handpicked” for the CEO role by political actors, Mark confirms that she competed for the position alongside other candidates through a formal recruitment process led by a local SVG firm, contradicting rumors that a foreign recruitment firm led the process. The interview panel, she explains, was composed primarily of local stakeholders, with just one consultant brought in from Barbados. After the initial January interview round, Mark did not receive any update for six months until she was contacted in July about the role, and she had no insight into internal deliberations during that waiting period. At the time of the offer, she was already preparing to leave SVG to pursue professional opportunities abroad, but turned that down to serve her home country, driven by her belief in the untapped potential of SVG’s tourism sector.

    Mark outlines the timeline of her resignation, confirming she formally submitted her resignation on December 29, 2025, with an original effective date of February 28, 2026. Following the swearing-in of the new administration after the recent change in government, Mark met with the new Minister of Tourism roughly one week into his tenure. The meeting was described as cordial and professional, with Mark delivering a full briefing on the Tourism Authority’s ongoing operations, strategic priorities, and ongoing challenges.

    During that meeting, the pair discussed Mark’s pre-planned exit strategy: she had always intended to step down by August 2026. They also explored a potential arrangement where she would remain in the role longer to support a smooth leadership transition while the government sourced a permanent replacement. The minister stated the plan was practically sound, pending approval from his Cabinet colleagues, and asked Mark to formally withdraw her resignation. Mark, who had anticipated the request, already had a withdrawal letter prepared and submitted it during the meeting. Mark emphasizes that the minister explicitly stated during this conversation that he had no objections to her continuing in the role, and that he did not consider an individual’s political party affiliation a relevant factor for the position. The minister’s core expectation, Mark says, was that public office holders deliver professional, effective performance, a statement that led Mark to believe any future decision about her tenure would be based on professional rather than political considerations.

    Before the Cabinet could issue a formal response, Mark was on scheduled vacation leave from December 22, 2025, to January 6, 2026. During this break, she reflected on her long-term plans, and ultimately sent a second letter to the minister on or around December 30, 2025, requesting that she be allowed to remain on vacation until her original February 28 resignation effective date. She committed to remaining available to support a full, organized handover of responsibilities, and during this period, she continued to fulfill key professional commitments – including several requests from the minister herself – and spent significant time compiling a comprehensive handover document detailing all ongoing projects, institutional priorities, and outstanding pending matters.

    Mark stresses that her decision to issue this public clarification is not driven by personal self-interest, but by a commitment to upholding factual public discourse. She argues that public conversation about governance should be rooted in verifiable facts rather than unfounded assumptions or incomplete, politically motivated narratives, adding that holders of public office have a responsibility to uphold the truth.

    Throughout her decades of public service, Mark says she has prioritized professionalism and integrity, and has always centered what is best for SVG regardless of which political party holds office. “Public service is larger than any individual or political party,” she emphasized. What troubles her most, she says, is the growing trend of personalizing public debate to undermine the contributions of public servants who have dedicated decades of their careers to advancing the country. She raised concerns about the example this sets for young Vincentians, questioning what message it sends when public figures advance their own standing by attacking the character, motives and achievements of fellow public servants.

    Rather than engaging in petty personal attacks, Mark has chosen to let her track record of results speak for itself, a step she says she would not normally take. She details a series of landmark wins for SVG’s tourism sector during her tenure: in 2024, despite industry projections that stay-over tourist arrivals would stay below 100,000, SVG exceeded expectations to record more than 101,000 arrivals. In 2025, the country outperformed forecasts once again, hitting approximately 120,000 stay-over arrivals, ranking it among the top-performing tourism destinations in the Caribbean according to regional industry data.

    Major initiatives launched during her leadership include the Diamond Rewards Programme, an incentive scheme designed to encourage international travel advisors to prioritize SVG as a destination; the ongoing conceptualization of a digital transformation of SVG’s tourism sites to deliver more immersive, interactive experiences for visitors; the rebranding and expansion of the popular Bequia Easter Regatta into SVG Sailing Week, which positioned the country as a top regional sailing destination; the development of new plans to upgrade and expand national tourism attractions and visitor experiences; the successful hosting and expansion of the first Emancipation Cricket Festival and Masters Cricket Festival; representation of SVG at key regional and global tourism forums, including her election as Vice Chair and Director of the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s Board; targeted engagement with major international airline partners including Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines to improve air access and connectivity for visitors, including a successful 2025 adjustment to Virgin Atlantic’s summer arrival time from 5:00 pm to 2:00 pm that allows for same-day connections to the outer Grenadines islands; and the creation of the Tourism Ambassador Programme, which recruits high-profile international public figures with Vincentian heritage to promote the destination, including Raja Caruth, Skinny Fabulous, Problem Child, Kevin Lyttle, and Devale and Khadeen Ellis.

    Before taking on the role of CEO at the Tourism Authority, Mark served as executive director of Invest SVG, the country’s investment promotion agency, where she led a series of transformative institutional and economic development projects. Key achievements from that tenure include leading the drafting of SVG’s proposed new Investment Act; expanding the local Everything Vincy business support programme from just 40 participants to more than 120; facilitating SVG’s six-month national participation in Expo 2020 Dubai; developing the first comprehensive five-year strategic plan in Invest SVG’s history; supporting and facilitating major foreign direct investment projects including the new Sandals, Holiday Inn, and Marriott resort developments; and serving as the elected President of the Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies from 2020 to 2022, a position she won via vote from her regional peers.

    Mark concludes by noting that she has never run for public office, and has never measured her success by public recognition. Her core focus throughout her career has always been to deliver meaningful contributions to the institutions and country she has been privileged to serve. While other actors may choose to push politically motivated narratives about her tenure, Mark says she remains proud of her track record, deeply grateful for the opportunities to serve, and confident that history will judge her contributions based on facts, results, and commitment to public service.

    In closing, Mark extended her sincere congratulations to the SVG Tourism Authority and its incoming new management, wishing them every success in their future work advancing the country’s tourism sector through hard work and dedication.

    Disclaimer: This is an opinion piece, with views belonging solely to the author, and does not necessarily represent the official editorial stance of iWitness News.

  • Sports minister pays tribute to basketball ‘icon’ Dwight Rouse

    Sports minister pays tribute to basketball ‘icon’ Dwight Rouse

    The global basketball community and Barbadian sports sector are continuing to flood in with heartfelt tributes for Dwight Rouse, the former national men’s basketball captain and veteran coach who left an indelible mark on the nation’s sporting landscape over more than 50 years. Rouse, who also enjoyed a long tenure representing the Senators Club and served as a senior coach with the National Sports Council, passed away on June 20 after a short battle with illness.

    In an official statement mourning the loss of the legend, Barbados’ Minister of Sport and Community Empowerment Charles Griffith emphasized that Rouse’s standing as a trailblazer for Barbadian basketball would not be forgotten. “I firmly believe that his contributions to the growth of basketball across Barbados and his enduring legacy will be celebrated for generations to come,” Griffith said. “Barbados will remain eternally grateful for this icon of our national game.”

    Standing at six feet seven inches tall, Rouse built a reputation as one of the most dominant defensive forces in Barbadian basketball history during his decorated playing career. He holds the record as the most capped player in Barbados’ national men’s team history, first earning his national cap in 1978. One of the crowning achievements of his on-court career came in 1994, when he led the Barbados national side as captain to claim the Caricom Basketball Championships title. The following year, he was part of the selected squad that traveled to Argentina to compete in pre-Olympic qualifying tournaments. Rouse retired from international competitive play in 1996, but continued competing at the club level until hanging up his boots for good in 2014.

    Yet many across the sporting community agree that Rouse’s most profound and lasting contributions came off the hardwood, where he dedicated decades to nurturing young basketball talent across primary school, secondary school and local club levels. For more than 25 years, he served as a coach with the National Sports Council, and worked tirelessly as a grassroots mentor for emerging athletes, playing a pivotal role in the development of hundreds of Barbadian players who went on to compete at regional and national levels.

  • Family Alleges Autistic Kids Were Discriminated During Graduation Ceremony

    Family Alleges Autistic Kids Were Discriminated During Graduation Ceremony

    A preschool graduation ceremony held at Belize City’s ACC Church has sparked heated accusations of ableism and exclusion, after three young autistic graduates were allegedly pushed out of public view during Friday’s event.

    Relatives of the children, who attend Anglican Diocesan Preschool, say the three students were intentionally separated from their peer group, placed in a hidden seating section far behind the main graduating class block. This positioning left the children completely out of sight for family members, no matter whether relatives were seated in the front rows at the venue or the back sections.

    The aunt of one of the autistic graduates told local reporters that the unusual seating arrangement triggered immediate alarm and frustration among the families. “Right away, I was upset. What are you trying to do here? What message are you sending to parents who have worked so hard to get their children to this milestone? Yes, it is just preschool, but for our families, this is a huge achievement worth celebrating,” she explained in an interview.

    The situation worsened during the traditional graduation march, when other parents stood in the venue aisles to take photos of their own children, creating an additional physical barrier that completely blocked any view of the three separated students. By the time the ceremony reached the seating portion, the children’s positions at the far edge of the venue meant no one in the audience could see them, the aunt added.

    Beyond the problematic seating arrangement at the graduation, the families are also raising broader questions about whether educational institutions in Belize are doing enough to accommodate and support neurodivergent students on the autism spectrum.

    The aunt noted that public discourse has appeared to shift toward greater inclusion in recent years, as autism diagnoses have become more common across the country. But she argues that most schools have failed to keep up with this shift, failing to provide staff with the proper accessibility and neurodiversity training needed to support autistic students.

    What is more, the family claims that the Anglican Diocesan Preschool has repeatedly ignored repeated requests for accessibility accommodations for their child throughout the school year, long before the graduation ceremony controversy.

    Local outlet News 5 has confirmed that it reached out to leadership at Anglican Diocesan Preschool to request a response to the allegations, and as of this reporting, no official statement from the school has been released.

  • The “Ants Nest” That Minister Mira Stirred

    The “Ants Nest” That Minister Mira Stirred

    Nearly one month has passed since Belizean law enforcement seized two mobile phones from former United Democratic Party (UDP) chairman Alberto August during a court-authorized search of his Santa Elena residence, and the former party leader is still waiting for authorities to return his property. August is now publicly questioning the justification for holding the devices, which he maintains contain no evidence of criminal activity.

    The search operation, carried out on May 30, was initiated under a High Court warrant that granted police permission to seize electronic devices from August’s home. The operation took an unplanned turn when officers located a firearm on the property; at the time of the search, August was temporarily unable to present the required license for the weapon. This discovery shifted the entire focus of the raid: officers departed the residence with August’s two personal mobile phones and the firearm, opting to leave all other electronic equipment on-site.

    Following the seizure, August’s legal representative, Michael Peyrefitte, submitted a formal letter to the Director of Public Prosecutions calling for the immediate return of the phones. To date, no action has been taken on that request, leaving August without access to critical personal and professional data.

    Notably, August has never attempted to deny authorship of the Facebook post that sparked the entire investigation in the first place. In a recent statement, he reaffirmed his position: “I told them yes, that I made the post and I will stand by that.” This open admission, he argues, makes the continued retention of his devices entirely unnecessary.

    The prolonged absence of his phones has already caused tangible harm to August’s professional operations. All of his business contracts, digital payment systems, and financial receipts are stored on the devices, meaning every additional day the phones remain in police custody creates new losses for his work.

    Beyond the financial harm, August has raised significant constitutional concerns over a growing rumor that authorities have sought technical support from the U.S. Embassy to unlock the encrypted devices. He pointed to a separate high-profile recent investigation in which Belizean police publicly acknowledged requiring American technical assistance to bypass device security, making the prospect of external involvement in his case far from speculative.

    August pushed back hard against any implication of criminal ties, challenging authorities to produce even the smallest shred of evidence of wrongdoing. “There is absolutely nothing of a criminal nature in my phone,” he said. “If the police or the US Embassy can show me even an iota of evidence that I have been in communication with a cartel, a drug trafficker, a plane lander, human trafficking, kidnapping…then I will freely open the phone for them to examine it.”

    In a striking political turn, August argued that the entire investigation stemmed from actions by Minister Mira, and that more thorough pre-raid investigation would have prevented Mira’s current political predicament: Mira has been sidelined from the Cabinet pending the outcome of an official audit into the matter. August summed up the situation bluntly, saying “the honorable minister stirred an ants nest.”

    Despite the political upheaval, August framed the ongoing controversy as a beneficial moment for the people of Belize, calling the revelations a “blessing in disguise.” He closed with a direct appeal to the officials leading the Cabinet audit, urging them to prioritize uncovering the full truth, no matter what political fallout may follow.