Carib Scope

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  • Kaela George selected for Cricket West Indies high-performance camp

    Kaela George selected for Cricket West Indies high-performance camp

    A promising young talent from the Caribbean island of Dominica, wicket-keeper batter Kaela George, has secured one of just 22 coveted spots at a high-performance development camp for emerging female cricketers organized by Cricket West Indies (CWI).

    George earned her invitation to the elite program after delivering a standout performance at the recently concluded CWI Rising Stars Women’s Under-19 Championship, where her skills on the pitch caught the attention of regional selectors. Launched on August 17 in Antigua, the two-week intensive training initiative will run through to August 29, designed to nurture the next generation of elite cricket talent across the Caribbean region.

    Unlike routine regional competitions, the high-performance camp offers young athletes access to specialized one-on-one coaching, advanced skill-building training sessions, and high-level competitive match exposure that is rarely available to up-and-coming players at the youth level. This targeted development work is intended to help promising players refine their techniques and adapt to the demands of top-tier international cricket.

    Beyond immediate skill development, the camp forms a core part of CWI’s long-term preparation strategy for the 2027 ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup, with the goal of building a competitive, well-trained squad to represent the West Indies at the global tournament. For George specifically, the selection marks a major milestone in her burgeoning career, opening new doors for her development and bringing her one step closer to earning a spot on the senior West Indies women’s national team.

    The Dominica Cricket Association has publicly celebrated George’s achievement, framing her selection as a point of national pride for the small island nation. In an official statement shared on its social media platforms, the association said: “We’re so proud of you, Kaela! Your determination continues to inspire, and we know you’ll make your mark on the international stage.”

  • Mother renews call for justice two years after death of 15-year-old Achazia James

    Mother renews call for justice two years after death of 15-year-old Achazia James

    For Asabi Charles, two full years have passed since her 15-year-old daughter Achazia James – known affectionately to her family as KayKay – lost her life, and still, the fundamental answers her family craves remain out of reach.

    August 18 marked the second anniversary of the teen’s passing, a day Charles used to honor her daughter’s vibrant life, mourn the future that was stolen from her, and highlight the ongoing lack of accountability that continues to haunt her entire family. If Achazia had survived, she would now be 17 years old, on the cusp of either advancing to post-secondary education or stepping into the working world. With the recent release of Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) results across the region, Charles said her grief felt especially sharp, as she could not stop imagining what milestones her daughter might have hit this year.

    In an open letter shared to mark the anniversary, Charles laid bare the unresolved pain her family carries every day. “Still… no justice. Still no one held accountable. Still questions that remain unanswered,” she wrote. The mother explained that over two years, grief has become a quiet, constant companion as she navigates ordinary life, caring for her other children and taking part in the joys of loved ones around her.

    In a striking act of resilience, Charles revealed she has already forgiven the person responsible for her daughter’s death – but that forgiveness has done nothing to dim her demand for full accountability. “It simply means I refuse to allow whoever took your life to take the rest of mine too,” she explained. Her deep-rooted Christian faith, she added, has become a lifeline that has helped her process the loss and hold onto hope that the full truth of her daughter’s death will eventually come to light.

    Charles remembered Achazia as a spirited teen with a love for sports, a deep devotion to her friends, a naturally caring personality, and big dreams for her own future. She is determined that her daughter will not be reduced to the circumstances of her death, but remembered for the bright young person she was in life.

    As the second anniversary passed, Charles reaffirmed that the passage of time has not eroded her commitment to seeking answers. “Still standing. Still praying. Still saying your name. Still loving you. Still fighting for you,” she wrote. She closed her message with a tender reaffirmation of her endless love for her daughter, and her unshakable belief that justice will one day be served.

  • Youth football coach calls for more support

    Youth football coach calls for more support

    As 14 young footballers from across Saint Lucia prepare to compete in the Caribbean Football Union Boys Under-14 Challenge Series in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, following months of rigorous training, one of their coaching staff is sounding the alarm about unmet funding needs that threaten to derail the island nation’s promising youth football development pipeline.

    Assistant coach Earl “Ball Hog” Jean, a former top striker who rose through Saint Lucia’s own youth system to play professionally in the Trinidad & Tobago Professional Football League, is urging local private businesses to step up with financial backing to strengthen the country’s grassroots coaching and development programs. Jean’s appeal comes as Saint Lucia’s senior national men’s football team has increasingly relied on talent cultivated through its youth academy system in recent years. Star standouts including goalkeeper Vino Barclett, defender Melvin Doxilly, and striker Kegan Caull all earned their first opportunities in the sport through the country’s under-15 and under-19 youth frameworks, proving the system’s potential to produce elite talent.

    Jean says the current group of under-14 prospects holds just as much promise as the cohort that produced those senior team stars, but structural gaps in funding are holding the program back from unlocking their full potential. Over the past several years, the Saint Lucia Football Association (SLFA) has built out local youth competition infrastructure, launching annual under-12 and under-14 tournaments, adding under-19 events this year, and expanding club football opportunities for players up to age 16. Jean welcomes the growth of organized youth football across the island, but argues that targeted corporate support is still needed to amplify the work of local leagues and community clubs.

    “The biggest challenge we face right now in Saint Lucia football is building a sustainable, consistent development program that can keep young players engaged from their first training session,” Jean explained in an interview with St Lucia Times. “That means covering basic needs: reliable transportation to get players to and from practice, daily meals for athletes who commit to full-time training schedules. These are the foundational pieces we are missing.”

    Jean notes that youth interest in the sport has surged since the SLFA launched its primary school and national youth programs for under-12 and under-14 age groups, with visible, measurable improvements in the quality of play across all youth divisions. “What we need now is for the private sector to partner with the SLFA to turn that interest into results,” he said. “This group is the next generation of national talent, and with the right support, we can help these players earn professional contracts in Europe or athletic scholarships at top international programs. None of that is possible without consistent financial backing.”

    Jean is joined on the current under-14 coaching staff by head coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier, another Saint Lucia native who cut his teeth in the country’s youth system before a successful professional and coaching career. Both coaches say that regional youth tournaments such as the CFU Under-14 Challenge Series and the Concacaf Under-15 Championship are irreplaceable for driving player development, giving young prospects the chance to test their skills against top regional competition and gain international match experience.

    “These tournaments are not just one-off events — they are core to our long-term progress as a football nation,” Jean explained. “Our entire national development strategy is built around cultivating talent from the earliest levels, starting in primary school and building up to the senior team. Right now, we are already seeing that plan pay off: SLFA president Lyndon Cooper has prioritized launching the new High Performance Centre, and we now have a dedicated FIFA Talent ID Coach working alongside Stuart and I to identify and nurture top prospects. We already have a talented crop of young players coming through the pipeline. All we need is the support to help them reach their full potential, for the future of Saint Lucia football.”

  • Dominican Republic to participate in Fuerzas Comando 2026 in Paraguay

    Dominican Republic to participate in Fuerzas Comando 2026 in Paraguay

    A high-stakes multinational special operations military competition is set to bring elite troops from 21 countries across the Americas to Paraguay next month, marking the third time the South American nation has hosted the U.S.-led Fuerzas Comando exercise. Scheduled to run from August 24 to 28, the 2026 iteration of the event is organized by the United States Southern Command, continuing a long-running program designed to foster regional military collaboration.

    Paraguay’s top defense leadership has highlighted the unique value of this year’s gathering. Defense Minister Óscar Rodríguez emphasized that the competition will assemble some of the most highly trained military personnel from across the Western Hemisphere, with experts drawn from a diverse range of specialized military disciplines to test their skills and share expertise. General César Moreno, commander of Paraguay’s armed forces, noted that the immersive, collaborative competition is designed to deepen mutual trust and strengthen operational cooperation between participating nations across the region.

    At its core, the 2026 exercise centers on the cross-border exchange of specialized knowledge, tactical techniques and operational strategies tailored to modern special operations. Beyond the competitive elements, the event prioritizes reinforcing collective regional responses to transnational security threats that impact all participating nations, including transnational organized crime, terrorist activity, and large-scale internal crises. The full list of confirmed participants includes Argentina, the Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and the United States.

    Paraguay secured the right to host the 2026 edition during the closing ceremony of Fuerzas Comando 2025, which was held in El Salvador earlier this year. This is not the first time Paraguay has welcomed the competition: the country previously served as host in both 2006 and 2017, giving it extensive experience organizing the large-scale multinational event.

    The Fuerzas Comando 2026 exercise comes on the heels of another major regional military drill, Panamax 2026, which took place earlier this month in Panama. That exercise drew roughly 1,700 military personnel from nearly 20 countries across the region. In addition, Paraguay and the United States formalized their military cooperation framework last December with the signing of a bilateral Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which clarifies the legal status of U.S. military personnel operating in Paraguayan territory ahead of the 2026 competition.

  • Punta Cana Airport introduces AI technology to detect smuggling

    Punta Cana Airport introduces AI technology to detect smuggling

    In a landmark move for airport security innovation in the Caribbean, Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) has rolled out a cutting-edge artificial intelligence platform developed by Israeli tech firm SeeTrue, aiming to boost contraband detection capabilities at passenger security checkpoints.

    The new system has been seamlessly integrated with Leidos’ industry-leading ClearScan CT baggage scanners, combining advanced imaging technology with machine learning algorithms to deliver real-time analysis of luggage contents. Unlike traditional detection methods that often require additional secondary screenings that delay passenger flow, this AI-powered solution enables security officers to quickly and accurately spot hidden drugs and undeclared currency without disrupting regular processing operations.

    The modernization initiative is a collaborative effort between PUJ, global security technology provider Leidos, and local Dominican partner PBS Group. Airport officials framed the project as a proactive response to steadily rising international air travel volumes across the region, noting that the upgrade will simultaneously strengthen security standards, streamline operational efficiency, and expand the airport’s ability to process growing numbers of passengers annually.

    For SeeTrue, this deployment marks a historic industry first: it is the first time the company’s proprietary AI detection algorithms have been paired with ClearScan CT technology at any international airport, with a specific focus on targeting illicit drugs and unreported cash. The milestone cements both SeeTrue and PUJ’s reputations as pioneers in adopting next-generation security tools.

    Already recognized as the Best Airport in Central America and the Caribbean at the 2026 World Airport Awards, PUJ’s latest security upgrade further solidifies its standing as a regional leader in aviation security and technological innovation, setting a new benchmark for other airports across the Caribbean and Central America to follow.

  • Indotel awards radio spectrum to Viettel and Claro Dominicana

    Indotel awards radio spectrum to Viettel and Claro Dominicana

    In a landmark move set to reshape the telecommunications landscape of the Dominican Republic, the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel) has awarded radio spectrum blocks to Vietnamese military-run telecom group Viettel and local incumbent operator Claro Dominicana. The allocation is the final outcome of an international tender launched earlier this year, designed to expand the availability of high-capacity telecommunications services and intensify market competition across the country.

    The award decision, formalized through Resolution 73-2026, was passed unanimously by Indotel’s governing board, according to board president Guido Gómez Mazara. He emphasized that the tender process clears the way for Viettel to enter the Dominican market as an entirely new competitor, a shift that is projected to drive up service quality, disrupt stagnant pricing, and deliver tangible benefits to end consumers.

    Under the terms of the award, Viettel secured a total of 240 MHz of spectrum across three key frequency bands, packaged in a 20-year operating concession. The allocation includes 40 MHz in the low-band 700 MHz spectrum, which is prized for wide-area coverage, 100 MHz in the 2.3 GHz mid-band, and an additional 100 MHz in the 3.6 GHz high-band, both of which support high-speed 5G services. Before the concession can be activated, Viettel is required to establish a locally registered Dominican entity to hold the spectrum license, complying with national regulatory requirements.

    For existing market leader Claro Dominicana, the regulator allocated an additional 20 MHz of 700 MHz spectrum, which will be appended to the company’s current concession, extending through its remaining 15-year term.

    One 30 MHz block in the AWS band was included in the tender offering but failed to attract any qualified bids, leading Indotel to declare the spectrum unclaimed for this round of allocation.

    Both winning bidders are required to finalize their concession agreements or contractual addenda within a 90-day window from the award decision. To ease the financial burden of spectrum acquisition, tender rules allow up to 30 percent of the total payment obligation to be fulfilled through the execution of public telecommunications development projects selected and overseen by Indotel, tying private investment directly to national infrastructure expansion goals.

    The tender, first launched in February 2026, aligns with the Dominican Republic’s General Telecommunications Law 153-98 and the country’s official National Frequency Allocation Plan. Its core objectives are to increase available spectrum for mobile and fixed wireless services, attract new foreign direct investment to the sector, and strengthen the country’s digital telecommunications infrastructure to support growing demand for high-speed connectivity.

  • Residents protest in Licey al Medio demanding justice for Carolay Taveras

    Residents protest in Licey al Medio demanding justice for Carolay Taveras

    On Wednesday, widespread public demonstrations broke out across two communities in the Dominican Republic, as hundreds of local residents rallied to demand accountability for the death of 25-year-old Carolay Taveras Morel, who was killed in an alleged premeditated vehicle attack that is currently the focus of an official manhunt.

    Residents from Licey al Medio and Moca, joined by the victim’s family members, friends and other supporters, took to one of the region’s busiest thoroughfares to voice their anger. Protesters set fire to tires and blocked Duarte Highway at the key crossing connecting Licey al Medio and Canca la Reina, bringing vehicle movement through the high-traffic corridor to a standstill and creating major travel disruptions that impacted commuters and commercial traffic across the area for hours.

    Preliminary law enforcement accounts outline a violent chain of events leading up to Taveras Morel’s death. The victim was reportedly in the company of a second young person when a verbal dispute erupted between the pair and the alleged suspect, Darlin Martínez Ulloa, who is known locally by the alias “Darlyn Zaza.” Investigators say that following the altercation, Martínez Ulloa allegedly got behind the wheel of his vehicle and deliberately ran over both Taveras Morel and her companion, before immediately fleeing the scene to avoid capture.

    Emergency responders rushed both victims to local medical facilities, but Taveras Morel succumbed to her critical injuries shortly after arrival. The second victim remains in hospital care for their injuries, and law enforcement has not released any public update on their current condition as of Thursday.

    The Dominican National Police has formally named Martínez Ulloa as the prime suspect in the killing and has already secured an official arrest warrant from judicial authorities. Active search operations are currently ongoing across the region to locate the suspect and take him into custody. Law enforcement units were also deployed to the protest site to maintain public order, clear the blocked highway to resume traffic flow, and prevent any escalation of confrontation between demonstrators and local residents.

    In a public statement issued amid the demonstrations, officials have called on Martínez Ulloa to voluntarily surrender to authorities through established legal channels, rather than force law enforcement to extend the manhunt. Protesters, meanwhile, have made clear they will not end their public demonstrations until the suspect is apprehended and a full, transparent investigation into the killing is completed. They emphasized that they will continue blocking key infrastructure and staging public actions to demand full justice for Taveras Morel.

  • Jet Set Justice Movement calls Jalao “Antonio Espaillat’s second Jet Set”

    Jet Set Justice Movement calls Jalao “Antonio Espaillat’s second Jet Set”

    Nearly three months after the deadliest crowd disaster in Dominican Republic’s history claimed 236 lives at the Jet Set entertainment venue, grieving relatives and surviving victims gathered for a peaceful demonstration of remembrance and demand on Wednesday. The vigil took place outside Jalao, a popular nightlife spot located in the heart of Santo Domingo’s historic Colonial City, where participants carried hand-held candles and framed photographs of their lost loved ones to honor those who perished in the 2025 disaster.

    Organized under the banner of the Jet Set Justice Movement, attendees drew a direct connection between Jalao and Antonio Espaillat, the businessman at the center of the ongoing legal investigation into the Jet Set collapse. Movement representatives labeled Jalao “Antonio Espaillat’s second Jet Set,” pointing out that the venue shares identical core functions with the ill-fated Jet Set: it hosts large-scale public gatherings, live musical performances, dance events, and on-site alcohol sales, operating as a major nightlife destination for locals and visitors alike.

    According to timeline details shared by the movement, Jalao temporarily suspended operations on April 11, 2025, just three days after the catastrophic Jet Set tragedy unfolded. However, the venue was allowed to reopen its doors to the public barely three weeks later, on May 3, 2025, and immediately resumed hosting high-attendance events and live entertainment. This rapid return to full operation has raised sharp questions from victim families, who are challenging how an individual facing ongoing criminal investigation and formal legal proceedings tied to the country’s deadliest civilian disaster could retain the ability to operate a second, similar entertainment venue.

    The core demand of the gathering extends beyond regulatory scrutiny of Jalao: participants are calling on Dominican national and local authorities to release full, public documentation of all safety inspections, operating permits, approved maximum occupancy levels, emergency evacuation blueprints, and ongoing safety control protocols that have been applied to Jalao both before its initial closure and following its May reopening. Throughout the demonstration, participants maintained a peaceful posture, with no reports of clashes, property damage, or disruptions to local activity. Movement leaders emphasized that their primary goal is not protest for protest’s sake, but to secure greater institutional transparency and ironclad guarantees that a disaster of this catastrophic scale will never be repeated in the Dominican Republic.

  • PM on BPL Crisis ‘The buck stops here’

    PM on BPL Crisis ‘The buck stops here’

    The ongoing crisis engulfing the Bahamas’ state-owned electricity provider Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) has moved into a new phase, with Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis stepping forward to publicly defend his Energy Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis, who has faced growing criticism for her public silence amid the escalating overtime abuse scandal. Davis asserted clear accountability, stating bluntly that “the bucks stops here” when addressing questions from reporters during a post-school-tour media interaction. The Prime Minister made these remarks alongside Education Minister Chester Cooper, after completing a scheduled visit to several Bahamian schools. Reporters pressed Davis on three key points of public tension: the explosive revelations of inflated overtime claims at BPL, the work-to-rule industrial action launched by the utility’s two major unions, and the conspicuous lack of public comment from Coleby-Davis, the cabinet member directly overseeing the power provider. When asked repeatedly about the minister’s absence from public debate on the scandal, Davis repeated his accountability line, declining to elaborate further on his minister’s silence. Davis also refused to answer questions about whether senior BPL management would face disciplinary or legal consequences for failing to prevent the alleged overtime abuse, but sought to downplay the disruption caused by the unions’ industrial action. “I gave a national address on the subject matter. I laid out what I perceive to be the issues and they’ll be dealt with,” the Prime Minister told reporters. The controversy first broke last week when The Tribune published an exclusive investigation revealing that three senior staff in BPL’s Fuel and Performance Department collected a combined total of more than $600,000 in overtime payments between May 2025 and April 2026. The report showed two of the three employees took home over $200,000 each in overtime alone, with some individual monthly payouts exceeding $20,000. One employee was even recorded working 90 consecutive hours over a four-day Christmas holiday period, a schedule that safety experts have flagged as inherently dangerous. In a national address delivered earlier this week, Davis joined in condemning the payments as systemic abuse of public funds. “It is not credible that a person works twenty-four hours straight, three days running, and does safe work,” Davis said in the address. “It is not fair to the ratepayer, who funds every dollar. And it is not fair to the honest worker, whose profession is tarnished by it.” The revelations of mass overtime abuse have triggered fierce pushback from BPL’s two main labor groups: the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) and the Bahamas Electrical Utility Managerial Union (BEUMU). Both unions have now ordered their members to adopt a work-to-rule mandate, meaning staff will only perform the exact duties outlined in their contracts, leading to widespread delays in maintenance and outage response across the islands. Two BPL employees have already been suspended over allegations of gross misconduct, though the connection to the overtime scandal remains unconfirmed. Local newspaper The Nassau Guardian identified the suspended staff as Senior Mechanical Technician Wellington Porter and Manager Melvin Babb. However, The Tribune’s review of payroll records does not list Porter as the employee who logged the controversial 90-hour Christmas week shift. BEUMU President Chris Hanna confirmed that the suspension letter issued to Babb does not reference the overtime abuse investigation, leaving the reason for his administrative leave unclear. With no clear timeline for a full investigation into the overtime claims, and industrial action disrupting power services across the country, the Davis administration now faces growing pressure from the public to resolve the scandal and restore accountability at BPL.

  • Teachers union demands 20% pay raise over 3 years

    Teachers union demands 20% pay raise over 3 years

    Nassau, Bahamas – Months of collective bargaining between the Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) and the national government have broken down into open confrontation, after the administration reintroduced a salary package union leaders already rejected earlier in negotiations. BUT President Belinda Wilson made the impasse public during an orientation event this week for over 100 newly hired educators across the country, outlining the union’s core demands and criticizing the government’s negotiating posture as bad-faith.