Carib Scope

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  • Mom still critical after deadly ambush on family

    Mom still critical after deadly ambush on family

    A quiet morning commute to a toddler’s daycare turned into a deadly ambush this week in Belmont, leaving a 2-year-old boy and two adult men dead, and the child’s mother fighting for her life in a Port of Spain hospital. As of Wednesday evening, Antonia Cain-Kafi, 39-year-old Aquil Kafi’s wife and the mother of slain toddler Akini Kafi, remained in critical but stable condition after being hit four times during the sudden attack. The third victim was Aquil Kafi’s close friend, Anthony “Monster” Wilson.

    What makes the tragedy even more devastating to family members is the long, difficult journey the couple went through to welcome their only child. A close family friend shared with local outlet *Trinidad Express* that Cain-Kafi spent years trying to conceive, and when Akini arrived 2 years and 11 months ago, the couple celebrated him as nothing less than a “miracle baby.”

    On Thursday morning around 8:30 a.m., the group was traveling in a Toyota Aqua, with Kafi and Wilson in the front seats and Cain-Kafi and her young son in the back. They were en route to Akini’s regular daycare drop-off when another vehicle cut them off and blocked their path in the Holder Steps/Rifle Hill area, just off Serraneau Road and St Francois Valley Road. A gunman exited the blocking vehicle and immediately opened fire on the car carrying the family. By the time the shooting stopped, both Kafi and Wilson had been killed instantly, while both Cain-Kafi and Akini suffered life-threatening gunshot wounds.

    According to police accounts, bystanders in a private vehicle rushed the wounded survivors to Port of Spain General Hospital. Witnesses say Cain-Kafi, despite her own multiple gunshot wounds, managed to hand her injured son over to hospital staff for treatment. Medics were unable to save the toddler, who was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

    On Wednesday, *Express* reporters met grieving relatives at the Forensic Science Centre in Federation Park, where family members had traveled to formally identify the bodies of the three victims. One relative who spoke to reporters shared warm, tender memories of the young boy who was taken too soon. Akini, she recalled, had an all-consuming obsession with cars. “He loved cars. He was fascinated by it and, well, he destroyed a lot of toy cars and he would then try to fix it,” she said. “He was a really loving baby boy and, oh my gosh, he had a smile that would melt any lady’s heart.”

    Local law enforcement has not yet released updates on potential suspects or motives for the targeted attack, leaving the community in mourning and waiting for answers as the surviving mother recovers from her devastating injuries.

  • Residents wanted ZOSO in Belmont, says Alexander

    Residents wanted ZOSO in Belmont, says Alexander

    In a parliamentary question session held yesterday, Trinidad and Tobago’s Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander addressed growing public and legislative concern over rising violent crime across multiple communities, revealing that local residents in Belmont have repeatedly demanded the implementation of the government’s controversial Zones of Special Operations (ZOSO) security plan.

    Alexander’s comments came in response to a query from Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West Member of Parliament Stuart Young, who raised the issue following a shocking Thursday shooting in Belmont that claimed three lives: a two-year-old child, his father, and an additional adult male. Opening his response, Alexander emphasized that any preventable loss of life remains a top priority for the current administration. “The death of any person is a concern to this Government,” he stated, noting that he had personally visited the affected community to speak directly with residents following the attack.
    According to the minister, local residents expressed intense frustration over ongoing violence and share the government’s goal of bringing the ZOSO framework to their neighborhood. He added that the initiative goes far beyond simple crime control, aiming to drive long-term social and economic development for marginalized communities trapped in cycles of violence. Despite the failure of the ZOSO legislation to pass, Alexander confirmed that enhanced police patrols and targeted intelligence work have already identified the suspects behind the Belmont shooting, who are currently evading law enforcement custody. He stressed that the government is taking all possible steps to protect all citizens, including residents of Laventille who have repeatedly called for a more robust security presence in their area.

    The government’s 2026 ZOSO Bill, which would have granted authorities the power to designate high-crime neighborhoods as special security zones requiring intensified policing, was defeated in the Senate at the end of January. The legislation required a three-fifths majority to advance, a threshold the government failed to reach. During the session, Young went on to accuse the current government of treating the crime-ravaged community of Laventille as if it were a disconnected, separate nation unworthy of adequate investment and security resourcing. Alexander pushed back against this claim, noting that Laventille residents themselves have repeatedly raised concerns that they are not adequately represented in national parliamentary policy making. He also placed blame for ongoing security gaps on the previous administration, saying the current government inherited crumbling infrastructure, severely understaffed law enforcement agencies, and outdated policing technology that continues to hamper operations today. “But I am here and I will fix it all,” Alexander affirmed.

    In addition to the Belmont shooting, the minister addressed two other pressing local security issues during the question session. Arouca/Lopinot MP Marvin Gonzales asked for an update on the May 5 shooting of an off-duty police officer in Longdenville. Alexander confirmed that active investigations are still ongoing, and that the fact the officer was not on duty at the time of the attack has not altered the scope or priority of the probe. “There are additional patrols. The officers were advised to pay more attention while on duty and off duty. An intelligence-led operation continues in the Longdenville area,” he said, declining to share further details on the active investigation.

    Gonzales also asked Alexander to outline new security measures for the San Juan and St Joseph regions following a recent spike in reported home invasions. In response, Alexander confirmed that law enforcement has determined most of the recent crimes are being committed by criminal actors who travel into the communities from outside areas. “We understand that there are persons who are coming in from different areas and committing these acts,” he said, adding that investigators have already identified multiple key suspects who are currently being actively pursued. Cross-agency intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement initiatives have now been deployed to the area to disrupt the criminal activity, the minister confirmed.

  • ‘Murder rate would be higher’

    ‘Murder rate would be higher’

    A shocking early-morning gang-linked triple shooting that claimed the life of a two-year-old child has ignited a fiery political debate in Trinidad and Tobago over the ruling government’s crime control policies, just months into its second state of emergency (SoE) implemented to curb spiraling violent crime.

    On Thursday, gunmen ambushed a vehicle carrying Akini Kafi, 2, his father Aquil Kafi, and Anthony Wilson in the Port of Spain neighborhood of Belmont, killing all three. The child’s mother, Antonia Cain-Kafi, was struck by four bullets and remains in critical condition at a local hospital. This brutal killing followed a similar April attack in Morvant that left nine-year-old J’Layna Armstrong dead alongside three adult relatives, in what police described as another targeted gang shooting.

    Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar addressed the tragedy Tuesday during a parliamentary crime debate, following a diplomatic ceremony at the Port of Spain Red House where 2,000 Indian-donated laptops were distributed to students across seven districts and bilateral education memoranda were signed. Opening her remarks, Persad-Bissessar expressed profound grief over the unnecessary loss of innocent life, emphasizing that the killing of a child represents an unconscionable national tragedy.

    “Every life lost is a heartbreak to many, and especially when there’s a child, it’s a tragedy,” she told reporters. “I know our law enforcement officers are doing the best they can to pursue those responsible for this tragedy, and our hearts go out to the families and the loved ones left behind.”

    Against this backdrop of national mourning, the prime minister defended her administration’s core crime control measure: the ongoing state of emergency. She pushed back against growing public and opposition criticism of the policy, arguing that the national murder rate would be far higher if the SoE had not been put in place. Persad-Bissessar also confirmed that no nationwide curfew would be introduced at this stage of the emergency.

    Persad-Bissessar’s government won a decisive victory in the April 28, 2025 general election. Just three months after taking office, the administration declared its first state of emergency in response to rapidly escalating gang violence and mounting national security threats. A second SoE was extended on March 3 of this year, after intelligence services received concrete warnings of imminent gang reprisal attacks across the Port of Spain metropolitan area.

    The parliamentary debate devolved into partisan acrimony after Defence Minister Wayne Sturge made the bombshell claim that the recent Belmont triple murder and the April Morvant quadruple killing are directly linked to ongoing inter-gang turf wars in constituencies controlled by the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM). Sturge, who is a resident of Belmont, told the chamber that two local streets – Serraneau Street and Belle Eau Road – have long been divided into rival gang territories, with residents blocked from crossing into the opposing area. He confirmed that both recent mass shooting incidents are rooted in this long-running territorial feud.

    Sturge launched a scathing counterattack against opposition calls for his resignation and that of Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander, pointing to the PNM’s own record of out-of-control violent crime when the party held power. He reminded lawmakers that under the previous PNM administration, the national murder rate hit all-time record highs, including one 24-hour period in July 2019 that saw 11 separate killings. Sturge went further, dismissing PNM MP Stuart Young, who first called for the ministers’ resignations, as one of the most ineffective national security ministers in the country’s history.

    “When 11 murders take place under his watch, he has the gall to come and call for resignations on this side,” Sturge said. “What he’s not saying is that his own constituents are largely responsible for the most murders in this country, and they refuse to allow zones of special operations (ZOSO) to be implemented in the area.”

    In a charged verbal exchange, Sturge pressed his attack, telling Young: “The same way you wouldn’t know when your constituents are going to murder some of your other constituents a street away, you expect us to know? But, let me tell you something, what we wouldn’t do, we wouldn’t know that four people are trapped in a pipeline and wait and let them die.”

    Young immediately stood to object, labeling Sturge’s remarks “gibberish” and “verbal diarrhoea.” Sturge quickly shot back, responding: “He could call it all kinds of things, verbal diarrhoea; you know what he couldn’t say? That I lie.”

  • Stuart: 3 new nurses walk off the job

    Stuart: 3 new nurses walk off the job

    A small group of newly qualified nursing professionals have abandoned their posts at a major public medical facility in Trinidad and Tobago, stepping down over what they describe as unsafe, unregulated working conditions that put their professional licenses and patient safety at severe risk. The Trinidad and Tobago National Nursing Association (TTNNA) president Idi Stuart confirmed the departure of the three nurses in an interview with the Saturday Express, shedding light on the systemic staffing gaps that led to the early exit of three of the 61 newly hired registered nurses at the North Central Regional Health Authority.

    Stuart explained that all newly hired nurses were assigned to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope, where they were immediately subjected to working conditions that violated both international nursing standards and onboarding promises made during orientation in April. During their hiring process, the new nurses were guaranteed a structured transition: they would only work weekday morning shifts, gradually acclimate to their roles, always work under the supervision of experienced senior staff, and share shifts with at least two to three other colleagues. None of these commitments were honored once the nurses began their roles.

    Instead of the ideal 1:4 nurse-to-patient ratio outlined in global nursing best practices, the facility requires all nursing staff to operate under a 1:6 ratio, a burden the TTNNA has already asked members to tolerate temporarily while the health authority addresses chronic staffing shortages. For the newly licensed nurses, however, the strain extended far beyond an elevated patient load: the three professionals were left to manage their assigned wards entirely alone, with zero ongoing supervision from senior or head nurses – a violation of standard onboarding protocols.

    Industry best practice mandates that new graduate nurses remain under close, structured supervision for a minimum of three to six months after starting their first role. Most other regional health authorities across the country maintain formal monitoring departments to support new hires during this transition period, recognizing that it takes an average of two years for new nurses to develop the confidence and clinical competence to practice independently. Leaving a newly licensed nurse unsupervised creates avoidable risks: if a medication error occurs or a critical patient emergency unfolds, the nurse faces professional disciplinary action that can result in the loss of their hard-earned license, all for failures rooted in systemic understaffing, not individual error.

    Stuart emphasized that the unmet onboarding commitments and unsupervised working conditions left the three new nurses with no other choice. They were forced to bear full responsibility for critical events like patient cardiac arrests, seizures, and end-of-life care – situations that even experienced nurses struggle to manage alone, and that should never fall to an unsupervised new graduate. With errors all but guaranteed under this structure, the nurses chose to step down rather than risk their professional futures. They now plan to pursue employment opportunities at other regional health authorities that can provide the structured support and safe working conditions necessary to deliver quality patient care.

  • Volcano-affected fishers get equipment ULP stored since 2022

    Volcano-affected fishers get equipment ULP stored since 2022

    Three and a half years after the devastating 2021 volcanic eruption in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, fishers across Central Leeward and South Windward have finally received critical fishing supplies that had sat locked in government storage since 2022. The long-overdue equipment, which includes essential gear such as rope, flotation devices, and fish pot wire, has been distributed to fishing communities across Buccament, Layou, Shipping Bay, and Barrouallie as part of this week’s handover events. The unclaimed supplies were originally earmarked for a post-eruption recovery initiative launched by the former Unity Labour Party (ULP) government, which was voted out of national office in last November’s general election. According to reporting from iWitness News, the gear was never distributed to the intended fisher recipients due to public infighting between at least two ULP cabinet ministers during the previous administration’s term. Conroy Huggins, who serves as both Member of Parliament for Central Leeward and the head of the new Ministry of Fisheries under the newly elected New Democratic Party (NDP) administration, made the remarks during an official handover ceremony held in Bottle and Glass, Barrouallie. Huggins explained that the now-defunct recovery program was designed from its inception to help fishing communities rebuild their livelihoods after the 2021 volcanic eruption, which caused widespread disruption to the local fishing industry. “Sadly, they were not distributed to the fishers within the time span,” Huggins told attendees at the ceremony. After winning office and learning of the years-long delay in delivering the critical supplies, Huggins said he immediately directed ministry staff to cut through bureaucratic hold-ups and get the gear to the fishers who needed it. “It’s long overdue. It is something that they should have had at least three, four years ago… So today, we have been doing these distributions,” he added. The fisheries chief also noted that fish pot fishing is a common traditional practice in Barrouallie, making the fish pot wire included in the shipment particularly useful for local fishers. The distribution is being held as a key event during the country’s annual Fisheries Month celebrations, which lead up to the 49th National Fisherman’s Day on May 25. Huggins framed the handover of backlogged recovery supplies as a perfect opportunity to highlight a stark difference in governing philosophy between the new NDP administration and the former ULP government. “And this is essentially the difference between the previous administration and this present administration,” he said. “We are operating on efficiency and delivery. We are about people. So whatever forms of benefits that the fishers are entitled to, we will ensure that they are able to receive this in a timely manner, so that they can be able to recover, operate and move forward with their business.” While he used the delay under the previous government to draw political contrasts, Huggins also acknowledged that the new administration faces a massive backlog of work to repair and upgrade fisheries infrastructure across all of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, from central ministry headquarters to small local fishery centers in remote coastal communities. “We have quite a lot of work to do in the fishery sector,” he said. Huggins added that the ongoing shifts in the national fisheries sector have drawn significant attention from local, regional, and international stakeholders, framing the current policy adjustments as a once-in-a-generation shift for the industry. “We are confident that we can maximise our ocean [and] improve the livelihoods of our fishers,” Huggins said. “So from a fisheries standpoint, we are here to facilitate and ensure that the capacity building takes place and the necessary equipment, tools that they need. We are here to give that support.”

  • Williams-Grant to Be Elected Senate President, Shoul Deputy and Govia Majority Leader

    Williams-Grant to Be Elected Senate President, Shoul Deputy and Govia Majority Leader

    Following the decisive general election win of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) on April 30, the new administration has outlined its intended leadership lineup for the country’s Upper House of Parliament, revealed during a formal swearing-in ceremony for government-aligned senators hosted at Government House this Friday. During the official proceedings, the ceremony’s master of ceremonies publicly announced the planned nominations: sitting Senator Alincia Williams-Grant has been tapped to be put forward for the role of Senate President when the chamber holds its first formal session on May 20. Joining her in the top Senate leadership will be Philip Shoul, who has been selected for nomination as Deputy President of the Senate. Ten government-backed senators completed their formal swearing-in process at the event, marking the first step in establishing the new legislative body after the general election. Beyond the top two leadership roles, officials also confirmed that Senator Shenella Govia will take on the critical position of Leader of Government Business in the Senate, tasked with coordinating the administration’s legislative agenda in the Upper House. In addition to her Senate responsibilities, Govia was also sworn in during the ceremony as Minister of State within the Ministry of Housing and Works, giving her a dual role in the legislative and executive branches of government. The full ceremony followed longstanding constitutional protocol: each participating senator first took the three required oaths — the oath of allegiance to the crown, the oath of office, and the oath of secrecy — before Governor General Rodney Williams formally presented each official with their official instruments of appointment, formalizing their new roles. Event organizers also reminded attendees and the public of the full timeline for establishing the new parliament: the Lower House of Parliament is scheduled to convene first on May 18, where its members will hold a formal vote to elect a new Speaker and Deputy Speaker to lead the chamber’s proceedings. Two days later, on May 20, the Senate will gather for its inaugural session to hold the official vote to confirm the nominated President and Deputy President, formally completing the formation of the new national legislature after the ABLP’s election victory.

  • Laura Fernandez beëdigd als nieuwe president van Costa Rica

    Laura Fernandez beëdigd als nieuwe president van Costa Rica

    On May 9, 2026, Laura Fernandez, a 39-year-old center-right political leader, took the oath of office as Costa Rica’s new president during an inauguration ceremony held at San José’s National Stadium, marking a new chapter for the Central American nation already navigating rising security challenges and shifting regional geopolitics.

    Fernandez’s Sovereign People’s Party (PPSO) secured an absolute majority in the 57-seat national parliament, claiming 31 seats – a governing advantage that clears the way for her administration to advance its full legislative agenda without relying on opposition support. She first claimed victory in the country’s February 1 presidential election, a hotly contested race that saw her defeat competitors to succeed outgoing president Rodrigo Chaves, a well-documented ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump. In a surprising arrangement that preserves Chaves’ influence in national governance, the former leader will remain in the new cabinet as Minister of the Presidency and Finance, granting him continued significant sway over policy making.

    To underscore her administration’s commitment to deepening the strategic partnership between Costa Rica and the United States, Fernandez appointed new vice president Douglas Soto to serve concurrently as Costa Rica’s ambassador to Washington. The inauguration was attended by high-profile international guests that highlighted the new government’s geopolitical priorities: Kristi Noem, U.S. Special Envoy and leader of Trump’s ‘Shield of the Americas’ initiative, and Isaac Herzog, President of Israel, were both in attendance. Their presence drew attention to shifting regional alignment amid ongoing global tensions stemming from the Gaza conflict.

    At the top of Fernandez’s policy priority list is addressing the steady rise in criminal activity that has shaken Costa Rica’s long-held reputation as one of Central America’s most stable nations. The country has increasingly become a key transit route for drug smugglers moving contraband north to the United States, fueling a surge in gang-related violence and organized crime. In response, Fernandez has announced sweeping, ambitious reforms to the country’s justice system and national security legislation, naming Gerald Campos as the new Minister of Public Security to lead the crackdown. ‘We are waging a merciless war on organized crime,’ Fernandez stated in her inaugural address, laying out her hardline stance on security.

    Her administration’s approach to security closely echoes the controversial model adopted by neighboring El Salvador. Costa Rica is currently constructing a new maximum-security prison modeled after El Salvador’s mega-sized CECOT prison facility, which gained global attention for its mass incarceration of alleged gang members. The country is also a signatory to the controversial ‘third country agreements’ with the United States, a policy that allows the U.S. to deport migrants with no legal connection to Costa Rica to be detained and resettled in the country. Last year, hundreds of Venezuelan migrants deported from the U.S. were held in CECOT without due process, drawing widespread condemnation from global watchdogs. Human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized these agreements, warning that they expose deported migrants to severe risk of inhumane living conditions and human rights abuses.

    With her party’s unchallenged majority in parliament, political analysts note that Fernandez faces few procedural barriers to pushing through her full proposed reform agenda, setting the stage for major shifts in both Costa Rica’s domestic security policy and its foreign relations in the coming years.

  • Abena St. Luce Says Youth Mentorship and Women’s Leadership Will Be Major Focus in Senate

    Abena St. Luce Says Youth Mentorship and Women’s Leadership Will Be Major Focus in Senate

    Following her formal swearing-in at Government House this Friday, newly appointed Senator Abena St. Luce of Antigua and Barbuda has laid out a clear policy agenda focused on expanding youth support and advancing female representation across the nation’s political and public spheres.

    The incoming senator, who is the daughter of revered late national leader Sir John E. St. Luce, opened up about the mixed emotions surrounding her historic inauguration, revealing that her father was too unwell to attend the ceremony. “I’m still processing how surreal this moment is,” St. Luce shared with reporters after the event. “To be honest, it’s a bittersweet occasion. I’m heartbroken my father couldn’t be here today to see this, since his health won’t allow it. But I know without a doubt that if he were able to be here, he’d be my loudest and most proud supporter.”

    St. Luce went on to express her gratitude to Prime Minister Gaston Browne for the opportunity to serve in the Upper House of Parliament. “I am deeply honored that Prime Minister Browne selected me for this position, and I am committed to serving the people of this nation to the absolute best of my ability,” she said.

    When asked which policy issues she will prioritize during her tenure, St. Luce explained that her experience as a parent has shaped her core focus areas. She emphasized that youth development in Antigua and Barbuda requires more than just expanding access to educational institutions and government programs; systematic mentorship and emotional encouragement are equally critical to helping young people thrive. “Building schools and rolling out new education initiatives is an important first step, but that alone isn’t enough,” St. Luce explained. “Young people need consistent mentors who can show up, encourage them, and remind them that not only are these opportunities available to them — they deserve to take advantage of them. That’s a mission that matters deeply to me.”

    Alongside youth mentorship, St. Luce named expanded female political leadership as a second key pillar of her Senate work. As an active member of the Caribbean Women in Leadership (SEWIL) network, she said she is dedicated to creating more space for women in decision-making roles across the country. “Naturally, as someone involved in this network, I’m committed to seeing more women step into leadership positions,” she noted. “My goal is to empower my fellow sisters across Antigua and Barbuda to aim for those top roles and claim their seat at the table where decisions are made.”

    St. Luce is one of multiple first-time senators inaugurated on Friday, as the country continues to reconstitute its Parliament following the general election held on April 30.

  • Angelica O’Donoghue Wants Public to Better Understand Laws as She Prepares for Senate Role

    Angelica O’Donoghue Wants Public to Better Understand Laws as She Prepares for Senate Role

    Following her formal swearing-in ceremony at Government House this Friday, newly appointed Senator Angelica O’Donoghue has stepped into her role in the Upper House of Antigua and Barbuda’s Parliament with a clear, people-centered policy agenda. The newest government senator, one of 10 ruling party appointees taking office after the April 30 general election that triggered a full reconstitution of the national legislature, called her appointment an emotionally meaningful and deeply gratifying milestone, crediting Prime Minister Gaston Browne for his mentorship and steady confidence throughout her career.

    “I consider myself truly blessed,” O’Donoghue shared in her first public remarks after taking office. “My path to this chamber has been one of constant growth. After moving back to Antigua, I had the opportunity to work closely with Prime Minister Browne, and his unwavering trust and commitment to helping me build the skills and capacity to serve has brought me to where I am today.”

    Drawing on her professional background in communications and public storytelling, O’Donoghue identified legislative transparency as her top priority in the Senate. She argued that complex legislative language often creates unnecessary barriers between lawmakers and the general public, leaving many citizens disconnected from the policy process that shapes their daily lives.

    “As a professional communicator, my core goal is to make sure that every resident of Antigua and Barbuda can clearly understand and engage with the bills and amendments we consider here,” she explained. “Too often, critical policy information gets lost in jargon. Many legislative texts are dense, inaccessible, and hard for ordinary people to digest. I want to change that.”

    O’Donoghue emphasized that closing this information gap is key to fostering greater public participation in national development. When citizens understand how proposed laws will impact their communities, they can contribute more meaningfully to the country’s growth, she said. “Whatever I bring before this chamber, the first priority will be making sure the public knows exactly what is at stake,” she added.

    Beyond improving legislative outreach, O’Donoghue outlined four key policy areas she plans to champion during her tenure: reparations for historical injustices, expanded youth development initiatives, full gender parity in political representation, and broader social justice reform. As a longstanding reparations advocate, she confirmed that she will elevate conversations around historical and reparatory justice ahead of the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, scheduled for later this year.

    She also celebrated the growing number of women serving in Antigua and Barbuda’s Parliament, crediting the Browne administration for making gender parity a central governing priority. “Gender parity has been a core mandate of Prime Minister Browne’s government from the start,” she noted. “It has long been top of his agenda to ensure that every community’s voice is fairly represented in both houses of the legislature.”

    Increased female representation, O’Donoghue argued, directly translates to more inclusive legislation that serves the needs of all members of society. For too long, proposed laws have often failed to center the interests of women, children, and marginalized vulnerable groups, she explained. “When more women take seats in the Upper House, the bills we draft and pass will reflect the needs of everyone in this country, not just a select few,” she said.

  • Lamin Newton Says Senate Appointment Allows Him to Continue Serving After Election Defeat

    Lamin Newton Says Senate Appointment Allows Him to Continue Serving After Election Defeat

    Fresh off his reappointment to the Upper House of Parliament following the April 30 general election, Senator Lamin Newton is moving past a recent electoral loss to refocus his legislative agenda on expanding educational access, growing scholarship opportunities, and driving inclusive national development.

    Newton shared his perspective shortly after Friday’s swearing-in ceremony held at Government House, where he spoke candidly about his emotions surrounding his return to parliamentary service. Calling the moment both energizing and meaningful, he opened up about the disappointment of his recent defeat in the race for the All Saints East and St. Luke constituency, where he ran as a candidate for the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party.

    “That chapter is closed now,” Newton stated. “I suffered a clear defeat, and that is a matter of public record. But I am not dwelling on what has passed — I am turning my attention to the larger opportunities ahead to serve the people of this country.” The loss, he explained, has given him unexpected space to reflect on his work, identify gaps in his outreach, and reframe his policy priorities ahead of his new Senate term.

    “The silver lining of this experience is that I now have both the time and the on-the-ground data to conduct a thorough, honest assessment of where I can improve as a representative,” he noted.

    At the top of his refocused agenda is expanding educational opportunity, an issue Newton says has become a core personal passion. His primary legislative initiative will center on building new partnerships with local tertiary and secondary learning institutions to expand need-based scholarship access for low-income and disadvantaged students.

    Newton frames widespread educational access as the single most effective catalyst for advancing social mobility and closing economic inequality across Antigua and Barbuda. “I have always held that education is the master key that opens doors of opportunity for every person, no matter what background they come from,” he explained. “It levels the playing field across every strata of our society, giving everyone a fair shot to build a better future for themselves and their families.”

    While education will be his defining policy focus moving forward, Newton emphasized that he remains committed to advancing critical infrastructure development projects across the country — a core pillar of the government’s ongoing national development agenda. “Infrastructure work never stops, and I will continue to push for investments that improve communities,” he said. “That said, education will be my central focus and highlight throughout this term.”

    Newton was one of 10 government-aligned senators officially sworn in on Friday, part of the ongoing process of reconstituting Parliament following the April general election. He is set to officially take up his seat and begin his legislative work when the Senate convenes for its first post-election session on May 20.