Carib Scope

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  • Man Beaten, Robbed and Left Unconscious at West Bus Station

    Man Beaten, Robbed and Left Unconscious at West Bus Station

    A brutal, unprovoked assault and robbery in the early hours of Saturday at Antigua’s West Bus Station has left a local man recovering at home, while reigniting widespread community anxiety over rising violent crime and insufficient public safety measures across high-traffic transit hubs.

    Details of the shocking attack, shared by a close relative of the victim, outline that the assault unfolded sometime after midnight, when multiple unknown attackers ambushed the man. In a particularly dehumanizing turn, the assailants stole every possession the man carried with him – even stripping him of his outer clothing, including his pants and shoes, leaving him only in his underwear before fleeing the scene. The attackers left the man unconscious from the beating on the concrete floor of the bus station, where he remained undiscovered for hours.

    It was not until a passing member of the public stumbled upon the injured victim that emergency services were notified. Responders rushed the man via ambulance to the territory’s primary healthcare facility, Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre. Once at the hospital, the man regained consciousness, received urgent care for traumatic head injuries sustained during the attack, and was ultimately deemed stable enough for discharge to continue his recovery at home.

    To date, law enforcement officials have not made any arrests in connection with the case. The victim, still recovering from the assault, has been unable to provide detailed identifying information about his attackers to aid the investigation. Police authorities have confirmed that they have launched a formal probe into the incident, though no new updates have been released as of press time.

    The brazen nature of the attack has sent ripples of concern through the local community. The victim’s relatives have spoken publicly about their shock, noting that the violent attack could easily have resulted in a fatal outcome given the severity of the man’s head injuries and the hours he lay untreated. Community organizers and local residents have echoed this worry, pointing to a recent string of violent incidents in public transit areas as evidence that more proactive safety measures are needed to protect residents and commuters.

  • LETTER: Antigua’s athletics need stepping up

    LETTER: Antigua’s athletics need stepping up

    In a recent open letter addressed to sporting authorities and national stakeholders in Antigua and Barbuda, a group of local athletics advocates has sounded the alarm over the steady decline of the country’s track and field program, calling for immediate, targeted action to reverse years of underperformance and stagnation.

    For decades, Antigua and Barbuda has produced talented sprinters and endurance athletes who have competed at the highest international levels, including the Olympic Games and World Athletics Championships. But in recent years, the sector has struggled with a cascade of systemic challenges that have undermined its ability to nurture new talent and compete regionally and globally.

    The letter outlines key gaps holding the sector back: outdated training facilities that lack basic equipment and proper maintenance, insufficient funding for youth development programs, limited access to professional coaching education for emerging trainers, and a broken pipeline that allows talented young athletes to fall through the cracks before they reach elite competition levels. It also notes that without intervention, Antigua and Barbuda risks losing its standing in regional track and field competitions, as neighboring countries invest heavily in their own athletics programs and pull ahead in performance results.

    Advocates argue that revitalizing athletics is not just about winning medals — it is a critical investment in youth development, public health, and national pride. A strong athletics sector provides young people across the country, especially those from underserved communities, with structured opportunities to build discipline, stay active, and pursue professional sports careers that can lift both themselves and their communities.

    The letter calls on the Antigua and Barbuda Ministry of Sports, the national athletics association, and private sector partners to collaborate on a comprehensive revitalization plan. Key proposals include upgrading national training facilities, expanding grassroots youth scouting programs in schools across the country, providing ongoing professional development for local coaches, and securing sustainable long-term funding to support athlete training and competition travel.

    Signatories emphasize that with the right investment and strategic focus, Antigua and Barbuda can reclaim its position as a competitive force in Caribbean athletics and unlock the potential of the next generation of elite track and field athletes. The public call to action has already sparked growing discussion among sporting officials and community leaders, with many signaling willingness to engage in talks to move the plan forward.

  • Van Dijk-Silos lanceert stichting voor leiderschap en nationale ontwikkeling

    Van Dijk-Silos lanceert stichting voor leiderschap en nationale ontwikkeling

    On a Friday in mid-June, prominent Surinamese jurist Jennifer van Dijk-Silos officially launched Stichting Passie voor Land en Volk (Passion for Land and People Foundation), a new independent civil society organization designed to steer Suriname toward equitable, sustainable national development as the country enters a transformative era driven by its emerging oil and gas sector.

    The foundation has outlined five core priorities: cultivating responsible leadership across all sectors, strengthening active civic participation, advancing inclusive nation-building, expanding a progressive local content policy, and building a targeted strategy to leverage the global Surinamese diaspora for national growth. At the launch event, van Dijk-Silos, who serves as the foundation’s chair, emphasized that Suriname stands at a historic crossroads. The projected economic windfall from new hydrocarbon resources should not only boost state revenues but deliver tangible, widespread benefits to every segment of Surinamese society, she argued.

    “The critical question is not how much natural wealth a country holds, but how much of that wealth actually reaches and improves the lives of ordinary people,” van Dijk-Silos stated during her launch address.

    Rejecting the narrow common definition of local content that limits the framework to contract and procurement requirements, van Dijk-Silos called for a much broader, more inclusive approach to the policy. Under her vision, local content should ensure that Surinamese small and medium business owners, local workers, and national knowledge institutions directly capture meaningful gains from the country’s oil and gas expansion. “Local content is fundamentally about how Surinamese people can actively participate in building the economic future of their own nation,” she explained.

    The foundation chair stressed that long-term sustainable development cannot be achieved through natural resource extraction alone. True national prosperity depends on intentional investment in people: through accessible high-quality education, support for domestic entrepreneurship, continuous knowledge development, and the strengthening of inclusive public institutions. “Countries do not become wealthy from natural resources alone – they grow wealthy from investing in their people,” van Dijk-Silos noted.

    A key pillar of the foundation’s work is targeted engagement with the global Surinamese diaspora. With hundreds of thousands of Surinamese migrants living across the globe, the community holds untapped potential in the form of specialized skills, professional experience, capital, and international networks that can accelerate national development, van Dijk-Silos argued. Instead of framing the diaspora as people who left Suriname, the foundation reframes them as Surinamese citizens who have simply expanded their sphere of influence, and invites them to contribute to national progress. “We must see the diaspora not as those who abandoned our country, but as Surinamers who have extended their reach across borders,” she said.

    Structured as an independent cross-sector platform, the foundation will facilitate open dialogue between diverse stakeholders: ordinary citizens, domestic entrepreneurs, young people, civil society groups, academic institutions, and national government. Planned activities include public discussion forums, guest lecture series, leadership training programs, and independent research projects on key national challenges. A top priority for the organization is developing the next generation of ethical, effective young leaders, as van Dijk-Silos argues that sustainable leadership is a non-negotiable foundation for good governance, social stability, and long-term economic growth.

    Beyond economic development, the foundation is committed to advancing inclusive nation-building in Suriname, a country known for its deep cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity. Van Dijk-Silos emphasized that this diversity is not a barrier to national unity, but one of Suriname’s greatest strategic strengths. Instead of centering divisions of origin, religion, or political affiliation, the foundation calls on all Surinamers to embrace shared responsibility for the country’s future. “A strong nation is built on shared values: integrity, respect, solidarity, justice, and active civic responsibility,” she said.

    Closing her launch address, van Dijk-Silos framed the foundation’s creation as more than just the launch of a new civil society organization. It is, she said, an open invitation to all Surinamers – both those living in the country and those part of the global diaspora – to collaborate on building a future where economic growth goes hand in hand with broad social progress, shared national identity, and sustainable, people-centered leadership. “Suriname’s future will not be defined by oil alone,” she concluded. “It will be defined by the quality of our institutions, the resilience of our entrepreneurs, the potential of our people, and our willingness to work together toward a common goal.”

  • ‘Total blackout’

    ‘Total blackout’

    A deliberate act of cable vandalism in Princes Town, Trinidad and Tobago, left hundreds of residents across multiple local communities without power for nearly a day between Friday and Saturday, marking the second major attack on national electricity infrastructure in less than a month. The sabotage targeted critical high-voltage power infrastructure at the intersection of Seebalack Avenue and Pagee Trace, where perpetrators severed cables connected to a 12,000-volt circuit breaker. The damage also cut four primary high-voltage cables that feed 30 pad-mounted transformers serving the Housing Development Corporation’s (HDC) large-scale Fairfield housing development, triggering a widespread blackout that extended far beyond the development itself.

    The affected areas included the full Fairfield Housing Development, as well as adjacent neighborhoods of Craignish, Indian Walk, Buen Intento, Mathilda and New Grant, leaving approximately 450 residential and commercial customers without power, according to an official statement released Saturday by the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC). T&TEC emergency working crews deployed immediately after the outage was reported, working overnight through Friday and into Saturday to fully repair the damaged distribution hub. Power restoration was rolled out in phases: the first disconnected neighborhoods regained service four hours after crews arrived, the second phase of the Fairfield development had service restored by 11:05 a.m. Saturday, and the first phase of the development was fully reconnected by 12:30 p.m.

    Local and national officials have issued urgent appeals for public assistance to identify and apprehend the perpetrators, warning that vandalism of critical public infrastructure carries severe risks for both the community and the vandals themselves. Dr. Aiyna Ali, Member of Parliament for Princes Town, emphasized that attacks on public utilities disrupt essential services that all residents rely on, and called on anyone with information about the responsible parties to contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 474-TIPS (8477). “Together, we can help protect our communities and the services we all depend on,” Ali noted.

    T&TEC echoed the appeal, adding a critical safety warning for the public: any tampering with high-voltage power infrastructure carries extreme risk of severe injury or fatal electrocution. The commission advised residents to avoid all unauthorised access to overhead lines, substations and related power equipment, and urged anyone with details of the vandalism to call T&TEC’s anonymous tip line at 474-8467.

    Latchmi Narine, a local government councillor, described the incident as a total blackout that upended daily life across the affected region for hours. Speaking to the *Sunday Express*, Narine pointed out that vandalism against public infrastructure has become an increasingly serious problem across Trinidad and Tobago. She noted that the perpetrators appeared to have prior knowledge of power systems, as they managed to tamper with live high-voltage cables without being electrocuted – a dangerous coincidence that Narine called “really a sad situation for the country.” To prevent future attacks, Narine revealed plans to install permanent security cameras across vulnerable communities to deter potential vandals.

    Many affected residents expressed frustration over the disruption to their daily routines. Kelly Williams, a Fairfield resident, told reporters he was in the middle of watching a World Cup football match when the neighborhood suddenly went dark, after he heard a loud bang that sounded like a transformer explosion. Williams said local rumors indicate the vandals targeted the cables to steal copper wiring, adding that outsiders were almost certainly responsible for the disruption. The outage left him particularly worried about the aquarium fish he keeps for relaxation, which rely on electric-powered filtration systems to survive.

    Another resident, Anton Layne, called for harsh legal action against vandals to deter future attacks. “The authorities need to put strict laws and measures in place against vandalism. When they pick up with them, put them inside and throw away the keys,” Layne said.

    This latest incident is not an isolated one: less than a month prior, on June 10, a would-be vandal suffered severe burn injuries after being electrocuted while attempting to tamper with infrastructure at T&TEC’s Brechin Castle substation. The intruder made contact with a 132-kilovolt breaker, triggering a system-wide voltage dip across large parts of the country at 9:45 a.m. that day. Security camera footage from the substation captured the man being stunned by the shock and falling to the ground, before he recovered, fled the scene and left his tools behind. He was apprehended shortly after the incident and taken for emergency medical treatment for his severe burns. T&TEC noted at the time that the national grid’s protective safety mechanisms worked as designed to prevent widespread outages, and the grid remained stable after the incident. The commission repeated its longstanding public safety warning following the June incident, reminding the public that any interference with power infrastructure carries potentially fatal risks.

  • Public funds demand public accountability

    Public funds demand public accountability

    A long-simmering debate over public funding governance in Trinidad and Tobago’s national football scene has intensified, with Sport and Youth Affairs Minister Phillip Watts reaffirming that transparency, formal accountability, and rigorous financial oversight are non-negotiable requirements for any sporting body that receives taxpayer or public-backed funding.

    The minister’s comments came in response to questions from the *Sunday Express* about growing concerns over the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA)’s management of funds allocated for its 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. Watts framed the conversation not as an isolated issue targeting the TTFA, but as a matter of core principle that applies to every public-funded sporting entity across the nation.

    “Football holds such profound cultural and social importance for the people of Trinidad and Tobago that we cannot afford to leave any room for doubt about whether it is being managed in a way that prioritizes long-term, sustainable development,” Watts told the outlet. “Whenever questions emerge around governance, accountability, or strategic direction for any national sporting body, those concerns demand serious attention.”

    The controversy centers on a $6.79 million allocation from SporTT, Trinidad and Tobago’s sports development company, earmarked specifically for the TTFA’s World Cup qualifying campaign. To date, the association has not submitted required expenditure documentation for the funds, sparking questions from both regulators and the public. Additional reports have also raised questions about the TTFA’s mounting overall debt, despite receiving large government subventions and private sponsorship ahead of last year’s qualifying matches, with multiple groups including coaches, event vendors and administrative officials reportedly owed millions of dollars in unpaid payments. Another point of contention involves a $3 million sponsorship commitment from the National Gas Company (NGC), which has only released $1.5 million across two tranches, and has reportedly received no formal accounting for the spent funds despite repeated requests.

    TTFA president Kieron Edwards has pushed back against public criticism, arguing that claims of improper or irregular conduct are unfounded. He emphasized that any narrative suggesting misconduct based on delayed disclosure is misleading, noting that information related to the expenditure is reserved for formal review processes, not immediate public release. Edwards added that the TTFA takes its reporting obligations to SporTT extremely seriously, and that association teams are actively working to complete the required documentation. He explained that compiling and verifying comprehensive expenditure records requires a detailed, time-intensive auditing process, which the TTFA is committed to completing accurately and efficiently.

    In his formal responses to the *Sunday Express*’ questions, Watts outlined his clear stance on the situation. When asked whether he was satisfied with the TTFA’s financial compliance, he noted that all compliance matters must be handled with objectivity and rigor, and confirmed he had requested that official review processes be launched to confirm public funds have been properly accounted for and delivered expected public value.

    On questions surrounding the TTFA’s reported unpaid debts, Watts noted that specific details around individual payment obligations are best addressed directly by the TTFA’s leadership, but reaffirmed that transparency and accountability remain mandatory for any organization receiving public support, whether directly or indirectly.

    When asked about his level of confidence in the TTFA’s financial leadership and what guidance he would offer to Edwards and the TTFA executive, Watts said every sporting executive holds a core responsibility to manage their organization’s affairs with prudence, openness, and accountability. His core advice for the association’s leadership: build and maintain robust governance frameworks that earn and retain the trust of all stakeholders.

    On the topic of potential future public funding for the TTFA, Watts clarified that the ministry’s core mandate is to support sustainable sport development across the country, but that all public support must be tied to proper accountability. Any future requests for additional funding will only be considered after a full, clear assessment of past spending, current governance standards, and verified proven need, he said.

    When asked whether an independent audit of the TTFA is needed, Watts said he backs any lawful, appropriate process that can strengthen transparency and reinforce public trust. When concerns around financial management emerge, independent external scrutiny plays a critical role in clarifying outstanding questions and upholding accountability standards, he added.

    Addressing the unresolved NGC sponsorship accounting issue, Watts reaffirmed his core principle: any time public or private funding is allocated to support sport, timely and accurate accounting for how those funds are used is required. Any breakdown in this accountability process is a serious matter that must be resolved through proper, formal channels, he said.

    Watts also acknowledged that ongoing financial instability at the TTFA could have long-term repercussions for the future of football in Trinidad and Tobago. “I am concerned about any financial issues that threaten the long-term stability and growth of our national football,” he said. “Solid financial management is absolutely essential if we want the sport to develop properly, and if athletes, clubs, and all stakeholders are going to trust in our national football system.”

  • Cases of missing teenagers down

    Cases of missing teenagers down

    As the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations wrapped up on June 19, the head of one of Trinidad and Tobago’s leading volunteer search and rescue organizations is sounding a warning: historical data points to an upcoming uptick in reported cases of missing teenage girls, even as overall missing person statistics have dropped sharply so far this year.

    Vallence Rambharat, leader of the Hunters Search and Rescue Team (HSRT), shared his analysis in an interview with the Sunday Express from Chase Village last month, noting that recurring patterns around major public holidays, seasonal events, and school break periods have consistently shaped missing person case volumes. From Christmas and Carnival to Point Fortin Borough Day and the annual August school vacation, Rambharat explained, these post-event periods almost always see an increase in young people leaving difficult home environments.

    Current data already shows a dramatic downward shift in the share of missing person cases involving runaway teenage girls. In 2022, this group made up 38% of all missing person reports across Trinidad and Tobago. Through the first part of 2026, that share has fallen to just 14%, Rambharat said. The overall volume of missing person reports has also dropped significantly, averaging only 22 new cases per month this year compared to higher numbers in previous years.

    But despite these encouraging trends, Rambharat emphasized that teenage girls who go missing remain the most widely misunderstood group of missing persons in the country. He pushed back against the widespread public perception that most of these young people run away from home simply to pursue romantic relationships, a harmful stereotype he said leads to premature judgment and underinvestment in resolving cases.

    “Most people just say they run away with a man, and that is not the full story,” Rambharat explained. “While that may sometimes be the outcome, the root cause is almost always severe instability and hardship at home. These girls are dealing with chaotic, unsafe home environments, and they are just looking for a way out.”

    Rambharat detailed the core underlying issues that drive many teenage runaways: physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, chronic neglect, incest, and persistent socio-economic hardship that makes home life untenable for minors as young as 16 and 17. In many cases, he added, vulnerable teenagers who leave home end up falling for manipulative relationships outside the home that compound their original problems, leaving them in far more dangerous situations than they left behind.

    Because of these complex underlying issues, the HSRT often partners with the Children’s Authority and Child Protection Unit to conduct deeper investigations into cases of missing teenage girls, rather than treating them as routine runaways. Rambharat noted that many of these young people open up to rescue team members once they are located, confirming the pattern of domestic hardship that led them to leave.

    Beyond teenage girls, Rambharat highlighted two other high-priority groups that require more public awareness and systemic support. The HSRT’s most concerning caseload involves adults between the ages of 20 and 50, the majority of whom are women who intentionally leave toxic situations and do not want to be located by family or authorities. When the HSRT locates these individuals, Rambharat said the team honors their requests for privacy, keeping their location confidential to allow them to build new, safe lives.

    The second most misunderstood group, Rambharat added, is elderly adults, particularly those living with undiagnosed dementia. He urged family members to educate themselves on the early warning signs of cognitive decline and to seek regular medical check-ups for all relatives over the age of 60. Catching dementia early, he explained, can help families put safeguards in place to prevent elderly adults from wandering off and becoming lost.

    When asked if Trinidad and Tobago is facing a hidden crisis of missing persons, Rambharat framed it as a manageable but underaddressed problem, not a full-blown crisis. He credited the HSRT’s widespread use of social media to publicize missing person cases with helping to bring broader public attention to the issue in recent years.

    To improve the country’s overall response to missing person cases, Rambharat is calling on the Trinidad and Tobago government to establish a dedicated, centralized missing persons unit that unifies search and rescue resources across the Police Service, Fire Service, Coast Guard, and Defence Force. Currently, Rambharat argued, different agencies operate in isolated silos, creating unnecessary coordination delays and slowing response times for critical cases.

    He also called for increased public investment in specialized search and rescue equipment, including upgraded drones, advanced sonar technology, purpose-built utility vehicles, and a dedicated emergency response helicopter. Rambharat pointed to a recent high-profile extraction of a hiker with a broken leg from a remote trail to illustrate the gap in current resources: it took the Defence Force 48 hours to deploy assistance, a delay that could have been avoided entirely if a dedicated helicopter was available for emergency response.

    A dedicated unified unit and upgraded equipment, Rambharat said, would drastically cut response times and improve outcomes for the most urgent missing person and search and rescue cases across the country.

  • Guevarro: 290 cops on suspension

    Guevarro: 290 cops on suspension

    One year into his tenure leading the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), Commissioner Allister Guevarro has opened up about the service’s ongoing anti-misconduct efforts, public trust challenges, and legal barriers to greater transparency in policing. In a candid interview held Thursday at the Port of Spain Police Administration Building, Guevarro confirmed a striking statistic: 290 officers across the TTPS are currently suspended amid ongoing disciplinary or criminal proceedings – a figure that has not been made public by the current leadership until now.

    The Commissioner emphasized that this large number of suspensions is not a sign of systemic failure, but rather proof that robust accountability mechanisms are active within the service. When he first took office, Guevarro noted, he was immediately confronted with a string of alleged misconduct cases, and he made rooting out corrupt and unethical actors within the TTPS a top priority from day one. “We try to root out the negative elements within the Police Service itself,” he stated.

    To illustrate the service’s action against misconduct, Guevarro pointed to the high-profile case of Police Constable Stefon Khan. Khan was arrested and suspended earlier this year after an investigation found he had stolen $242,000 worth of marijuana seized as evidence from the Chaguanas Police Station, replacing the cannabis blocks with packages of wood and a ceramic tile. The officer was charged with misbehaviour in public office and brought before the court in May, a resolution that the public was broadly aware of – but Guevarro says that for most cases, the public never learns what action is taken after allegations first surface.

    A core challenge the TTPS faces, Guevarro explained, is the widespread public perception that police misconduct is rarely punished. While initial allegations against officers often draw intense public and media attention, the subsequent disciplinary processes, arrests, and court proceedings rarely gain the same level of public interest. Even when the TTPS issues official statements about case outcomes, Guevarro noted that social media conversations still frequently question whether misconduct cases are ever actually prosecuted, with many users asking for updates on old cases months after announcements have been made.

    The last time a similar suspension count was made public was in 2020, when then-Commissioner Gary Griffith revealed 280 officers were suspended with full pay, costing taxpayers an estimated $50 million annually. Guevarro did not address the cost of the current 290 suspensions in his comments, but he framed the current figure as evidence that multiple accountability bodies – including the TTPS’ own Professional Standards Bureau, internal disciplinary units, and the independent Police Complaints Authority (PCA) – are actively working to hold officers to account. “We are able to investigate, arrest and charge our own,” he said, adding that these systems demonstrate the TTPS’ commitment to removing officers who break the law or violate professional standards.

    Guevarro also touched on public confidence in his leadership and the broader police service. He shared that internal polls conducted after his first 100 days in office showed he held an 80% public approval rating, but stressed that his personal popularity does not equate to public trust in the entire TTPS. “Guevarro is not the TTPS,” he said. “I am the leader of the organisation, and it is for me to take decisions and operate in a particular way with integrity and everything else that comes with the office.”

    Beyond misconduct accountability, Guevarro highlighted a key legal barrier that limits the TTPS’ ability to build public trust through transparency: current restrictions on releasing evidence that is part of active court proceedings. He explained that this is most often an issue with body-worn camera footage, even in cases where the video clearly vindicates officers’ actions.

    As an example, he cited a recent controversial shooting in Tunapuna, where an officer responded to a domestic violence call, was stabbed by a suspect, and fatally shot the man during the confrontation. The officer was wearing a body camera that clearly captured the unprovoked attack and the circumstances that justified the shooting, but Guevarro said the TTPS is legally prohibited from releasing that footage to the public to clear up misinformation about the incident. The same restriction applies to other high-profile pending cases, including the Joshua Samaroo matter, he added.

    “Under our current laws, as long as that footage is to become part of evidence before the court, cannot be shown,” Guevarro explained, noting that releasing such information could be considered prejudicial to a fair trial and impact the final judicial outcome. “I still can’t even show that to the public.”

    The Commissioner said he supports opening national discussions to reform policies around body-worn camera footage, pointing to existing frameworks in the United States and United Kingdom that allow for greater public disclosure in appropriate cases. However, he emphasized that any reform would require buy-in and changes from multiple stakeholders across the criminal justice system, including lawmakers and the Judiciary, not just the TTPS. Guevarro framed the issue as part of a broader national conversation about balancing transparency, public accountability, and fair administration of justice in Trinidad and Tobago.

  • ‘Environmental giant’ Agard dies at 71

    ‘Environmental giant’ Agard dies at 71

    The global environmental community is mourning the passing of John Agard, 71, the former chairman of Trinidad and Tobago’s Environmental Management Authority (EMA) and emeritus professor at The University of the West Indies (The UWI), who died on Friday.

    Widely regarded as one of the most influential conservation voices and scientific minds across the Caribbean, Agard’s decades of groundbreaking work in sustainable development and climate action earned him respect from colleagues and leaders at home and abroad, with tributes flooding in from across sectors in the days following his death.

    A decorated scholar and public servant, Agard was awarded the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the nation’s highest honor, in 2023. His international reputation was cemented through key contributions to global climate research: he served as a lead author for the “Small Islands” chapter of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report, a work that jointly received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize alongside former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.

    Beyond the IPCC, Agard held critical roles in other landmark global environmental assessments. He led author teams for the “Small Island Systems” and “Scenarios” chapters of the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, work that earned him the prestigious Zayed Prize for the Environment. He also served as coordinating lead author for the “Scenarios” chapter of the United Nations Environment Programme’s 2007 *Global Environmental Outlook*, and co-led the 2007 Caribbean Sea Assessment (CARSEA) in partnership with the Cropper Foundation.

    Closer to home, Agard left an indelible mark on Trinidad and Tobago’s environmental governance. During his tenure as EMA chairman, he played a central role in drafting the nation’s foundational National Environmental Policy, and shaped landmark local environmental legislation including the 2001 Certificate of Environmental Clearance Rules, Noise Pollution Rules, and Water Pollution Rules. He also spearheaded the designation of some of the country’s most critical protected areas: Matura National Park was named an Environmentally Sensitive Area in 2004 under his leadership, Nariva Swamp became a Managed Resource Protected Area in 2006, and the Aripo Savannahs received designation as a Strict Scientific Reserve in 2007.

    Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, principal of The UWI’s St. Augustine campus, remembered Agard as a multi-faceted leader whose impact extended far beyond research. “A giant in the intellectual world, especially in relation to the environment and climate change sciences, he was committed to sharing his knowledge and worked just as tirelessly as a mentor,” Antoine said in an official statement. She added that Agard, a long-time faculty member at the university, was a brilliant, innovative public servant who gave immeasurably to The UWI, the local community, and the global environmental movement.

    Courtenay Rooks, a veteran environmental conservationist and former president of the Trinidad and Tobago Incoming Tour Operators Association, honored Agard’s lifelong commitment to protecting Trinidad and Tobago’s unique natural heritage. “The country has lost a patriot whose life was dedicated to the future of Trinidad and Tobago,” Rooks said, describing Agard as one of the most generous and remarkable people he had ever encountered. “He was passionate about Trinidad and Tobago and always pushed to save our environment. His work at The UWI and the Institute of Marine Affairs was done selflessly, with the same passion and strong focus to help save the planet. The world has lost a giant.”

    Colleagues who worked alongside Agard at the EMA and across the Caribbean environmental sector have called for greater permanent recognition of his contributions, particularly his foundational work in development planning, disaster risk reduction, and climate adaptation policy for Small Island Developing States, a group disproportionately vulnerable to climate impacts. They emphasized that his decades of work should not be forgotten by future generations.

    Agard’s alma mater, Fatima College, also joined in paying tribute via a social media post, noting that the alumnus did not only transform academic environmental science but dedicated his career to leveraging research to improve quality of life for all. Agard was among the first group of inductees into the Fatima College Hall of Achievement in 2015, honored in the Pioneers category for his trailblazing work.

    In its official announcement of Agard’s passing, The UWI reflected on his lifelong mantra, which summed up his core mission: his passion was “to make the world a better place. To make my country a better place. To make my region a better place.” The university remembered him first as a groundbreaking scientist, and above all, as a leader fiercely committed to protecting the planet’s natural environments for current and future generations.

  • Alyssa, mom on 3 charges each

    Alyssa, mom on 3 charges each

    Trinidad and Tobago’s acting Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro has defended the recent arrest and charging of well-known local social activist Alyssa Phillip and her mother Camille Caresquero, after the pair joined the country’s annual permitted Labour Day procession in Fyzabad on Friday without formal authorisation for their separate group.

    Both women now face three criminal offenses each in connection with the incident. For Phillip, the charges include leading an unauthorised public procession, refusing an official order to disperse the group, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest by law enforcement officers. Caresquero is charged with participating in an unlawful procession, obstructing a police officer in the course of their duties, and resisting arrest.

    This arrest marks the second time the mother-daughter activist pair has been taken into custody for protest-related activity in recent weeks. They are currently out on bail pending trial for separate charges stemming from an unsanctioned demonstration outside the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Port of Spain last month. Earlier in May, both women pleaded not guilty to all charges connected to that earlier protest before Magistrate Indira Rmarine Misir-Gosine.

    Phillip and Caresquero have become prominent figures in Trinidad and Tobago’s local activist space, leading a series of public demonstrations and community vigils calling for greater accountability and transparency in the criminal justice system. Their protests stem from the controversial charging of Kaia Sealy with manslaughter and firearms-related offenses in connection with the January 20 police-involved shooting death of her husband Joshua Samaroo in St Augustine.

    In a formal public statement released on Sunday, titled *TTPS Reaffirms the Rule of Law During Labour Day Procession*, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) addressed widespread public discussion and debate surrounding the arrests, emphasizing that all enforcement action was carried out in full compliance with existing national legislation.

    Commissioner Guevarro noted that the TTPS fully recognizes and upholds all constitutionally protected rights of citizens to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. However, he stressed that these fundamental rights are not absolute and must be exercised within the boundaries set out by national law.

    Guevarro added that law enforcement officers acted with full professionalism and clear adherence to procedural guidelines throughout the incident. “It is regrettable that enforcement became necessary, but the sanctity of the Labour Day procession should never be compromised by persons seeking to attach unrelated agendas to a permitted national event,” Guevarro said in the statement.

    Under Trinidad and Tobago’s Summary Offences Act, all public marches require a formal permit issued directly by the Commissioner of Police, with written applications submitted within a statutorily defined timeframe. The commissioner has the authority to approve or deny permit applications based on assessments of public safety and public order risk. The national trade union movement, which organizes the annual Labour Day procession, completed all required legal steps and received full official approval for this year’s event, the TTPS confirmed.

    According to the TTPS’s account of Friday’s incident, Phillip and a small group of her supporters, none of whom were affiliated with the organizing trade union movement, attempted to join the back of the authorised procession. Officers confirmed with event organizers that the activist group was not a formal part of the permitted event, then notified Phillip that her group’s participation would constitute a separate, unauthorised public march that required its own permit. Police also warned the group that their unauthorised presence risked jeopardizing the entire permitted Labour Day event.

    Despite multiple formal warnings, the activist group moved forward and joined the procession as an unauthorised tail contingent. In line with Section 116 of the Summary Offences Act, a senior police officer of the required rank formally ordered Phillip, as the group’s leader, to direct the assembly to disperse. When Phillip refused to comply with the lawful order, officers moved in to arrest both her and Caresquero.

    The TTPS further grounded its enforcement action in a recent High Court ruling delivered by Justice Ricky Rahim in the case *Walker v Attorney General (CV2023-00302)*. That ruling explicitly clarified the legal distinction between static public meetings and moving public marches, and reaffirmed that all public marches require prior written permission from the Commissioner of Police, regardless of whether they intend to attach themselves to an already permitted event.

    “The judgment confirms that any group wishing to participate in a public march must have a permit, and that attaching an unauthorised procession to a lawful one is a breach of the act,” the TTPS statement noted. “The activist group in question did not give notice of a meeting, nor did they apply for or receive a permit for a march. Their actions, therefore, fell squarely within the statutory definition of an unlawful public march.”

    Police officials added that enforcement action was necessary to prevent potential escalation of unrest, protect all attendees of the authorised Labour Day event, uphold the rule of law, and preserve the integrity of the national legislative framework governing public assemblies. “Allowing an unpermitted procession to merge with a lawful one would have undermined the event, created security risks, and violated the legal framework governing public marches,” the statement said.

    The TTPS concluded by reaffirming its ongoing commitment to upholding all constitutional rights of Trinidad and Tobago citizens, enforcing the law equally and without bias, ensuring that national public events proceed safely and without disruption, and engaging with the public in a transparent and respectful manner. The service also issued a reminder to all activist and community groups seeking to hold public marches that completion of the formal permit process is required to avoid similar enforcement action in the future.

  • Former MP hails blind student’s historic CPEA success, urges corporate support

    Former MP hails blind student’s historic CPEA success, urges corporate support

    An 11-year-old blind student from St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has captured national attention for her extraordinary performance in the 2024 Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA), earning a spot at one of the country’s most prestigious secondary institutions. Former East St. George Member of Parliament and ex-finance minister Camillo Gonsalves, who left office after November 2023’s general election, shared the inspiring news in a public Facebook video posted Saturday, highlighting what he calls a defining milestone for inclusive education in the nation.

    Faith Grant, who was born without sight, completed her primary education at Fair Hall Government School, an institution that has pioneered a mainstream inclusive education programme for students with physical and learning disabilities. Out of 1,760 CPEA test-takers across SVG, Grant ranked 43rd overall and 19th among all female students — a result that secured her admission to the elite Girls’ High School (GHS).

    Gonsalves emphasized that Grant took the exact same standardized examination as every other student, with only targeted accommodations made to help her access test content. A trained invigilator read all questions aloud to her, and for visual components such as geometric diagrams, test staff described shapes by tracing their outlines on her hand or back to help her conceptualize the information. Despite these additional barriers, Grant not only passed the high-stakes exam but outperformed the vast majority of her sighted peers.

    The former MP, who has followed Grant’s academic journey closely for years, shared that the young student has long dreamed of attending GHS, a goal that has now become a reality. He described Grant as a multilingual, high-energy learner with an insatiable love of literature and a natural aptitude for mathematics and science. At Fair Hall Government School’s graduation ceremony held June 12, Grant already received multiple academic awards, and she now stands as the school’s highest-ranking CPEA graduate in this year’s cohort.

    Gonsalves credited much of Grant’s success to the intentional inclusive education model implemented at Fair Hall Government School, led by principal Angella Kydd Roberts. Several years ago, school leadership made a deliberate decision to integrate students with physical and learning challenges into the general student body, providing them with the same core curriculum as their peers while offering specialized support. The school counts a number of faculty with formal special education training, and even uncertified staff have embraced the institution’s mission, adapting their teaching methods to meet diverse student needs with creativity and care. Grant is not the first student with special needs from Fair Hall to advance to secondary education, but Gonsalves confirmed she is the highest-achieving in the school’s history based on CPEA outcomes.

    Placing Grant’s achievement in historical context, Gonsalves noted that when he was a child, blind students in SVG were excluded from mainstream primary education entirely, let alone offered access to elite secondary schools. Grant’s admission to GHS marks a historic first for the nation, and Gonsalves framed her success as both a personal victory and a national milestone for SVG’s evolving education system. While he acknowledged that additional accommodations will be needed to support Grant during her secondary studies, he expressed full confidence in her ability to overcome any future obstacles.

    To support Grant’s transition to GHS, Gonsalves has issued a public appeal to corporate entities and good corporate citizens across SVG to provide financial support for specialized assistive technology. Grant is currently learning braille, but many advanced secondary school textbooks and learning materials — particularly those with complex diagrams and illustrations — are not available in braille format. Modern adaptive tools can convert these materials into accessible formats for Grant, but the equipment carries a high price tag that is out of reach for most families. Gonsalves urged local businesses to connect with Grant’s mother to offer support that will remove barriers to her continued academic success.

    Closing his message, Gonsalves emphasized that Grant’s achievement was a collective effort, thanking her family, the school’s principal, and all of her teachers for the support that brought her to this point. “It really has been a village that has taken Faith to this point,” he said. He ended with a hopeful pun on Grant’s first name, echoing the SVG national anthem: “I know she’ll go further, and I know that our faith will see us through. Big up.”