Carib Scope

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  • PM pledges to tackle ‘substandard’ conditions for public servants

    PM pledges to tackle ‘substandard’ conditions for public servants

    In his inaugural address at the annual Public Service Week Thanksgiving Service held in Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Godwin Friday has delivered a landmark dual-message speech that confronts longstanding systemic challenges in the country’s public sector. The newly sworn-in premier, whose administration took office on November 28, openly acknowledged that thousands of public servants across the nation are currently forced to carry out their duties in severely deficient, even life-endangering work environments — and called for shared accountability to drive progress.

    Friday opened by reframing the core identity of public service, pushing back against harmful cultural narratives rooted in the nation’s history of slavery that have tied service to the stigma of servitude. Speaking to the gathering of public officers under the event’s theme “Transforming Public Institutions: Advancing Innovation, Participation and Inclusion”, he emphasized that public service is fundamentally a calling to support fellow citizens. “We are called to serve, and it’s incumbent upon us to do our very best in whatever our roles are,” he told attendees. “Service means being a help to your neighbour, to your friend, to the people who have a right to expect us to do our best for them.”

    He lauded public servants as the backbone of the country’s economy, describing them as some of the “best educated, most talented, hardworking, dedicated people in St. Vincent and the Grenadines”. Friday noted that the consistent work of public employees lays the foundational framework that enables private sector growth and broader national economic activity.

    Tying the country’s ongoing economic challenges — including heavy national debt and persistent fiscal pressures — to public sector performance, the prime minister argued that boosting productivity within government agencies is a critical step to improving national financial health. “Productivity is what creates whatever the surplus is, the increase in wealth that helps to deal with all of those things. That can be done within the public service as well, because you set the context of what everybody else does out there,” he explained.

    Friday urged public officers to eliminate unnecessary delays that stall services for citizens and private businesses, warning that bureaucratic procrastination acts as a dead weight on the entire national economy. He acknowledged that frontline workers often face overwhelming frustration when tackling persistent, unresolved problems, but stressed that unprofessional or dismissive interactions with the public fail to meet the obligations of public service. Echoing a prior appeal from Deputy Prime Minister and Public Service Minister St. Clair Leacock, Friday called on all public employees to “lift your game”, saying, “Let us decide that we are going to do better. Imagine if all of us decide to lift our game.”

    He reinforced that citizens accessing public services are not asking for special favors, but exercising the rights they have earned as taxpayers, and are inherently entitled to high-quality, timely support. Framing the work of public service in both moral and spiritual terms, he added that each workday represents both a blessing and a core obligation to serve the public good.

    In some of his most sharply critical remarks, the prime minister turned to the dire physical working conditions he has personally observed across government facilities since taking office. “I’ve seen it. I’ve seen enough to know that we have to put our best foot forward, as well, as permanent secretaries, as ministers, as the people who are in charge of the various offices that you inhabit,” he said.

    He specifically called out the dilapidated housing at the decommissioned police training school in Old Montrose, where serving officers still reside. He described the conditions at the site as “terrible”, noting that plans to demolish and rehabilitate the complex were first drafted back in 2016, but have languished for years without progress. Quoting John Lennon’s famous line that “life is what happens when you’re making plans”, Friday criticized the prolonged delay: “Those plans have been under work since 2016 and people are still required to come to work and to give of their best when we tell them, by the conditions in which we ask them to work, that we don’t value you. That is not fair, it’s not right. And it bothered me.”

    The prime minister stressed that poor conditions are not isolated to the police service, adding that police facilities are simply the worst affected. Even the central administrative complex that houses the prime minister’s own offices, he noted, falls far short of acceptable standards. Friday went on to confirm that many workplaces across the public sector pose direct risks to employee health: “It’s a health hazard to have people working in mouldy buildings, and that’s happening all over the public service. It’s demeaning to tell somebody to work out of a closet rather than an office, to tell them to work in the corridors because we don’t have space for you.”

    Against this backdrop, Friday issued a formal public commitment to partner with public servants to improve their working environments, even amid the government’s tight fiscal constraints. “We are going to be a partner with you to ensure that we do our very best within the limited resources we have to provide better conditions to you, so that you can do your work and so that you can be productive,” he said, adding that “money isn’t everything” when it comes to meaningful reform.

    The prime minister announced his administration will pursue a wide range of creative solutions to upgrade public facilities, and signaled he is willing to face political criticism for the steps his government will take. “I don’t care what people say. I’m going to do it, because I know what we’re doing is … going to help you, it’s going to help the country, it’s going to help everybody,” he said.

    Addressing potential critics and naysayers, he closed by reaffirming the shared goal of progress: “For those who are naysayers and want to find fault and pick faults for everything, watch the result and you will see that we are going to deliver for you as public servants, and we ask you, lift your game. Let us deliver for the people of this country. They deserve nothing less.”

  • Police searching for missing St George man

    Police searching for missing St George man

    Law enforcement officials in the country have issued an urgent public call for help in tracking down an elderly resident who has been missing for more than a week. 68-year-old Ulric Carlisle Kirton, a resident of Watts Village in St George, has not been seen or heard from by his family or local authorities since June 11, prompting police to open a missing person investigation and reach out to community members for tips.

    Authorities confirmed that Kirton lives with dementia, a cognitive condition that can impair a person’s ability to remember their location, navigate unfamiliar areas, or communicate personal information, putting him at heightened risk of harm while unaccounted for. To help community members identify him quickly, police have released a detailed physical description of the missing man.
    Kirton stands approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall, has a slim frame, brown skin, a completely bald head, and short gray hair on his face. When he was last observed by witnesses, he was wearing a black hat, a navy blue long-sleeve shirt, and a pair of black trousers.

    Police are urging anyone who has spotted a man matching this description anywhere in the country, whether recently or on the day Kirton went missing, to get in touch with authorities immediately. There are multiple channels for members of the public to submit information: contacts can be made directly to the District ‘B’ Police Station, the 24/7 police emergency line at 211, the anonymous Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-800-TIPS (8477), or any closest local police outpost to the caller’s location. Officials emphasize that even a small piece of information could be critical to bringing Kirton home safely.

  • Only police allowed guns in park during carnival

    Only police allowed guns in park during carnival

    As St. Vincent and the Grenadines prepares to host its first national Vincymas carnival following the recent eruption of inter-gang conflict across the country, law enforcement officials have unveiled a strict new security measure: all licensed civilian firearm holders will be barred from bringing weapons into Independence Park during festival events.

    Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Trevor “Buju” Bailey made the announcement official during a press briefing held by the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) in Kingstown on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Notably, Bailey referenced the venue by its former name, Victoria Park, which was officially renamed last October.

    To accommodate the new rule without unnecessary inconvenience to licensed gun owners attending shows, Bailey confirmed that police will operate a dedicated temporary storage booth just outside the park’s entrance. The facility will be staffed by uniformed police officers, who will manage a formal check-in and check-out process. Visitors with legally held firearms will be required to register their weapon in an official log, leave it in police custody for the duration of their time in the park, and complete a second sign-off when collecting their property at the end of their visit. Bailey also issued a clear recommendation that gun owners verify the serial number of their weapon upon collection to ensure they retrieve the correct firearm.

    Under the new restriction, only on-duty police officers assigned to security detail for Vincymas 2026 will be permitted to carry firearms within park grounds during festival events.

    The policy comes against a tense backdrop: this year’s Vincymas marks the first national carnival held after violent clashes between two rival gangs, 6ixx and 7even, spread across multiple communities in the country. Bailey stressed that law enforcement has already successfully overseen a series of smaller regional rural carnival events without any recorded incidents of violence, crediting close collaborative work between the police force and event organizers.

    Repeating CDC’s framing of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force as the organization’s “number one partner” in delivering a safe celebration, Bailey emphasized that the longstanding working relationship between the two groups remains strong this year. From crowd management and public behavior monitoring to restrictions on glass containers and the new firearms rule, Bailey positioned layered security planning as the core foundation of this year’s festival.

    The senior officer also issued a direct public warning to any individuals seeking to bring gang-related violence into the capital Kingstown during Vincymas. “If you bring any 6ixx and 7even violence into Kingstown, you will come head on with number one,” Bailey said, referencing the police force. “We get serious when it comes to that.”

  • COMMENTARY: Closing survival gap equity in sickle cell disease

    COMMENTARY: Closing survival gap equity in sickle cell disease

    Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a lifelong inherited blood disorder passed down through parental genes, characterized by the production of abnormal hemoglobin. As the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells, dysfunctional hemoglobin leaves the body’s tissues and organs chronically starved of oxygen. Unlike healthy red blood cells, which are round, flexible, and able to travel smoothly through blood vessels, SCD produces red blood cells that are rigid, sticky, and shaped like a crescent or farm sickle. These misshapen cells easily clump together, blocking blood flow and causing widespread damage throughout the body.

    A key distinction is often drawn between sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait. People with sickle cell trait inherit just one abnormal hemoglobin S gene from one parent, paired with a normal gene from the other. While most carriers do not develop full symptoms of sickle cell disease, emerging research suggests some may experience mild symptoms, and all carriers are capable of passing the abnormal gene to their children. In Jamaica alone, approximately 10% of the population lives with sickle cell trait, a prevalence that has a direct impact on the number of children born with full sickle cell disease each year.

    Marked annually on June 19, World Sickle Cell Awareness Day was created to expand public knowledge and global attention to this often-overlooked blood disorder. This year’s campaign centers on the theme “Closing the Survival Gap: Equity in Sickle Cell Disease”, representing a critical global shift from general awareness-raising to demanding tangible, systemic healthcare equity. The theme is anchored in four core pillars that guide global action.

    The first pillar focuses explicitly on addressing the survival gap, targeting the stark global inequalities in life expectancy and health outcomes for SCD patients. The second pillar calls for equal access to high-quality care, demanding that consistent, high standards of diagnosis, pain management, and specialized treatment be available to all patients regardless of where they live. The third pillar shifts focus from awareness to action, challenging governments and healthcare systems to dismantle structural barriers to care rather than relying solely on educational outreach. The final pillar centers on empowering communities, calling for increased support for young patients and patient advocates to help them navigate care systems and confidently manage their condition.

    The core objectives of the annual observance extend beyond these pillars to drive long-term change. Key goals include increasing public understanding of SCD’s global burden, encouraging national governments to integrate SCD care into public health programs and establish specialized treatment centers, and highlighting the critical role of pre-marital genetic screening in reducing intergenerational transmission of the abnormal gene. The day also advocates for expanded investment in research to improve quality of life for all people affected by SCD.

    Symptoms of sickle cell anemia, the most common form of SCD, typically emerge around six months of age, varying between individuals and changing over time. One of the most debilitating symptoms is recurrent pain crises: when sickle-shaped cells block blood flow to the chest, abdomen, and joints, they cause extreme pain episodes that can last from a few hours to several days. While some patients experience only a few crises annually, others face a dozen or more, with severe crises requiring emergency hospital care. Many patients also live with chronic long-term pain caused by bone damage, joint damage, skin ulcers, and other SCD-related complications.

    Anemia is another hallmark symptom of SCD. Healthy red blood cells live approximately 120 days before being replaced, but sickle cells break down and die in just 10 to 20 days, creating a persistent shortage of red blood cells that leaves patients chronically fatigued. Additional common symptoms include swelling of the hands and feet caused by blocked circulation, delayed growth and puberty in children and teenagers due to insufficient oxygen and nutrients for development, and vision damage when sickle cells block blood vessels supplying the retina.

    The Caribbean region faces a disproportionate burden of SCD, a legacy of the Atlantic Slave Trade. Studies place the prevalence of sickle cell trait between 7% and 10% across the region, where most of the population of Caribbean islands traces their ancestry to West Africa. Outside of West Africa itself, the Caribbean has the highest incidence of sickle cell disease in the world, with the genetic variant linked to SCD originating predominantly from West African populations.

    Modern treatment for SCD includes medication, blood transfusions, stem cell (blood or marrow) transplantation, and emerging gene therapy. To date, stem cell transplantation remains the only curative option for SCD, requiring a genetically matched donor, most commonly a sibling. Ongoing research is working to expand access to curative transplants by optimizing protocols for partially matched donors, such as parents or half-siblings. While SCD is associated with reduced life expectancy, new targeted treatments have dramatically improved both life expectancy and quality of life in recent decades. With optimal, consistent disease management, many people with SCD now live into their 50s and beyond.

  • Miners Association appeals to authorities to fix badly damaged roads in mining district

    Miners Association appeals to authorities to fix badly damaged roads in mining district

    On Friday, June 19, 2026, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) issued an urgent public appeal to the Guyanese government, calling for immediate repairs to heavily damaged interior access roads that serve the country’s key gold and diamond mining regions. The infrastructure damage is a direct consequence of ongoing extreme rainfall that has battered the mining heartland of the nation.

    In the GGDMA’s official statement, Managing Director Avalon Jagnandan emphasized the critical need for rapid intervention from relevant government ministries and regulatory bodies. “We need authorities to help rapidly repair the damaged road infrastructure that will allow miners to access mining areas more easily,” Jagnandan said, framing the repairs as a make-or-break issue for the sector’s ongoing operations.

    Shortly after the appeal was made public, Minister of Mining Vickram Bharrat responded, confirming that full repairs to the mining district road networks will commence once the severe rainfall subsides. Bharrat acknowledged the severity of the crisis, noting that the damaged infrastructure is already weighing heavily on miners and their output at a time when global gold prices are sitting at a historic all-time high. On the day of the appeal, the London Gold Fix opened with spot gold trading at $4,164.55 per ounce, creating a high-stakes window for domestic production that is currently being squandered by weather-related disruptions.

    When asked whether the association had contacted the government privately before launching its public appeal, Jagnandan clarified that the crisis is an ongoing, rapidly evolving situation that demands immediate public attention, adding that the group is actively engaging with authorities to resolve the issue. While the GGDMA has not yet released a formal statistical projection for lost gold output, Jagnandan warned that continued poor weather and delayed road repairs will almost certainly drag down production levels. “Miners would not be able to properly access their work grounds and get key supplies in their camps. These will certainly hinder production,” he explained.

    Beyond road damage, the unrelenting rainfall has triggered widespread flooding that has forced dozens of small and medium mining operators to shut down their camps entirely, as work sites have become completely unworkable. The situation is particularly acute along the Puruni River, where floodwaters have overtopped the river’s banks so extensively that the natural river channel is no longer distinguishable from surrounding low-lying lands. The combination of vastly expanded flood coverage and powerful fast-moving currents has forced operators to suspend all pontoon crossings in the region, cutting off access to large swathes of active mining territory and grinding operations to a halt.

    In addition to its appeal for government support, the GGDMA has issued urgent safety guidance for miners still operating in flood-impacted areas, urging extra vigilance as saturated soil has become far more prone to collapse. In recent weeks, multiple mining pit collapses have been recorded across affected districts, resulting in fatalities, injuries, and extensive damage to heavy mining equipment. The association has reminded all mining operators to adhere strictly to all established safety protocols set out by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, while also advising miners to continue selling gold to the Guyana Gold Board or licensed private buyers, and maintain full, accurate records of all transactions.

    The sector is facing additional strain beyond weather-related disruptions, the GGDMA confirmed: a recent spike in criminal activity across remote hinterland mining regions has eroded confidence among small, vulnerable independent miners. Over the past several months, multiple miners have been assaulted and robbed in isolated mining districts, creating further uncertainty for an industry already grappling with extreme weather challenges.

  • Mullings retains national discus throw title

    Mullings retains national discus throw title

    Kingston, Jamaica – In a tense, unpredictable final round of men’s senior discus competition at the JAAA National Championships held Saturday at Kingston’s National Stadium, top thrower Ralford Mullings delivered a winning performance that secured both his title defense and a spot on Jamaica’s roster for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this July.

    Mullings, the Jamaican national record holder in the event, entered the competition fresh off a historic milestone earlier this month: back-to-back NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships titles while competing for the University of Oklahoma. The standout athlete only recorded two valid, legal throws across the six-round competition, but his best effort of 64.31 meters was enough to outpace every other competitor and claim the top spot on the podium.

    Behind Mullings, 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medalist Fedrick Dacres finished as the runner-up with a top throw of 62.97 meters. Racquil Broderick, a standout from the University of Southern California who also finished second behind Mullings at the recent NCAA Outdoor Championships, rounded out the top three with a throw that matched his 2022 season best of 62.87 meters.

    The day ended in heartbreak for fourth-place finisher Chad Wright, who came into the national championships with high hopes of becoming a dual-sport Jamaican representative at the upcoming Commonwealth Games. Wright had thrown a personal best 67.92 meters earlier this April, putting him in strong contention for a top-three finish and a spot on the discus roster. But his best effort on Saturday only reached 60.55 meters, ending his dream of competing in both discus and a second sport at the global games this summer.

  • Moore, Taylor lead qualifiers for 200m final at national championships

    Moore, Taylor lead qualifiers for 200m final at national championships

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaican Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Championships delivered exciting semi-final action in the men’s and women’s 200-meter events on Saturday, with defending women’s champion Ashanti Moore and 2023 men’s runner-up Christopher Taylor emerging as the top athletes to advance to the upcoming final.

    Moore, who already secured a spot in the women’s 100-meter final a day earlier, delivered a dominant performance to win her semi-final heat, crossing the finish line in 22.88 seconds against a -1.2 meters per second headwind. Behind her in the same heat, Lavanya Williams clocked a new personal best of 23.06 seconds, while Jodean Williams notched a 23.05-second season’s best to also move on to the final.

    In the second women’s semi-final, contested into a much stronger -4.0 m/s headwind, Alana Reid finished second in 23.74 seconds, and Niesha Burgher took third in 23.82 seconds, both earning their places in the final round.

    On the men’s side, Taylor turned in a standout showing to win his semi-final, posting a new 2024 season’s best time of 20.49 seconds despite a challenging -2.9 m/s headwind. He outpaced Roshawn Clark, a former national 400-meter hurdles champion, who finished second in the heat with a solid 20.63-second run to claim his spot in the final.

    Other men’s athletes advancing to the 200m final include Jevaughn Powell, who topped the first round of qualifying earlier in the competition and notched a 20.73-second run in the semi-finals against a -4.5 m/s headwind, Adrian Kerr, who finished just behind Powell in 20.76 seconds in the same heat, and Kadrian Goldson, who sealed his spot with a 21.00-second run against a -4.0 m/s headwind. The 200m final is scheduled to take place in the coming days of the national championships, where athletes will compete for Jamaican national titles and qualifying spots for upcoming international competitions.

  • Lloydricia Cameron wins first shot put title after six runner-up finishes

    Lloydricia Cameron wins first shot put title after six runner-up finishes

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — In a story of persistence that culminated in long-awaited victory, Lloydricia Cameron secured her first-ever Jamaican national women’s shot put title Saturday at Kingston’s iconic National Stadium, breaking a six-year streak of second-place finishes at the country’s top track and field competition.

    Competing at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Championships, Cameron delivered a winning throw of 17.57 meters to claim the gold medal, outperforming a field of young, rising talent from top collegiate programs across the United States. The hard-fought win marks a career milestone for the thrower, who has finished as runner-up at every national championship dating back to 2019, each time falling short of the top spot behind national record holder Danniel Thomas-Dodd.

    Born in the United States and a former athlete for the University of Florida, Cameron now trains full-time in Kingston as she builds toward major international competitions later this year. Among her upcoming goals is improving on her fourth-place finish at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, a result that already cemented her status as one of the region’s top shot put talents.

    In the final standings of Saturday’s competition, Kimeka Smith, a representative of Clemson University, took home the silver medal with a best throw of 16.03 meters. Rounding out the top three was Britannie Johnson of Purdue University, who claimed bronze with a throw of 15.55 meters.

  • Tajay Gayle wins first long jump title in 5 years

    Tajay Gayle wins first long jump title in 5 years

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — On the third day of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Championships held at Kingston’s iconic National Stadium, former world long jump champion Tajay Gayle delivered a standout performance to secure his first national men’s long jump title in three years. Competing in Saturday’s final, the Jamaican star notched a season-best leap of 8.37 meters with a legal wind assistance of 1.6 meters per second, a result that has immediately lifted his standing in global long jump rankings. This winning mark catapults Gayle into a tie for seventh place in the world rankings, arriving at a critical juncture as athletes around the globe battle for limited qualifying spots at the sport’s highly anticipated inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships. Alongside his winning legal jump, Gayle also recorded an 8.31-meter effort that fell outside wind allowance rules, with a reading of 2.6 meters per second behind that attempt. He outpaced the rest of a competitive field to take the top spot on the podium, with Louisiana State University’s Jordan Turner claiming second place after hitting a wind-aided 8.22 meters (3.2 m/s). Rounding out the top three was Nikaoli Williams, who registered a wind-assisted 7.89-meter jump with a 2.3 m/s wind reading. The victory marks a key turning point for Gayle, who had not claimed a national title since 2021, and signals that he is finding top form at the right time ahead of the upcoming global championship event.

  • Smith wins jumps double at national championships

    Smith wins jumps double at national championships

    On the third day of Jamaica’s premier domestic track and field competition, the JAAA national championships held at Kingston’s National Stadium, Ackelia Smith etched her name into the event’s history books by securing a rare and impressive double victory. Fresh off securing her fourth senior national long jump title just two days prior on Thursday, the Jamaican jumper turned her attention to the triple jump on Saturday and delivered another standout performance to claim the top spot.

    Smith landed a best leap of 13.95 meters with a legal tailwind of 2.0 meters per second, which earned her the first senior national triple jump crown of her career. The victory also reinforced her position as one of Jamaica’s top jumpers heading into the upcoming 2022 Commonwealth Games, a qualification she locked in earlier in the week after posting a 6.81-meter winning jump in the long jump.

    While the women’s triple jump field only featured four registered competitors, a noticeably small size for a national championship final, the competition more than made up for low numbers with high quality performance across the board. Jade-Ann Dawkins, a former standout athlete from St Jago High School now competing for Kansas State University, took the second spot on the podium with a 13.67-meter jump, recorded with a 0.9m/s wind.

    Rounding out the top three was Shantae Foreman, the reigning NCAA champion representing Clemson University, who posted a wind-aided mark of 13.49 meters with a 5.0m/s tailwind that pushed the jump outside of the legal record range. The fourth and final spot went to Texas A&M University’s Machaeda Linton, who also recorded a wind-aided result of 13.11 meters with a 4.0m/s wind.

    Smith’s rare double win cements her status as one of Jamaica’s most consistent and versatile jumpers heading into the international championship circuit, with the Commonwealth Games set to be her next major test on the global stage.