Carib Scope

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  • Export opportunities identified for small biz

    Export opportunities identified for small biz

    Barbados’ leading coalition for service sector businesses is sounding a clarion call to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and microbusinesses across the island, pointing to massive unrealized export potential waiting to be unlocked in neighboring Caribbean and broader Latin American markets. The assessment was delivered during a recent export preparedness workshop hosted at Pelican House on Harbour Road, where leaders from the business community and enterprise development specialists broke down the barriers and opportunities for local firms looking to expand beyond Barbados’ borders.

    Executive Director Michelle Smith-Mayers of the Barbados Coalition of Service Industries (BCSI) opened the discussion by noting that while a growing number of small local firms have begun dipping their toes into cross-border trade in recent years, the vast majority of the regional market remains largely unexplored by Barbadian operators. “We are seeing an upward trend in interest, and we already have a handful of small businesses successfully exporting their offerings,” Smith-Mayers told attendees. “But the entire Caribbean region is still an untapped, uncharted space for most of our enterprises.”

    Smith-Mayers emphasized that any business looking to enter overseas markets must first map out critical logistics strategies, from choosing distribution models—whether working with third-party distributors, selling directly to customers, or leveraging digital e-commerce platforms—to planning end-to-end delivery of their offerings. Among the most accessible pathways for new exporters, she singled out digital and service-based trade as particularly high-potential, calling it “low-hanging fruit” for local businesses thanks to its inherent portability.

    Unlike physical goods that require complex shipping, customs clearance, and international logistics networks, professional services ranging from accounting and legal consulting to graphic design and digital game development can be delivered entirely remotely from Barbados, allowing providers to serve international clients without ever leaving the island. Smith-Mayers also pointed out that many Barbadians are already unofficially exporting services through remote work for overseas companies, a trend that can be formalized and expanded to drive broader economic growth.

    Beyond the Caribbean, Smith-Mayers highlighted Latin America—specifically Panama—as an underrecognized growth market for Barbadian exporters. She noted that Barbadians already regularly travel to Panama to source inputs, clothing, and other goods for domestic resale, creating an existing trade flow that can be leveraged to reverse the dynamic: instead of only importing from the market, local businesses can begin exporting their own goods and services to Panamanian consumers and firms. “There is so much untapped potential for our small, medium, and microbusinesses right here in our own neighborhood,” she added.

    Byron Gibson, an enterprise development consultant with the Barbados Trust Fund Ltd, echoed the positive outlook on Barbados’ export potential, but offered a key note of caution for aspiring exporters. Gibson argued that while many local businesses already produce products that hold their own against international competitors in terms of quality and consumer appeal, having a competitive product does not equate to having an organization prepared for the demands of international trade.

    “Before a business can even think about entering an overseas market, the first step is a comprehensive internal evaluation to understand where the enterprise currently stands, what gaps it has, and what it needs to succeed,” Gibson explained. He noted that many Barbadian products already outperform international brands on local store shelves, proving their quality can compete globally. But, he stressed, “an internationally competitive product and an export-ready enterprise are two entirely separate things. We already have export-ready products in Barbados; what we need now are export-ready enterprises that can scale and support those products in cross-border markets.”

    Gibson added that businesses pursuing export opportunities must also put critical foundational structures in place, including robust intellectual property protection, standardized international contracts, and sufficient internal operational capacity to serve international customers consistently. Long-term export success, he concluded, depends on focusing equally on two core areas: building the firm’s ability to deliver on international demands, and ensuring business leaders have a clear understanding of exactly what is required to successfully enter and sustain operations in new overseas markets.

  • Meat Shop Owner Speaks Out After Worker Shot Dead

    Meat Shop Owner Speaks Out After Worker Shot Dead

    A young father who had been given a second chance to rebuild his life has been killed in a brazen close-range shooting at a popular public market in Belize District, leaving his employer, fellow vendors and the broader community reeling and demanding urgent action to improve public safety.

    Twenty-seven-year-old Tyrel Robinson was gunned down shortly after 5 p.m. Monday by an unidentified armed attacker at Jun’s Meat Shop, where he had worked for six months inside Michael Finnegan Market along West Collet Canal. His employer, Aaron Castillo, who gave Robinson the job after seeing he wanted to turn his life around, spoke publicly this week about the shock of the violence that unfolded right in front of him.

    Castillo recalled that he immediately recognized Robinson did not want to remain trapped in a cycle of street life when they first met. “I was watching him, and he did not look like any ordinary street boy,” Castillo said. “I gave the man a chance because he looked like he wanted to change his life.” In the six months Robinson worked at the meat shop, Castillo described him as a friendly, hardworking staff member who treated every customer with respect and was well-liked by regulars who visited the market.

    The attack unfolded as Castillo was serving another customer, he said. He heard the ring of gunfire, spun around, and realized Robinson had been hit. Fearing that the shooter would target bystanders next, Castillo fled the immediate area to get to safety. Robinson was rushed by emergency responders to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, the country’s main public medical facility, but doctors were unable to save him, and he died from his gunshot wounds.

    The killing is not the first time Robinson has been targeted: he survived a separate assassination attempt in 2023, when two men on bicycles opened fire outside his home on Bocotora Street. Court records also show Robinson had a prior run-in with the law in 2019, when he was arrested and charged with theft, attempted theft and property damage following an incident where he allegedly snatched a gold chain from Magistrate Tanisha Smith near the Michael Finnegan Market.

    To date, investigators have not released a confirmed motive for the Monday shooting, leaving the community with unresolved questions about why Robinson was targeted. In the wake of his death, vendors who operate stalls inside the market have banded together to call for sweeping changes to public security at the facility. They are demanding increased patrols by law enforcement and stricter screening for all people entering the market.

    Castillo has joined those calls, urging local authorities to deploy armed security guards at every entry gate to the market and implement a ban on anyone entering while wearing helmets or full face coverings that can hide a person’s identity, a common tactic used by attackers in public street violence to avoid being identified. The shooting has underscored persistent concerns about violent crime in public communal spaces in Belize, and left a 27-year-old father’s family without a breadwinner as the community mourns a young man who was actively working to build a better life.

  • Antigua and Barbuda Receives Three Ocean Data Buoy Stations

    Antigua and Barbuda Receives Three Ocean Data Buoy Stations

    The twin-island Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda has taken a major step forward in strengthening its coastal resilience and climate action with the delivery of three advanced SOFAR Ocean Data Buoy Stations. The new infrastructure, financed entirely through a European Union grant, was formally received by Minister of State Michael Freeland at an official handover ceremony held this Tuesday at Point Wharf.

    Designed to fill critical gaps in the country’s current marine observation network, these buoy stations will deliver near real-time, high-precision data on ocean conditions and atmospheric meteorology. According to project planners, this continuous stream of granular information will directly improve the accuracy of marine weather forecasts, boost overall maritime safety for commercial and recreational vessel traffic, and enable more rigorous assessments of coastal hazards ranging from storm surges to rapid sea-level changes.

    Alongside the deployment of the physical equipment, specialized technical teams from the program are currently leading hands-on training sessions for local personnel. The training covers every stage of the system’s lifecycle, from on-site deployment and day-to-day operation to regular preventative maintenance and troubleshooting. This focus on local capacity building ensures the buoy network will remain operational and effective for years to come, without relying on constant external support.

    Government officials involved in the initiative emphasize that the upgraded monitoring network will deliver far-reaching public and economic benefits. By enabling earlier, more accurate warnings of impending coastal and weather hazards, the system will help protect the lives of residents and visitors alike, safeguard public and private property, and shore up the nation’s most critical economic sectors—including tourism, commercial fishing, and maritime trade, which form the backbone of Antigua and Barbuda’s economy.

  • More barrels of oil for Guyana now that ExxonMobil has recouped expenses

    More barrels of oil for Guyana now that ExxonMobil has recouped expenses

    In a landmark announcement delivered at a press briefing on Tuesday, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali confirmed that ExxonMobil and its joint development partners have fully recouped nearly $40 billion in exploration and operational costs, clearing the way for the South American nation to dramatically increase its share of crude oil output from the Stabroek Block project.

    President Ali emphasized that the updated barrel allocation framework aligns fully with the terms of the original 2016 Production Sharing Agreement struck between the Guyanese government and the ExxonMobil-led consortium, which includes China National Offshore Oil Corporation and U.S. energy major Chevron. Under the original structure, 75% of every 100 barrels produced was reserved for cost recovery for the energy partners. With the remaining $5 billion in outstanding costs now fully cleared, that cost-recovery allocation has dropped sharply to just 20 barrels per 100 produced.

    The new allocation model leaves 80 barrels of every 100 to be split equally between Guyana and the consortium. Under the revised terms, Guyana will receive 39.8 barrels per 100 produced, with the same 39.8 barrels distributed across ExxonMobil and its co-venturers. This marks a transformative shift in revenue flow for the small Caribbean nation, which has seen its economic fortunes transformed by major offshore oil discoveries over the past decade.

    Earlier this year, ExxonMobil’s Guyana subsidiary announced that it had accelerated its cost recovery timeline, a shift driven by the recent sharp spike in global crude oil prices. Geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran have sent benchmark oil prices soaring from roughly $45 per barrel to over $100 per barrel in recent months, boosting revenue for the consortium and allowing it to recoup expenses far faster than initially projected.

    Beyond the revised revenue split, President Ali also outlined updated production targets for the Stabroek Block. The project currently produces between 900,000 and 920,000 barrels of oil per day, and Ali confirmed that output is on track to hit 1 million barrels per day by the fourth quarter of 2026. That milestone will be reached following the arrival of the project’s fifth Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, which is set to depart Singapore for Guyana later this month.

  • “Three Hours of Work for One Gallon of Gas”?

    “Three Hours of Work for One Gallon of Gas”?

    At a press conference held by the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) in Belize City on August 18, 2026, the stagnant $5 national minimum wage emerged as a central point of contention, with union representatives decrying the policy as a failure that leaves working-class families trapped in cycles of financial hardship.

    Union Senator Glenfield Dennison led the criticism, highlighting the stark gap between minimum wage earnings and soaring basic commodity costs. He pointed to the crippling reality that a worker currently must put in three full hours of labor just to afford a single gallon of gasoline – a ratio he called indefensible for any working economy.

    Dennison warned that prolonged economic desperation pushes vulnerable workers toward dangerous choices, noting that most people prefer to earn an honest living to support their households. But when a full day of work is not enough to cover basic needs, he argued, some people are forced to turn to petty theft just to put food on the table for their children. He went as far as to describe Belize’s current labor and wage landscape as a modern-day slave mill, arguing that working people have seen little to no meaningful economic progress four and a half decades after the country gained independence.

    Beyond addressing the inadequate minimum wage, Dennison called on the Belizean government to develop a comprehensive, actionable strategy to expand economic opportunity and ease the crippling financial pressure on working households. He also condemned the widespread practice of politicians using public funds to provide targeted financial assistance to constituents as blatant vote-buying. Dennison criticized the system where families are forced to beg their local representative for help covering basic costs like their children’s school tuition, only to have those favors weaponized for political gain during election cycles.

    Fourty-five years after Belize secured full sovereignty, Dennison argued that the country is moving backward rather than forward, leaving working people behind in a system that fails to deliver fair compensation or basic economic security.

  • CFU Challenge 2026 (U-14) : Victory of Grenadiers [4-1] over the Young Warriors of Trinidad and Tobago

    CFU Challenge 2026 (U-14) : Victory of Grenadiers [4-1] over the Young Warriors of Trinidad and Tobago

    The 2026 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) U-14 Boys Challenge Series has delivered another thrilling matchup, with Haiti’s under-14 national squad, the Grenadiers, securing a dominant 4-1 victory over Trinidad and Tobago’s Young Warriors at the Cap Cana Sports City complex on August 18, 2026.

    This win marks Haiti’s second consecutive triumph in Group B (Tier I) of the competition, and early qualification to the tournament’s semi-final round, regardless of the result of their final group stage fixture. The young Haitian side got off to a blistering start, opening the scoring just three minutes into the game when Jodley Sheeckensley Delmas converted a well-placed free kick to put Haiti up 1-0. Ronelson Pelé Janvier extended the Grenadiers’ lead in the 25th minute, doubling Haiti’s advantage to 2-0 before Jerry Petit-Homme hammered home a long-range strike 10 minutes before halftime to bring the score to 3-0 at the break.

    After halftime, Trinidad and Tobago’s Young Warriors cut into the deficit when Jiair Nanton successfully converted a penalty in the 40th minute, pulling the score back to 3-1. But Haiti retained firm control of possession and tempo through the second half, and Petit-Homme bagged his second goal of the game in the 67th minute, restoring the three-goal lead to lock in the full three points for the Grenadiers with a final score of 4-1.

    Following Puerto Rico’s surprise 0-1 loss to French Guiana in an earlier Group B fixture, Haiti’s six points from two matches guarantees the side top place in the group standings even before their final group match against El Huracán Azul of Puerto Rico, scheduled for 1:30 PM local Haitian time on August 19. Ahead of the fixture, head coach Jean Marc Alexandre made one adjustment to the starting lineup, swapping Benoît Athan Pierre for Jean Messi Jay. The confirmed starting XI for Haiti’s final group stage match is: #1 Marc-Evens Lubin, #2 Kendy Dolbrun, #3 Eddyson Paul-Jean, #4 Cedric Claremond (captain), #5 Marvens Fenelon, #6 Woodney Charleston, #7 Wensley Dumorne, #8 Jodley Sheeckensley Delmas, #9 Ronelson Pelé Janvier, #10 Jerry Petit-Homme, #17 Jean Messi Jay.

    Provisional Group B standings after two rounds of matches place Haiti firmly at the top with two wins from two matches, six points, nine goals scored and just three conceded. French Guiana sits second with three points from one win and one loss, while Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago trail with one point each. Trinidad and Tobago has already been eliminated from semi-final contention, while Puerto Rico is also set to exit the tournament. The semi-finals of the Tier I competition are scheduled for August 21, with matchups set by combined group standings, and the grand final and third-place match will take place on August 23.

  • Free Uniforms to 147 Stella Maris Students

    Free Uniforms to 147 Stella Maris Students

    As the 2026 back-to-school season approaches, hundreds of students at Belize’s Stella Maris School are set to start the new academic year with unexpected support: every one of the campus’s 147 enrolled students will receive two brand-new school uniforms at no cost to their families. This generous donation is the product of a newly established sister-city collaboration between Belize City Council and the city of Miramar, Florida, organized and led by Bridge 501, a Belizean diaspora community organization based in the U.S.

    The initiative grew out of a recent Belize Day cultural event hosted in Miramar, where partners identified the acute financial burden that school uniform costs place on low-income families preparing for the new school year. Belize City Councillor Kaya Cattouse explained that uniform purchases consistently rank among the most expensive line items for households during back-to-school season, making targeted support for this need a high priority for the partnership.

    What makes this donation even more notable is that it exceeded the organizing group’s original goals. Bridge 501 initially set out to provide just one free uniform per student, but overwhelming additional contributions from community members across the diaspora and partner networks allowed the organization to double its commitment, bringing the total donation to two uniforms for every child on campus.

    Parents of students at Stella Maris have described the donation as life-changing for their household budgets. Jeslyn Bennett, a parent of a Stella Maris student, shared that she was moved to tears when she learned of the support. “It’s really generous, because it’s not easy being a parent trying to look for uniforms for our kids,” Bennett said. “It made me cry when I heard about it. I still kinda get goosebumps, because it’s a generous donation.”

    For school leadership, the impact of the donation extends far beyond financial relief. Stella Maris Principal Doreth Pascasio-Griffith emphasized that proper, well-fitting uniforms play a critical role in shaping students’ sense of belonging and self-worth when they arrive on campus. “I wanted my kids to come to school properly dressed,” she said. “I wanted them to feel valued. I wanted them to feel love and to feel confidence when coming to Stella Maris School.”

    The donation marks one of the first tangible community projects to come out of the new sister-city partnership, highlighting how cross-border collaboration and diaspora engagement can directly improve quality of life for communities in Belize, particularly in the education sector.

  • “Go Home”: Unions Turn Up Heat on BTL Chairman

    “Go Home”: Unions Turn Up Heat on BTL Chairman

    In a sharply escalating standoff over corporate governance and public trust, Belize’s major trade union bodies have ramped up pressure against Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) Chairman Markhelm Lizarraga, calling not just for his resignation but for his immediate departure from the role with no retirement benefits whatsoever.

    The hardening stance was announced publicly during a National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) press briefing held in Belize City on August 18, 2026. Union Senator Glenfield Dennison laid out the unions’ non-negotiable demand in blunt terms, stating: “He needs to do the honorable thing and resign and get no benefits, go directly home — do not pass go, do not collect your pension, do not collect any compensation, just leave.”

    The root of the unrest stems from Lizarraga’s stewardship of the now-defunct proposed acquisition of Speednet/SMART by BTL. Unions argue that Lizarraga’s management of the high-stakes deal cost him the confidence of both BTL’s 1,200-strong workforce and the general Belizean public, after he failed to provide sufficient transparency and open communication around a transaction that would have had major impacts on industry employment and national digital infrastructure.

    NTUCB President Ella Waight expanded on the organizations’ collective concerns, noting: “We believe that the chairman has not been sufficiently honest, transparent and forthcoming with Belizean workers and the Belizean public and therefore has lost the confidence of many BTL employees, working people across the country, and ordinary Belizeans.”

    The movement to remove Lizarraga has gained significant traction on the ground: the Belize Communication Workers Union (BCWU), which represents roughly 60 percent of all BTL employees, has formally issued a vote of no confidence against the chairman. BCWU General Secretary Harrison August emphasized that Lizarraga failed repeatedly to meet basic standards of governance, saying the chairman “has failed to act with transparency, timely communication, consultation, and good faith engagement, particularly on the decision that directly impacts the employees of BTL and the people of Belize.”

    For his part, Lizarraga has pushed back against the criticisms, defending his professional record amid the cloud over his handling of the acquisition. When previously questioned about concerns over his integrity tied to the deal, he pointed to the notable corporate turnaround BTL has achieved during his tenure as chairman, arguing that his performance should speak for itself. “You will judge me by the works and the results,” he stated.

    The unfolding conflict marks one of the most high-profile industrial disputes in Belize’s telecommunications sector in recent years, with implications for the future of BTL’s leadership and the regulation of major corporate acquisitions in the country’s key digital industry.

  • Adhin wil suïcidepreventie wettelijk verplichten

    Adhin wil suïcidepreventie wettelijk verplichten

    In a public address delivered Sunday evening at a suicide prevention event hosted by the Suriname chapter of the Global Indian Organisation (GIO), Ashwin Adhin, Speaker of the National Assembly of Suriname, announced a landmark push to embed suicide prevention into national law, arguing that voluntary policy plans and government programs have failed to reverse the country’s decades-long status as a high suicide-risk nation.

    Adhin, who opened the event by highlighting alarming recent police data showing a sharp upward trend in suicides and suicide attempts, revealed he will introduce a private member’s initiative bill that legally mandates the government to implement sustained structural interventions, set publicly trackable measurable targets, and submit annual public accountability reports to parliament. Data presented at the event showed 22 cases of suicide and suicide attempts were recorded in June 2026, a sharp increase from 12 reported in April and 14 in May.

    “A policy plan binds no one; a law binds everyone,” Adhin told attendees, emphasizing that current non-binding approaches have left prevention efforts vulnerable to shifting political priorities and inconsistent implementation across successive governments. He stressed that Suriname has consistently ranked among countries with suicide rates far above the global average, and every statistic represents a shattered family and a preventable loss of life.

    During his presentation, Adhin noted that Suriname’s existing legal framework already addresses assisted suicide, with Article 354 of the country’s penal code criminalizing incitement or assistance to suicide while decriminalizing suicide attempts themselves. Adhin called this existing approach a sound foundation, explaining that the law does not punish people in crisis but instead directs them toward life-saving care. The proposed new legislation will build on this framework by formalizing the government’s obligation to act.

    Responding to existing parliamentary calls for a national suicide prevention program, Adhin acknowledged the urgency of coordinated action but argued that standalone programs are insufficient. “Suriname does not lack plans, it lacks consistent execution,” he said. He added that codifying suicide prevention in law will insulate efforts from changes in government and ad-hoc policy decisions, ensuring sustained focus on the crisis.

    Adhin pointed to successful suicide prevention policy reforms in other countries to support his proposal. He noted that Japan embedded its national suicide prevention strategy in law in 2006 and subsequently recorded a significant long-term reduction in national suicide rates. Sri Lanka achieved measurable progress by banning the most toxic agricultural pesticides, a common method of suicide in the country, and neighboring Guyana has already enacted its own Suicide Prevention Act in 2022.

    Adhin commended the current Surinamese government for making crisis hotline 114 a permanent, 24-hour service, noting that people in acute crisis must have access to immediate support at any time of day or night.

    Beyond legislative reform, Adhin stressed the critical importance of early recognition of suicide warning signs in communities. He noted that at-risk people are not always visibly emotionally distressed, warning that withdrawn, quiet individuals often face unrecognized acute risk, with hopelessness being one of the clearest early indicators. Adhin added that acute suicidal impulses are often short-lived, meaning timely intervention during a crisis can save a life. He also referenced teachings from the Bhagavad Gita, framing the ending of life as not a solution to underlying suffering.

    The GIO event also featured remarks from Deputy Minister of Public Health, Welfare and Labor Raj Jadnanansing, Indian Ambassador to Suriname Subhash Gupta, National Assembly member Dew Sharman, clinical psychologist Sila Kisoensingh, and former police commissioner Gisla Poeran, and concluded with a public panel discussion on the way forward for suicide prevention in Suriname.

    As the bill enters its preparatory phase, Adhin has opened a public consultation process: civil society organizations, mental health experts and other stakeholders are invited to submit feedback on the 10 core principles outlined in his preliminary consultation document to the Office of the Speaker of the National Assembly, marked “Input Suicide Prevention Act.”

  • BREAKING NEWS: Port officer allegedly arrested on suspicion of cannabis importation

    BREAKING NEWS: Port officer allegedly arrested on suspicion of cannabis importation

    An ongoing law enforcement investigation in Dominica has resulted in the arrest of a local port authority employee, who is now facing suspicion of involvement in the illegal importation of cannabis. Multiple sources familiar with the case confirm that the information about the arrest was first brought to public attention through Dominica News Online, which received verified tip-off from an undisclosed reliable insider close to the investigation.

    As the inquiry is still in its early active stages, most key details surrounding the incident remain tightly under wraps. Authorities have not yet released official information confirming the exact timeline of the alleged smuggling attempt, the specific port location where the importation was supposedly attempted, or the total volume of cannabis authorities believe was involved. It also remains unclear whether formal criminal charges have been brought against the detained officer at this time.

    Local news outlet Dominica News Online has stated that it will continue tracking developments in this case closely, and plans to release additional updates to the public as soon as new verifiable information becomes available for disclosure.