Carib Scope

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  • Panton Calls Proposed $73M BEL Share Investment a “Bailout”

    Panton Calls Proposed $73M BEL Share Investment a “Bailout”

    A planned $73 million government investment into Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) has ignited sharp political debate in Belize, as the opposition lashes out at the proposal framing it as an underdisclosed bailout that will ultimately burden ordinary taxpayers.

    The initiative, put forward by Prime Minister John Briceño’s administration, asks for legislative approval to acquire just over 8.1 million newly issued shares of BEL at a price point of $9 per share. In defending the plan, Briceño has emphasized that the core goal of the investment is to reinforce national control over Belize’s critical electricity infrastructure, strengthening domestic ownership of the country’s core power supply network.

    But the proposal has quickly drawn fierce scrutiny from the country’s political opposition. Tracy Panton, leader of the United Democratic Party, is leading the charge against the plan, questioning both the source of the $73 million in funding and the ultimate impact on public finances. During a press briefing held by her party on June 16, 2026, Panton publicly labeled the share acquisition nothing more than a bailout for the state-linked power provider.

    Panton raised concerns specifically about whether the government intends to draw funds from Belize’s Social Security Board (SSB) to cover the cost of the purchase, a move she argues would put retirement and social welfare funds at risk. Ahead of a scheduled House of Representatives committee meeting set to discuss the proposal the following day, Panton warned she would immediately make the information public if there was any confirmation of SSB funds being tapped for the investment.

    The opposition leader also noted that while she had directly raised the funding question to a member of the ruling People’s United Party (PUP) during a visit to Belmopan, she did not receive a clear response. The ruling party member did, however, deny that SSB funds would be used for the share purchase.

    Despite that denial, Panton maintained her position that no matter what funding stream the government chooses to use, the full cost of the $73 million investment will eventually be passed on to the Belizean public. She added that while Belizeans would likely be far more open to supporting public spending on the power sector if it translated to lower monthly electricity bills or more reliable service, she remains deeply skeptical that the proposal will deliver any such tangible benefits for ordinary citizens.

    The upcoming House committee meeting is expected to be the first major legislative step for the proposal, where further details on funding and policy goals will likely be debated publicly.

  • Works begin at 13 primary schools ahead of September return

    Works begin at 13 primary schools ahead of September return

    A comprehensive summer infrastructure upgrade programme is now underway at 13 public primary schools, just days after the campuses were closed for the project, the Ministry of Education Transformation has officially confirmed. Launched with the core goal of delivering safer, more functional learning spaces when students and educators return for the new academic term in September, the initiative aims to leave every participating school with modernized facilities fit for 21st century learning, ministry officials shared in a statement released Monday.

    Wayne Baker, head of the Education Technical Management Unit, which is overseeing the refurbishment works, detailed the targeted upgrades being carried out at individual sites to address long-standing infrastructure issues. At Grantley Prescod Primary School, located in St Barnabas, the school’s original 1954 construction included outdated TenTest fibreboard ceilings across the main hall, all classrooms, and connecting corridors. These decades-old materials are currently being removed and replaced with durable modern PVC ceiling boards, eliminating safety and degradation concerns linked to the obsolete material.

    Over at Deacons Primary School, work teams have prioritized replacing aging louvred windows in the campus’ eastern building, a section that has struggled with chronic water leakage during rain events for years. The faulty windows have allowed moisture to seep into classrooms, damaging interior finishes and creating uncomfortable learning conditions, so the replacement work will resolve this persistent issue.

    Beyond these site-specific fixes, a set of uniform broader upgrades will be rolled out across all 13 schools in the programme. According to Baker, the most impactful campus-wide change will be a full replacement of existing roof sheeting: the standard permaclad sheets currently in place will be swapped out for new white-coated alternatives. “These new sheets cut down on heat buildup inside classrooms, which means we can create much more comfortable learning and working environments for both students and staff,” Baker explained of the energy and comfort benefits of the upgrade.

    In addition to structural repairs, roofing replacements, and targeted fixture updates, all 13 participating schools will receive a full cosmetic refresh: external walls, safety railings, and entry doors will be repainted to boost curb appeal and protect exterior materials from weather damage. The full list of schools joining the programme includes Blackman and Gollop Primary, A. Dacosta Edwards Primary, All Saints Primary, Roland Edwards Primary, St James Primary, St Stephen’s Primary, Hilda Skeene Primary, Bayley’s Primary, Christ Church Girls’ Primary, Hillaby Turners Hall Primary, and St George Primary, alongside the two schools already undergoing site-specific work.

  • Derde helft WK 2026: Frankrijk herpakt zich en wint van Senegal

    Derde helft WK 2026: Frankrijk herpakt zich en wint van Senegal

    Group I of the 2026 FIFA World Cup opened its slate with a thrilling encounter at the New York New Jersey Stadium, where four-time world champions France eventually secured a 3-1 win over a Senegal side that defied underdog expectations to push the title holders to the final whistle.

    From the opening kickoff, Senegal’s attacking unit led by Sadio Mané made their intentions clear: they had come to compete and advance, not just make up the numbers. The African side poured forward immediately, catching France cold in the opening minutes and forcing Les Bleus to drop deep into a defensive shell to avoid falling behind early. It took France nearly 10 full minutes to find their footing in the match, as Senegal’s press repeatedly cut off their build-up play before it could threaten.

    The first clear chance of the game came just two minutes in, when Theo Hernández was forced to clear a dangerous Senegal cross over his own goal line to prevent an opening score. France mustered their first shot on goal in the 18th minute, courtesy of Ousmane Dembélé, but the effort failed to test Senegal’s goalkeeper Édouard Mendy.

    Senegal came inches from taking the lead in the 25th minute: Nicolas Jackson’s shot ricocheted off the goalpost, bounced off French goalkeeper Mike Maignan, and rolled toward the goal line before somehow staying out. On the stroke of halftime, Mané cut the ball back from the byline to Ismaïla Sarr, but Sarr fired his close-range effort over the crossbar. Senegal was the far sharper side for the entire first half, but wasteful finishing from Jackson and Sarr kept the scores level at 0-0 going into the break, with Australian referee Alireza Faghani overseeing the encounter.

    France emerged from halftime a transformed side, finally committing numbers forward and showing the attacking bite expected of defending champions. Désiré Doué had the first chance of the second half in the 48th minute, but his shot drifted just wide of the post. Four minutes later, Michael Olise broke through on goal, only for a quick reaction from Mendy to deny what looked like a certain opening goal.

    Minutes later, Kylian Mbappé broke into the Senegal penalty area only to be stopped once again by the Senegalese shot-stopper. Just after the hour mark, Mbappé appealed for a penalty after a challenge in the box, but the review ruled out any spot kick. In the 64th minute, Mbappé ran onto a through ball from Olise and again was denied by Mendy, but two minutes later, the French star finally got the better of the keeper. Finishing a well-worked pass from Olise, Mbappé slotted home to put France ahead 1-0.

    Senegal did not create another dangerous chance until the 79th minute, when Jackson again failed to convert a good opportunity into a goal. In the 82nd minute, French substitute Bradley Barcola doubled France’s lead, collecting a deep through ball from Adrien Rabiot and chipping it over the onrushing Mendy to put Les Bleus up 2-0. Shortly after, Mbappé had a golden chance to put the game to bed from an Olise pass inside the box, but he missed the chance to extend the lead.

    That miss set up a late scare for France: in the fourth minute of stoppage time, substitute Ibrahim Mbaye cut the deficit to 2-1 with a clinical solo finish, setting up a frantic final minute of play. But just 60 seconds later, Mbappé sealed the three points for France with a spectacular long-range strike from outside the penalty area, putting the final score at 3-1 and getting France’s 2026 World Cup campaign off to a winning start.

  • Title race heats up as Blackett gains ground

    Title race heats up as Blackett gains ground

    The 2026 Sectus Technologies Barbados Karting Association (BKA) Championship tightened dramatically last Sunday, as the fourth round at Bushy Park delivered intense on-track competition and shook up the overall title standings across multiple classes. For the top-tier Easykart 125cc division, Aaron Blackett continued his relentless charge toward the overall Champion Driver crown, trimming Edward Norris’ series lead even further after a standout performance that earned him top round points for the second straight event. Now at the championship’s official halfway mark across the eight-round schedule, Blackett has closed the gap to Norris to just 12 total points, setting up a tight title race for the remaining four events. The latest standings show Norris holding a narrow lead with 369 cumulative points, Blackett hot on his heels at 357, and 2024 champion Jacob Mayers sitting third overall with 346 points. Blackett first chipped four points off Norris’ advantage back in April, and he carried that momentum into Sunday’s round, claiming three hard-earned race wins to secure maximum round points and turn the title hunt into a two-horse race heading into the second half of the season. A former 100cc class champion who finished second overall in 2021, Blackett put on a masterclass in wheel-to-wheel racing against Jacob Mayers all day, with finishing margins often separated by mere inches. The young contender set the tone early by clocking the fastest lap in qualifying, but the opening race remained tight until the final circuit: Mayers held the lead through the closing stages, only for Blackett to make a decisive pass on the last lap to take the win by just two tenths of a second. For the second race, which used a reversed starting grid that pushed front-runners to the back of the field, Blackett climbed through the pack early and held off constant pressure from Mayers to defend his lead; Mayers claimed second on the final lap, while Aeden Bruce notched the first of four third-place finishes in an impressive consistent day of racing. The pair swapped positions in the third race: Mayers led from start to finish, edging Blackett across the line by just one tenth of a second. The final 125cc race flipped the script once more, as Mayers fell back early in the running before mounting a late charge to close the gap. By the checkered flag, Blackett held onto the top spot, with Mayers finishing just seven hundredths of a second behind – a margin too close for spectators to call without official timing data. In the smaller 60cc Cadets class, a heated rivalry between overall standings leader Edward Norris and Ava Mayers produced some of the day’s most competitive racing, ending with the two drivers deadlocked on identical points after four hard-fought outings. Mayers made history in April as the first female karter to claim the overall top points scorer honors for a full BKA round, and she carried that form into Sunday by posting the fastest qualifying time among all Cadet entries. She outpaced Norris by three tenths of a second in qualifying, but Norris made a bold pass on the opening lap of the first race to seize control, pulling away to win by three full seconds with Finn Cox rounding out the podium. The pair would split the remaining races evenly: Norris claimed victory in the reversed-grid second race, though his winning margin shrank to just 1.3 seconds, before Mayers struck back. In the third race, she made a last-lap overtake to snatch the win by 0.4 seconds, and held serve in a dramatic final race that saw three lead changes among the top contenders. Mayers took the checkered flag by the same narrow 0.4 second margin to leave the two rivals tied on overall points for the class. The weekend also brought a shakeup to the overall championship standings, after no drivers entered the Easykart 100cc class for the fourth round. This allowed Finn Cox, who finished third all day in the 60cc Cadet class, and 125cc contender Aeden Bruce to overtake previous points leader Jaydn Brathwaite, who dropped to seventh in the overall standings. The 2026 BKA Championship will resume on July 19, when drivers will take to the Bushy Park track for the fifth of the eight scheduled rounds.

  • Sandals Grande Antigua Celebrates A Year Of Hospitality Excellence At Annual Prestige Awards

    Sandals Grande Antigua Celebrates A Year Of Hospitality Excellence At Annual Prestige Awards

    Sandals Grande Antigua Resort and Spa capped off a transformative year of service excellence and team investment with its 2025 annual Prestige Awards, a celebratory ceremony dedicated to recognizing the hard work and outstanding contributions of its staff. Framed by the event’s compelling theme, “Made of the Caribbean: Hospitality Redefined,” the gathering centered the brand’s greatest asset: the people who turn every guest stay into an unforgettable luxury experience.

    In his opening address to attendees, which included regional Sandals leadership, General Manager David Latchimy reflected on a 2025 marked by consistent growth, innovative service upgrades, and a deep, unwavering dedication to upholding the warm, authentic standards of Caribbean hospitality. He emphasized that the resort’s year-over-year success is rooted entirely in the daily passion, professional pride, and expertise that every team member brings to their roles.

    “Our 2025 achievements are a direct reflection of the passion, pride and professionalism our team brings to work every single day,” Latchimy shared. “This year, we doubled down on our commitment to team members’ development because when we empower our people, we elevate every guest experience. They are truly ‘Made of the Caribbean,’ and they are redefining what world-class hospitality means.”

    A core pillar of the resort’s 2025 investment in its workforce was the expansion of programming through Sandals Corporate University (SCU), the brand’s in-house training initiative. Latchimy highlighted that more than 10 current supervisors and managers completed the prestigious Diploma in Hospitality Leadership programme, a joint offering developed in partnership with Accelerating Leaders and Florida International University. He also spotlighted two SCU scholarship recipients who are advancing their formal hospitality education: Ariel Joseph, engineering and maintenance supervisor, who studies at Les Roches International School of Hotel Management, and Leon Norville, the resort’s public relations manager, who is pursuing a degree at MIU City University of Miami. Latchimy framed these educational milestones not just as individual wins, but as long-term investments in the future of the Sandals brand and Caribbean tourism as a whole.

    Beyond internal recognition, 2025 brought widespread acclaim for Sandals Grande Antigua team members at the national and regional levels. Butler Karen Grenado-Wong, the resort’s 2024 Diamond Team Member of the Year, claimed Antigua’s National WOW Factor Award for Customer Service Excellence. Learning and Development Manager Carlene Spencer earned two National Women of Wadadli Awards in the Tourism and Education categories, in addition to the Posh Caribbean Icon Award for Education Innovation. Two rising young team members—Front Office Agent Masadie Issac and Chef Jerri-Ann Baltimore—were honored with National Youth Awards in Tourism and Hospitality from the Antigua and Barbuda Department of Youth Affairs. At the National Tourism Awards hosted by the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association, Loyalty and Travel Consultant Sandy Ramsaran took home the 2025 Customer Service Award, while Leon Norville was named Young Hotelier of the Year.

    Veteran hospitality and communications professional Raynel Carroll delivered the evening’s keynote address, charging attendees to continue prioritizing service over personal gain, while working to elevate both guest experiences and the global reputation of Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism sector. The celebratory atmosphere was enriched by live performances from local and regional talent, including the Elite Dancers, the Antigua and Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra, recording artist Asher Otto, and his band Itchy Feet.

    Deon Blair, the 2025 Diamond Team Member of the Year from the Engineering and Maintenance department, shared that he was humbled by the top honor, and urged his colleagues to lead by example, embrace continuous learning, and support one another in the pursuit of service excellence. Ashel Samuel, runner-up for Platinum Team Member of the Year from Butler Elite Services, encouraged peers to hold fast to their passion for hospitality, prioritize personal growth, and take pride in representing the best of Caribbean service to the world.

    The ceremony was attended by senior regional Sandals leadership, including Eastern Caribbean Regional Managing Director Winston Anderson, Regional Public Relations Manager Sunil Ramdeen, and Regional Financial Controller Antonia Ferdinand-Amedee.

    The annual Prestige Awards are a longstanding Sandals tradition designed to reinforce a workplace culture where team members can grow, innovate, and deliver the authentic Luxury Included® Caribbean experience that guests have come to trust and expect from the brand. The full list of 2025 internal award winners is as follows:
    – Diamond Award – Team Member of the Year: Deon Blair, Engineering and Maintenance
    – Platinum Award – Runner-Up Team Member of the Year: Ashel Samuel, Butler Elite Services
    – Founder’s Circle Award: Sylvia Joseph, Food and Beverage
    – A-Team – Department of the Year: Red Lane Spa
    – MVP – Manager of the Year: Sherlann Barrow, Entertainment
    – Pacesetter – General Manager’s Award: Adam Powell, Entertainment
    – Heart of the House – Hotel Manager’s Award: Earl Kitt, Engineering and Maintenance
    – All Rounder – Supervisor of the Year: Cassandra Matthias, Housekeeping
    – Island Routes Ambassador: Treshawna Fergenson, Island Routes
    – People’s Choice: Juleen Rose, Kitchen
    – Sandals Foundation Sentinel: Natalee Henry, Housekeeping
    – Legendary – Most Guest Mentioned: Kyannah Joy Corneilous, Food and Beverage
    – Money Maker of the Year Award: Maura Henry, Resort Shop
    – Standing Ovation Award: Kelman Bristol, Stores
    – Sandals Earth Guardian Award: Kim Casey, Engineering and Maintenance
    – Circle of Joy Smile Award: Omega Jeffery, EPIX
    – Mover and Shaker Most Improved Award: Priscella George, Cost Control

  • Security Guard Escapes After Armed Intruder Targets Business Compound

    Security Guard Escapes After Armed Intruder Targets Business Compound

    In the early hours of Sunday, a dramatic confrontation unfolded at a commercial property in Cassada Gardens, where a security guard escaped what law enforcement confirms was a targeted attempted robbery at the hands of an armed, masked attacker.

    The incident began shortly after 1 a.m. at a site located along Utility Drive, when the security officer was taking a rest break inside his personal vehicle parked on the business grounds. Without warning, the unidentified suspect approached the car and shattered the passenger-side window using a cutlass, according to details released by investigating officials.

    Following the window breakage, the assailant pulled the guard out of the vehicle and forced him to provide entry to the commercial building. Described by investigators as a slim-built, dark-skinned man approximately 5 feet 7 inches in height, the suspect was carrying additional weapons: a knife and a screwdriver were also in his possession during the attack.

    Rather than complying with the attacker’s demands, the security guard fought back. A physical struggle broke out between the two men, and the guard managed to successfully break free from the suspect’s grasp. After pushing the attacker away, he fled the compound to a safe location to call for assistance.

    Remarkably, despite the violent nature of the encounter, no injuries were reported to either party in the incident. Law enforcement agencies have now opened a full formal investigation into the attempted robbery, and they are actively working to develop leads to identify and locate the suspect for arrest and prosecution.

  • Old Haulover Bridge to Connect Six Communities to Twin Towns

    Old Haulover Bridge to Connect Six Communities to Twin Towns

    As June 2026 progresses, a transformative infrastructure project in western Belize is moving steadily toward completion, set to unlock new connectivity and economic opportunity for thousands of residents across northern Cayo District. The project, led by Belize’s Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing, repurposes the decommissioned old Haulover Bridge from Belize City to create a new crossing linking the twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena to six underserved communities in Cayo Northeast.

    For local leaders and everyday residents, the upcoming opening of the bridge is far more than just a new road crossing—it is a long-awaited solution to decades of travel delays and limited access to essential services. Silas Sabal, Vice Chairman of the Santa Familia Village Council, shared that the project has generated widespread excitement across the region, thanks to the wide-ranging benefits it will deliver. Most immediately, the new crossing will cut average travel time between the six communities and the twin towns by 15 to 20 minutes. In emergency medical situations, that time saving is life-changing: Sabal noted that residents in critical need will now be able to reach hospitals in Santa Elena in just five minutes or more, rather than facing a much longer, potentially dangerous journey.

    Daily commuters, particularly education workers, are also celebrating the improved connection. Shajira Ayala, a local teacher, explained that the shorter, more direct route will eliminate the daily stress of long commutes for hundreds of educators who travel from Santa Elena and surrounding districts to reach schools in the Cayo Northeast communities.

    Beyond easing daily travel, village leaders say the bridge will put smaller, less well-known communities like Santa Familia firmly on Belize’s tourism and economic map. Julian Carrias, Chairman of Santa Familia, emphasized that the improved access will draw more visitors to the area, opening new opportunities for local small businesses, agricultural vendors, and community-led tourism initiatives. “A lot of people don’t know where Santa Familia is located,” Carrias noted, adding that the bridge will change that permanently.

    Orlando Habet, Belize’s Minister of Sustainable Development, outlined the full scope of the project’s impacts in an official Facebook post, highlighting that the benefits extend across all segments of the local population. “The bridge will provide safer and faster access for our farmers transporting their produce, our teachers and students commuting daily, and the many families and residents who travel between our villages and the Twin Towns,” Habet wrote.

    Beyond the time savings, the new crossing dramatically reduces overall travel distances for common local routes. For residents traveling from Santa Familia to Spanish Lookout, the new route cuts roughly 6 miles off the previous journey. For commuters traveling between the six Cayo Northeast communities and San Ignacio via the old Iguana Creek Bridge route, the reduction hits nearly 11 miles—an annual saving of hundreds of miles of driving for regular travelers, cutting fuel costs and vehicle wear and tear for working families and businesses across the region.

  • LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Dominica Grammar School roof collapse, June 16

    LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Dominica Grammar School roof collapse, June 16

    It has been exactly one year since the catastrophic roof collapse at the under-construction Dominica Grammar School auditorium, yet Dominican government authorities have still not released any official explanation for the serious structural failure of a facility designed to hold 600 people, mostly students and faculty. The site of the incident, the collapsed roof debris has long been cleared away, but the remaining unfinished structure sits frozen in time like an empty graveyard, leaving passersby to only speculate about what exactly went wrong – and what devastating outcomes could have unfolded if the collapse had occurred while the building was occupied.

    For the island nation’s governing bodies, the incident appears to have been brushed off as a non-urgent matter. For much of the general public, the common dismissive attitude boils down to a fatalistic shrug: no lives were lost, so there is little cause to push for further action. Overall construction work on the wider school upgrade project has crawled forward at a glacial pace, despite public promises from both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education that all construction would be fully completed in time for the September 2025 school reopening.

    Most troublingly, not a single individual or entity has been held responsible for the structural failure to date. The country’s Physical Planning Division, the contracted construction firm, project consultants, and the lead developer have all been allowed to step away from the incident without issuing even a basic public statement to the Dominican people, let alone to the student body that could have become victims of what would have been the worst disaster in the Commonwealth of Dominica’s modern history – a catastrophe only avoided by sheer chance, which many locals describe as divine intervention. Community advocates note that June 16, the anniversary of the collapse, should serve both as a day of remembrance for the near-tragedy and a reminder of the unanswered questions that remain unaddressed by the nation’s leadership.

  • Arsenal partnership to bring tourism exposure, football academy to Saint Lucia

    Arsenal partnership to bring tourism exposure, football academy to Saint Lucia

    A landmark multi-year partnership between the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia and English Premier League titleholders Arsenal Football Club is set to reshape the island’s sports tourism landscape and unlock new opportunities for emerging local football talent, officials announced Tuesday at a launch event held at the Royalton Saint Lucia Resort.

    Set to officially kick off ahead of the 2026-27 football season, the agreement names Saint Lucia as Arsenal’s exclusive Official Destination Partner, a collaboration that builds on the island’s existing strategy of pairing with leading global sports brands to expand its international tourism footprint. In recent years, Saint Lucia has already rolled out similar cooperative initiatives with Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, cementing its focus on sports-driven tourism growth.

    Under the terms of the deal, the “Brand Saint Lucia” identity will receive widespread, high-visibility promotion across all of Arsenal’s major global media channels, including prominent signage at the club’s Emirates Stadium in London (including dedicated placement during match halftime shows) and featured integration across the club’s official digital platforms, such as its popular team-focused podcasts. The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) notes that this exposure will put the island’s attractions in front of Arsenal’s hundreds of millions of engaged fans worldwide, with the ultimate goal of driving increased visitor arrivals and tangible economic gains for Saint Lucia’s core tourism sector.

    At the core of the collaboration is a shared commitment to community and youth development: the pair will jointly develop a state-of-the-art youth football Academy Hub on the island, based at the Sab Playing Field facility in Saint Lucia’s capital city of Castries. The academy will create structured mentorship programs and clear professional development pathways for young Saint Lucian players, giving emerging local talent access to resources and guidance to reach their full athletic potential. The partnership also elevates Saint Lucia’s global profile beyond tourism, positioning the island as an emerging hub for youth football development in the Caribbean.

    Speaking at the launch event — which was attended by Saint Lucian diplomatic representatives, national sports icons Daren Sammy and Julien Alfred, and local Arsenal supporters — Saint Lucia’s Minister for Tourism, Commerce, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Heritage Dr. Ernest Hilaire framed the deal as a natural alignment of shared values between the Caribbean nation and the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League runners-up. “This partnership is grounded in shared values of social responsibility, resilience and sustainability, reflected in both Arsenal’s work with its supporters and community, and our commitment to our people,” Hilaire said. “We look forward to showcasing Saint Lucia’s vibrant culture, dynamic events calendar and natural beauty to Arsenal supporters worldwide.”

    Arsenal Chief Commercial Officer Juliet Slot echoed the enthusiasm, describing the agreement as a meaningful step forward for the club’s global growth ambitions. “This is an exciting partnership that gives us this opportunity and will help fuel our ambitions of growth and success,” Slot said. “We want every Gooner, whether they’re in Islington or Saint Lucia, whether they’ve been supporting us for 50 years or five, to feel and see themselves in our club.”

    Minister for Youth Development and Sport Kenson Casmir, a lifelong Arsenal supporter, shared his excitement over the youth academy component of the deal, noting that the facility would bring unprecedented development opportunities to young local athletes. In the coming months, members of Arsenal’s commercial team will travel to Saint Lucia to film branded promotional content for the partnership, with the project set to feature a yet-unannounced Arsenal club legend.

  • DLP claims Ashma McDougall turned down UWP offer before accepting Roseau North candidacy

    DLP claims Ashma McDougall turned down UWP offer before accepting Roseau North candidacy

    Ahead of the hotly anticipated Roseau North parliamentary by-election, Dominica’s governing Dominica Labour Party (DLP) has made a striking announcement: its newly selected candidate Ashma McDougall was actively courted by the opposition United Workers Party (UWP) to run on their ticket before committing to the ruling party.

    The upcoming by-election was triggered after former Roseau North representative Miriam Blanchard stepped down from her post, leaving an open parliamentary seat that will be contested by voters in the coming weeks. In an official public statement released by the DLP’s Roseau North campaign team on June 16, 2026, the party confirmed that both of Dominica’s major political parties identified McDougall as their top prospective candidate for the constituency.

    According to the statement, UWP leadership reached out to McDougall first to invite her to stand as their nominee, framing her as a potential future leader who would bring significant strength to their political bloc. McDougall agreed to a meeting to hear the opposition’s proposal in full, but ultimately turned down the offer after a period of careful consideration, opting instead to run for the DLP.

    McDougall’s decision, the DLP explained, was rooted in her conviction that she could best deliver for Roseau North’s residents as part of the incumbent governing administration, which holds the institutional capacity to turn policy pledges into tangible results. The ruling party highlighted that the opposition’s own outreach to McDougall reveals a telling detail about their internal priorities: even UWP leaders were searching for a new face and a new direction for the Roseau North seat, long before the by-election was called. The DLP drew a direct contrast between McDougall and the UWP’s eventual nominee, three-time candidate Danny Lugay, arguing that the opposition’s attempt to recruit McDougall proves they themselves acknowledge the need for fresh leadership in the constituency, rather than repeating the same political approach that has failed to win in past elections.

    Both parties, the DLP emphasized, recognized the same strengths in McDougall: sharp intellect, proven leadership ability, strong credibility, unwavering discipline, a clear sense of purpose, contagious energy, and authentic ties to the communities that make up Roseau North, including Goodwill, St. Aroment, Pottersville, Gutter, Stock Farm, Yam Piece, Tarish Pit, Bellevue Rawle, Louisville and Morne Daniel. Where the parties differed was in McDougall’s own choice: she selected to align with progress over protest, development over division, and a governing party that has a track record of delivering critical public goods from affordable housing and upgraded infrastructure to expanded education and healthcare access.

    For the DLP, the 2026 Roseau North by-election is far more than a simple race between two individual candidates. The party has framed the contest as a clear choice between two competing visions: a forward-looking future led by new, broadly admired leadership, and a stagnant past defined by the same outdated political approaches. With voting set to take place in the coming weeks, the key question hanging over the contest is whether Dominica voters will back McDougall, the candidate both major parties sought out, and deliver a victory for the DLP’s vision of continued progress for Roseau North.