Carib Scope

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  • Zheng (PL) wil belastingvrije som fors verhogen en pleit voor vrijhandelszones

    Zheng (PL) wil belastingvrije som fors verhogen en pleit voor vrijhandelszones

    As Suriname’s national assembly continues debate over the country’s upcoming national budget, a ruling Progressive People’s Party (PL) legislator Xiaobao Zheng has put forward a sweeping set of economic policy proposals designed to shore up household purchasing power eroded by inflation and position the South American nation as a competitive regional trade and investment hub.

    At the core of Zheng’s domestic policy recommendations is a dramatic increase in the monthly tax-free income threshold, a change he says will put more disposable income directly into workers’ pockets to counter years of rising prices. Currently set at just 9,000 Surinamese dollars (SRD) per month, Zheng is calling for the threshold to be raised to a minimum of 30,000 SRD, with a further increase to 50,000 SRD on the table if government fiscal conditions allow for the expansion.

    Zheng’s calculations show that a jump to 30,000 SRD would leave the average worker with an extra 1,890 SRD in disposable income each month. This additional spending power would not only ease immediate financial pressures on working households, he argues, but would also stimulate broader domestic economic activity by increasing consumer demand for local goods and services.

    The legislator emphasized that Suriname’s current tax framework is misaligned with the country’s long-term growth goals. In his view, the government has become overly reliant on taxing labor and imports, a structure that discourages job creation and deters foreign capital. Instead, Zheng says fiscal policy should shift to incentivize private investment and entrepreneurship, laying the groundwork for more diversified and sustainable economic expansion.

    To advance that goal, Zheng is also pushing for the creation of dedicated free trade zones and free ports across Suriname, drawing on lessons from global success stories. He notes that jurisdictions such as Singapore, Hong Kong (China), and the United Arab Emirates have used these specialized economic zones to attract billions in foreign direct investment, strengthen domestic logistics networks, and generate thousands of new local jobs.

    With the rapid development of Suriname’s emerging oil and gas sector on the horizon, Zheng argues the country has a unique opportunity to reinvent itself as a regional trade and logistics hub. Reaching that potential, however, requires major policy shifts: upgraded modern infrastructure, a more welcoming investment climate, and the gradual reduction of existing import barriers. He advocates for a phased reduction of import duties, noting that as Suriname diversifies its economy and develops new streams of economic activity, the government will be able to reduce its dependence on import revenue over time.

    Zheng stressed that the coming years will be a defining period for Suriname’s economic future. He urged policymakers to leverage the economic opportunities presented by the growing oil and gas industry to drive sustainable development across other sectors of the economy, ultimately lifting overall prosperity for all Surinamese citizens.

    Budget debate is scheduled to continue on the same day of Zheng’s proposal, with the sitting government set to deliver its response in the second round of parliamentary discussion.

  • This Day in History: 29 June 1830

    This Day in History: 29 June 1830

    On June 29, 1830, a landmark moment in Grenada’s religious and architectural history unfolded when the foundation stone of St. Patrick’s Anglican Church was laid. This structure was one of four major religious buildings initiated that same year across the island, joining Anglican churches in the parishes of St. Andrew and St. David, plus the Presbyterian Kirk in the capital of St. George’s. The British Crown covered construction costs for all three Anglican churches through a dedicated grant, provided to support the expansion of established Protestant churches across its Caribbean colonial holdings.

    Long before the current church’s construction, this stretch of coastal land on Grenada’s northern coast held layers of layered human history. In 1650, following a violent French military campaign against the Indigenous Kalinago people at Leapers’ Hill, French colonists built Fort d’Esnambuc, a coastal battery and palisade fortification, on this very hilltop. Around 1718, French settlers built the Notre Dame du Bon Secours Catholic Church in the same general area, where the ruins of a later police station now stand. When British forces took control of Grenada, Protestant officials appropriated the Catholic house of worship to repurpose it for Anglican services. However, this early structure was completely destroyed during the widespread Fedon’s Rebellion that raged across the island between 1795 and 1796.

    Historical analysis of 1763 cartographic records from Pinel’s map of Grenada has led local heritage researchers to a striking conclusion: this hilltop is far more likely the actual historical site of Leapers’ Hill than the more widely celebrated site marked behind the modern Catholic church located on the opposite adjacent hill. The 1763 map confirms the location of the original coastal battery overlooking the St. Patrick’s River, matching the geographical footprint of the church’s current site.

    Construction of the current chapel moved forward from its 1830 founding, and just over 12 months later, on July 21, 1831, Bishop Coleridge of Barbados and the Windward Islands formally consecrated the new building. As the first and oldest Anglican church ever built in St. Patrick Parish, it stands as a striking example of Caribbean Georgian architecture, tucked into the slopes of a scenic hill that offers sweeping panoramic views of the Caribbean Sea. Its signature design features include a tall central tower capped with pointed quadripartite vaults, reinforced by stacked superimposed buttresses. The main facade hosts three entry doors, with semi-oval fanlight windows positioned above the two smaller side doors. A sprawling historic cemetery surrounds the main sanctuary, where weathered headstones date back more than 150 years, chronicling generations of local residents.

    Parish record-keeping for the church stretches back to 1807, decades before the current building was completed. Early records were grouped under combined parish administrations: first with St. Andrew, St. Patrick and St. David from 1807 to 1825, then with just St. Patrick and St. David after 1825, before the parish gained its own independent administrative record-keeping. In the wake of catastrophic Hurricane Ivan that struck Grenada in 2004, the church underwent a careful, historically faithful restoration that preserved its original architectural character. Today, a dozen commemorative memorial plaques line the church’s interior walls, honoring prominent local figures including John Anthony McSween, George Augustus Gentle and George Paterson.

    Historical archive photos from around 1992 show the church’s cemetery overgrown with Antigonon leptopus, the invasive climbing vine commonly known as bee vine or Mexican creeper, a common sight across Grenada’s uncultivated green spaces.

  • PM Browne Says Antigua Has “Enough” LGBTQ People Amid U.S. Talks

    PM Browne Says Antigua Has “Enough” LGBTQ People Amid U.S. Talks

    Amid ongoing regional negotiations with the United States over immigration resettlement, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has laid out Antigua and Barbuda’s non-negotiable conditions for accepting third-country nationals that Washington cannot repatriate to their home countries, drawing a firm line on additional LGBTQ asylum seekers and tying the policy to the small island nation’s limited domestic resources.

    In an appearance on the *Browne and Browne Show* this past Saturday, Browne referenced a recent case in neighboring St. Kitts and Nevis, where three third-country nationals were resettled under the US-led framework. According to information Browne received, two of those three individuals identify as LGBTQ. “I’m told the three that were sent to St. Kitts, two of them are LGBTQIAs,” Browne said, adding, “We have enough of those here.”

    The prime minister was quick to frame the government’s position as rooted in practical concerns rather than discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, pointing to three core priorities: national security, public health, and the country’s strained public finances. “We do not want people who are criminals. We don’t want people who are sick. We do not want anyone who is going to become a charge [on the state],” he explained.

    Under the terms Antigua and Barbuda has put forward during negotiations, any individual accepted under the resettlement arrangement must pass rigorous, comprehensive security and medical screenings before they are allowed to enter the country. Additionally, the government has demanded that all resettled individuals hold valid, official travel documents from their countries of origin, rejecting the proposal that they enter with temporary documentation issued by US authorities.

    Browne confirmed that Antigua and Barbuda has left the door open to a limited annual intake, offering to consider accepting up to 10 third-country nationals per year. This offer, however, remains contingent on all applicants meeting the strict vetting requirements: no serious criminal record, no threat to national security, no public health risks, and full compliance with the government’s entry criteria.

    The prime minister emphasized that the island nation’s small geographic size and constrained public infrastructure make absorbing large numbers of resettled people unfeasible. He noted that once temporary US-funded support for resettled individuals expires, any long-term social assistance would fall to Antigua and Barbuda’s government, a burden the country cannot sustain at higher intake levels.

    Going forward, Browne confirmed that negotiating teams will continue talks with US officials, but the country will not compromise on its sovereign right to control who enters and establishes residence within its borders. The current talks between Antigua and Barbuda and the US are part of a broader diplomatic push by Washington, which has been negotiating with multiple Caribbean governments to resettle third-country nationals that cannot be sent back to their countries of origin as a key component of Washington’s wider immigration enforcement strategy.

  • Woman Pleads Not Guilty in Fatal Crash That Killed Keane Gregoire

    Woman Pleads Not Guilty in Fatal Crash That Killed Keane Gregoire

    Nearly two and a half years after a devastating car collision claimed the life of an 18-year-old local teen, the case is moving toward a public trial after the accused driver entered a formal plea of not guilty to a dangerous driving causing death charge.

    La-Shanti Cooper, who was 19 years old at the time of the 2023 crash, appeared in court recently to formally respond to the charge against her, entering a not guilty plea that paves the way for a full judicial examination of the incident. Court officials have scheduled a case management hearing for September 25, where legal representatives from both sides will address procedural matters and a final trial date is projected to be officially confirmed.

    The fatal collision unfolded on All Saints Road, close to the John I. Martin Race Track, on May 18, 2023. Keane Gregoire, the 18-year-old victim, was riding as a passenger in the vehicle driven by Cooper when the crash occurred. Gregoire was rushed to a local hospital with severe, life-threatening trauma after the incident, and he succumbed to his multiple injuries on May 19, 2023, just one day after the wreck.

    Law enforcement’s official account of the collision alleges that Cooper was operating a Toyota BB at excessive speed when she lost control of the vehicle. Per investigative reports, the car veered off the paved roadway, collided with a structural column, and eventually crossed over into the lanes of oncoming traffic on the opposite side of the road.

    Investigators have also noted that in the immediate aftermath of the crash, Cooper reportedly mislead responding officers, claiming she was not the driver of the vehicle and that the person operating the car had fled the scene shortly after the collision. After completing a full, systematic investigation into the crash details and evidence, law enforcement officials moved forward with formal charges of dangerous driving resulting in death against Cooper.

    Now, with Cooper maintaining her outright innocence in the case, the judicial process will proceed to a full trial once all pre-trial procedural steps are completed and a hearing date is finalized.

  • 47 Nurses depart for St Kitts and Nevis

    47 Nurses depart for St Kitts and Nevis

    On a Saturday morning in late June, 47 carefully selected Ghanaian nursing professionals departed Accra International Airport to begin a two-year work placement at a major medical facility in the Caribbean nation of St Kitts and Nevis. This deployment marks the latest milestone under the Ghana Labour Exchange Programme (GLEP), a structured bilateral initiative designed to deliver mutual benefits for both Ghana and its international partner countries.

    Of the 47 departing nurses, 32 are general practice nurses, while the remaining 15 specialize in community and public health. The bilateral agreement governing this placement guarantees all participating nurses comprehensive working terms and welfare support, including furnished accommodation, competitive remuneration, local transportation, meal allowances, and other pre-negotiated working conditions.

    Senior Ghanaian government officials were on hand to send the nursing cohort off, including Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah and Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration Nana Oye Bampoe Addo. Also in attendance were senior representatives from Ghana’s Ministry of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the GLEP administrative secretariat.

    In her remarks to the departing nurses ahead of their journey, Dr. Ayensu-Danquah emphasized the dual purpose of the international placement: delivering much-needed workforce support to St Kitts and Nevis’ public health system, while allowing the Ghanaian nurses to build advanced clinical skills and gain hands-on international professional experience. At the conclusion of their two-year assignment, all nurses will return to Ghana to contribute their enhanced expertise to the country’s domestic healthcare ecosystem.

    Dr. Ayensu-Danquah encouraged the cohort to approach the opportunity with intentionality, noting, “Don’t go and come back the same way you left. It is an opportunity for you to learn something, come back and support our health system.” She also confirmed that the Ghanaian government has established formal support mechanisms to assist nurses with any challenges they may face while working abroad, urging early communication to ensure issues are resolved quickly.

    Speaking to reporters following the send-off ceremony, the Deputy Minister explained that the participating nurses were selected through a rigorous competitive recruitment process, conducted jointly by Ghanaian health authorities and recruitment representatives from St Kitts and Nevis. Successful candidates were chosen based on their demonstration of clinical competence, professional conduct, and the resilience required for international deployment.

    She framed the GLEP as a core component of the government’s broader strategy to address the long-standing backlog of qualified, trained but unemployed health professionals across Ghana, even as the administration expands domestic recruitment of healthcare workers. This year alone, the government has launched recruitment for the 2021 cohort of nurses and allied health workers, with a target of hiring more than 25,000 health professionals for domestic roles, while simultaneously developing structured managed migration opportunities with partner nations.

    Additional cohorts of Ghanaian health professionals are already in the recruitment pipeline, with future departures planned for other Caribbean countries including Jamaica, the Bahamas and Grenada, following the same rigorous joint selection process, Dr. Ayensu-Danquah confirmed. To date, Ghana has finalized formal bilateral labour mobility agreements with 14 countries that are actively seeking qualified Ghanaian health professionals, with each agreement tailored to the partner nation’s specific workforce needs and including binding negotiated provisions for worker welfare, pay and working conditions.

    For her part, Deputy Chief of Staff Nana Oye Bampoe Addo described the departure of the St Kitts and Nevis cohort as a key milestone for the GLEP initiative. She noted that the programme creates a formal, ethical, and coordinated framework for labour mobility that unlocks valuable international opportunities for Ghanaian health workers while preserving their ties to their home country.

    By creating legal, mutually beneficial placements abroad, the GLEP directly addresses the challenge of high unemployment among thousands of trained Ghanaian health professionals, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo explained. She urged the departing nurses to act as cultural and professional ambassadors for Ghana during their time abroad, upholding the nation’s positive reputation through discipline and consistent professionalism. “You are now ambassadors of Ghana, and the world will judge us by how you conduct yourselves,” she told the cohort.

  • Investeringswet meer dan lokmiddel kapitaal: Gebruik olie als motor voor bredere ontwikkeling

    Investeringswet meer dan lokmiddel kapitaal: Gebruik olie als motor voor bredere ontwikkeling

    As Suriname prepares to welcome billions in projected investment from its emerging offshore oil and gas sector, a new policy analysis is calling on policymakers to revise the country’s draft investment legislation, warning that an overly narrow focus on attracting capital alone could see the nation miss a once-in-a-generation chance to drive inclusive, long-term economic growth.

    Authored by policy expert Vincent Roep, the 72-page analysis *Investing in Sustainable Development* evaluates two key bills currently under consideration: the draft Investment Act and the legislation establishing the Suriname Investment and Trade Agency (SITA). Roep’s assessment draws on decades of global development experience and established economic growth models to examine the proposed framework’s strengths and critical gaps.

    The analysis acknowledges that the draft legislation marks a meaningful step forward for Suriname’s investment policy modernization. It creates a solid legal foundation that increases legal certainty for both domestic and foreign investors, aligns the country’s rules with widely accepted international standards for modern investment governance, and establishes a unified central agency to streamline trade and investment processes through SITA. These are meaningful improvements that update Suriname’s outdated regulatory landscape, the report confirms.

    However, Roep warns that these advances are not enough to guarantee broad-based benefits for Suriname’s society. Decades of global evidence show that resource-rich nations often fail to translate large natural resource investments into shared, lasting prosperity, falling victim to the so-called “resource curse” that leaves most citizens with few long-term gains. For Suriname, the true measure of investment policy success is not how much capital flows into the country, but whether that capital delivers tangible public goods: innovation, skills transfer, widespread formal employment, rising productivity, and much-needed economic diversification away from overreliance on fossil fuels.

    The draft legislation, the analysis argues, is framed almost entirely from the perspective of foreign investors. It devotes extensive attention to investor protections, equal treatment, streamlined permitting, and capital repatriation, but devotes barely any policy space to mandatory social and economic returns that investments must deliver. Explicit connections to critical policy priorities are entirely missing from the current draft, including links to innovation development, support for domestic enterprise expansion, public education and skills upgrading, and the upcoming national Local Content Policy that is meant to guarantee local participation in resource projects.

    For Roep, the Local Content Policy link is non-negotiable. The coming growth of the offshore oil and gas sector should not be an end goal in itself, but a catalyst for broad-based structural economic transformation. Investments should actively support the growth of domestic Surinamese companies, develop local supply chains, drive technological advancement, and fund the training of a skilled local workforce that can lead future economic expansion beyond the energy sector.

    The proposed SITA agency also carries untapped potential that is not reflected in current draft legislation, the analysis finds. Instead of operating only as a one-stop service desk for investors processing permits, SITA could evolve into a strategic development agency that actively aligns incoming investment with national priorities: export growth, small business entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic diversification. In that role, it could become a central driver of Suriname’s long-term economic transformation, the report argues.

    A key flashpoint identified in the analysis is the lack of explicit support for domestic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Without targeted supplementary policy, the report warns, the vast majority of new investment opportunities will flow almost exclusively to large foreign firms, leaving local Surinamese entrepreneurs locked out of the benefits of the incoming economic boom. To address this gap, the report recommends amending the Investment Act to explicitly tie incoming investment to policies that support local businesses: helping them improve product quality, build innovation capacity, expand export access, and integrate into global value chains alongside foreign investors.

    Roep also calls for a critical re-evaluation of proposed tax incentives for foreign investors. While tax breaks can make a jurisdiction more attractive to capital, leading global economic bodies including the World Bank, OECD, and UNCTAD have long documented that such incentives only deliver broad public benefits when they are transparent, tied to clear national development targets, and evaluated regularly for effectiveness. In practice, policy stability, good governance, legal certainty, and high-quality public services are just as important to long-term investors as short-term tax breaks, the analysis reminds policymakers.

    In total, the report lays out 10 strategic recommendations to revise the draft legislation. These include adding explicit language that names sustainable development as the core overarching goal of the Investment Act, formally integrating investment policy with the upcoming Local Content Policy, expanding SITA’s mandate to operate as a strategic development agency, increasing public investment in education and vocational training to build human capital, strengthening support for domestic SMEs, and establishing a national monitoring and evaluation framework to track the social and economic impact of all incoming investments.

    The core message of the analysis is clear: Suriname’s investment policy should not be judged solely by how many foreign investors it attracts. Its ultimate success will depend on how much those investments contribute to rising productivity, homegrown innovation, stronger domestic enterprises, and shared lasting prosperity for all Surinamese people. The offshore oil and gas boom offers a unique, once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver this transformation – but only if policymakers make the right structural choices today, Roep emphasizes.

    The analysis is being released one day ahead of a interactive entrepreneur forum hosted by Suriname’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKF), which will bring together local business owners, investors, industry associations, and other stakeholders to discuss the two draft bills. Attendees will have the opportunity to share feedback, raise concerns, and contribute input to the final legislation, with sessions covering an overview of the Investment Act, SITA’s proposed role, opportunities for domestic and foreign entrepreneurs, and an open question-and-answer session. KKF aims to build broad consensus around the legislation to ensure it is future-proof and inclusive for all stakeholders.

  • Alexander: Let police complete Hadeed probe

    Alexander: Let police complete Hadeed probe

    Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander has publicly called on the country’s citizens to step back and let law enforcement investigators complete their work into the high-profile detention of local businessman Dominic Hadeed, his wife Genevieve Hadeed, and Genevieve’s maternal aunt Star Sabga. Speaking at an event held at the Roslyn Hall and Lounge in Tunapuna yesterday, Alexander issued a clear warning against the rising trend of what he labeled “trial by social media” and premature judgment in the court of public opinion.

    Alexander opened his remarks by stating he would not share any specific details about the ongoing investigation, noting that uniformed police officers require space to carry out their probe free of unwarranted external pressure. “What I can share with you at this time is that the police need to do their job, and I am one of the people who advocate that,” Alexander told attendees. He emphasized that law enforcement teams must be granted the space to pursue their inquiries both effectively and efficiently, without being swayed by widespread public commentary or ungrounded speculation about the case.

    “In order to do that job effectively and efficiently, they must be given that option, that opportunity to do that, without this set of crosstalk and the court of public opinion making statements and thing,” he said. “Do your job and let’s see where we go from there.”

    Alexander confirmed that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) is advancing a targeted probe into the three detainees, and urged the public to wait for official conclusions before drawing any final judgments on the case. “All I can say is that the police are pursuing a particular type of investigation and we await the outcome,” he added.

    The minister also voiced criticism of the flood of commentary on the case across social media platforms, calling out premature public statements from political figures — including remarks from the country’s Opposition that left him surprised. “The court of public opinion and the social media advocates and the persons who are making various statements…I was taken aback even by certain pronouncements made by the Opposition,” Alexander said.

    He went on to defend the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), a cornerstone institution of Trinidad and Tobago’s justice system, highlighting the office’s critical role in upholding the rule of law. “The DPP holds an office in Trinidad and Tobago second to none,” Alexander said. Drawing on his own decades of experience as a former police officer, he shared that he has long observed the DPP carries out all official duties with extreme care and attention to detail. “He, from my knowledge and from my experience as an ex-police officer, is very meticulous in how he does things,” Alexander added.

    Alexander’s address wrapped up with a broader appeal to national values, urging all citizens to prioritize respect for the rule of law — a standard he argued should be taught to children from a young age within family households. “Respect the rule of law. If you start with it at home as a parent, you will see your sons and daughters growing up respecting that,” he said.

    He also warned that eroding public respect for legal and state authority carries profound long-term risks for the entire country. “When you as a citizen, or you as a society, or you as a country, start to pull away from that type of respect for authority, then what do you expect to happen?” he asked.

    In closing, Alexander called on the public to allow the formal judicial process to proceed unimpeded, and to commit to accepting the court’s final decision regardless of outcome. “Let us move away from that and return to the day when a citizen was proud to be a citizen in Trinidad and Tobago and allow the court, where everybody does run to, make a decision, and we respect the outcomes,” he said.

  • AG Jeremie vows to go after ‘1% gangs’ funding PNM

    AG Jeremie vows to go after ‘1% gangs’ funding PNM

    In a dramatic parliamentary address delivered on June 10, 2026, Trinidad and Tobago’s Attorney General John Jeremie has laid bare extraordinary allegations against three high-profile individuals—businessman Dominic Hadeed, 52, his wife Genevieve, 42, and relative Star Sabga, 69—who now face preventive detention orders over claims they conspired to assassinate top government officials. The bombshell revelations came as Jeremie tabled a motion to extend the country’s ongoing state of emergency by three months, pulling back the curtain on a widening crackdown that blurs the line between elite financial power and organized criminal activity.

    Jeremie used the parliamentary platform to confirm a sweeping development: the U.S. government has revoked travel visas for multiple members of what he called Trinidad and Tobago’s “1%”, a cohort of wealthy and connected elites he accuses of operating as an organized criminal network. Acknowledging the U.S. intelligence community’s robust surveillance capabilities, he noted that American authorities had made an independent determination that these individuals’ activities warranted barring them from entry to the U.S., a move in which the Trinidad and Tobago government had no hand.

    The Attorney General pushed back against the common framing of gang activity as confined to working-class street groups identified by numeric names like Sixx, Seven and Eight. Instead, he argued, the Anti-Gang Act’s broad definition—covering any informal or formal grouping of two or more people engaged in criminal activity—applies equally to the country’s economic elite, who have built decades of unchecked influence. For ten years under the previous People’s National Movement (PNM) administration, Jeremie claimed, these elites thrived, exploiting their connections to secure unlimited access to U.S. dollars, while ordinary citizens are forced to queue for hours at banks to access just $200 in foreign currency for travel. These elite figures, he added, move hundreds of thousands of dollars in foreign exchange through their credit cards on a monthly revolving basis— a privilege out of reach for most Trinidadians.

    Jeremie went further, alleging the elite not only funded the PNM but were revered by the party and have effectively taken control of it, with opposition politicians acting as willing pawns for their interests. The revelation of visa revocations, he explained, came unexpectedly: a question from a journalist at Guardian Media Ltd, which Jeremie claimed is owned by the accused group, first piqued his interest. Though he initially ignored the query, he was later contacted directly by multiple elites who confirmed their U.S. visas had been revoked, he said.

    Stressing that the Trinidad and Tobago government cannot influence U.S. visa policy, Jeremie made clear that authorities retain full jurisdiction over illegal activity occurring within the country’s borders. “The days when wealth could shield elite criminals from prosecution and law enforcement scrutiny are over,” he warned, arguing that any individual who operates as a gang member—regardless of social standing—will face the same consequences as street-level gang members. “If your designation is within the 1%, or if you are Sixx, Seven or Eight, Teteron (a detention facility) awaits,” he stated.

    Directing a specific warning at those who have targeted him and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Jeremie alleged the group has hidden behind the media outlets it controls to attack the government, and that intelligence indicates they are now planning more direct violent action. “If you target me, as I expect you will, or my Prime Minister, as you have… if, as our intelligence suggests, you have in contemplation more and direct action, the indignity of the cells at Teteron await,” he said.

    Jeremie declined to elaborate on additional allegations, including irregular deals over valuable state lands that he claimed the group pursued up until the night of the last general election, noting that the matter is already under active review by the Commissioner of Police. He also accused the former PNM administration of turning a blind eye not only to white-collar gang activity but to the spread of street-level blue-collar gang violence across the country.

    Closing his address, Jeremie emphasized equal application of the law: an offense committed by a wealthy member of the 1% is no different than a crime committed by young working-class people in marginalized communities like Morvant and Laventille. While the government has no control over actions taken by its American ally, it will act firmly on evidence of criminal activity gathered by its own law enforcement, he confirmed, declaring that the era of unchecked influence for Trinidad and Tobago’s elite is definitively over.

  • Tributes pour in for Oscar B

    Tributes pour in for Oscar B

    The global Caribbean music community is gripped by sorrow this week following the passing of beloved, trailblazing soca performer Oscar “Oscar B” Benjamin, who breathed his last early Wednesday morning. The 57-year-old artist, a lifelong resident of Signal Hill, Tobago, had been battling health complications after suffering a severe stroke back in May, and his sudden passing came just hours before a community-organized benefit concert intended to cover his mounting medical costs and support his ongoing recovery.

    The Tobago Family and Friends Healing Concert had been planned weeks in advance for the Shaw Park Cultural Complex, scheduled to kick off Wednesday evening. Following confirmation of Benjamin’s death, event organizers and the Division of Tourism, Antiquities and Creative Industries operating under the Tobago House of Assembly announced the show would go forward as originally scheduled, but would be reimagined as a moving celebration of Benjamin’s life and his decades-long contributions to the evolution of Caribbean soca culture.

    Within minutes of the official announcement of his passing, tributes began pouring in from across the music industry, government circles, and the local Tobagonian community, all honoring the iconic artist’s legacy. In an official statement released Wednesday, Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Culture and Community Development hailed Benjamin as “a cherished son of Tobago and a celebrated ambassador of our culture”, highlighting his journey from a young choir singer to one of the region’s most recognizable soca performers.

    Benjamin first nurtured his passion for music as a young member of his local church choir, before launching his professional musical career in 1982 when he joined the iconic Signal Hill Alumni Choir. Minister of Culture and Community Development Michelle Benjamin shared a heartfelt tribute to the late artist, noting that Oscar B devoted his entire life to spreading the joy of Caribbean music, delighting audiences across the globe, and proudly uplifting his home of Tobago every time he stepped onto a stage.

    “It is especially heart-breaking that he passed away less than 24 hours before the scheduled Tobago Family & Friends Healing Concert, an event organized by those who loved and admired him to support his recovery following his recent illness,” Minister Benjamin said. “While he may not have witnessed that extraordinary outpouring of affection, it stands as a lasting testament to the lives he touched and the deep respect he earned throughout his career.”

    Veteran soca legend Austin “SuperBlue” Lyons was among the first fellow artists to share his condolences publicly on social media. “Waking up to sad news this morning hearing my dear Friend Oscar B pass away. May you fly with the angels above until we meet again. Always enjoy watching your performance. You will be missed. Rest in Peace,” Lyons wrote in his social media post.

    Signal Hill Secondary School, Benjamin’s alma mater, also shared a tribute remembering the star as far more than a talented performer, calling him “a living legend” whose impact extended far beyond the stage. Former Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Randall Mitchell also offered his condolences, writing: “Oscar, boy we had some really good moments. Thank you for the entertainment and the performances, always. Fly high and rest in eternal peace.”

  • TEEN’S FATAL RIDE

    TEEN’S FATAL RIDE

    A life brimming with extraordinary potential was cut short in a fatal roadway collision on Saturday, when 15-year-old Idris Hosein—widely remembered as a gifted scholar, emerging community leader, and dedicated Scout—died in a crash on Trinidad’s Churchill-Roosevelt Highway. What unfolded on that stretch of westbound highway has left family, teachers, and fellow Scouts grappling with unfathomable loss, as investigators work to piece together the full details of the incident.

    Official police reports confirm that the Barataria Police Station, under the leadership of W/A/Sgt Solomon-Rajkumar, received the alert about the fatal crash at 11:26 a.m. on June 27. Preliminary investigations outline that roughly an hour before first responders arrived, a 23-year-old driver from Arima was traveling westbound in a rented Nissan Tiida with two female passengers. When the driver attempted to merge from the middle lane into the left lane, Hosein’s motorcycle struck the rear left corner of the car. The impact threw the 15-year-old several meters across the roadway, despite him wearing a protective helmet at the time of the collision. He was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver and his two passengers walked away from the incident without injury. Hosein’s father formally identified his son’s body following the crash.

    The 23-year-old driver has since been warned of pending prosecution under Section 73(1) of the country’s Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act. Crime Scene Investigator WPC Williams documented the collision site with forensic photography, and both the car and the damaged motorcycle were impounded at the Barataria Police Station as the investigation remains ongoing. W/A/Sgt Solomon-Rajkumar is leading continuing inquiries into the exact sequence of events.

    In an interview with local outlet *Express* at the family’s Cunupia home, Idris’s father Arif Hosein painted a picture of a young man who excelled in every area of his life, pushing back against unsubstantiated social media claims that framed his son as a delinquent. “He wasn’t just bright—he was a brilliant young man,” Arif said. “Every single term, he brought home awards for both academics and sports. He just picked his advanced science subjects to start Form Four, and we fully expected he would earn a university scholarship.”

    Beyond academics, Idris was deeply committed to the scouting movement, where he had risen to become one of the group’s youngest youth leaders. “When the older Scouts couldn’t master knot-tying, they came to Idris. He loved teaching the younger kids the basics—friends would even come to our house just to practice with him,” his father explained.

    Arif also addressed the circumstances of his son’s ride, clarifying that Idris had only ever been allowed to ride a small training motorcycle under direct adult supervision, and did not have permission to operate the larger, higher-powered bike involved in the crash. “I would never let him take that bike out on his own,” he said. “He knew how strict I am about safety. That bike costs around $80,000, but if I’d known he’d taken it without permission, I’d have smashed it to pieces with my sledgehammers to make sure he never made that kind of mistake again. That’s how seriously I take safety.”

    The grieving father says he is still searching for answers, struggling to understand why Idris left home with the motorcycle that day, and whether anyone encouraged the unsupervised ride. “My last conversation with him was Friday night—I told him I loved him, and he said everything was fine at home. The next morning I got the call about the crash,” Arif said. “This isn’t who he was. He never did anything like this. I need to know who encouraged him, where he was going, and why this happened.” He also noted unconfirmed witness accounts of a second motorcyclist in the area shortly before the collision, but acknowledged that no concrete evidence has yet emerged to confirm that detail.

    Andrew Buckmire, Group Scout Leader at Idris’s school, St Mary’s College, says the 15-year-old stood out from his peers for his uncommon maturity, relentless work ethic, and natural ability to lead. “He was far more than a typical Scout,” Buckmire said. “He threw himself into every program we ran, and he was always there when we needed him.” Buckmire explained that Idris consistently demonstrated practical skills and knowledge well beyond his 15 years, often teaching even older Scouts new skills: “He was ahead of everyone when it came to hands-on experience and physical skills. He taught most of the boys how to fish, how to operate our program engines—even when they were years older than him.”

    Buckmire added that Idris never shied away from responsibility, and could always be counted on to see any task through to completion. “He always went the extra mile. When everyone else was tired and ready to quit, Idris stayed to finish what needed to be done,” he said. “I never had any worries about giving him important tasks—I knew he’d get them done right. If he ever had a question, he’d always come double-check with me, no exceptions.”

    Buckmire described Idris as respectful, humble, and firmly rooted in his values, noting that even as a Muslim student at a Catholic school, he always felt comfortable asking for time to pray, and was fully respected by the entire school community. “He never sought attention or bragged about his skills,” Buckmire said. “He was quiet, but his presence was felt through how well he got things done. To my knowledge, he never had a single disciplinary issue at school. This whole tragedy is completely out of character for who he was. It’s just so devastatingly unfortunate.”

    The scouting community, Buckmire says, will feel the loss of Idris deeply. “He was an impressive Scout and a genuinely good person. So many of his peers are going to miss him terribly,” he added.