Carib Scope

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  • Champions League 2026 : The «Yankees» crush our Grenadiers [3-0]

    Champions League 2026 : The «Yankees» crush our Grenadiers [3-0]

    The 2026 CONCACAF U-20 Champions League kicked off its group stage matches on July 25, with Haiti’s under-20 national side, known affectionately as the Grenadiers, falling to a dominant 3-0 defeat at the hands of the United States U-20 men’s national team at the Estadio Universitario BUAP in Puebla, Mexico.

    Haiti entered the match facing a late roster adjustment, as starting player Medinel Zamor was forced to withdraw from the tournament entirely due to an injury just days before kickoff. Shaun A Brun of the US-based Tacoma Defiance stepped into Zamor’s spot in the starting eleven. Haiti’s full starting lineup featured Carlos Bré of Real Hope FA; captain Arthur Alcimé (Real Hope FA); Stanley Volcin (AS Capoise); Marckidens Tanis (AS Capoise); Miguel Joseph (Exafoot); Ramy Fabilus (Real Hope FA); Clavens Exantus (Violette AC); Franco Célestin (Jamaica’s Mount Pleasant); Emerson Laissé (Mount Pleasant); Brun; and Nikolai Pierre of US club Orlando City. Five second-half substitutions were made by the Haitian coaching staff: J. Charles replaced Fabilus, W. Leconte took over for Pierre, D. Resil came on for Exantus, all in the 67th minute; M. Jean Jules replaced Brun in the 75th minute; and K. Romulus replaced Leconte just two minutes later.

    From the opening whistle, the United States controlled the flow of play, holding 69% of total possession and outshooting Haiti 8 to 3 on target. The Americans broke the deadlock in the 38th minute, when Dino Klapija slotted a right-footed shot from the left edge of the Haiti penalty box past the goalkeeper. The goal came off a neatly worked set piece: after a United States corner, Colin Guske headed a looping ball back into the center of the box, setting up Klapija for the easy finish.

    The match turned further against Haiti in the 61st minute, when starting defender Stanley Volcin was shown a red card and ejected from the game, leaving the Grenadiers down to 10 men for the final half hour. Seven minutes after the red card, the United States earned a penalty kick, and Ruben Ramos converted the spot kick to double the American lead to 2-0. As Haiti pushed for an equalizer late in stoppage time, the Americans earned a second penalty, which Santi Morales converted in the 89th minute to seal the 3-0 victory and secure all three points for the US in Group A play.

    Following the opening match defeat, the Haitian Football Federation released a statement affirming the team’s continued commitment to the tournament, noting: “Despite this result, the team continues its training with the same determination in order to best prepare for its upcoming matches. Each match is a new opportunity to demonstrate the character, discipline, and pride of a team that defends its country’s colors. Our support remains a valuable asset for our players.”

    After the first round of group matches, the Group A standings place both the United States and Cuba at the top with three points each, after Cuba also earned a 3-0 opening win over El Salvador. El Salvador and Haiti sit at the bottom of the group with zero points, having each conceded three goals without scoring. The Grenadiers are set to return to play on July 28, when they face Cuba in their second group stage match, before closing out group play against El Salvador on July 31.

  • How a young entrepreneur turned his grandmother’s recipe into a growing liqueur brand

    How a young entrepreneur turned his grandmother’s recipe into a growing liqueur brand

    In the lead-up to one of St. Lucia’s most anticipated annual celebrations, Carnival, 24-year-old entrepreneur Ajan-I Lansiquot and his family gathered at Bay Gardens Marina Haven to launch a limited-time pop-up bar. The pop-up showcased their homegrown, handcrafted spirit brand, Leonas Liqueur, serving up custom cocktails to thirsty Carnival attendees and hotel guests, drawing a lively, engaged crowd to the waterfront venue.

    Leonas Liqueur is a family-owned artisanal brand that specializes in premium creamy milk-based liqueurs, available today in three distinct, customer-favorite flavor profiles: Dark Ambition, a rich coffee-infused blend; Black and Ivory, a sweet cookies and cream variation; and Crimson Velvet, a unique combination of strawberry and peanut.

    What began as a planned feature profiling local business performance during the high-traffic Carnival season quickly became an intimate first-hand look at the grit and vision of a young small business owner building something meaningful from intergenerational roots. A correspondent from St. Lucia Times spent several hours on-site with the Leonas Liqueur team as they served Carnival revellers picking up their costumes from a nearby mas camp along with guests staying at the Bay Gardens resort.

    Speaking with St. Lucia Times, Lansiquot described Leonas Liqueur as more than just a beverage brand—it is a premium lifestyle label rooted in the values of progress and excellence. “It’s crafted for people who want to build something bigger than themselves,” he explained, his steady, grounded delivery matching the ambition of his brand mission.

    Observers on-site noted the 24-year-old carries a thoughtful, intentional demeanor as he navigates the day-to-day demands of business ownership and leadership. Every customer interaction, every detail of the pop-up bar—from the neatly displayed branded bottles with sleek, chic Leonas labeling to the preparation of each handcrafted cocktail—is handled with deliberate care, a reflection of the brand’s core values.

    That intentionality is no accident: it grows directly from the brand’s foundational purpose of honoring and extending a family legacy. The recipe for Leonas Liqueur originated with Lansiquot’s grandmother, Leona, for whom the brand is named. For decades, Leona sold her homemade liqueur from a roadside stall, and she passed the original recipe down to her grandson.

    Lansiquot’s journey to full-time brand ownership began after a turning point in his early career. He had been working a contract role at a local warehouse, a position he enjoyed that taught him valuable operational and business skills he still uses today. He always planned to launch his own venture eventually, taking careful notes on business operations every day, fully expecting his contract would be renewed. When the extension fell through, he chose to channel his frustration into building something lasting, rather than waiting for another opportunity. A core goal from the start was to build a business that prioritizes the well-being of its team: “Once you work with Leonas, or anything I build now or in the future, you’re in good hands,” he says.

    Two and a half years into building the brand, Lansiquot is open about the challenges his team has faced, noting the journey has required pushing through unexpected setbacks and financial losses to earn the small wins and growth the business enjoys today. Beyond building a profitable brand, Lansiquot is committed to growing as a leader, and setting a positive example for his 17-year-old brother Kamari, who he brought on as a co-owner and co-producer of the brand.

    Kamari shares that working on the business has been a valuable learning experience, even with its challenges. “It has ups and downs like any other venture,” he explains. “The hardest part for me is balancing my school work with the demands of the brand.” Still, he embraces the learning curve, as he nurtures his own entrepreneurial ambitions for the future.

    As the team mixed signature liqueur cocktails behind the pop-up bar, Ajan-I joked that growing the brand has unexpectedly taught the whole team professional bartending skills. Onlookers noted the team looked entirely natural as they handed off beautifully garnished drinks—some topped with fresh cherries, others with cookie crumbles—to waiting customers. Many patrons reacted with immediate positive feedback, smiling and giving thumbs up before they even finished their first sip.

    For the Lansiquot family, the Carnival pop-up is just one step in a much longer journey. While the festive season brings a welcome boost in foot traffic and sales, Ajan-I’s long-term goal is to turn Leonas Liqueur into a year-round staple for locals and visitors across St. Lucia. As the business grows, the core team is expanding too, adding brand ambassadors and new strategic partners to scale operations. Today, the brand accepts personal orders and deliveries via its dedicated social media pages, caters private events, and is building consistent, sustainable supply chains. All signs point to Leonas Liqueur being a lasting, growing presence in St. Lucia’s artisanal food and beverage scene.

  • Antigua and Barbuda Business Community Backs the U20 National Team

    Antigua and Barbuda Business Community Backs the U20 National Team

    With kickoff of the 2026 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship just one day away in Puebla, Mexico, the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) has publicly celebrated the collective support of local businesses and individual backers that have stepped in as Official U20 Corporate Partners, making the nation’s historic tournament run possible.

    The group of official partners spans multiple sectors of Antigua and Barbuda’s local economy, including the CIP Unit, Dr. Philmore Benjamin, Dawn till Dusk, Photogenesis, Justin Pereira, a joint partnership between Fitzroy’s Rewinding and Faster Freight, RVS Enterprises, and News Co Ltd. This diverse coalition reflects the widespread unity across the country’s business community in lifting up the next generation of Antiguan football talent.

    Among the most impactful contributions comes from the collaborative effort between Fitzroy’s Rewinding and Faster Freight, which sourced and donated high-altitude simulation training masks for the squad. This targeted support addresses a critical logistical challenge for the team: Puebla sits roughly 7,000 feet above sea level, and the thinner air at this elevation presents a significant physical barrier for visiting teams competing there. The donation is a tangible example of how local private sector support is directly preparing the team to compete at their best.

    For Justin Pereira, a former national player who now works as a coach and business owner, the partnership opportunity is more than just financial support—it is a chance to give back to the sport that shaped him. “As a former player, now coach and business owner, it is a real pleasure to be able to contribute to this undertaking. These are huge steps being made in Antigua football,” Pereira said.

    Antigua and Barbuda’s under-20 squad carries notable regional pride into this year’s tournament. Selected as one of just 12 teams to compete in the final championship, they are the only nation from the Eastern Caribbean to qualify, and one of only four Caribbean countries overall in the field. The team will open its Group B play against tournament host Mexico on July 24 at Puebla’s iconic Estadio Cuauhtemoc, followed by matches against Guatemala on July 27 and Costa Rica on July 30. For all participating teams, the CONCACAF U20 Championship serves as a direct qualifying route for two of global football’s most prestigious youth competitions: the FIFA Under-20 World Cup and the Summer Olympic Games.

    In closing, the ABFA reiterated its gratitude to all corporate partners, emphasizing that their belief in young Antiguan footballers and commitment to growing the sport in Antigua and Barbuda has been foundational to the team’s journey to the tournament.

  • UWP’s Juliette Shillingford outlines vision for Roseau Central; says the capital ‘deserves better,’

    UWP’s Juliette Shillingford outlines vision for Roseau Central; says the capital ‘deserves better,’

    As the 2025 general election race in Dominica heats up, United Workers Party candidate Juliette Shillingford has stepped forward to contest the Roseau Central constituency, bringing a professional, community-focused platform rooted in her decades of experience as an urban planner. Shillingford, a lifelong resident of the constituency, says her decision to enter politics stems from a long-held conviction that Dominica’s capital city has been overlooked for far too long — and that Roseau deserves more attentive, forward-thinking leadership than it has received to date.

    Unlike many candidates who limit their engagement to criticizing incumbents’ failures, Shillingford says she chose to run to be part of the solution, turning decades of professional expertise in urban design into actionable policy for the community she calls home. Her core vision for Roseau centers on reimagining the capital as a regional Caribbean model that balances thoughtful modern development with careful preservation of the city’s unique cultural and natural heritage, a balance she argues current leadership has failed to deliver.

    Shillingford’s policy priorities for the constituency cover environmental, infrastructure, social and economic goals. Top on her environmental and public space agenda is the expansion of accessible green public areas across the city, the full reconstruction of the iconic Roseau Botanical Gardens, and the completion of the long-delayed public library project that residents have waited years for. She has also pledged to overhaul the city’s aging street and sidewalk networks to make Roseau more walkable and accessible for pedestrians of all ages, while addressing the persistent issues of inadequate parking and crippling traffic congestion that disrupt daily life for residents and visitors alike.

    Beyond physical infrastructure, Shillingford has emphasized that investing in Roseau Central’s young people is a non-negotiable part of her agenda, calling for expanded investment in youth education and sports programming to give the next generation the resources they need to thrive. She has also drawn attention to growing economic strains on local commerce, noting that a steady stream of established small businesses have closed in recent years, while more and more residents are forced to operate informal retail from their vehicles. Shillingford attributes this trend in part to a critical lack of affordable commercial space for emerging small enterprises, which she describes as the backbone of Roseau’s local economy.

    To ensure her platform reflects the actual needs of Roseau Central residents rather than top-down partisan priorities, Shillingford is currently holding one-on-one and community meetings with constituents across the constituency to gather input for what she calls a “people’s vision manifesto”, a public document that will formalize her policy pledges ahead of election day.

  • Hughes Warns Safe-Deposit Box Auctions Could Be Vulnerable to Insider Dealing

    Hughes Warns Safe-Deposit Box Auctions Could Be Vulnerable to Insider Dealing

    As debate over the Banking Amendment Bill 2026 unfolds among legislative bodies, an opposition senator has raised sharp, well-founded concerns about gaps in the legislation’s framework for auctioning off the contents of abandoned safe-deposit boxes, warning that loose transparency rules could open the door to unfair favoritism for insiders.

    The bill in question lays out basic requirements for financial institutions seeking to sell unclaimed property from abandoned safe boxes: institutions must place a notice of the upcoming auction in a newspaper and send a notification of the sale to the box owner’s last recorded address. But Senator Chester Hughes argues that these minimal requirements are nowhere near enough to guarantee a fair, open process for all potential bidders.

    Hughes points out that relying solely on a newspaper notice to advertise the auction leaves the vast majority of the public completely unaware of the sale. In an illustrative example, he noted that under the current proposed rules, only a tiny circle of well-connected individuals — in his hypothetical, just Philip Shoul and Hughes himself — would see the notice and learn of the auction. This limited outreach restricts participation dramatically, leaving the door open for a small group of people with advance insider knowledge to snap up high-value items like fine jewelry, rare precious metals, and emotionally meaningful family heirlooms for prices far below their actual market value.

    To address this critical flaw, Hughes is pushing for amendments that would mandate far broader advertising of all upcoming auctions of abandoned safe-deposit box contents. Wider outreach, he argues, would draw a larger pool of bidders, drive up competition, and ensure that every item is sold at a price that reflects its true market worth. Beyond ensuring fair market value, Hughes stressed that a more transparent process is essential to maintaining public trust in the banking sector’s handling of unclaimed private property — especially given that many abandoned boxes hold items that carry immense sentimental as well as financial value for their original owners and potential heirs.

    The debate over the auction rules comes as legislators work to update the country’s banking regulatory framework, with competing priorities around streamlining administrative processes for financial institutions and protecting the property rights of consumers. Hughes’ push for broader advertising adds a key new dimension to the debate, framing transparency and fair process as non-negotiable components of any regulatory update to the handling of unclaimed safe-deposit box contents.

  • Films brengen basisscholieren in contact met Franse taal en cultuur

    Films brengen basisscholieren in contact met Franse taal en cultuur

    A new collaborative educational and cultural initiative is opening the door for primary school students across Suriname to explore French language and culture through the power of cinema. Launched jointly by the French Embassy in Suriname and Alliance Française Suriname, the weekly program *Cinéma Scolaire du mercredi* (Wednesday School Cinema) will screen French-language films with Dutch subtitles for participating young learners.

    The kickoff event for the innovative program is scheduled for Wednesday, July 29 at the Alliance Française Suriname campus. Before the opening film screening, the Children’s Choir of the Cathedral Choir School, part of the Suriname Foundation School for Young Talent, will perform *Vois sur ton chemin*, the iconic song from the beloved French film *Les Choristes*.

    Following the launch, weekly screenings will be held every Wednesday through the end of the current school term before the major summer break. The program will resume in October after vacation concludes, allowing more and more students to participate throughout the full academic year.

    Organizers emphasize that the initiative is far more than a simple film screening series. Wherever possible, supplementary educational activities will be paired with screenings, including post-film discussions and cross-cultural exchange activities. The core goal of these complementary sessions is to boost student interest in French language and culture, giving young learners an accessible, engaging introduction to the broader French-speaking world.

    The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Suriname has pledged full support to the program, helping to facilitate participation from public primary schools across the country. The French Embassy covers all core funding for the initiative, while Alliance Française Suriname takes charge of on-the-ground organization of weekly screenings. Local transport company Le Grand Baldew provides additional logistical support to cover travel for students from participating schools.

    Participating schools are contacted directly by the program’s organizing team, and there are no participation fees for schools or students to join. For the collaborative team behind the initiative, the project represents more than an educational activity: it is an investment in cultural enrichment, language skill development, and stronger international cooperation, by introducing Surinamese children to French language and culture from an early age.

  • Minister Dwayne George Declares Antigua Carnival 2026 Open

    Minister Dwayne George Declares Antigua Carnival 2026 Open

    ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda — The highly anticipated annual cultural celebration of Antigua Carnival officially got underway on Saturday, when Dwayne George, the nation’s Minister of Sports and Creative Industries, formally declared Antigua Carnival 2026 open. The launch of this year’s festival paired two beloved opening traditions: the official opening ceremony and the fan-favorite T-Shirt Mas street event.

    Opening proceedings kicked off at 2 p.m. and ran through 9 p.m., starting with a formal gathering of participants and officials on Parliament Drive. Following the opening address and official declaration, thousands of festival-goers and performers took to the streets for the iconic T-Shirt Mas procession.

    Per the event’s official route map, all key parade elements — including elaborately decorated floats, world-famous Antiguan steel bands, traditional cultural performers, and carnival pageant contestants — gathered first on Parliament Drive for the opening ceremony. For T-Shirt Mas, participants assembled near the T.N. Kirnon School on Old Parham Road, then processed through a scenic route spanning Simon Bolivar Drive, Factory Road, Parliament Drive, Queen Elizabeth Highway, Independence Avenue, Redcliffe Street, Thames Street and High Street before looping back to their starting point on Old Parham Road.

    The 2026 iteration of Antigua Carnival runs through August 4, with a packed lineup of signature events spread across the coming weeks. Standout scheduled activities include Junior Carnival on July 26, which showcases young local talent; Rhythm Court Vibe on July 27; Patrice Roberts’ highly anticipated I Am Woman solo concert on July 28; Caribbean Melting Pot, a celebration of regional cultural diversity, on July 30; the Cavalier Rum Calypso Monarch competition on July 31, one of the carnival’s most anticipated annual contests; the Panorama steel band competition on August 1; the iconic early-morning J’Ouvert and Monday Mas processions on August 3; and the grand closing Parade of the Bands and Last Lap celebration on August 4.

    This year’s carnival embraces the unifying central theme “Feel the Rhythm,” which speaks to the deep connection between Antigua and Barbuda’s cultural heritage, rhythmic musical traditions, and the joyful energy that draws thousands of visitors and locals to the celebration each year.

  • St. Mary’s Student Begins Culinary Internship Through Junior Chef Academy

    St. Mary’s Student Begins Culinary Internship Through Junior Chef Academy

    ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda – A promising young culinary talent from St. Mary’s Secondary School has taken his first major step toward a professional hospitality career, launching a six-week hands-on internship at the luxury Hermitage Bay resort as an early milestone in the 2026 Taste of Wadadli Junior Chef Academy.

    Aleka Lewis Jr. began his on-the-job training July 13, working directly under the guidance of Hermitage Bay’s Executive Chef Desroy Spence through the end of the internship period on August 21. Unlike traditional classroom-based learning, this placement immerses Lewis in the fast-paced daily operations of a high-end professional kitchen, giving him the chance to build technical skills and industry insight that cannot be learned from textbooks alone.

    The internship is not an isolated opportunity, but a core foundational component of the broader Junior Chef Academy initiative, which is structured to groom emerging young culinary talent across Antigua and Barbuda for long-term careers in hospitality. Following the conclusion of all participant internships, the academy will move to its final competitive phase: a high-stakes cook-off competition scheduled to run from August 25 to 28. The entire 2026 programme will wrap with a formal closing ceremony on September 3, where participants will be recognized for their hard work and growth over the course of the initiative.

    At the end of the cook-off, one standout competitor will earn the title of the academy’s Top Junior Chef. Along with this prestigious recognition, the winner will secure a once-in-a-lifetime international opportunity: the chance to represent Antigua and Barbuda at the 2027 Junior Lit’l Chef Camp in Turks and Caicos. This international opportunity is made possible through a cross-regional partnership between the organizing bodies of the Taste of Wadadli programme and the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association.

    The 2026 Taste of Wadadli Junior Chef Academy is a collaborative effort, hosted by three key partners: the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association, the Ted Isaac Family, and Global Ports Holding, which operates Antigua Cruise Port. From its inception, the initiative has centered on a clear core mission: to identify and nurture homegrown young culinary talent, and to encourage more young people in the country to pursue sustainable, rewarding careers in the thriving local hospitality and tourism sector.

  • Alcide repping Athletes Commission at Glasgow 2026

    Alcide repping Athletes Commission at Glasgow 2026

    As the 2026 Commonwealth Games get underway in Glasgow, a familiar face has returned to the multi-sport spectacular — but this time, Makeba Alcide is not stepping onto the field of play to compete. The decorated former athlete from Saint Lucia is serving the games in an entirely new capacity: as a voting member of the Commonwealth Sports Athlete Advisory Commission (AAC), and one of the official flagbearers for the body during Thursday’s opening ceremony held at the OVO Hydro.

    Alcide’s connection to elite Commonwealth sport runs deep. Crowned Saint Lucia’s 2013 Sportswoman of the Year, she is a three-sport athlete who has represented her home nation at the highest levels in athletics, netball, and rugby. A graduate of the University of Arkansas, she rose to global prominence as a world-class combined events competitor, and still holds multiple national records in track and field from her competitive career. She previously competed in the heptathlon at the 2014 Commonwealth Games — an event that was also hosted in Glasgow, bringing her career full circle 12 years later.

    Since retiring from elite competition, Alcide has pivoted seamlessly into sports leadership and advocacy. After building experience as a coach, she was elected as the Caribbean regional delegate to the AAC in 2024. She currently holds the position of vice-president at the Saint Lucia Athletics Association (SLAA), and previously served as chairperson of the Saint Lucia Athletes’ Commission. In 2022, she further honed her leadership skills by completing the World Athletics Pilot Mentorship Course, graduating with top honors and earning certification as an official World Athletics mentor.

    In her role on the AAC, Alcide’s core mission is to elevate the voices and protect the interests of athletes across the Caribbean region. She contributes to key discussions and policy shaping across a range of critical issues for the Commonwealth Sport Movement, including athlete welfare, safe sport frameworks, greater inclusion in sport, maintaining competitive integrity, and expanding athlete representation in governance.

    A statement released by the SLAA praised Alcide’s new appointment, noting that her selection as an AAC flagbearer is a well-deserved recognition of her exceptional leadership, longstanding dedication to athlete advocacy, and unwavering commitment to growing and improving sport across the entire Commonwealth.

    For the 2026 Glasgow Games, the official Saint Lucia delegation is made up of a small three-member team of competing athletes. Khailan Vitalis is set to contest the men’s 110m hurdles on the first Monday of competition, while Michael Joseph and Marvric Pamphile will compete in the men’s 400m heats the following day. Helena Renee, the team’s leader, served as flagbearer for the official Saint Lucia delegation as the only team representative present for Thursday’s opening ceremony.

  • President to announce “independent” commission of inquiry into MV Barima ferry tragedy

    President to announce “independent” commission of inquiry into MV Barima ferry tragedy

    One week after the catastrophic sinking of the MV Barima ferry that killed an estimated 100 people, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali has announced plans to unveil a five-member independent commission of inquiry this Sunday.

    The announcement, delivered in a national address Saturday by President Ali, does not address key demands that have been raised by opposition and civil society groups in the wake of the tragedy. Notably, the President made no mention of including parliamentary opposition representatives in the appointment process, rejecting a prior recommendation from the Guyana Human Rights Association that would have seen both the President and Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed each appoint three members to form a six-member panel. Ali also declined to respond to repeated calls from the opposition and civil society organizations for the resignation of two senior cabinet members: Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill and Deodat Indar, the minister in charge of Guyana’s Maritime Administration.

    Despite the lack of action on those demands, President Ali emphasized that the incoming inquiry panel will be made up of highly respected specialists with deep domain expertise across critical areas relevant to the disaster. These include legal practice, marine engineering, maritime safety protocol, and large-scale disaster investigation. He confirmed that members have undergone rigorous vetting, selected specifically for their demonstrated independence, proven technical capabilities, and established track records in their fields.

    Under the terms laid out by the President, the commission will have full autonomy to set its own procedural rules and working schedule. Its core mandate is to conduct a comprehensive, unbiased investigation into every aspect of the July 2026 tragedy. This includes probing the full sequence of events that led to the vessel capsizing and sinking, evaluating the effectiveness of emergency response efforts after the incident, and examining all connected contributing factors.

    The inquiry will be required to pinpoint any systemic or individual shortcomings that contributed to the disaster, outline clear accountability measures where failures are confirmed, and propose targeted regulatory and operational reforms to boost the overall safety and reliability of Guyana’s entire maritime transportation network.

    President Ali outlined the wide scope of the commission’s review, which will cover all potential causes of the sinking: vessel loading practices, passenger boarding protocols, on-board conditions pre-departure, the MV Barima’s seaworthiness, its full maintenance history, compliance with national maritime laws and international safety standards, the conduct and qualifications of the vessel’s master and crew, passenger management protocols, the adequacy of life-saving equipment and arrangements, and the potential impact of weather and sea conditions on the voyage.

    In addition to investigating the sinking itself, the commission will also conduct a full review of all search, rescue, and recovery operations launched after the incident. It will assess whether the response from all involved government agencies and stakeholder groups was adequate, well-coordinated, and effective. Most critically, the panel will have the authority to formally determine if negligence, professional misconduct, dereliction of duty, or broader institutional failures caused or contributed to the disaster, and to recommend any legislative, regulatory, institutional, or operational changes needed to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring in the future.