Carib Scope

分类： politics

  • Organizations urge Dominican Government to reject Geneva Consensus amid U.S. pressure

    Organizations urge Dominican Government to reject Geneva Consensus amid U.S. pressure

    In Santo Domingo, a broad coalition of Dominican civil society organizations—encompassing social, feminist, community, labor, human rights, and even religious groups—is calling on the national government to uphold its long-held 2019 stance and refuse to join the Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD), as pressure from the former U.S. Donald Trump administration persists to push the country into signing the anti-abortion pact.

    Launched in October 2020 by the United States and a bloc of supporting nations, the GCD is a politically driven international declaration structured around three core pillars. First, it explicitly rejects the existence of a universally recognized international right to abortion, holding that no country is bound by international law to fund or expand access to abortion services. Second, it emphasizes national sovereignty, claiming that every nation has the right to shape its own domestic laws, health initiatives and social policies without outside interference. Third, it centers the traditional family unit as the fundamental foundation of society and the primary source of care, welfare and support for community members.

    Despite the GCD being framed as a non-binding political statement rather than a legally enforceable international treaty, the Dominican coalition has laid out a series of grave concerns over the potential far-reaching impacts of the country joining the declaration. In an official public manifesto signed by the Coalition for Women’s Rights and Life and dozens of allied groups across the nation, the organizations argue that the GCD’s core principles directly conflict with the Dominican Constitution, existing national legislation, and the country’s standing commitments to global human rights, gender equality, public health, and the rights of women and children.

    Civil society leaders warn that even without legal force, the GCD’s framing could gradually reshape domestic public policy, regulatory frameworks, government decision-making, national budget allocations, and the terms of international cooperation agreements that the Dominican government enters into. One key point of contention is the declaration’s potential to disrupt the constitutional separation of powers, by pushing to restrict health policy-related decisions exclusively to legislative bodies, overriding the constitutional authority granted to other branches of government. The coalition stresses that each branch of government must retain its constitutionally assigned powers independent of external political pressure.

    The groups also highlight that joining the GCD would erode existing international human rights protections for Dominican women, girls and adolescents, weakening commitments enshrined in landmark global and regional frameworks including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence Against Women (Belém do Pará Convention).

    Beyond reproductive rights, the coalition rejects the GCD’s imposition of a single, narrow definition of family, arguing that all family structures deserve equal state protection rooted in principles of human dignity, gender equality, non-discrimination, and the best interests of children.

    In their formal appeal to the Dominican government, the coalition is demanding four clear actions: that officials decline to sign the declaration, that they uphold the national Constitution and the separation of powers, that they preserve the country’s existing international human rights commitments, and that they make public any ongoing negotiations, preliminary agreements or conditions linked to a potential GCD accession.

  • OECS Director General Expresses Concern Over Hospitalisation of ST Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew

    OECS Director General Expresses Concern Over Hospitalisation of ST Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew

    The head of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission has publicly shared deep concern following news that Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, Honourable Dr. Terrance M. Drew, has been admitted to hospital for medical care.

    In an official statement released this week, Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS Commission, delivered a message of solidarity on behalf of the entire regional body. “I was deeply concerned to learn of the hospitalisation of the Honourable Dr. Terrance M. Drew, Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis,” Jules wrote in the statement.

    Jules extended warm, heartfelt wishes not only to the prime minister himself, but also to Drew’s family and the entire population of Saint Kitts and Nevis as they navigate this period of uncertainty. He emphasized that the entire OECS community stands in solidarity with the country’s leadership and people at this time.

    “Our thoughts and prayers are with him at this time. We pray for God’s healing hand upon him and for wisdom and strength for the medical team caring for him,” Jules added. The OECS chief closed his statement with a formal wish for the prime minister’s full restoration of health, noting that the regional body looks forward to his return to public service.

    “May Prime Minister Drew enjoy a swift and full recovery and return soon to good health and service,” Jules said.

  • Pawiroredjo waarschuwt voor gevolgen droogte voor rijstsector

    Pawiroredjo waarschuwt voor gevolgen droogte voor rijstsector

    Suriname’s National Party of Suriname (NPS) parliamentary faction leader Jerrel Pawiroredjo has formally called on the national government to implement proactive measures to safeguard the country’s food security ahead of a projected period of extreme drought that poses severe risks to the nation’s critical rice sector.

    Pawiroredjo raised the urgent issue during a public plenary session of the National Assembly of Suriname (DNA) on Monday, noting that reputable international climate research institutions have forecast extreme dry conditions for this region of South America in the coming months. This is not the first time the NPS leader has sounded the alarm over drought impacts: he previously highlighted risks to the country’s energy supply, and has now turned his attention to the agriculture sector, with a specific focus on rice – Suriname’s most essential staple food crop.

    According to Pawiroredjo’s data, rice cultivation in Suriname has shrunk dramatically in recent years. At the peak of national rice production, more than 50,000 hectares of land were planted with rice. Today, that cultivated area totals less than 10,000 hectares, he confirmed. Beyond the shrinking land area, local rice farmers have also struggled for years with the gradual degeneration of existing rice varieties, a problem compounded by the failure of Suriname’s premier rice research institution to develop improved, high-yield strains. The Anne van Dijk Rice Research Center in Nickerie (ADRON) no longer retains sufficient specialized expertise to deliver improved seed development, he argued.

    These combined trends leave the country vulnerable to significant rice shortages if drought conditions persist, Pawiroredjo warned. While export shortfalls are a likely outcome of the current trajectory, he stressed that the nation must never reach a point where it is forced to import its core staple food. To that end, he is demanding answers from the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (LVV) outlining what pre-emptive preparations the government has already put in place. Key areas he highlighted include accelerated rice variety improvement, emergency seed import plans, accessible financing frameworks for smallholder farmers, adjustments to bank lending rates for agricultural operations, guaranteed access to production inputs, and investment in updated agricultural machinery.

    For Pawiroredjo, however, the single most critical priority is securing reliable water access for agricultural irrigation. If the forecast extreme drought materializes, authorities must map out water sources and identify the necessary pumping infrastructure well in advance of water shortages. “We know this drought is coming. Let’s start planning now for where our irrigation water will come from,” he told the government during the parliamentary session.

    He also added that fuel supplies for irrigation pumping stations must be arranged well ahead of the dry period, to avoid a situation where pumps are forced offline mid-drought due to diesel shortages. Pawiroredjo urged the government against waiting for crises to emerge before acting, drawing a parallel to previous failures in energy sector management that led to widespread blackouts at the state power utility EBS. He reiterated that the public is waiting for the government and the LVV ministry to present a clear, actionable plan to support the agriculture sector – and the rice industry in particular – through what could be a prolonged period of severe drought.

  • Cuban courts penalize theft of electrical components

    Cuban courts penalize theft of electrical components

    Cuban law enforcement and judicial institutions have opened more than 460 criminal probes between 2025 and the first half of 2026 focused on coordinated and individual attacks against the country’s critical electrical infrastructure, according to official statements shared on social platform X.

    State-run newspaper Granma, the official publication of the Cuban Communist Party, has detailed that the most widespread offense documented in these investigations is the theft of dielectric oil from high-voltage power transformers. This illegal act is formally categorized as sabotage against critical national infrastructure, due to its far-reaching harm to the national economy, domestic security, and public daily order.

    To date, more than 300 formal complaints for this specific crime have been registered across every Cuban province. Officials note that the highest rates of incidence have been recorded in five regions: Matanzas, Ciego de Avila, Mayabeque, Santiago de Cuba, and Artemisa.

    The stolen dielectric oil is typically diverted to the country’s unregulated informal market, where it is often resold and repurposed as cheap alternative fuel for consumer and commercial use, a practice that creates additional safety hazards for communities beyond the damage to the power grid.

    Under the current Cuban Penal Code, sabotage against critical infrastructure carries steep legal penalties, with sentences ranging from seven to 30 years of imprisonment, up to life incarceration, or in the most severe cases, the death penalty. Cuba’s Attorney General’s Office has confirmed that it has authorized pre-trial detention for 87 percent of all individuals accused in these infrastructure attack cases, and has formally requested strict, maximum-allowed sentences for the defendants as part of the judicial process.

    In the official social media statement, government representatives stressed that all judicial rulings issued in these cases have followed full due process protocols, and reflect the gravity with which Cuban authorities treat these criminal acts that threaten public welfare and national stability.

  • Cuban Ambassador highlights positive relations with the Holy See

    Cuban Ambassador highlights positive relations with the Holy See

    In a formal diplomatic meeting held at Vatican City, the newly appointed Cuban representative to the Holy See, Ambassador Rodriguez, has publicly voiced his appreciation for the warm hospitality extended to him by Vatican authorities, while outlining his core priorities for advancing bilateral ties during his diplomatic tenure.

    Rodriguez made clear that the Cuban government holds deep respect for the public statements and ongoing initiatives led by Pope Leo XIV, particularly the pontiff’s steadfast advocacy for peace, inclusive dialogue, and negotiated solutions to the international conflicts that have left widespread death and devastation across multiple nations.

    Beyond addressing global security issues, the ambassador underscored the Cuban administration’s unwavering focus on advancing domestic peace, social stability, and inclusive economic growth – goals made far more challenging by the steady escalation of unilateral economic sanctions imposed by the United States. He also reiterated that the U.S. maintains persistent threats of direct military aggression against the Caribbean island nation, creating additional uncertainty and strain for the Cuban people.

    Following discussions with the President of the Governorate of the Holy See, Rodriguez confirmed that the Vatican official provided a comprehensive overview of the support services, cultural institutions including Vatican museums, infrastructure projects, and programming available to the global diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See. The ambassador noted that this information was received with keen interest by the Cuban delegation.

  • Canada : Working meeting on the Haitian diaspora vote

    Canada : Working meeting on the Haitian diaspora vote

    A high-level delegation from Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) has traveled to Canada for a series of official working meetings focused on advancing plans to grant voting rights to Haitian citizens residing abroad, marking a key step in the country’s democratic preparations. The delegation, which includes CEP Secretary General Peterson Pierre-Louis, Treasurer Nemrod Sanon, Advisor Schnaïda Adély, and Françoise Suzan, chargé d’affaires of Haiti’s Ottawa embassy, convened first with officials from Global Affairs Canada to address critical components of Haiti’s ongoing electoral process.

    These discussions form part of a broader series of consultations that the CEP has launched with nations that host large concentrations of the Haitian diaspora. The overarching goal of these consultations is to assess and establish the preconditions required to launch a pilot diaspora voting program, a reform that would expand political participation to millions of Haitians living outside the country’s borders.

    During the session with Global Affairs Canada, participants centered their talks on three core priority areas. First, they reviewed plans for sustaining existing electoral cooperation between the two countries. Second, they mapped out the institutional, technical, and logistical frameworks that would be required to successfully administer polling stations for Haitian voters based in Canada. Finally, they explored collaborative mechanisms to streamline voter registration and participation for the diaspora community.

    Following the meeting with Global Affairs Canada, the CEP delegation held a separate working session with representatives from Elections Canada, Canada’s independent national electoral body. During this exchange, the Haitian delegation outlined the core guiding principles the CEP has already put in place for upcoming national electoral preparations. It also drew on Canada’s decades of experience administering inclusive national elections, collecting detailed insights on three critical areas: ensuring voting accessibility for all eligible citizens, establishing robust voter verification protocols, and designing systems that protect the integrity and transparency of electoral outcomes.

    Throughout the visit, the CEP reaffirmed its formal commitment to upholding the highest democratic standards throughout the entire electoral process. The body emphasized that it would advance preparations in an inclusive, impartial, transparent, and accountable manner, strictly adhering to the core principles of electoral independence and integrity. It also reaffirmed its dedication to protecting the fundamental right of all Haitian citizens, regardless of their place of residence, to participate in the country’s democratic governance.

  • Cleric urges Dems unite, lead with humility

    Cleric urges Dems unite, lead with humility

    One day after Dr David Estwick was formally unveiled as the new president of Barbados’ Democratic Labour Party (DLP), a senior Anglican cleric delivered a stirring call to action for the struggling opposition party at a special anniversary church service held at the DLP’s George Street headquarters on Sunday.

    Reverend Canon Dr Monrelle Williams, priest-in-charge of St Barnabas Church, used his sermon before assembled DLP officials and supporters to urge the party to confront its deep-seated internal divides, embrace a culture of humble servant leadership, and leverage its time out of parliamentary power to rebuild the public trust it has lost over three straight cycles of poor electoral performance.

    Opening his address, Williams pressed party members to conduct an unflinching, honest self-assessment that examines both external barriers the DLP has faced and the damaging internal choices that have contributed to its current marginalization. He challenged members to answer three critical questions: Have they listened closely enough to the Barbadian public? Have they organized their operations effectively and ethically? Have they delivered consistent service to the communities they claim to represent?

    He urged the party to welcome new perspectives, heal long-simmering internal wounds, and prioritize collective unity over individual ego. A core pillar of his message centered on redefining what political humility means for the DLP: Williams emphasized that public office is not a permanent privilege to be claimed by party elites, but a temporary public trust and stewardship granted to politicians by the people. He warned that unchecked personal ambition and oversized egos have repeatedly undermined the party’s ability to advance policies that serve the best interests of Barbados.

    “Part of the problem is that sometimes our egos get in the way of our doing what is best for this country that we seek to serve,” Williams said. “A humble party is not a weak party. A humble party is a party that can still challenge injustice. It can still expose failure. It can still speak truth to power, but it does so with clean hands and a steady heart.”

    Williams went on to stress that healing internal fractures and setting aside personal vendettas is not just a party priority — it is a national imperative, as failure to unify will ultimately leave Barbadians worse off. “We need to heal the divisions that exist in our midst. We need to put aside our own personal vendettas and try and bring healing in the midst of this burden, because you see, if we do not do that, then this country will suffer,” he said.

    He noted that genuine organizational unity does not emerge spontaneously; it requires intentional effort, collective sacrifice, patience, forgiveness, and consistent discipline. More often than not, Williams argued, political parties fracture not because their core mission is unclear, but because individual pride drowns out the collective purpose the organization was founded to advance.

    Rejecting the common approach of purging party members who hold dissenting views, Williams argued that unity does not demand uniform thought. “Unity means that every voice will join in singing the same song, but all the voices might be different,” he explained. “It is not about telling people that if you disagree with me, you have to leave my party. It is about recognising that diversity is important and that we all can’t be the same. We might be singing from the same sheet, but we might be singing different parts. But the harmony is important.”

    On the topic of leadership, Williams pushed back against the model of top-down, one-person dominance, arguing that effective party leadership should focus on mentoring, training, and equipping all members to serve their communities. He encouraged the DLP to invest in grassroots candidate development to build a roster of leaders of strong character, craft well-researched, substantive policy platforms, and prioritize listening to community needs before making policy pledges from the campaign trail.

    He also challenged the narrative that the DLP, which currently holds no seats in Barbados’ Lower House, is powerless in its current opposition role. “A party with no seats in the Lower House may be tempted to believe that has no real influence. That temptation will always be there, but hear this clearly: influence is larger than office, and purpose is larger than position,” Williams said. He reminded the party that even out of parliament, it retains the power to shape public conscience, raise ethical standards, defend vulnerable communities, educate citizens, and model the political integrity Barbadians deserve.

    “Before a party can lead from parliament, it must show that it can lead from the community; before it can sit in seats of power, it must stand faithfully in the places of need,” he added.

    Williams called on the DLP to fully embrace the model of servant leadership, which puts the needs of the Barbadian people ahead of the personal ambitions of party leaders. He framed the party’s current moment as an opportunity to reframe its core priorities, posing a series of guiding questions for members: “This party must ask not only how do we win, but how do we serve. Not only how do we return to parliament, but how do we return to the people? Not only how do we gain power, but how do we become trustworthy stewards of that power when it is given to us?”

    He also appealed for radical honesty in the party’s political communication, warning against making unrealistic, undeliverable campaign promises or exploiting public suffering for partisan political gain. “We must not promise what we cannot deliver, we must not stir anger without offering serious solutions. We must not use the pain of the people as a political instrument,” Williams said.

    He urged the party to treat its time out of government as a valuable preparation period for future opportunities to lead, encouraging members to reframe their current struggles as growth opportunities. “Do not despise smallness. Do not mistake absence from Parliament for absence from purpose; do not confuse electoral defeat with divine rejection,” he said. “Turn your disappointment into discipline and your losses into learning.”

    Williams also cautioned the party against rushing to announce half-baked policy initiatives, a tendency he said is common across Barbados’ political spectrum, noting that poorly thought-out plans only erode public confidence. “You need to know what your purpose is. You need to know that when you say we are going to do X, you have thought it through and you have looked at all the consequences and the possible ramifications, because you do not want to look as though you don’t know what you’re doing,” he said.

    Repeating his call for radical truthfulness, Williams stressed that the DLP’s promises must always match its ability to deliver: “If you can do it, say you can do it. But don’t say you can do it and then don’t do it.”

    Closing his address, Williams reminded the DLP that its responsibility to the Barbadian people does not end when it is out of government. He closed with a final reminder of the critical role a robust opposition plays in a healthy democracy: “For if there is no opposition, the government will always do as it likes.”

  • Kem Tonge Declines New Government Board Appointment After PM’s Criticism

    Kem Tonge Declines New Government Board Appointment After PM’s Criticism

    In a sudden political development that has drawn local attention, former chairman of Antigua and Barbuda’s Social Security Board Kem Tonge has turned down a top government appointment, just two days after Prime Minister Gaston Browne delivered a scathing public rebuke of his leadership.

    The controversy first erupted on Saturday, when Browne made his criticism of Tonge public during a public appearance. The prime minister confirmed he had personally ordered Tonge’s immediate removal from the Social Security Board, citing what he called unacceptable inaction during a heated public meeting focused on a proposed Social Security investment in the Jolly Beach development project.
    Browne claimed that during the tense debate over the investment proposal, Tonge remained completely silent, offering no defense of the project even as the board’s top leader. “He didn’t utter a single word,” Browne told reporters, before confirming he had issued a direct order: “Take him off the board.”
    Beyond the failure to speak up in the public meeting, Browne levied a second accusation against Tonge and other sitting Social Security Board members: he claimed the group skipped an officially organized government site visit to the Jolly Beach location, a breach of responsibility that preceded the public meeting clash.

    As of this report, Tonge has not offered any public statement clarifying his reasoning for turning down the chairmanship of the Entrepreneurial Development Programme Board. He has also not confirmed whether the harsh public criticism from Browne played any role in his decision to decline the new government role. Political observers note the incident highlights growing tensions between the ruling administration and independent members of key state boards, amid ongoing debates over major public investment projects.

  • Monorath: Dalende cijfers maar verkeer, suïcide en huiselijk geweld blijven zorgen baren

    Monorath: Dalende cijfers maar verkeer, suïcide en huiselijk geweld blijven zorgen baren

    New data from the Suriname Police Corps (KPS) shows a significant long-term decline in most categories of property crime across the past decade, but Minister of Justice and Security Harish Monorath says the country’s overall public safety landscape still falls short of expectations, with rising traffic fatalities, stagnant suicide rates, unaddressed domestic violence and police integrity gaps remaining critical priorities to tackle.

    The latest KPS crime trends report, compiled by the Criminal Intelligence Service and covering the period from 2015 through 30 August 2026, documents steady drops in robbery, break-ins, and aggravated theft compared to peak levels recorded roughly 10 years ago. For street robberies, the highest annual volume was logged in 2017 at 1,220 cases, followed by a consistent downward trend: 632 cases in 2023, 554 in 2024, 436 in 2025, and 244 cases recorded in the first eight months of 2026. A similar pattern holds for commercial robberies, which fell from a 2016 peak of 392 cases to 180 full-year cases in 2025 and 118 cases by the end of August 2026.

    Residential break-ins have also dropped sharply, from 4,205 cases in 2016 to 1,982 in 2025, with 1,269 cases reported by late August this year. Aggravated theft peaked at 4,317 cases in 2017, falling to 2,420 full-year cases in 2025 and 1,377 cases through 30 August 2026.

    Homicide trends have been more volatile over the measurement period. The highest annual homicide count was recorded in 2020, when 53 people were killed by violent means. Annual counts then shifted to 32 in 2021, 43 in 2022, 41 in 2023, 30 in 2024, and 32 in 2025, with 12 homicides registered through the end of August 2026. KPS has explicitly noted that the missing person case of Rodney Leysner is not classified as a homicide at this stage, as no definitive conclusion has been reached in the investigation.

    The most alarming outlier in the overall crime and safety data is road safety, which has moved sharply in the opposite direction of falling property crime. As of 30 August 2026, 72 traffic-related fatalities have already been recorded – 11 more deaths than the entire 2025 full-year total of 61. Two additional fatal crashes occurred on the Monday following the data cutoff, bringing the 2026 death toll to 74.

    Minister Monorath acknowledged that road safety progress has not met his expectations, telling local outlet Starnieuws that ‘road safety is still not developing the way I want it to’. To address the growing crisis, he is pushing for a cross-government whole-chain approach that brings multiple stakeholders beyond the Ministry of Justice and Security to the table. The ministries of Public Works and Spatial Planning, Transport, Communication & Tourism, and the education sector all have key roles to play, a framework aligned with the recently launched Strategic Road Safety Plan 2026-2030 that prioritizes inter-agency collaboration, behavioral change, and consistent enforcement.

    Recent road safety data underscores the urgency of action: the Suriname Road Safety Institute reported that by 23 August, 70 traffic fatalities had already occurred, with moped riders accounting for the largest single share of deaths at 24 fatalities.

    Domestic violence is another priority area where Monorath says more aggressive action is needed. Long-term trend analysis is not currently possible due to incomplete domestic violence data: KPS warns that records from 2017 onward are incomplete, as not all police precincts have consistently submitted incident reports to the central database.

    Monorath has already held discussions with the National Council on Domestic Violence focused on improving complaint registration, building more accurate national statistics, expanding victim support, and resolving bottlenecks in police response. Beyond these public safety challenges, the minister also highlighted police organizational strengthening, increased resourcing, and improving internal integrity as core ongoing priorities. He noted that the police service needs structural strengthening to operate effectively, which requires additional public funding.

    Police integrity has emerged as a high-profile issue in Suriname in recent months, after multiple high-profile scandals involving sitting officers eroded public trust in the force. Monorath has previously acknowledged that these incidents damage public confidence, and has announced a package of reforms focused on enhanced training, mentorship programs, stronger leadership, and expanded integrity monitoring across the service.

  • Kamla calls for ‘savagery’

    Kamla calls for ‘savagery’

    On the occasion of Trinidad and Tobago’s 64th anniversary of national independence, incumbent Prime Minister and United National Congress (UNC) political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar delivered a stark, impassioned address to party members via social media, laying out uncompromising standards for the movement’s future leadership and reflecting on the party’s working-class origins.

    Persad-Bissessar opened her message by emphasizing that UNC’s top leadership must never be held by individuals lacking resolve. She argued that while diplomatic tact and nuanced negotiation are core political skills, these approaches must be reinforced by unyielding toughness when it comes to protecting the party’s identity and regulating its membership. She warned explicitly against the threat of institutional takeover, claiming the rival People’s National Movement (PNM) had already fallen victim to infiltration by local drug trafficking networks and corrupt, self-serving political elites – a fate she said the UNC must avoid at all costs.

    Beyond a political organization, Persad-Bissessar framed the UNC as a foundational belief system rooted in the values of resistance, equal rights, social justice, collective unity, and persistent hope. These ideals, she noted, draw their strength from the experiences of the party’s earliest working-class and marginalized ancestors, who never abandoned their struggle for dignity despite systemic disadvantage.

    Looking beyond political strategy, the Prime Minister urged UNC members to center communal love as the foundation of collective success, urging supporters to avoid resentment and instead open their hearts to lift up communities around them. But she paired this call for empathy with a hardline stance on self-respect, stating that members should never beg or compromise their core values for political favor: “It’s either peace or total war, nothing in between,” she asserted.

    Persad-Bissessar used her address to honor the generations of working Trinbagonians that built the UNC from its earliest days. She recounted the harsh struggles of the party’s founding base: many lived in deep poverty, surviving on simple meals of salt and rice, drawing drinking water from natural ponds and springs, and often skipping meals to put their children through informal classes held in cowsheds and church annexes. Before widespread public services were available, these early supporters walked or cycled miles for any government access, used hand-made flambeaus for light, and lacked access to basic healthcare. Persad-Bissessar claimed that for decades after 1962 independence under PNM rule, these marginalized community members faced widespread ridicule and discrimination across the country.

    Despite these systemic barriers, she noted, generations of UNC-aligned families fought to educate their children, carving out a space for equal citizenship in Trinidad and Tobago. Looking forward, she called on current party members to continue this legacy of progress, urging continuous learning, economic ambition, and upward mobility. She pushed young Trinbagonians to pursue entrepreneurship and asset ownership rather than settling for wage labor or reliance on state social support.

    Closing her address, Persad-Bissessar reaffirmed her gratitude for the opportunity to lead both the party and the nation, pledging to work tirelessly to amplify the voices of UNC supporters and keep the country on a path toward equitable progress, ending with a public declaration of lifelong affection for the UNC membership.