Carib Scope

分类： politics

  • U.S. Report Says Antigua and Barbuda’s Integrity Commission Understaffed, Under-Resourced

    U.S. Report Says Antigua and Barbuda’s Integrity Commission Understaffed, Under-Resourced

    A new assessment from the U.S. Department of State has highlighted persistent governance weaknesses in Antigua and Barbuda, noting that the Caribbean nation’s key anti-corruption oversight body suffers from chronic understaffing and insufficient resourcing, while widespread corruption allegations against sitting government officials rarely result in meaningful investigative outcomes. The findings appear in the State Department’s 2026 Investment Climate Statement, a comprehensive annual report that evaluates the business, regulatory and political governance landscapes of global economies to inform U.S. investors and international stakeholders.

    The report acknowledges that Antigua and Barbuda already has a formal legal framework in place to impose criminal penalties for corrupt acts committed by public officials, and notes that when cases of corruption are successfully proven in court, existing statutes are generally applied consistently. Despite this foundational legal structure, the assessment documents that unproven accusations of corruption against sitting government officials remain a pervasive feature of the country’s political landscape, with the nation’s two dominant political parties regularly trading allegations of improper conduct against one another. The report’s authors confirm that “investigations yield few results” when it comes to probing these claims, leaving most accusations unresolved.

    Central to the report’s critique is Antigua and Barbuda’s Integrity Commission, the independent oversight body established under the country’s Integrity in Public Life Act. Under current regulations, all public office holders are mandated to disclose detailed personal financial information, including their individual income, assets, holdings belonging to their spouses and dependent children, and any personal gifts received during their tenure in office. The commission holds statutory responsibility for accepting and investigating public complaints related to violations of both the Integrity in Public Life Act and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

    While the State Department’s assessment confirms that the commission retains formal institutional independence from political interference, it warns that the body is hamstrung by inadequate staffing and limited operational budgets. The report also echoes broader criticism from local governance watchdogs, who have long argued that existing anti-corruption legislation is poorly enforced and requires substantive updates to strengthen its impact.

    In addition to shortcomings at the Integrity Commission, the report examines the functionality of Antigua and Barbuda’s Freedom of Information Act, which legally guarantees citizens the right to request access to official records held by public authorities and government agencies. The assessment finds that in practice, accessing these requested documents often presents significant practical hurdles for requesters. Unlike cases of deliberate government obstruction of information requests, the report attributes these difficulties primarily to broad-based government funding constraints that limit administrative capacity to process public information requests in a timely and complete manner.

  • Fugitive Keran Wynter Arrested on Return to St. Kitts From Antigua and Barbuda

    Fugitive Keran Wynter Arrested on Return to St. Kitts From Antigua and Barbuda

    In a coordinated law enforcement outcome, Keran Wynter — who also goes by the alias Keran Millard — has been taken into custody immediately after reentering the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis on September 30, 2026. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) made the official announcement of the arrest to the general public on the same day. Wynter was detained under the authority of a long-standing bench warrant issued by the country’s courts, which was connected to ongoing criminal proceedings against her. As of the announcement, she remains in police detention ahead of her scheduled first court appearance. Wynter was formally indicted by the High Court of Saint Christopher and Nevis on a single charge of larceny by a servant. In line with fundamental legal principles, the ODPP emphasized that Wynter retains the presumption of innocence, and this standing will remain in effect until the prosecution proves her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The ODPP used the announcement to formally extend gratitude to all parties that contributed to securing Wynter’s return. Specific thanks was offered to law enforcement and public members across Antigua and Barbuda, as well as within Saint Christopher and Nevis, who provided critical intel and other lawful support to locate Wynter and arrange her return to face charges. The ODPP noted that public cooperation was instrumental in moving the case forward, highlighting the core value of collaboration between ordinary community members, national law enforcement agencies, and prosecutorial bodies. This partnership, the office explained, is what enables jurisdictions to ensure that individuals facing criminal allegations are brought before the courts in full compliance with established legal processes. Additional appreciation was extended to all cross-jurisdictional law enforcement and regulatory bodies that participated in the multi-party operation leading to Wednesday’s arrest.

  • Trump praises U.S. Ambassador Leah Campos for her work in the Dominican Republic

    Trump praises U.S. Ambassador Leah Campos for her work in the Dominican Republic

    In a statement delivered from the White House in Washington, D.C., former U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly lauded the efforts of Leah Campos, the sitting U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, highlighting what he called her exceptional work advancing bilateral relations between the two nations. Trump noted that Campos has exceeded expectations in her role, telling attendees at a recent closed-door gathering that her on-the-ground effectiveness has drawn widespread attention across diplomatic circles. “She is doing an absolutely outstanding job, and everyone is talking about it,” Trump was quoted as saying, stopping short of outlining specific policy outcomes from Campos’ tenure but emphasizing that her work has aligned with his administration’s priorities for strengthening partnerships in the Caribbean region. Diplomatic observers note that public praise from a sitting president for an ambassador serving overseas is relatively uncommon, and the remark is widely seen as a signal of the White House’s satisfaction with current engagement between the United States and the Dominican Republic, a key trading partner and popular tourist destination for U.S. travelers. As of this report, the U.S. State Department has not issued an official comment following Trump’s public statement, and Campos has not released a response from her post in Santo Domingo.

  • Dominican government to release public institution audit results starting October 2

    Dominican government to release public institution audit results starting October 2

    SANTO DOMINGO — In a landmark move to reinforce government accountability and open access to official oversight data, the Comptroller General of the Dominican Republic (CGR) has announced it will begin publishing completed audit results from public sector institutions this Friday, October 2, at 4:00 p.m. local time. The rollout of this transparency initiative comes directly from an official directive issued by President Luis Abinader, marking a key commitment to opening the current administration’s oversight work to the Dominican public.

    The core goal of this policy is to strengthen both institutional transparency and public access to unredacted audit findings generated by the national government’s oversight mechanisms. According to Comptroller General Geraldo Espinosa Pérez, the publication process will proceed progressively, covering all completed audits conducted between August 2020, when the current administration took office, and December 2025, the end of the current presidential term.

    Audit results will be released in staggered batches over the coming months to ensure full coverage of the entire period. The only exceptions will be public institutions whose financial accounts are currently still under active audit by the Chamber of Accounts, which will remain unpublished until their audits are finalized. This phased approach allows the CGR to systematically clear the backlog of completed audits while maintaining the integrity of ongoing oversight work, aligning with the administration’s pledge to root out corruption and increase openness in public spending.

  • Pintard leaves convention timing up to FNM council

    Pintard leaves convention timing up to FNM council

    Internal political maneuvering within the Bahamas’ Free National Movement (FNM) has entered the public spotlight this week, as party leader Michael Pintard has declined to publicly back or reject a push from the party’s own chairman to move up the group’s upcoming national convention.

    Last month, FNM Chairman Dr. Duane Sands broke ranks to argue that the party’s scheduled 2027 convention is too far out on the timeline to effectively unify the party and prepare for upcoming electoral contests. Sands called for the gathering to be held within just a few months, kicking off open debate within the opposition party about its internal leadership timeline.

    When pressed repeatedly by reporters on Thursday to clarify his own stance on the proposal, Pintard repeatedly sidestepped questions about his personal preference, emphasizing that the FNM’s governing council holds the exclusive authority to set the convention date.

    “My personal opinion is whatever it is, that’s not what the issue is,” Pintard told reporters. “The issue is the council of the Free National Movement decides on the date of the convention, and they have my full support, whether they call it the first quarter or any other quarter. I’m in support regardless of the outcome.”

    Pintard pushed back against suggestions that he and Sands are at odds over the future direction of the party, noting that the pair maintain consistent communication and are broadly aligned on the core work of rebuilding the FNM following its recent general election performance. When pressed again to confirm whether that broad alignment included support for an earlier convention, Pintard once again deferred to the party’s governing body. He added that he has no personal objections to holding the convention as early as the first quarter of the coming year, and stressed that Sands also has pledged to abide by whatever decision the council reaches.

    Beyond the convention timeline debate, Pintard also addressed swirling political speculation surrounding deputy leader Shanendon Cartwright, who has been the subject of rumors that he could mount a challenge for the FNM’s top leadership position at the upcoming convention. Pintard told reporters that Cartwright has not given any indication he intends to run for leader, but added that the deputy leader would be fully within his rights to do so if he chooses.

    Pintard praised Cartwright as a gifted young Bahamian politician with a long future ahead in the country’s political landscape, saying he holds no concerns about Cartwright’s ambitions. The FNM leader’s comments come months after his decision to omit Cartwright from the FNM’s Senate delegation following the May general election, a move that sparked surprise and behind-the-scenes gossip within Bahamian political circles.

    Looking ahead, Pintard said he expects the party’s upcoming post-election conclave to serve as a productive, unifying discussion for all members of the FNM political family, as the group works to consolidate its position as the Bahamas’ official opposition.

  • HRB proposes NIB benefit change for long-serving workers retiring early

    HRB proposes NIB benefit change for long-serving workers retiring early

    A prominent Bahamian human rights advocacy group is pushing for sweeping changes to the country’s National Insurance (NIB) retirement system, arguing that long-term contributors who have paid into the scheme for decades deserve the right to retire early without facing permanent penalties to their benefits.

    Human Rights Bahamas (HRB), through its Labour Division, has put forward a targeted reform proposal that centers contribution history as a core factor in determining early retirement benefits, a shift from the current framework that only offers full benefits to individuals who reach the official retirement age of 65. Under existing rules, workers who choose to start drawing benefits as early as 60 accept a permanent reduction to their monthly payouts that lasts for the rest of their lives.

    Nedra Adderley, chair of HRB’s labour division, is questioning the fairness of penalizing workers who entered the workforce young and fulfilled decades of contribution obligations just because they have not yet hit the 65-year age threshold. In an official statement, the organization emphasized that the proposal does not request unearned benefits for workers who have not paid into the system. Instead, it calls on the Bahamian government and national policymakers to honor the decades of work, regular contributions and personal sacrifice that early-entry workers have made to the country’s social security system.

    HRB has laid out multiple potential paths for reform. The first framework would enable workers who reach age 60 with at least 35 years of contributions to access an increased early retirement benefit, while workers with 40 years or more of contributions would be eligible for full or nearly full benefits with no or minimal permanent reduction. As an alternative, the group suggests developing a flexible formula that combines a worker’s current age, total years of contributions and full contribution history to calculate a fair early retirement payout.

    To illustrate the gap the reform would close, HRB points to common career trajectories: a worker who enters full-time employment at 16 would already have 44 years of work experience by age 60, while a worker starting at 18 would have 42 years of contributions by that same age. The organization particularly highlights the hardships faced by workers in physically demanding industries, including hospitality, construction, sanitation, healthcare and transportation. Many workers in these sectors who start their careers young already deal with work-related injuries, chronic physical wear and tear, and reduced capacity to perform their job duties by age 60, yet cannot afford to leave the workforce due to the permanent benefit penalty tied to early retirement.

    Currently, NIB already incorporates the number of contributions paid and a worker’s average insured income when calculating retirement benefit amounts. HRB’s proposal would expand this framework to give explicit credit for long contribution histories, eliminating or reducing the financial penalty that currently applies to claims made before age 65.

    In a nod to fiscal responsibility, the group acknowledges that any proposed changes would require rigorous actuarial analysis to assess their potential impact on NIB’s long-term financial stability. The organization notes that while actuarial review is a non-negotiable step to protect the scheme’s sustainability, fiscal responsibility and fairness for long-term contributors should not be framed as opposing goals. Both principles, the group argues, must be embedded in any responsible social security reform moving forward.

    HRB is now calling on the Bahamian government, the minister responsible for NIB and the NIB board to launch a formal review of the proposed contribution-based framework as part of upcoming social security reforms. The group also urged that a wide range of stakeholders, including trade unions, employers, current workers, retirees, actuarial experts and civil society organizations, be included in public discussions about the potential changes to the system. As of press time, Minister of Labour and Public Service Pia Glover Rolle has not responded to requests for comment on the proposal.

  • Local Content-wet moet in 2027 naar parlement

    Local Content-wet moet in 2027 naar parlement

    Suriname’s government is moving forward with a strategic legislative plan to lay a clear legal foundation for its emerging offshore oil and gas industry ahead of the expected start of commercial production in 2028, with a core focus on centering domestic workers and businesses in the new sector. Officials confirmed the draft Local Content Act will be submitted for debate and approval to the National Assembly by 2027, putting in place formal rules to guarantee local participation in the fast-growing oil economy.

    Preparatory work for the legislation is already well advanced: the Local Content Board has completed an initial draft of the bill, which will undergo further refinement following a national validation session bringing together key public and private stakeholders. Parallel to the drafting process, the board is also developing policy recommendations for the establishment of a dedicated Local Content Authority, a new regulatory body tasked with overseeing implementation of the new rules. When finalized, the legislation will be aligned with existing national frameworks including the Investment Law, Public Procurement Law, and Economic Zones Law to ensure regulatory consistency.

    In her annual address to the legislature, President Jennifer Simons outlined the two core principles guiding the government’s local content policy, emphasizing that the approach represents a deliberate break from the country’s past resource extraction experiences. “Unlike the bauxite era, we do not want oil and gas to only bring short-term capital to our country. We want it to leave behind lasting knowledge, technological capacity, and structural strength for our people,” Simons stated.

    The first core priority is securing employment and professional opportunities for Surinamese workers and experts at international energy firms operating in the country. Simons stressed that domestic professionals cannot be bypassed in favor of bringing in foreign expertise for roles that local talent is equipped to fill. The second priority is guaranteeing participation for Surinamese businesses in contracts and operations led by international investors, with mandatory requirements for knowledge and technology transfer to local partners.

    Rather than framing local content as a narrow policy focused only on reserving a share of jobs and contracts for domestic actors, the Surinamese government aims to reframe the policy as a pathway to long-term national development, transforming local participation into sustainable local knowledge, technological capability, and industrial skill. The overarching goal is to build enduring national expertise that will benefit Suriname long after the current wave of oil exploration and production begins, strengthening local craftsmanship and securing more inclusive, long-term prosperity for the country.

  • Life in Prison for Adults Who Commit Incest With Children Under New Law

    Life in Prison for Adults Who Commit Incest With Children Under New Law

    In a landmark move to strengthen protections for minors and vulnerable people, Antigua and Barbuda’s House of Representatives has approved a landmark overhaul of the country’s sexual offences legislation, introducing harsher penalties that include life imprisonment for adults convicted of incest against underage victims. Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin outlined the ambitious changes in the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill 2026 during a parliamentary sitting, framing the reform as a critical step in the government’s broader push to crack down on sexual violence, particularly offences targeting children. Under the newly approved provisions, any adult found guilty of incestuous abuse involving a person under 18 years old will be eligible for a maximum sentence of life behind bars. For incest offences committed between two consenting adults, the legislation raises the maximum penalty to 25 years of imprisonment, a significant increase from previous sentencing guidelines. Beyond incest, the bill also targets abuses of trust by adults in caregiving roles, addressing sexual relationships between adults and minors under their guardianship. The legislation explicitly covers a wide range of caregiving relationships, including biological parental roles, as well as those involving adopted children, stepchildren, foster children, godchildren, legal wards, and any other minor dependent on the adult. Many of these offences will also carry the possibility of life imprisonment under the new framework, matching the severe penalties applied to other child sexual abuse crimes. Sir Steadroy emphasized that the revised laws are designed to send a clear message that sexual exploitation of children and vulnerable people will not be tolerated in Antigua and Barbuda, aligning the country’s legal framework with international standards for child protection. The bill completed its passage through the lower chamber of parliament without any proposed amendments, moving forward as a unified bipartisan effort to address gaps in existing sexual offence legislation. Legal analysts note that the reform reflects growing regional momentum across the Caribbean to strengthen penalties for gender-based and child sexual violence, responding to sustained advocacy from child protection organizations that have called for stricter legal consequences for offenders. The changes mark one of the most significant updates to Antigua and Barbuda’s sexual offences legal regime in recent decades, prioritizing the safety and rights of minors and dependent people who are most at risk of abuse by trusted adults in their lives.

  • Dwayne Bailey to return from Prisons service to lead police operations

    Dwayne Bailey to return from Prisons service to lead police operations

    In a major reshuffle of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ security leadership amid a surge in violent crime, seasoned law enforcement veteran Dwayne Bailey will end his temporary tenure as acting head of the country’s Prisons Service and return to the national police force to lead core operational activities, National Security Minister St. Clair Leacock announced publicly on Monday during a radio interview.

    The reshuffle comes just two days after a deadly mass shooting in Green Hill, a Central Kingstown village that Leacock represents in Parliament, that left four people dead and four others wounded — an incident that has amplified public pressure on the government to crack down on violent crime across the island nation.

    Bailey, who boasts 28 years of frontline experience in the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, emerged as one of the country’s most prominent crime-fighting leaders before his 2022 transfer to lead the national Prisons Service. He made history earlier this year in May, when he and his older brother, Trevor “Buju” Bailey, both received appointments to serve as acting deputy commissioners of police — a first for the SVG law enforcement community. Currently, Trevor Bailey is serving as acting head of the entire police force while incumbent commissioner Enville Williams takes several months of approved leave.

    Under the new leadership adjustment, Dwayne Bailey will take up a deputy commissioner post focused explicitly on overseeing all operational activity for the police force. Leacock confirmed the move during an interview on the *New Times* radio programme, explaining that the decision is explicitly designed to bolster the police service’s capacity to respond to the recent wave of violent crime that has shaken the country.

    “We’re going to bring back Dwayne from the Prisons in a deputy commissionership to head the operations aspect of the police force,” Leacock stated, noting that Bailey will be tasked with leading proactive operational deployments to target criminal activity wherever it emerges. The minister framed the change as a core component of a broader government push to upgrade the police force’s overall operational effectiveness amid rising violence.

    To support Bailey’s new operational command, the government is backing the team with specialized personnel drawn from elite units including the Major Crime Unit, Rapid Response Unit and Special Services Unit. Leacock also announced that traffic enforcement specialists have been consolidated into a single integrated unit to enable faster response to emerging hotspots of unrest or criminal activity.

    The government is also working to expand the police force’s capabilities to pursue suspects across challenging, hard-to-access terrain, Leacock added. He noted that some officers have advanced training in tactical infantry-style operations, and pointed out that the Special Services Unit has been structured to operate with a more military-oriented skill set — a capability that Leacock says is urgently needed to address current security threats.

    Bailey’s return to the police force is just one part of a wider suite of reforms and changes to SVG’s policing sector that Leacock outlined. Other changes include the addition of more than 120 new recruits, expanded specialized training programs for serving officers, and a new round of promotions to fill leadership gaps. Before his 2022 transfer to the Prisons Service, Bailey himself led one of the tactical squads within the Rapid Response Unit, giving him deep firsthand experience in the operational work he will now oversee.

    The overarching goal of all these adjustments, Leacock emphasized, is to build a more professional police force with stronger, more experienced leadership and a much faster, more effective response capability to protect public safety across the country.

  • Politics : National Program for Economic, Social, and Territorial Stabilization and Recovery

    Politics : National Program for Economic, Social, and Territorial Stabilization and Recovery

    As Haiti works to pull itself out of a prolonged period of systemic crisis, the nation’s Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation (MPCE) convened a cross-sector stakeholder workshop on September 28, 2026, to review and finalize the strategic framework for its ambitious 2026–2030 National Program for Stabilization and Economic, Social, and Territorial Recovery (PNSREST). The multi-billion peso initiative, which carries a total projected budget of $250 million U.S. dollars, marks a deliberate shift from short-term emergency response to a long-term, coordinated strategy for national recovery.

    The core mission of PNSREST is to rebuild the capacity and on-the-ground presence of Haitian public institutions in regions hardest hit by ongoing instability, restore universal access to critical basic services, and generate sustainable economic opportunity for vulnerable populations—including areas grappling with large-scale internal displacement. Women and young people, two groups disproportionately impacted by Haiti’s crisis, are identified as key priority beneficiaries, with program leaders prioritizing early, tangible improvements to community well-being to rebuild public trust.

    Monday’s workshop brought together a diverse coalition of national government leaders, United Nations agency representatives, and senior officials from leading international financial institutions to collect cross-stakeholder feedback ahead of the program’s final formal adoption. Structured around eight mutually reinforcing strategic pillars, PNSREST covers every critical dimension of national recovery: governance, security and territorial administration; economic revival and livelihood support; expanded access to basic social services; reconstruction of essential infrastructure; environmental stewardship and disaster risk management; community safety and sustainable return for displaced populations; gender equity, social protection and inclusion; and cross-cutting program governance, data analysis and inter-agency coordination. Across all pillars, the framework centers inclusive economic growth, creation of formal decent work, and targeted interventions to reduce structural vulnerability at the community level.

    Opening the workshop, which she chaired, Planning Minister Sandra Paulemon outlined the government’s vision for the transformative initiative. “The Government’s ambition is clear: to shift from an ad-hoc response approach to a structured, coordinated, and sustainable strategy that lays the groundwork for the country’s recovery starting today,” Paulemon said. “The Program aims to create conditions in host areas—particularly outside the metropolitan region—that will enable those who wish to do so to remain there long-term: services, jobs, and security. And we will do this in partnership with local authorities, who are on the front lines. The PNSREST represents our collective commitment to restoring hope where it has vanished, re-establishing the State’s presence where it faded, and offering every Haitian—wherever they live—the prospect of a dignified and secure life.”

    Funding transparency and financial sustainability emerged as a key focus of discussions during the workshop. Social Affairs Minister Marc-Elie Nelson, one of the participating cabinet leaders, highlighted that while the Haitian national government has committed to contribute approximately 10% of the total $250 million budget, further clarification is needed to formalize the breakdown of the state contribution, map all confirmed and prospective funding sources in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and other relevant agencies, and distinguish between projected costs, allocations already earmarked in the national Public Investment Program, already secured funding, and resources still to be mobilized. Nelson emphasized that this level of transparency is critical to maintaining the program’s financial coherence and eliminating the risk of double-counting pledged resources.

    United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Nicole Boni Kouassi reaffirmed the global body’s commitment to supporting Haiti’s recovery, noting that the program provides a unified framework to align international action with national priorities. “For the United Nations, this program calls for a collective commitment: strengthening the alignment of our interventions with national priorities, better coordinating our agencies’ contributions, and jointly reporting on the results achieved,” Kouassi explained. “In my capacity as Resident Coordinator, I call for increased resource mobilization, in close collaboration with the Government and all partners.”

    Senior representatives from the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, two of Haiti’s largest multilateral development partners, also participated in the workshop, alongside cabinet ministers covering the economy, commerce, women’s affairs and agriculture, and leaders from multiple UN technical agencies.

    With strategic directions now set to receive formal validation from sectoral ministers, the next phase of work will focus on technical refinement of program activities under each of the eight pillars, followed by the development of concrete, community-focused projects designed to deliver visible, early impact for Haitian households. Coordinated efforts across the MPCE, UN system, international financial institutions, and all technical and funding partners are expected to drive forward the program’s mission of supporting long-term stabilization and sustainable recovery for Haiti’s crisis-affected communities.