Carib Scope

分类： politics

  • Keiko Fujimori Sworn In as Peru’s First Elected Female President

    Keiko Fujimori Sworn In as Peru’s First Elected Female President

    On August 3, 2026, Keiko Fujimori made history when she took the oath of office as Peru’s first woman elected to the presidency, closing a chapter of repeated political attempts and opening a new term defined by urgent national challenges. The 51-year-old conservative leader secured the executive office on her fourth electoral bid, eking out a narrow victory over left-wing challenger Roberto Sánchez in June’s general election.

    Fujimori’s inauguration comes at a moment of deep instability for Peruvian politics: she becomes the country’s 10th president in just 10 years, a period marked by persistent upheaval that has left no chief executive to complete a full five-year constitutional term. In her inaugural address delivered in the capital city of Lima, Fujimori did not shy away from the gravity of the challenges facing the Andean nation, describing Peru’s current state as “catastrophic” while emphasizing that untapped economic and social potential remains across the country.

    The most pressing priority outlined by the new president is addressing Peru’s worst security crisis in decades, which has been fueled by the rapid expansion of transnational criminal gangs involved in contract killings and extortion rings that have terrorized local communities. To counter this rising violence, Fujimori has announced a radical emergency measure: deploying the Peruvian military to take temporary command of security operations in regions placed under a formal state of emergency. She clarified that armed forces will remain in lead roles until domestic order is fully reestablished, framing the move as a necessary crackdown on runaway criminal activity.

    Beyond security, Fujimori laid out two additional key pledges for her incoming administration: a planned increase to the national minimum wage to support low-income households, and strengthened public protections and preparedness measures to mitigate the destructive impacts of the El Niño climate pattern, which regularly brings extreme flooding and drought to parts of Peru.

    Notably, Fujimori’s inauguration was not without public opposition. Thousands of demonstrators gathered in central Lima to protest her assumption of office, demanding accountability for past cases of state violence—including atrocities committed during the 1990s administration of her late father, Alberto Fujimori. The former president, who remains a deeply divisive figure in Peruvian politics, was eventually convicted of corruption and widespread human rights abuses carried out during his government’s crackdown on left-wing insurgent groups. Protesters argue that Keiko Fujimori’s political lineage and ties to her father’s authoritarian rule undermine the legitimacy of her presidency.

  • Belize’s Whistleblower Bill Has Sat Unfinished for Five Years

    Belize’s Whistleblower Bill Has Sat Unfinished for Five Years

    For people in Belize who dare to speak out against systemic corruption, the personal costs can be catastrophic: lost employment, threats to personal safety, and even displacement from their homes. Half a decade after the Belizean government first completed a draft of a national whistleblower protection bill, the legislation remains stuck in legislative limbo, and a new independent review has concluded that even the current working draft falls far short of the safeguards needed to properly protect the people the law is meant to shield.

    In remarks delivered at a public accountability event earlier this July, Prime Minister John Briceño struck a firm tone on addressing government wrongdoing. “When we see these mistakes, we don’t hide it. We don’t put it under the rug. We fix it,” Briceño told attendees. “Because you put us to work for you. You are our bosses.” Yet despite this public commitment to transparency, no binding whistleblower protection law has been enacted, leaving Belizeans who report misconduct with no legal recourse if they face retaliation for coming forward.

    Dean Flowers, president of Belize’s Public Service Union, explained that demands for formal whistleblower protections stretch back far longer than the 2021 draft bill. According to Flowers, the first formal calls for this legislation emerged back in 2012 during the Barrow administration, tied to a good governance initiative that the union first included in its 2009 collective bargaining proposals. It would take until 2020 before the Briceño administration made a formal commitment to draft the legislation.

    Belize is not an outlier in this regulatory gap. Across the 56-member Commonwealth, fewer than half of member states have enacted standalone, comprehensive whistleblower protection legislation. Within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), only a small handful of nations — Jamaica being one of the few exceptions — have successfully implemented formal protected disclosures laws.

    The dangers of leaving whistleblowers without legal protection are not abstract, long-time Belizean attorney Richard “Dickie” Bradley warned, pointing to the 2013 Immigration Department corruption scandal that sparked public demands for the resignation of then-Minister of State Edmond Castro. Alvarine Burgess, the whistleblower who exposed the misconduct, was a resident of Independence Village in southern Belize who went public with her allegations on local outlet News Five. According to Bradley, Burgess ultimately was forced to flee the country to avoid retaliation.

    More recently, the Briceño administration has faced ongoing public scrutiny over leaked documents revealing massive oversight gaps in Ministry of Defense payments processed through the Smart Stream digital system, with relevant government ministries still shifting blame for the failures onto one another. A sitting whistleblower could help resolve the many open questions surrounding the scandal, but with no whistleblower protection law in place and the Office of the Ombudsman vacant since late 2025, fear of retaliation has overridden pushes for accountability, according to former Ombudsman Major Gilbert Swaso.

    “Fear is defeating integrity,” Swaso said, noting that the government is the country’s largest employer, a fact that amplifies the culture of silence around misconduct. “Because of the fact that there’s a culture of fear, and fear is defeating integrity, several people are afraid to do the right thing.”

    After the draft bill was completed, both the Public Service Union and the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) conducted independent reviews and flagged critical gaps in the text, most notably inadequate protections against retaliation and weak confidentiality safeguards.

    Reyhan Rosado, BCCI’s chief policy analyst, explained that the current draft only offers minimal protection for whistleblowers and their family members when measured against widely accepted international standards. The text also lacks any formal reward system, an incentive structure that Rosado noted is a standard component of effective whistleblower protection regimes around the world.

    Specific shortcomings of the current draft identified by stakeholders include: no full legal protection for anonymous reports, no framework for financial rewards for disclosures that recover public funds, no guaranteed provisions for physical safety protection, limited authorized reporting channels, no mandate for an independent oversight agency to manage whistleblower claims, and no reverse burden of proof — a key provision that would shift the legal burden to employers to prove they did not retaliate against a reporting whistleblower.

    While Belize already has existing accountability institutions, including the national Integrity Commission, reform supporters argue that standalone oversight bodies are not sufficient on their own. What remains missing, they argue, is a dedicated, specialized system designed explicitly to accept whistleblower reports and protect the people who file them.

    Bradley linked the stalled whistleblower reform to a broader national concern: undue political influence over public service hiring. He argues that Belize’s Constitution assigns hiring authority exclusively to the independent Public Service Commission, not elected politicians, and when political appointments override this independent process, it creates fertile ground for corruption to take root. “If we continue as a young country to allow politicians to give their supporters these important jobs, Belize is on the way to become a failed state,” Bradley warned, adding that unregulated political hiring opens the door for collusion between politicians and public servants to embezzle or waste public resources.

    Reform advocates have put forward a package of proposed amendments to address the gaps in the current draft, calling for major additions including an independent national whistleblower protection agency, formal police protection for at-risk reporters, financial rewards tied to recovered public funds, secure anonymous reporting channels, extended legal protection for whistleblowers’ family members, harsher penalties for retaliation, and faster legal relief for people who experience retaliation after reporting misconduct.

    Attorney General Anthony Sylvestre confirmed that these reform recommendations have been formally submitted to the government and are currently under internal review. “The unions and other stakeholders and social partners have raised that as an issue,” Sylvestre said. “As to that live issue, no final determination has been made, but certainly it is something that has been brought to government’s attention.”

  • Edghill now stumbling block to Public Accounts Committee meetings, as APNU walks out

    Edghill now stumbling block to Public Accounts Committee meetings, as APNU walks out

    A planned meeting of Guyana’s key parliamentary oversight body, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), adjourned abruptly within minutes on Monday, 3 August 2026 after the entire opposition delegation from A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) staged a walkout to protest the participation of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, a senior parliamentary source has confirmed. The protest was led by APNU’s PAC representative Ganesh Mahipaul, who argued that Edghill must step back from all committee duties and resign from his cabinet post entirely, amid widespread public scrutiny over the 19 July sinking of the MV Barima. The deadly maritime disaster has left more than 100 people unaccounted for and presumed dead, and opposition parties have pinned institutional blame on Edghill and fellow cabinet minister Deodat Indar, demanding both step down. The main opposition bloc We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) has joined APNU in this call for the ministers’ removal. After Mahipaul raised the objection, PAC Chairman Vishnu Panday ruled against the demand, noting that Edghill retains his legal status as both a sitting government minister and an appointed member of the bipartisan committee. Sitting government PAC representative Gail Teixeira backed the chairman’s ruling, dismissing the opposition’s objection as procedurally out of order and insisting the committee’s scheduled work must move forward. Undeterred by the ruling, Mahipaul and fellow APNU PAC member Juretha Fernandes exited the meeting, leaving the body without the quorum required to conduct official business, forcing an immediate adjournment. The collapse of the meeting comes amid an odd contradiction for APNU: the party has repeatedly pushed for more frequent PAC sessions to clear a years-long backlog of unaddressed Auditor General’s reports. The PAC, as a bipartisan National Assembly mechanism, exists explicitly to investigate and question non-transparent government spending documented in the Auditor General’s annual audits. As of Monday afternoon, it remains unclear whether APNU will adjust its position in coming days to allow the committee to resume its work.

  • Simons: Regering na een jaar nu in transitieperiode

    Simons: Regering na een jaar nu in transitieperiode

    On August 3, Suriname President Jenny Simons addressed a ongoing press conference to mark the first anniversary of her administration, offering a comprehensive assessment of the government’s progress over the past 12 months and outlining the priorities ahead, as the country navigates a critical transitional period.

    Opening her remarks, Simons acknowledged that while a number of the administration’s initial policy pledges have been completed, many key initiatives remain in progress. Among the unmet targets, she highlighted improved public communication with civil society as a priority the government has yet to deliver on, echoing that timeline for another core reform — administrative decentralization — has also been pushed back. She confirmed that the required legislation for decentralization is on track to be finalized next year.

    On environmental governance, Simons admitted there remain significant gaps in the country’s natural resource protection systems, a shortcoming she made clear the government is actively working to address. Turning to the long-running land rights issue, the president announced the Simons administration has reached the final stages of preparing a state decree to formally protect the residential and traditional territories of Indigenous and tribal communities. She added that the proposed decree will go beyond basic land titling, extending protections to old-growth forests, river headwaters and upper watersheds that are currently vulnerable to unregulated gold mining activity.

    On the economic front, Simons touted the government’s prudent fiscal policy as a major success, noting that the country’s primary balance has shifted from negative to positive over the past 12 months — a key indicator of a nation’s ability to service its sovereign debt. The government completed a major debt restructuring process during its first year in office, Simons explained, which freed up fiscal space to deliver modest inflation compensation to households and implement a small increase to the hourly minimum wage.

    In the area of rule of law reform, Simons confirmed that the process of updating the country’s legislative framework is already underway, and expressed hope that key bills will be passed by parliament this month following recent prolonged debates over official remuneration. The reform will also establish a new governing board for the Public Prosecution Service, led by the Attorney General alongside other senior judicial officials.

    Looking ahead to future revenue from Suriname’s oil and gas sector, Simons announced plans to further update the national Savings and Stabilization Fund — originally established in 2017 and revised in 2024. The upcoming amendments will add two new dedicated arms to the fund: an investment division, and a social allocation earmarked for investments in the healthcare sector and affordable housing construction.

  • Pamaka gemeenschap spreekt waardering uit voor voorlichting over grensprotocol

    Pamaka gemeenschap spreekt waardering uit voor voorlichting over grensprotocol

    A rare show of public support has emerged amid heated domestic and political debate over a new border protocol between Suriname and France, with the traditional leadership of the indigenous Pamaka community publicly praising the outreach and transparency work carried out by the Suriname Border Commission. In an official letter addressed to Melvin Bouva, Suriname’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Cooperation, the Pamaka leadership extended formal gratitude to the commission for what it described as a “clear, straightforward and constructive explanation” of both the newly negotiated border protocol and the historic 1915 border agreement that forms the foundation of current territorial arrangements between the two nations. This public expression of approval stands in stark contrast to the wave of criticism that has swept through political circles and other inland indigenous communities in Suriname over the past week. Most prominently, Ronnie Brunswijk, chairman of the opposition ABOP party, announced during a public community gathering at Liba Krutu on Stoelmanseiland on Sunday that his party will vote against ratification of the protocol, claiming the proposal does not have the backing of local border communities. The Pamaka Traditional Authority emphasized in its correspondence that the public information sessions hosted by the Border Commission have successfully resolved widespread uncertainty within the Pamaka community. “The information provided has brought much greater clarity to the entire Pamaka community. We are very satisfied with the approach the Border Commission has taken to engage and inform our community,” the letter states. The leadership also confirmed that all questions raised by community members during the information session received full, satisfactory answers from the commission team, and commended the inclusive, accessible engagement strategy the body implemented. The letter was signed on behalf of Granman Jozef M. Forster, the paramount chief of the Pamaka people, by acting head captain Kamil Erwin. Discussions over the border protocol accelerated dramatically last week, after indigenous leader Granman Bono Velanti requested that the Suriname National Assembly delay consideration of the ratification bill to allow additional time for consultation with affected traditional authorities. Multiple other border communities also echoed calls for more comprehensive public information before parliament takes a final vote on the agreement. The Pamaka community’s public statement of support underscores a clear divide in local experiences with the Border Commission’s outreach efforts: while some traditional leaders argue that further explanation and consultation are still required, the Pamaka has become the first major affected community to publicly endorse the commission’s work and the clarity of the information provided.

  • PM urges Vincies to ‘break new chains’ at Emancipation

    PM urges Vincies to ‘break new chains’ at Emancipation

    On Emancipation Day 2026, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Prime Minister Godwin Friday delivered a landmark address to a national rally at Kingstown’s Independence Park, formerly known as Victoria Park. The event marked both the 192nd anniversary of the 1834 Emancipation Proclamation and the official launch of the country’s annual Independence Month, with Friday framing the historic end of chattel slavery as an ongoing project rather than a completed event.

    Opening his remarks, Friday anchored modern social and economic challenges facing SVG within a centuries-long continuum of resistance, survival, and nation-building forged by Vincentians and their ancestors. “Laws can change in a day, but the fulfilment of justice, the full respecting of human dignity, and the work of nation building takes generations,” he told the assembled crowd, connecting pivotal moments across the nation’s history: the 1834 formal abolition of slavery across the British Empire, the 1838 end of the coercive apprenticeship system that delayed full freedom for formerly enslaved Vincentians, Garifuna resistance led by national hero Joseph Chatoyer, and the nation’s recent recovery from devastating hurricanes and volcanic eruptions. All of these moments, he argued, are interconnected chapters of a single national story of a people who refused to surrender in the face of hardship.

    In a rebuke to narratives that treat emancipation as a finite historical event, Friday reminded attendees that while formal abolition was enacted in 1834, enslaved people in SVG were forced to work an additional four years of coerced labor before full legal freedom was secured. That reality, he said, should reframe how contemporary Vincentians understand emancipation: as unfinished work passed from one generation to the next. Though the enslaved people who built SVG’s foundations could never imagine the modern nation the country is today, Friday noted, they retained their humanity through unimaginable suffering, shaping the national identity that current generations inherit. “Today we acknowledge and celebrate that connection, and will not let the passing of time erase or distort it,” he added.

    For 21st century Vincentians, Friday argued, emancipation requires more than remembrance: it demands active work to dismantle modern forms of inequality and constraint. Citing Bob Marley’s iconic lyric, “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds,” the prime minister argued that removing physical chains of chattel slavery was only the first step toward building full, multi-dimensional freedom.

    Friday identified the persistent contemporary barriers that hold the nation back: “chains of doubt and fear,” the self-limiting low expectations that stem from being labeled a small developing nation, systemic poverty, and the inherent economic vulnerability of small island states. Rejecting what he termed “small-island thinking,” he pushed back against the idea that geography can cap the ambition of the Vincentian people. “Our size as a country has never determined our worth. Our geography has never limited our potential. Success has never been measured by geography. It has always been measured by character, discipline, courage, and perseverance,” he said.

    Framing the role of government as a catalyst for this new era of emancipation, Friday emphasized that the state’s core responsibility is to create pathways for citizens to overcome structural disadvantage, rather than perpetuating dependence. “Because true empowerment is its own form of emancipation. Emancipation requires the empowerment of our people,” he explained.

    To advance that goal, Friday highlighted his administration’s signature proposal: the creation of a new national development bank, designed not just as a traditional financial institution, but as a policy tool for broad economic inclusion. The bank will act as “an instrument of opportunity and our people’s empowerment,” he said, providing accessible capital and support for local entrepreneurs to grow their businesses, for innovators to turn ideas into viable enterprises, and for small-scale producers including farmers, manufacturers, and creatives to pursue ambitions once considered out of reach. The prime minister stressed that progress depends on shared responsibility: state-led opportunity must be matched by citizen engagement, noting that “opportunity and responsibility go hand in hand.” Friday’s overarching “nation of game changers” vision, he added, centers on equipping all Vincentians to reach their full potential and lift the entire nation through collective progress.

    Much of Friday’s address centered on youth, whom he identified as the next generation of leaders across sport, culture, business, and public life. He held up prominent successful Vincentians as inspiration: local business icon O.T. Mayers, legendary cultural figure Alston “Becket” Cyrus, and international athlete Shafiqua Maloney, all of whom have carried SVG’s reputation onto the global stage. “Somewhere among us today is another O.T. … another Alston ‘Becket’ Cyrus … another Shafiqua … and someone whose gift we cannot yet imagine,” he said. “You may actually know them; you just do not yet know what they are capable of becoming.”

    The prime minister urged all Vincentians to reject the idea that birthplace should limit ambition. “Never allow the place where you were born to become the limit of what you believe you can become,” he said. “Be leaders in your own way. You know what is right and what is wrong. Choose to do what is right. Always do the right thing. That too is emancipation.” He added that rejecting corruption, shortcuts, and unethical behavior is itself a critical step in freeing the nation from modern “new chains.”

    Grounding his forward-looking agenda in the nation’s Indigenous and cultural heritage, Friday highlighted community-led efforts to preserve Garifuna identity, pointing to language revitalization work with children in the northern community of Fancy as a model of intergenerational transmission of history. He warned against attempts to “erase or distort” SVG’s history of resistance, stressing that all children must learn the stories of Joseph Chatoyer, the Garifuna language, and the centuries of survival that shaped the nation.

    As a call to action for Emancipation Month, Friday challenged attendees to actively pass history to the next generation: “Bring a child to an Emancipation Month activity. Share with them the stories you were told. Let them hear the drums, experience the dances, learn about Chatoyer and our ancestors … Be intentional. Pass on our history; be the reason it shall never be forgotten.”

    Closing the address, Friday urged Vincentians to view both Emancipation and national Independence as ongoing responsibilities, not completed achievements. He commended event organizers, cultural workers, historians, and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture for their work in deepening national consciousness of the country’s history. “The greatest tribute that we can pay to those who came before us is to live with confidence, with dignity, and belief in the freedom that they fought to secure,” he said.

    Friday called on all citizens to reject division, negative stereotypes, and destructive ideologies, arguing that collective purpose and belief in shared strength are the only ways to honor the sacrifices of ancestors. “Every generation is called upon to leave its mark,” he said. “We inherited freedom. The best use of that inheritance is to expand it … Our ancestors taught us that we can do so much more than endure. They showed us that we could stand tall, think boldly, dream fearlessly, and build a nation worthy of all the sacrifice it has taken to get us here.”

  • Permanent US Visa Bond programme takes effect

    Permanent US Visa Bond programme takes effect

    A landmark change to United States immigration policy is set to enter into force on Monday, August 3, 2026, as the U.S. Department of State codifies its controversial Visa Bond Programme as a permanent requirement for certain visa applicants from designated nations, including Grenada. The new regulation authorizes U.S. consular officers to mandate that qualified applicants for temporary visitor visas pay a cash bond between $10,000 and $20,000 before their visa can be issued.

    The transition to a permanent program follows a 12-month pilot initiative, which was formally codified as Final Rule 2026-15726 and published in the official Federal Register. The policy falls under the legal authority of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, and Grenada was added to the list of countries subject to bond requirements in April 2026, at the launch of the pilot period.

    The mandatory bond requirement only applies to new applications for B-1 business visitor and B-2 tourist visas from travelers in 50 countries flagged by U.S. officials for comparatively high rates of visa overstays and other immigration compliance concerns. Alongside Grenada, other Caribbean nations on the designated list include Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Cuba. Critically, currently valid U.S. visitor visas remain unaffected by the new rule: a bond is only required as a condition of issuing a new visa, when a consular officer individually determines it is necessary.

    For Grenadian applicants, the new permanent program brings a disproportionate additional financial burden, as the country does not host a U.S. embassy that processes non-immigrant visa applications. All Grenadian applicants must travel to the U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados, for their visa interviews, meaning they already incur costs for airfare, accommodation, and standard visa processing fees before any potential bond requirement is applied.

    Notably, the permanent program increases the minimum bond amount from the $5,000 floor used during the pilot to $10,000, with a maximum mandatory bond of $20,000 left to the discretion of consular officers. The bond is charged separately from standard visa application fees, and applicants are only required to pay after their interview, once an official bond notice is issued by the consulate. All approved bond payments must be submitted electronically via the U.S. government’s Pay.gov portal.

    Travelers who fully comply with the terms of their U.S. admission and depart the country within their authorized period are eligible for a full refund of their bond following a formal claims process. U.S. officials note that the refund processing timeline typically takes between two and five months after a traveler’s verified departure. However, visitors who violate the terms of their admission — most commonly by overstaying their authorized stay — will forfeit their entire bond amount.

    For Grenadians planning upcoming travel to the United States, the permanent policy requires advance financial planning to account for the potential additional bond cost, on top of existing travel and visa processing expenses.

  • Caricom Reparations Commission Emancipation Day message

    Caricom Reparations Commission Emancipation Day message

    On August 1, 2026, as communities around the world mark Emancipation Day, the Caricom Reparations Commission (CRC) stands in solidarity with the people of the Caribbean, continental Africa, and the global African diaspora to honor the extraordinary legacy of enslaved ancestors. These trailblazers of freedom waged relentless resistance against one of the most dehumanizing, long-running systems of oppression in modern history, and their courage and unwavering determination remain a touchstone for justice movements today. As the global community gathers to celebrate their hard-won victory over racialized chattel slavery, the CRC emphasizes a critical truth: the centuries-long fight for full justice, inherent dignity, and substantive equality is far from over.

    This year’s Emancipation Day observance carries unprecedented historical weight, coming just months after the United Nations General Assembly adopted a landmark declaration on March 25, 2026. The resolution formally classifies the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans and the system of racialized chattel enslavement as the gravest crime against humanity in recorded history. This long-awaited international recognition validates what enslavement descendants, leading scholars, and racial justice advocates have argued for generations: the transatlantic slave trade and chattel slavery system were not merely exploitative labor practices, but brutal, dehumanizing crimes whose intergenerational harms continue to structure the social, economic, political, and developmental outcomes of nations and communities across the Caribbean and the global African diaspora. The UN declaration strengthens the moral and political foundation of the global reparatory justice movement, marking a defining milestone in the international community’s reckoning with historical truth.

    This 2026 Emancipation Day also coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the landmark framework adopted at the 2001 World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. To this day, the Durban Declaration remains the most comprehensive international framework for addressing the persistent legacies of enslavement, colonialism, and systemic racism. As the global community prepares to commemorate this anniversary, the CRC is calling on all sovereign states to reaffirm their commitment to full implementation of the Durban framework, and push back against growing efforts to undermine its ongoing relevance to contemporary racial justice struggles.

    For the Caribbean Community, Emancipation Day is fundamentally intertwined with the global movement for reparatory justice. While formal political independence was secured through decades of organizing, it could not erase the deep structural inequalities carved out by centuries of violent exploitation. The massive wealth extracted from the unpaid, forced labor of enslaved African people fueled the industrial and economic rise of European colonial empires, leaving Caribbean societies grappling with persistent underdevelopment, structural economic dependency, and entrenched racial disparities. These historical injustices continue to act as a barrier to equitable sustainable development across the region, making meaningful reparative redress an urgent moral and political demand.

    In response to this ongoing need, the CRC has relaunched its expanded Caricom Ten Point Plan for Reparatory Justice: A manifesto for the coming enlightenment. The framework is designed to create a shared path for dialogue and action for former colonial powers, multinational private corporations, academic institutions, faith groups including the church, civil society organizations, and all people of goodwill. Through the plan, the CRC calls on all stakeholders to engage in honest reckoning with historical harm, acknowledge legal and moral responsibility for past atrocities, and embrace reparatory justice as a non-negotiable pillar of meaningful reconciliation, shared global progress, and a more just collective future.

    As the community honors the sacrifices of the freedom fighters who resisted enslavement and demanded emancipation against impossible odds, the CRC draws inspiration from their vision of freedom rooted in justice, inherent human dignity, and full equality. Their unfinished struggle compels current generations to continue building inclusive societies free from racism, discrimination, and exclusion. In closing, the CRC calls on global justice movements to transform remembrance of historical harm into collective resolve, and turn the demand for justice into tangible reality for current and future generations.

    This statement is issued by the Caricom Reparations Commission. NOW Grenada notes that it does not take responsibility for the opinions and content shared by contributing organizations, and invites users to report any abusive content via the platform’s designated reporting channel.

  • FATF LAW PROCLAIMED

    FATF LAW PROCLAIMED

    In a critical step forward for Trinidad and Tobago’s efforts to align its financial regulatory systems with global anti-crime standards, President Christine Carla Kangaloo has officially enacted the final outstanding provision of landmark 2024 legislation designed to strengthen the country’s frameworks against money laundering, terrorist financing, and illicit financial activity.

    The presidential proclamation, officially documented as Legal Notice No. 596 of 2026, was signed at the Office of the President in St. Ann’s on July 30, 2026, and formally set July 31, 2026 as the effective date for Section 10(d) of the Miscellaneous Provisions [Proceeds of Crime, Anti-Terrorism, Financial Intelligence Unit of Trinidad and Tobago, Securities, Insurance, Non-Profit Organisations, the Civil Asset Recovery and Management and Unexplained Wealth and Miscellaneous Provisions (FATF Compliance)] Act, 2024 (Act No. 17 of 2024). The official text of the proclamation confirms that after months of incremental implementation, the full scope of the 2024 legislation is now active across the country.

    This latest proclamation builds on a series of regulatory updates rolled out by the Trinidad and Tobago government in late 2025, when President Kangaloo signed a slate of complementary FATF compliance bills into law. That November 2025 package brought into force all provisions of the 2025 Miscellaneous Provisions (FATF Compliance) Act, as well as Sections 10(a), 10(b) and 10(c) of the 2024 act, and select provisions of the 2020 Miscellaneous Provisions (FATF Compliance) Act. All of those earlier provisions took effect on November 17, 2025, following bipartisan passage through the country’s legislative branches: the 2025 act was approved without amendments by the House of Representatives on September 16, 2025, and confirmed by the Senate 10 days later on September 26, 2025.

    The full package of legislative amendments updates seven core national laws, ranging from the Proceeds of Crime Act and Anti-Terrorism Act to the Non-Profit Organisations Act and Civil Asset Recovery and Management and Unexplained Wealth Act. When introducing the 2025 FATF Compliance Bill and companion Counter-Proliferation Financing Bill to the House of Representatives, Finance Minister Dave Tancoo emphasized the government’s unwavering commitment to rooting out corruption and illicit financial activity.

    “This Government is not making joke in the fight against corruption,” Tancoo told lawmakers. The legislation introduces strict penalties for regulatory breaches, including fines of up to $1.75 million for violations by financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses.

    A key groundbreaking change included in the new laws grants the Board of Inland Revenue (BIR) explicit statutory authority to investigate tax-related offences for the first time in the country’s history. Tancoo explained that the new investigative powers will equip the BIR to effectively detect and deter tax evasion, a gap that had previously been flagged by global assessors.

    The legislative updates also strengthen the enforcement capacity of the Financial Intelligence Unit of Trinidad and Tobago (FIUTT), granting the agency new tools including the ability to issue oral regulatory directives, impose meaningful penalties, and publish details of fines levied against non-compliant entities. Tancoo noted that these changes will transform the FIUTT from what had been perceived as a toothless regulatory body into an effective oversight body.

    “Through this, he asserted that the FIUTT will not be ‘just a paper tiger, but it will be a strong, agile and effective watchdog’,” Tancoo said.

    The minister added that global assessments had previously identified significant gaps in Trinidad and Tobago’s ability to combat tax evasion, which siphons critical revenue away from public services, erodes public trust in the fairness of the national tax system, and creates opportunities for more widespread illicit financial schemes. Full alignment with FATF standards, which require competent national authorities to have adequate investigative powers to counter money laundering and terrorist financing, is the core goal of the entire legislative package.

  • Kamla and Penny in row over race

    Kamla and Penny in row over race

    A bitter public conflict centered on racial friction and national unity has broken out between Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles, with the top political rivals trading accusations of fueling societal fragmentation on a recent public holiday weekend.

    The dispute ignited after Beckles, leader of the People’s National Movement (PNM), published a scathing Facebook post titled *“Unity Must Start With You, Prime Minister”* calling on Persad-Bissessar to step down. The opposition’s anger stemmed from the Prime Minister’s decision to skip the 2026 African Emancipation celebrations hosted by the Emancipation Support Committee of Trinidad and Tobago, held at the Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village in Port of Spain’s Queen’s Park Savannah.

    Beckles branded Persad-Bissessar’s absence as a deliberate show of disdain for a core part of the nation’s shared history. She rejected claims that the annual commemoration is an exclusive PNM event, emphasizing that “Emancipation is a sacred part of Trinidad and Tobago’s history and belongs to all citizens, not any political party.” The opposition leader went further, accusing the Prime Minister of petulant, disrespectful behavior that undermines the national commemoration, arguing that her actions prove she is unfit to hold public office.

    Beckles also criticized Persad-Bissessar for defending a controversial Emancipation-themed event organized by the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), framing that choice as a second deliberate insult to the nation’s African community. She accused the ruling United National Congress (UNC) government of gaslighting the public about its commitment to unity, saying the administration actively deepens racial and political divides for political gain. Additional questions were raised about the upcoming Independence Day Parade, with Beckles suggesting the government’s vague plans for the event, tied to the ongoing construction of the North Stand that disrupted the Emancipation Village, stem from a fear of public backlash against the administration.

    In a broader attack on the UNC government, which won power in the April 28, 2025 general election, Beckles argued that public discontent is boiling over due to what she called the administration’s dismal, vindictive style of governance. She claimed that the government’s avoidance of press conferences to dodge scrutiny, retreat from public events to escape pushback, and efforts to silence cultural criticism amounts to a direct threat to Trinidad and Tobago’s democracy. Closing her call for resignation, Beckles said Persad-Bissessar has violated the oath of office by failing to serve all citizens impartially, and that an honorable exit would clear the way for the PNM to lead the country with a unifying agenda.

    Persad-Bissessar pushed back forcefully against the opposition’s accusations, dismissing Beckles’ calls for unity as performative, disingenuous political theater. In comments to the *Express*, the Prime Minister claimed that PNM lawmakers, party leaders and supporters have a long record of inflaming anti-Indo-Trinidadian rhetoric, citing slurs targeting the Indo-Trinidadian community used in political discourse during the holiday. She called the current PNM under Beckles the most aggressively racist and divisive iteration of the party in modern history, pointing to the verbal harassment of two senior UNC allies over the Emancipation weekend as proof of the party’s toxic rhetoric.

    The Prime Minister singled out the heckling and abuse directed at Culture Minister Michelle Benjamin, an Afro-Trinidadian politician whom Persad-Bissessar described as a close political ally she calls her “daughter,” and University of Trinidad and Tobago chairman Selwyn Cudjoe, an Afro-Trinidadian scholar who backs the UNC. Persad-Bissessar condemned the attacks, saying PNM supporters targeted the pair specifically to spread anti-Indo-Trinidadian hatred and undermine Afro-Trinidadians who align with the ruling party. She added that members of the Emancipation Support Committee stood by silently on stage as the harassment unfolded, refusing to intervene to stop the abuse of Benjamin. “That is how they celebrated Emancipation Day by allowing PNM political hacks to abuse a young brilliant hardworking and kind Afro-Trinidadian daughter,” she said, explaining that Benjamin was targeted only because of her association with the UNC, not because of her identity as a member of the African community. Persad-Bissessar concluded by saying she has lost all respect for the Emancipation Support Committee over its inaction, and reaffirmed that her government will continue its work serving all citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.