Carib Scope

分类： politics

  • US President bans and restricts entry of nationals from three Caribbean countries

    US President bans and restricts entry of nationals from three Caribbean countries

    In a significant immigration policy move, the Trump administration has announced stringent entry restrictions targeting nationals from three Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states. Effective January 1, 2026, citizens of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Haiti will face either complete bans or limited access to the United States.

    President Donald Trump justified these measures as essential for national security, citing inadequate screening protocols and information-sharing deficiencies in these nations. The policy represents an extension of travel restrictions initially implemented during his first term, which were subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court.

    The administration specifically highlighted concerns regarding Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs offered by Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica. These initiatives grant citizenship to foreign investors without requiring residency, creating potential security vulnerabilities according to U.S. officials. Trump’s executive order noted that such programs could enable individuals from already restricted countries to obtain secondary citizenship and bypass existing travel bans.

    Under the new regulations, consular officers will substantially reduce visa validity periods for nationals of these Caribbean nations to the maximum extent permitted by law. The restrictions apply comprehensively to both immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, including B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J categories.

    The policy expansion also affects several additional countries beyond the Caribbean region. Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen will face complete entry restrictions. Meanwhile, Angola, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe will encounter partial limitations.

    The administration emphasized that these measures result from unsuccessful diplomatic engagements aimed at improving information-sharing practices and security protocols with the affected nations.

  • US President bans, restricts entry to nationals of 3 Caribbean countries

    US President bans, restricts entry to nationals of 3 Caribbean countries

    The Trump administration has unveiled significant revisions to U.S. immigration policy, imposing comprehensive travel restrictions on multiple nations citing national security vulnerabilities. The executive order, issued in January 2025, specifically targets countries with citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programs and inadequate screening protocols.

    Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Haiti feature prominently among the affected nations, with the administration identifying their immigration systems as particularly susceptible to exploitation. The policy directive suspends entry for immigrants and non-immigrants holding B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas from these jurisdictions. Consular officials have been instructed to reduce visa validity periods to the maximum extent permitted by law.

    The administration’s justification centers on perceived security gaps in foreign screening and vetting systems. President Trump emphasized that despite previous diplomatic engagements, numerous countries continue to demonstrate insufficient information-sharing capabilities and immigration controls. The policy specifically highlights concerns about CBI programs that grant citizenship without residency requirements, creating potential avenues for individuals to conceal their identities or circumvent existing travel restrictions.

    Beyond Caribbean nations, the restrictions encompass a broad spectrum of countries including Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, which face comprehensive entry bans. Additional nations including Angola, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe will face partial restrictions and limitations.

    The administration asserts these measures are necessary to prevent terrorist infiltration, hate crime incitement, and exploitation of immigration laws for malevolent purposes. The policy represents a reinstatement and expansion of previous travel restrictions that were upheld by the Supreme Court during Trump’s first term.

  • “Families become collateral damage” in tribal politics

    “Families become collateral damage” in tribal politics

    Grenadian attorney and Democratic People’s Movement (DPM) member Jasmin Redhead has issued a powerful condemnation of the deeply entrenched partisan divisions plaguing Grenada’s political landscape. During an address to Grenadian nationals in New York, Redhead characterized the nation’s politics as a “battlefield” where families become “collateral damage” due to what she termed “weaponised partisanship.”

    Redhead revealed disturbing accounts of citizens living in fear of political victimization, describing mothers distressed by children skipping school to avoid bullying related to their parents’ political affiliations. She emphasized these aren’t mere statistics but “real people carrying the weight of a system that doesn’t work for them.”

    The attorney, who returned to Grenada in 2009 after twelve years in New York, identified poor governance as imposing a “silent tax” on diaspora investments, property security, and educational opportunities. She championed transparent systems that prioritize merit over political loyalty as essential for breaking the “5-year seesaw” of stalled national development.

    Highlighting vulnerable populations, Redhead noted that weak systems disproportionately affect women, who bear much of the national burden through inadequate healthcare, education, and social services. She underscored the critical need for women’s leadership, asserting that “when women rise, families rise, communities rise, and Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique rise.”

    Redhead endorsed DPM Leader Peter David, her friend of three decades, as a unifying force capable of transcending partisan divisions. Her message to the diaspora called for a fundamental shift “from colour to country, from tribalism to unity, from barely surviving to succeeding.” The DPM, launched successfully in November, continues building momentum for its people-centered transformation agenda across Grenadian communities domestically and internationally.

  • PAC told it’s the most important committee in Parliament

    PAC told it’s the most important committee in Parliament

    Grenada’s parliamentary oversight mechanisms received significant reinforcement through an awareness seminar conducted for the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on December 16. Chaired by Opposition Leader Emmalin Pierre, the event brought together PAC members, Audit Department staff, and statutory board representatives to emphasize the committee’s critical role in ensuring governmental financial transparency.

    In a virtual address, Anguilla Premier Cora Richardson-Hodge, former opposition leader herself, articulated the PAC’s fundamental purpose: “The Public Accounts Committee is the most important committee of any parliament. Its foundation exists to create greater openness in government finances, based on the belief that transparent budgetary practices ensure public funds are spent as promised while maximizing benefits.”

    The seminar clarified that the PAC’s mandate focuses specifically on evaluating the efficiency, effectiveness, and economy of policy implementation rather than questioning policy itself. This distinction underscores the committee’s non-partisan nature despite its composition including opposition members.

    Opposition Leader Pierre emphasized the PAC’s unique position within Grenada’s parliamentary democracy: “It is not a partisan body, nor is it an administrative authority. Rather, it is a core oversight mechanism of Parliament, entrusted with safeguarding the public interest by ensuring that public funds are used lawfully, efficiently, and for their intended purposes.”

    The committee’s authority derives from Parliament Standing Order 69(1), which establishes its composition of three to five members excluding cabinet ministers, currently including Kate Lewis-Peters and Dr. Clarice Modeste from the Lower House, with Salim Rahaman and Roderick St Clair representing the Upper House.

    This seminar followed PAC members’ July 2025 training at the UK Parliament, where they observed actual committee hearings. MP Lewis-Peters highlighted a key learning: “Despite its composition of opposition members and independent senators, the PAC is not a political body. We are here to ensure our taxpayers’ dollars are properly managed through close collaboration with the Auditor General.”

    The event reinforced the PAC’s systematic approach: scrutinizing government expenditure, ensuring accountability, making recommendations, and requiring public government responses to findings—ultimately upholding good governance principles in public administration.

  • Red party’s health scandal

    Red party’s health scandal

    A massive healthcare scandal involving approximately $180 million in wasted medical resources has ignited public outrage and demands for criminal accountability in Trinidad and Tobago. The controversy centers on two separate but equally alarming revelations that expose systemic failures in the nation’s healthcare management.

    According to explosive reports, approximately $80 million worth of pharmaceutical drugs were allowed to expire over the past decade while the red party held governmental power. These essential medications, funded by taxpayer dollars, reportedly sat unused in Health Ministry warehouses despite critical shortages affecting public healthcare facilities. Simultaneously, an additional $100 million in advanced medical equipment, including MRI machines, has been left to deteriorate at the mothballed Couva hospital facility—a project originally constructed by the opposing yellow party.

    The situation highlights the devastating human cost of political tribalism in healthcare governance. Patients across the nation face extended waiting lists for basic diagnostic services, with some reports indicating wait times so prolonged that injuries heal before imaging appointments become available. The CDAP program, designed to provide affordable medication to vulnerable populations, has reportedly seen beneficiaries expire while awaiting treatment.

    This revelation raises serious questions about the ethical responsibility of previous administrations. Critics demand to know why functional medical equipment from the unused Couva facility wasn’t redistributed to operational healthcare institutions rather than being left to decay. The deliberate neglect appears driven by political animosity rather than practical considerations for public welfare.

    Calls for justice include demands for financial restitution from the red party equivalent to the wasted $180 million in public funds. There are growing appeals for criminal investigations into former officials, including ex-prime ministers, health ministers, and permanent secretaries who may have been complicit in these decisions. The public sentiment reflects profound disappointment in leadership that prioritized political rivalries over human lives and responsible stewardship of national resources.

  • Trump peace via strength

    Trump peace via strength

    In a bold articulation of current U.S. foreign policy direction, a compelling perspective emerges regarding President Donald Trump’s strategic approach to global conflicts. The analysis positions Trump as operating from a position of strength rather than weakness, fundamentally rejecting diplomatic hesitation in favor of assertive action.

    The Ukrainian conflict serves as a primary case study, with the author noting that European allies appear increasingly aligned with Trump’s methodology of applying maximum pressure through comprehensive sanctions against Russia. This transatlantic unity suggests a significant shift in how Western nations approach Vladimir Putin’s prolonged engagement in Eastern Ukraine.

    Beyond European affairs, the geopolitical implications extend to South America, where the administration’s firm stance against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro is predicted to generate regional shockwaves. The analysis further contends that nations relying on Russian or Chinese protection will soon recognize the limitations of these alliances as American influence reasserts itself.

    Most significantly, the Taiwan Strait emerges as the ultimate litmus test for Chinese aggression. The author asserts that President Xi Jinping fully understands the prohibitive costs of military escalation in this strategically vital region. This positioning represents a clear ultimatum: nations must choose between aligning with American-led stability or facing isolation.

    The overarching narrative describes a fundamental recalibration of international relations—subtle to some observers yet unmistakable to those analyzing strategic patterns. Those who presumed American global influence had diminished are cautioned to expect a dramatic demonstration of renewed power and purpose in the coming period.

  • Swaby calls for consultation on proposed centralised permit system and One Road Authority

    Swaby calls for consultation on proposed centralised permit system and One Road Authority

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — Kingston Mayor Andrew Swaby has issued a compelling appeal to the national government, urging comprehensive consultations with municipal corporations before implementing two significant structural reforms. The proposed changes include reinstating a centralized permit system for entertainment events and creating a unified One Road Authority to oversee Jamaica’s road infrastructure management.

    In a formal statement, Mayor Swaby expressed deep concerns that both initiatives represent a troubling shift toward centralization that could fundamentally undermine municipal governance structures. He emphasized that local authorities have developed decades of expertise in managing parochial roads, community infrastructure, and entertainment event regulations.

    “Municipal corporations have established the necessary systems, operational capacity, and collaborative partnerships to execute these responsibilities effectively and efficiently,” Swaby asserted. He highlighted the integral role local governments play in coordinating with police departments, the Jamaica Fire Brigade, and health and sanitation teams to ensure event safety and regulatory compliance.

    The mayor warned that removing these core functions would essentially strip local governments of their purpose and authority. “These proposals would diminish accountability, distance decision-making from communities, and marginalize local authorities who possess the most intimate understanding of community needs,” Swaby stated. He clarified that while not opposed to reform principles, he strongly objects to implementation without proper consultation.

    Swaby proposed a nationwide municipal engagement process featuring formal dialogues with all municipal corporations, technical workshops with roads and works departments, public forums across parishes, and comprehensive impact assessments. He stressed that any governance restructuring must be founded on transparency, empirical evidence, and decentralization principles.

    “We remain prepared to collaborate with the national government while firmly defending local government integrity,” Swaby concluded. “Vibrant communities require empowered local authorities. Rather than sidelining municipal systems, we should strengthen them to function as central service providers.”

  • Government delivers campaign promises with 2 key legislations

    Government delivers campaign promises with 2 key legislations

    In a significant move fulfilling campaign pledges, the Trinidad and Tobago government has announced the presidential assent of two pivotal legislative acts addressing public safety and community welfare. President Christine Kangaloo formally endorsed the Home Invasion (Self-Defence and Defence of Property) Act, 2025 and the Summary Offences (Amendment) Act, 2025, marking a substantial step in the administration’s policy implementation agenda.

    The newly enacted Home Invasion Act establishes home invasion as a specific criminal offense while unequivocally affirming citizens’ rights to protect themselves, their families, and property within their residences. This groundbreaking legislation eliminates any legal obligation to retreat when facing intruders and explicitly permits the use of reasonable defensive measures, including lethal force when deemed necessary for protection.

    Simultaneously, the amended Summary Offences Act introduces strengthened provisions against noise pollution and unregulated fireworks usage. The updated legislation addresses growing concerns about public health impacts and community disruption, particularly affecting vulnerable populations including children, elderly citizens, individuals with medical conditions, and those with sensory sensitivities. The act also acknowledges the detrimental effects on animals, both domestic pets and livestock, who frequently suffer trauma from explosive noises.

    Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s administration emphasized that these legislative measures directly respond to widespread public concerns expressed during the recent election campaign. The government’s statement highlighted that these actions contrast with previous administration’s perceived inaction on these issues, noting that voters provided a clear mandate for stronger public safety measures and enhanced quality of life protections.

    The implementation of these acts represents the government’s commitment to balancing celebratory traditions with community responsibility while providing law enforcement agencies with clearer authority and stronger deterrent mechanisms. The administration has characterized these developments as evidence of their dedication to following through on electoral promises and responding to citizens’ priorities in addressing crime and public disorder challenges.

  • Maryland to create commission to assess reparations

    Maryland to create commission to assess reparations

    MARYLAND, United States — In a significant legislative move, Maryland state lawmakers have mandated the creation of a specialized commission to examine potential reparations for slavery, overriding a gubernatorial veto in the process. The Wednesday decision sets the stage for one of the most comprehensive studies of historical redress mechanisms in the United States.

    The legislative body countered Governor Wes Moore’s earlier veto, which he had characterized as a disappointing procedural obstacle. The newly established commission will investigate multiple forms of reparations, ranging from monetary compensation and official apologies to substantive policy interventions. These include property tax rebates, social service enhancements, business incentives, educational tuition waivers, childcare support, debt forgiveness programs, and housing down payment assistance.

    Governor Moore, who holds the distinction of being Maryland’s first Black chief executive in a state with a substantial African American demographic, had previously defended his veto position. In his official correspondence, he contended that sufficient research on slavery reparations already existed, advocating instead for direct implementation of solutions rather than further study.

    Legislative proponents argued that a formal commission remains essential for developing constitutionally sound and practically viable reparation frameworks. Democratic lawmaker Charles Sydnor emphasized the importance of methodological rigor, noting that without structured examination, reparations risk being perceived as merely symbolic or legally questionable despite their ethical justification.

    While expressing disagreement with the veto override, Governor Moore has committed to collaborative efforts with legislators to advance the cause of racial justice and historical reconciliation through the commission’s work.

  • Venezuela fires back over US blockade

    Venezuela fires back over US blockade

    Venezuela has launched a fierce diplomatic counteroffensive against the United States following President Donald Trump’s announcement of a comprehensive naval blockade targeting sanctioned oil tankers operating in Venezuelan waters. The dramatic escalation in tensions between the two nations unfolded through competing declarations on December 16th.\n\nPresident Trump utilized his Truth Social platform at 7:46 PM to declare unprecedented maritime restrictions, framing them as necessary to reclaim what he characterized as stolen American assets. \”The US will not allow criminals, terrorists, or other countries to rob, threaten, or harm the nation,\” Trump asserted, specifically accusing the Maduro regime of utilizing \”stolen oil fields\” to finance activities including \”drug terrorism, human trafficking, murder, and kidnapping.\”\n\nIn response, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez issued a comprehensive two-page rebuttal via Telegram at 11:10 PM, vehemently rejecting what she termed Trump’s \”grotesque threat\” and \”interventionist and colonialist statement.\” The official communication accused the American president of violating fundamental principles of international law, free trade, and maritime navigation.\n\nThe Venezuelan government’s statement presented Trump’s social media claims as effectively asserting ownership over Venezuela’s natural resources: \”He claims on his social media that Venezuela’s oil, land, and mineral wealth are his property. Consequently, Venezuela must immediately hand over all its riches.\”\n\nCaracas announced its intention to pursue immediate diplomatic recourse through the United Nations, with plans to formally denounce what it considers a grave breach of international legal standards. The statement called upon both the American public and global community to reject Trump’s \”extravagant threat by any means necessary.\”\n\nReaffirming Venezuela’s sovereign rights, the communication emphasized the nation’s commitment to \”free navigation and trade in the Caribbean Sea and the world’s oceans\” under international law and the UN Charter. The government positioned itself as defending national independence against what it characterized as attempted economic appropriation through \”gigantic campaigns of lies and manipulation.\”\n\nThe statement concluded with historical resonance, invoking liberator Simón Bolívar: \”Fortunately, a handful of free men has been seen defeating powerful empires.\” This rhetorical flourish underscored Venezuela’s declaration that it \”will never again be a colony of any empire or foreign power.\”\n\nTrump’s announcement referenced an imposing naval presence surrounding Venezuela—\”the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America\”—promising it would \”only get bigger\” until Venezuelan authorities returned allegedly stolen assets.\n\nThe exchange represents one of the most significant confrontations in recent years between the two nations, with potentially substantial implications for global energy markets and regional stability in the Caribbean basin.