Carib Scope

分类： politics

  • Manorath: Corruptiebestrijding begint bij integriteit en preventie

    Manorath: Corruptiebestrijding begint bij integriteit en preventie

    On July 22, at the opening of Suriname’s national Anti-Corruption Congress, Minister of Justice and Police Harish Monorath laid out a new, multi-pronged approach to combating systemic corruption, arguing that detection and prosecution alone are not enough to root out the problem. Speaking to an audience of national and international experts, Monorath emphasized that long-term success in the fight against corruption requires targeted investment in prevention, institutional strengthening, transparency, and a widespread societal culture rooted in integrity.

    “Corruption poses a severe threat to every democratic rule of law, and it holds back the socio-economic development of our nation,” Monorath stated during his opening address. He stressed that anti-corruption work cannot fall solely to the government; it requires shared responsibility across the private sector, civil society organizations, and individual citizens. An accountable, integrity-driven governance culture can only take hold, he argued, when every segment of Surinamese society fulfills its distinct role in upholding ethical standards. The minister also expressed appreciation for the congress, which brought together specialists from across borders to exchange knowledge, best practices, and lived experience in designing effective anti-corruption frameworks.

    Monorath confirmed that the Surinamese government is currently advancing a more robust, impact-oriented national anti-corruption agenda, with core priorities including modernizing outdated anti-corruption legislation, strengthening the capacity of state institutions, and embedding integrity standards across all levels of the public sector. He revealed that dozens of new legislative proposals from the Ministry of Justice and Police are currently in preparation or under parliamentary review, all designed to further reinforce the country’s rule of law framework.

    International cooperation remains a central pillar of Suriname’s strategy, Monorath noted. The country aligns its national policies with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), which provides a globally recognized framework for corruption prevention, criminal prosecution, cross-border collaboration, and the recovery of assets gained through corrupt activity.

    The minister highlighted that public officials bear a unique responsibility to model ethical behavior, noting that integrity, transparency, and accountable leadership must be visible in the daily work of government. To embed this standard, the administration is pushing forward new initiatives focused on ethical leadership training, formal codes of conduct for civil servants, and binding legal protections for whistleblowers who report corrupt activity.

    Repeating his core argument, Monorath emphasized that preventive measures are ultimately more effective at reducing systemic corruption than purely punitive action. The government’s anti-corruption strategy rests on six core pillars: greater transparency, open government practices, institutional strengthening, whistleblower protection, international collaboration, and active civil society engagement. He also called for expanded investment in integrity education, to help young people understand the value of fair governance and the rule of law from an early age.

    In closing, Monorath called on all Surinamese citizens to take personal ownership of building an integrity-focused nation. “Integrity starts with personal responsibility. It is a choice we make, even when no one is watching,” he told attendees. Only when corruption is no longer normalized, and public trust in government and its institutions is strengthened, can Suriname achieve truly sustainable development, he added.

  • Hadeeds must stay in jail

    Hadeeds must stay in jail

    A high-stakes constitutional and national security legal battle has reached the Privy Council, where state attorneys have laid out three distinct legal arguments to reverse a Court of Appeal order that granted conditional release to wealthy businessman Dominic Hadeed and his wife Genevieve. The State is being represented by a high-powered legal team led by prominent King’s Counsel Sir James Eadie and Tom Richards, alongside senior local counsel Gerald Ramdeen, signaling the gravity of the legal and national security issues at play in the appeal.

    The first core ground of the State’s challenge centers on a fundamental question of institutional authority: whether courts are legally entitled to override the executive branch’s national security assessments. State attorneys argue that the Court of Appeal explicitly recognized the long-standing legal principle that executive judgments on liberty restrictions for national security protection must be granted “very great weight” by judicial bodies. Even so, they contend the lower court failed to apply this principle in practice when it ruled the couple should be moved from prison detention to conditional house arrest.

    The State’s legal team emphasizes that the executive branch holds unique institutional advantages for making these sensitive national security determinations. Unlike courts, the executive has full access to classified intelligence, specialized national security expertise, and sensitive information that cannot be disclosed in open judicial proceedings for operational security reasons. Beyond practical capability, attorneys argue that national security decision-making carries an explicit constitutional weight: responsibility for protecting the state is constitutionally assigned to democratically accountable government officials, rather than unelected judges.

    According to the State’s argument, the Court of Appeal overstepped its constitutional mandate when it independently concluded that full imprisonment was unnecessary and house arrest would be sufficient to mitigate risks. Attorneys describe this move as an illegitimate overreach, noting that the Emergency Powers Regulations explicitly grant the responsible government minister the authority to decide whether preventive detention is necessary, as well as to determine the location and conditions of that detention. Courts, they argue, lack both the institutional capability and constitutional legitimacy to replace the minister’s assessment with their own judgment of how to manage the alleged threat.

    The State also pushes back against claims that the absence of criminal charges against the Hadeeds invalidates the minister’s detention order. Attorneys stress that preventive detention under emergency regulations operates entirely separate from the standard criminal justice process. The minister is not required to prove the allegations against the detainee on the balance of probabilities, nor is they required to demonstrate a realistic prospect of a future criminal conviction before issuing a preventive detention order (PDO). The minister’s assessment, they note, is rooted in classified intelligence, which cannot be disclosed publicly or to the detainee because such disclosure would compromise intelligence sources, ongoing national security operations, and critical international intelligence-sharing partnerships.

    A further procedural point raised by the State is that the Court of Appeal ordered the Hadeeds’ release before the State had even submitted its full evidence responding to the substantive judicial review challenge, which is not due until September 14, 2026. Attorneys argue that it was legally improper for the lower court to make binding findings on the validity of the intelligence underpinning the PDOs at this interim stage of proceedings. The State also confirmed that a separate statutory tribunal reviewing the lawfulness of the Hadeeds’ detention remains ongoing, and the minister has requested the hearing be reopened over allegations of procedural unfairness during earlier proceedings.

    The State’s second ground of appeal argues that the Court of Appeal made a clear error when it ruled the Hadeeds’ individual liberty interests outweigh the state’s obligation to manage the alleged national security threat. Attorneys point out that even the Court of Appeal itself acknowledged the severity of the national security risks at hand: if the allegations against the couple are proven true, their release could allow them to continue advancing the alleged conspiracy they are accused of, leading to horrendous, irreparable harm to public safety and national institutions. Having accepted the existence of this severe risk, the State argues, the only reasonable balancing of interests could ever have favored protecting public life and democratic institutions over individual liberty.

    The State also challenges the lower court’s weighing of the Hadeeds’ loss of liberty, noting that if the detention is ultimately found to be unlawful, the couple can be fully compensated with substantial financial damages. On the subject of the Hadeeds’ reported medical concerns that the Court of Appeal cited when supporting release, the State says the lower court failed to identify any specific medical condition that requires at-home treatment that cannot be adequately accommodated within a prison setting.

    The third and final ground of the State’s challenge questions the adequacy of the conditional house arrest terms imposed by the Court of Appeal, arguing the measures are far less effective at mitigating risk than continued prison detention. State attorneys outline multiple flaws in the proposed regime: even with a ban on personal communication devices, the Hadeeds would still be able to engage in unauthorized communication from their private residence. While all visitors would require police approval, once inside the property, visitors would be able to communicate freely with the couple without ongoing monitoring.

    Compounding these enforcement challenges is the physical layout of the Hadeeds’ proposed residence: a large sprawling seafront property made up of multiple separate buildings. State attorneys argue that effectively monitoring all activity across such a large site would create enormous practical challenges and draw heavily on limited police resources, making consistent enforcement of the house arrest conditions unfeasible. The State also warns that the layout creates a higher risk of the couple absconding, which would give them the opportunity to communicate completely unrestricted to advance their alleged activities. Ultimately, attorneys argue, there was no admissible evidence before the Court of Appeal that could support a finding that the proposed conditions were sufficient to mitigate the national security risks of release, and the lower court failed to acknowledge that switching from prison detention to house arrest would significantly reduce the level of public protection against the alleged threat.

  • 800 MORE COMING

    800 MORE COMING

    Trinidad and Tobago’s national government has unveiled a multi-year recruitment plan to fill crippling staffing gaps in the country’s Prison Service, responding to urgent warnings from prison officer leadership that years of unaddressed attrition have pushed the institution to a breaking point.

    Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander confirmed last week that 800 new prison officers will be brought into the service between 2024 and 2027, in a bid to reverse the persistent staff exodus that has left the system short-staffed for more than a decade. The announcement comes after Prison Officers’ Association of Trinidad and Tobago (POATT) president Gerard Gordon raised public alarms about the growing crisis, noting that the service’s monthly departures have consistently outpaced new hires for years, with long-standing working condition issues driving officers to leave the profession.

    Gordon shared detailed data with local outlet the Express outlining the scope of the attrition crisis. Since 2018 and 2019, he explained, the service has lost more than 100 officers annually. When Gordon took office as association president in 2023, total POATT membership stood at just over 2,900 officers; today, that number has dropped to roughly 2,500, meaning 400 officers have left the service in just three years. Even prior proposals to add 500 new officers would not have been enough to keep up with the rate of departure, Gordon added.

    Beyond the staffing shortage, Gordon outlined a series of unaddressed problems facing frontline officers. One major long-standing issue is the difficulty for officers to obtain firearm user licenses, a debate that has been tied up in the court system for nearly a decade. Gordon clarified that the union is not calling for universal firearm issuance for all officers, but rather wants qualified officers who meet all regulatory requirements to be able to successfully obtain licenses. Currently, many applications are rejected on the grounds that officers do not face direct, documented threats to their lives or do not transport large cash sums — a standard that Gordon says ignores the inherent, well-documented dangers of correctional work and the post-traumatic risk officers face after losing colleagues to on-the-job violence.

    Gordon also called out major deficiencies in the country’s prison infrastructure. He pointed to the Eastern Correctional Rehabilitation Centre, a facility first purchased by the government in 2011 for TT$235 million that has since undergone multiple rounds of additional construction work. More than a decade later, Gordon says the facility still does not meet global standards for correctional institutions. At the country’s Maximum Security Prison, long-running infrastructure failures persist, including crumbling structural systems, no backup power generator, broken security gates and inadequate lighting across the facility.

    In his response to these concerns, Alexander confirmed the government has a clear timeline to roll out new recruits, framing the plan as the first serious effort to fix a decade of neglect under the previous administration. The first 500 recruits will begin orientation in July and August, with formal training set to launch in September this year. An additional 300 recruits will be hired in early 2025, bringing the total new hires to 800 to address the backlog of vacant positions.

    “This Government has begun to fix the issues; we are fixing the attrition rate by recruiting 800 prison officers starting on the 27th of this month with 500 coming on board and another 300 in the new year,” Alexander told the Express. “I want to give the assurance that all the concerns of prisons officers past and present will be addressed. This is the first time in a long time they have a minister who cares and understands and a Prime Minister who has given instructions to clean up the mess left by the PNM.”

    Alexander, who took office last year, said he inherited a broken national security system with strained human resources and a dysfunctional security apparatus. “With the lack of attention given to the Prison Service for the past ten years it is clear as day to me that the People’s National Movement (PNM) was never interested in dealing with crime,” he said.

    The minister emphasized that the government recognizes the interconnected nature of a well-functioning Prison Service, the judicial system, and consistent public safety outcomes, noting that correctional services play a critical role in rehabilitating incarcerated people to reduce recidivism. Alexander added that the previous government left the correctional system starved of basic resources: “The institution responsible for rehabilitation of prisoners was left without manpower, resources, equipment, and a well-rounded structure to treat inmates. Instead, contracts were given out which resulted in incomplete arrangements for the alarm system, cameras and lighting.”

    The correctional staffing push is part of a broader government effort to strengthen all national law enforcement agencies in Trinidad and Tobago. The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is also set to recruit hundreds of new officers in the coming months, and 800 Special Reserve Police officers have already been fully absorbed into the regular Police Service over the past year. Alexander acknowledged that all long-standing problems will not be resolved overnight, but reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing every concern raised by POATT.

  • Former PM, not CMO, forced vaccine mandate — Cummings

    Former PM, not CMO, forced vaccine mandate — Cummings

    A long-simmering political debate over responsibility for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ divisive 2021 COVID-19 vaccine mandate has reignited during parliamentary debate, with the nation’s sitting Health Minister Daniel Cummings publicly clearing Chief Medical Officer Dr. Simone Keizer-Beache of blame for the policy that led to more than 500 public sector dismissals. Cummings told lawmakers Tuesday during discussion of the Compassionate Gratuity Bill that blame for the mandate has been incorrectly placed on the CMO, and that the policy was wholly spearheaded by former prime minister Ralph Gonsalves, whose Unity Labour Party held power from 2001 until 2025.

    “I am here to say categorically that is not the truth,” Cummings stated firmly to the national assembly. “COVID madness was the brainchild of the former prime minister who brought it, who insisted on it and who would not hear from any professional voice.”

    It remains unconfirmed whether Gonsalves, who now serves as Leader of the Opposition and was present for Tuesday’s parliamentary sitting, was in the chamber when Cummings delivered the remarks. Notably, neither Gonsalves nor two former Cabinet ministers from his administration — Carlos James and Keisal Peters — have publicly challenged Cummings’ account of how the mandate was approved. Gonsalves has repeatedly claimed publicly that his government’s mandate was crafted on professional advice from Keizer-Beache.

    Keizer-Beache has retained her post as CMO under the new New Democratic Party administration, which took office in November 2024. Unlike Gonsalves’ narrative, she has never publicly disavowed the former government’s vaccine policy. In fact, she testified in defense of the mandate during a legal challenge brought by public sector unions against the previous administration’s actions. The legal battle remains ongoing: in 2023, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court ruled the mandate unconstitutional, but the Court of Appeal overturned that ruling in a split 2-1 decision. The case is now awaiting a final ruling from the London-based Privy Council, the Caribbean nation’s highest court of appeal.

    Tuesday’s statement marks the second time in recent weeks that Cummings — who opposed the mandate while he was a member of the opposition — has worked to reframe public understanding of the policy’s origins and assign political accountability for its fallout. The discussion was prompted by South Windward MP Andrew John, a member of the current ruling cabinet, who opened the topic by highlighting the severe human toll of the 2021 mandate, which required mandatory vaccination for specific classes of public workers and resulted in the firing of more than 500 low-wage employees, many of whom still have not received compensation for their lost income and benefits.

    John described the mandate as “wickedness to the highest order,” noting that dismissed workers have endured devastating losses including derailed careers and years of erased pension-eligible service. Cummings echoed that harsh criticism, doubling down on his characterization of the policy as “COVID madness” and framing the mandate as an example of the previous administration’s vindictive, retaliatory style of governance.

    “When you, for 25 years, operated… with such bile and spitefulness, when anyone who doesn’t agree with you must feel the wrath of your power… That is not how you treat people,” he said.

    Cummings went on to argue that Keizer-Beache should not face political repercussions for the actions of the previous government, drawing a parallel to his own experience in politics: when he entered opposition politics years ago, his wife, who then served as president of the Family Court, was removed from her position, a move that was publicly condemned by former attorney general Arthur Williams in a newspaper op-ed. He noted that while Keizer-Beache’s husband Glen Beache served as a ULP Member of Parliament for South Windward between 2005 and 2010, the CMO herself has never participated in partisan politics.

    “Dr. Simone Keizer has never been in politics. Her husband was,” Cummings said. “Should we, as a government, punish Dr. [Keizer], who has given such quality service to this country, because her husband is in politics other than ours? I say, Mr. Speaker… hell no. Hell no.”

    The health minister emphasized that decisions about retaining senior public servants must be guided by professional merit, not familial or personal political ties. “I defend and support every public servant on merit. And this government… led by Dr. Friday, is absolutely supportive of this mission of working with all our people to deliver the service required,” he stated.

    Cummings framed his remarks as part of a broader push to rebuild trust between public servants and the political leadership after the upheaval of the pandemic and its ongoing aftermath. “What I want people to understand: it is not about spiting people. It’s about using our best resources to deliver the best we can do,” he said. He praised the nation’s “serious, hard-working public servants” and pledged that the current administration would continue to support and lift up all public workers regardless of their personal political beliefs.

    He added that the new government faces a massive backlog of challenges to address in the national health sector, including widespread burnout among nursing staff, persistent staffing shortages, and crumbling outdated infrastructure, and that repairing working relationships with senior public health leaders like the CMO is a critical first step to tackling those larger issues. Though Cummings’ comments were delivered during a debate focused on providing gratuity payments to low-wage non-pensionable workers affected by the pandemic, they have reopened one of the most divisive chapters of the nation’s pandemic-era politics, forcing a renewed public reckoning over who bears ultimate responsibility for the mandate and its hundreds of dismissals.

  • Prime Minister Drew showcases Sustainable Island State Agenda as model for resilient and inclusive development

    Prime Minister Drew showcases Sustainable Island State Agenda as model for resilient and inclusive development

    LONDON, UK – July 22, 2026 – Standing before an audience of global business leaders, institutional investors, and international policymakers at the Royal African Society’s 125th Anniversary Flagship Business Event hosted by the London Stock Exchange, Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew has positioned his nation’s Sustainable Island State Agenda as a groundbreaking global model for inclusive, climate-resilient development.

    During his address on Wednesday, Drew laid out the federation’s ambitious long-term vision: to become the world’s first certified Sustainable Island State by 2040. He stressed that this framework rejects the long-held false choice between environmental stewardship and economic expansion, arguing that sustainability and shared prosperity must advance hand in hand to deliver lasting progress.

    The national strategy is structured around seven mutually reinforcing core pillars that cover every dimension of national development: water security, expanded access to renewable energy, food and nutrition sovereignty, sustainable industrial development, climate-resilient community infrastructure, a transition to a circular economy, and universal health and social protection. Drew emphasized that this initiative is far more than a narrow environmental policy package; it is a whole-of-government national transformation plan designed to boost the federation’s economic independence, bolster its resilience to climate shocks, and lift shared prosperity for all citizens.

    Drew went into detail on ongoing investments aligned with the agenda, including expanded development of geothermal and utility-scale solar energy, upgrades to national water distribution and storage infrastructure, expansion of climate-smart agricultural practices, and improvements to public healthcare, affordable housing, public education, digital technology infrastructure, and the creative economy. All these initiatives, he noted, are focused on building a more self-sufficient, robust nation that can thrive amid global economic and climate challenges.

    For small island developing states (SIDS) that are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change despite contributing the least to global emissions, the Sustainable Island State Agenda offers a new, people-centered development pathway, Drew argued. The framework prioritizes the well-being of citizens while opening new doors for responsible international investment that delivers mutual benefits for investors and local communities.

    “It is not sustainability that stifles growth. It is sustainable, inclusive growth,” Drew said in his address. “This is not development that comes at the expense of the people it is meant to serve; it is development rooted in the needs and aspirations of people.”

    The prime minister extended a formal invitation to global investors to partner with Saint Kitts and Nevis across key priority sectors, including renewable energy development, sustainable infrastructure, education innovation, healthcare expansion, eco-tourism, sustainable agriculture, and digital technology. He clarified that the government prioritizes impact investments that generate local employment, transfer critical skills and technical knowledge to domestic workers and institutions, and strengthen the federation’s local economic ecosystems rather than extractive investments that deliver limited benefit to citizens.

    Drew highlighted that the federation’s strategy serves as proof that small developing island nations do not have to choose between competitiveness in the global economy and bold climate action. By centering innovation, resilience, and sustainability, SIDS can emerge as global leaders in the transition to a low-carbon, equitable future, he said.

    He closed by reaffirming the government of Saint Kitts and Nevis’ unwavering commitment to building a future where economic growth, environmental protection, and social progress work in lockstep to raise living standards and opportunity for every citizen of the federation.

  • Rasoelbaks: Corruptie jaagt investeerders weg en vraagt om nieuwe manier van opsporen

    Rasoelbaks: Corruptie jaagt investeerders weg en vraagt om nieuwe manier van opsporen

    On Tuesday, during a national Anti-Corruption Congress held in Paramaribo, the president of Suriname’s High Court, Iwan Rasoelbaks, delivered a stark warning about the far-reaching damage systemic corruption inflicts on the South American nation, outlining sweeping changes needed to effectively combat the growing crisis.

    Rasoelbaks emphasized that corruption is not merely a threat to Suriname’s rule of law—it erodes the country’s economic potential, fuels rising criminal activity, and destroys public and investor confidence in state institutions. In his opening address, the court president laid out the cascading harms of unchecked graft: it creates unfair, unequal distribution of national wealth, traps communities in long-term underdevelopment, pushes up rates of organized and street crime, and steadily erodes public trust in government. When a nation’s commitment to institutional integrity declines, he added, international investors and global development organizations also grow increasingly hesitant to commit capital or long-term partnerships to the country.

    To contextualize Suriname’s current standing, Rasoelbaks pointed to leading global governance rankings, including Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index and the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index. Both metrics, he noted, make clear that Suriname still must take substantial, meaningful action to strengthen its rule of law frameworks and mount more effective anti-corruption campaigns. As a model for successful reform, he pointed to Singapore, which has built its reputation as one of the world’s least corrupt nations through targeted investments in strong independent institutions, radical government transparency, and specialized anti-corruption enforcement frameworks.

    A core pillar of Rasoelbaks’ argument centered on the need for a fundamentally new approach to corruption investigations, one that diverges sharply from the methods used in traditional criminal cases. Unlike standard criminal probes, which typically rely on witness testimony, forensic evidence, or in-the-act arrests, corruption investigations almost always begin with a different set of indicators: suspicious financial flows, anomalous banking transactions, complex offshore tax structures, and unexplained sudden growth in personal or corporate assets. This fundamental difference in how corruption occurs and is uncovered, he argued, requires an entirely new investigative mindset and operational framework.

    That shift, Rasoelbaks explained, requires police, public prosecution services, and all other law enforcement agencies to update their technical skills and core working practices. Financial investigation, detailed analysis of corporate accounting records and financial reports, tracking of digital transaction trails, and untangling complex cross-border asset structures are now core, non-negotiable skills for anti-corruption work. “On each of these points, corruption investigations differ fundamentally from traditional criminal investigations,” Rasoelbaks told attendees at the congress.

    In closing, the High Court president stressed that countries that have successfully curbed corruption do not rely solely on stricter anti-graft legislation. Instead, they prioritize building strong independent institutions, investing in specialized investigative training, embedding transparency across all levels of government, expanding international cooperation on cross-border graft cases, and entrenching principles of good governance. For Suriname to rebuild trust among its citizens, attract much-needed foreign investment, strengthen partnerships with global bodies, and unlock long-term sustainable economic development, Rasoelbaks said, the nation must follow this same path of reform.

  • Díaz-Canel visited the municipalities of Regla and Guanabacoa

    Díaz-Canel visited the municipalities of Regla and Guanabacoa

    On a Tuesday afternoon in late July 2026, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, who also serves as First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, concluded his 13th municipal tour of the capital Havana with visits to the Municipal Defense Councils of Regla and Guanabacoa. Across the entire island, this on-the-ground tour represents more than routine governance: it is a daily battle to protect and sustain the lives of ordinary Cuban people.

    As the reporter embedded in the visit observed, the moments captured on this trip reveal two defining truths of contemporary Cuba: the unyielding resilience of the general population, and the extraordinary dedication of grassroots leaders who have become the backbone of the country’s crisis response. These local leaders do not govern from distant offices; they know the communities they serve by name, memorize individual household needs, and turn institutional frameworks into on-the-ground support that reaches every vulnerable resident. Their expertise and commitment stand as living proof that Cuba’s pool of capable, community-focused leadership is far from exhausted.

    During meetings with local leadership in both municipalities, Díaz-Canel received detailed briefings on the most pressing challenges facing local residents. Unlike one-size-fits-all national policy approaches, local leaders have tailored their responses to the specific needs of their territories—an approach Díaz-Canel has repeatedly endorsed. In Regla, for example, leaders stressed the critical interdependence of two core public services: maintaining a stable electricity supply to keep water pumping operations running for all residents. Across both regions, the list of core priorities acts as a roadmap for preserving community well-being: protecting civilian safety, streamlining energy distribution programs, securing consistent food access for all households, and directing extra support to the most vulnerable demographic groups.

    The Regla visit marked the 12th stop on Díaz-Canel’s statewide municipal tour, with conversations across all stops centering on consistent, citizen-focused priorities: expanding local food production, improving solid waste collection, expanding support for at-risk populations, strengthening the Community Youth Network’s on-the-ground work, and improving coordination between all types of economic actors to speed up problem-solving for residents. In Regla specifically, the conversation turned to the urgent need to map out-of-school youth and unemployed residents to connect them with support opportunities. Díaz-Canel emphasized the importance of granular, up-to-date data on unemployment to target assistance effectively. Local officials also updated the president on the number of vulnerable residents identified through recent census work, the performance of the municipality’s four existing Family Care Systems (SAF), and ongoing efforts to improve service quality.

    Discussions in both municipalities also highlighted the work of the Community Youth Network, a grassroots initiative that has delivered meaningful impact despite limited resources. The network has organized volunteer efforts to deliver food to elderly residents living far from SAF distribution points, provided support to pregnant people in underserved areas, and run community social programs that strengthen local social cohesion.

    The tour underscored a core lesson repeated across every municipal stop: every territory faces unique challenges, solutions, and community dynamics, even as they share common systemic struggles. Guanabacoa, the 13th and final stop on this leg of the tour, offers a clear example of this uniqueness: the municipality is home to 115 housing complexes and more than 10,000 vulnerable residents, with a particularly high prevalence of elderly adults living alone. To meet these unique needs, local economic actors have partnered with government entities to streamline pension delivery, strengthen SAF operations, and prepackage food for rapid distribution to the highest-need areas. The Ministry of Transportation has provided dedicated support for these efforts, and even for persistent capital-wide issues like solid waste collection, local leaders are testing creative, low-resource solutions including the use of animal traction for collection routes.

    Closing out his visit in Guanabacoa, Díaz-Canel reflected on the ongoing national process of 176 economic and social transformations, emphasizing the critical role of municipal autonomy in driving effective change. He confirmed that 80 of these transformation initiatives have already received formal approval for implementation, backed by 57 new legal frameworks to support rollout. These reforms, Díaz-Canel explained, open new pathways to coordinate cross-sector action between all types of economic actors, improve the efficiency of public organizations and entities, and make it faster and simpler to solve persistent local problems. The president has long advocated for a gradual, incremental approach to reform, focused on delivering tangible improvements for residents one step at a time.

    As one young local leader in Guanabacoa told the presidential delegation, progress is being made every single day, even amid immense pressure. This quiet daily work is a titanic struggle: Cuba continues to face what Cuban leaders describe as a “genocidal” international siege that has strained the country’s economy and public services, but grassroots leaders and residents remain committed to building a better future for the next generation. During his walk through Guanabacoa, Díaz-Canel stopped to speak with a group of children on a street corner, chatting with them about soccer and sharing smiles. That interaction, the visit made clear, is the core motivation for all the ongoing work: the fight to ensure current and future generations can live freely and securely in the land they love.

  • Gajadien waarschuwt voor nieuwe schulden; Parmessar: Laten we niet vooruitlopen

    Gajadien waarschuwt voor nieuwe schulden; Parmessar: Laten we niet vooruitlopen

    A planned official visit to the United Kingdom by Suriname’s President Jennifer Simons and Finance Minister Adelien Wijnerman has sparked heated political debate in the country’s National Assembly, with opposition and ruling party lawmakers clashing over the terms of upcoming financial discussions with international institutions. The trip, set to depart July 22 and conclude with the delegation’s return on Sunday, will focus on exploring investment and financing opportunities for Suriname, particularly tied to the ongoing expansion of the nation’s oil and gas sector. Key meetings on the agenda include discussions with representatives from Bank of America and global offshore energy firm Subsea7.

    VHP (Vooruitstrevende Hervormingspartij) opposition faction leader Asis Gajadien opened the discussion by issuing a formal warning to the Surinamese government, demanding that it strictly adhere to existing legal frameworks governing the accumulation of new national sovereign debt. Gajadien emphasized that all new borrowing must align with the national debt plan already approved by the National Assembly, stressing that no unnecessary debt burdens should be placed on the Surinamese public amid ongoing economic recovery efforts.

    In addition to his warning on future borrowing, Gajadien raised questions about a delayed regulatory filing: according to Surinamese law, the National Debt Bureau was required to publish its annual public report by June 1 of this year, but the document has still not been released to the legislature or the public. He also noted that National Assembly Speaker Ashwin Adhin has not issued any formal public announcement confirming President Simons’ upcoming travel schedule, a departure from standard transparency protocols.

    “I am simply calling on all relevant authorities to abide by existing legal requirements,” Gajadien told the assembly, adding that heightened vigilance is necessary as the government enters talks over financing for future national development projects.

    Ruling NDP (Nationale Democratische Partij) faction leader Rabin Parmessar pushed back against Gajadien’s warnings, dismissing the opposition’s concerns as premature and unfounded. Parmessar clarified that the upcoming meetings in the UK are only exploratory discussions focused on mapping potential investment and financing pathways, and do not signal that the government has already made a final decision to take on new sovereign debt.

    “Let us not jump to conclusions before we have full information,” Parmessar stated. He reiterated that Suriname already has a formally approved national budget and debt plan in place, and the government is legally bound to operate within those existing frameworks. No misleading narratives or unfounded expectations should be spread before the outcomes of the UK meetings are made public, he added.

    The parliamentary debate was triggered after public confirmation emerged that Simons and Wijnerman would travel to the UK to meet with representatives from global financial institutions and private energy firms to advance Suriname’s economic development goals, centered on unlocking growth in the country’s emerging oil and gas industry.

  • DNL biedt ontwerpwetten aan voor lokale participatie en belastingheffing aan minister Wijnerman

    DNL biedt ontwerpwetten aan voor lokale participatie en belastingheffing aan minister Wijnerman

    PARAMARIBO – July 21 – Extra-parliamentary Surinamese political organization De Nieuwe Leeuw (DNL) has delivered two key draft pieces of legislation to Minister of Finance and Planning Adelien Wijnerman, aiming to establish a robust regulatory framework for the country’s anticipated growth in the oil, gas and mining sectors. The draft bills focus on local content requirements and transfer pricing regulation, respectively, and were formally presented on Tuesday by DNL chair Dharmvir Mungra and deputy chair Yerry Khoesial.

    DNL officials note the legislative proposals were developed with input from both in-house specialists and independent external experts, designed to advance long-term, sustainable economic expansion across Suriname’s burgeoning extractive industries. According to the party, Wijnerman received the drafts positively, confirming that the proposals align directly with investment and offshore development talks she will hold this week alongside Suriname President Jennifer Simons in the United Kingdom.

    The proposed Local Content Law is structured to ensure that foreign investment in Suriname’s extractive sectors delivers broader shared benefits to domestic businesses, local workers, and national knowledge institutions. Core provisions of the bill prioritize skills training and knowledge transfer, formal collaboration between foreign operators and local educational and research bodies, and the creation of an independent oversight council to monitor compliance with the law’s requirements. DNL emphasizes that the draft has been crafted to align fully with international trade regulations and existing contractual obligations held by the Surinamese government.

    The second draft legislation, focused on transfer pricing regulation, is intended to close tax loopholes that allow multinational companies to shift profits earned in Suriname to low-tax jurisdictions with more favorable tax regimes. The draft aligns with international standards set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and includes clear rules for setting arm’s-length transfer prices between affiliated entities, mandatory documentation requirements for corporate taxpayers, and the establishment of an advisory body to support the Suriname Tax Administration in resolving complex cross-border tax issues.

    DNL points out that these two new drafts, paired with an investment law draft the party submitted previously, form a cohesive, interconnected regulatory framework for the sector. Together, the package is designed to expand local participation in large-scale extractive investment projects while ensuring fair and complete tax contribution from operating companies. The party states its goal with the legislative proposals is to help build a transparent, sustainable investment climate that allows Suriname to capture the maximum possible economic benefit from projected growth in its oil, gas and mining industries. The full draft texts are available for public download via DNL’s official publication portal.

  • Is Cabinet Link in Defense Contract Scandal Conflict of Interest?

    Is Cabinet Link in Defense Contract Scandal Conflict of Interest?

    In a developing political controversy that has shaken Belize’s government, a newly incorporated firm tied to a sitting Cabinet member has emerged at the center of a Ministry of Defense procurement scandal, amplifying long-simmering questions about pervasive conflict of interest and systemic failure in the country’s public contracting process. The controversy stems from a month-long investigative probe by local outlet News Five, which has uncovered millions of dollars in potentially improperly vetted payments to recently established businesses, raising alarms about deliberate efforts to evade official oversight. The scandal has also cast a harsh spotlight on whether the massive public spending earmarked for the nation’s armed forces has actually delivered tangible benefits to the service members it is intended to support.

    Senior Cabinet minister Francis Fonseca has openly acknowledged what many critics have argued for years: Belize’s public procurement system is fundamentally broken. In comments to reporters, Fonseca noted that this systemic failure has persisted across decades and multiple successive governments from both major political parties, which have largely tolerated the flawed status quo. His remarks come amid mounting political pressure following News Five’s review of hundreds of defense ministry payments to a network of private firms, most of which have been registered within the past five years. Leaked financial documents show millions of dollars in transactions structured to fall just under the $10,000 threshold that triggers mandatory formal oversight, leading investigators to suspect the arrangements were deliberately designed to avoid public scrutiny.

    Fonseca clarified that the current Briceno administration was aware of these deep-rooted procurement flaws long before the recent scandal broke, adding that Cabinet has held extensive discussions on the issue and has already begun working toward reforms. The most high-profile revelation to emerge from the investigation so far centers on RSL Group Limited, a firm incorporated only in 2025 that lists sitting Cabinet member Stuart Leslie as its company director.

    Opposition leader Tracy Panton has condemned the connection as a clear violation of ethical standards for public office, arguing that the case represents a blatant conflict of interest. Panton emphasized that individuals holding high public office — who are classified as politically exposed persons — are held to a higher standard of transparency and must adhere to strict ethical rules for public engagement. She noted that the recent formation of RSL Group and its ability to secure highly profitable government contracts, paired with its close political connections to senior government figures, raises urgent, unaddressed questions about the company’s purpose and how it won public work.

    Despite growing backlash against the ruling People’s United Party (PUP) administration, Fonseca defended Prime Minister John Briceño’s handling of the allegations, noting that the prime minister has ordered a full, comprehensive audit of the Ministry of Defense’s contracting practices. The goal of the audit, Fonseca explained, is to uncover the full scope of improper practices, determine how long these arrangements have been in place, and lay the groundwork for sweeping, fundamental reforms to the procurement system.

    Beyond questions of corruption and conflict of interest, the controversy has refocused attention on the well-being of Belize’s soldiers and Coast Guard officers, who fall under the Ministry of Defense’s purview. Over recent years, the ministry has spent millions of dollars on food supplies including vegetables, meat, and seasonings for service members, leading to debate over whether this spending has actually improved conditions for armed forces personnel. Prime Minister Briceño has asserted that service members are far better off under his administration, telling reporters that “every soldier will tell you that they are eating better today than they did before we came into government.”

    But retired Major Lloyd Jones, a former Belize Defence Force officer with nearly 20 years of service, pushed back on the prime minister’s claims, arguing that Briceño has been given inaccurate information. Jones noted that the prime minister manages a broad portfolio of national responsibilities and cannot personally oversee day-to-day conditions within the armed forces, meaning he relies on secondhand reports that may not reflect on-the-ground reality. “If you talk to the soldiers, the ones living the experience, they will tell you that this is not so,” Jones explained. “I can tell you that the morale across the force is very low. And it is almost unfair to them to pretend otherwise. If the soldiers are saying I am not motivated or don’t have the right equipment to do the job and you say publicly that is not true, in other words you are saying that the soldiers are lying.”

    While the administration has pledged that the upcoming audit will deliver full answers to outstanding questions, analysts note that the scandal has already done lasting damage to public confidence in government. Restoring public trust, observers agree, will require more than just a review: it will demand meaningful, structural changes to a procurement system that even senior government officials now concede is not functioning as it should. Reporting for News Five, Paul Lopez contributed to this report.