Carib Scope

分类： politics

  • Alyssa, mom on 3 charges each

    Alyssa, mom on 3 charges each

    Trinidad and Tobago’s acting Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro has defended the recent arrest and charging of well-known local social activist Alyssa Phillip and her mother Camille Caresquero, after the pair joined the country’s annual permitted Labour Day procession in Fyzabad on Friday without formal authorisation for their separate group.

    Both women now face three criminal offenses each in connection with the incident. For Phillip, the charges include leading an unauthorised public procession, refusing an official order to disperse the group, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest by law enforcement officers. Caresquero is charged with participating in an unlawful procession, obstructing a police officer in the course of their duties, and resisting arrest.

    This arrest marks the second time the mother-daughter activist pair has been taken into custody for protest-related activity in recent weeks. They are currently out on bail pending trial for separate charges stemming from an unsanctioned demonstration outside the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Port of Spain last month. Earlier in May, both women pleaded not guilty to all charges connected to that earlier protest before Magistrate Indira Rmarine Misir-Gosine.

    Phillip and Caresquero have become prominent figures in Trinidad and Tobago’s local activist space, leading a series of public demonstrations and community vigils calling for greater accountability and transparency in the criminal justice system. Their protests stem from the controversial charging of Kaia Sealy with manslaughter and firearms-related offenses in connection with the January 20 police-involved shooting death of her husband Joshua Samaroo in St Augustine.

    In a formal public statement released on Sunday, titled *TTPS Reaffirms the Rule of Law During Labour Day Procession*, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) addressed widespread public discussion and debate surrounding the arrests, emphasizing that all enforcement action was carried out in full compliance with existing national legislation.

    Commissioner Guevarro noted that the TTPS fully recognizes and upholds all constitutionally protected rights of citizens to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. However, he stressed that these fundamental rights are not absolute and must be exercised within the boundaries set out by national law.

    Guevarro added that law enforcement officers acted with full professionalism and clear adherence to procedural guidelines throughout the incident. “It is regrettable that enforcement became necessary, but the sanctity of the Labour Day procession should never be compromised by persons seeking to attach unrelated agendas to a permitted national event,” Guevarro said in the statement.

    Under Trinidad and Tobago’s Summary Offences Act, all public marches require a formal permit issued directly by the Commissioner of Police, with written applications submitted within a statutorily defined timeframe. The commissioner has the authority to approve or deny permit applications based on assessments of public safety and public order risk. The national trade union movement, which organizes the annual Labour Day procession, completed all required legal steps and received full official approval for this year’s event, the TTPS confirmed.

    According to the TTPS’s account of Friday’s incident, Phillip and a small group of her supporters, none of whom were affiliated with the organizing trade union movement, attempted to join the back of the authorised procession. Officers confirmed with event organizers that the activist group was not a formal part of the permitted event, then notified Phillip that her group’s participation would constitute a separate, unauthorised public march that required its own permit. Police also warned the group that their unauthorised presence risked jeopardizing the entire permitted Labour Day event.

    Despite multiple formal warnings, the activist group moved forward and joined the procession as an unauthorised tail contingent. In line with Section 116 of the Summary Offences Act, a senior police officer of the required rank formally ordered Phillip, as the group’s leader, to direct the assembly to disperse. When Phillip refused to comply with the lawful order, officers moved in to arrest both her and Caresquero.

    The TTPS further grounded its enforcement action in a recent High Court ruling delivered by Justice Ricky Rahim in the case *Walker v Attorney General (CV2023-00302)*. That ruling explicitly clarified the legal distinction between static public meetings and moving public marches, and reaffirmed that all public marches require prior written permission from the Commissioner of Police, regardless of whether they intend to attach themselves to an already permitted event.

    “The judgment confirms that any group wishing to participate in a public march must have a permit, and that attaching an unauthorised procession to a lawful one is a breach of the act,” the TTPS statement noted. “The activist group in question did not give notice of a meeting, nor did they apply for or receive a permit for a march. Their actions, therefore, fell squarely within the statutory definition of an unlawful public march.”

    Police officials added that enforcement action was necessary to prevent potential escalation of unrest, protect all attendees of the authorised Labour Day event, uphold the rule of law, and preserve the integrity of the national legislative framework governing public assemblies. “Allowing an unpermitted procession to merge with a lawful one would have undermined the event, created security risks, and violated the legal framework governing public marches,” the statement said.

    The TTPS concluded by reaffirming its ongoing commitment to upholding all constitutional rights of Trinidad and Tobago citizens, enforcing the law equally and without bias, ensuring that national public events proceed safely and without disruption, and engaging with the public in a transparent and respectful manner. The service also issued a reminder to all activist and community groups seeking to hold public marches that completion of the formal permit process is required to avoid similar enforcement action in the future.

  • Guevarro: 290 cops on suspension

    Guevarro: 290 cops on suspension

    One year into his tenure leading the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), Commissioner Allister Guevarro has opened up about the service’s ongoing anti-misconduct efforts, public trust challenges, and legal barriers to greater transparency in policing. In a candid interview held Thursday at the Port of Spain Police Administration Building, Guevarro confirmed a striking statistic: 290 officers across the TTPS are currently suspended amid ongoing disciplinary or criminal proceedings – a figure that has not been made public by the current leadership until now.

    The Commissioner emphasized that this large number of suspensions is not a sign of systemic failure, but rather proof that robust accountability mechanisms are active within the service. When he first took office, Guevarro noted, he was immediately confronted with a string of alleged misconduct cases, and he made rooting out corrupt and unethical actors within the TTPS a top priority from day one. “We try to root out the negative elements within the Police Service itself,” he stated.

    To illustrate the service’s action against misconduct, Guevarro pointed to the high-profile case of Police Constable Stefon Khan. Khan was arrested and suspended earlier this year after an investigation found he had stolen $242,000 worth of marijuana seized as evidence from the Chaguanas Police Station, replacing the cannabis blocks with packages of wood and a ceramic tile. The officer was charged with misbehaviour in public office and brought before the court in May, a resolution that the public was broadly aware of – but Guevarro says that for most cases, the public never learns what action is taken after allegations first surface.

    A core challenge the TTPS faces, Guevarro explained, is the widespread public perception that police misconduct is rarely punished. While initial allegations against officers often draw intense public and media attention, the subsequent disciplinary processes, arrests, and court proceedings rarely gain the same level of public interest. Even when the TTPS issues official statements about case outcomes, Guevarro noted that social media conversations still frequently question whether misconduct cases are ever actually prosecuted, with many users asking for updates on old cases months after announcements have been made.

    The last time a similar suspension count was made public was in 2020, when then-Commissioner Gary Griffith revealed 280 officers were suspended with full pay, costing taxpayers an estimated $50 million annually. Guevarro did not address the cost of the current 290 suspensions in his comments, but he framed the current figure as evidence that multiple accountability bodies – including the TTPS’ own Professional Standards Bureau, internal disciplinary units, and the independent Police Complaints Authority (PCA) – are actively working to hold officers to account. “We are able to investigate, arrest and charge our own,” he said, adding that these systems demonstrate the TTPS’ commitment to removing officers who break the law or violate professional standards.

    Guevarro also touched on public confidence in his leadership and the broader police service. He shared that internal polls conducted after his first 100 days in office showed he held an 80% public approval rating, but stressed that his personal popularity does not equate to public trust in the entire TTPS. “Guevarro is not the TTPS,” he said. “I am the leader of the organisation, and it is for me to take decisions and operate in a particular way with integrity and everything else that comes with the office.”

    Beyond misconduct accountability, Guevarro highlighted a key legal barrier that limits the TTPS’ ability to build public trust through transparency: current restrictions on releasing evidence that is part of active court proceedings. He explained that this is most often an issue with body-worn camera footage, even in cases where the video clearly vindicates officers’ actions.

    As an example, he cited a recent controversial shooting in Tunapuna, where an officer responded to a domestic violence call, was stabbed by a suspect, and fatally shot the man during the confrontation. The officer was wearing a body camera that clearly captured the unprovoked attack and the circumstances that justified the shooting, but Guevarro said the TTPS is legally prohibited from releasing that footage to the public to clear up misinformation about the incident. The same restriction applies to other high-profile pending cases, including the Joshua Samaroo matter, he added.

    “Under our current laws, as long as that footage is to become part of evidence before the court, cannot be shown,” Guevarro explained, noting that releasing such information could be considered prejudicial to a fair trial and impact the final judicial outcome. “I still can’t even show that to the public.”

    The Commissioner said he supports opening national discussions to reform policies around body-worn camera footage, pointing to existing frameworks in the United States and United Kingdom that allow for greater public disclosure in appropriate cases. However, he emphasized that any reform would require buy-in and changes from multiple stakeholders across the criminal justice system, including lawmakers and the Judiciary, not just the TTPS. Guevarro framed the issue as part of a broader national conversation about balancing transparency, public accountability, and fair administration of justice in Trinidad and Tobago.

  • ‘Not another quarry’ – officials, residents contrast Roseau, Richmond operations

    ‘Not another quarry’ – officials, residents contrast Roseau, Richmond operations

    A proposed sand and aggregate harvesting project along St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Roseau River has emerged as a flashpoint of conflict, pitting government officials against North Leeward residents still grappling with the fallout of the divisive 2022 Richmond quarry project. During a recent public forum hosted in Golden Grove as part of North Leeward MP Kishore Shallow’s “North Leeward Matters” community outreach series, senior government and technical leaders went to great lengths to emphasize that the Roseau initiative differs sharply from the foreign-owned Richmond operation that divided local communities years ago.

    Shallow, a representative of the New Democratic Party government that took office in November 2025, framed the Roseau project as a deliberate corrective to the mistakes of the previous Unity Labour Party administration’s Richmond quarry deal. That 2022 agreement leased 59 acres of prime state-owned agricultural land to St. Lucian private businessman Rayneau Gajadhar for a 30-year full-scale stone quarry operation, a move local residents decried as an unlawful “land grab” and catastrophic environmental harm. Shallow told attendees the Richmond project has already blocked critical national development, revealing that the World Bank rejected funding for a planned recreational site in the area specifically due to unregulated pollution from the quarry. He added that the new government plans to review the existing Richmond quarry contract and order a full independent environmental assessment to address longstanding community grievances.

    By contrast, Shallow and other officials characterize Roseau as a low-impact, state-controlled sand harvesting operation that leverages naturally deposited volcanic river aggregate rather than large-scale excavation. Health, Wellness, Environmental Health, and Energy Minister Daniel Cummings, a trained water engineer, outlined core technical differences between the two projects: the Roseau operation will not require blasting, will not remove topsoil or overburden, and will produce far less dust and water pollution than Richmond. Unlike the Windward Coast’s Rabacca site, where rough seas make aggregate export dangerous and inefficient, Cummings noted that Roseau’s calm Leeward coast waters allow for safe barge loading, creating a steady state revenue stream that can be reinvested in domestic public infrastructure.

    Transport, Infrastructure, and Physical Planning Minister Nigel “Nature” Stephenson acknowledged that the Richmond project has left deep “pain” and “environmental scars” that have eroded community trust in new resource development projects in North Leeward. He stressed that unlike Richmond, which cleared large swathes of forest and agricultural land for full-scale quarrying, Roseau will only collect loose aggregate already deposited by natural river and volcanic activity, causing minimal disruption to local ecosystems. Critically, Stephenson added that all revenue from the Roseau project will go to the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for public benefit, in contrast to Richmond, where most profits left the country for foreign investors. “North Leeward will benefit like you have not seen over the past five or even 20 years,” he told attendees.

    Kem Bartholomew, CEO of the state-owned Barbados Regional Aggregates and Stone Authority (BRAGSA) which will lead the Roseau operation, reinforced that state control is the key distinction from Richmond’s private foreign ownership. He noted that BRAGSA has already completed a required environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for Roseau, a step activists say the Richmond project skipped when it moved ahead ahead of regulatory approval. Bartholomew added that the 3-kilometer Roseau project site holds an estimated 4.2 million cubic meters of aggregate with a gross value in the tens of millions of dollars, arguing that allowing the material to simply wash out to sea would be a wasted national opportunity.

    Reynald Murray, the environmental consultant who prepared Roseau’s ESIA, backed up officials’ technical claims, confirming that the project will not involve topsoil removal, blasting, or sediment-causing washing that would pollute rivers and nearshore waters. Even so, Murray cautioned that the project carries a concrete, underdiscussed risk to local fisheries that must be managed proactively. He proposed that Roseau be run as a multi-use bay with shared governance between BRAGSA, local fishers, and tourism operators, rather than the closed single-use industrial site that Richmond became.

    Despite officials’ repeated assurances, local community leaders, indigenous rights advocates, and residents say the Roseau project already mirrors the Richmond project’s most problematic patterns. Adonis Charles, chair of the North Leeward Preservation Front, said the project mirrors Richmond’s history of rushed, limited consultation with affected communities before operations begin. Charles noted that the Richmond lease cost the developer just EC$12,000 in annual rent and saw nearly every local environmental and land use law broken, warning the new government against repeating that pattern. “Don’t get us wrong, we are all for development, but development must be balanced,” Charles said, adding that he hopes the Golden Grove meeting is not the final opportunity for community input.

    Activist Adrian “Tari” Codougan argued that rebranding large-scale extraction as “sand harvesting” does not fix the core problem of exclusion: the project was already underway before officials began engaging local communities whose livelihoods would be affected. Codougan proposed a national legal requirement that 25% of net profits from all community-based resource extraction be returned directly to the host community, noting that Richmond residents have never seen fair, proportional benefits from the quarry. Local fisherfolk added that the Roseau River mouth extraction poses direct risks to fishing livelihoods, already strained by the 2021 volcanic eruption and ongoing pollution from Richmond.

    In closing, Shallow pushed back on community concerns, framing the Roseau project as a once-in-a-generation “golden opportunity” for both North Leeward and the entire country. He acknowledged that ongoing consultation and tangible community benefits are required to move the project forward, maintaining that the new government has learned critical lessons from the Richmond quarry controversy.

  • Bolivia roept noodtoestand uit te midden van blokkades

    Bolivia roept noodtoestand uit te midden van blokkades

    Five weeks of mass anti-government protests have pushed Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz to declare a national 90-day state of emergency, granting the military expanded authority to clear crippling road blockades that have cut off critical supply lines to the capital La Paz and other major urban centers.

    The unrest, which has rocked Paz’s centrist administration just seven months after he took office, stems from public anger over sweeping austerity measures, most notably the elimination of long-standing fuel subsidies. What began as peaceful demonstrations has escalated into violent clashes between protesters armed with explosives and riot police, leaving at least 37 people injured and prompting more than 365 arrests, according to official government data.

    The human cost of the crisis has grown far steeper, however. Bolivia’s ombudsman’s office and independent human rights groups confirm at least 17 deaths have been linked to the unrest, most caused by lack of access to urgent medical care after blockades isolated entire communities. The Bolivian government alone has recorded seven deaths directly tied to delayed or unavailable medical treatment, as critical routes into La Paz remain barricaded, triggering acute shortages of fuel, food, and even medical oxygen in hospitals. Vehicles have been left stranded across the country, and patients requiring routine and emergency care have been unable to reach care facilities.

    In a nationally televised address defending the executive order, Paz emphasized that the state of emergency is not intended to restrict civil liberties, but to restore the freedoms ordinary Bolivians have been denied by the ongoing blockades. As stores shuttered and supermarket shelves emptied amid the supply collapse, public pressure for a forceful response to restore order has mounted rapidly.

    Progress toward de-escalation remains fragmented. On Friday evening, Paz secured an agreement with one major labor union, whose leadership has since called for protesters to lift their roadblocks. But hardline factions of the movement, who are demanding Paz’s immediate resignation, have rejected negotiations and refused to stand down.

    Under the terms of the emergency decree, blocking public roads that disrupt transport and supply chains is formally prohibited, and the military is authorized to temporarily support police operations to clear routes, reestablish public order, and protect civilian populations. Paz’s administration has stressed that constitutional protections and due process remain in effect, and that ordinary citizens will still be able to carry out their daily activities without widespread restrictions. The 90-day state of emergency can be ended early if violence and threats against civilians cease, the government added.

    Paz, who took office last November after ending nearly 20 consecutive years of rule by the left-wing Movement for Socialism (MAS), campaigned as a centrist reformer. He ran on promises to resolve pre-existing fuel shortages, shore up the struggling national treasury, and preserve critical social safety net programs for vulnerable populations. But his austerity pivot, particularly the cuts to fuel subsidies, has sparked rampant inflation and deepened public discontent across the country.

    The protest movement is led by highland Indigenous communities and rural workers, many of whom are former MAS supporters who accuse Paz of disregarding their core economic and social interests. Politically, the president faces mounting pressure from all sides: the conservative parliamentary majority and the left-wing opposition, led by ex-president Evo Morales who is backing the protests from exile and calling for snap new elections.

    On the international stage, Paz has secured formal backing from the United States, which has pledged additional emergency aid and logistical support to alleviate shortages caused by the blockades. U.S. officials have condemned the unrest as an attempted coup against Bolivia’s democratically elected legitimate government, and warned that bad actors are seeking to exploit the chaos to destabilize the broader Andean region.

  • Ramsaran: liever geïnvesteerd in luchttransport dan in marineschip Barracuda

    Ramsaran: liever geïnvesteerd in luchttransport dan in marineschip Barracuda

    During a budget debate held in Suriname’s National Assembly on June 20, Defence Minister Uraiqit Ramsaran has made a striking public remark regarding the country’s marine vessel the Barracuda, acknowledging that the €17 million-plus investment in the ship would not have been his top priority if the decision had been left to him. This comment came in response to questions from multiple assembly members focused on the acquisition, total costs, and operational deployment of the vessel, which remains active in maritime operations to this day.

    Minister Ramsaran detailed the financial structure of the deal, explaining that the Barracuda was acquired through a five-year lease-to-own agreement with a total cumulative value of approximately €17.3 million. Under the terms of the contract, the country is obligated to pay roughly €2.3 million in annual lease installments over the contract period. He further confirmed that the acquisition did not follow the standard open tender process, instead proceeding through an alternative, non-competitive procurement route.

    While the minister confirmed that the Barracuda is currently used for surveillance and patrol missions across Suriname’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone, he made clear that he would have directed the same budget toward different national defence priorities. “Based on my own observations and insights, given the limited resources available to us, I would almost certainly have set different priorities,” Ramsaran told the assembly.

    Among the alternative investments Ramsaran highlighted are expanded air transport capabilities, specifically the purchase of a dedicated transport or cargo plane. Such an asset, he argued, would allow the military to move personnel, equipment, and supplies far more quickly to remote outposts located in Suriname’s inland regions. The country’s vast geographical distances and reliance on variable water levels for overland and river travel make expanded aerial logistics capacity a critical need for national defence, Ramsaran added.

    The minister emphasized that Suriname’s national defence sector continues to face massive unmet investment needs, requiring that every available budget allocation be used as efficiently as possible to boost the overall operational capacity of the country’s armed forces. Despite his critical remarks about the original investment decision, Ramsaran stressed that the Barracuda remains a fully functional and active asset. As recently as the past week, the vessel took part in a joint counter-illegal fishing operation that also resulted in the seizure of a large quantity of illegal narcotics, which has since been transferred to competent law enforcement authorities for further processing.

  • Prime Minister Friday to Attend the 78th Meeting of the OECS Authority in Antigua and Barbuda

    Prime Minister Friday to Attend the 78th Meeting of the OECS Authority in Antigua and Barbuda

    In a scheduled regional diplomatic engagement set for this week, Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is preparing to depart for St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, to take part in the 78th annual gathering of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Authority. The two-day high-level meeting, slated to run from June 21 to 22, 2026, will convene heads of government and senior political leaders from all 11 OECS member states to address pressing shared concerns and chart a collective path forward for the sub-region.

    Among the key agenda items for this year’s assembly are coordinated strategies to drive inclusive economic development across smaller island economies, deepen long-standing regional integration frameworks, strengthen collective capacity to adapt to and recover from climate change impacts, address cross-border security challenges, and expand mutually beneficial cooperation between member states. For small island developing states like those that make up the OECS, many of these topics carry existential importance, making consensus-building at the annual gathering a critical step for collective progress.

    A key procedural milestone will also unfold during the meeting: the formal handover of the OECS Authority Chairmanship. Per the bloc’s long-standing rotational leadership policy, current chair Prime Minister Friday will transfer the role to his counterpart, Prime Minister Hon. Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda, for the coming term. Rotational leadership is a core governance principle of the OECS, designed to ensure equal representation and shared responsibility for advancing the bloc’s collective mission across all member states.

    Accompanying Prime Minister Friday on the trip are a small delegation of senior officials, including Protection Officer Corporal Desrick Quashie, Ambassador Allan Alexander, Senior Advisor Randy Cato, and Senior Advisor and Ambassador Kevin Hope. To ensure uninterrupted governance of St. Vincent and the Grenadines during the prime minister’s travel, Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Major St. Clair Leacock, who also holds portfolios for National Security, Disaster Management and Immigration, will serve as acting prime minister for the duration of Friday’s absence.

  • Region 3 accounts dept staff to face suspension for missing 10-day salaries

    Region 3 accounts dept staff to face suspension for missing 10-day salaries

    A major administrative shakeup is unfolding in Guyana’s Region Three (West Demerara-Essequibo Islands), where four accounting department employees are set to begin unpaid suspension Monday amid a delayed police probe into the disappearance of GY$2.3 million earmarked for National Pathway worker salaries, a senior regional official has confirmed.

    Region Three Chairman Sheik Mohamed Inshan Ayube told reporters the missing funds were intended for more than 50 program participants, each set to receive a GY$40,000 payment in March 2026. According to the official’s account, after counting and securing the full cash sum in a locked accounting cage ahead of disbursement, the responsible staff left the facility for a midday meal, only to return and find the money no longer located.

    Ayube clarified that the four implicated female employees have already fully restituted the missing sum, ensuring the eligible workers received their scheduled payments without disruption. The staff were initially reassigned to other non-financial roles while the regional administration awaited completion of a police investigation. With the probe dragging on past expected timelines, however, the administration has moved forward with unpaid suspensions that will remain in effect until law enforcement issues a formal, conclusive finding. Any staff members ultimately cleared of wrongdoing will be reinstated to their original positions and receive back pay for the suspension period, Ayube added.

    The current cash-based disbursement process sees the regional administration receive a lump-sum cheque for National Pathway salaries, which is then cashed, split into individual envelope amounts, and distributed directly to workers. This practice has now come under sharp criticism from opposition lawmaker Ganesh Mahipaul of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), who has formally requested the Auditor General of Guyana launch a full independent audit into the incident.

    In his formal request, Mahipaul called for a comprehensive review of how the program funds were allocated, distributed, and managed, with final findings released through official oversight channels. The opposition MP stressed that any financial irregularities must be addressed quickly, with systemic fixes implemented to prevent similar losses of public money in the future. Speaking to Demerara Waves Online News, Mahipaul questioned how such a large sum could go missing under standard financial protocols, arguing that the case almost certainly points to failures in existing accounting and security practices that rely on liquid cash.

    Mahipaul argued that cash disbursements are an unnecessary and high-risk practice in the current policy context, noting that all Guyanese citizens are already required to hold bank accounts to access the government’s universal GY$100,000 cash grant. Switching to individual cheque payments or direct bank transfers would create a mandatory paper trail, he said, that would greatly reduce the risk of misappropriation or loss and make it far easier to trace irregularities when they do occur.

    In response, Chairman Ayube defended the longstanding cash policy, pointing to significant barriers for workers in remote and riverain communities across Region Three. For these residents, traveling to a commercial bank branch to cash a salary cheque represents a major logistical and financial burden that the regional administration seeks to avoid. Ayube noted that the regional government will open discussions with the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development to review the disbursement model moving forward, in light of the recent incident.

    Mahipaul emphasized that the disappearance of funds intended for vulnerable program participants raises serious questions about public financial management. The incident demands urgent, thorough scrutiny to clarify the full circumstances, verify whether required financial protocols were followed, and assign accountability where wrongdoing is found, he said. Public trust in government anti-poverty and employment programs, Mahipaul added, depends entirely on transparent processes, robust independent oversight, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources.

  • Alphonsos, Azruddin Mohamed in row over gold mining rights at quarry concession

    Alphonsos, Azruddin Mohamed in row over gold mining rights at quarry concession

    A high-stakes legal and territorial conflict over overlapping land rights for gold and quarry mining has erupted in Guyana’s Itaballi, Mazaruni district, pitting prominent local business and political figure Azruddin Mohamed against the long-established family-owned Alphonso Mining firm. The dispute, which dates back years, burst into public view in mid-June 2026 after Mohamed filed a formal complaint alleging Alphonso Mining had deployed mining equipment to conduct unauthorized gold extraction on a quarry concession he controls.

    In an official statement released Saturday, Alphonso Mining forcefully rejected all of Mohamed’s claims of illegal trespass, asserting it has held fully valid legal rights to extract gold and diamonds from the disputed plot for more than a decade. According to the company, Alfro Alphonso & Sons acquired the subsurface mineral rights to the land in 2014 through an open, competitive public auction, paid all required fees in full, and has continuously maintained those rights ever since. The firm emphasized that Guyanese law explicitly allows for separate and coexisting mineral rights and quarry material rights, noting that the later quarry license issued to Mohamed’s company Hadi’s World Inc. does not override its pre-existing, legally held mining rights. Alphonso Mining also announced it plans to pursue legal action over what it calls “false and deliberately damaging statements” published on social media pages connected to Mohamed.

    Guyana’s Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat confirmed the government has launched an official probe into the conflicting claims. Speaking to Demerara Waves Online News, Bharrat said the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has deployed an inspection team to conduct an on-the-ground physical survey of the area, with officials currently cross-checking documentation to verify whether all required permits are in order for operations on the site. The minister reaffirmed the country’s existing legal framework that permits separate mineral and quarry rights to be held on the same parcel of land.

    Mohamed, who serves as Guyana’s Opposition Leader and heads the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) political party, acknowledged he is aware that Guyanese law allows for overlapping mineral and quarry rights, but claims he had no prior knowledge that any third party held valid mineral rights to his concession area. “I am not aware of anyone having mineral rights. How all of a sudden persons have mineral rights?” he told reporters, questioning how the rights were granted without his knowledge.

    Mohamed’s company secured its quarry license for the site in June 2021, and has since invested nearly US$25 million to dredge the shallow Mazaruni River channel to allow access for mining barges. However, his operations have been crippled since June 2024, when the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on Azruddin Mohamed and his father over alleged financial crimes linked to their gold export business. The pair have since been indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury and are currently fighting extradition proceedings in Guyanese courts.

    Since the sanctions were imposed, Mohamed says he has been unable to continue production because the licensed importer for mining explosives refused to process his payments from the U.S.-based supplier. He also claims the GGMC has declined to accept future concession payments from him due to the sanctions, an odd contrast he notes to the Guyana Revenue Authority and Attorney General’s Chambers, which have continued to accept his payments.

    The timeline of the incursion, per Mohamed’s account, began after he was forced to move his heavy machinery off-site once he could not acquire explosives, leaving the concession’s infrastructure unprotected. A group of small-scale miners, including local Indigenous Amerindian miners, began mining on the unoccupied land without Mohamed’s permission. After local contacts alerted him to the unauthorized activity, he requested government intervention, prompting the ruling PPP administration to deploy a 50-member armed task force made up of personnel from the GGMC, Guyana Police Force, Guyana Defence Force, and Ministry of Natural Resources to arrest the small miners and bring charges against them.

    It was after this intervention that Mohamed discovered Alphonso Mining had moved its own gold mining equipment onto the concession, triggering the current public dispute. Mohamed warned that the gold mining operations planned by Alphonso Mining pose a major risk of toxic pollution to the Mazaruni River and adjacent agricultural farmlands in the area.

    Alphonso Mining, for its part, is calling on the GGMC and other relevant authorities to launch a separate investigation into what it frames as illegal incursion by the small miners. The firm says key unanswered questions remain: who supported or funded the small miners’ entry to the site, and who purchased the illegally extracted gold from the area. “These are the real questions that deserve answers,” the company stated.

    The dispute also carries tangential links to Guyana’s growing offshore oil sector. Mohamed was once a partner in NRG Holdings, a consortium that included the Alphonso and Deygoo-Boyer families, to develop the US$300 million Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase, which is contracted by ExxonMobil to support production at the oil major’s Yellowtail offshore oilfield. After news of potential U.S. sanctions against Mohamed broke, Hadi’s World exited the project.

  • United Workers Party to hold youth symposium

    United Workers Party to hold youth symposium

    The United Workers Party (UWP), one of the major political actors in Dominica, has revealed a new targeted initiative aimed at addressing the rising economic challenges facing the island nation’s youth population: a upcoming Youth Symposium set to launch in the coming weeks. The official announcement came from UWP Political Leader Dr. Thomson Fontaine during a recently held press briefing, where he emphasized the party’s long-standing dedication to two core policy priorities: youth empowerment and structural economic reform.

    Dr. Fontaine framed the upcoming symposium as more than just a discussion event; it will act as an accessible, structured platform for open engagement between the party and young Dominican citizens. Attendees will gain access to targeted resources, professional development tools, and clear pathways to formal employment, designed to connect young job seekers with viable work opportunities across the island. This youth-focused effort sits at the heart of the UWP’s broader governing plan, encapsulated in its signature policy framework, the “10 pillars to shared prosperity.” This comprehensive roadmap is built around four central goals: delivering robust, inclusive economic growth, generating sustainable new jobs, lifting young Dominicans out of widespread economic hardship, and guaranteeing fair living wages for all working citizens across the country.

    Beyond youth-focused programming, Dr. Fontaine outlined a slate of sweeping economic policy changes the party would advance if given the opportunity to govern. Among the key proposals are a full overhaul and simplification of Dominica’s current tax code, the full elimination of the controversial $10,000 environmental tax, a mandatory increase to the national minimum wage to no less than $12 per hour, and targeted negotiations for national debt relief to ease the burden of Dominica’s quickly growing national debt load. In a move to prioritize local workers, Dr. Fontaine also made a formal pledge that the party would prioritize domestic employment, requiring that Dominican truckers, skilled tradespeople, and other local workers receive first consideration for all construction and development projects carried out within the country’s borders.

    In closing remarks at the press conference, Dr. Fontaine reaffirmed that the UWP’s entire governing vision is centered on three interconnected outcomes: expanding opportunity for the nation’s young people, strengthening the domestic workforce, and driving long-term, sustainable economic growth that benefits all citizens. “Above all we will provide opportunities to our young people to put them to work and keep them here in Dominica to help us in the vision of developing this country,” he said.

  • Iran Says It Has Shut Strait of Hormuz; U.S. Insists Waterway Remains Open

    Iran Says It Has Shut Strait of Hormuz; U.S. Insists Waterway Remains Open

    In a tense escalation of Middle Eastern tensions that has sent ripples through global energy and diplomatic circles, Iran announced on June 20, 2026 that it has shut down the Strait of Hormuz — the world’s most vital chokepoint for global oil transit. The move came as Tehran issued formal accusations against Israel for breaking a recently agreed ceasefire in Lebanon, and against the United States for failing to honor the terms of a preliminary, tentative deal designed to de-escalate the broader regional conflict, multiple international news outlets have confirmed.

    Contradicting Iran’s announcement outright, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has flatly rejected Tehran’s claim, pushing back that the Islamic Republic does not hold operational control over the strategic waterway, and that commercial shipping traffic continues to flow through the passage without interruption. “Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,” confirmed Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for CENTCOM. He added that U.S. military forces have maintained active surveillance of the entire region, with a core mission of protecting unimpeded passage for all commercial vessels.

    Data released by CENTCOM via CNN shows that 55 merchant vessels successfully transited the strait on the day prior to Iran’s announcement, carrying more than 17 million barrels of crude oil to global energy markets. U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who is set to lead the American delegation to upcoming negotiations with Iran in Switzerland, told Fox News that current oil transit volumes through the strait have already returned to pre-conflict levels. Vance also emphasized there is no verifiable evidence that Iran has carried out any effective closure of the key waterway.

    These competing claims emerge just days before high-stakes diplomatic talks are scheduled to open in Switzerland. The negotiations will bring together U.S. and Iranian delegations, with third-party mediation from Pakistan and Qatar, as global powers work to prevent a full-scale regional conflict that could upend global energy supplies. Even as diplomatic teams prepare for talks, however, renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues to undermine chances of a breakthrough. CNN reported that at least 16 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes targeting southern Lebanon on Saturday, with Israeli officials confirming the strikes were launched in direct response to prior offensive actions by Hezbollah.

    Iran has issued a stark final warning to the U.S. in the lead-up to the talks, stating that it will implement what it calls “necessary measures” if Washington fails to meet its obligations under the preliminary de-escalation agreement. The standoff over the Strait of Hormuz has already drawn heightened international attention, as the waterway carries roughly 20% of all global oil consumption, and any prolonged disruption would send shockwaves through energy markets worldwide.