分类： politics

Jamaica’s Energy and Telecommunications Minister Daryl Vaz has issued a robust defense of his decision to authorize emergency procurement of Starlink satellite devices during Hurricane Melissa’s devastation in October 2025, directly challenging the Auditor General’s findings of procurement violations. The $12-million acquisition of 200 units has sparked a heated political confrontation regarding emergency protocols versus procedural compliance.

Minister Vaz asserted that the catastrophic communications breakdown following the hurricane justified immediate action beyond standard bureaucratic channels. ‘I make no apologies for ensuring the Government could secure available devices rapidly for distribution to state agencies and recovery teams,’ Vaz declared, referencing official emergency procurement guidelines that permit extraordinary measures during genuine crises.

The Auditor General’s compliance audit, however, determined that procurement procedures were circumvented. The report revealed that ministerial instruction rather than the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) director general initiated the process, with devices delivered before formal approval documentation was completed. Additionally, the audit found numerous units remained unused months after purchase, with inventory management deficiencies and compatibility issues involving European-style plugs.

Opposition spokesman Phillip Paulwell has demanded transparency, highlighting contradictions in government statements regarding donated versus purchased units. ‘Jamaicans are entitled to clear and consistent answers,’ Paulwell stated, emphasizing that telecommunications decisions during emergencies ‘must be unimpeachable and fully compliant with the law.’

Vaz countered by accusing the opposition of political opportunism, noting that opposition members themselves had requested and received Starlink devices during the crisis. ‘The accountability that Paulwell and the Opposition demand may therefore begin with the devices that they received,’ Vaz remarked, characterizing the criticism as disingenuous.

The minister maintained that the moral imperative of saving lives outweighed procedural concerns during the national emergency. ‘If even one life was saved, or even one family rescued as a result of the decision taken then it would have been worth it,’ Vaz concluded, defending his actions as necessary during Jamaica’s ‘most vulnerable and fragile’ period.

HAVANA, Cuba — In a firm national address broadcast on state media Thursday, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel declared his nation’s readiness to engage in diplomatic talks with the United States, but strictly on condition of mutual respect and without external pressure. This statement comes as a direct response to recent threats from US President Donald Trump, who has aggressively threatened to sever Cuba’s oil access and predicted the collapse of its communist government.

President Diaz-Canel emphasized that any potential dialogue must be conducted between equals, respecting Cuba’s sovereignty, independence, and right to self-determination without interference in its internal affairs. This position directly counters Trump’s public urgings for Havana to ‘make a deal before it is too late’—a proposition the Cuban government maintains does not constitute genuine negotiation.

The escalating tension occurs against a backdrop of severe economic and energy distress in Cuba. The nation, already grappling with its worst economic crisis in decades, faces acute fuel shortages that have crippled power generation. An electrical grid failure earlier Thursday left hundreds of thousands in eastern Cuba without electricity for hours, highlighting the vulnerability of its infrastructure.

This crisis has been exacerbated by the US’s recent actions in Venezuela, Cuba’s primary historical oil supplier. Following a US military operation that ousted Venezuelan leadership, Trump claimed control over the nation’s oil reserves and vowed to starve Cuba of fuel, threatening tariffs on any third country attempting to supply the sanctioned island.

While the White House, through spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, asserted that diplomacy is ongoing and that the Cuban government is ‘on its last leg,’ Havana continues to deny the existence of formal negotiations. International support appears limited; Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated her country is pursuing diplomatic channels to resume oil shipments to Cuba but will not risk triggering punitive US tariffs.

President Diaz-Canel acknowledged the gravity of the fuel situation, noting that energy production from traditional generators has been ‘zero for weeks,’ but insisted that ‘Cuba is not alone.’ He pointed to the current pressure as validation of Cuba’s efforts to transition toward renewable energy and reduce foreign dependence. While Cuban officials squarely blame decades of US sanctions for the crisis, independent observers also cite poor economic management and a pandemic-induced tourism collapse as contributing factors to the nation’s dire situation.

Jamaica’s government has acknowledged significant delays in updating national cybersecurity legislation, with Minister Dr. Andrew Wheatley admitting the Opposition’s concerns about the country falling behind evolving digital threats were justified. The concession came as the House of Representatives approved amendments to the Cybercrimes Act on Tuesday, following criticism that the nearly three-year revision process had left the nation vulnerable to advanced cybercriminal activities.

During parliamentary debates, Opposition members highlighted how rapidly advancing technologies—including artificial intelligence tools, sophisticated online fraud schemes, and digital impersonation tactics—had already outpaced the legislative provisions under review. They argued that criminal elements had adapted to new technologies while Parliament deliberated on outdated recommendations from the 2023 Joint Select Committee.

Minister Wheatley, responding while closing the debate, recognized the validity of these concerns and pledged a fundamental shift in legislative approach. “The Government accepts the broader point. Technology moves quickly and the law must not be allowed to move slowly,” he stated, committing to more frequent and responsive review cycles rather than extended periods between updates.

However, Wheatley also elaborated on the complexities involved in cyber legislation reform, explaining that effective measures require careful balancing of multiple factors beyond simply adding new offenses to statute books. “It requires careful alignment of enforcement powers, prosecutorial practicality, constitutional safeguards, and coherence with other laws, especially where amendments touch issues like consent, privacy, public interest and sensitive data,” he noted.

The government’s new approach signals recognition that traditional legislative timelines are incompatible with the rapid evolution of digital threats, including AI-generated content, online extortion schemes, and anonymous smear campaigns that exploit legal loopholes.