Carib Scope

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  • Grange doubles down on claim Rastafarians’ rights are protected in Jamaica

    Grange doubles down on claim Rastafarians’ rights are protected in Jamaica

    A public debate over the legal standing of Jamaica’s Rastafari community has intensified, after Culture Minister Olivia Grange reaffirmed the government’s position that Rastafarians already hold full equal rights under existing national law, pushing back against fresh demands from Rastafari community leaders for targeted, explicit legislation.

    Grange laid out the administration’s stance Thursday during proceedings of the joint select committee tasked with reviewing the government’s Green Paper for Jamaica’s National Policy on Culture, Entertainment and the Creative Economy. She pushed back against what she described as a misleading public narrative that has emerged in recent discourse, claiming Rastafarians are denied formal recognition and equal legal protection in the country.

    “Recent commentary in local press has raised questions about whether the government recognizes Rastafari, and whether community members hold the same rights as followers of other religious groups,” Grange told the committee. “I want to place on official record that they do, in fact, have the same rights as any other religious group in Jamaica.”

    The minister emphasized that equal protections for Rastafari believers are already enshrined in Jamaica’s national Charter of Rights, and added that the current administration has done more to advance and support the Rastafari community than any preceding government in the nation’s history. As evidence of the government’s commitment, she cited the $176-million public contribution to the Coral Gardens Benevolent Fund, a initiative created after the state issued a formal apology for the 1963 Coral Gardens atrocity, a violent state-led crackdown targeting Rastafarians that left multiple community members dead.

    Grange’s remarks came just days after the Rastafari Mansions and Organizations (RMO), a leading collective of Rastafari groups, publicly criticized the government for exaggerating existing legal protections and renewed calls for a dedicated, comprehensive Rastafari Rights and Justice Act. The organization argues systemic discrimination against the community remains embedded in Jamaican law and government practice.

    The debate gained new momentum after neighboring St. Kitts and Nevis passed legislation granting formal legal recognition to Rastafari, including explicit provisions safeguarding sacramental rights, cultural identity, and economic concessions for the community. The move sparked direct comparisons to Jamaica’s legal framework and amplified RMO’s demands for explicit constitutional recognition in Jamaica.

    In a public statement released April 21, the RMO argued that broad constitutional guarantees of religious freedom do not go far enough to grant formal recognition to Rastafari as both a distinct religious faith and an indigenous Jamaican cultural group. Without explicit, targeted legal protections, the organization says, systemic discrimination and inconsistent enforcement of existing rights persist across key public sectors, including law enforcement, education, employment, and healthcare.

    The group also levied additional criticism against the government, accusing authorities of failing to deliver adequate support to Rastafari communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa. The RMO claims disaster relief efforts did not accommodate the community’s unique dietary, cultural, and health needs.

    Further, the organization pointed to recent court cases involving cannabis, known as ganja to Rastafarians who use it sacramentally. The RMO argues that even after amendments to Jamaica’s Dangerous Drugs Act, protections for Rastafari sacramental use of cannabis are still unevenly applied by authorities.

    Despite rejecting the RMO’s core claim that existing protections are insufficient, Grange signaled the Jamaican government remains open to broad, inclusive dialogue about the Rastafari community’s place in the nation’s legal and cultural landscape.

    “I invite full discussion on Rastafari as a religion, to examine the history of what has been done in this country, to chart a path forward toward even greater embrace and recognition of the importance of Rastafari to Jamaica,” Grange said Thursday.

  • Golding congratulates Gaston Browne on general election victory in Antigua

    Golding congratulates Gaston Browne on general election victory in Antigua

    In a landmark outcome that has reshaped the political landscape of the Eastern Caribbean, Gaston Browne and his ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) have secured a historic fourth consecutive term in office, following a decisive landslide victory in the country’s general election. Preliminary vote counts confirm the scale of ABLP’s triumph, with the party claiming 15 of the 17 contested parliamentary seats — a dramatic expansion of its narrow 9-7 majority won in the 2023 January polls.

    This unprecedented win cements Browne’s place in Antigua and Barbuda’s political history: he is the first prime minister of the nation to secure four straight general election victories since the country gained independence. The main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) was left with only a single seat, which will be retained by party leader Jamale Pringle. On the island of Barbuda, the Barbuda People’s Movement held onto its local seat, with incumbent Trevor Walker retaining his position.

    Following the confirmation of the results, Mark Golding, Opposition Leader of neighboring Jamaica, issued a formal statement of congratulations shared via the social platform X. Golding extended warm wishes to both Browne and the entire ABLP for their successful campaign, noting that Browne’s return to office — a post he has held since first assuming leadership in 2014 — is a clear reflection of the ongoing trust and confidence the people of Antigua and Barbuda place in his leadership. Golding also shared his expectation of productive collaborative work with Browne’s new administration in the coming term, concluding his statement by wishing the incoming government success in delivering on its new mandate.

  • Long wait times and scenes of confusion plague advanced poll

    Long wait times and scenes of confusion plague advanced poll

    Long queues, multi-hour wait times, and widespread confusion during the Bahamas’ recent advance poll have thrown the Parliamentary Registration Department (PRD)’s preparedness into sharp question, stoking growing fears that the far larger and more complex general Election Day could face similar catastrophic dysfunction.

    The final ballot of the day was not cast until 10 p.m. – a full four hours after the official scheduled closing time of 6 p.m., marking a dramatic breakdown of the electoral process that unfolded against a backdrop of weeks of criticism from the opposition Free National Movement (FNM). Prior to the advance poll, the ruling government had repeatedly dismissed opposition concerns, defending the PRD’s ability to manage the election. This week’s voting, however, laid bare severe operational strain across polling stations nationwide: some electors waited more than five hours to cast their ballots, while countless others abandoned the process in frustration, and multiple locations kept voting open far past the official close to clear massive backlogs. Even some candidates from the ruling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) were forced to acknowledge major shortcomings in the advance poll’s organization.

    Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis was visibly agitated during a visit to the Sadie Curtis polling location and declined to answer questions from press corps. Former PLP Cabinet minister and MP Leslie Miller, who accompanied Davis, told reporters he waited two and a half hours to vote at the Doris Johnson site, and called for a doubling of available polling space ahead of the general election. “It took me two and a half hours to vote today, okay, tremendous,” Miller said. Several other high-ranking PLP figures including Sebas Bastian, McKell Bonaby, Myles Laroda and Mario Bowleg echoed Miller’s call, noting that more space was urgently needed to reduce crowding, particularly for elderly and disabled voters. Bastian added that the problematic advance poll experience would guide necessary adjustments before Election Day.

    Operational issues were apparent from the moment polls opened at many locations. At Kendal Isaacs Gym, a site serving three major constituencies, delays began immediately when the exit door remained locked at opening, creating a massive bottleneck that sent lines swelling out into surrounding areas. Voter Tavia McIntosh said the check-in process inside the station functioned smoothly, but described the outdoor crowding as totally disorganized. “You see the crowd? It is unorganised,” she said. “I hope it [the general election] doesn’t be like this.” Commissioner of Police Shanta Knowles ultimately traveled to the site to intervene and restore order.

    At Thelma Gibson Primary School, voters reported widespread confusion over directional guidance, with many being sent to multiple wrong locations before finding their correct polling station. Seventy-six-year-old voter Cynthia Sealy told reporters she was redirected twice before reaching the correct spot. Other common complaints across sites focused on a lack of basic amenities for waiting voters, with many electors forced to stand for hours in direct sun without adequate shelter. At the CV Bethel polling location, FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands highlighted extreme overcrowding, noting that one advance polling room had been assigned to nearly 1,200 registered voters. “Perhaps one of the worst situations of the day is Bamboo Town has 1,200 people on the advanced poll, and one room,” Sands said. “One. One. One. So people have been waiting four, five, six hours. Okay?”

    Tensions boiled over at the HO Nash polling site after multiple people were permitted to cut in line, sparking loud protests from waiting voters who decried the process as unfair. Multiple elderly voters suffered medical distress amid the heat and long waits, with at least one voter fainting. A 75-year-old elector abandoned the line after just 45 minutes, saying he could not physically tolerate the conditions, and noted he had never seen such dysfunction in decades of voting. “This ain’t the first election these people been through,” he said. “They been through many and I ain’t never seen it like this.” Another voter, Michelle Dames of Mount Moriah, also left without casting a ballot, calling for systemic changes to better accommodate vulnerable groups. “Somebody just fell out over there from standing so long,” she said. “Even though some persons are trying to provide chairs, that ain’t cutting it.”

    Beyond basic operational management, FNM legal advisor Khalil Parker raised more serious procedural concerns. He pointed to reports of pre-signed ballots and completed counterfoils found before voters arrived at stations, the lack of a properly segregated voter list for advance poll participants, and a last-minute decision to allow electors with approved applications to vote even if their names did not yet appear on the official register. “So now, we have to deal with the fact that there’s going to need to be a reconciliation between those who voted, but were not on the register, and those who voted and were on the register to make sure that when we begin on election day, there is a mitigation or a correction or an updating of the official records at PRD, so that duplicating voters isn’t a substantive concern in that event,” Parker explained. He added that the FNM would demand an urgent meeting with PRD leadership to resolve all outstanding issues before the general election.

    Despite widespread cross-party criticism, the PRD has maintained it remains fully prepared for the upcoming general election, noting that Election Day will feature more polling stations, additional staffing, and expanded logistical support compared to the advance poll. The department acknowledged the delays and confusion, attributing the issues to an “unprecedented” level of voter turnout that outstripped official projections. “This is the first time in Bahamian history that this number of persons has participated in the advance poll, with especially strong participation among elderly voters,” the PRD said in a statement. The department added that it has launched an internal review to identify bottlenecks and will implement targeted adjustments to improve voter flow and inter-agency coordination before Election Day.

    Critics have already pushed back against the PRD’s turnout explanation, however, pointing out that all advance poll participants were required to pre-register, giving election officials an exact, advance count of how many voters were expected to cast ballots on advance polling day.

  • Questions raised over Fox’s conduct in campaign clash

    Questions raised over Fox’s conduct in campaign clash

    A viral campaign-season clash has put former NBA player turned parliamentary candidate Rick Fox under intense public and political scrutiny, after circulating footage showed him lunging at a local man during a heated dispute over public space for campaign tents. The confrontation, which unfolded on Wednesday in Garden Hills where Fox is running for a seat as Member of Parliament, sparked widespread debate online after the footage was picked up by major U.S. entertainment outlet TMZ, drawing international attention to the altercation.

    The widely shared video, which circulated publicly one day after the incident, captures the moment tensions boiled over during a disagreement over a pre-reserved spot for a campaign tent. The man involved, wearing a blue-and-yellow long-sleeve shirt, told Fox’s campaign team that he had already claimed the location for his own use. When Fox questioned whether his claim followed local event guidelines, the man dismissed the rules outright with an expletive-laden rejection. In response, Fox moved aggressively toward the man, forcing his campaign manager Carlyle Bethel to physically step in and restrain him as the situation escalated.

    Even as Bethel struggled to hold him back, Fox broke free of his manager’s grip, shouting that the opposing group were nothing but bullies. He then turned toward the person recording the video, flexed his muscles, and issued a public challenge, saying he was “right here for y’all, all day long.” Throughout the rest of the footage, Fox repeatedly labels those involved in the disagreement as bullies, as shouting matches continue between members of both groups.

    In the aftermath of the video going viral, Fox addressed reporters to push back against criticism of his actions, arguing that the circulating footage omitted critical context that preceded the confrontation. He claimed the incident was triggered by the man making violent threats against him, his campaign team, and Bethel specifically, framing his outburst as an act of self-defense and protection for the people working with him. “If you’re going to swear and threaten people’s lives, then I’m going to react. I’m going to defend my team, I’m going to defend myself, I’m going to defend anybody who is in the area,” Fox told reporters, adding that some local actors are accustomed to acting as bullies during campaign season, and that his campaign would not tolerate intimidation tactics. He also claimed that law enforcement had responded to the scene and charged the man involved with criminal offences related to the threats.

    However, official police statements directly contradict Fox’s account of the incident. Chief Superintendent Sheria King, a police department spokesperson, confirmed that no arrests or charges were filed in connection with the confrontation, and no evidence has been brought forward to support Fox’s claim that death threats were made against him or his campaign manager.

    The incident has raised urgent questions about Fox’s temperament and ability to serve in public office, as voters and political observers assess his conduct ahead of the upcoming election. What began as a local dispute over campaign logistics has quickly become a high-profile controversy that could shape voter perceptions of the candidate in the tightly contested Garden Hills race.

  • Trump announces new sanctions against Cuban government

    Trump announces new sanctions against Cuban government

    WASHINGTON D.C. – In a sharp escalation of U.S. policy toward the communist-governed Caribbean nation, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced expansive new sanctions against Cuba on Friday, targeting dozens of domestic actors across key sectors of the island’s economy and levying threats against international financial institutions that conduct business with sanctioned individuals.

    This latest round of restrictions marks a new peak in the Trump administration’s years-long campaign to ramp up diplomatic and economic pressure on Havana, coming as Cuba grapples with a deepening economic emergency. The crisis has been exacerbated significantly by the cut-off of Venezuelan oil shipments, a critical lifeline for the Cuban energy grid for decades.

    Outlined in a formal executive order, the new penalties apply to any individual found to be active in five core areas of Cuba’s state-controlled economy: energy, defense and military-related materiel, metals and mining, financial services, and national security. The order also leaves room for the U.S. government to extend sanctions to actors in additional economic sectors at a later date. Beyond economic targeting, the measure also applies sanctions to Cuban officials deemed by Washington to have participated in serious human rights violations or public corruption.

    As part of the order, any individual named on the sanctions list will be barred from entering the United States, and all of their assets under U.S. jurisdiction will be frozen. Most notably, the executive order mandates that any foreign financial entity that engages in transactions with sanctioned individuals will also face U.S. penalties, a provision designed to cut off sanctioned actors from the global financial system entirely.

    Notably, the new sanctions come even after both sides took tentative steps toward bilateral dialogue in recent months. Senior U.S. diplomatic officials traveled to Havana for formal talks with Cuban counterparts as recently as April, raising faint hopes of a de-escalation of tensions between the two governments.

    Long-time Cuba critic and Cuban-American Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly pushed for sweeping policy shifts and increased pressure on the Havana government, a position that has aligned closely with the Trump administration’s hardline approach. Trump himself has openly discussed aggressive actions toward the island nation, which sits just 90 miles off the coast of Florida and has operated under a near-continuous U.S. trade embargo since Fidel Castro’s 1959 communist revolution that first severed bilateral ties.

  • Davis ducks questions on publicly funded PLP gifts

    Davis ducks questions on publicly funded PLP gifts

    As the Bahamas approaches its upcoming general election, a growing controversy over the misuse of hundreds of thousands in public funds for politically tied Hurricane Dorian relief has put Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis under intense scrutiny — and he has repeatedly refused to address questions about the incident.

    The scandal centers on more than $200,000 in taxpayer money that was used to issue gift certificates distributed to residents of Abaco, a island chain still recovering from 2019’s Hurricane Dorian. Critics have alleged the vouchers, which bear the names of candidates and officials from Davis’ ruling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), amount to criminal vote-buying just two weeks before voters head to the polls.

    When reporters from The Tribune attempted to question the prime minister Wednesday after he cast his vote in advanced polling, Davis declined every request for comment. A prior statement from Davis’ Communications Director Latrae Rahming had indicated the prime minister would address the allegations when speaking to reporters, but that commitment went unfulfilled.

    The exchange unfolded in chaotic fashion outside the Garvin Tynes polling station: Davis was flanked by a crowd of supporters as he exited, and an employee from the Office of the Prime Minister physically blocked the Tribune reporter from continuing to ask questions, while other members of the prime minister’s entourage formed a barrier around him as he walked to his vehicle. Davis, who also holds the cabinet position of Minister of Finance, did not respond to direct questions about whether he personally authorized the public expenditure, and quickly left the area after casting his ballot.

    Before declining to address the voucher controversy, Davis told reporters that his own voting process had gone smoothly, urged all registered residents to cast their ballots, and described early voter turnout as encouraging.

    Details of the voucher program were first reported by The Tribune earlier this week. Chris Lleida, chief executive officer of Premier Importers — the company that issued the gift certificates — confirmed that the entire $200,000+ cost was covered by the Ministry of Finance. Lleida added that the vouchers were requested as part of post-Hurricane Dorian relief initiatives, and issued in denominations of $200, $300, and $500, totaling more than $200,000 in public spending.

    The fact that PLP political candidates and party officials were listed on and involved in distributing the publicly funded vouchers has sparked widespread outrage among political observers and opposition leaders. The timing of the distribution has drawn particular criticism: it comes more than six years after Hurricane Dorian devastated Abaco, and just a fortnight ahead of the national general election.

    Michael Pintard, leader of the opposition Free National Movement (FNM), has called the incident an egregious violation of the law and demanded criminal charges be filed against those responsible. Pintard emphasized that the misuse of public funds for this purpose qualifies as a criminal offense under Bahamian election law, and noted that the situation is made even more serious by the involvement of Bradley Fox Jr, the PLP candidate for Central and South Abaco, who participated in distributing the vouchers despite holding no formal government position.

    Under the Bahamas’ Parliamentary Elections Act, it is a criminal offense to offer, give, or provide any form of money, gift, or benefit to a voter for the purpose of influencing their vote, or rewarding voters for a specific voting outcome. The law also bans providing benefits to sway election results in a candidate’s favor, or to encourage third-party campaign activity on a candidate’s behalf. Additionally, the statute criminalizes funding or knowingly facilitating vote-buying activities, including the provision or reimbursement of funds used for voter bribery.

  • Senator Bernard wants body-worn cameras by the police to be mandatory

    Senator Bernard wants body-worn cameras by the police to be mandatory

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — As the Jamaican Senate wrapped up debate and passed a revised version of the 2026 Cybercrimes Bill last Friday, a key opposition lawmaker used the legislative moment to push for sweeping new transparency measures for the nation’s police force, amid growing public concern over a sharp uptick in fatal police shootings.

    Opposition Senator Allan Bernard is calling for the creation of a comprehensive digital accountability regime that would enshrine a mandatory statutory body-worn camera policy for all officers of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). The push comes as the country grapples with a troubling spike in fatal police encounters: 115 fatal shootings have been recorded by police so far this year, a 32 percent jump from the 87 deaths recorded in the same period in 2025.

    Bernard’s call also directly pushes back against recent comments from the island’s top security official, National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang, who publicly dismissed previous demands for body camera use during specialized police operations, dismissing the idea as “crazy”.

    While Bernard confirmed that the opposition bloc remains supportive of the amended Cybercrimes Bill, he stressed that the conversation around digital accountability must extend beyond regulation of private citizens to cover state actors themselves. He argued that true national security cannot be separated from adherence to constitutional protections, and that public safety must always be rooted in respect for basic human rights.

    “Digital accountability must apply not only to the governed but also to those who are doing the governing,” Bernard said in remarks on the Senate floor. “That means oversight of the police, their searches, their seizures, their arrests and too oftentimes in Jamaica, the extrajudicial killings.”

    Reporting by Lynford Simpson

  • Ingraham calls fake documents ‘alarming’ but doubt stolen vote

    Ingraham calls fake documents ‘alarming’ but doubt stolen vote

    As the Bahamas approaches its upcoming general election, a growing wave of high-profile fraudulent document cases has thrown electoral integrity into the national spotlight, drawing divergent and cautiously worded reactions from the country’s most senior political figures. Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, a stalwart of the opposition Free National Movement (FNM), emerged as one of the most prominent voices sounding the alarm after casting his ballot in the early advance polling. Speaking to reporters immediately after voting, Ingraham described the rising frequency of cases where individuals have been caught with counterfeit passports and voter registration cards as deeply alarming.

    While Ingraham echoed widespread concerns within the FNM that the national voter registry contains serious irregularities—including duplicate entries and incomplete records lacking valid birth dates—he stopped short of endorsing the opposition party’s more extreme claims that the election could be stolen through systematic manipulation. The former prime minister stressed that he does not believe the country’s electoral framework is vulnerable enough to be altered to flip a final election result, and urged all eligible Bahamian voters to turn out to cast their ballots regardless of the ongoing controversy. Still, he emphasized that the scale of fraudulent document access remained a pressing worry. “But I am concerned about how large numbers of people it appears have got access to Bahamian passports and other such documents, and that is a very concerning matter,” Ingraham told reporters. He added that he hopes the irregularities are rooted in bureaucratic incompetence rather than coordinated, intentional wrongdoing meant to skew the election.

    Another former Bahamian prime minister, Perry Christie of the ruling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), pushed back on the opposition’s framing of the issue yesterday, arguing that existing safeguards built into the country’s electoral system make widespread election fraud effectively unachievable. Christie noted that organized large-scale fraud of the type being discussed by FNM figures has never occurred in the Bahamas’ electoral history, and rejected suggestions that it could take place this cycle. “It’s very difficult, if not next to impossible, to have the kind of fraud that they’re talking about in our voting system here and it hasn’t happened before, it’s not going to happen now,” Christie said. He characterized the focus on fraud as political posturing, noting that parties often elevate issues they believe will resonate with voters to gain an edge ahead of polling day. Christie also pointed to the Bahamas’ longstanding electoral trend—where single parties rarely win consecutive terms in office—as evidence that election results consistently reflect the unmanipulated will of the electorate, rather than tampering.

    The debate over document fraud has intensified in recent months following a string of high-profile arrests linked to counterfeit and improperly obtained identification. The most recent high-profile case came on April 27, when a Dominican national was charged with fraudulently acquiring a Bahamian voter card and multiple Bahamian passports, marking the latest in a series of similar incidents. Less than two weeks prior, on April 15, an employee of the country’s Parliamentary Registration Department was arrested for allegedly assisting a Haitian woman in obtaining an illegal voter identification card, and was found in possession of five blank official voter cards.

    In comments made earlier in April, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe, a member of the ruling PLP, stated that any public official convicted of involvement in passport fraud would face a maximum sentence of up to ten years in prison if the PLP wins a second consecutive term in office. For his part, FNM Leader and opposition chief Michael Pintard has repeatedly raised alarms about the scope of document fraud occurring under the current PLP administration, though he has yet to release a detailed plan outlining what specific policy or regulatory changes his party would implement to address the problem if elected.

  • US sanctions are ‘collective punishment,’ says Cuba during May 1 marches

    US sanctions are ‘collective punishment,’ says Cuba during May 1 marches

    HAVANA, CUBA – Fresh economic sanctions imposed on Cuba by former United States President Donald Trump have sparked fierce condemnation from Cuban officials, who label the new measures an act of collective punishment against the island’s civilian population. The sanctions took effect Friday, coinciding with Cuba’s annual May 1 celebrations that drew tens of thousands of demonstrators marching to the US Embassy in Havana under the rallying cry of “Defend the Homeland.”

    Geopolitical tensions between Washington and Havana have stretched across more than six decades. Ever since Fidel Castro led a communist revolution that seized power in 1959, the US has maintained a near-continuous trade embargo against the island nation, which sits just 90 miles off the coast of Florida. Prior to rolling out the new sanctions, Trump had publicly mused about the possibility of taking full control of Cuba.

    Under the executive order signed Friday, the Trump administration expanded sanctions coverage to target any individual linked to major sectors of Cuba’s state-controlled economy. The new measures apply to actors operating in energy, national defense and materiel production, metal and mining, financial services, and public security, as well as any other economic segment deemed relevant by the US. The order also targets Cuban government officials accused of involvement in serious human rights violations and systemic corruption.

    Cuba’s top diplomat Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez immediately pushed back against the new measures. In a public post on X, written in English, Rodriguez stated: “We firmly reject the recent unilateral coercive measures adopted by the #UnitedStates government. These actions demonstrate an intention to impose, once again, collective punishment on the Cuban people.” In a follow-up Spanish-language statement, he further characterized the sanctions as both illegal and abusive.

    For Cuba, the new sanctions come as the country already grapples with a deep and prolonged economic crisis that has been compounded by recent US pressure. A US fuel blockade implemented in January has drastically cut the country’s access to energy imports, with only a single Russian oil tanker successfully reaching Cuban ports since the blockade went into effect. Chronic supply shortages and routine rolling blackouts have become daily realities for most Cuban citizens, and tourism — long the country’s highest-revenue industry — has collapsed to historic lows.

    Notably, the new sanctions were announced just weeks after a significant diplomatic shift: senior US officials traveled to Havana for bilateral dialogue in April, raising tentative hopes of reduced tensions between the two nations.

    Friday’s mass rally outside the US Embassy was led by Cuba’s sitting President Miguel Diaz-Canel and former revolutionary leader Raul Castro, drawing massive crowds of Cuban citizens who turned out to demonstrate against US policy. The day before the rally, Diaz-Canel had already called on all Cubans to mobilize against what he described as “the genocidal blockade and the crude imperial threats to our country.”

    Throughout the rally, Cuban officials announced that more than six million signatures had been collected across the country over the past six weeks as part of a “for the homeland and for peace” campaign opposing US policy. Cuban opposition figures have, however, raised public questions about the transparency and methodology of the signature collection process.

    State-run Cuban television broadcast parallel mass gatherings in cities across the island, showing thousands of additional protesters turning out to voice opposition to the new sanctions.

  • Landslide victory for Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party in general election

    Landslide victory for Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party in general election

    In a high-stakes political gamble that paid off spectacularly, Gaston Browne and his ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) secured a historic landslide victory in an early general election held Thursday, granting Browne an unprecedented fourth consecutive term as prime minister. The snap poll, called almost two full years before the country’s constitutional deadline for elections, delivered a resounding mandate to the ABLP that dramatically expanded its narrow hold on parliament from the 2023 vote.

    Preliminary official results from the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) confirm the ABLP won 15 of the 17 contested parliamentary seats, a stark reversal of the razor-thin 9-7 majority the party scraped together just 18 months prior in January 2023. The overwhelming win marks a defining moment in the nation’s political history, as Browne becomes the first head of government in Antigua and Barbuda to win four straight general election contests.
    Browne, who easily retained the St John’s City West constituency he has represented since 1999, struck a unifying tone in post-victory remarks to supporters and the public. In a statement posted to the ABLP’s official Facebook page, he acknowledged the magnitude of the public’s trust, writing, “We are humbled and honoured by your support and confidence. Now is the time to move forward together, build on our gains and continue our work on this long journey toward the betterment of our society and the upliftment of our people.”

    Addressing gathered supporters, Browne emphasized that his administration would prioritize inclusive growth and equal access to opportunity for all residents, regardless of political affiliation. “We are here to serve all the people of Antigua and Barbuda. Education, jobs, business opportunities will be open to all who are prepared to seize them,” he said. “No one will be left behind who is willing to move forward. And notwithstanding your political persuasion, this is not a time for laggards. This is a time for all of us to perform, to increase our productivity and to make sure that Antigua and Barbuda becomes one of the most productive small island states globally.”

    Browne noted that infrastructure and community development projects were already underway across the twin-island nation, and his incoming administration would build on that existing progress to advance new initiatives that improve quality of life and national pride. “We must remain a dignified people. We must not cower to anyone. We must not be timid. We must stand tall in every forum, every regional, and every international forum as Antiguans and Barbudans,” he added, rejecting calls for triumphalism after the landslide win. “So just in case anyone expected me to gloat, at the end of the day, the contest is over. From all indications, the people who have supported us to get between 15 of the 17 seats, that in itself is a resounding mandate for which we are eternally grateful.”

    Only two seats escaped ABLP control in the contest. Jamale Pringle, leader of the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP), managed to defend his constituency, defeating ABLP candidate Anthony Smith to retain the party’s only seat in the new parliament. On the smaller sister island of Barbuda, incumbent Trevor Walker of the Barbuda People’s Movement (BPM) held onto his seat, earning 609 votes to defeat Kendra Beazer, a former BPM member running on the ABLP ticket, who earned 398 votes.

    Pringle congratulated the ABLP on their victory in a brief post-election statement, acknowledging the outcome while pledging the UPP would remain an active opposition force moving forward. “I want to thank all Antiguans and Barbudans who have supported the United Progressive Party. We’re indeed grateful and you will hear from us in a short time,” he said. Noting that “there’s no second place in politics,” Pringle added, “Just as we did in 2018, we’ll still be standing. We can’t get enough of the United Progressive Party. We’ll still be there.”

    Several high-profile candidates fell to defeat in the ABLP wave, including former finance minister Harold Lovell, who had come out of a brief retirement from active politics following his 2023 election loss only to lose again to Anthony Smith in the All Saints West constituency. Browne’s wife, incumbent Public Works Minister Maria Browne, also won her contest, handily defeating UPP candidate Ashworth Azille to take the St John’s Rural East seat. All three independent candidates running in the election failed to gain traction, losing their electoral deposits after falling well below the required vote threshold.

    Browne had framed the snap election as a necessary step to secure a new mandate to continue the socio-economic progress the ABLP has overseen since the party first took power in 2014, calling the campaign a “renaissance” for the nation. That strategic bet has now delivered one of the most lopsided election results in the country’s modern history, clearing the way for the ABLP to implement its full policy agenda over the coming term.