Carib Scope

分类： politics

  • St Joseph MP calls for Scotland District Authority

    St Joseph MP calls for Scotland District Authority

    A Barbados-based parliamentarian is reigniting a years-long advocacy campaign for a centralized governing body to tackle deep-seated issues in one of the island’s largest geographic regions, warning that delayed action is driving population decline and holding back community development.

    Ryan Brathwaite, the Member of Parliament for the St Joseph constituency, used a Sunday Barbados Labour Party constituency branch meeting held at Grantley Adams Memorial School to reinforce his demand for the creation of a Scotland District Authority. Stressing that the sprawling region, which covers roughly 20 percent of Barbados’ total land area, faces a set of unique challenges that cut across traditional ministerial boundaries, Brathwaite said fragmented governance has slowed progress on resolving critical issues.

    “The Scotland District is a one-of-a-kind area with its own distinct set of challenges, and I will not stop advocating until this authority is established,” Brathwaite told attendees. He argued that a single umbrella authority would be able to coordinate action across all communities in the Scotland District – including those outside his own St Joseph constituency – and address local issues much faster than the current system of split responsibilities across multiple government ministries. “A centralized body would allow us to tackle these problems with the urgency and focused attention this part of the country demands,” he added.

    During a recent onsite tour of St Joseph alongside Senior Minister and Minister of Transport and Works Kirk Humphrey, Brathwaite identified multiple high-priority problem areas, including Spa Hill, Fruitful Hill, and Parks Road. He noted that additional problem sites across the parish would be inspected in the coming weeks.

    Brathwaite emphasized that St Joseph has been disproportionately impacted by the accelerating effects of climate change, worsening long-standing issues with the parish’s road network, public transport access, and core public services. These unaddressed challenges, he warned, have triggered a steady outflow of residents from the parish, a trend visible in the declining enrollment at local schools.

    “People are simply leaving St Joseph because we have failed to deliver the basic services they need,” Brathwaite said. “We have to upgrade our road networks and expand access to critical services to give people a reason to stay. As your elected representative, it is my job to hold this government accountable to the promises it has made, so that the people of this community do not feel overlooked or forgotten.”

    Beyond the push for the regional authority, Brathwaite also called for targeted expansion of residential development across St Joseph, with a specific focus on creating affordable housing options for young professionals who want to put down roots in the community. He referenced the long-delayed Ginger Works public housing project, noting that there is ample space across other parts of the parish for additional residential development.

    “It is past time that young professionals in this constituency have the chance to secure a mortgage and build their lives right here in St Joseph,” he said. Brathwaite added that he had received correspondence from the Minister of Housing about rent-to-own housing schemes in other parts of the country, but local residents consistently tell him they want opportunities to stay in their home communities rather than relocate. “Our people do not want to move. We want to keep our families together in the familiar places we have always called home,” he stressed.

    Speaking at the same meeting, Transport Minister Humphrey acknowledged that despite recent completed roadwork projects across St Joseph, significant work remains to be done. He confirmed that design planning for major road upgrades at Spa Hill has been finalized, with construction on that project and improvements at Braggs Hill set to get underway in mid-October.

    Humphrey also floated a potential shift in how the Ministry of Transport and Works (MTW) delivers road repairs, saying the government is considering having ministry crews carry out more repair work in-house rather than relying exclusively on private contractors. He noted that multiple private contractors are currently active on island-wide road projects, but the government could bring more work in-house in the near future – a change that would require additional resources, particularly a younger workforce.

    The minister pushed back against public criticism of MTW employees, saying ministry staff are “far more diligent and competent than the general public gives them credit for.” He added that workers at MTW depots across the island have repeatedly expressed a desire to prove their capabilities if they are provided with the necessary tools and funding to do the work.

    That said, Humphrey was frank about the need to recruit younger workers to the ministry, noting that most current frontline workers are in their late 50s and early 60s. “To be honest, we need to start bringing younger people into MTW because many of our workers have been here for decades,” he said. “This is physically demanding work, done under the hot Barbados sun, and we need new talent to sustain these efforts.”

    Touching on ongoing pothole repair work across the entire island, Humphrey said that motorists who experience flat tires or damaged rims as a result of unaddressed potholes are eligible for prompt reimbursement, and he urged any driver who has suffered damage to submit their official claim forms as soon as possible.

  • BIS noemt zich eerste digitale ministerie van Suriname

    BIS noemt zich eerste digitale ministerie van Suriname

    In a landmark step for public sector digital transformation in Suriname, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Cooperation (BIS) officially rolled out its custom digital platform BIS Online on Monday, 14 September, marking the country’s first fully digitized government ministry.

    The new platform is designed to streamline core ministry operations by digitizing dossier tracking and administrative workflows, gradually phasing out the outdated paper-based filing systems that have long hampered government efficiency. Through BIS Online, ministry staff can remotely access real-time updates on case location, current processing status, and assigned responsibility for each dossier, bringing unprecedented transparency to internal operations.

    Luziano Truideman, Director of General Management and Consular Affairs at BIS, noted that the digital overhaul does more than just improve organizational clarity: it also drastically cuts the risk of lost or misplaced physical documents, a longstanding pain point for public administration in the country.

    What sets BIS Online apart from most government digital projects is its development model: rather than outsourcing construction to an external third-party ICT firm, the platform was built entirely in-house. Ambassador Gilbert van Lierop led the development effort, working alongside BIS’s internal ICT department and integrating iterative feedback from frontline ministry staff to tailor the system to the department’s specific needs. The project also leveraged existing government-owned technology infrastructure and software licenses to keep costs low.

    This in-house development approach delivered substantial fiscal savings for Suriname’s public coffers. Ministry estimates show the project avoided at least $100,000 in external development fees that a contracted build would have required. Additionally, a comparable commercial off-the-shelf system for roughly 200 users would carry an annual recurring licensing cost of at least $36,000, expenses that are entirely eliminated with the custom in-house build.

    Speaking at the official launch ceremony, van Lierop emphasized that successful public sector digitalization is far more than a technical undertaking. He noted that meaningful digital transformation also requires committed leadership, active engagement from frontline staff, and a willingness to adapt long-standing work practices to new ways of operating — all elements that were central to BIS Online’s development.

    BIS Minister Melvin Bouva framed the launch of BIS Online as a key milestone in the current administration’s broader push for governance reform. The adoption of a centralized digital document management system was one of the core recommendations from a rapid organizational assessment conducted after Bouva took office, carried out on instructions from Suriname President Jennifer Simons.

    Looking ahead, BIS officials see significant potential to expand the use of BIS Online across other levels and departments of the Surinamese government. The internally developed platform could serve as a foundational framework to accelerate digital transformation across the entire public sector. At the launch ceremony, Bouva presented van Lierop with a certificate of appreciation to recognize his leadership and contribution to the project. Closing the event, Bouva emphasized the significance of the milestone, saying: “BIS is the first digital ministry of Suriname. Let us ensure it is not the last.”

  • New Canadian Ambassador to Haiti

    New Canadian Ambassador to Haiti

    On September 14, 2026, a landmark diplomatic ceremony took place at Haiti’s National Palace, where Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé formally received Alexandre Côté, Canada’s newly appointed ambassador to the Caribbean nation. The high-profile event was attended by key Haitian government officials, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Raina Forbin, National Palace Secretary General Elisabeth Régine Haddad, and a cohort of other diplomatic and political dignitaries.

    Beyond the formal credential presentation, the gathering served as a critical diplomatic opportunity for both sides to reaffirm their shared dedication to deepening long-standing bonds of friendship and expanding bilateral collaboration across sectors of mutual interest to Haiti and Canada.

    A seasoned diplomat with decades of international experience, Côté brings a robust professional background tailored to his new posting. He earned his bachelor’s degree with a specialization in International Studies from Glendon College at York University in 1995, followed by a master’s degree in Economics focused on Development Administration and Management from the University of Manchester in 2002.

    Côté launched his international career in 1990s as an assistant administrator with the United Nations Development Programme, building on-the-ground expertise over a 10-year tenure working alongside UN agencies and civil society groups across seven countries: South Africa, Burkina Faso, Canada, Haiti, Italy, Kenya, and Mauritius. He joined Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2008, transitioning into a series of senior diplomatic and trade roles over the subsequent 18 years.

    His previous overseas postings include two stints as Regional Trade Commissioner in Mozambique and Senegal, and he previously served in Haiti as both Political Counsellor and Head of Cooperation, giving him firsthand familiarity with the country’s political and social context. At Global Affairs Canada headquarters in Ottawa, Côté held senior leadership roles including Deputy Director for the Americas and Europe at the Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force, where he oversaw management of the Global Peace and Security Fund. He also served as Deputy Director for South American Relations, managing bilateral political and economic engagement with the Pacific Alliance, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Most recently, he led the Trade Commissioner Service’s Manitoba and Saskatchewan Regional Office as Director.

    Adding to his diplomatic versatility, Côté is proficient in seven languages: French, English, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Mauritian Creole, a skill set that will support direct engagement with Haitian stakeholders across all levels of society.

  • Judiciary reform plans ‘approved in principle’

    Judiciary reform plans ‘approved in principle’

    At the official opening of the 2026–2027 Barbados legal year, Chief Justice Leslie Haynes made a landmark announcement: island nation’s cabinet ministers have signed off in principle on a sweeping restructuring of the country’s judicial administration system, a reform widely labeled as the most transformative change to the justice sector since Barbados gained independence. The overhaul centers on the creation of two new governing bodies: the Department of the Judiciary and the Court Services Council, designed to consolidate and centralize the management of all court operations across the country.

    For decades, the island’s judicial branch has relied on the Supreme Court Registry, an administrative unit historically housed within the Attorney General’s Office and overseen by the Minister of Legal Affairs and Criminal Justice. This structure has long meant that the judiciary itself held no direct control over the core administrative body that powers court operations, leaving effective governance dependent entirely on a constructive working relationship between the Chief Justice and the appointed Registrar, according to Haynes.

    Global common law systems around the world have already recognized the flaws in this outdated governance model, leading many nations to restructure their court administrative frameworks. A key shift widely adopted has been the introduction of a court executive administrator role, which takes over the bulk of general court management responsibilities. This separation of duties frees the Registrar to focus on the growing list of quasi-judicial functions they already handle, eliminating the conflicting administrative workload that has stretched the role thin for years.

    Under the new approved model, the Supreme Court Registry will be removed entirely from the executive branch’s oversight. Instead, all supreme court administration will report directly to the newly created Court Services Council, which will be chaired by the Chief Justice himself, placing administrative control firmly in the hands of the judicial branch.

    Haynes shared that the reform process has already moved past the initial planning stage, with broad stakeholder consultations completed that yielded dozens of valuable insights and recommendations from across the legal sector. Work is currently underway on a full organizational human resources assessment, designed to map staffing needs across all administrative units, after which a comprehensive financial assessment will be conducted. The full findings of both assessments will be compiled into a formal report to be submitted to Cabinet for final approval in the coming months.

    Beyond structural governance changes, the overhaul is explicitly designed to modernize Barbados’ court system, supporting the long-planned transition from outdated analogue administrative procedures to fully digital operations. By redesigning workflows and updating job descriptions to align with 21st-century digital practices, judicial leaders aim to boost overall operational efficiency, increase public accountability for court services, improve the visibility of judicial processes, and make the system more responsive to the needs of Barbados residents and legal professionals.

    Haynes emphasized that the assessment phase is critical to ensuring every department within the new administrative structure has adequate staffing to meet its new mandates. He committed to full transparency throughout the rest of the reform process, pledging that all stakeholders and interested parties will receive regular updates as the agenda moves forward, following the completion of the human resources and financial assessments.

  • International Day of Democracy 2026

    International Day of Democracy 2026

    September 15 marks the annual International Day of Democracy — a global observance created to honor democratic governance and reaffirm the core values that form the foundation of free, inclusive and equitable societies around the world. For the Caribbean nation of Grenada, democratic practice is not an imported framework, but a system deeply rooted in local principles: widespread public participation, intentional inclusion, equal rights, equitable justice, fundamental human freedoms, the rule of law, and inclusive sustainable development. At its core, the nation’s democratic vision holds that every Grenadian deserves to live in a community that guarantees personal safety, equal access to opportunity, and all the conditions required for individuals and communities to thrive. shaped by its unique history of overcoming slavery and colonial rule, Grenada’s democracy remains a constantly evolving project. It is guided directly by the lived experiences, cultural identity, collective aspirations, and sovereign will of the Grenadian people, who continue to actively shape and refine the version of democracy that best serves their national needs. The country’s Constitution, its governing and parliamentary institutions, and the shared values that anchor these structures provide a stable legal and social framework for this ongoing democratic development. Grenadian authorities remain unwavering in their commitment to advancing broad social equality, consistent and just application of the law, and universal access to basic needs including food, quality education, personal safety, and economic opportunity for all residents. This 2026 observance of the International Day of Democracy carries a clear, unifying message for the nation: every Grenadian matters. The responsibility to protect and strengthen the country’s democratic system does not fall only to leaders — it rests in the hands of every citizen. Each person, the statement emphasizes, acts both as a builder of democracy and a beneficiary of its gains. Grenada’s Parliament plays an indispensable role in nurturing the nation’s democratic life, through core functions including crafting inclusive legislation, deliberate review and oversight of the national budget, and holding the executive branch accountable through parliamentary checks and balances. On this International Day of Democracy, the two Houses of Grenada’s Parliament extend warm greetings to democratic societies, governments, institutions and people across the globe. The body also offered special recognition to like-minded international parliamentary partners, including the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. The sustained partnership and engagement of these organizations, the statement notes, have contributed significantly to the ongoing growth and maturation of Grenada’s national democracy. The statement closes with a formal celebration of the global observance: Happy International Day of Democracy 2026! This release was issued by the Houses of Parliament of Grenada. NOW Grenada, the platform carrying the statement, notes that it is not responsible for the opinions, statements or third-party content shared by contributors, and provides a channel for users to report content that violates platform policies in cases of abuse.

  • The UWI Success Story: Responding to Nicolette Lewis and all UPP Operatives

    The UWI Success Story: Responding to Nicolette Lewis and all UPP Operatives

    In recent weeks, public discourse surrounding the University of the West Indies (UWI) has intensified, driven by critical comments from Nicolette Lewis and other operatives affiliated with the United Progressive Party (UPP). This public pushback has prompted a closer examination of UWI’s decades-long legacy of institutional achievement and its ongoing contributions to regional development across the Caribbean.

    Nicolette Lewis, a prominent UPP figure, has raised a series of claims targeting UWI’s governance, resource allocation, and institutional relevance to contemporary Caribbean needs. Joined by other party operatives, she has argued that the regional university has strayed from its founding mandate, failing to address pressing economic and social gaps across member states. These allegations have circulated widely in local media and political circles, framing UWI as a stagnant institution disconnected from the priorities of ordinary Caribbean citizens.

    However, a review of UWI’s recent and historical performance tells a far different story. Since its establishment in 1948, the university has grown from a small medical college into a leading global regional institution, enrolling more than 50,000 students across four campuses and multiple distance learning centers. It has produced generations of regional leaders, from heads of state to public health practitioners, engineers, and educators who have underpinned the development of every Caribbean nation. In recent years, UWI has expanded its research focus to address urgent regional challenges, including climate adaptation, public health resilience post-COVID-19, and youth unemployment, launching targeted programs that partner with local governments and international development organizations to deliver tangible results.

    Critics from the UPP have particularly focused on questions of funding, arguing that Caribbean governments’ annual subventions to UWI represent a poor return on investment for public resources. But institutional data shows that every dollar invested in UWI generates more than four dollars in long-term economic impact across the region, through skilled workforce development, research-driven policy innovation, and the university’s role as a magnet for international academic collaboration and tourism. UWI has also diversified its funding base dramatically over the past two decades, reducing reliance on government contributions by expanding private philanthropy, international research grants, and tuition revenue from non-regional students, easing the financial burden on member states.

    What underpins this criticism is widely understood by regional political analysts to be part of a broader opposition strategy to erode confidence in public institutions that have historically been seen as non-partisan public goods. For the UPP, targeting UWI offers an opportunity to frame the incumbent government as wasteful and unaccountable, ahead of upcoming electoral cycles in several Caribbean member states. Yet defenders of the university note that UWI’s institutional autonomy and commitment to regional development has remained consistent across changing political administrations, serving all citizens regardless of partisan affiliation.

    As the debate continues, supporters of UWI are calling for constructive dialogue rather than partisan grandstanding. They note that while any large, complex institution has room for improvement, UWI’s success story as a unifying regional project that has delivered unprecedented access to higher education and research for Caribbean people remains unchallenged. Rather than dismissing the institution’s achievements for political gain, critics are being urged to engage with UWI’s leadership to propose evidence-based reforms that strengthen its mandate for future generations.

  • Column: Het ruikt fishy

    Column: Het ruikt fishy

    When Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez spoke publicly on Friday, her message required no complex translation for the local audience. In the presence of senior Surinamese government officials, she announced in Spanish (with an official translation provided) that 200 Venezuelan fishermen from the states of Nueva Esparta and Sucre would soon receive official permits to operate in an Atlantic fishing corridor designated by Suriname. What nobody in the official delegation seemed to anticipate, however, was that this offhand announcement would spark immediate uproar across Suriname’s fishing sector.

    This public backlash is far from surprising. Fishing access permits are far from a trivial administrative matter: for years, Suriname and neighboring Guyana have been locked in bitter public disputes over fishing rights, with tensions escalating to diplomatic standoffs and cross-border political accusations. That is precisely why Suriname’s government had an obligation to lay out all details of its new agreement with Venezuela clearly and proactively from the start. That obligation was never met.

    It was only after Rodríguez’s comments were published by local outlet Starnieuws and public outcry erupted that Suriname’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries released a full explanation. Officials clarified that the 200 permits are not for brand new fishing vessels entering Suriname’s waters – instead, they apply to Venezuelan boats that have been operating illegally in Surinamese territory for years. Even with this clarification, a critical question remains: why was this key context not shared immediately when Rodríguez made her announcement?

    The roots of this confusion stretch back to 2007, when the original bilateral fishing agreement between the two countries was first signed. That agreement has not been updated or renewed in the 19 years since it came into force. Parveen Amritpersad, director of Suriname’s fisheries department, confirmed that this lapse means there has been no formal bilateral legal framework in place to authorize foreign fishing vessels accessing Suriname’s waters for nearly two decades.

    Over those 19 years, four consecutive Surinamese administrations – the Venetiaan III cabinet, the Bouterse I and II terms, and the current Santokhi government – all failed to renew the expired agreement. Venezuelan authorities also did not push forward to resolve the gap in the framework. Despite the lack of formal legal standing, fishing operations continued uninterrupted: under Suriname’s domestic rules, permits were issued through local processing companies that held private contracts with the Venezuelan vessels, even as the required bilateral treaty remained expired.

    An expired agreement is an expired agreement. By the same logic, a driver cannot argue that an expired driver’s license is still valid just because they held a valid one years ago. To make the urgency of this gap even clearer, the European Union has already flagged the lack of formal legal framework to Suriname, and recommended that the country resolve the issue as a matter of priority. This new agreement, therefore, is far from a meaningless bureaucratic formality: it is intended to fix an irregular situation that has persisted for nearly two decades.

    So who is to blame for the current confusion? Rodríguez did not make her comments in an off-the-record private meeting; she spoke as Venezuela’s acting head of state during an official state visit. If her wording created a misleading impression, Suriname’s government could have immediately stepped in to clarify: that there are no new boats entering the corridor, and the deal simply renews the long-expired 2007 framework for the existing fishing arrangement. If that clarification had come immediately, there would have been barely any controversy at all.

    Instead, clarification only came after Rodríguez’s comments were published and public anger grew. Worse, official communications framed the controversy as a response to “recent misleading reporting”, which created the easy but unfair impression that local outlet Starnieuws had spread inaccurate information.

    That accusation is unfounded. Any outlet that accurately quotes Rodríguez’s public comments cannot be blamed for the resulting backlash. If her statement was incomplete or poorly phrased, the responsibility to correct and clarify immediately fell to the Surinamese officials who were present for the announcement.

    This means Suriname’s government and its communications team need to examine their own mistakes first. A sensitive deal like this requires full transparency from the start. The public deserves clear answers to basic questions: how many vessels will be permitted, what type of permits will they receive, what areas are they allowed to fish in, what terms govern their operations, and why did it take 19 years to renew an expired bilateral agreement?

    Trying to shift blame for the public commotion to the media, when clear official information was not provided in advance, is hypocrisy. It is a positive step that Suriname is finally bringing this 19-year-old irregular situation into compliance with the law. But transparency should not be an afterword that only comes out when controversy erupts.

    In the fishing industry, catch traceability is a non-negotiable requirement. The same standard should apply to government information: the public has a right to know what agreements are reached, where information comes from, and whether official public statements align with the actual terms of deals. In this case, the public was forced to piece together the facts after the fact, and the entire situation leaves a distinctly fishy taste.

  • Mennonieten verbaasd: Niemand heeft ons verteld dat we hier weg moeten

    Mennonieten verbaasd: Niemand heeft ons verteld dat we hier weg moeten

    On a Monday visit to the Tibiti region of Suriname’s Para district, a delegation led by opposition NDP Members of Parliament Rabin Parmessar and Jennifer Vreedzaam, accompanied by journalists, security personnel and environmental activist Erlan Sleur, uncovered a tangled, conflicting land dispute that has left a group of Mennonite immigrants from Belize in legal and existential limbo.

    After initial attempts to communicate through German and Spanish fell flat, the group was able to speak with Peter Petersen, a Mennonite community representative who speaks both English and Spanish. What began as a routine fact-finding trip quickly revealed a chasm between what the Mennonites were promised before relocating and the legal reality on the ground in Suriname.

    Petersen told the delegation that his community had been invited to settle in the Para district by local agents Ruud Soeverein and Lionel Blokland, who assured the group that sufficient land was available for large-scale agricultural development. Acting on these promises, the entire community sold all of their property and businesses in Belize, shipped heavy farm machinery to Suriname, and invested significant time and capital clearing the Para district land for cultivation. Work has been paused for months, however, as the Mennonites wait for promised official government permits to resume operations, according to Petersen.

    The delegation delivered a shocking revelation to Petersen that the community had never been informed of: the land the Mennonites have already invested in is state-owned domain land that was previously granted as a logging concession to Bruynzeel. Logging operations on the site were halted years ago to allow the native forest to regenerate, and the entire parcel falls within legally recognized Indigenous traditional residential and subsistence territory. Most critically, a court eviction order has already been issued ordering the Mennonite group to vacate the land – a document the community says it never received.

    Petersen explained that the group agreed to pay $150 USD per hectare for the land, with the current Para site slated to cover more than 9,000 hectares, planned for large-scale production of corn, soy, livestock feed and meat for commercial markets. This is just the first phase of the community’s planned relocation: the two additional Mennonite settlement sites would require three to four times more land, with around 30 Mennonite families already residing in Suriname’s capital Paramaribo, and more than 100 additional families waiting to move once the land situation is resolved.

    The delegation clarified that Surinamese government policy restricts large-scale agricultural development to suitable lands along the coastal plain, not in the inland forested territories that hold sensitive ecological and Indigenous land rights claims. Indigenous and tribal land rights have remained one of the most intractable policy issues facing successive Surinamese governments and parliaments for decades, adding an extra layer of complexity to the dispute.

    By the end of the site visit, it was clear that two entirely separate narratives about the settlement existed with no overlap. On one side, the Mennonite community acted in good faith on promises they received, liquidating their old lives abroad to build a new future in Suriname. On the other, the land is already claimed by Indigenous communities, protected for forest regeneration, and the settlement was never approved by any competent government authority.

    During the visit, Parmessar contacted Lionel Blokland, one of the agents who arranged the settlement, by phone, and secured a commitment that Blokland will provide official documentation of all agreements made with the Mennonites to the Surinamese National Assembly. These documents will be critical to clarifying the exact terms of the deal, which lands were promised, the nature of the $150 per hectare payment, and who had the authority to make these commitments in the first place.

    When the delegation departed the site, they left behind more open questions than they arrived with, and Petersen remains stuck in limbo, still waiting for the official permits he was promised, unaware until the visit that an eviction order was already issued against his community. The delegation, which had set out to investigate allegations of illegal settlement activity, returned to Paramaribo that evening stunned and uncertain, with far more questions about the controversial Mennonite settlement than answers.

  • “The country is built from the furrow”

    “The country is built from the furrow”

    On September 15, 2026, Cuban President and First Secretary of the Communist Party Central Committee Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez convened a high-profile meeting with agricultural and livestock sector representatives at Havana’s Convention Center. The gathering centered on advancing the implementation of the country’s sweeping 176-point national economic and social transformation program, with a sharp focus on unlocking growth in Cuba’s critical food production sector. Senior party and government officials, including Political Bureau member Roberto Morales Ojeda, Central Committee Agri-food Department head José Ramón Monteagudo Ruiz, and Deputy Prime Minister Jorge Luis Tapia Fonseca, joined the discussion to align on priorities for the sector.

    During the meeting, stakeholders shared on-the-ground experiences, highlighting both early wins from the reforms and ongoing barriers to full implementation. Deputy Minister of Agriculture Telce Abdel González Morera outlined that 162 of the 176 national transformation measures directly impact Cuba’s agricultural and livestock industry. These changes include an overhaul of 20 existing legal frameworks, creating a cohesive regulatory structure that covers every segment of production: from land access and genetic development to plant and animal health, technology, input supply, and marketing. González Morera emphasized that the updated regulatory landscape now delivers far greater legal certainty for producers across all ownership models.

    Multiple producers shared tangible success stories that demonstrate the impact of the reforms. Yoandris Beltrán Pérez, president of the Poultry Business Group, reported that organizational restructuring, which cut central headquarters staff by spinning off new micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to handle specialized services, has reversed financial fortunes. After projecting 2 billion pesos in losses in 2025, the group has already accumulated 56 million pesos in profit in 2026. Additional reforms have guided the group toward integrated national and regional value chains, a shift to renewable energy, improved poultry genetic stock, and expanded breeding stock marketing, with workers reporting higher motivation amid the changes.

    Dianelis Saborido Pérez, General Director of the Emilio Córdova Agro-industrial Grain Enterprise in Villa Clara, highlighted how combining longstanding agricultural policy measures with the new transformation framework has driven rapid expansion. The enterprise has grown rice cultivation by more than 2,000 hectares, with 2026 planting hitting 11,068 hectares—exceeding the 10,880 hectare target. Notably, nearly 1,000 hectares are managed by a non-state MSME, which has achieved an average yield of 4.5 tons of wet paddy per hectare. Under the new model, non-state entities handle not just cultivation but also milling and drying operations, creating a mutually beneficial cooperative cycle that generates new jobs and supports local community and social initiatives.

    Smaller and independent producers also detailed progress. Yoisel Pereda Milián, president of Artemisa-based MSME Don Pereda, outlined a new partnership with the Artemisa Swine Enterprise to supply weaned piglets for fattening, with operations leveraging artificial insemination and renewable energy to boost efficiency. Even producers initially skeptical of change have seen benefits: Fernando Ravelo Hernández, president of the Cuba-México Agricultural Production Cooperative in Artemisa, shared that he once opposed partnering with external land usufructuaries, but has since adopted a flexible approach that now sees the cooperative providing irrigation and machinery services to neighboring producers, lifting output for all parties.

    While celebrating early progress, producers also flagged ongoing challenges. Abelardo Álvarez Silva, president of the Antero Regalado Credit and Services Cooperative in Güira de Melena, called for expanded training programs, noting that many smallholder farmers still do not fully understand the new rules and opportunities available to them. He also urged continued regular dialogue between national leadership and producers to identify bottlenecks and track implementation progress.

    Opening the discussion, Díaz-Canel reaffirmed his confidence that the agricultural and livestock sector is positioned to deliver immediate, tangible results for the Cuban people, noting that the reforms have expanded opportunities for producers to improve performance. In closing, he acknowledged that while the meeting showcased promising success stories, implementation remains uneven across the country, with many projects still stalled. He noted that many producers achieved strong results even during periods of greater economic difficulty, thanks to adaptive management, integration of science and innovation, and worker-centered organization.

    Díaz-Canel stressed that the core challenge now is scaling these proven successful models nationwide. He outlined the key pillars of the agricultural transformation: updated land use frameworks, formal recognition of cross-sector alliances between state, private, mixed, and individual entities, expanded cooperative autonomy including new rights to import inputs and export products, decentralization of the Agricultural Development Fund to local levels, the creation of a dedicated agricultural development bank, and new incentives for domestic and foreign investment—including investment from Cubans living abroad.

    The President emphasized that the 176 transformations represent far more than a regulatory update: they are a fundamental shift in operating logic, moving producers from being mere executors of central plans to active managers of Cuba’s food production destiny. He called on sector stakeholders to embrace their role as owners of the reform process, noting that successful implementation will deliver a new era of agricultural development and long-term food sovereignty for Cuba. Echoing the core principle that “the country is built from the furrow, not from a desk,” Díaz-Canel underscored that the sector’s contribution to national progress is decisive. He closed by noting that while new laws have opened unprecedented opportunities for producers, success depends on on-the-ground action, urging the sector to meet the challenge and deliver increased food output that meets the needs of Cuban families, improves purchasing power, and lowers food prices across the country.

  • Health Minister Kevin Bernard Defends SmartStream Crackdown

    Health Minister Kevin Bernard Defends SmartStream Crackdown

    A fierce public debate over government financial transparency and data protection has erupted in the wake of a recent administrative move that limits access to the SmartStream financial management system for public service financial officers across all government ministries. The controversy comes amid an active investigation by auditors into allegations of misconduct and conflict of interest within the Ministry of Defense, a probe that was triggered after an anonymous source leaked a screenshot pulled directly from the SmartStream platform.

    The Public Service Union has emerged as a leading critic of the new access policy, arguing that the restrictions erode critical oversight mechanisms and create an unnecessary new barrier to government transparency. Union representatives say the timing of the change, coinciding with the ongoing defense ministry audit, raises serious questions about the government’s commitment to accountability.

    However, Health and Wellness Minister Kevin Bernard, a former auditor with private sector finance experience, has publicly defended the policy, framing the tightened access rules as a reasonable and necessary step to strengthen government financial governance. Drawing on his professional background in both audit and private enterprise, Bernard noted that broad, unrestricted access to sensitive financial data is not standard practice in the private sector, where role-based access controls are universally implemented to protect confidential information.

    Bernard explained that under the revised policy, each ministry’s designated financial officer retains full access to financial data related to their own ministry’s operations, while the central Ministry of Finance and the national Treasury maintain their full, system-wide oversight access to all departments’ records. The core change, he emphasized, is simply eliminating the longstanding practice of allowing financial officers from one ministry to view the financial records of completely unrelated government departments.

    “Why would the Ministry of Agriculture need access to internal financial records from the Ministry of Defense?” Bernard asked during his public remarks. “Every public ministry has a clear mandate focused on its own area of responsibility, and there is no practical justifications for cross-departmental access to sensitive financial data.”

    The minister pushed back against claims that the new rules are intended to obstruct the ongoing audit into defense ministry wrongdoing, stressing that the policy change is about streamlining operational processes and strengthening data security controls at all levels of government. He argued that unrestricted universal access to the entire SmartStream system has been an unaddressed security weakness for years, noting that open access to sensitive financial information undermines the government’s fiduciary duty to protect taxpayer data.

    “This is not about blocking oversight or turning a blind eye to ongoing investigations,” Bernard clarified. “It is about putting appropriate guardrails in place to protect sensitive information, while leaving full access intact for the central bodies that are responsible for cross-government financial oversight and approval. Restricting unnecessary cross-ministry access is the right decision, even if it is not the most popular one right now.”