Carib Scope

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  • Antigua and Barbuda and France Commit to Deepening Cooperation As PM Browne Welcomes New Ambassador

    Antigua and Barbuda and France Commit to Deepening Cooperation As PM Browne Welcomes New Ambassador

    On September 14, 2026, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne hosted a key diplomatic courtesy call with Marie-Noëlle Duris, France’s newly appointed ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda and the broader Caribbean region. The high-level meeting centered on expanding collaborative frameworks across a wide range of priority sectors and reinforcing the longstanding bilateral ties between the two nations.

    Opening the discussion, Prime Minister Browne extended a warm welcome to Ambassador Duris as she begins her regional posting, wishing her a successful and impactful tenure. He reaffirmed Antigua and Barbuda’s steadfast commitment to nurturing a robust, mutually beneficial partnership with France.

    A core topic of the talks was the unique set of challenges facing Small Island Developing States (SIDS), a cause Antigua and Barbuda has championed globally for decades. Prime Minister Browne emphasized that traditional economic metrics, most notably Gross National Income, fail to capture the profound structural economic and environmental vulnerabilities that define small island nations. He reiterated the critical value of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index as a more accurate measurement tool, and expressed public gratitude for France’s longstanding recognition of the extraordinary circumstances SIDS navigate.

    Climate action emerged as another central alignment point between the two governments. Browne framed climate change as an existential threat to low-lying island nations that demands urgent, coordinated international action. He noted that Antigua and Barbuda and France share overlapping priorities on climate action, global social justice, and the urgent need for reform to build a more equitable international financial system. In response, Ambassador Duris reaffirmed France’s unwavering solidarity with SIDS, noting that Paris remains committed to collaborating with Caribbean nations like Antigua and Barbuda to develop targeted solutions that advance inclusive, sustainable economic development.

    During the meeting, Ambassador Duris also introduced a joint French-Mexican diplomatic initiative aimed at reforming United Nations Security Council practice. The proposal calls on Security Council member states to voluntarily refrain from using veto power in cases where mass atrocities are ongoing, and she extended an invitation for Antigua and Barbuda to consider backing the initiative.

    In a push to expand people-to-people ties through education, Prime Minister Browne proposed strengthening academic partnerships between French higher education institutions and the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus. Key areas of potential collaboration outlined include reciprocal student exchange programs and joint academic curricula that would allow students to complete segments of their degree programs in both Antigua and Barbuda and France.

    The talks also prioritized deepening connections between Antigua and Barbuda and France’s Caribbean overseas territories, particularly the neighboring islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Prime Minister Browne highlighted the deep geographic, historical, and cultural links that already bind the regions, pointing to longstanding cross-border population movement and cultural exchange, including the regular participation of Guadeloupean residents in Antigua and Barbuda’s annual Carnival celebrations. He outlined a vision for expanded transportation connectivity, increased bilateral trade, and greater cross-community exchange between the territories. Ambassador Duris echoed this enthusiasm, noting France’s ongoing efforts to advance regional integration for its Caribbean territories and expressing interest in expanding collaboration across climate action, public security, public health, vocational training, academic research, and cross-border patient care.

    Diplomatic relations between Antigua and Barbuda and the European Union also featured on the meeting agenda, with discussions focused on two ongoing policy talks: visa-free travel arrangements and the regulation of Citizenship by Investment Programmes. Prime Minister Browne emphasized his hope that continued dialogue would lead to a balanced outcome that addresses EU policy concerns while honoring the unique economic interests and circumstances of Caribbean small island states. He proposed an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system as a practical alternative that could meet security concerns without eliminating visa-free access, and stressed that maintaining free movement between Antigua and Barbuda and neighboring French Caribbean territories is essential given their close geographic, cultural, and economic integration.

    The two sides also discussed coordination within multilateral institutions, including mutual support for national candidatures for leadership positions in global bodies. Ambassador Duris thanked Antigua and Barbuda for its past support of French candidatures, while Browne noted that Antigua and Barbuda looks forward to reciprocal consideration from Paris for its future nominations.

    In a final update on ongoing security cooperation, Ambassador Duris confirmed that the French government is currently working with Antigua and Barbuda to support a request for security preparedness assistance, with coordination ongoing between relevant national authorities and regional partner bodies.

    Closing the meeting, Prime Minister Browne extended his thanks to the President, government, and people of France for their consistent engagement with Antigua and Barbuda. He expressed confidence that Ambassador Duris’ tenure will deliver measurable progress in strengthening the bilateral relationship, and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to sustained dialogue and cooperative action. Browne noted that Antigua and Barbuda is eager to build on its decades-long friendship with France to advance shared priorities that deliver tangible, lasting benefits to the people of both nations, and wished Ambassador Duris a productive, successful term in her new post, calling for continued high-level engagement to deepen the bilateral and regional partnership between the two sides.

  • Legal Profession Bill expected before Cabinet ‘early next month’

    Legal Profession Bill expected before Cabinet ‘early next month’

    Barbados’ most sweeping transformation of legal profession regulation in 50 years is on track to reach the Cabinet for approval within the first weeks of next month, Attorney General Wilfred Abrahams confirmed in a Monday interview with local outlet Barbados TODAY. The long-awaited final draft of the updated Legal Profession Act will be circulated to the Barbados Bar Association the same day for a 14-day public comment period, a timeline crafted to accommodate the legislation’s unprecedented scope.

    “I currently hold the finalized draft of the revised Legal Profession Act, and no other piece of modern legislation impacts the legal community as profoundly as this. It has always been our practice to consult extensively with the Bar on legislation that will reshape the industry, and this bill is no exception,” Abrahams stated. While earlier rounds of stakeholder consultation have already been completed, the government is entering the final drafting stages, and the attorney general emphasized that the additional comment window aligns with the long-standing principle of “measure twice, cut once.” At more than 200 pages, the legislation demands thorough review, justifying the two-week period for the Bar to deliver feedback, he added.

    The draft was prepared by the Legal Reform Commission, chaired by former Chief Justice Sir David Simmons, who delivered the full “entirely rewritten” bill to the government at the end of last year. Speaking to Barbados TODAY earlier this month, Simmons outlined that the new law addresses a broad spectrum of long-unresolved gaps in the current framework, including the high-profile issue of attorney misappropriation of client funds.

    Under the proposed reforms, the process for disbarring convicted attorneys will be streamlined, but the core natural justice protection — the right to appeal disciplinary rulings before the Court of Appeal — will remain fully intact, Simmons confirmed. The former chief justice noted that the 1973 Legal Profession Act, which the new bill will replace, was written when just 192 practicing attorneys operated in Barbados. Today, that number has grown nearly fivefold to 900, with an additional 40 new attorneys expected to be admitted to the Bar by the end of this year, making a full update long overdue.

    During a two-day industry symposium hosted by the commission at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre in June of last year, Simmons explained that the new legislation codifies decades of legal, constitutional and societal shifts that have transformed the Barbadian legal landscape since 1971, when the original act was first drafted. Key reforms laid out in the bill include the legalization of professional legal corporations, a formalized mandatory framework for continuing legal education (CLE) for practicing attorneys, updated accounting and ethical compliance rules, and the lifting of long-standing restrictions on attorney service advertising.

    Contrary to claims that the reforms were drafted without industry input, Simmons confirmed that the process included more than a year of internal review by the Bar, which submitted a full table of proposed amendments and a formal report to the commission. The commission ultimately adopted the overwhelming majority of the Bar’s suggested changes, ensuring the final bill reflects input from working legal professionals.

    Despite the broad consensus around the reforms, Simmons issued two key recommendations for implementation. He warned that provisions related to new accounting requirements and the new continuing education framework will require significant additional staffing and institutional support to function effectively. To avoid overburdening the country’s legal regulatory system, he advised the government to roll out the new rules in a phased sequence rather than implementing all changes at once.

  • Chief Justice shops reforms to boost criminal law practice

    Chief Justice shops reforms to boost criminal law practice

    As the Caribbean nation of Barbados confronts a growing crisis of declining legal practitioners specializing in criminal law, the country’s top judicial officer has laid out a sweeping set of institutional reforms to reverse the trend and unclog a years-long backlog of criminal cases. In an address marking the opening of the 2026/2027 legal year at a special sitting of the No. 1 Court in the Supreme Court Complex, Chief Justice Leslie Haynes emphasized that piecemeal fixes would not solve the shortage, arguing that deep-rooted structural changes are required to make criminal law practice appealing to the next generation of legal professionals.

    Haynes pointed to rising educational debt loads carried by newly graduated attorneys as one of the core deterrents pushing young legal professionals away from criminal practice, noting that many seek higher-paying or more stable work outside of the criminal bar. To address this barrier, he put forward two key policy proposals. First, he called for a significant increase in public funding for the Community Legal Services Department, widely known as Legal Aid. The additional resources would allow early-career attorneys to take on less severe criminal cases – including wounding and grievous bodily harm matters – building practical experience gradually before moving up to high-stakes cases such as murder, manslaughter and serious sexual offenses.

    His second major proposal is the creation of a dedicated Public Defender’s Office, a state-run institution that would provide a structured, stable career track for legal professionals interested in criminal law who value the job security of public sector employment over the uncertainty of private practice. Beyond funding and institutional restructuring, Haynes also called on senior members of the legal profession to step up their mentorship of young attorneys, framing this support as a critical investment in the long-term future of the criminal justice system. He urged senior counsel to actively guide new entrants to the field, while encouraging young lawyers to consider building their careers in criminal practice.

    Alongside his proposals to address the attorney shortage, Haynes delivered a comprehensive update on the state of Barbados’ court system, which is still recovering from significant disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He acknowledged that criminal court teams – including judges, prosecutors and defense counsel – have maintained essential operations despite longstanding challenges, including the absence of a dedicated criminal registry and consistent juror shortages. He revealed that the judiciary is now in the critical phase of establishing the long-awaited criminal registry, a change expected to cut down on excessive delays that leave criminal cases stagnating in the system for years. As an example of the scope of the backlog problem, Haynes noted that two cases over a decade old were recently brought to his attention. As of December 31, 2025, the total backlog of pending criminal cases stood at 1,382, with the largest categories including unlawful firearms possession, sexual offenses, burglary and murder.

    Haynes also shared detailed data showing a steady recovery in case disposal rates after the pandemic-induced slump. When the COVID-19 outbreak was at its peak in 2020, High Court civil judges issued 113 written decisions, 88 of which were full High Court rulings and 25 related to applicant matters. In 2021 and 2022, as the pandemic continued to disrupt court operations and slow litigation across the country, disposal rates dropped to 76 and 69 written decisions respectively. From 2023 onward, the numbers began a gradual upward trend, hitting 76 decisions in 2023 and 71 in 2024, with High Court disposals accounting for 86 percent of all resolved matters in both years. By 2025, the number of written decisions issued reached 125 – surpassing the 2020 pre- and peak-pandemic levels for the first time in five years. As of August 2026, 82 written decisions have already been issued, putting the court on track to continue this positive trajectory. Haynes noted that the addition of new judicial officers has been a key factor driving the increase in resolved cases.

    For the Court of Appeal’s criminal division, Haynes reported that approximately 200 active appeals were pending as of July 31, 2026. Only two of these appeals were initiated in 2022, with 42 filed in 2023, and the remainder opened between 2024 and the present. Of the 14 outstanding appeals that predate 2019, nine are civil and five are criminal. Progress has already been made on these legacy matters: two civil appeals have been discontinued, three are awaiting further case management to reach resolution, three have been scheduled for retrial, and one is no longer being prosecuted. On the criminal side, two appeals have been abandoned, one has been reheard with a decision pending, and one has been scheduled for retrial. For all appeals filed after 2019, Haynes confirmed that significant progress has been made, with a large number of pending decisions on track to be delivered before the 2026 Christmas holiday break.

  • Gun courts by January – CJ

    Gun courts by January – CJ

    Barbados’ top judicial leader has announced a firm timeline for the launch of two specialized gun-focused courts, part of a broader push to clear a backlog of firearms-related cases and reduce systemic pressure on the island nation’s entire court network. Chief Justice Leslie Haynes made the announcement Monday during the ceremonial opening of the 2026-2027 legal year, held at the Supreme Court Complex’s Court No 1.

    Haynes confirmed that the two dedicated gun courts will be fully operational no later than next January, adding that collaborative work between the Office of the Attorney General and the Ministry of Legal Affairs puts the project on track to launch well ahead of that January deadline. The specialized courts, created to exclusively handle cases of unlawful firearms possession, will be based at the Henry Forde and David Simmons Legal and Judicial Complex located on Coleridge Street.

    The Chief Justice openly acknowledged ongoing space constraints that have challenged the judiciary’s expansion plans, noting that recent renovation work at the Forde-Simmons Complex and growth in judicial staffing at the Supreme Court have made the space shortage more acute than ever. To address this, Haynes said court administrators are taking a creative approach to space allocation, which is reflected in the judiciary’s updated capital improvement plan. He highlighted the long-delayed rehabilitation of the St. Matthias court complex, confirming that planning for that project is now in its final advanced stages.

    Alongside the St. Matthias renovations, four other key infrastructure projects are moving forward this term. First, construction will soon begin on a redesigned public waiting area for District A magistrate courts, a change designed to uphold the dignity of all visitors accessing court services. Second, ongoing roof repair work at the main Supreme Court Complex will continue. Third, the Supreme Court Complex will add two entirely new courtrooms, as well as dedicated meeting spaces for attorneys who travel to the complex for cases. Haynes called the full slate of projects an ambitious agenda, but stressed that the judiciary is committed to delivering tangible, positive results for the public.

    In addition to physical infrastructure upgrades, the judiciary is also rolling out digital improvements to streamline processes and reduce strain on other government agencies. Haynes revealed that internet bandwidth is currently being upgraded at every magistrate court across the island to enable virtual hearings for bail applications. Once the upgrade is complete within the next few months, virtual bail hearings will become the standard practice. This change will eliminate the need to transport inmates from correctional facilities to local magistrate courts for these hearings, freeing up overstretched Barbados Prison Service resources to be deployed to other critical needs.

    Haynes added that the upgraded internet capacity will unlock a range of other administrative improvements, including the ability to conduct daily reviews of core magistrate court administrative tasks: these include processing incoming and outgoing funds, managing child maintenance payments, debt collection, and financial enforcement actions.

    The Chief Justice also shared new details on the planned new judicial complex at Six Roads, which will include a centralized command center for financial administration across the magistrate court system. Currently, each individual magistrate court maintains its own separate bank account, a fragmented system Haynes described as an administrative nightmare that fails to meet modern transparency standards. The new centralized command center will oversee all collection of fines, court fees, and other payments, as well as all disbursements for things like child maintenance and debt settlements, greatly improving accountability for all public funds handled by the magistrate court system.

  • Dominican Republic energy company recommends improvements to GPL

    Dominican Republic energy company recommends improvements to GPL

    On Monday, September 14, 2026, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali publicly admitted that state-owned utility Guyana Power and Light (GPL) has failed to expand its infrastructure fast enough to match the country’s rapid economic and population growth, one day after former electricity minister David Patterson publicly slammed the administration for its mismanagement of the national power sector.

    Patterson, a critic of the current government, delivered his scathing rebuke over the weekend, arguing that the ongoing electricity shortages plaguing commercial and residential consumers across the country are entirely preventable. He pointed out that officials have long known that each new hotel coming online adds roughly 1.5 megawatts of extra demand to Guyana’s aging transmission network, yet the government failed to proactively expand capacity to stay ahead of growing needs.

    The former minister also criticized the administration’s lopsided focus on the long-delayed 300 megawatt natural gas-fired power plant, which has remained under construction for five years. In the interim, the government has relied on a costly temporary fix: two rented power ships from Turkish provider Karpowership, costing taxpayers more than $200,000 per day. Patterson argued that instead of wasting funds on long-term rentals, the government should have purchased and installed additional permanent generators years ago to meet rising demand.

    Responding to the criticism, President Ali confirmed the severity of the gap between supply and demand, citing data from an independent assessment carried out by InterEnergy, a private energy firm headquartered in the Dominican Republic. The assessment found that electricity demand on Guyana’s main Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS), which serves roughly 230,000 customers, has jumped 18 percent since 2024 – rising from 205 megawatts to 242.6 megawatts by August 2026. For context, this growth rate is far above the regional average of just 4 percent across Latin America and the Caribbean. Looking ahead, InterEnergy projects that total demand will surge 138 percent by 2029, meaning Guyana will need double its current generation capacity within five years to keep up with its development trajectory.

    Ali stressed that the status quo of an unreliable, underbuilt power grid is no longer acceptable. “We cannot continue with an unreliable system and a system that is not designed to do what the country wants it to do, what the development requires,” he said, noting that growing demand is being driven by a wave of new industrial operations, hotels, residential housing developments and commercial ventures connecting to the grid. The president added that an estimated 62,000 new customers are expected to connect to GPL’s network in coming years as growth continues.

    The Guyanese government has contracted InterEnergy at a cost of $650,000 per month to oversee upgrades to GPL’s transmission and distribution network, as well as works tied to the delayed Wales natural gas power project. Following its assessment, the firm has put forward a series of key recommendations to address the crisis. These include the creation of an independent task force focused on grid reliability, a full rollout of smart metering and digital system upgrades, the addition of substantial new generation capacity, and targeted investment in both transmission and distribution infrastructure. InterEnergy specifically emphasized that GPL cannot focus solely on expanding transmission lines while neglecting distribution, given the changing makeup of demand – including large-scale new housing developments, multi-unit apartment buildings, expanded industrial zones, and mixed commercial-residential areas.

    Recently returning from an official visit to Qatar, Ali also confirmed that the Middle Eastern nation has expressed readiness to partner with Guyana to upgrade and expand the country’s electricity sector. The president emphasized that only large-scale, long-term investment will solve the current crisis, rather than quick, temporary fixes. “We have to bite the bullet, make the investment, and this is what the report is saying – it’s not a short-term fix, and we have to, of course, hold people accountable in this process,” he stated.

    When asked about potential leadership changes or a restructuring at GPL, Ali declined to comment. He did note that the government currently provides heavy subsidies to cover GPL’s rising fuel costs, to avoid passing the full burden of higher prices onto consumers. Right now, the Minister of Finance is actively working to secure billions of additional Guyanese dollars to cover these fuel cost increases, a measure the president said is designed to protect consumers’ disposable income. GPL is currently in the midst of an $800 million project to build new high-voltage transmission lines and substations across the DBIS to expand network capacity.

  • Belize Formally Protests Guatemalan “Flotilla” in Sarstoon

    Belize Formally Protests Guatemalan “Flotilla” in Sarstoon

    On September 14, 2026, Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a formal diplomatic protest against Guatemala after an unauthorized flotilla of 18 mixed military and civilian Guatemalan vessels entered Belizean territorial waters adjacent to Sarstoon Island.

    The incident unfolded four days prior, on September 10, when a group of Belize Territorial Volunteers embarked on their annual circumnavigation of Sarstoon Island, escorted by official Belize Defence Force and Belize Coast Guard units. During the expedition, the Guatemalan flotilla entered the contested waters near the island, directly entering territory Belize claims as its sovereign territory.

    Belize grounded its position in long-standing international treaty law. Under the 1859 Boundary Agreement signed between Great Britain, then the governing authority of Belize, and Guatemala, the international border between the two nations runs along the mid-channel of the Sarstoon River. Per this treaty, Sarstoon Island falls fully within Belizean territory, while the river’s navigation channels are guaranteed equal access for vessels from both nations.

    Belize’s foreign ministry condemned the Guatemalan deployment as a clear violation of its sovereignty and a deliberate obstruction of the legal passage of unarmed Belizean citizens, saying the action ran counter to Guatemala’s existing treaty obligations. Officials added that embedding civilian vessels within a military flotilla marked an unwelcome escalation of tensions in an already sensitive border region.

    In response to the incursion, Belize’s government took multiple diplomatic steps to address the incident. A formal Note Verbale was sent to Guatemala’s Ministry of External Affairs, registering the strongest possible protest. Belize has also officially notified all its international partners, as well as the Organization of American States, of the incident and its potential risks to regional stability.

    Additionally, Belize has formally requested a direct explanation from Guatemala’s ambassador to Belize regarding the military’s aggressive actions. To advance discussion of the incident, the government is arranging a bilateral meeting between Belize Prime Minister John Briceño and Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo, scheduled to take place on the sidelines of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly next week.

    Even amid the escalating tensions, Belize has reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to resolving the broader territorial dispute through the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the internationally recognized arbitration body for the conflict. The government called on Guatemala to avoid any unilateral actions on the ground that could prejudge the ICJ’s final ruling or put civilian and security personnel from both sides at unnecessary risk.

    “Belize reaffirms its full confidence in the International Court of Justice process as the appropriate mechanism for the final resolution of Guatemala’s territorial, insular, and maritime claim,” the ministry’s statement read. Belize has also instructed its legal agent office to coordinate with its international legal team to ensure the incident, along with any similar future provocations, are formally raised during upcoming ICJ hearings on the dispute.

  • Some U.S. Embassies Ease Restrictions on Cellphones and Smartwatches

    Some U.S. Embassies Ease Restrictions on Cellphones and Smartwatches

    After years of enforcing strict bans that barred visa candidates from bringing common personal electronics into consular facilities, a growing number of United States embassies around the world have updated their security protocols to ease restrictions on cellphones and smartwatches. This policy shift marks a notable change in how U.S. diplomatic missions accommodate the daily needs of individuals seeking travel documentation to the United States.

    Under the newly revised frameworks, visa applicants are now allowed to bring cellphones, wireless earbuds, and smartwatches into designated consular waiting areas, though strict usage rules remain in place to protect facility security and the privacy of other visitors. In-person voice calls using these devices are strictly prohibited across all locations that have adopted the new rules. Audio playback is only permitted when delivered through personal earbuds or headphones, and only in designated zones where such activity is explicitly allowed.

    One of the first missions to roll out these updated guidelines is the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, which has already published full, public rules outlining which items are permitted for applicants entering its consular waiting room. The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica is set to follow suit, with its similar policy adjustment scheduled to take effect on September 1, 2026. Beyond personal electronics, the updated policies also explicitly expand the list of allowed items to include a range of necessities that many visitors rely on during their appointment trips. These include non-liquid prescription medications, essential medical devices, small portions of baby formula, baby food, infant milk, diapers, along with everyday personal items like cash or cards, belts, plain wristwatches, and keys.

    Not all electronic and personal items have been cleared for entry, however. Prohibited items that remain barred from U.S. consular facilities include laptop and desktop computers, standalone cameras, USB storage drives, external memory cards, portable Bluetooth speakers, all types of weapons, sharp-edged objects, and a range of other items deemed a potential security risk. The updated policies strike a new balance between the need to keep diplomatic facilities secure and the growing demand from applicants to keep essential personal communication devices with them while traveling to and waiting for their visa interviews.

  • Guyana houdt veto bij Amerikaanse deportaties

    Guyana houdt veto bij Amerikaanse deportaties

    During an on-site interview with Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar on September 14, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali pushed back against growing criticism of a newly emerging deportation reception arrangement with the United States, stressing that Guyana will retain full sovereign control over all entries to its territory regardless of the bilateral deal.

    The agreement, which has not yet been fully detailed publicly, would see Guyana accept third-country nationals that the U.S. government has ordered deported. Critics have raised alarms that the deal would turn the small South American nation into a dumping ground for deportees expelled from the U.S., with no sufficient safeguards for the rights of deported individuals or Guyana’s national security. Addressing these concerns directly, Ali emphasized that the U.S. does not have the authority to unilaterally deport individuals to Guyana without prior approval from Guyanese authorities.

    “This is not a scenario where the U.S. shows up with a plane and just dumps people on your shores,” Ali told reporters. He laid out the formal two-step process that governs any planned deportations under the arrangement: first, U.S. authorities are required to share the full list of proposed deportees with Guyana before any travel is arranged. Guyanese officials will then conduct independent screenings and vetting of each individual on the list, and only after the process is completed to Guyana’s full satisfaction will the country approve the names. If Guyana rejects any individual, that person will not be accepted into the country.

    Ali added that the agreement does not set a binding precedent for future cases, meaning Guyana retains the full right to turn away any proposed deportee at any time, regardless of past approvals. He also confirmed that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is involved in implementing the arrangement, though he did not elaborate on the organization’s exact role. The interview took place during Ali’s diplomatic visit to Doha, a major hub that has increasingly hosted high-level international diplomatic talks for parties across the Middle East and beyond, giving the Guyanese leader a platform to clarify his government’s position to a global audience.

    Human rights organizations have already raised multiple red flags about the deal, warning that Guyana lacks sufficient oversight mechanisms to ensure that deportees are not sent to the country without adequate due process, and that the arrangement could open the door to large-scale deportations that strain Guyana’s resources. In his comments, Ali rejected claims that Guyana has ceded sovereign control over its border policies, but he declined to provide key details that critics have called for. These missing details include the specific criteria Guyana uses to approve or reject proposed deportees, the exact nature of security and human rights screenings carried out by officials, whether an independent appeal mechanism exists for rejected or approved deportation decisions, and whether Guyana has already rejected any deportation proposals from the U.S. to date.

    While Ali reiterated that Guyana’s sovereignty remains fully intact because of the country’s final say over who enters its borders, the practical implementation of this commitment and the question of whether the agreement will eventually be expanded to accommodate much larger numbers of deportees remain unanswered for the time being.

  • COMMENTARY: The ballot cannot defend itself – confronting Dominica’s declining voter turnout

    COMMENTARY: The ballot cannot defend itself – confronting Dominica’s declining voter turnout

    The recent Roseau North by-election delivered a clear victory to the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) over the United Workers Party (UWP) candidate Danny Lugay, a win that carries extra weight after the opposition framed the contest as a moral struggle between good and evil, wrapped in rhetoric of advancing democracy and social justice. For the UWP, this contest was far more than just another parliamentary by-election—it was a make-or-break moment for the party’s political future.

    Having boycotted the 2022 general elections, the Roseau North vote marked the UWP’s first electoral contest since 2019, and the first major test of new party leader Dr. Fontaine’s leadership and campaign coordination. Plagued by internal divisions, inconsistent policy messaging, and a lack of a clear, credible vision to unseat the long-ruling DLP, the UWP had pinned its hopes on this by-election as a launching pad for a political comeback, a stepping stone to re-establishing its presence in parliament. That makes its defeat even more devastating: the result signals that the UWP’s path back to electoral relevance is far more difficult and uncertain than party leaders had anticipated, potentially spelling an existential threat to the opposition party’s future.

    Beyond the partisan win-loss narrative, the most critical takeaway from the by-election lies in what it reveals about voter participation in Dominica. While many observers have decried the low voter turnout recorded in the contest, this is far from an isolated issue. Data shows that voter turnout—a core metric of democratic engagement—has declined steadily in every national election since 1985, falling by an average of 4.02% per electoral cycle. Following independence in 1978, Dominica saw its highest turnout in 1980 at 80.31%, but just one cycle later in 1985, that number dropped to 75.56%, a 4.75% decline. The steepest drop on record came in 1990, when turnout fell by 8.92%, though a rare uptick was recorded in 2014—coinciding with two major political milestones: the DLP’s 15th consecutive year in power, and the appointment of Lennox Linton as UWP leader and head of the official opposition.

    This long-running downward trend paints a worrying picture: Dominica now has a voting population that is increasingly disengaged and reluctant to turn out to the polls, a pattern that undermines the very foundations of the country’s democracy. Fixing this issue requires confronting more than just widespread voter apathy. Academic research from scholars André Blais (2006) and Mark N. Franklin (2004) demonstrates that electoral participation is shaped by a combination of institutional structures, the intensity of political competition, voters’ sense of political efficacy, access to accurate information, and the public’s belief that their vote actually matters. While low turnout does not automatically invalidate an election’s democratic legitimacy, it does erode its representativeness. When large numbers of citizens skip voting, political leaders are more likely to make assumptions about voter preferences that may be incorrect, leading to policy decisions that do not reflect the actual will of the public.

    Worse still, when only a small subset of the electorate participates in elections, political parties have little incentive to address the needs of non-voting groups. If specific demographic groups or geographic communities consistently turn out at lower rates, their interests are pushed to the political margins, social divides widen, and public disenchantment with politics deepens. The cumulative impact of these trends poses a severe threat to social stability and long-term national development. For this reason, Dominica cannot continue to treat low voter turnout as a problem that only needs attention during election season. It must be recognized for what it is: a critical threat to the country’s socio-economic progress that requires deliberate, long-term strategic intervention.

    Three key strategic shifts can help address this growing crisis. First, Dominica must institutionalize permanent electoral and civic education across the country. There is a critical difference between the two: voter information teaches citizens how to cast a ballot, while civic education helps them understand why casting that ballot matters. The Ministry of Education, in partnership with the national Electoral Office, should establish a fully funded, adequately staffed Electoral and Civic Education program that operates year-round, not just during campaigns. This program should be introduced to students long before they reach voting age, incorporating activities like mock elections, parliamentary simulations, student-led debates, student councils, and hands-on constitutional education to build democratic participation as a lifelong civic habit, rather than a once-every-few-years chore.

    Through this program, citizens will learn the role of parliament, the responsibilities of elected representatives, how votes translate into legislative representation, how to evaluate competing political claims, and how to hold elected officials accountable for their promises. This approach has already proven successful elsewhere in the Caribbean: Jamaica’s Electoral Commission has implemented similar voter and civic education initiatives designed to boost public understanding and engage young and first-time voters. The lesson for Dominica is clear: waiting until citizens reach voting age to teach them about democracy is waiting far too long.

    Second, civic and electoral education must meet citizens where they are, at the community level. The Electoral Office should partner with local community groups, schools, churches, youth organizations, and civil society groups to host regular Community Democracy Forums in every constituency and village across the country. These forums will address the practical questions voters often have: How do I register to vote? Where is my polling station? What does a Member of Parliament actually do on a day-to-day basis? What happens to my ballot after I cast it? How can I evaluate political promises and identify misinformation? This local outreach is particularly effective in Dominica’s tight-knit communities, where existing social networks can either reinforce disengagement or build a shared culture of participation. The Electoral Office can guarantee neutral, accurate information, while local community organizations bring the trust and on-the-ground reach to connect with residents.

    Third, all efforts to boost turnout must be rooted in empirical evidence and continuous improvement. After every election, the Electoral Office should conduct a systematic survey to identify why eligible citizens chose not to vote. Was it due to distrust in politicians, political alienation, out-migration, difficulties with voter registration, lack of transportation, inaccessible polling locations, or a general belief that voting would not change anything? When administrative barriers are identified, they should be addressed immediately through improved voter information, more accessible polling arrangements, simplified registration processes, and targeted outreach to groups that consistently have low turnout rates. Digital communication should also be a permanent part of the program: short-form videos, social media content, podcasts, and shareable messaging for platforms like WhatsApp can reach citizens who do not engage with traditional electoral advertising.

    At its core, the crisis of low turnout in Dominica raises an uncomfortable question that goes far beyond simple voter apathy: have democratic institutions, political parties, and civic organizations done enough to make participation meaningful for ordinary citizens? A democracy where increasing numbers of citizens choose to stay home on election day may still function legally, but it becomes less representative with every cycle. When citizens do not express their will through the ballot box, politicians end up speaking for them. That is the real danger: the most consequential vote in any election may not be the one cast for the wrong candidate, but the vote that is never cast at all.

    If Dominica is serious about advancing electoral reform and modernization to strengthen its democracy, electoral and civic education cannot remain an afterthought only addressed during election campaigns. It must become a permanent national institution, and increasing voter participation must be treated as a core democratic priority on par with economic development and national resilience. The Roseau North by-election should push the country to confront questions larger than just which political party won or lost. Its deeper meaning lies in what it reveals about the relationship between Dominica’s citizens and their democracy.

    Political parties will always frame elections as existential battles for their own survival, but democracy ultimately depends on something far more fundamental than the electoral fortunes of any single party: it depends on whether citizens still believe that their participation matters. Dominica does not need another cycle of last-minute campaigns just telling citizens to “go out and vote.” It needs a permanent, embedded culture of democratic participation. After all, democracy cannot defend itself. It requires active, engaged citizens to show up and protect it.

  • Santiago’s long-awaited monorail to begin testing in October

    Santiago’s long-awaited monorail to begin testing in October

    In a public presentation held in Santiago de los Caballeros on Monday, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader showcased the milestones achieved for the Santiago Integrated Transportation System — an initiative that local authorities have hailed as the most ambitious infrastructure and mobility project in the province’s modern history.

    This transformative transit development is a core pillar of the national government’s broader regional development framework, crafted to reverse decades of uneven public investment across the country, boost Santiago’s long-term economic competitiveness, and spread viable economic opportunity beyond the capital city of Santo Domingo.

    During the weekly government briefing “La Agenda Semanal”, hosted in Santiago, Jhael Isa, director of the Office of Urban and Interurban Mobility Project Development, detailed the project’s timeline. He noted that formal planning for the initiative kicked off in September 2021 alongside the formal Santiago Commitment, and construction and development have proceeded at a far faster pace than initially projected.

    At the heart of the new system is a 13-kilometer monorail line that includes 14 stations across the city. The monorail trains will reach top operating speeds between 60 and 80 kilometers per hour, with trains arriving at stations at an average interval of just 90 seconds, cutting wait times dramatically for daily commuters.

    The massive construction scope of the project includes 4,252 foundation piles, 662 structural footings, 716 support columns, 658 capitals and 1,132 support beams. Additional infrastructure includes a dedicated maintenance and storage workshop yard, two new bridges crossing the Gurabo and Nibaje ravines, and a 500-meter excavated tunnel built to preserve the historic integrity of Santiago’s protected Monumental Zone.

    The monorail will not operate as an isolated service; it will be integrated into a comprehensive multi-modal public transit network that connects directly to the existing Santiago cable car, seven expanded bus corridors, and a city-wide public bicycle sharing system. According to official project updates, system-wide testing is scheduled to launch in October, with public preview tours following shortly after, and full commercial passenger service on track to launch before the end of the current calendar year.

    To make the system accessible to all residents, authorities have set a unified integrated fare of just 35 Dominican pesos, which allows riders to transfer seamlessly between OMSA public buses, the cable car, and the new monorail under a single payment structure.

    Officials project that this unified fare model will cut average transportation costs significantly for working residents and students, while also improving connectivity between previously disconnected neighborhoods across Santiago.

    The full transit line will connect key population and economic hubs stretching from the Cienfuegos district to the Pekín neighborhood, linking dense residential areas to major universities, industrial free trade zones, and the central business district. Beyond Santiago itself, the improved regional connectivity will also benefit daily commuters from neighboring provinces including Puerto Plata, Espaillat, La Vega, Duarte and Hermanas Mirabal, cementing Santiago’s long-standing role as the primary economic center of the Cibao region.

    Beyond its core goal of improving urban mobility, the project is designed to advance the national government’s push for economic decentralization. By expanding infrastructure and opportunity in Santiago and the broader Cibao region, officials aim to reduce the economic pressure that pushes many local residents to relocate to the overcrowded capital of Santo Domingo in search of work and services.