Carib Scope

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  • Former PM Said Musa Calls September 10th a “Colonial Construct”

    Former PM Said Musa Calls September 10th a “Colonial Construct”

    A decades-long national conversation over Belize’s September public holidays has been reignited by former prime minister Said Musa, who is drawing new attention to the colonial origins of the upcoming Battle of St. George’s Caye holiday marked every September 10.

    The annual commemoration traces its roots back to the 1798 Battle of St. George’s Caye, a conflict that pitted British Baymen and enslaved local people against Spanish forces attempting to seize control of the territory. For generations, the date stood as Belize’s unofficial national day, but it has long been a point of debate for post-independence leaders who sought to center national identity on Belize’s sovereign status rather than its colonial history.

    In an exclusive interview with local outlet News 5, Musa laid out his clear stance on why founding leaders, including former Premier George Price, made the deliberate choice to shift the country’s primary national celebration to September 21 – the date of Belize’s independence. Musa explained that Price recognized the need for a unifying national holiday that reflected Belize’s emergence as a free, independent, sovereign nation, rather than one tied to its history of colonial rule.

    “The tenth of September historically was our national day. The problem was that it was from the colonial days, the tenth of September was tied to the colonial period and Mr. Price realized that we have to break away from that,” Musa told reporters. He went on to emphasize that the reasoning behind the shift is straightforward: “People came and wanted to know, why did we not stick with the tenth? Because, the tenth is a colonial construct, that is why, plain and simple.”

    Even after the shift in national emphasis following Belize’s independence, September 10 has remained an official public holiday across the country. It continues to be observed through community ceremonies, public celebrations, and long-standing local traditions including the annual Queen of the Bay coronation pageant. Musa’s comments come just one day ahead of this year’s September 10 holiday, reopening discussion about national identity, colonial legacy, and the role of historic commemorations in modern independent Belize.

  • BTV’s Sarstoon Ritual, Will GAF Stop Them?

    BTV’s Sarstoon Ritual, Will GAF Stop Them?

    For 15 consecutive years, Wil Maheia has made the same journey every September: loading up his boats and steering toward a disputed stretch of the Sarstoon River, the contested border between Belize and Guatemala. And just as consistently, the Belizean government has attempted to dissuade him and his group from making the trip. This year is no exception – but the long-running standoff has taken an unexpected turn ahead of the 2026 journey.

    Maheia leads the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV), a grassroots group that organizes an annual patriotic pilgrimage to the Sarstoon River every September, coinciding with Belize’s national independence celebrations. The trip has a history of sparking tense confrontations: in previous years, encounters have unfolded between BTV members, Belize’s own national security forces, and Guatemalan patrols operating in the long-disputed border zone.

    This year, official warnings came earlier than usual. Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a public caution alerting citizens to the inherent safety risks of traveling into the contested territory. But for Maheia, who has navigated this annual pushback for more than a decade and a half, the early warning was nothing new – and far from unexpected.

    “Every year we face pushback,” Maheia noted in comments ahead of Thursday’s planned trip. “For over fifteen years we have been going there, and the pushback varies in intensity from year to year. This year’s pushback wasn’t really necessary, but we always expected it would come.”

    To Maheia, the government’s warning is not a genuine act of concern for citizen safety, but a deliberate attempt to discourage Belizeans from asserting sovereignty over their own territorial border. Rather than backing down in the face of official pressure, he has leaned into the timing of the trip, framing it as a core expression of national independence.

    “Our entire goal is to travel to the Sarstoon peacefully as proud Belizeans, and that is entirely in the spirit of our independence,” he explained. “This is our independence month, and we are here to show all Belize where our country’s borders lie. That is all we plan to do: go there, mark our border, and celebrate our nation.”

    In a surprising twist, however, the official pushback that Maheia has criticized for years has ultimately worked in the group’s favor. In the days leading up to the planned pilgrimage, BTV opened direct channels of communication with two of Belize’s key national security bodies: the Belize Defence Force and the Belize Coast Guard. During those discussions, the group laid out every detail of their planned route and activities on the river.

    Far from rejecting the plan, security officials accepted BTV’s outlined itinerary, clearing the way for what Maheia says will be a peaceful, uneventful journey.

    “I actually think the Ministry’s pushback ended up working out well for everyone,” Maheia said. “Because in the end, it opened the door for dialogue with BDF personnel and the Coast Guard. We laid out our plan clearly, they accepted it, and now tomorrow is going to be a great day. We are heading to the Sarstoon, we will go to the forward operating base, and we will make it clear to every Belizean that our border starts at the Sarstoon.”

    Maheia reaffirmed that the group’s core plans have not changed despite the months of back and forth with officials. He stressed that a strict no-weapons policy remains in place for all participants, no exceptions, and the entire event will remain entirely peaceful, focused solely on patriotic assertion of Belizean territorial sovereignty.

  • Regering wil pensioengat door nieuwe loonreeks voorkomen

    Regering wil pensioengat door nieuwe loonreeks voorkomen

    On September 8, the government of Suriname formally approved a revised 15% pay scale structure for all civil servants and equivalent public sector employees, set to take retroactive effect starting September 1 this year. As the policy rollout approaches, the administration has introduced a landmark protective provision aimed at eliminating unfair disparities in retirement benefits that could arise solely from the timing of a worker’s exit from public service.

  • Belize Enacts New Occupational Safety and Health Act

    Belize Enacts New Occupational Safety and Health Act

    In a landmark update to Belize’s national labor governance framework, the Government of Belize has formally enacted the Occupational Safety and Health Act 2026, replacing the decades-old Factories Act with a modern, comprehensive set of rules designed to protect worker well-being across every sector of the national economy.

    Unlike the outdated predecessor legislation that focused primarily on industrial factory settings, the new law casts a far broader regulatory net, extending coverage to a wide range of work environments that were previously underregulated. These include all public and private sector workplaces, large and small construction sites, heavy industrial facilities, in-home domestic work positions, and even eligible remote work arrangements. The act explicitly outlines clear, legally binding responsibilities for both employers and workers, eliminating ambiguous language that created gaps in protection under the old law.

    A core structural change introduced by the legislation is the creation of two dedicated new government bodies to oversee the new framework. The National Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Committee will take charge of long-term policy development, updating standards to align with emerging workplace risks, and advising the government on adaptive regulatory changes. The second new body, the Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate, will be responsible for on-the-ground compliance work, including routine workplace inspections, investigating worker complaints, and enforcing adherence to the new safety standards.

    Under the new requirements, employers face a series of binding obligations designed to proactively prevent workplace harm. They are mandated to conduct regular, detailed risk assessments of all work activities, implement systematic controls to mitigate identified workplace hazards, and build out robust, transparent systems for reporting workplace accidents and occupational diseases. For workers, the act delivers landmark new protections that were not available under previous legislation: workers are now fully protected from employer retaliation when they report unsafe working conditions, and they hold a legal right to refuse any work assignment when they have a reasonable belief that the task poses an imminent, serious threat to their health or safety.

    Additional provisions in the act set strict new standards for the handling and management of hazardous materials, including toxic industrial chemicals, dangerous substances, and potentially harmful biological agents. It also requires workplaces meeting defined size thresholds to establish internal Safety and Health Committees and elect worker safety representatives to facilitate ongoing communication between staff and management about safety concerns.

    While the legislation has already been formally gazetted as official law, it will not go into full effect immediately. Instead, implementation will roll out in staggered phases through a series of commencement orders issued by the responsible government minister. This phased approach is designed to give authorities sufficient time to build out the two new regulatory bodies, develop supporting secondary regulations, and prepare the national workforce and business community for the new rules. Belize’s Labour Department will lead the implementation process, with core responsibilities including standing up the new Inspectorate, drafting the required supporting regulations, and delivering targeted training and public education campaigns to help employers and workers understand their new rights and obligations.

  • STATEMENT: Official results and breakdown for Roseau North constituency by-election

    STATEMENT: Official results and breakdown for Roseau North constituency by-election

    The final results of the 2026 Roseau North constituency by-election are now official, after the Electoral Office completed full ballot counting on Tuesday, September 8 — one day after polling closed across the district. The contest, triggered by a mid-term parliamentary vacancy, delivered a clear win to the Dominica Labour Party’s candidate Ashma McDougall, who secured a comfortable majority of valid votes to fill the empty seat in Dominica’s House of Assembly.

    The vacancy that prompted the by-election was created when former representative Honourable Miriam Blanchard stepped down from her post on June 12, 2026. Under the Commonwealth of Dominica’s constitution, any parliamentary opening that occurs outside of a full general election dissolution requires a by-election to fill the seat within a three-month window, unless Parliament is dissolved before the deadline. Following constitutional protocols, Dominica’s President officially issued the election writ per Section 12 of the House of Assembly (Elections) Act, setting polling day for Monday, September 7, 2026. Voting ran from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM across 28 purpose-built polling stations distributed across the constituency’s 10 polling districts.

    Full final vote tabulation confirmed McDougall captured 1,473 valid votes, accounting for 58.45% of all valid ballots cast in the contest. Her closest challenger, Daniel Andrew Lugay of the United Workers Party, finished with 998 votes, equal to 39.60% of the valid vote share. Independent candidate Sherman Boston rounded out the field with 49 votes, making up 1.95% of total valid ballots. In total, 2,520 valid votes were recorded across the constituency.

    Electoral data also shows broader turnout metrics for the contest: out of 7,892 registered eligible voters in Roseau North, only 2,566 ballots were cast, putting overall voter turnout at 32.51%. Just under two-thirds of registered voters — 67.49% or 5,327 people — opted not to participate in the by-election. Of all ballots cast, 98.21% were deemed valid, while 46 ballots were rejected, accounting for 1.79% of total polled ballots.

    This by-election gives Roseau North constituents a new representative to serve out the remaining term of the current parliamentary cycle, fulfilling the constitutional requirement to fill mid-term vacancies in the national legislature.

  • Tribunal warns bosses on dismissal procedures

    Tribunal warns bosses on dismissal procedures

    In a landmark ruling delivered Tuesday, the chairman of the Employment Rights Tribunal (ERT) has issued a sharp, clear warning to employers across the jurisdiction: cutting corners on statutory dismissal processes will destroy any legal defense an employer may bring before the adjudicative body. The ruling came in a case against Markham Construction Limited, which the tribunal found had violated formal dismissal procedures when terminating former employee Alanna Hazell. As a consequence of the unfair dismissal finding, Chairman Vere P. Brathwaite ordered the construction firm to pay Hazell $6,576 in compensatory damages. Delivering a forceful statement to all parties present, Brathwaite emphasized that the tribunal cannot overstate the consequences of non-compliance with the procedural requirements laid out in Parts A and B of the Fourth Schedule of the Employment Rights Act. Even in situations where an employer claims the employee exhibited poor performance or unprofessional conduct, whether proven or alleged, failure to follow these mandatory procedures will still result in the employer losing their case, Brathwaite said. She warned that employers who disregard the strict requirements of the Employment Rights Act do so at significant legal risk. Brathwaite also used the ruling to clarify a second critical obligation for employers: they are legally required to comply with ERT requests to turn over documentation and information relevant to any dispute brought before the tribunal. In the case of Markham Construction, the company failed to produce key documents even after being ordered to do so by the employment rights body. Addressing this specific failure, Brathwaite noted that for the requirements outlined in Sections 12 through 16 of the Employment Rights Act, which mandate employers provide certain particulars to their employees, non-compliance is far more than a minor legal breach. It signals poor organizational governance and a failure to uphold basic standards of good management practice, she said. Contrary to common claims from employers that such failures are accidental administrative oversights, Brathwaite framed these omissions as substantive, material failures of governance. She pointed out that the Employment Rights Act uses the mandatory term “shall” when laying out these requirements, which makes clear that all obligations are non-negotiable legal requirements. When employers fail to maintain and organize required employment documents and key particulars, they put themselves in a position of being unable to produce that information when the law requires it, a situation that directly undermines their ability to defend their actions in a tribunal, Brathwaite explained. This specific case against Markham Construction serves as a clear example of the negative legal outcomes employers can face when they neglect or outright ignore their statutory duties under the Employment Rights Act, she added.

  • Vice President Raquel Peña celebrates her 60th birthday

    Vice President Raquel Peña celebrates her 60th birthday

    On Thursday, September 10, Raquel Peña, the Vice President of the Dominican Republic, marked a significant milestone as she celebrated her 60th birthday. Born in 1966 in the northern Dominican city of Santiago de los Caballeros, Peña built her early academic foundation at the Pontifical Catholic University Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), where she earned a respected degree in Business Administration.

    Peña made history in Dominican politics when she first assumed the vice presidency in August 2020, stepping into office as only the third woman to ever hold the nation’s second-highest executive position in the country’s history. Her track record of public service earned her broad support, leading to her re-election alongside incumbent President Luis Abinader in the 2024 general election for a second consecutive term.

    As the nation marked her birthday, messages of celebration and recognition poured in from across the public sector. Senior government officials, leading state institutions, and prominent public figures across the Dominican Republic joined together to congratulate Peña, highlighting her decades of impactful work across three distinct spheres: academia, the private business sector, and public service. Many tributes emphasized her contributions to advancing gender representation in Dominican leadership and her collaborative approach to advancing the administration’s policy priorities during her tenure.

  • Evans: Retirement rules fuel judicial brain drain

    Evans: Retirement rules fuel judicial brain drain

    In a historic moment for The Bahamas’ judicial system, the Court of Appeal has convened proceedings in Grand Bahama for the first time in 16 years, bringing top judicial leaders face-to-face with local communities and opening the door to long-awaited reforms to expand access to justice. During the two-day sitting held September 9 and 10, Court of Appeal President Justice Milton Evans used the occasion to raise a urgent, long-simmering concern: the country’s mandatory judicial retirement rules are actively draining the judiciary of its most experienced legal minds, creating a harmful brain drain that erodes institutional knowledge.

    Justice Evans explained that judicial expertise is not built overnight – it takes years of hands-on experience hearing cases, interpreting law, and refining decision-making for judges to reach the peak of their professional capabilities. Yet under current Bahamian constitutional rules, judges are forced to step down just as they hit this stride, and many go on to offer their hard-won expertise to judicial systems in other countries that allow jurists to serve longer tenures. He pointed to high-profile examples of retired Bahamian judges Dame Anita Allen and Justice Neville Adderley, who have both gone on to serve on benches in other jurisdictions after being forced to retire at home.

    The current constitutional framework sets a mandatory retirement age of 65 for Supreme Court justices, with a maximum extension to 67 granted only through rare approval by the Governor-General following consultation between the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition. For Court of Appeal justices, the ordinary retirement age is 68, with a maximum extension to 70. A 2002 constitutional referendum that would have raised these limits – boosting the normal retirement age for Supreme Court justices to 68 (with extensions to 72) and for Court of Appeal justices to 72 (with extensions to 75) – was resoundingly defeated by voters, with 71 percent rejecting the measure.

    Beyond the retirement debate, the Grand Bahama sitting itself marked a major milestone in the judiciary’s push to expand public access to justice. For decades, appellate proceedings have been held exclusively in New Providence, forcing Freeport residents, defendants’ families, and other stakeholders to travel long distances to observe cases. This two-day session, which heard two criminal matters involving local Freeport residents, was designed to change that: it gave community members direct access to watch the appellate court at work, correcting misinformation that often circulates when the public only learns about court proceedings through secondhand accounts.

    “Justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done,” said Justice Gregory Smith, one of the participating panel members. Smith noted that while virtual hearing technology, widely adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, has proven effective for remote participation, it cannot replace the value of in-person sittings that bring the judiciary directly to local communities. Chief Justice Ian Winder echoed this commitment, framing the Grand Bahama session as part of a broader national initiative to expand meaningful access to justice across all of The Bahamas’ Family Islands. Grand Bahama already benefits from a fully established local court infrastructure with three Supreme Court justices, four magistrates, and three registrars, and the judicial branch is now moving forward to build out new court facilities in Eleuthera to cut down on the need for local residents to travel to New Providence for court business. Virtual proceedings will remain a core tool for remote participation in cases that cannot be heard locally.

    The visit also brought progress on another longstanding public concern: inconsistent sentencing. Chief Justice Winder acknowledged ongoing public debate over perceived inconsistencies in punishments for similar offences, with some arguing sentences are too harsh and others saying they are too lenient. In response, the judiciary has developed its first-ever formal set of sentencing guidelines in consultation with prosecutors, the legal profession, social services, and other key stakeholders. The guidelines outline clear sentencing ranges and identify standard aggravating and mitigating factors for judges to consider. While they have not yet been implemented, once introduced judges will be required to adhere to the guidelines and provide explicit, strong justifications for any departure from the recommended ranges.

    Despite the progress, Justice Evans cautioned that regular appellate sittings in Grand Bahama remain out of reach for now due to resource and logistical constraints. The Court of Appeal only has six sitting members, so bringing the full panel to Grand Bahama requires pausing all appellate proceedings in Nassau. In the longer term, the judiciary aims to find a solution that allows proceedings to run simultaneously in both locations, but that will require additional funding and revised operational arrangements. He also shared an update on the court’s backlog, noting that the panel is currently processing cases filed in 2026, with only four outstanding judgments remaining as of the start of the Grand Bahama sitting, one of which was already finalized and pending delivery.

  • Joint Sitting of Parliament receives HTWG update

    Joint Sitting of Parliament receives HTWG update

    On 8 September, both the lower and upper houses of Grenada’s Parliament gathered for a rare joint sitting, called to deliver a full public and legislative briefing on the island nation’s ongoing hydrocarbon development initiative, including the government’s controversial recent decision to end a key contract with foreign energy firm Global Petroleum Group (GPG).

    The sitting was organized around three core priorities: upholding governmental accountability, boosting public awareness of a matter critical to the country’s long-term economic future, and ensuring full transparency around the management of Grenada’s offshore natural resources. During the session, lawmakers received a detailed progress report from the Grenada Hydrocarbons Technical Working Group (HTWG), the expert body appointed by the Cabinet of Ministers in October 2023 to oversee the programme.

    The HTWG was created with a clear national mandate: to conduct independent assessments of Grenada’s offshore oil and gas potential, and if commercially viable reserves are identified, build a strategic roadmap for exploration, extraction, and revenue generation that prioritizes the well-being of current Grenadian citizens and future generations. Today’s presentation, led by HTWG Chairman V Nazim Burke and Lead Consultant Gilbert Yevi, a veteran senior petroleum engineer, covered advances across every key area of the programme, including technical surveys, economic modeling, commercial negotiations, operational planning, and regulatory policy development. Lawmakers also received an overview of the working group’s upcoming activities, designed to position Grenada to capture maximum economic benefit from any future hydrocarbon development.

    A central focus of the briefing was a step-by-step breakdown of the events that led the government to terminate GPG’s Production Sharing Agreement and revoke the company’s Development Licence. The background of the agreement stretches back to 2008, when GPG was first granted exploration rights to 11 offshore blocks off Grenada’s coast. In 2013, the company was awarded a formal Development Licence and finalized a Production Sharing Agreement with the government covering four of those blocks, establishing a legal framework for resource development and revenue sharing between the firm and the state.

    According to the HTWG’s testimony to Parliament, despite multiple formal attempts by the Grenadian government to secure compliance from the company, GPG never met its required contractual obligations under the terms of the licence and agreement. After a months-long comprehensive review of the case, the government officially published termination notices in the national Gazette on 29 July 2026, formally ending the agreement and revoking the licence.

    The presentation laid out the full range of legal, economic, strategic, and operational factors that guided the HTWG’s recommendation and the government’s final action, with presenters repeatedly emphasizing that the decision was rooted in the non-negotiable goal of protecting Grenada’s national interests and upholding the country’s full sovereign rights over its own natural resources.

    Following the presentation, the joint sitting opened for a live question-and-answer session, giving lawmakers from both houses the opportunity to engage directly with HTWG members and their technical experts. The interactive session allowed for in-depth discussion of all outstanding questions related to the overall hydrocarbon programme, the details of the GPG contract termination, and the planned next steps for the sector.

    Closing the sitting, the government reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to keeping both Parliament and the Grenadian public fully updated as work on the hydrocarbon agenda moves forward. Officials restated that all future progress will be conducted in line with core principles of transparency, responsible resource management, and unwavering alignment with Grenada’s national priorities.

  • Opposition Calls for Timely Release of Major Bills ahead of September 18 Parliamentary Sitting

    Opposition Calls for Timely Release of Major Bills ahead of September 18 Parliamentary Sitting

    With just two weeks remaining until the Antigua and Barbuda House of Representatives is scheduled to convene for a September 18 sitting to debate a slate of high-stakes legislation, the country’s Opposition has raised sharp alarms over the governing administration’s failure to share draft bill text and supporting materials with elected opposition lawmakers. As of Wednesday, September 9, Opposition Leader Hon. Jamale Pringle confirmed his office had not received copies of any of the six major bills listed for consideration, spanning policy areas that touch nearly every aspect of daily life for Antigua and Barbuda’s citizens.

    The legislative package up for discussion includes transformative measures: the Police Bill, Fire and Rescue Service Bill, Antigua and Barbuda Forensic Services Bill, Firearms (Amendment) Bill, Magistrate’s Code of Procedure (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, and the Mental Health Care Bill. None of these proposals qualify as routine, low-impact parliamentary business: each addresses core domains of governance that directly shape public safety, individual rights, access to justice, and community wellbeing across the twin-island nation.

    Opposition officials warn that withholding full draft legislation ahead of the sitting reduces Parliament to nothing more than a rubber-stamping body for policy crafted behind closed doors, a violation of core democratic and constitutional principles. Under established norms of good governance, all elected representatives – particularly opposition lawmakers, who hold a constitutional mandate to provide scrutiny – must be given adequate time to review proposed language, consult with affected stakeholders and industry experts, secure independent legal and technical guidance, and craft thoughtful, informed contributions to national debate. Simply announcing a legislative timeline, the Opposition argues, does not meet the basic standard of transparent, accountable governance that the public deserves.

    Each bill included in the upcoming sitting carries the potential for far-reaching, long-lasting impacts that demand careful scrutiny. A new Police Bill will shape the scope of police powers, institutional oversight, accountability frameworks, disciplinary protocols, and ultimately the civil rights of all Antigua and Barbuda residents. Proposed amendments to firearms legislation, brought forward amid ongoing concerns over violent crime, must be vetted thoroughly to ensure they address public safety needs without eroding constitutional protections or creating language that could be applied inconsistently or unfairly across different groups. Changes to the Magistrate’s Code of Procedure will directly impact public access to justice and the day-to-day functioning of the country’s court system, while legislation covering forensic services, fire and rescue operations, and mental health care all require deep, collaborative engagement with frontline professionals, civil society groups, affected communities, and the general public to craft effective, equitable policy.

    “These subjects deserve thoughtful national discussion, not rushed consideration,” the Opposition emphasized in a statement, noting that the party stands ready to back strong, modern, well-crafted legislation that delivers genuine improvements to public safety, strengthens national institutions, and protects the interests of Antigua and Barbuda’s people. Lawmakers confirmed they will support any measure that is properly drafted, constitutionally sound, and aligned with the national good. At the same time, the party’s core responsibility as the elected opposition is to scrutinize proposed policy, flag gaps and weaknesses, defend civil rights, and propose amendments to improve legislation when necessary – a task that is impossible without access to full draft text in advance.

    The Opposition is calling on the governing administration to immediately circulate the full text of all six bills, alongside all supporting materials including explanatory memoranda, policy white papers, and background documentation. Beyond sharing the drafts with opposition lawmakers, the party is urging the government to make all proposals public so that ordinary citizens and stakeholders can understand what changes are being considered on their behalf. “Our democracy is strengthened when Parliament is informed, prepared and allowed to deliberate seriously. Important laws must receive important scrutiny,” the statement concluded. “The people of Antigua and Barbuda deserve nothing less.”