Carib Scope

分类： politics

  • Mace Defends Bill Seeking Permanent Entry Ban for Nationals

    Mace Defends Bill Seeking Permanent Entry Ban for Nationals

    A new controversial immigration proposal has been put forward by Republican U.S. Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina, seeking to impose a broad entry ban on non-citizens from more than 40 developing countries, labeled as ‘third world nations’ in the legislation. The bill, officially named the Third World Immigration Moratorium Act, targets countries that Mace’s office claims have consistently refused to cooperate with American deportation protocols, declined to share required vetting data for their citizens seeking entry, and forced local U.S. communities to absorb the associated security and social costs.

    In Mace’s framing, none of the countries included in the ban meet the threshold to grant their citizens the privilege of entering the United States. She argues that a significant number of the listed nations are either state sponsors of terrorist activity, openly hostile authoritarian regimes, or collapsed failed states that have a documented history of exporting violence and instability to U.S. territory.

    Speaking on the legislation, Mace emphasized that the era of unaddressed gaps in U.S. immigration policy has come to an end. “The American people are done playing games and so are we. For too long, Washington has looked the other way while bad actors exploited every gap in our system and American families paid the price. Those days are over,” Mace stated. She doubled down on the hardline stance in her remarks, saying, “If you import the third world, you will become the third world. This bill makes crystal clear: entry into the United States is a privilege, not a right. We make absolutely no apologies for defending it.”

    The list of countries covered by the entry ban directly aligns with the geographic scope of a controversial travel restriction proclamation first introduced by former President Donald Trump. Among the nations included are Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, Cuba, Somalia, Libya, and 32 other countries, alongside non-citizens holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.

    The legislation includes narrow, targeted exceptions to the ban for specific groups. Lawful permanent residents of the U.S. are exempt, as are dual citizens who hold nationality from a non-designated country. Diplomatic staff and personnel affiliated with NATO treaty obligations are also excluded from the prohibition, alongside elite athletes competing in major international events such as the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. Special immigrant visa holders — including individuals who previously served alongside U.S. military forces in conflict zones — are granted exceptions, as are individuals fleeing verified ethnic and religious persecution in Iran. The U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security also retains the authority to grant discretionary waivers on a case-by-case basis when entering the country is determined to serve a critical verified national interest.

    Mace defended the proposal’s broad scope, framing it as a common-sense measure to address long-running failures in U.S. immigration policy. “We are not a dumping ground for the third world’s problems. This bill is a straightforward solution to keep dangerous aliens out and send a message to every country on this list: the free ride is over,” she added.

    Beyond the entry restrictions, the bill requires the U.S. Secretary of State, working in consultation with the Attorney General, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Director of National Intelligence, to submit a bipartisan report to Congress every 180 days. The report must assess whether the current entry prohibitions should be maintained, adjusted, or expanded to include additional countries based on changing national security conditions and foreign government cooperation.

  • By-election candidate Danny Lugay proposes major tourism hub to tackle unemployment in Roseau North

    By-election candidate Danny Lugay proposes major tourism hub to tackle unemployment in Roseau North

    As the campaign for the upcoming Roseau North by-election in Dominica gains momentum, United Workers Party (UWP) candidate Danny Lugay has put forward a bold economic development proposal focused on tackling one of the island nation’s most urgent socioeconomic problems: widespread unemployment.

    Speaking at a public rally hosted by the opposition UWP on Friday evening, Lugay emphasized that the persistent lack of local employment opportunities has pushed a growing number of young Dominican citizens to emigrate in search of work, exposing them to serious risks abroad. “One of the major issues for us now is unemployment. That is why most of our young men are running away to countries where they get killed, when we should be having serious employment in our country,” he told attendees.

    Lugay’s flagship proposal centers on repurposing the disused former Public Works site in the heart of Roseau into a mixed-use tourism and commercial hub, a plan he says aligns with the broader economic vision of UWP political leader Dr. Thompson Fontaine. Unlike the previous government plan to hand the prime two-acre waterfront plot over to a private investor for a five-star hotel, Lugay’s scheme keeps the state-owned land in public hands and prioritizes broad-based benefits for local residents and small entrepreneurs.

    The planned development includes a range of community-focused amenities: a modern central tourist reception center, a covered vendors’ arcade, a collection of local food restaurants, beauty and wellness service spaces, artist studios, and dedicated work areas for local craft artisans. Lugay also proposed adding a centralized bus terminal that would serve as the starting and ending point for organized island tours, giving visitors easy access to the hub’s shopping, dining, and entertainment offerings before and after their excursions.

    To position the site as a unique cultural attraction, Lugay wants to replicate the lively open-air entertainment atmosphere of Gros Islet in neighboring St. Lucia. He plans to host scheduled live music performances from local Dominican artists and weekly festival nights every Wednesday and Friday, bringing both residents and international visitors together to celebrate local food and culture. He added that the project will be designed by local architects to create an inviting, environmentally friendly public space that highlights authentic Dominican experiences, rather than a generic private development.

    A core economic benefit of the plan, Lugay argues, is that it will keep more tourism revenue circulating within Dominica’s local economy, rather than sending profits overseas to international hotel operators. “What we want for Roseau North is to ensure that every tourism dollar that enters Dominica, we get 50 per cent of that dollar,” he explained. The hub is projected to create dozens of new jobs for young people across Roseau North and surrounding communities, while opening up new entrepreneurial opportunities for local small business owners.

    This proposal is consistent with Lugay’s long-standing position on the future of the former Public Works site. During his previous term as the constituency’s parliamentary representative, he openly opposed the government’s push to approve the private five-star hotel development. In 2022, he formalized his objections in an official letter to then Chief Physical Planner Naomi Dorival, noting that the site is zoned for light industrial and warehousing use under the existing Potterville Housing Scheme Local Area Plan, making a large hotel development incompatible with local planning rules. He also argued that the plot’s strategic location adjacent to Dominica’s main commercial seaport makes it far more valuable for public use and long-term national development than a private hospitality project.

    At that time, Lugay first proposed redeveloping the site as a public multi-purpose facility that would combine youth skills training spaces, commercial areas for local vendors, retail outlets, and community amenities. He also called for full transparency around any potential sale of the state-owned land, requiring that any disposal of the property go through an open public tender process. Lugay has confirmed his objections received a favorable response from the Chief Physical Planner, who confirmed no planning approval had been granted for the hotel project and acknowledged the public concerns he raised.

    The Roseau North parliamentary seat became vacant following the recent resignation of former representative Miriam Blanchard, and a by-election is constitutionally required to be held by September. While the Dominica Electoral Office has not yet released an official polling date, the two confirmed candidates – Lugay of the UWP and Ashma McDougall of the ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP) – have already begun active campaigning to win over constituency voters.

  • Bouva ziet grotere rol voor IICA bij ontwikkeling landbouw

    Bouva ziet grotere rol voor IICA bij ontwikkeling landbouw

    Suriname’s government has formally announced its plan to strengthen long-standing cooperative ties with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), outlining the central role of agriculture in the country’s economic growth strategy alongside its booming oil and gas sector. The announcement came during a introductory meeting between Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Cooperation Minister Melvin Bouva and newly appointed IICA representative for Suriname, Michael Dalton.

    During the discussions, both parties focused on how IICA’s technical support can advance the sustainability and modernization of Suriname’s agricultural industry, a core priority for the government that aims to position the country as a regional food hub. Minister Bouva highlighted the ongoing partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (LVV) and the Dominican Republic-based Rizek Group to expand the nation’s cocoa sector, noting that IICA’s specialized technical expertise would add significant value to this and other key strategic agricultural projects across the country.

    For his part, Dalton provided a comprehensive update on the organization’s active work in Suriname. Current initiatives include two major agricultural projects funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), preparations for the Caribbean Beekeepers Congress scheduled to take place in Paramaribo from November 6 to 8, and the development of a $25 million rice program proposal to be submitted to the Green Climate Fund. IICA is also working on a national exhibition to promote local Surinamese honey, and is finalizing a new four-year medium-term work plan that includes a tailored regional strategy for Caribbean nations, designed to address the unique agricultural challenges and development priorities across the region.

    Suriname and IICA first established their formal cooperation partnership in 1981. Over the past four decades, the institute has worked alongside the Ministry of LVV and other local Surinamese stakeholders to deliver dozens of projects focused on agricultural expansion, knowledge sharing, and institutional capacity building. Minister Bouva expressed public appreciation for the decades of productive collaboration, emphasizing that international partnerships are critical to advancing the country’s national development goals. He extended his well wishes to Dalton in his new role, saying he is confident that the partnership between Suriname and IICA will see significant expansion and progress in the coming years.

  • Government validates Medium-Term Action Plan 2027–2029

    Government validates Medium-Term Action Plan 2027–2029

    On July 14, 2026, the Government of Grenada marked a critical step forward in its long-term national development strategy with the successful completion of the Medium-Term Action Plan (MTAP) 2027–2029 Validation Retreat, held at the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort. Convened under the central theme “Validating Priorities for Resilient and Transformational Development,” the gathering brought together a cross-section of senior government stakeholders: Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, full cabinet membership, permanent secretaries, department heads, special policy advisors, and senior technical officials. Their collective task was to review, refine, and formally validate the draft MTAP ahead of its formal submission to the Cabinet for final approval.

    The 2027–2029 MTAP functions as the government’s core operational framework, designed to translate the high-level long-term goals laid out in the 2020–2035 National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP) and the administration’s Vision 75 initiative into coordinated, actionable work across all branches of government. Developed over months of wide-ranging consultations with hundreds of government ministries, departments, and agencies, the draft plan outlines 200 targeted priority actions spanning 13 distinct economic and social sectors, plus seven cross-cutting thematic areas that will steer the government’s development agenda across the next three-year term.

    In his opening keynote address to retreat participants, Prime Minister Mitchell reaffirmed the administration’s steadfast commitment to delivering tangible, systemic transformation across Grenada through disciplined implementation, strengthened public institutions, and intentional cross-stakeholder collaboration. He emphasized that the MTAP must be more than a symbolic planning document, stressing that it should deliver measurable improvements to the daily lives of all Grenadians through robust execution, clear accountability mechanisms, and a laser focus on delivering results.

    The prime minister also outlined a selection of flagship initiatives that will anchor the plan’s work to shape Grenada’s future trajectory. These include the high-profile Project Polaris and Project 500 infrastructure and development schemes, the planned rollout of new Education Centres of Excellence, the country’s ongoing transition to renewable energy, a national digital transformation agenda, and a suite of other strategic investments aligned directly with the goals of Vision 75.

    Cabinet Secretary Carvel Lett, in her official welcome to attendees, underscored that the successful delivery of the MTAP’s outcomes will rely on three foundational pillars: unified collective leadership, coordinated whole-of-government action, and clear ownership of priorities by individual ministries, departments, and agencies. She urged participants to leverage the retreat’s collaborative format to ensure the final plan is pragmatic, achievable, fully aligned with the government’s core strategic priorities, and matched to the country’s available resource allocations.

    Over the course of the one-day retreat, participants worked through a structured agenda to validate sector-specific priorities, performance metrics, baseline data, outcome targets, and implementation timelines. The gathering also created space to identify opportunities to strengthen inter-ministerial cooperation, tighten accountability frameworks, and streamline delivery arrangements for priority projects. Breakout working groups focused specifically on developing practical, collaborative approaches to cross-sectoral implementation, acknowledging that most of the country’s most pressing national priorities require input and coordination from multiple government institutions.

    In the wake of the retreat, individual ministries, departments, and agencies are now moving forward with final revisions to their sections of the plan, incorporating all refinements and adjustments agreed upon during the gathering. The fully finalized MTAP 2027–2029 will be submitted to the Cabinet for formal review and approval by the end of July 2026. Once authorized, the plan will guide all government planning, budget allocation, project implementation, and performance monitoring activities for the three-year period from 2027 to 2029.

  • Judge urges jurors to uphold law, civic responsibility

    Judge urges jurors to uphold law, civic responsibility

    As the Supreme Court No. 4 prepares for its annual summer Assizes break, High Court Justice Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell has delivered a stirring call to sitting jurors, positioning active citizen participation as the foundational pillar of a functional, orderly society. In her address to the panel, the judge framed jury service as far more than a mandatory civic chore — it is a critical line of defense against the erosion of shared moral principles that hold communities together.

    “We live in an era where standing for core principles is non-negotiable,” Justice Smith-Bovell told jurors. “Without a collective commitment to upholding what is morally right, society risks unraveling into anarchy and chaos. Every juror holds a choice: take a stand to reinforce the values that keep our communities safe, or acquiesce to shifting norms and open the door to widespread disorder.”

    Beyond outlining the broader stakes of civic participation, the judge laid out clear expectations for how jurors should approach their decision-making duties. She emphasized that all verdicts must be rooted exclusively in the evidence presented during trial, rather than swayed by personal emotion, implicit bias, or misplaced sympathy. “We never ask a jury to convict someone without proof,” she explained. “It is the state’s responsibility to present solid evidence, and it is your responsibility to set aside your personal feelings and render a decision based only on the facts before you. If you fail to do that, we all lose — eventually, no one will be safe in their own homes.”

    Reflecting on her own role on the bench, Justice Smith-Bovell rejected the idea that judges are removed from the everyday risks of crime and insecurity that face all residents. Like any other citizen, she shops for groceries, fills up her car at the gas station, and visits local beaches — she is not immune to the societal challenges that impact the community. Even so, she noted, judicial duty demands impartiality and courage: “I swore an oath to carry out my work without fear or favor. If I allowed fear of crime to cloud my judgment, I would be failing at the job I was appointed to do, just as you would fail if you let personal feelings override your oath.”

    The judge extended her call for civic responsibility far beyond the walls of the courtroom, arguing that every citizen has a daily role to play in reversing declining social standards. She urged jurors to carry their commitment to order and morality into their daily lives, from correcting misbehavior in young children to speaking out against actions that erode community safety. “This isn’t just a responsibility you have when you walk into this court,” she said. “If society is getting worse instead of better, every one of us has to pitch in to fix it. When you see a six-year-old walking down the street cursing and acting out, it’s your job as a citizen to stop them and correct that behavior.”

    Looking toward the future, Justice Smith-Bovell urged jurors to consider the intergenerational consequences of inaction on declining social norms. “You will have children and grandchildren,” she said. “Ask yourselves what kind of country we will leave them in 10 years if we continue on this current path. This work is about making society safe for everyone, not just for today.”

    In closing, the judge clarified that the core mission of the court is not punishment for its own sake, but the delivery of fair, impartial justice. She noted that she has regularly dismissed cases when the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence, a practice she said reflects the court’s commitment to fairness above all. “My goal is never to lock people away,” she explained. “My goal is to see that justice is done. Whether that means convicting and holding someone accountable or acquitting them when evidence is lacking, the only priority is doing what is right. It all comes down to fairness, no matter the circumstances.”

  • Woman to get $103,000 in police assault case

    Woman to get $103,000 in police assault case

    A Trinidadian woman who endured a two-year criminal prosecution following an assault by a serving police officer outside a Port of Spain nightclub has been awarded more than TT$103,000 in damages after the High Court ruled law enforcement deliberately fabricated a false case against her. The ruling, delivered by Justice Margaret Mohammed last Friday, vindicated 41-year-old Andrea Phillips, who was working as a bouncer at Stumblin’ Night Club on Ariapita Avenue, Woodbrook, when the 2017 confrontation unfolded.

    The dispute that sparked the incident centered on a routine TT$60 venue cover charge. On the night of June 30, 2017, shortly before midnight, PC Nicholas Holder and WPC Thomas-Bentham approached the club’s entrance without identifying themselves as serving police officers, the court confirmed. Phillips maintained throughout her claim that she repeatedly informed Holder the cover charge was mandatory for all guests before entry. When Holder attempted to bypass payment and force his way into the venue, Phillips stepped in to block his path.

    Justice Mohammed’s judgment accepted overwhelming evidence that Holder responded to the confrontation with unprovoked aggression, an action the judge ruled constituted a pre-emptive assault against Phillips. The judge corroborated Phillips’ account of the incident with testimony from Derick Timothy, the nightclub’s security manager, who was positioned just three to four feet from the altercation. Timothy told the court that after Phillips pushed Holder back in self-defense, the officer struck Phillips twice directly in the face. Justice Mohammed described Timothy as a completely credible, reliable witness whose account aligned with physical and documentary evidence presented to the court.

    In contrast, the judge found critical contradictions and gaps in Holder’s version of events that undermined his entire testimony. Multiple inconsistencies between Holder’s statements and official police station diary extracts were exposed during cross-examination, and Holder failed to call any fellow officers to support his account of the confrontation. Most notably, he presented no medical evidence to back his unsubstantiated claim that Phillips had fractured his jaw during the incident. “He was not a witness of truth,” Justice Mohammed wrote in her final judgment.

    The court also rejected Holder’s account of Phillips’ arrest, finding the arrest took place hours after the incident at Woodbrook Police Station, not at the nightclub as the officer had claimed. Justice Mohammed ruled Holder had no reasonable or probable cause to take Phillips into custody, and equally lacked legal grounds to charge her with obstruction of justice, resisting arrest, and use of obscene language. The criminal charges against Phillips were ultimately dismissed in July 2019, after Holder failed to appear for multiple required court hearings.

    Justice Mohammed found sufficient evidence to conclude Holder acted out of personal malice against Phillips, pointing to his aggressive conduct at the venue entrance, his failure to inform Phillips of the specific reason for her arrest, and the irregular process through which she was detained and charged. During her 38 hours of pre-charge detention, Phillips was held in what the judge described as “inhumane conditions” in a police holding cell.

    In her final ruling, Justice Mohammed awarded Phillips TT$83,000 in general and aggravated damages, plus an additional TT$20,000 in exemplary damages to penalize the officer’s misconduct, totaling more than TT$103,000 in compensation. The judge further ordered the state to cover all of Phillips’ legal costs, amounting to an additional TT$24,450. Phillips filed her civil claim against the Office of the Attorney General, which holds legal responsibility for the conduct of police officers in Trinidad and Tobago, over claims of assault, wrongful arrest, false imprisonment, and malicious prosecution.

  • Should CoP recuse himself in intelligence review?

    Should CoP recuse himself in intelligence review?

    Three high-profile defendants – murder-accused Rajaee Ali, Earl Richards, and Canadian vlogger Christopher “Chris Must List” Hughes – have asked Trinidad and Tobago’s Police Service Commission (PolSC) to rule whether the national Commissioner of Police must step back from any probe or review into alleged violations of the country’s intelligence gathering and communications interception laws.

    In a formal July 16 letter addressed to PolSC chair Dr Wendell Wallace and Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, SC, attorneys Criston J Williams and Blaine Sobrian of Quantum Legal are also pushing for the creation of an independent oversight body to examine compliance with mandatory reporting rules laid out in two key pieces of legislation: the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) Act and the Interception of Communications Act. Copies of the correspondence have also been circulated to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Police Complaints Authority director David West, with the legal team requesting a confirmation of receipt within 72 hours and a formal substantive response by noon on July 27.

    The attorneys emphasize that their clients have been directly harmed by official actions that relied on intelligence and national security data collected by state agencies exercising covert statutory powers. In the case of Ali and Richards, public authorities publicly cited intelligence to justify moving the pair from the Maximum Security Prison to Teteron Barracks during a recent national state of emergency, followed by the issuance of formal Preventive Detention Orders. For Hughes, national security concerns, claims of links to organized criminal activity, and alleged communications with specific individuals were publicly used as evidence during ongoing criminal proceedings against the Canadian content creator.

    Importantly, the legal team stresses this action is not a challenge to legitimate intelligence gathering or intelligence-led policing, nor does it claim that any communications interception involving the three clients was inherently unlawful. Instead, the core of their complaint centers on whether state bodies granted these sweeping covert powers have followed the statutory safeguards put in place by Parliament, and whether the accountability mechanisms designed to oversee these powers have been allowed to fall into disuse without public explanation.

    The letter highlights a critical gap in oversight: the annual reports required under Section 13 of the SSA Act and Section 24 of the Interception of Communications Act have not been tabled before Parliament for multiple consecutive years. Since the start of 2024, the legal team has sent multiple inquiries to a range of senior public officials, including former national security ministers, the current Minister of Homeland Security, the Minister of Defence, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, and the Speaker of the House. While responses confirmed that at least one annual report was prepared and delivered to the responsible national security minister, none were ever presented to the full Parliament for scrutiny.

    These mandatory reporting requirements are not procedural formalities, the attorneys argue: they are core statutory safeguards designed to enforce ministerial accountability and guarantee parliamentary oversight of intelligence gathering and covert surveillance powers. The letter also raises new questions around public spending on the SSA, noting that combined actual spending, reported expenditure, and budget allocations linked to the agency between 1995 and 2026 total at least $3.079 billion. Yet there is no consolidated, independently audited, publicly accessible account of the SSA’s full spending history, leaving Parliament without sufficient information to properly oversee the agency’s activities and budget.

    The legal team points to 2024 comments by former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley, who publicly acknowledged an ongoing audit of the SSA that uncovered serious problems with the agency’s structure, staffing, weapons and ammunition inventory, and internal governance. These previously disclosed issues, the attorneys argue, only underscore the urgent need for robust statutory reporting and independent parliamentary oversight.

    The letter notes that the Office of the Commissioner of Police is a formal part of the statutory framework governing communications interception and intelligence gathering. As such, common law principles around apparent bias and institutional independence require that the commissioner step aside when questions about compliance with this framework arise. The attorneys stress that they are making no allegations of misconduct or bad faith against the current commissioner. Even so, they argue that the commissioner should not take part in any investigation, review, assessment, or decision-making related to the alleged statutory non-compliance laid out in the letter. An independent review is necessary to protect public trust in the accountability framework established by Parliament, they maintain.

    Beyond recusal, the legal team is asking the PolSC to consider approving the creation of an independent review panel made up of qualified, institutionally independent experts. This panel would be tasked with three core responsibilities: determining whether the mandatory reporting obligations under both the SSA Act and Interception of Communications Act have been met, assessing whether institutional or legislative reforms are needed to fix gaps in oversight, and identifying what additional safeguards can be introduced to rebuild public confidence in the national statutory accountability framework for intelligence operations.

  • Warner wins landmark 11-year extradition case

    Warner wins landmark 11-year extradition case

    After more than 11 years of grueling extradition litigation, former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner has secured a historic, game-changing win in Trinidad and Tobago’s High Court, which has permanently thrown out all efforts to extradite him to the United States and ruled that state authorities systematically violated his fundamental constitutional rights.

    In a detailed 71-page ruling delivered this week, Justice Karen Reid laid bare critical procedural flaws that undermined the entire extradition effort from its inception. The case hinged on the international extradition principle known as the specialty rule, which mandates that a person surrendered to a foreign jurisdiction can only face prosecution for the specific crimes for which extradition was granted. Under Trinidad and Tobago’s Extradition (Commonwealth and Foreign Territories) Act, an official Authority to Proceed (ATP) — the document that formally launches extradition proceedings — cannot be legally issued unless adequate specialty protections are already in place between the requesting and requested states.

    Justice Reid found that when the then-Attorney General issued the ATP in September 2015, no such valid specialty arrangement existed. Compounding this initial legal error, the judge confirmed that representatives of the Office of the Attorney General repeatedly misled every level of the judiciary, from the High Court to the Court of Appeal and even the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, by claiming a special, bespoke arrangement had been negotiated specifically for Warner’s case to satisfy the specialty requirement.

    The truth of these false claims only came to light in 2023, when Warner’s legal team obtained documents via a Freedom of Information request that proved no such bespoke arrangement had ever been created. State authorities had instead relied solely on the general provisions of the existing bilateral extradition treaty between Trinidad and Tobago and the U.S., which failed to meet the statutory requirements for a valid ATP.

    While the court acknowledged that the initial misrepresentation may have stemmed from an accidental misunderstanding rather than deliberate deception, Justice Reid emphasized that once state officials learned the claim was false, they had an explicit legal duty to correct the court record. Instead, the ruling found, the state allowed all subsequent litigation to proceed on a false foundation. This failure, the judge held, constituted a severe breach of the state’s obligation of candour to the courts, amounted to an abuse of judicial process, and stripped Warner of his ability to pursue an effective legal challenge to his extradition. The ruling concluded that this arbitrary and fundamentally unfair exercise of state power violated Warner’s constitutional right to liberty protected under Section 4(a) of Trinidad and Tobago’s Constitution and his right to equal protection of the law under Section 4(b).

    As a remedy, Justice Reid ordered a permanent stay of all extradition proceedings against Warner, awarded him monetary damages for the violation of his constitutional rights, and ordered the Attorney General to cover all of Warner’s legal costs, with certification for both senior and junior counsel. The court also permanently barred the Attorney General from enforcing previous cost orders issued against Warner in earlier judicial review proceedings. A case management conference to set the final amount of damages has been scheduled for September 30, 2026.

    The long-running extradition saga first began in 2015, when the United States requested Warner’s extradition in connection with alleged money laundering offences tied to corruption investigations into FIFA. A provisional arrest warrant was issued on May 27, 2015, and Warner surrendered to authorities the same day before being granted bail 24 hours later. The U.S. submitted a formal extradition request that July, and the ATP was issued that September, opening proceedings in the Magistrates’ Court.

    Warner immediately launched a judicial review challenge to the ATP’s legality, which was dismissed by the High Court in 2017 and upheld by the Court of Appeal in 2019. He appealed to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, which rejected his appeal in December 2022, clearing the way for extradition proceedings to restart. It was only after these proceedings resumed that Warner filed the fresh constitutional challenge that led to this week’s ruling, prompted by the Freedom of Information disclosures that exposed the false claims about the specialty arrangement. Justice Reid ruled that these new disclosures fundamentally changed the legal context of the case, justifying the dramatic remedy of permanently halting the extradition process entirely.

  • “St. Kitts and Nevis Will Not Be Exposed To Criminals” – Prime Minister Drew

    “St. Kitts and Nevis Will Not Be Exposed To Criminals” – Prime Minister Drew

    BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – In a public address to ease growing domestic concerns over a bilateral migration cooperation agreement with the United States, St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew has issued a firm guarantee that rigorous multi-layered screening protocols will prevent any individuals with criminal histories from entering the federation.

    Drew made the commitment during the July 16 episode of his monthly *Prime Minister’s Round Table* public forum, addressing widespread public speculation that the transfer arrangement would expose the small Caribbean nation to dangerous criminal offenders. The agreement, which applies exclusively to nationals of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states, explicitly grants St. Kitts and Nevis full sovereign authority to reject any transfer candidate that fails to meet the country’s strict national security thresholds.

    Back in May 2026, the St. Kitts and Nevis government confirmed it had accepted three CARICOM nationals transferred from U.S. custody. Contrary to circulating misinformation that the transferees had criminal convictions, the Prime Minister clarified that the individuals only faced U.S. immigration violations, not criminal charges or convictions. All three candidates underwent comprehensive pre-transfer evaluations covering criminal background history, immigration eligibility, medical health and national security risk, Drew confirmed. U.S. authorities also shared full biographical, medical and criminal background data with local agencies ahead of the transfer, and St. Kitts and Nevis’ national security, immigration and law enforcement bodies all participated in the full review process.

    “So these are not criminals. We have no reason to lock them up or anything like that,” Drew emphasized during the address.

    The existing bilateral memorandum of understanding enshrines St. Kitts and Nevis’ full sovereign control over the transfer process: the federation holds sole discretion to approve or reject any proposed transferee, and the agreement explicitly bans the transfer of any individual convicted of violent or sexual offenses. Drew added that if post-transfer information emerges showing an individual does not meet the terms of the arrangement, the government will immediately implement all necessary remedial actions to protect public safety.

    “There will be measures taken to ensure that St. Kitts and Nevis is not exposed to any criminals,” he reiterated.

    The Prime Minister also confirmed that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has played a key independent oversight role throughout the transfer process, ensuring all proceedings adhere to international law, global humanitarian standards and the fundamental human rights of transferred individuals.

    On the topic of cost, Drew addressed another key public concern: all expenses tied to transferred individuals, including housing, food, clothing, healthcare and other essential needs, are covered on a case-by-case basis with no financial burden falling to the St. Kitts and Nevis government. “I can say broadly that one, it didn’t cost St. Kitts and Nevis one cent, and two, we made sure that the basics were covered for these people,” he noted.

    Drew concluded by framing the agreement as a balanced approach to fulfilling the nation’s international and regional obligations while upholding the government’s core duty to protect the security and sovereign interests of St. Kitts and Nevis. He pledged the administration will maintain full transparency going forward, and will continue to apply strict immigration, security and law enforcement protocols to every candidate considered for transfer under the agreement.

  • Toen spreken belangrijker werd dan luisteren

    Toen spreken belangrijker werd dan luisteren

    One of the most striking paradoxes of the modern era stands out starkly today: humanity has never communicated more frequently across more platforms than it does now, yet we have never seemed to listen to one another less. Debate and dialogue play out everywhere from legislative chambers and live television broadcasts to global policy conferences, corporate boardrooms and social media feeds. Every person holds an opinion, every voice craves to persuade and every speaker demands to be heard. But amid this constant cacophony of expression, a foundational question grows harder to ignore: when did speaking become more important than listening?

    There was likely never a single defining moment when this shift occurred. Instead, it has been a gradual evolution unfolding over centuries, driven by a growing desire to be proven right that has outpaced the willingness to collaborate in search of shared truth and collective solutions.

    Throughout human history, rhetoric has played an indispensable role in the advancement of civilizations. Great leaders, philosophers and statesmen have long used the power of words to inspire masses, unite fractured societies and drive meaningful, lasting change. Without a clear vision and the ability to communicate that vision convincingly, societies struggle to mobilize toward common goals. Yet the greatest thinkers of antiquity understood that persuasive power only holds real meaning when it is rooted in genuine understanding.

    In ancient Greece, two distinct approaches to public debate emerged. Socrates framed dialogue as a collaborative journey to uncover shared truth, while the Sophists prioritized the art of persuasion above all else. Both frameworks carry inherent value, but when the desire to persuade overrides the commitment to understand, rhetoric loses its moral and practical foundation.

    Far from being opposing skills, rhetoric and active listening are complementary pillars of effective leadership. Every major societal shift begins with a unifying vision that inspires, persuades and gives direction to communities. But as that vision moves from concept to implementation, the role of leadership shifts. At that stage, listening becomes just as critical as speaking, because sustainable solutions can only emerge when diverse perspectives, lived experiences and competing interests are brought together to inform decision-making. Inspirational leadership moves people to action; attentive leadership keeps them united through the challenges of implementation.

    This core principle is not a new concept, and it is deeply reflected in traditional governance practices in Suriname. For generations, many Indigenous and Maroon communities in Suriname’s interior have made major collective decisions only after extended, inclusive deliberation. The traditional krutu gathering is a well-known example: attendees first share their individual insights and perspectives openly, before the group works together to reach a collective decision that accounts for all voices.

    This balance between speaking and listening is particularly urgent as Suriname enters a new phase of national development. A clear, unifying vision remains indispensable, but as the country’s policy challenges grow more complex, the need to integrate diverse knowledge, experience and interests grows alongside it. Even so, there remains a widespread perception that strong leadership is measured first by the power of a speech or the sharpness of a debater’s rhetoric. It is true that persuasive skill and clear argumentation are essential to a democratic constitutional state. But the true quality of a leader, public administrator or parliamentarian is ultimately measured not just by the words they speak, but by their ability to genuinely hear what others have to say.

    For years, I have argued that Suriname does not suffer from a lack of expertise. The country is home to experienced professionals, enterprising citizens, a strong engaged diaspora and young talented people eager to contribute to the nation’s future. On top of that, Suriname is blessed with rich natural resources that many other nations lack. Our greatest shortfall, therefore, is not a lack of knowledge or opportunity—it is a failure to bring together the knowledge and talent that already exists within the country. After all, the best ideas rarely emerge from a single mind; they grow from the collision and combination of diverse experiences, interests and perspectives.

    No one understood this truth better than Nelson Mandela. In his autobiography *Long Walk to Freedom*, Mandela recounts the lesson he learned as a young man: a good leader does not speak first at gatherings, they speak last. The process is simple: listen to every voice first, only then offer direction. For Mandela, this practice was not a sign of hesitation—it was the very essence of unifying, effective leadership.

    It is no coincidence that the Bible has preserved this timeless principle for millennia: “There is a time to be silent, and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7). Wise leadership does not demand choosing between speaking and listening; it lies in knowing when to provide clear direction and when to make space for the insights of others.

    Today, Suriname stands on the cusp of unprecedented economic and social development. This moment demands leaders who can inspire when direction is needed, and listen when collaboration is required. Because sustainable development does not grow from one voice dominating all others—it emerges when diverse voices lift each other up.

    Perhaps, then, Suriname’s sustainable future does not begin with a better speech. It begins with a better conversation.