分类： politics

Ahead of the upcoming September 7, 2026 by-election for the Roseau North parliamentary constituency in Dominica, main opposition group United Progressive Party (UPP) has announced its official endorsement of United Workers Party (UWP) candidate Daniel “Danny” Lugay, marking a key step in the opposition’s push for greater cross-party collaboration to challenge the long-ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP).

The by-election was triggered by the June 12 resignation of sitting DLP parliamentarian Miriam Blanchard, who left her post representing Roseau North, creating a vacant seat in Dominica’s House of Assembly. After the vacancy opened, the electoral commission confirmed three candidates will compete for the seat: the DLP’s Ashma McDougall, independent candidate Sherman Boston, and the UWP’s Danny Lugay.

In an official public statement released September 2, UPP leadership, headed by party leader Joshua Francis, explained that the endorsement decision is rooted in the party’s broader goal of building coordinated opposition ahead of upcoming electoral contests. The UPP argues that tactical alliances and collaborative electoral strategy are critical to boosting opposition representation in Dominica’s national parliament, a shift that the party says would bring greater checks and balances to the current government.

The party has thrown its full weight behind Lugay, calling on all UPP members, registered supporters, and any Roseau North voters seeking broader political change to cast their ballots for the UWP candidate on polling day. In highlighting its support for Lugay, the UPP pointed to his track record of public service to the Roseau North community and his decades-long rooted connection to the constituency, arguing that his on-the-ground experience and deep understanding of local residents’ needs make him the strongest candidate to represent the constituency in parliament.

UPP officials also emphasized that this tactical endorsement does not signal any shift in the party’s core identity, founding principles, or long-term political vision. Instead, the party framed the move as a deliberate choice to prioritize national interests over narrow partisan gain. The endorsement, the UPP noted, is a concrete example of the collaborative approach the party believes all opposition and pro-reform groups must adopt to deliver meaningful change to Dominica.

In its statement, the UPP reiterated its call for broader unity across all opposition political parties, civil society organizations, local community leaders, and individual citizens committed to advancing democratic political change in the country. The party laid out its core policy vision, which includes strengthening representative governance in parliament, mandating greater government accountability and transparency, expanding inclusive economic opportunity across all communities, upholding the independence of democratic institutions, advancing proactive environmental stewardship, and driving long-term sustainable development for all Dominicans.

Regional media reports have emerged indicating that Dr. Terrance Drew, the sitting Prime Minister of the Caribbean federation of St Kitts and Nevis, is currently recovering from a stroke he suffered earlier this week, after receiving urgent medical care at a leading hospital in Martinique. These reports, first published by local outlet Martinique La Première and later picked up by regional broadcaster CNC3, outline the sequence of events that led to the prime minister’s hospitalization.

According to the Martinique-based reporting, Drew first began experiencing concerning symptoms including severe headache and nausea on Sunday, prompting him to first seek evaluation at the Joseph N. France General Hospital, located in Basseterre, the capital of St Kitts and Nevis. After an initial assessment, local clinicians determined that the prime minister required advanced specialized care that was not available locally, and arranged for him to be transferred overseas for further monitoring and treatment. He was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the University Hospital of Martinique on Monday night.

While receiving care at the Martinique facility, Drew was closely monitored by a team of specialists led by Professor Dabor Resière, a leading intensive care physician. In updates shared via the local press, medical sources indicate that Drew’s condition has improved significantly since his admission, and is currently categorized as stable. Notably, the care team has stated that they do not expect Drew to suffer any permanent long-term complications as a result of the medical event.

Reports also add that Drew has publicly expressed gratitude for the high-quality care he received from the Martinican medical team, and has shared plans to discuss his experience and the strengths of Martinique’s healthcare system with fellow leaders from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the regional bloc of which St Kitts and Nevis is a member.

Despite the detailed reports from Martinican media, the news of Drew’s stroke and his treatment location has not been officially verified by either government authorities in St Kitts and Nevis or the prime minister’s personal medical team. In its most recent public statement on the matter, the Cabinet Secretariat of St Kitts and Nevis only confirmed that the prime minister traveled abroad for previously scheduled medical testing and specialist evaluation. Officials confirmed that Drew remains alert, stable, and in good spirits, but declined to confirm the name or location of the medical facility where he is receiving care, and have not issued any formal confirmation that he suffered a stroke.

Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has announced that development plans for a $75 million privately funded cruise village in the Roseau North constituency are moving forward rapidly, with a formal binding agreement set to be finalized and signed in the near future. Skerrit made the announcement during a recent gathering of the Dominica Labour Party held in Yam Piece, outlining the far-reaching economic benefits the project is expected to deliver to both the constituency and the island nation as a whole.

In a recent wide-ranging interview with the Cuba Analysis Podcast, co-hosted by researchers Helen Yaffe and Nina Blodau, Cuba’s top diplomat Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla pulled back the curtain on the cumulative harm of decades-long U.S. sanctions, pushed back against misleading narratives about Cuba’s economic struggles, and outlined Cuba’s stance on future diplomatic engagement with Washington. The interview was later highlighted in an official press release from the Cuban Embassy.

Rodríguez, who has lived his entire life under U.S. economic restrictions, emphasized that multiple generations of Cubans have grown up amid the unrelenting pressure of these measures. “The suffering experienced by our people—by every Cuban—the hardships and anguish, are extreme,” he stated, noting that the punitive measures qualify as collective punishment against the Cuban public. He added that the impact of sanctions has grown dramatically worse since 2019, with the most severe escalation coming from new restrictive measures rolled out in 2026.

Rejecting widespread external claims that Cuba’s domestic economic challenges stem primarily from the country’s political system or local policy decisions, Rodríguez pushed back firmly: “They’re lying; they’re lying systematically.” He directly attributed widespread supply shortages and sustained economic strain to U.S. restrictions on Cuban trade, access to global finance, and energy imports.

To back up his arguments, Rodríguez shared on-the-ground data illustrating the tangible harm of the sanctions. He noted that more than 7,000 shipping containers loaded with critical food, prescription medicine, and life-saving medical equipment have been blocked from entering Cuban ports, after U.S. pressure forced international shipping companies to halt service to the island. He also connected the recent uptick in Cuban infant mortality rates directly to gaps in medical supplies and infrastructure caused by the restrictions.

Energy access emerged as one of the most pressing pain points from the 2026 measures. Rodríguez compared the new restrictions to a de facto naval blockade, saying they have crippled Cuba’s ability to import sufficient fuel for daily operations. “If Cuba were able to acquire even minimal amounts of fuel today, power outages could be reduced to two or three hours a day,” he explained, adding that increased fuel supplies would also resolve widespread disruptions to public water access and domestic food distribution networks. He also debunked unsubstantiated claims that Cuba has received free fuel from external partners, calling the assertion “completely false; it’s a lie.” All hydrocarbon imports, he clarified, have been completed through legitimate commercial transactions, structured barter arrangements, and purchases carried out under exceptionally difficult market conditions.

Beyond economic pressure, Rodríguez also addressed persistent U.S. military threats toward Cuba, describing them as a major threat to regional stability. “It is a threat that we take seriously—very seriously—and it is of the utmost gravity,” he said, warning that any escalation would lead to widespread civilian casualties and deepen instability across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. While he confirmed that Cuba is actively preparing to defend its territory and sovereignty, he emphasized that the country remains committed to preventing conflict. “Our people would undoubtedly defend their independence, their sovereignty, and the territorial integrity of our homeland to the very end,” he stated.

Rodríguez also addressed the issue of promised U.S. humanitarian assistance to Cuba, noting that of previously announced aid packages totaling $3 million, $9 million, and $6 million, only a small fraction has actually been delivered. Even the high-profile $100 million aid initiative, he added, has only reached roughly 700 Cuban families to date.

Turning to Cuba’s global health engagement, Rodríguez defended the country’s longstanding international medical cooperation programs, noting that Cuba remains one of the largest providers of South-South medical assistance globally. He added that U.S. sanctions also limit global access to Cuban-developed medicines and medical technologies that treat a range of serious conditions, including cancer, diabetes, diabetic foot complications, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Looking at the long arc of U.S. policy toward Cuba, Rodríguez noted that decades of restrictive measures have failed to achieve Washington’s stated political goals on the island. “No matter how extreme its measures may be, it’s not going to work,” he said.

He pointed to past periods of improved bilateral relations between the two nations as proof that constructive engagement is possible. Rodríguez confirmed that Cuba remains fully open to bilateral negotiation with the U.S., but only under clear terms: “on the basis of international law, sovereign equality, on an equal footing, mutual respect, and mutual benefit,” with no interference in Cuba’s internal affairs and no preconditions placed on the dialogue.

In closing, Rodríguez expressed long-term confidence in the future of U.S.-Cuba relations: “In the end, a civilized, productive, and respectful relationship between our two peoples will prevail.” The full version of the interview is available for public viewing on YouTube.