Carib Scope

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  • Guevarro: Deeply troubling discovery

    Guevarro: Deeply troubling discovery

    A grim discovery at a public cemetery in Trinidad has triggered a top-priority criminal investigation, after local law enforcement confirmed 56 bodies – 50 of which were infants – were found dumped in an unauthorised mass grave yesterday morning.

    The find was first reported to police shortly after 10 a.m. by a local resident who was testing an air rifle at his private garden adjacent to Cumuto Cemetery, according to official statements from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS). The witness told investigators he spotted a group of men digging a pit, and when he approached to ask what work they were carrying out, the men admitted they were disposing of children’s remains. As the man neared the site, the workers fled in a silver vehicle, the witness added. Shortly after making his report, the informant accompanied two detained suspects back to the local Cumuto Police Station.

    Police quickly identified the two detained men as employees of a local private funeral home. Investigations so far indicate the pair were acting on instructions from their employer, who told them to dig the grave for what was described as a pauper’s burial. The men dug a pit roughly 1.8 metres by 0.9 metres on the cemetery’s northern perimeter, and dumped dozens of remains including the 50 infants, law enforcement confirmed.

    TTPS Commissioner Allister Guevarro, who formally announced the launch of the investigation, emphasised the case has been assigned the highest possible priority. “This discovery is deeply disturbing, and we fully recognise what profound emotional shock this will cause to affected families and the entire nation,” Guevarro said in an official address. “The TTPS is pursuing this case with urgency, profound sensitivity, and an unwavering commitment to uncover every detail of the truth. Every set of remains must be treated with dignity and handled in full accordance with the law. Any individual or institution found to have violated that fundamental duty will be held fully accountable for their actions.”

    Following the initial report, responding officers immediately secured the discovery site, where specialist crime scene investigators have begun detailed forensic examinations to gather evidence. Police confirmed the breakdown of remains: 50 infants, four adult men, and two adult women. Preliminary on-site assessments found that most adult remains carried official identification tags, with only one adult male’s remains untagged. Two remains – one adult male and one adult female – showed clear evidence of having already undergone post-mortem examinations before being dumped at the site.

    Investigators told reporters that preliminary lines of inquiry point to this being a case of unlawful disposal of unclaimed corpses, though examinations are still ongoing to confirm the full circumstances of the discovery. The TTPS stressed in an official media release that this is an active, evolving investigation, and further forensic testing is currently underway to trace the origin of all remains and identify any violations of law or official burial procedures. Specialised TTPS units including the Homicide Bureau and Northern North Division are leading the ongoing probe.

    Speaking to media on the background of unclaimed body procedures in the country, former health minister Dr Fuad Khan confirmed that the burial of unclaimed remains follows established, formal protocols in Trinidad, even though the practice is rarely discussed publicly due to its sensitive nature. Khan explained that under standard rules, unclaimed bodies are first publicly advertised for multiple cycles in major local newspapers. If no family member or party comes forward to claim the remains, they are either buried by funeral homes or made available for anatomical research at medical schools.

    Khan noted that mass burials for unclaimed paupers are a standard, cost-saving practice, and that without this process, public morgues would quickly run out of storage space for newly deceased people, overwhelming the entire end-of-life care system. “This is a deeply sensitive topic, so details of these burial processes are not normally publicised – it is just carried out as a necessary part of the system,” Khan said. “It reflects the harsh reality that some people face at the end of life, when they have no family or money to cover an individual burial.”

    As of press time, the TTPS has not announced any formal charges, and investigations into how the remains came to be disposed of in an unauthorised mass grave are continuing.

  • More rain is coming: a trough will intensify downpours starting Thursday

    More rain is coming: a trough will intensify downpours starting Thursday

    Residents of the Dominican Republic are bracing for several days of disrupted weather conditions, as a combination of a low-pressure trough and an incoming humid air mass set the stage for heightened rainfall beginning Thursday, according to national meteorological officials.

    Speaking from the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet), lead meteorologist Cristopher Florian explained that the combined system, paired with the south and southeastward shift of the trough, will drive a sharp rise in atmospheric moisture across the island nation. This uptick in humidity will not be limited to Thursday alone, Florian noted: rainfall will remain a prominent feature through Friday, with intense downpours, thunderstorm activity, and even a measurable risk of small hail in the country’s higher-elevation mountainous regions.

    The unstable pattern will extend across the entire remainder of the week, far beyond just the Thursday-Friday window, forecasters confirmed. Even on Wednesday, conditions already mirror the unsettled trend, as the existing trough maintains its position over the region and is joined by a second trough system, triggering scattered rain events across multiple districts of the country.

    While meteorologists do not project extreme, record-breaking cumulative rainfall totals over the coming days, a key hazard remains: saturated soil from recent precipitation events has left many areas vulnerable to flash flooding and landslides, meaning existing national alert levels will stay in effect for the foreseeable future.

    Forecasters have mapped out a timeline for rain progression on the current day: precipitation will first emerge across the country’s interior regions by early afternoon, with light to moderate showers expected to arrive around 1:00 p.m. in populous provinces including Puerto Plata, Santiago, Espaillat, and Hermanas Mirabal.

    By late afternoon, around 5:00 p.m., rainfall activity is projected to intensify across western, central, and southern provinces including Santiago Rodríguez, San Cristóbal, San José de Ocoa, La Vega, and La Romana. For the capital city of Santo Domingo, cloud cover will begin building by 6:00 p.m., creating conditions that can quickly spawn intense localized downpours across the metro area.

  • The director of Indomet reiterates that the rains will persist for the rest of the week

    The director of Indomet reiterates that the rains will persist for the rest of the week

    Top Dominican Republic meteorological officials have stood by their earlier forecast for a rain-dominated week, confirming that after a 48-hour lull in precipitation, intense downpours will return to much of the country through the weekend.

    Gloria Ceballos, director of the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet), made the announcement Thursday, noting that the brief reduction in rainfall between Tuesday and Wednesday was only a temporary shift within the broader established weather pattern. She explained that the ongoing combination of elevated atmospheric humidity and warm southeast winds continues to pull moisture-heavy cloud formations inland from surrounding seas, setting the stage for renewed heavy rain starting this Thursday afternoon and continuing into the evening.

    Ceballos specified that this wet weather system will hold steady across the country through Friday, before tapering to lower intensity rain showers that will still persist across the weekend of Saturday and Sunday.

    The heaviest precipitation will be concentrated in the country’s eastern, central and northern regions, as well as along the border zone shared with neighboring Haiti. In response to the forecast, authorities have issued two tiers of weather alerts for affected provinces. A yellow alert, indicating elevated risk of weather-related hazards, is in effect for 14 jurisdictions: Santo Domingo, the National District, San José de Ocoa, Santiago Rodríguez, San Pedro de Macorís, Santiago, Puerto Plata, Monseñor Nouel, La Altagracia, San Cristóbal, La Romana, El Seibo, Hato Mayor and La Vega. A lower-level green alert, calling for continued precaution, has been activated for 12 additional areas: María Trinidad Sánchez, Monte Plata, Duarte (with a particular focus on the Lower Yuna region), Hermanas Mirabal, Samaná, Espaillat, Sánchez Ramírez, Valverde, Montecristi, San Juan, Independencia, and Elías Piña.

    Emergency management officials are urging the public to remain vigilant as the wet conditions extend into the weekend. Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the country’s Emergency Operations Center (COE), reiterated that residents should not drop their guard against potential flood and landslide risks tied to the prolonged rainfall. He specifically warned people living in high-risk zones to avoid attempting to cross swollen rivers, streams and ravines, and emphasized the importance of staying updated on changing conditions through official government bulletins and the national emergency hotlines 911 and 809-472-0909.

  • Haiti : The Ministry of Public Works takes action in response to emergencies

    Haiti : The Ministry of Public Works takes action in response to emergencies

    In the wake of destructive torrential downpours that battered Haiti’s capital and multiple regional areas across the country, the nation’s Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communications (MTPTC) has launched a large-scale emergency mobilization to mitigate damage and protect at-risk communities.

    With heavy rains having severely stretched Haiti’s already fragile infrastructure and pushed vulnerable populations into heightened danger, the MTPTC has restructured its operational priorities to center urgent, life-saving interventions. The ministry has paused lower-priority long-term rehabilitation projects to reallocate labor and resources to three core emergency tasks: dredging flood-prone water canals, clearing blocked roadways, and delivering direct aid to communities facing the most severe risk.

    On-the-ground operations are already underway across hard-hit zones. In the Carrefour Rita district, crews are actively dredging the Brisetout canal to expand its water capacity and reduce the threat of catastrophic flash flooding. Intensive dredging and manual debris clearing are also progressing in the Gonaïves Station area, as well as along Lamarre and Lamartine streets in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital.

    On National Road #3, a critical transportation artery near Morne Granjil, rapid response teams from the North Departmental Directorate of Public Works acted quickly to address a major landslide that blocked the route. Crews cleared fallen rock and dirt, removed damaged infrastructure, and righted overturned trucks, allowing traffic to resume on the key route within a short timeframe and avoiding a prolonged shutdown that would have disrupted supply chains and emergency access.

    In the country’s Northwest department, crews continue working to reopen road access to the community of Anse-à-Foleur, while the vital connection between Port-de-Paix and Saint-Louis-du-Nord was restored rapidly after storm damage. In Haiti’s South department, the road leading to Jérémie remains cut off near Roseau amid extremely challenging conditions, but response teams have maintained full commitment to clearing the route and restoring traffic as quickly as possible.

    Beyond immediate emergency response, ministry officials have noted that the severe alluvial sediment buildup and frequent landslides impacting downstream areas are rooted in decades of inadequate environmental management across the country. To address the root cause of repeated flood and landslide disasters, the MTPTC is calling for a strategic shift to upstream, sustainable solutions centered on improved watershed management to prevent future crises.

    To advance this long-term resilience goal, the MTPTC has established close coordinated working partnerships with multiple government stakeholders, including the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of the Interior, the State Secretariat for Territorial Communities, the Directorate General of Civil Protection, and the National Emergency Response Service (SNGRS).

    In a statement, the Haitian government emphasized that emergency response and long-term resilience cannot be achieved by public authorities alone. “This response cannot be complete without everyone’s involvement,” the statement read. “The Government calls for collective mobilization, because it is through unity, shared responsibility, and solidarity that national resilience is built.”

  • Manamoto: first training initiative for motorcyclists

    Manamoto: first training initiative for motorcyclists

    SANTO DOMINGO – In a targeted effort to cut down on preventable traffic collisions and build a culture of responsible two-wheeled travel, the National Action Table with Motorcyclists (Manamoto) has launched its first-ever specialized road safety training program for motorcyclists, gathering riders and local stakeholders at the Boca Chica mayor’s chapter room earlier this month.

    Against a backdrop of persistently high traffic accident rates across the Dominican Republic, where motorcyclists rank as one of the most at-risk groups on public roads, the training session centered on core public safety priorities: improving rider education, embedding respect for traffic regulations, and curbing high-risk riding behaviors. The initiative is backed by the Dominican Road Mobility Foundation (Movido), an organization leading the push for collaborative, community-centered road safety reform across the nation.

    Miguel Jiménez, president of Movido, opened the event by emphasizing shared accountability for improving road outcomes, pushing back against the idea that road safety is solely the responsibility of government regulators. “Rather than placing the blame on the authorities, who in some ways have their share of responsibility, there is a large share of responsibility that we as citizens have, and that is why, by working together, we will find solutions,” Jiménez said. He added that the work is rooted in social impact, not political gain: “I don’t have a political discourse, I have a social discourse, through which we will all say: I am committed.”

    Three specialist speakers led targeted educational sessions covering distinct critical safety topics for attendees. Dr. Frank Reyes led a discussion on the underrecognized dangers of driving under the influence of medication, highlighting the heightened risks of unregulated self-medication and the lethal combination of prescription or over-the-counter drugs with alcohol. Popular motorcycle safety advocate Claudio en Moto focused on foundational practical riding habits, stressing the non-negotiable need for correctly fitted protective gear, proper riding posture, and consistent defensive driving techniques that help riders anticipate and avoid hazards. Juan José Mella Mota, Mobility Coordinator at Seguros SURA, rounded out the sessions by walking attendees through step-by-step protocols for responding safely and appropriately immediately after a traffic collision, a skill that can reduce secondary injuries and speed up emergency response.

    Throughout the program, Manamoto’s core mission has remained consistent: to drive widespread awareness of three non-negotiable road safety rules – correct use of all required protective gear, full adherence to traffic signage and regulations, and consistently prudent, attentive riding. Multiple local and national government officials joined the event to signal institutional support for the initiative, including Boca Chica mayor Ramón Candelaria, Joel Gneco Gross, director of Transit and Road Safety at the National Institute of Traffic (Intrant), Santo Enriquez García, regional East director for the General Directorate of Road Safety and Traffic (Digesett), and Franklin Glass, president of the Dominican Chamber of Insurers and Reinsurers (Cadoar).

    In an interview with Miguel Franjul, director of local media outlet Listín Diario, event organizers outlined their long-term expansion plans: the program will roll out to additional provinces across the Dominican Republic in coming months, with the ultimate goal of reaching thousands of motorcyclists and embedding a sustained culture of road safety nationwide. Local officials including Boca Chica mayor Víctor Ramírez have also publicly voiced their support for the community-focused initiative, framing it as a critical intervention to reduce preventable deaths and injuries on Dominican roads.

  • 70% of minor crimes in the National District are linked to drug use

    70% of minor crimes in the National District are linked to drug use

    SANTO DOMINGO — A newly released feasibility study has uncovered a critical connection linking problematic substance abuse to the majority of low-level criminal cases processed in the Dominican Republic’s National District, opening the door to sweeping reforms of the nation’s justice system through a new restorative therapeutic justice pilot program. The findings were shared by Magistrate Kenya Romero, coordinator of the jurisdiction’s Courts of Instruction, during a progress presentation at the 2026 Judicial Power Conference, where legal innovators from across the globe gathered to discuss modernization of criminal justice frameworks.

    Romero spoke on the conference panel titled “Treatment Under Possible Judicial Supervision,” outlining how the new pilot model seeks to upend centuries of traditional adversarial justice practices that have long defined criminal case processing. Rather than forcing prosecutors and defendants into an oppositional standoff that centers punishment over root-cause resolution, the new framework adopts a collaborative approach that integrates court-supervised monitoring of defendants’ substance use recovery into the legal process.

    Under the program’s guidelines, only defendants meeting rigorous legal and health screening criteria — those facing minor charges and confirmed to have narcotic dependence — are selected to participate in the alternative track. Romero explained that this targeted approach clears a massive backlog of thousands of stalled minor infraction cases by prioritizing public health intervention over traditional prosecution, creating a more efficient system that addresses the underlying drivers of repeated low-level crime.

    “The goal is to bring a more human-centered perspective to legal conflict resolution,” Romero emphasized. “A judge still upholds the rule of law, but we recognize that many defendants face systemic risk factors and live with a chronic, treatable health condition. This model strengthens the judicial role by integrating medical and public health tools, rather than asking courts to punish people for conditions that can be treated.”

    The conference drew insights from international peers already implementing similar models, including Carmen Otero, administrative judge of Bayamón, Puerto Rico, who explained that therapeutic justice has been enshrined as a constitutional state policy on the island. Otero shared economic data that makes a compelling case for the shift: Puerto Rico spends roughly $343 million annually on prison confinement for non-violent drug offenders, while prevention and court-supervised treatment programs deliver far better rehabilitation outcomes at a fraction of the cost.

    “Unlike the traditional adversarial process that pits all parties against one another, the therapeutic approach aligns everyone on the same team, working toward the shared goal of the defendant’s long-term recovery,” Otero noted.

    Attending judges across the regional delegation reached a broad consensus: the future of effective criminal justice requires addressing the root causes of crime, rather than only responding to and punishing its harmful outcomes.

    The discussions on therapeutic justice are a core component of the Dominican Republic’s national Criminal Process Optimization Plan, the central policy focus of this year’s Judicial Power Conference. The three-day event has drawn more than 6,000 total participants, 68 international exhibitors, and legal representatives from 25 countries, cementing the Dominican Republic’s position as a regional benchmark for forward-thinking legal innovation in the Americas.

  • PM says free university education to commence in September, earlier than expected

    PM says free university education to commence in September, earlier than expected

    In a surprise policy announcement made moments ago, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has confirmed that the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda will introduce fully funded free university education for its citizens starting as early as September 2026, bringing forward a long-promised reform that was originally tied to campus expansion work.

    The free tertiary education program, which will be hosted at the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, was initially scheduled to launch only after the institution completed its planned campus enlargement projects. But during a recent interview with local radio outlet Pointe FM, Browne revealed that updated conversations with the country’s Financial Secretary have cleared the way for an earlier rollout of the signature policy.

    Under the new program, eligible Antiguan and Barbudan students will have the opportunity to earn multiple undergraduate and graduate degrees entirely free of charge while studying locally. This includes the popular and high-demand law degree, opening up accessible pathways for students seeking to enter the legal profession without the burden of crippling tuition debt.

    Beyond the immediate rollout of free university education, Browne also dropped a hint that the governing party is preparing more sweeping education reforms. Plans to expand free access to education across all levels of schooling will be outlined in greater detail in the party’s upcoming electoral manifesto, which is scheduled for official launch next week.

    As this policy development is still unfolding, additional details about program eligibility, implementation logistics and broader education initiatives are expected to be released in the coming days.

  • Teachers Given Formula to Calculate Final Retroactive Pay for 2018–2023 Period

    Teachers Given Formula to Calculate Final Retroactive Pay for 2018–2023 Period

    Public sector teachers across Antigua and Barbuda who are eligible for long-awaited final retroactive payments from the 2018 to 2023 collective bargaining contract period now have step-by-step guidance to calculate their outstanding owed amounts, released this week by the Executive of the Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers (ABUT).

    The guidance is split into two distinct frameworks based on a teacher’s start date within the contract period, to ensure every eligible educator can accurately verify their entitlement. For educators hired between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2023, the calculation follows a four-step process. First, multiply the teacher’s substantive salary (as recorded on January 1, 2019) by 0.05, then multiply that total by 12 to account for the full 2019 calendar year. Second, calculate the 2020–2023 component by multiplying the teacher’s substantive salary as of January 1, 2020 by 0.092, then multiply that by the total number of months the teacher worked between 2020 and 2023. Third, add the results of the first two calculations to get a subtotal, then sum up the value of all extra monthly salary payments received in 2022, 2024, and 2025. The final retroactive amount owed equals the subtotal minus this sum of previously received extra payments.

    To illustrate this first framework, ABUT provided a sample calculation for a hypothetical Teacher A, who was hired in January 2019 and remained employed beyond the end of 2023. With a 2019 starting substantive salary of $2,754, 48 months worked between 2020 and 2023, and extra payments totaling $9,154 across 2022, 2024, and 2025, the final retroactive payout comes out to $4,660.

    For educators hired between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2023, a simplified framework applies. Teachers in this group calculate their base amount by multiplying their January 1, 2020 substantive salary by 0.092, then by the total number of months worked between 2020 and 2023. They then subtract the sum of their extra 2022, 2024, and 2025 salary payments from this base to get their final owed amount, with results rounded to the nearest whole dollar. ABUT’s sample for this group, Teacher B, also hired with a $2,754 salary and 48 months of work, ends up with a final retroactive payment of $3,008 after rounding.

    ABUT’s leadership emphasizes that this public guidance is designed to promote full transparency around the retroactive payment process, allowing every eligible teacher to independently confirm their expected payout rather than relying solely on government calculations. The union has advised both members and non-members who identify any discrepancies between their own calculation and the payment issued by the government to report inconsistencies to either the Accounts Department at the Ministry of Education or the Treasury Department for review.

    In closing the announcement, ABUT President Casroy Charles reaffirmed the union executive’s ongoing commitment to keeping all teaching staff updated on any new developments related to the retroactive payment process. The organization says it will continue working to ensure every educator receives the full and fair compensation they are entitled to under the 2018–2023 collective agreement.

  • Family Demands Answers as Search Continues for Bree

    Family Demands Answers as Search Continues for Bree

    Three weeks have passed since 37-year-old Belize City resident Deborah “Bree” Arthurs vanished without a trace, and her loved ones are increasingly demanding answers from law enforcement, amid a stalled investigation with no confirmed breakthroughs in the case.

    Arthurs, a call center worker and devoted mother to one child, was last spotted in public on Friday, March 27, near the well-known La Popular Bakery in Belize City. Multiple witness accounts confirm she got into a silver Chevrolet Equinox that day, and no one has heard from her since that contact, leaving her family and community in a state of agonizing limbo.

    Local law enforcement has maintained that the investigation remains active, with officers continuing to work through potential lines of inquiry. In the most recent official statement, issued on Monday, April 13, Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith confirmed that investigators are prioritizing the silver vehicle Arthurs was seen entering. “Unfortunately I do not have any major update to share at this time; however, efforts are still being made to move this case forward,” Smith told reporters. “We have located the vehicle we believe Ms. Arthurs entered that day, and we are following up on multiple lines of investigation connected to it, as well as seeking to interview several persons of interest.”

    Despite police assurances of ongoing work, Arthurs’ family says they have grown deeply frustrated with the slow pace of the probe and the lack of transparent communication from authorities. Arthurs’ sister has publicly criticized the Belize City Police Department via social media, calling for greater openness about the case’s progress. She questioned how many more young women in the region must disappear before law enforcement takes more aggressive, visible action, and pressed authorities to publicly name persons of interest connected to the disappearance to encourage community tips.

    To incentivize public cooperation, the family has upped the reward for any information that reveals Arthurs’ whereabouts or breaks the case open to 10,000 Belize dollars, a significant increase from the original offer that signals their desperation to find the missing mother. As the search enters its fourth week, the community remains on alert, with local residents sharing Arthurs’ story across social media to keep the case in the public eye.

  • Soca Army Donates PA System to Holy Trinity Primary School in Barbuda

    Soca Army Donates PA System to Holy Trinity Primary School in Barbuda

    In a landmark moment for community-focused education investment in Antigua and Barbuda, the community group Soca Army has officially handed over a brand-new public address system to Holy Trinity Primary School on the island of Barbuda. The donation marks the completion of a pledge made during last year’s Aunty Claudette’s Kiddies Fete, a popular local fundraising event that channels proceeds back into educational infrastructure across the twin-island nation.

    In an official statement released Saturday by event organizers on the ground in St. John’s, Soca Army confirmed that the handover aligns with the organization’s core mission of reinvesting in local communities and nurturing the next generation. “This morning, Soca Army proudly fulfilled the promise made through Aunty Claudette’s Kiddies Fete by donating a PA system to Holy Trinity Primary School as part of our commitment to giving back to the community,” the group shared, emphasizing that every step of the project has been driven by community support.

    Looking ahead, the initiative is set to scale up significantly, with 2026 bringing a targeted shift to serve secondary education institutions across the country. Under the expanded plan, Soca Army aims to stock the music rooms of 12 secondary schools with new musical instruments, with one of the first scheduled beneficiaries being Sir McChesney George Secondary School, located in Barbuda. “This year, we are going even bigger. Aunty Claudette’s Kiddies Fete 2026 will focus on secondary schools, with our goal of providing musical instruments for the music rooms of 12 secondary schools,” the statement added.

    Organizers were quick to credit the widespread public backing the event has received since its launch, noting that ongoing community participation is the backbone of the group’s ability to advance youth development across the nation. “Because of your support, we are able to continue investing in our youth, their talent, and their future,” organizers said.

    Reaffirming the initiative’s long-standing ties to the island of Barbuda, the group emphasized its commitment to centering the needs of all communities across the twin nation, adding: “Soca Army never forgets Barbuda. Aunty Claudette never forgets Barbuda.” With preparations for the 2026 fundraising fete now underway, organizers are calling on the general public to continue supporting the effort, with the goal of delivering even more tangible, life-changing improvements to education across Antigua and Barbuda in the coming years.