Carib Scope

分类： society

  • Parents signal legal action

    Parents signal legal action

    A devastating jet ski collision at Pigeon Point Heritage Park in Tobago that claimed the life of 7-year-old Angelica Jogie on April 8 has now moved toward potential litigation, with the young girl’s family issuing a formal pre-action protocol letter to hold three parties accountable for the tragedy.

    Represented by Freedom Law Chambers, led by senior counsel Anand Ramlogan, the family’s legal filing names the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), Pigeon Point Heritage Park Ltd, and the involved jet ski operator as proposed defendants. The claim is brought on behalf of Angelica’s parents Salisha Anita Narine-Jogie and Arnold Jogie, her surviving sister Angelina Jogie, and the estate of the deceased child.

    According to details outlined in the July 15-dated letter, the family was wading and bathing in a clearly marked designated swimming area at the popular coastal park when the rogue jet ski allegedly entered the restricted zone and struck multiple family members. Angelica suffered severe multiple traumatic injuries from the impact and could not be saved, a finding confirmed by her official death certificate cited in the legal document. Both of Angelica’s parents sustained physical injuries in the collision, while 10-year-old Angelina was forced to watch the entire horrific incident and its fatal outcome unfold firsthand.

    Angelica’s legal team alleges the jet ski operator committed multiple acts of negligence: the operator failed to maintain proper control of the watercraft, did not exercise reasonable care while operating near the beach, intentionally entered an area reserved for swimmers, and did not take evasive action to avoid hitting members of the public lawfully enjoying the beach.

    Beyond the operator’s actions, the filing argues that systemic failure by public and park management authorities created the dangerous conditions that allowed the crash to occur. The THA and Pigeon Point Heritage Park Ltd hold formal responsibility for the management, safety oversight, and regulation of all water-based activities at the site, including jet ski operations. The family alleges that neither entity implemented, maintained, nor enforced basic adequate safety protocols to protect beachgoers from the known risks of unregulated jet ski activity.

    Notably, the letter highlights that authorities were aware of these hazards for more than a decade before the 2024 fatal collision. As early as 2015, local records showed at least five serious jet ski accidents had been reported in south-west Tobago, sparking consistent public complaints and policy discussions about the danger jet skis posed to swimmers. In response to these concerns, the THA appointed a special task force that drafted a formal Jet Ski Policy and Regulations framework in 2017.

    That 2017 draft policy explicitly recognized the lethal risk of jet skis operating close to bathing areas, and put forward a series of evidence-based safety recommendations: these included a mandatory 300-foot exclusion zone for jet skis around all areas used by swimmers, snorkelers and divers; the creation of clearly marked separate operating zones for watercraft; mandatory operator licensing; coordinated enforcement by police, the Coast Guard and fisheries officials; and financial penalties for operators that violated the rules. The policy also required all jet ski activity to be confined exclusively to designated operating areas.

    Despite having this risk assessment and regulatory roadmap in place for seven years before Angelica’s death, no action was taken to implement or enforce these critical protective measures, the family’s legal team argues. This long-standing failure to act allowed a known dangerous situation to persist, directly creating the conditions that led to the young girl’s death.

    The legal filing also raises serious concerns about the delayed emergency response after the collision. The family faced an unreasonably long wait for an ambulance to arrive at the scene, a delay that exacerbated the pain and suffering Angelica endured before her death, according to the claim.

    The long-term trauma of the incident has devastated every member of the Jogie family, the letter details. Salisha Narine-Jogie has been diagnosed with a recognized psychiatric injury and sustained nervous shock from witnessing her daughter’s fatal collision. Arnold Jogie suffered lasting physical impairments from his own injuries in the crash and has also endured severe ongoing psychological trauma following his daughter’s death. Angelina, the surviving sister, has experienced significant emotional and behavioural changes since losing her sibling, and the entire family’s daily routine, interpersonal relationships, and overall quality of life have been permanently upended.

    Both parents were forced to miss extended periods of work after the tragedy: Salisha was out of employment for six weeks, while Arnold could not work for 35 days. The family is seeking a wide range of damages to compensate for their harm, including compensation for personal injuries, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, nervous shock, psychiatric harm, past and future lost earnings, and reduced earning capacity. They are also claiming special damages to cover out-of-pocket costs for medical treatment, transportation, and ongoing counselling and mental health care.

    On behalf of Angelica’s estate, the family is additionally pursuing damages for the child’s loss of expectation of life and lost future earnings over her entire expected lifespan. The claim also calls for aggravated and exemplary damages, arguing that the defendants’ conduct showed a blatant disregard for the safety of children and families using the public beach facility.

    The pre-action letter requires all named defendants to issue a formal position on liability and enter into good faith settlement discussions within a set timeframe. Freedom Law Chambers has notified that if no substantive response is received within 28 days of the letter’s delivery, full High Court civil proceedings will be launched without additional warning.

    As of press time, attempts to contact THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine for comment on the impending litigation were unsuccessful. Local law enforcement confirms that its criminal investigation into Angelica’s death is nearing completion. Investigators are scheduled to meet with Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, SC, this week to receive guidance on what criminal charges, if any, will be filed in connection with the tragedy.

  • ONA : Ambitious reform of social registration

    ONA : Ambitious reform of social registration

    In a landmark push to rebuild Haiti’s social protection infrastructure and expand safeguards for the nation’s working population, leadership at the National Old-Age Insurance Office (ONA) has launched a sweeping overhaul of the country’s social registration system, marking a foundational shift in how Haitian workers access social security benefits.

    On July 15, 2026, ONA Director General Lovely François reaffirmed her administration’s commitment to embedding robust social security as a core pillar of Haiti’s national reconstruction, advancing long-overdue institutional reforms designed to transform the body’s operations for lasting positive change. François has centered her tenure on a core belief that a functional, fair social security system cannot exist without a modern, accurate, and inclusive registration framework. As a result, delivering a personalized insurance card to every eligible Haitian worker has become the top priority of her leadership.

    Acting on this strategic priority, Director of Social Security Andolphe E. D. Guillaume formally presented the ambitious new registration reform this week, an initiative crafted to tackle one of the ONA’s most persistent and intractable long-term challenges.

    Far more than a minor administrative tweak, the reform ushers in an entirely new era for social security across Haiti. Its core objectives include issuing every registered worker a unique, permanent, and fraud-resistant social identity, fully digitizing and modernizing the management of insured workers’ personal files, and ensuring that benefits and pension disbursements are delivered faster, with greater transparency, and far higher efficiency than previous systems allowed.

    For François, the ability of every Haitian worker to hold an official social security card represents far more than access to services: it is a tangible symbol of their fundamental rights, their individual dignity, and public recognition of the critical contributions they make to Haiti’s national development. This effort grows out of a deeply held conviction that social security must not remain a limited privilege reserved for a small group, but an enforceable, guaranteed right for every working person in the country.

    François’ vision aligns with broader governance goals focused on delivering measurable results, modernizing Haiti’s public institutions, and placing the needs of ordinary citizens at the center of all government action. Issuing standardized social security cards to all workers formalizes their right to social protection, helps them plan for long-term financial stability in retirement, and rebuilds public trust in Haiti’s republican institutions. Under François’ leadership, and in line with the vision set out by Haiti’s Prime Minister, ONA has committed to meeting this historic national challenge head-on.

  • Plett’s Crash Investigation May Result in Regulatory Changes

    Plett’s Crash Investigation May Result in Regulatory Changes

    Nearly one week after a veteran pilot lost his life in a deadly agricultural aircraft crash in Spanish Lookout, Belize, the official investigation into the incident is moving into its critical final phase, with authorities set to deliver findings that could reshape the nation’s aviation safety regulations.

    Henry Plett, an experienced pilot, died while conducting an aerial spraying mission last week, marking both a total loss of the aircraft and a tragic human fatality — two threshold events that require a full, thorough probe under both international aviation standards and Belize’s domestic aviation laws. Civil Aviation investigators have spent days processing evidence at the crash site and are now nearing the completion of their on-site work, though broader analysis of evidence and final reporting will continue in the coming weeks.

    For regulators, the investigation’s core purpose extends far beyond identifying what caused the single crash. In an interview accompanying the probe update, Nigel Carter, Director of Belize’s Department of Civil Aviation, emphasized that every fatal aviation accident offers unique, actionable lessons that can drive systemic improvements to make the nation’s airspace safer for all operators.

    “Across the global aviation sector, continuous improvement of safety standards is a core priority,” Carter explained. “Under both our international obligations and local regulatory requirements, we are mandated to conduct a full investigation any time we see a total aircraft loss or a fatality. This case meets both criteria, so a comprehensive probe is not optional — it is required.”

    Carter stressed that the investigation process is legally protected and intentionally designed to avoid rushing to assign blame to any individual or organization. Instead, the probe’s central goal is to map out the probable root cause of the crash, as well as any secondary contributing factors that combined to create the fatal outcome.

    Once the Accident Investigation Unit finalizes its report, it will put forward targeted safety recommendations to the Department of Civil Aviation. Regulators will then review each proposal closely, implementing any necessary updates to aviation regulations, operational protocols or training requirements to close gaps in existing safety frameworks. The end goal, Carter said, is to eliminate the risk of a similar tragedy occurring in the future.

    “This incident has already reminded the entire local aviation community of the inherent risks of agricultural flying, but it also creates an opportunity to strengthen our systems,” Carter added. “By addressing the factors that led to this crash, we can protect more pilots, operators and communities going forward.”

    This report is adapted from a transcript of an original evening television newscast from Belize.

  • NTUCB Launching Documentary on Sixty Years of Advocacy

    NTUCB Launching Documentary on Sixty Years of Advocacy

    As the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) prepares to mark six decades of advancing workers’ rights across the nation, the leading labor organization is turning to film to preserve its legacy and inspire future advocates. For 60 years, NTUCB has stood at the forefront of labor movements in Belize, driving critical reforms to national labor policy, pushing for improved workplace conditions, and amplifying the voices of working people across every region of the country. To honor this milestone, the group has commissioned a full-length documentary chronicling the organization’s most defining moments, hard-won victories, and persistent challenges that have shaped the trajectory of modern Belize.

    NTUCB President Ella Waight shared details of the upcoming celebratory screenings, scheduled to take place across two major Belizean cities in mid-July. The first public premiere will be held on July 18 at the Inspiration Center in Belize City, running from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. A second public screening will follow a week later on July 25 at the University of Belize Auditorium in Dangriga, opening at 3:00 p.m. to accommodate attendees from Dangriga and its surrounding communities.

    Waight explained that the documentary project required extensive archival work to capture 60 years of organizational history, even as gaps in surviving records created challenges for the production team. “We did our best to ensure that we encompass the major events that NTUCB took a part in, and that led certain events that became a part of history in this country,” Waight said. The film features extensive, in-depth interviews with key figures connected to NTUCB’s work, including former Belizean prime ministers and veteran retired trade union leaders, whose insights add personal context to the organization’s decades of advocacy. Originally planned as a tight 40-minute production, the documentary has expanded in length as producers worked to fit six decades of history into the narrative, a reflection of the depth of the organization’s impact on Belizean society.

    For NTUCB, the documentary launch is more than a retrospective: it is both a celebration of the organization’s enduring legacy and a strategic effort to ignite passion for labor advocacy among a new generation of workers. Organizers have extended an open invitation to all members of the public, encouraging Belizeans interested in learning about NTUCB’s decades of achievements to attend the screenings and support the organization’s 60th anniversary initiative. This report is adapted from a transcript of an original evening television broadcast.

  • Man on crutches fears for safety after two break‑ins in three days

    Man on crutches fears for safety after two break‑ins in three days

    For a disabled resident of a small community in Saint Lucia, the walls that once offered comfort and safety have become a source of constant terror. Ronnie Philgence, who lives in the Ti Rocher neighborhood of Micoud alongside his 94-year-old mother, has endured two violent home break-ins in the span of just three days – an experience that has left both he and his aging parent traumatized, anxious, and convinced they will be targeted again.

    Philgence, who lives with chronic arthritis and relies on crutches to move around, opened up about his ordeal in an interview with local outlet St Lucia Times. He says that the repeated attacks have shattered any sense of security he once had in his own home, and that his mobility limitations and his mother’s advanced age make his family an obvious target for criminal groups.

    The first invasion unfolded on July 4, when three men wearing face coverings to conceal their identities forced their way past the home’s entry points. Philgence was held at gunpoint while the intruders ransacked every room of the property, searching for valuables. Before fleeing the scene, the intruders made off with roughly 6,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars in cash. After the shock of the first attack faded, Philgence held out hope that the ordeal was over – that the thieves had taken what they wanted and would not return. That hope was shattered just three days later.

    On the second occasion, four masked assailants returned to the home and forced their way inside once again. This time, the intruders stole a range of household electronics, including a television, multiple gaming consoles, and a stereo system. Before driving away, they also stole Philgence’s personal vehicle.

    Law enforcement authorities have since located and recovered the stolen vehicle, but the return of his property has done little to ease Philgence’s fear. Even with the car back in his possession, he remains convinced that his family’s vulnerability makes them a continued target for the same group of attackers.

    “They know we’re vulnerable,” Philgence explained, when asked why he believes the intruders could strike a third time. “I’m afraid of the house. Once it’s nighttime, I get afraid. I’m very scared for my life.”

    As local police continue their official investigations into both break-in incidents, Philgence says he has one simple, unmet wish: to be able to feel safe and at peace in his own home once again.

  • OPINION: How Argentina used war, disease, enslavement, racial ideology, immigration policies, census practices, to erase blacks

    OPINION: How Argentina used war, disease, enslavement, racial ideology, immigration policies, census practices, to erase blacks

    For tourists strolling the tree-lined avenues of Buenos Aires, Argentina’s carefully curated national image is immediately apparent: public celebrations, school textbooks, and official tourism branding all position the country as Latin America’s most distinctly European nation. What this dominant narrative omits, however, is a foundational community that once made up nearly a third of the capital’s population, leaving a centuries-long legacy of erasure that is only now being confronted.

    Historians estimate that between the colonial era and the early decades of Argentine independence, people of African descent accounted for up to 30% of Buenos Aires’ total population, with some neighborhoods holding even higher concentrations. Enslaved Africans and their free descendants contributed to nearly every layer of early Argentine society: they constructed iconic colonial churches, fought in independence militias, worked as skilled artisans, agricultural laborers, and domestic servants, shaping the cultural and economic foundations of the new nation. Today, Afro-Argentines make up less than 1% of the national population, a dramatic shift that cannot be reduced to a single catastrophic event.

    According to historians, the transformation of Argentina into a widely recognized ‘white nation’ was a gradual, deliberate process woven together by demographic change, systemic discrimination, cultural assimilation, and intentional historical erasure. After gaining independence from Spain in the early 19th century, Argentina’s ruling class and leading intellectuals framed European immigration as the key to national progress and ‘civilization.’ President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, one of the country’s most influential early leaders, spearheaded this movement, and the 1853 national constitution enshrined policies to encourage mass European settlement. Between 1870 and 1910, millions of Italian and Spanish immigrants arrived in Argentina, reshaping the country’s demographic makeup.

    While mass European immigration was not explicitly designed to displace Afro-Argentines, scholars note that it went hand in hand with a state-led project to build a national identity centered exclusively on European ancestry, erasing the contributions of African and Indigenous peoples. George Reid Andrews, the preeminent scholar of Afro-Argentine history, has documented how this image of a uniformly white Argentina became one of the country’s most powerful and enduring national myths.

    A series of interconnected historical events accelerated the demographic decline of the Afro-Argentine community. Thousands of Black men were conscripted to fight in Argentina’s wars of independence, with military service often promised as a path to freedom for enslaved people—but combat casualty rates were devastatingly high. Later 19th century conflicts, most notably the 1864–1870 Paraguayan War, claimed the lives of hundreds more Afro-Argentine soldiers serving in the national army.

    Beyond war, public health crises disproportionately devastated Black communities. The 1871 yellow fever epidemic, which swept through Buenos Aires, hit overcrowded, low-income neighborhoods where most Black residents were concentrated far harder than wealthier, majority-white areas, killing thousands. Even the gradual abolition of slavery, while a long-overdue legal reform, did little to address structural inequality: most formerly enslaved Afro-Argentine families remained trapped in economic marginalization for generations.

    Demographic shift alone does not explain the near-total invisibility of Afro-Argentines in national narratives. Over decades, many Afro-Argentines married outside their community, and successive generations often chose to identify as white or mestizo in a society that granted significant social and economic advantages to those perceived as white. Official census practices reinforced this erasure: for more than a century, Argentina’s national census did not include a specific question to identify respondents of African descent, cementing the false narrative that Black Argentines had simply vanished. As historians put it, Afro-Argentines did not disappear—they were actively made invisible. Anthropologist Erika Denise Edwards has detailed how official state narratives systematically erased Black identity while framing European ancestry as the core of Argentine nationhood.

    Unlike the formal, legal systems of racial segregation that defined 20th century South Africa and the United States, Argentina’s brand of racism operated through subtle, sustained exclusion. Afro-Argentines were systematically cut out of school curricula, omitted from public monuments, and left out of national independence celebrations. For generations, their foundational role in building the country received no official recognition, and this cultural invisibility became one of the most durable forms of racism. The myth that ‘Argentina has no Black people’ became so deeply ingrained that most Argentines born before the 1980s grew up with no knowledge that their country was once home to a large, vibrant African-descended community.

    In recent decades, that narrative has begun to shift, driven by grassroots organizing from Afro-Argentine activist groups that have spent decades campaigning to recover their lost history. In response, the Argentine government has introduced modest reforms: it now includes a question on African ancestry in national censuses, established a national holiday to honor Afro-Argentines, and funds public initiatives to recognize the community’s contributions. Scholars emphasize that these steps are critical to correcting historical injustice, but they cannot fully undo more than a century of intentional omission.

    For researchers of race and national identity across the Americas, Argentina’s experience offers a vital global lesson: racism does not only operate through explicit segregation or mass violence. It can also be embedded in national mythology, selective collective memory, immigration policy, and cultural exclusion, gradually erasing entire communities from official history. Across North and South America, millions of descendants of enslaved Africans played central roles in building modern nations, only to be marginalized and omitted from dominant public narratives. Argentina stands as one of the clearest examples of how nations can construct a unified identity by elevating one group’s heritage while deliberately minimizing the contributions of another. The story of Argentina’s erased Black population is ultimately not just about demographic decline—it is a case study in how national memory is curated, who gets to be included in national identity, and how entire communities can be rendered nearly invisible despite shaping a country’s history from its founding.

  • Power Cuts Again? BEL’s Backup Plan is Controlled Blackouts

    Power Cuts Again? BEL’s Backup Plan is Controlled Blackouts

    Residents across Belize are bracing for potential scheduled power disruptions this summer, as the nation’s main electricity provider prepares contingency measures to stabilize the national grid amid looming supply shortfalls from Mexico.

    Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) announced this week that controlled, timed power outages will be implemented as a last-resort precaution if Mexico’s state-owned national utility Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) follows through on its warning of reduced electricity exports to Belize. CFE has notified BEL that growing domestic energy demand across Mexico’s own power network will leave it with less capacity to supply power to neighboring Belize, creating an expected gap in Belize’s available electricity supply starting as early as this month.

    To prevent a widespread, unplanned total grid collapse that would leave millions without power for far longer, BEL says controlled rolling load shedding will be carried out between 6:00 p.m. and midnight, when domestic energy demand in Belize peaks. The planned outages are expected to impact residential and commercial areas across six districts: Orange Walk, Corozal, Belize, Cayo, Stann Creek and Toledo.

    The looming supply gap comes as BEL works to accelerate long-term efforts to cut Belize’s reliance on imported power. The utility has already opened negotiations with three major independent domestic power producers — BABCO, Belcogen and Santander — to ramp up local generation capacity in the immediate term. For the longer term, BEL is advancing plans to expand grid-connected solar energy generation across the country, which will further reduce dependence on cross-border imports.

    In a June 3 interview with local outlet News 5, BEL Executive Chairman Lynn Young outlined the company’s emergency stopgap measure: the deployment of a 20-megawatt temporary generating unit near Mile Eight on the George Price Highway. “We are renting about twenty megawatts of generation that we are putting in place… so that in the event CFE cannot supply, we can meet it,” Young explained in the interview.

    Originally, the emergency generation unit was scheduled to arrive in Belize this month. However, global shipping disruptions tied to ongoing international armed conflict have delayed delivery, pushing the expected arrival of the unit to between mid- and late-August. Until the unit is installed and operational, BEL confirms that controlled rolling blackouts will remain the primary contingency to keep the entire national grid stable if CFE cuts export volumes.

  • Argentine Court Recognises Goldfish as Sentient Beings with Legal Rights

    Argentine Court Recognises Goldfish as Sentient Beings with Legal Rights

    In a groundbreaking decision that has sent ripples through global animal rights movements, an Argentine court issued a historic ruling on July 15, 2026, that redefines the legal status of non-human animals by formally recognizing two goldfish as sentient beings with enforceable legal rights. The case, which began when local animal welfare advocacy group Jaulas Vacías (Empty Cages) drew attention to the poor living conditions of the two goldfish—named Fede and Magui—marks a potential turning point for animal protection jurisprudence across Latin America and beyond.

    Fede and Magui were held in a tiny glass display tank positioned directly outside a Buenos Aires sushi restaurant. For an extended period, the fish were exposed to unregulated direct sunlight and constant disruptive street noise, conditions that animal rights activists argued constituted clear animal cruelty. Unlike traditional cases that only seek fines or changes to care practices, Jaulas Vacías structured its complaint to challenge a long-standing legal principle: that animals are classified as mere property under the law. The group filed suit under Argentina’s existing national animal welfare framework, arguing that the goldfish’s constant suffering met the legal definition of mistreatment and that they deserved recognition as more than inanimate objects.

    After reviewing the evidence of the poor living conditions, the court ruled in full alignment with the advocacy group’s core argument. The ruling not only ordered the immediate removal of Fede and Magui from the restaurant tank but also formally declared the two goldfish to be “subjects of law,” a legal designation that confirms their status as sentient beings capable of experiencing harm with protected legal rights. Following the court order, the fish were relocated to a far more suitable habitat: a 2,500-litre custom aquarium maintained by independent aquatic specialist Carlos José Aga, who volunteered his space and expertise to care for the pair long-term.

    Matías Trufero, the animal rights attorney who represented Jaulas Vacías in the case, emphasized that the ruling carries far-reaching implications for future animal protection litigation. While the decision does not outlaw private ownership of goldfish as pets, it establishes a clear legal precedent that keeping fish (or any other animal) in conditions that cause unnecessary suffering—including insufficient tank size, inadequate nutrition or poor environmental management—violates Argentina’s existing animal protection statutes. Animal rights advocates across the globe have already hailed the ruling as a landmark step forward, noting that it could open the door for broader legal challenges to industrial animal farming, exotic pet trade, and other practices that have historically been allowed under the legal framework that classifies animals as property.

  • Police Announce Zero-Tolerance Security Measures for Carnival 2026

    Police Announce Zero-Tolerance Security Measures for Carnival 2026

    St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda – July 15, 2026: As the Caribbean nation gears up for its highly anticipated annual Carnival celebration, running from July 25 to August 4, 2026, the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda has announced a full suite of robust security protocols and public safety guidance designed to protect attendees and ensure a smooth, fun-filled festival for all participants.

    In an official media release from the force’s Office of Strategic Communications, law enforcement leadership confirmed that stepped-up policing resources will be deployed across the island in the lead-up to the event and throughout its 11-day run. The enhanced security posture will include expanded mobile and foot patrols, high-visibility officer presence at crowded venues and major events, and random stop-and-search operations to intercept prohibited items before they enter public celebration spaces.

    A core pillar of the new security plan is a strict zero-tolerance policy for the possession and use of any dangerous weapons during the carnival season. Law enforcement officials confirmed that any individual found carrying an illegal firearm, unauthorized ammunition, or a range of offensive weapons – including knives, machetes, cleavers, sharpened scissors, pieces of iron or wood, and any other object designed to inflict bodily harm – will face immediate arrest.

    Additional restrictions have also been put in place to improve public safety: ski masks are fully banned for all carnival 2026 attendees, and anyone violating this regulation will face formal police action under local law. Event organizers, street vendors, and bar owners have also been directed to adhere to all existing carnival activity regulations. Specifically, vendors seeking to sell alcoholic beverages must secure official approval before the event starts, and the sale or distribution of any drinks in glass bottles or metal cans at public carnival events is strictly prohibited to prevent injuries from broken containers.

    Alongside new security measures, the Royal Police Force has released a comprehensive set of crime prevention and personal safety tips for residents, returning nationals and visitors to follow throughout the celebration. Key guidance includes: maintaining constant awareness of your surroundings and avoiding unnecessary risky situations; refraining from displaying large sums of cash or high-value jewelry in public; carrying only the cash needed for the day and using contactless electronic payment methods whenever possible; exercising extra caution when using ATMs, including avoiding unmonitored machines late at night, shielding your PIN from view, and rejecting unsolicited help from strangers.

    Further safety recommendations advise against walking alone in isolated, dimly lit areas after event hours, and encourage attendees to travel in pairs or groups whenever possible. Festival-goers are also warned against walking while distracted by mobile phones or wearing noise-canceling headphones at high volume, which can prevent awareness of surrounding hazards. For attendees bringing children or elderly family members, the police recommend keeping all vulnerable people within direct line of sight at all times and agreeing on a pre-determined meeting point in case groups become separated in crowds.

    Property safety guidance includes: locking all doors and windows before leaving home and leaving interior or exterior lights activated to deter burglaries; keeping vehicle doors locked at all times and never leaving keys in the ignition; storing valuables including handbags, mobile phones, jewelry and wallets out of plain sight in parked vehicles; only parking in well-lit, designated parking areas and checking on parked vehicles periodically throughout events. For business owners and street vendors, police advise installing adequate exterior lighting, hiring dedicated security personnel where feasible, and using secure storage methods for cash and high-value goods. All attendees are also reminded to watch for counterfeit currency and report any suspicious banknotes immediately to law enforcement.

    Finally, police urge all attendees to contact their nearest police station or dial the national emergency line 911 right away if they observe suspicious behavior or have any information related to potential criminal activity. The Royal Police Force closed its statement by thanking the public for its ongoing partnership and cooperation as officers work to uphold public order during the 2026 festival. Leadership extended well wishes to all attendees, calling for responsible celebration and mutual care among participants to ensure the 2026 Carnival leaves only positive, lasting memories for everyone involved.

  • Assistant Commissioner Desmond Dinard Awarded King’s Police Medal

    Assistant Commissioner Desmond Dinard Awarded King’s Police Medal

    One of the Commonwealth’s most distinguished law enforcement honors has been awarded to a top-ranking officer from Antigua and Barbuda. Assistant Commissioner of Police Desmond Dinard has earned the King’s Police Medal (KPM), an accolade reserved for police personnel who deliver extraordinary, career-spanning service to their communities and regions. The Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda made the official announcement of the award this past Wednesday, opening the announcement with warm public congratulations to Dinard on his landmark achievement. Per details shared by the force, the honor recognizes three core pillars of Dinard’s decades-long career: his consistently distinguished service across key postings, his steady and exemplary leadership that has shaped the next generation of local officers, and his wide-ranging, impactful contributions to policing improvement on both national and regional stages. In an official statement released after the announcement, the entire Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda extended formal commendation to Dinard for the milestone award. The statement also emphasized gratitude for his unwavering commitment to upholding public safety and national security for all residents of Antigua and Barbuda, a dedication that has defined his tenure in law enforcement. Established to celebrate exceptional contributions, the King’s Police Medal is granted annually to standout members of police forces throughout the 56-nation Commonwealth, distinguishing officers who go above and beyond the core requirements of their role to serve the public good.