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  • Cozier Frederick calls for greater regional action on environmental protection at OECS meeting

    Cozier Frederick calls for greater regional action on environmental protection at OECS meeting

    The Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Council of Ministers for Environmental Sustainability has ushered in a new leadership era, with Dominica’s Environment Minister Cozier Frederick taking on the role of chairman and immediately pushing for expanded cross-state collaboration to tackle pressing environmental and climate challenges across the Caribbean region.

    Frederick assumed the post during the 13th biennial meeting of the council, held this week at the Goodwill Parish Hall. The two-day gathering of regional environmental delegates drew to a close on Thursday, with Frederick’s address setting the policy and collaboration agenda for his upcoming tenure.

    In his keynote remarks to attending delegates, Frederick pinpointed three core pillars that will guide regional progress on environmental protection and climate resilience over his term: expanded access to climate financing, targeted investment in local capacity building, and deeper public engagement in sustainability work.

    “Cross-border climate action lives or dies by three things: accessible climate finance, trained personnel to carry out critical resilience work, and buy-in from the communities that these efforts serve,” Frederick told delegates. “These priorities align perfectly with the work we are already advancing here in Dominica to build our own climate resilience.”

    The minister emphasized that while the region has built up a base of technical environmental expertise, a critical gap remains: there are not enough trained professionals and engaged community members to scale up climate adaptation and sustainability work across Eastern Caribbean states. To address this gap, Frederick revealed that Dominica has already pushed the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus to develop new academic programs designed to attract young people to pursue environmental studies as a core field of research and professional development.

    “This investment in the next generation is non-negotiable,” Frederick noted. “We need this growing skilled workforce to continue advancing environmental action both here in Dominica and across every OECS member state.”

    As a small island nation on the front lines of accelerating climate change impacts, Frederick argued that Dominica’s decades of experience adapting to and recovering from climate-related disasters positions the country to lead regional efforts during his tenure. He stressed that the country’s proven track record of climate resilience makes it a valuable example for other vulnerable states across the region.

    “We face climate change head-on, every single day. We have built the ability to bounce back again and again after extreme weather events, and that experience gives us unique insight to share,” he said. “This is a pivotal moment for Dominica, as I take on this chairmanship, to lead the regional conversation and demonstrate what effective climate resilience practice looks like for the entire Eastern Caribbean.”

  • CDEMA targets communication gaps ahead of hurricane season

    CDEMA targets communication gaps ahead of hurricane season

    As the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season approaches, set to officially begin on June 1, the Caribbean’s top disaster management body has outlined sweeping upgrades to regional response frameworks, shaped directly by hard-won lessons from last year’s Hurricane Melissa. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) used its annual pre-season regional press conference to emphasize that closing critical coordination gaps and reinforcing fragile communication systems will be the cornerstone of this year’s disaster preparedness push, with officials confirming the first 14 days after a storm strike remain the highest-risk window for life-threatening response failures.

    CDEMA Executive Director Elizabeth Riley explained that a full post-event review of the 2025 Hurricane Melissa response, completed in March 2026, identified a series of operational weak points spanning cross-border coordination, logistics management, emergency communications, rapid damage assessment, relief distribution, and the handover process from immediate emergency response to long-term recovery. While Riley emphasized that the region’s core coordination mechanisms held up well during the critical early activation phase of the Regional Response Mechanism during Melissa, she noted that consistent operational bottlenecks emerged during the transition between response and recovery, concentrated in the first two weeks after a disaster makes landfall.

    “Our after-action review confirmed that the most significant operational constraints consistently arise within that initial 14-day window, particularly as we shift from urgent life-saving response to early recovery planning,” Riley said. The storm also underscored the critical value of pre-positioning emergency supplies at strategic regional hubs, including the shared CDEMA-World Food Program logistics facility in Barbados, while highlighting the urgent need to strengthen cross-border transportation arrangements and streamline regional supply chain coordination, she added.

    Riley also highlighted the underrecognized but indispensable role that private sector entities play during large-scale emergency responses, particularly in providing last-mile transport and warehousing capacity that government and regional bodies often lack. One of the most pressing priorities to emerge from the post-Melissa review, she said, is the need for more reliable, regionally harmonized emergency communication systems and resilient information management infrastructure. While digital and telecommunications systems performed as designed during Melissa’s response, siloed information sharing between different agencies and sectors created unnecessary coordination delays and confusion.

    “Our shared goal is to build a more integrated regional data system and standardized cross-sector information sharing protocols that will enable faster, more accurate decision-making when disasters strike, and we are working closely with our partner organizations to deliver that,” Riley added.

    In a major update ahead of the season, Riley confirmed that multiple specialized regional response teams are already fully trained and on standby, following months of large-scale training exercises across Caribbean island nations. As of the press conference, 168 personnel have been pre-vetted and are ready for rapid deployment through the CARICOM Disaster Relief Unit, while 60 trained specialists are available to support urban search and rescue operations in storm-damaged urban areas. A further 38 experts are prepared to join rapid needs assessment teams immediately after a strike, 12 personnel are trained to backstop the CARICOM Operational Support Team, more than 100 medical professionals are ready to deploy to field medical facilities, and more than 75 power grid technicians from regional energy association CARILEC are available to support critical power restoration efforts. The roster also includes trained emergency telecommunications staff and dedicated mental health and psychosocial support teams to assist affected communities in the aftermath of a storm.

    Riley noted that these numbers are expected to grow in the coming weeks as additional training and orientation sessions wrap up, adding that expanding the regional roster of trained technical specialists was a key lesson from 2024 regional response efforts, when demand for skilled personnel outstripped available supply.

    “At CDEMA, everything we do centers on people: protecting the safety of our families, the security of our communities, the stability of livelihoods, and the long-term resilience of our member states,” Riley said. “Every plan we develop, every preparedness exercise we run, and every partnership we build is oriented toward one core mission: saving lives and reducing economic and human loss when hazards strike.”

  • CDEMA warns region to be on guard despite prediction of less active season

    CDEMA warns region to be on guard despite prediction of less active season

    Even as leading climate agencies forecast a below-average 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, Caribbean disaster management officials are sounding a clear call to action: regional nations cannot let their guard down against a wide range of climate hazards that threaten communities year-round. The warning came from Elizabeth Riley, Executive Director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), delivered during the agency’s annual pre-season regional press conference held ahead of the official start of the hurricane season on June 1.

    While the Atlantic hurricane season is formally defined as running from June 1 to November 30, Riley emphasized that Caribbean countries face multiple climate threats beyond this six-month window, meaning preparedness efforts cannot be limited to this narrow timeframe. Entering the 2026 season, the region has built up substantial capacity through past disaster experiences, refined emergency response protocols, and strengthened cross-regional and international partnerships, but Riley cautioned that shifting climate patterns remain inherently unpredictable and capable of causing severe disruption.

    Released on May 27, the latest seasonal outlook from the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) projects the 2026 season will produce approximately 12 named storms, five hurricanes, and two major hurricanes—putting it on track to be less active than the severe seasons the region has seen in recent years. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) echoed this projection, forecasting an eight to 14 range for named storms, three to six hurricanes, and one to three major hurricanes, classifying the season as below normal. Both outlooks cite ongoing El Niño conditions as the primary factor expected to suppress tropical cyclone formation and intensification across the Atlantic this year.

    Despite the muted overall forecast, Riley outlined multiple overlapping threats that demand urgent preparedness. Warmer than average sea surface temperatures around the northern Caribbean, she explained, can still supercharge storm systems to produce extreme rainfall, even for weaker tropical cyclones. This abundant precipitation translates to elevated risks of severe flooding and flash floods across much of the Caribbean, putting low-lying and coastal communities at particular risk.

    Beyond storm-related flooding, the region is already grappling with persistent drought across several CDEMA member states, and conditions are expected to either hold steady or expand in scope by the end of 2026. While seasonal rainfall from tropical systems may temporarily ease localized water shortages, Riley noted that long-term drought pressures will remain a key concern for public water supplies and agricultural production through the rest of the year.

    A growing underrecognized threat is also taking center place this year: extreme heat. The CIMH outlook predicts unusually intense heat across the Caribbean during August and September, with more frequent heat waves and warmer than average temperatures through both day and night. These conditions will drive higher rates of heat-related illness and heat stress for vulnerable populations, a hazard Riley said the region has only recently begun to prioritize for emergency preparedness after years of rising heat risks linked to climate change.

    Riley closed her remarks by reinforcing the core lesson the Caribbean learned from Hurricane Melissa last year: even a season projected to be mild can turn devastating if a single major storm makes landfall. “It only takes one hurricane hitting a populated area of the Caribbean to create a catastrophic disaster, regardless of how many total storms are predicted,” she said. “That is why thorough, year-round preparedness is non-negotiable every single season, no matter what the forecasts say.”

  • CDB and World Bank launch joint action plan to strengthen Caribbean development and resilience

    CDB and World Bank launch joint action plan to strengthen Caribbean development and resilience

    Small island nations across the Caribbean are set to receive expanded, coordinated development backing after the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and World Bank Group moved their landmark collaborative initiative from planning to active implementation during their fourth annual partnership meeting hosted recently at CDB’s Barbados headquarters. This new joint Action Plan targets the Caribbean’s most urgent systemic challenges, from lagging infrastructure to uneven economic growth, with a core mission of boosting regional resilience and driving inclusive, sustainable expansion through aligned institutional action. Against a backdrop of unique structural vulnerabilities that have long held back the region, the partnership marks a deliberate shift away from siloed development efforts toward integrated, resource-efficient problem-solving.

    The framework lays out three clear core components to guide the collaboration: joint portfolio reviews for individual country development projects, unified systems to track how initiatives impact local employment outcomes, and a wide-ranging study of regional connectivity and logistics designed to pinpoint long-standing bottlenecks dragging down intra-Caribbean trade and transportation links. In opening remarks at the meeting, Isaac Solomon, CDB Vice-President for Operations, emphasized that the scale of the Caribbean’s challenges far outstrips the capacity of any single development institution to address alone. He framed the joint Action Plan as a critical force multiplier for development impact: by aligning strategic priorities, pooling specialized technical expertise, and coordinating development financing, the two institutions can close gaps in project delivery, deliver results faster and more efficiently, and deliver tangible, transformative improvements for Caribbean communities.

    Leaders from both institutions outlined a host of expected benefits that will flow from the coordinated plan. The framework is projected to unlock new co-financing opportunities for high-priority regional projects, expand access to low-cost concessional funding for government initiatives, and strengthen the technical and operational capacity of national governing bodies across the Caribbean. Ultimately, officials project these gains will translate to more robust modern infrastructure, upgraded public services, and broadly improved living standards for residents across the region. During working sessions, attendees centered discussion on the unique, disproportionate vulnerabilities that define Small Island Developing States (SIDS) across the Caribbean, reaching a formal agreement to align their respective development programs more closely to cut down on redundant efforts and maximize the impact of every dollar invested. The meeting also included in-depth reviews of ongoing collaborative projects, brainstorming on new areas for joint action, and reassessment of development priorities that have been identified directly by Caribbean national governments.

    To keep implementation on track, senior leaders from both banks agreed to new cross-institutional coordination mechanisms, set clear measurable operational targets, and established a semi-annual reporting schedule to formally monitor progress and adjust tactics as needed. Lilia Burunciuc, the World Bank’s Country Director for the Caribbean, noted that the deepened partnership reflects a shared, long-term commitment to advancing sustainable regional prosperity. “The Caribbean has enormous untapped potential, and our collaboration with CDB is central to how both organizations support the realization of the region’s development goals,” Burunciuc said. “Together, we can help governments build more resilient economies, invest in their people, and seize greater global opportunities. This partnership is a shared commitment to a more prosperous and sustainable region.”

    As a final step to formalize the rollout, attendees approved the creation of a dedicated joint working group that will take day-to-day oversight of Action Plan implementation. Over the coming months, the partnership will conduct additional targeted consultations with regional governments, local implementing agencies, and other community and private sector stakeholders to refine project plans and ensure priorities align with local needs. The new initiative also aligns closely with CDB’s newly launched 10-Year Strategic Plan spanning 2026 to 2035, titled “Transforming the Caribbean for Resilience,” which identifies deepened strategic partnerships with leading international development institutions as a core pillar to advance social, economic, and environmental resilience across the entire Caribbean region.

  • Belize and Mexico Working to Resolve Fishermen Dispute Near Border

    Belize and Mexico Working to Resolve Fishermen Dispute Near Border

    A circulating video capturing a verbal standoff between Belizean and Mexican fishing crews over access to a contested northern border water fishing zone has brought a long-simmering maritime disagreement into public view, though diplomatic channels are already working to de-escalate tensions.

    Andre Perez, the elected representative for Belize’s Rural South constituency, clarified in a public statement that while low-level friction persists between the two groups of fishermen, the conflict has not turned violent or escalated beyond the localized dispute. The core of the disagreement centers on a small uninhabited island located in the shared boundary waters between the two nations, according to Perez.

    Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already initiated official contact with Mexico’s embassy based in Belize to open collaborative negotiations aimed at finding a mutually acceptable solution, Perez confirmed. A notable point of context that eases diplomatic progress, he noted, is the deep, centuries-long social and familial connections between communities on both sides of the border – including Belize’s coastal San Pedro Town and Mexico’s adjacent border town of Xcalak.

    Despite the current disagreement, relations between the neighboring communities remain amicable, Perez emphasized. “It’s not heated. We are amicable not only at the diplomatic levels, but the people of Xcalak and San Pedro, we get along,” Perez said. “We travel there. People go there. They come here.”

    Even so, Perez pointed to two key underlying drivers of the increasing friction that cannot be overlooked. The primary factor is the steady decline of commercial fish stocks in the shared border waters, a resource that local fishing communities on both sides depend on for their livelihoods. “The fish is getting scarce. That is something that is real,” he stated.

    A secondary factor shaping the current dynamic is Belize’s binding marine conservation commitments under the global 30-by-30 initiative, which the country advanced through its landmark Blue Bond financing arrangement. Those commitments require stricter management of protected marine areas, which has altered traditional access patterns for fishermen in the border region.

    As of May 28, 2026, negotiations remain ongoing, with both national governments working to preserve cross-border community ties while addressing the resource and management challenges driving the current dispute.

  • Taxi driver charged with possession of AK-47 assault rifles

    Taxi driver charged with possession of AK-47 assault rifles

    GEORGETOWN, Guyana – A 33-year-old taxi driver from Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara has been formally arraigned on charges of unlawful possession of 10 fully automatic AK-47 assault rifles, the Guyana Police Force confirmed in official statements released this week.

    Stephen Rajah, a resident of Back Street in Goed Fortuin Village, was taken into custody on May 22 following a multi-phase law enforcement operation that led to the recovery of the cache of military-grade firearms in East Berbice. The case first moved through the court system on Thursday, when a New Amsterdam Magistrate officially presented the charge to the accused. Under Guyana’s judicial procedures, Rajah was not required to enter a plea at this early procedural hearing.

    Following the reading of the charge, the court denied Rajah’s application for pre-trial bail and issued an order remanding him to state custody until the next scheduled court appearance. The proceedings have been adjourned to June 15 to allow for further investigative and procedural steps.

    The seizure of the weapons dates back to an early-morning stop-and-search operation conducted by police along the access road leading to the Berbice River Bridge, conducted between 1:00 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. on May 22. During the operation, law enforcement officers attempted to stop a black Toyota Corolla Fielder bearing registration number HC 9018, a vehicle that was later linked to Rajah. Instead of complying with the order to stop, the driver fled the scene, accelerating eastward and successfully evading immediate arrest, police records show.

    Acting on intelligence gathered after the escape, officers launched a targeted search along the No. 11 Village Public Road, where they located the 10 AK-47 rifles concealed inside wrapping made of plastic and cloth. The firearms are now held as evidence in the ongoing criminal case.

    The recovery of a large cache of military-grade weapons has drawn attention to illegal arms movement in the region, with law enforcement continuing to investigate whether the weapons were intended for criminal activity such as organized crime, drug trafficking, or other illegal operations. As of Thursday’s court appearance, no additional suspects have been named in connection with the weapons cache.

  • Italian Embassy in Santo Domingo celebrates Republic Day

    Italian Embassy in Santo Domingo celebrates Republic Day

    Against the timeless backdrop of Santo Domingo’s Colonial City, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site, the Italian Embassy in the Dominican capital gathered a diverse, influential crowd this week to mark Italy’s annual Republic Day with a signature diplomatic reception. The venue, one of the Caribbean’s most iconic historic landmarks, set a fitting stage for a gathering centered on celebrating decades of shared connection between Rome and Santo Domingo, bringing together senior diplomatic envoys from across the region, top Dominican government officials, and members of both the Italian community resident in the Dominican Republic and Dominican communities with roots in bilateral exchange.

    In his keynote address to attendees, Italian Ambassador Sergio Maffettone opened by highlighting the multifaceted, long-running relationship that binds the two Mediterranean and Caribbean nations. He traced the connection back through generations, noting the deep historical and cultural overlaps that shape bilateral ties today, before turning to the outsized social contributions that Italian migrants and people of Italian descent have made to building modern Dominican society. Maffettone also emphasized the mutual nature of people-to-people connection: the Dominican community in Italy ranks among the largest foreign diaspora communities from the Caribbean in the European country, while a robust, active Italian population remains rooted in the Dominican Republic, sustaining cultural and economic exchange on the ground.

    Beyond people-to-people ties, Maffettone drew special attention to the rapidly expanding economic partnership between the two nations. He confirmed that Italian foreign direct investment (FDI) flowing into the Dominican Republic hit an all-time high of $371 million in 2025, marking a clear upward trajectory in commercial collaboration. He also welcomed a major new development in bilateral connectivity: ITA Airways’ recent announcement of a new direct air route linking Rome’s Fiumicino Airport to Santo Domingo’s Las Américas International Airport, scheduled to launch commercial operations in November 2026. The new route is expected to boost tourism, business travel, and people-to-people exchange between the two countries dramatically.

    Speaking on behalf of the Dominican government at the reception, Deputy Foreign Minister Francisco Caraballo echoed the ambassador’s positive assessment of bilateral relations. He commended the deep, decades-long friendship between the two countries and formally recognized Italy as a key strategic partner that has contributed substantially to the Dominican Republic’s ongoing social and economic development agenda.

  • France reiterates support for Guyana in border dispute with Venezuela

    France reiterates support for Guyana in border dispute with Venezuela

    GEORGETOWN, Guyana – As the South American nation marked its 60th year of independence from British rule, French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a clear message of solidarity to Guyana, reinforcing Paris’ commitment to the country’s territorial integrity amid the long-running border controversy with Venezuela over the resource-rich Essequibo region.

    In a formal congratulatory letter addressed to Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, Macron extended warm wishes to the Government and people of Guyana, while highlighting the deepening strategic partnership between the two countries that share core interests in addressing common regional challenges across the Guyana Shield.

    “France is particularly attached to its partnership with Guyana in light of the many regional challenges we share on the Guyana Shield, where we work together in support of peace, cooperation and respect for human rights,” Macron wrote in the correspondence.

    Turning directly to the high-stakes territorial dispute currently awaiting a final ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Macron made clear that France stands firmly behind the principles of international law, and remains fully committed to upholding Guyana’s sovereignty and established territorial borders.

    The decades-long dispute centers on the Essequibo, a vast 159,500-square-kilometer territory that makes up nearly two-thirds of Guyana’s total land area. The region holds massive untapped reserves of minerals and crude oil, making it a strategically and economically critical asset for Guyana. For decades, Venezuela has laid claim to the entire territory, rejecting the 1899 Arbitral Award that first formalized the border between the two neighboring nations. Though Venezuela accepted the ruling for generations, it formally declared the award invalid in 1962 and has repeatedly reasserted its territorial claim in the years since.

    The process toward a peaceful resolution is being guided by the terms of the 1966 Geneva Agreement, which outlines diplomatic mechanisms to settle the conflict. After years of unproductive bilateral talks failed to bridge the divide between the two countries, the United Nations Secretary-General formally referred the dispute to the ICJ for a binding ruling in 2018, when Guyana petitioned the court to confirm the ongoing legal validity of the 1899 border award.

    The ICJ has already confirmed that it holds jurisdiction over the case. Earlier this month, both parties concluded their formal submissions, including filing written memorials and completing oral hearings before the court, leaving the ICJ poised to issue its final ruling in the coming months.

    Beyond the border dispute, Macron also noted that bilateral relations between France and Guyana received a significant boost last September, when France opened a permanent embassy in Georgetown, Guyana’s capital. Looking ahead to deeper collaboration, Macron expressed optimism that ongoing negotiations for new bilateral agreements across key sectors including justice, internal security, and national defense would be finalized in the near future, opening a new chapter of cooperation between the two nations.

  • IMF, World Bank, IEA chiefs warn of summer fuel scarcity if Hormuz strait remains closed

    IMF, World Bank, IEA chiefs warn of summer fuel scarcity if Hormuz strait remains closed

    Three of the world’s most influential multilateral institutions — the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and International Energy Agency (IEA) — have issued an urgent joint alert: unless oil shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz resumes normal operations, the Northern Hemisphere’s peak summer driving season will face escalating threats to global fuel security.

    In their statement released Friday from Washington, the agency chiefs laid out the unfolding crisis: global oil stockpiles are already being drained at an unprecedented rate to offset the massive supply cut triggered by the conflict-driven blockage of the strait, a chokepoint that normally carries 20% of the world’s total energy trade. The disruption stems from the ongoing US-Israel military campaign against Iran, which has plunged the broader Middle East into open conflict. In response to the attacks, Tehran has taken retaliatory measures against US regional allies and effectively halted traffic through the key waterway.

    The institutions warned that if normal shipping flows are not restored in the coming weeks, the continued rapid drawdown of inventories ahead of the summer peak demand period will amplify risks not just for fuel access, but for global market stability and the overall economic resilience of nations worldwide.

    This is not the first coordinated response from the three bodies. Back in April, they announced the formation of a dedicated working group to align their institutional responses to the crisis, with a specific focus on supporting vulnerable developing economies that are most exposed to energy and commodity market shocks. In Friday’s statement, the leaders re-emphasized a critical inequity of the conflict: the sharp spike in energy and fertilizer prices triggered by the disruption is hitting low-income nations far harder than wealthy economies.

    “Higher fertilizer prices are of particular concern as many countries enter the planting season,” the statement noted, linking energy market disruption directly to growing global food security risks. Fertilizer production relies heavily on natural gas and energy inputs, so supply blockages in the Gulf have sent fertilizer costs soaring, leaving import-dependent nations facing major gaps in agricultural inputs ahead of key growing cycles.

    The macroeconomic fallout of the conflict has already forced global growth projections lower. During this year’s IMF Spring Meetings, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva confirmed that the organization had cut its global growth forecast in response to the conflict’s spillover effects. She also projected that vulnerable economies would require between $20 billion and $50 billion in targeted financial support to offset the economic damage from the crisis.

    This week, that need for support became tangible: the IMF announced that Bangladesh, a South Asian nation heavily dependent on Gulf energy imports, has formally requested a financial assistance package, and teams from the Fund are currently in active negotiations to design a tailored support program for the country.

    The ripple effects of the Strait of Hormuz disruption extend far beyond the Middle East, hitting nations across South and Southeast Asia in particular — most of which rely almost entirely on imported oil and gas from Gulf producers. Beyond energy, fertilizer supply chains have been shattered, leaving import-dependent countries facing acute food security challenges that threaten to deepen poverty and instability in already vulnerable regions.

  • Haiti and the Dominican Republic to resume flights on May 30

    Haiti and the Dominican Republic to resume flights on May 30

    After more than two years of halted cross-border air connectivity spurred by Haiti’s worsening domestic security upheaval, Haiti and the Dominican Republic have formally announced the resumption of commercial passenger and cargo flights between the two Caribbean neighbors, set to launch on May 30. The confirmation came Thursday in an official release from Haiti’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, which also specified that all flights will operate through Cabo Haitiano International Airport, located in Haiti’s northern administrative region.

    Commercial air travel between the two countries, which share the island of Hispaniola, was first suspended on March 5, 2022. The halt came in direct response to rapidly escalating violence driven by powerful armed gangs across Haiti, where widespread gang-linked attacks, armed robberies, systematic kidnappings, and other violent criminal activity have plunged the country into profound political and social instability. The suspension cut off a key travel and trade link that thousands of people relied on for work, family visits, and cross-border commerce.

    The decision to restart services followed a high-level bilateral meeting held on April 17 between Dominican Republic Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez and his Haitian counterpart Raina Forbin. The talks took place at the Codevi Industrial Park, situated just meters from the two nations’ shared land border. In its official statement, the Haitian government emphasized that the reopening of air links marks a key milestone in broader efforts to rebuild regional connectivity and strengthen collaborative ties with its closest neighbor. It further reaffirmed Haiti’s long-term commitment to upholding constructive, mutually respectful dialogue and cooperative relations with Dominican authorities, anchored in principles of good neighborliness.