Carib Scope

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  • A demonstration by Haitians degenerates into violent incidents at the Haitian Embassy in Chili

    A demonstration by Haitians degenerates into violent incidents at the Haitian Embassy in Chili

    On the morning of August 22, 2026, hundreds of frustrated Haitian migrants gathered outside the Haitian Embassy located at Avenida República 590 in Providencia, a central district of Santiago, Chile, kicking off a demonstration that would quickly escalate into unrest by the end of the day. What drove the crowd to the diplomatic mission’s doors was a seemingly insurmountable barrier to legal residency that has put hundreds of Haitian migrants at imminent risk of deportation: a mandatory criminal background certificate that neither Chilean authorities nor the Haitian Embassy can provide to eligible applicants.

    Under Chile’s current immigration rules, migrants seeking to regularize their migratory status must present a valid criminal record certificate issued by their home country’s diplomatic authorities to the National Migration Service (SERMIG). David Antoine, a leading spokesperson for Chile’s Haitian community, explained that the root of the crisis lies in the Haitian Embassy’s persistent inability to issue these required documents, leaving migrants caught between two government systems with no path forward.

    After hours of waiting for a response from consular officials, mounting collective frustration boiled over. A faction of the crowd pushed past the embassy’s perimeter gates and main entrance, accessing the diplomatic grounds to demand a direct meeting with the Haitian Consul. During the incursion, the embassy premises suffered significant vandalism. In comments following the unrest, Antoine acknowledged the severity of the violence while emphasizing that the outburst was the product of weeks of unaddressed desperation.

    “This situation is deeply worrying and shameful,” Antoine noted. “But what people don’t see is how many migrants show up at the embassy every day begging for this document. Demand is overwhelming, and almost everyone leaves empty-handed. Without that certificate, you can’t get your status sorted, and you get a 90-day exit order that puts you directly on track for deportation.”

    Migrant community leaders attribute the ongoing deadlock to a combination of administrative mismanagement at the Haitian Embassy and widespread misinformation that has circulated among migrants about the application process. Compounding the crisis is the persistent socio-political instability and economic collapse in Haiti, which has already left thousands of Haitian migrants in Chile in precarious living conditions.

    “Right now, unemployment among our community is skyrocketing, and most people can barely put food on the table without legal status,” Antoine explained. “You can imagine the level of despair here. When the embassy won’t issue the document you need to stay, and you’re facing deportation back to a country you fled for safety, what do you have left to lose? When people have nothing left to lose, situations like this are inevitable. I’m terrified more violence will follow if this isn’t fixed quickly.”

    Local police were called to the scene to disperse the demonstration once the incursion began, but embassy representatives had already partially de-escalated the situation before officers arrived. The embassy requested that demonstrators voluntarily leave the premises and announced that it would hold a meeting with community representatives to outline a path forward. As of Sunday, however, official representatives of Haitian diplomacy in Chile have maintained complete public silence, refusing to issue any statement or address questions from either media outlets or the Haitian community in Chile, deepening the uncertainty facing hundreds of at-risk migrants.

  • Suriname insists on suspension of MV Canawaima ferry service- Edghill

    Suriname insists on suspension of MV Canawaima ferry service- Edghill

    On a recent Sunday night, Guyana’s Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill made an announcement that has disrupted cross-border travel and trade between Guyana and Suriname: the Maritime Authority of Suriname (MAS) has ordered an immediate suspension of operations for the MV Canawaima, the vital ferry that moves passengers, commercial cargo and private vehicles across the Corentyne River, the shared water boundary between the two South American nations. Edghill emphasized that MAS’s order runs directly counter to the shared assessment of technical maritime experts from both Guyana and Suriname, who unanimously concluded the vessel was safe to continue regular operations for an additional three months, until its already scheduled full maintenance and retrofitting in drydock.

    The suspension has already had immediate real-world consequences: starting Friday, hundreds of passengers have been left stranded at the two primary ferry terminals, South Drain in Nickerie, Suriname, and Moleson Creek in Springlands, Guyana. There is currently no firm timeline for when service can resume, with the halt remaining in place until all technical concerns raised by MAS are fully addressed.

    In a full official statement released by the Canawaima Ferry Service, the management outlined the sequence of events that led to the suspension. In the days preceding the order, two independent technical inspections were conducted by qualified maritime specialists from both neighboring countries. The joint inspection report, submitted in formal writing to MAS, confirmed the MV Canawaima met all operational safety standards, and the flagged issues cited by Suriname authorities did not require immediate emergency repairs and could be resolved during the already planned drydocking three months later.

    Notably, the statement also clarified an important administrative detail: the legal and financial responsibility for all routine maintenance, repairs and drydocking of the MV Canawaima falls under the jurisdiction of the Suriname government, not Guyana. Despite the disagreement over the suspension order, the governing boards from both Guyana and Suriname have confirmed they maintain open, constant communication and are collaborating closely to resolve the outstanding issues and restore cross-border service as rapidly as possible.

    The ferry service acknowledged the widespread disruption the sudden halt has caused to local communities, cross-border businesses, and travelers, many of whom rely on the service for daily commuting, family visits, and commercial trade. Management apologized sincerely for the inconvenience and thanked the public for their patience as teams work to resolve the impasse and resume normal operations.

  • Kloof tussen mensenrechten op papier en praktijk aandachtspunt IACHR in Suriname

    Kloof tussen mensenrechten op papier en praktijk aandachtspunt IACHR in Suriname

    # IACHR Rapporteurs Conduct Two-Day Visit to Suriname Uncover Gaps Between Legal Rights and On-Ground Practice

    A two-day working visit by delegates from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has highlighted a persistent disconnect between constitutionally guaranteed human rights and freedom of expression in Suriname, and the reality of how these protections function in daily life across multiple sectors. The visit, hosted by the Surinamese Association of Journalists (SVJ) and held on August 21 and 22, brought together IACHR Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression Pedro Vaca Villarreal and human rights specialist Daniel Corredor Llorente for separate, in-depth conversations with working journalists, media representatives, and civil society organizations across the country.

    All information gathered during the on-the-ground consultations will be incorporated into a formal country report on Suriname, part of the Inter-American human rights system’s ongoing monitoring work. The IACHR delegation is also scheduled to hold follow-up discussions with Surinamese government authorities to complete the information-gathering process for the assessment.

    This visit also marked activity under the Rickey Singh Initiative for Journalistic Excellence in the Americas, a program launched by the Office of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression. Named for the influential Caribbean journalist Rickey Singh, who passed away in 2025, the initiative focuses on strengthening journalistic quality, credibility, and independence across North America, South America, and the Caribbean. It advances a sector-led framework for excellence, centered on professional standards, editorial transparency, and voluntary self-regulation, holding that improvements to journalism should come from within the media industry rather than through increased state control.

    On the first day of the visit, the delegation opened with a planning discussion with the SVJ leadership before holding an interactive working session with more than 25 journalists and media sector representatives. SVJ Chair Nita Ramcharan noted that the initiative’s sector-led approach aligns directly with ongoing conversations within Suriname’s journalism community. “We talk extensively about press freedom and the conditions under which journalists carry out their work, but press freedom also carries inherent responsibility,” Ramcharan explained during the session. “The quality and credibility of our journalism, our independence, and the trust that society places in us are just as critical. We need to find pathways for the media sector to develop higher professional standards and self-regulation without eroding journalistic freedom.”

    The session also provided space for journalists to share their own firsthand experiences, challenges, and concerns with the IACHR delegates. Participants framed freedom of expression as a fundamental right for all citizens, not only journalists, noting that the ability to seek, receive, and disseminate information is a core requirement for meaningful participation in a democratic society. Common concerns raised across both journalist and civil society consultations included threats to press and expression freedom, systemic discrimination, lack of government transparency, unequal access to fundamental rights, and consistent failures to implement existing national legislation.

    The second day of the visit featured a roundtable discussion with representatives from a broad cross-section of Surinamese civil society, including women’s rights groups, children’s rights advocates, and organizations focused on historical justice and social equity. Participants again emphasized the gap between written legal protections for rights enshrined in Suriname’s constitution and actual practice, highlighting issues of discrimination, systemic inequality, and bias, alongside weak or non-existent enforcement mechanisms and pervasive lack of transparency.

    A key vulnerability discussed during the roundtable centered on the relationship between civil society organizations and the national government. Participants noted that organizations dependent on government subsidies for their operations often face heightened risk when they critique state policy: multiple groups shared experiences where critical public positions led to political interference in funding approvals and renewals, creating a chilling effect on independent advocacy.

    Vaca Villarreal called the roundtable a unique opportunity to collect direct, unfiltered information from diverse Surinamese social groups. The delegation also walked participants through the support and accountability mechanisms available through the Inter-American human rights system for organizations that face violations of freedom of expression or other fundamental rights.

    A core recommendation that emerged from the consultations was for local actors to systematically document incidents of rights violations and build formal, organized case files. By compiling facts, correspondence, government orders, and other relevant documentation, stakeholders can not only build stronger individual cases but also identify broader systemic patterns of violations over time.

    Ramcharan described the civil society roundtable as particularly eye-opening, saying it made clear that stakeholders across every sector consistently point to laws and policies that exist on paper but fail to deliver in practice. She added that public human rights education also deserves greater prioritization in Suriname: “Citizens not only need to have rights, they need to know what those rights are, how to exercise them, and where to turn when those rights are violated. Without proper implementation and public awareness, legal guarantees risk remaining nothing more than dead letters on a page.”

    Ramcharan noted that the IACHR delegation was impressed by the volume and depth of information shared by both journalists and civil society representatives. She expects the final country report emerging from the visit will help advance efforts to strengthen protection and practical implementation of human rights across Suriname. The SVJ has expressed satisfaction with its role hosting the visit, noting it is critical to center Surinamese experiences in broader Inter-American debates on freedom of expression, journalistic quality, and human rights. The association also emphasized alignment between the goals of the Rickey Singh Initiative and its own longstanding work to strengthen journalistic quality and self-regulation while preserving full press freedom and editorial independence. All meetings for the visit were hosted at Paramaribo’s Redmond Pop-Up Café, a community gathering space designed for open dialogue between journalists, civil society, and political leaders.

  • Jhovanny Metz Cruz was housed by a resident of Jamaica along with another Dominican

    Jhovanny Metz Cruz was housed by a resident of Jamaica along with another Dominican

    In a cross-border law enforcement breakthrough announced this week, Dominican authorities have confirmed the arrest of a 28-year-old fugitive wanted for the fatal stabbing of a garbage truck driver in the Dominican Republic. Jhovanny De Jesús Metz Cruz, the suspect identified in the April 17 killing of 40-year-old Deivy Carlos Abreu Quezada, was taken into custody on the island of Jamaica, where he had fled under an assumed identity after leaving the Dominican Republic by sea.

    Local media reports from the Caribbean region confirm that Metz Cruz was not alone when authorities carried out the arrest. He was accompanied by another Dominican national, and both were staying at a residence in Annotto Bay, a coastal community in Jamaica’s northeastern parish of St. Mary, as guests of a local resident. All three men — the two fugitives and the local host — were detained during the law enforcement operation, according to regional media accounts.

    The killing that led to the manhunt took place in a public parking lot outside the Santiago Palace of Justice, one of the Dominican Republic’s key judicial hubs. Court documents outline that Metz Cruz is alleged to have acted alongside a group of motorcyclist associates to carry out the fatal attack on Abreu Quezada. Within two days of the April 17 crime, Dominican judicial authorities issued an official arrest warrant numbered 2026-AJ0030957-8, which was followed by a Red Notice for international search and capture — document No. A-6332/4-2026, dated April 19, 2026 — to alert law enforcement agencies across borders of the fugitive’s flight.

    Now that the primary suspect has been located and arrested, Dominican law enforcement officials confirmed they are working closely with Jamaican authorities to coordinate his repatriation. The cross-border collaboration between the two Caribbean nations highlights ongoing efforts to bring suspects of violent crime to justice, even after they attempt to escape jurisdiction by fleeing to neighboring countries.

  • Canawaima tijdelijk uit de vaart na lange files aan beide zijden Corantijn

    Canawaima tijdelijk uit de vaart na lange files aan beide zijden Corantijn

    Cross-border travel and trade between the South American nations of Suriname and Guyana has been plunged into further disruption, as the operator of the vital inter-country ferry service has suspended operations of its flagship vessel for unscheduled planned maintenance amid already massive queues on both sides of the border.

    Long lines of passenger and commercial vehicles have been building up since Friday at crossing points in Guyana and at South Drain on the Surinamese side of the Corantijn River, the natural border that separates the two countries. The persistent congestion had already caused significant headaches for travelers and cargo transporters, before Canawaima Ferry Service Inc. announced Saturday that its M.V. Canawaima ferry will be temporarily pulled out of service starting this weekend to accommodate planned repair and maintenance work.

    The M.V. Canawaima serves as the primary infrastructure connecting the two countries for both passenger movement and cross-border goods trade, making its temporary outage a major blow to already strained travel flows. As of the operator’s announcement, no timeline has been provided for how long the maintenance work will take, or when the vessel will return to active service to clear the growing backlog of waiting vehicles.

    In its public statement, the ferry operator only confirmed that the M.V. Canawaima would halt all crossings effective immediately to carry out the pre-planned work. “As soon as regular ferry services are ready to resume, we will issue an update through all of our official communication channels,” the company said in the statement.

    The operator has urged all passengers, cargo transporters and other regular users of the cross-border link to plan their travel around the temporary suspension and continue monitoring official updates from the company for new information on service resumption.

    The outage announcement leaves thousands of waiting travelers and transporters with no clarity on when the existing massive traffic backlog will be cleared. It also remains unclear what alternative arrangements or support are being put in place for the hundreds of people already stuck in multi-day queues waiting to make the crossing.

  • Brazilië lanceert ambitieuze AI-supercomputerprojecten en balanceert strategisch tussen VS en China

    Brazilië lanceert ambitieuze AI-supercomputerprojecten en balanceert strategisch tussen VS en China

    In a strategic move that underscores its ambition to balance diplomatic and economic ties with the world’s two largest technological powers, the Brazilian government has announced a 2.3 billion Brazilian reai (approximately $444 million) investment to expand and strengthen the country’s domestic artificial intelligence ecosystem. The initiative, which splits development work between leading firms from the United States and China, aligns with Brazil’s stated goal of avoiding overreliance on any single tech supplier or global power.

    More than half of the total budget – 1.3 billion reais ($251 million) – has been allocated to a supercomputer infrastructure project based in Rio de Janeiro, developed in partnership with Chinese tech giants Huawei Technologies and iFlytek. This facility will prioritize the creation of large language models designed for both general use and industry-specific applications across Brazil’s growing digital economy. The partnership with Chinese firms is scheduled to launch operations in July 2027.

    The remaining 1 billion reais ($193 million) will be allocated via public tender to develop a second supercomputer in the northern state of Rio Grande do Norte, a location selected for its abundant flexible energy capacity needed to power high-performance computing. Officials project this machine will rank among the 10 most powerful AI processing systems on the planet once it goes live, which is expected by the end of 2025. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attended the official project announcement in the region last Thursday.

    Multiple government sources, speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters, and Brazil’s Science and Technology Minister Luciana Santos have both indicated that U.S. chipmaking leader Nvidia is widely expected to win the tender for the Rio Grande do Norte supercomputer. Santos confirmed this expectation in an interview with local newspaper Folha de São Paulo last week.

    Brazilian authorities have emphasized that the split allocation strategy is intentional, designed to protect national data sovereignty and prevent dependence on technology from a single country or corporation. The geopolitical balancing act reflects Brazil’s current economic landscape: China, a global leader in AI development, is Brazil’s largest trading partner, while the United States remains the top source of foreign direct investment in the country, even as it has lost trade market share and imposed recent tariffs on Brazilian imports.

    Funding for both projects comes from Brazil’s National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT), and investment will be released in phased installments aligned with project milestones.

  • State of Emergency Declared in Colombia Following Deadly Earthquake

    State of Emergency Declared in Colombia Following Deadly Earthquake

    On August 10, 2026, a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, triggering one of the worst seismic disasters the nation has seen in modern history. Eleven days after the tremor hit, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella announced a national state of emergency covering 15 hardest-hit regions, a measure designed to unlock rapid budget reallocation and speed up the government’s disaster response and recovery efforts.

    As of the latest official update, the death toll from the quake has climbed to 319, with more than 4,600 people sustaining injuries and at least 260 people still unaccounted for. Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) confirmed that this earthquake is the deadliest seismic event recorded in the country in recent decades. Emergency search and rescue teams have managed to pull 364 survivors out of the rubble of collapsed buildings across the affected zones.

    The physical destruction caused by the quake is catastrophic. Official statistics show more than 30,000 residential properties have been completely destroyed, and nearly 137,000 additional homes have suffered severe structural damage. Over 300 public and private buildings have collapsed entirely, and critical community infrastructure including schools, hospitals, and transportation networks have sustained widespread damage across western Colombia.

    In major urban centers like Cali and Pereira, structural engineers have deemed hundreds of surviving buildings unsafe for occupancy, issuing formal warnings banning people from reentering the properties. Five regional airports across the country remain inoperable due to severe damage, throwing local and regional transportation networks into disarray.

    For communities near the earthquake’s epicenter in San José del Palmar and across the wider Chocó region, the delivery of life-saving emergency relief has been severely hampered by the destruction of infrastructure. Blocked mountain roads, broken water aqueducts, and a steady stream of ongoing aftershocks continue to slow aid distribution, leaving many remote, isolated communities without access to critical supplies and medical care. The Colombian government estimates that full reconstruction of all damaged and destroyed infrastructure across the country could cost as much as 40 trillion Colombian pesos.

  • Two seismic events reported near Punta Cana within hours

    Two seismic events reported near Punta Cana within hours

    Early on Saturday, August 22, two successive earthquakes were detected off the coast of the popular Dominican destination Punta Cana, according to initial readings from regional seismic monitoring networks.

    The first seismic event, registered at a magnitude of 3.7, struck at approximately 1:50 a.m. local time. Seismologists placed its epicenter around 84 kilometers northeast of Punta Cana, with the earthquake’s origin sitting roughly 71 kilometers below the Earth’s surface.

    Roughly half an hour later, a second, smaller tremor was recorded in the same general offshore area. This second quake measured magnitude 3.2, hitting at 2:22 a.m. It was centered approximately 93 kilometers directly east of Punta Cana, and originated at a much shallower depth of around 17 kilometers beneath the seabed.

    As of the latest updates from Dominican civil defense and emergency management authorities, there have been no immediate reports of structural damage to infrastructure or harm to local residents and visitors tied to either seismic event.

    Geographically, the Dominican Republic sits within a geologically active zone where the Caribbean and North American tectonic plates meet. The constant tectonic interaction between these two massive crustal plates creates regular seismic activity across the nation and its adjacent surrounding waters, making small to moderate tremors a common occurrence in the region.

  • US delegation meets IICA leadership to discuss food security and agricultural cooperation

    US delegation meets IICA leadership to discuss food security and agricultural cooperation

    A high-ranking delegation from the United States government has convened strategic discussions with leadership of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) at the institution’s headquarters, marking a key milestone in efforts to consolidate IICA’s mandate as the primary agricultural agency for the Americas. The talks, held against a backdrop of growing global and regional challenges to agricultural stability, covered a broad range of shared priorities spanning food security, nutritional access, emergency disaster response, agricultural trade facilitation, transboundary animal and plant disease control, and coordinated action between regional and global agricultural bodies.

    The U.S. delegation brought together senior diplomatic and policy leaders across relevant portfolios, including Lynda C. Blanchard, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations food and agricultural agencies based in Rome; Melinda Hildebrand, U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica, where IICA is headquartered; Laken Rapier, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State; and Kumar Lakhavani, the State Department’s Regional Advisor for Disasters and Humanitarian Affairs. IICA Director General Muhammad Ibrahim, who currently leads a sweeping package of institutional reforms across the organization, led the IICA negotiating team.

    Since taking office, Ibrahim has prioritized reforms designed to streamline IICA’s operations, eliminate redundant programming across its 34 Member States, and position the institute as a more agile, responsive technical partner aligned with regional priorities. A core focus of these reforms has been advancing collective progress on food security and expanded agricultural trade across the Western Hemisphere.

    During the talks, Ambassador Blanchard called for enhanced coordination between IICA and the three Rome-based United Nations food agencies: the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the World Food Programme (WFP). “To unlock greater trade opportunities and safeguard our food supply, the Americas and the Caribbean must unite around agricultural policies grounded in sound science,” Blanchard stated. She highlighted agricultural biotechnology, alignment with international food safety and health standards, and strengthened cross-border plant and animal health protections as high-priority areas for deepened collaboration.

    Ambassador Hildebrand underscored the deep, decades-long partnership between the United States and IICA, noting that the U.S. remains the institution’s largest financial contributor. She emphasized that the ongoing collaboration has delivered tangible benefits, including direct support for smallholder and commercial farmers, investment in rural community development, and more resilient regional agricultural supply chains. Hildebrand identified two pressing transboundary health threats facing the region—New World Screwworm and African Swine Fever—and said the U.S. is committed to continued joint work with IICA to address these risks.

    Deputy Assistant Secretary Rapier added that the U.S. views IICA as a critical strategic partner for advancing American agricultural interests and reducing unnecessary regulatory barriers that hinder cross-border trade. She outlined that future cooperation will center on three core goals: eliminating fragmented regulatory barriers across the region, championing American agricultural innovation, and advancing science-backed policy frameworks to strengthen regional food security.

    Kumar Lakhavani echoed the focus on joint action to address food and nutrition challenges, emphasizing the urgent need for coordinated prevention and control measures for transboundary pests including New World Screwworm.

    In his remarks following the talks, Director General Ibrahim reaffirmed that the high-level visit reinforces IICA’s position as the leading agricultural agency for the Americas, committed to serving all 34 Member States efficiently without procedural delays or redundant programming. He noted that the ongoing institutional reforms are aimed at making the institute’s work “faster, more focused, and more accountable” to regional stakeholders. Ibrahim also echoed Blanchard’s call for strengthened collaboration with the FAO, WFP and IFAD to tailor global agricultural action to the unique needs of the Western Hemisphere.

    The U.S.-IICA partnership has deep historical roots, stretching back to IICA’s founding in 1942. The institution was established under the vision of then-U.S. Vice President Henry A. Wallace, and the United States was one of its original Member States. More than eight decades later, the partnership continues to center on advancing inclusive agricultural development, widespread food security, and sustained economic growth across every corner of the Americas.

  • CDEMA Strengthens Emergency Operations Centre Capacity in Antigua and Barbuda

    CDEMA Strengthens Emergency Operations Centre Capacity in Antigua and Barbuda

    The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) has launched a specialized Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Management Training program at the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) headquarters in Antigua and Barbuda, marking a key milestone in the agency’s regional disaster preparedness strategy. Organized through CDEMA’s Regional Training Centre, the five-day program brings together 33 emergency management professionals drawn from seven different member territories across the CDEMA coordination system, creating a collaborative space for cross-regional knowledge sharing and skill building. Unlike traditional theoretical training programs, this initiative prioritizes hands-on, practical learning that directly translates to real-world disaster scenarios. The core goal of the program is to elevate participants’ core competencies in operating and coordinating EOCs across all phases of disaster management: pre-disaster preparation, active response during a crisis, and post-disaster recovery operations. Curricular focus areas include maintaining operational continuity during large-scale events, strengthening inter-agency coordination, and building the capacity for rapid, effective decision-making under high-pressure conditions. To deliver on these learning objectives, organizers have structured the program around a mix of interactive discussion sessions, small-group problem-solving exercises, and a full-scale capstone simulation that replicates a major regional disaster event. Beyond upskilling frontline emergency personnel, the training also serves a second strategic purpose: cultivating a regional pool of certified instructors who can go on to deliver CDEMA’s newly upgraded EOC Management Course across member territories in the coming months, expanding the program’s reach and impact. This capacity-building initiative is directly aligned with CDEMA’s 2022–2027 Strategic Programme, the agency’s overarching framework for improving regional disaster resilience. It also advances CDEMA’s long-term commitment to strengthening the Next Level Regional Response Mechanism, a coordinated system designed to speed up and improve the effectiveness of cross-border disaster assistance across the Caribbean. In closing out the opening session, CDEMA representatives extended formal thanks to NODS for its work hosting the training program, as well as to representatives from all participating territories and the lead facilitators whose contributions have made the regional initiative possible. Stakeholders note that as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of hurricanes and other natural hazards in the Caribbean, investments like this training are critical to ensuring regional agencies are prepared to protect communities and coordinate rapid response when disasters strike.