Carib Scope

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  • Max Puig calls for climate action focused on sustainable development at OECD forum

    Max Puig calls for climate action focused on sustainable development at OECD forum

    At the OECD’s Inclusive Forum on Carbon Mitigation Approaches held in Paris, a top climate leader has issued a urgent call for nations across the globe to speed up their shift to sustainable models of economic development. Max Puig, Executive Vice President of the National Council for Climate Change, used the platform to stress that global climate action cannot focus solely on cutting greenhouse gas emissions—it must also center the improvement of public social well-being as a core priority.

    Puig used his home country, the Dominican Republic, as an example of actionable climate leadership, outlining the nation’s firm commitment to rolling out ambitious climate policies that drive transformative structural change across its most carbon-intensive key sectors. At the heart of this work is the Dominican Republic’s updated national climate strategy, NDC 3.0, which lays out the country’s updated targets and roadmap for climate action. To turn these plans into tangible results, Puig explained that the Dominican government is actively strengthening national systems for climate finance, regulatory transparency, and on-the-ground implementation, all to ensure every climate initiative delivers measurable, impactful outcomes.

    Looking across key economic sectors, Puig highlighted the Dominican Republic’s ongoing work to cut emissions in four critical areas: electricity generation, manufacturing, agriculture, and transportation. He emphasized that targeted modernization of these foundational industries is an indispensable step toward building a resilient low-carbon economy. Ultimately, Puig argued that broad, collaborative international cooperation is the only way to lock in long-term economic and social resilience for nations around the world as they confront the growing threat of climate change.

  • DGM reports 196,321 deportations in first half of 2026

    DGM reports 196,321 deportations in first half of 2026

    In the Dominican Republic’s capital, Santo Domingo, national migration authorities have released new data detailing a sharp uptick in repatriation operations targeting undocumented Haitian nationals, as the government advances its tightened border and immigration enforcement agenda. The General Directorate of Migration (DGM) announced that 34,226 Haitian citizens residing in the country without valid migration status were deported during the month of June alone. This monthly figure pushes the cumulative total of repatriations carried out in the first six months of 2026 to nearly 200,000, specifically 196,321. The agency’s data also tracks long-term enforcement outcomes under its current leadership: since Vice Admiral Luis Rafael Lee Ballester took the helm of the DGM on October 1, 2024, the total number of undocumented migrants returned to their home countries has climbed to 670,500. All large-scale enforcement and repatriation operations are conducted in close partnership with the Dominican military and other state security bodies, a collaboration built into the national government’s formal strategy to strengthen migration controls across the country. On the final day of June, DGM and partner agencies wrapped up a round of targeted operations spanning multiple key provinces, including the greater Santo Domingo metropolitan area, Santiago, Pedernales, Elías Piña, and Dajabón – all regions that see high volumes of cross-border migration activity. From that day’s operations alone, authorities took 980 undocumented foreign nationals into custody, and processed 1,041 deportations. Amid ongoing international scrutiny of its migration policies, the DGM has emphasized its commitment to ongoing coordination with global human rights groups. The agency stated that all migration enforcement and repatriation procedures are designed and carried out to uphold the basic dignity of every individual involved in the process. The steady pace of repatriations underscores the Dominican Republic’s continued prioritization of irregular migration control amid longstanding regional demographic and economic pressures tied to cross-border movement between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

  • In Pikin Saron zaak: Alle zeven politieagenten vrijgesproken

    In Pikin Saron zaak: Alle zeven politieagenten vrijgesproken

    In a closely watched verdict delivered on June 30, judge Cynthia Klein has cleared all seven police officers implicated in the deadly 2023 Pikin Saron shooting incident, dismissing all charges against the group over the killing of two local men, Martinus Wolfjager and Ivanildo Dijksteel.

    The officers had faced allegations of using excessive, disproportionate force during unrest that broke out in the village of Pikin Saron on May 2, 2023. Prosecutors had initially pushed for a 12-month suspended sentence with a three-year probation period, bringing a suite of charges including manslaughter, aggravated assault resulting in death, and negligent homicide. But in her final ruling, Judge Klein concluded that the evidence presented by the prosecution did not meet the standard required for a conviction, leading to full acquittals across all counts.

    The case drew intense public scrutiny after a forensic pathologist’s report, discussed during an earlier court session, offered key conflicting findings. The report confirmed based on bullet trajectory analysis that the two deceased men were not fleeing when they were shot — if they had been running away, the entry and exit wounds would have been found at a different elevation, the document noted. The pathologist also found that the victims could have survived their injuries if they had received urgent medical care promptly. Instead, they died of severe blood loss after being left on the ground for an extended period without treatment.

    At the time of Tuesday’s ruling, one of the seven acquitted officers was absent from the court chamber, while another remains outside the country. Following the delivery of the verdict, all officers present were permitted to leave the courtroom immediately. The outcome closes a high-profile legal case that has stirred public debate over police use of force and accountability in the South American nation.

  • Liberty Caribbean Zero-Rates Calls to Venezuela

    Liberty Caribbean Zero-Rates Calls to Venezuela

    Telecommunications provider Liberty Caribbean has announced a significant policy shift, eliminating all charging for voice calls placed to Venezuelan phone numbers from its networks across the Caribbean region. The move comes as widespread political and economic instability continues to roil the South American nation, leaving millions of Venezuelan migrants and expatriates scattered across neighboring Caribbean countries struggling to maintain affordable connections with their family members back home.

    Many of these displaced individuals have faced soaring communication costs in recent years, as standard international calling rates put regular check-ins with loved ones out of reach for low-income migrant communities already grappling with housing, employment, and basic needs in their host nations. Liberty Caribbean’s decision to implement a zero-rate structure for calls to Venezuela removes this key financial barrier, allowing separated families to speak more frequently without the burden of unexpected or prohibitive bills.

    Industry analysts note that the policy adjustment reflects a growing trend of private sector entities stepping in to address humanitarian needs in the Latin American and Caribbean region, where political upheaval has created one of the largest displacement crises in the world. While the zero-rate policy is currently framed as a humanitarian measure, observers say it also positions Liberty Caribbean as a socially responsible leader in the regional telecommunications market, resonating with large migrant populations that rely heavily on cross-border connectivity.

  • Venezuela earthquakes displace several Guyanese

    Venezuela earthquakes displace several Guyanese

    A week after two powerful back-to-back earthquakes struck central Venezuela, the disaster has left a devastating trail of destruction, killed more than 1,700 people, and spilled over into cross-border impacts that have displaced Guyanese residents living in the affected region, Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd confirmed in a statement Monday.

    Three Guyanese households lost their homes when their residences collapsed in the seismic event, with Todd estimating a total of 10 to 12 Guyanese citizens have been directly impacted by the quakes that hit last Wednesday. No fatalities have been reported among the Guyanese population, who reside in a tight-knit Caribbean community in the quake zone. To assess the full scope of damage and check for potential unreported injuries, Guyana’s ambassador to Venezuela, Dr. Richard Van West-Charles, is scheduled to travel to the affected community on the outskirts of Caracas in the coming days, Todd added.

    The scale of the disaster across Venezuela remains severe, updated UN figures revealed Monday. The United Nations’ Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Venezuela, Gianluca Rampolla, announced in a press briefing that roughly 12,000 Venezuelans have been displaced from their homes, and more than 5,000 others have sustained injuries. With search and rescue operations still ongoing in collapsed structures, the Venezuelan government has approved the purchase of 10,000 additional body bags, as authorities prepare for further increases to the death toll.

    Seven Venezuelan states have reported damage from the quakes, though the vast majority of casualties and destruction are concentrated in La Guaira state and Caracas’ Distrito Capital. Roughly 2,500 buildings have sustained damage, and many of these structures have completely collapsed, leaving dangerous rubble-strewn landscapes across affected regions.

    Hazardous conditions continue to hamper recovery efforts nearly a week after the initial quakes. Seismologists have recorded almost 500 aftershocks, including a magnitude 5.2 tremor that struck early Monday morning. Compounding these risks, an approaching tropical wave is forecast to bring heavy rainfall to the disaster zone, raising threats of flash floods and additional structural collapses.

    “We continue to operate in a high-risk environment,” Rampolla told reporters.

    In response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis, both the Guyanese government and the country’s private sector have joined forces to assemble emergency aid shipments. The combined relief effort is gathering at least 8,000 tonnes of essential supplies, including rice, other non-perishable food products, pharmaceutical goods, and other basic necessities. The supplies are scheduled to be loaded onto a Guyanese cargo vessel, which will depart for Venezuela this Friday.

  • News : Zapping…

    News : Zapping…

    As of the end of June 2026, Haiti is seeing concurrent developments across multiple sectors, ranging from new commercial air routes to expanded police capacity, economic policy overtures, 2026 World Cup outcomes, cross-border migration trends and local infrastructure investment.

    In the aviation sector, Haiti-based carrier ZED Airlines S.A. has announced the upcoming launch of a new direct route connecting Cap-Haïtien and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with operations set to begin July 14, 2026. The airline has published official introductory fares for the route: a one-way ticket is priced at $361.89 USD, while a round-trip ticket costs $796.09 USD. Customers seeking additional information or looking to reserve seats can reach the company’s customer service team via two local contact numbers: +509 2814 0708 and +509 3432 3717.

    In public security, Haiti’s national law enforcement body continues to expand its ranks as part of a nationwide capacity-building initiative. On June 28, 2026, the Haitian National Police (PNH) welcomed 1,200 new recruits as part of its 37th incoming class at the National Police Academy (ENP). This cohort marks the third group to enter training under the PNH’s P4000+ recruitment program, and includes 239 women among the new trainees. During the official induction ceremony, recruits received foundational briefings covering core expectations for their training, including rules of discipline, academic performance requirements, professional ethics, and the core values that define policing in Haiti. To optimize supervision and training quality, organizers have split the 1,200 recruits into 20 separate platoons of 60 recruits each.

    On the economic front, Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé used a recent public event hosted at the residence of the European Union Ambassador to outline his administration’s approach to private sector growth. The prime minister reaffirmed that the private sector plays a strategically critical role in driving Haiti’s long-term economic and social development, and renewed the Haitian government’s commitment to partnering with domestic and international business stakeholders. He stressed that this collaboration will be rooted in shared principles of partnership, collective responsibility, and mutual trust. Fils-Aimé also called on economic actors to increase investment focused on creating new jobs and opportunities, particularly for Haiti’s large youth population, as a pathway to building a more stable and prosperous national future. He closed his remarks with a rallying cry to business leaders: “Change your paradigm. Be ambitious and move forward!”

    In international sports, the 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached the knockout Round of 16 stage, marking the end of the road for all Caribbean national teams, including Haiti. The region pinned its hopes of advancement on two sides: Haiti’s Grenadiers and Curaçao’s national team, both of which exited the tournament in the group stage. Haiti, competing in Group C, put in a series of determined performances despite its elimination: the team suffered a narrow 0-1 defeat to Scotland, a 0-3 loss to tournament favorite Brazil, and a high-scoring 2-4 loss to Morocco. The match against Morocco saw Haiti score two historic goals from strikers Lenny Joseph and Wilson Isidor, but the standout performance was not enough to secure advancement. In Group E, Curaçao also bowed out after two defeats, though the side earned a historic 0-0 draw against Ecuador in its final group match.

    On the migration front, new data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reveals a sharp volume of deportations of Haitian migrants from the neighboring Dominican Republic in the first half of 2026. According to IOM figures, more than 25,500 Haitians residing in an irregular status in the Dominican Republic were deported back to Haiti in May 2026 alone. Between January and June 2026, the total number of deported Haitians surpassed 117,000. Official demographic breakdowns show that 24% of the deportees returned to Haiti in 2026 are women, and nearly 8% are minor children.

    Finally, local authorities in Haiti’s Southeast Department have broken ground on a new sub-police station to expand security access for area residents. The Belle-Anse City Hall oversaw the formal foundation stone laying ceremony for the new Mare Briole Sub-Police Station, which will be located in the second district of the Belle-Anse municipality. The entire project is funded by the Belle-Anse municipal government, and is designed to deliver modern, fit-for-purpose security infrastructure to meet the safety needs of the local Mare Briole community. The completed facility will include gender-segregated dormitories for officers, separate holding cells for detainees, an office for the station commander, a group meeting room, and a public reception area.

  • U.S. Expands Military Relief Mission in Venezuela as More Aircraft, Troops Arrive

    U.S. Expands Military Relief Mission in Venezuela as More Aircraft, Troops Arrive

    As international disaster response operations gain momentum in the wake of Venezuela’s catastrophic earthquake, the United States has significantly expanded its military-supported humanitarian aid mission, deploying extra aircraft, military personnel and purpose-built disaster response equipment to affected regions.

    In an official statement released Monday, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced that six U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster cargo planes are slated to land in Venezuela carrying a U.S. Marine Corps Combat Logistics Company deployed from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. The arriving Marine unit is bringing critical heavy engineering machinery, portable water purification systems, and a range of additional resources to bolster ongoing relief work. The operation aligns with a direct request from the Venezuelan government and is being coordinated through the U.S. Department of State.

    The expansion of the U.S. humanitarian mission does not end with this deployment: additional U.S. Air Force C-17 and C-130 Hercules airlift craft continue moving response personnel and emergency supplies into the country on an ongoing basis.

    A roughly 100-member Contingency Response Element, paired with a specialized U.S. military Airfield Assessment Team, is already on the ground working alongside Venezuelan government officials, local aviation management teams, and U.S. civilian agencies to upgrade operational capacity at airports serving the earthquake zone. These upgrades are designed to speed the flow of incoming relief flights, cutting down on delays for life-saving supplies and personnel.

    U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft maintain a steady shuttle route between a dedicated logistics hub in Curaçao and hard-hit regions of Venezuela, ferrying emergency responders, stockpiled supplies and heavy equipment to where they are needed most. The aircraft also conduct internal flights across Venezuela to support scattered relief operations across remote areas.

    SOUTHCOM has also confirmed that the key Port of La Guaira, which suffered damage in the quake, has resumed full commercial and relief operations. This reopening has allowed the USS Fort Lauderdale to offload desperately needed humanitarian supplies and response equipment directly at the Venezuelan port, eliminating the need for complex multi-stage transshipment.

    U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters are carrying out dual missions: they complete systematic aerial damage surveys of quake-ravaged communities, while also transporting U.S. State Department staff tasked with coordinating the overall U.S. relief effort.

    Meanwhile, U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters and flight crews from Joint Task Force-Bravo, stationed at Soto Cano Air Base in Honduras, are providing on-the-ground airlift support for moving large cargo and personnel. Additional aircraft and crews are scheduled to arrive in the region within the next 48 hours to reinforce these operations.

    Even the U.S. Space Force is contributing to the response effort, providing high-resolution satellite imagery of damaged communities and critical infrastructure that helps emergency response planners map out priority areas for immediate life-saving assistance.

    SOUTHCOM notes that planning for further rounds of military support is still ongoing, carried out in close coordination with the U.S. State Department, Venezuelan government authorities, and international partner organizations involved in the disaster response. Additional deployments will be made public once they are finalized and confirmed.

  • Rig explosion in Venezuela kills 8, sources

    Rig explosion in Venezuela kills 8, sources

    On Sunday evening, a sudden explosion rocked an oil drilling rig operated by Venezuela’s state-owned petroleum giant Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) in the country’s southwestern Apure state, leaving a minimum of eight workers with injuries, multiple anonymous sources confirmed on Monday. \n\nAccording to the sources, corroborated by user-shared videos circulating across multiple social media platforms, all injured personnel have been moved across the border into neighboring Colombia to receive urgent specialized medical care. As of Monday afternoon, PDVSA has not responded to repeated requests for media comment to confirm the incident details, clarify the cause of the blast, or share additional context on the workers’ current conditions. \n\nThe incident marks another disruption to PDVSA’s operational activities in Venezuela’s key oil-producing regions, coming as the state firm continues to grapple with long-standing infrastructure challenges and maintenance backlogs across its assets.

  • Death Toll Hits 1,450 in Venezuela, K-9 Teams Continue Searching for Survivors

    Death Toll Hits 1,450 in Venezuela, K-9 Teams Continue Searching for Survivors

    Almost a week has passed since a pair of powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela, leaving a trail of catastrophic destruction and loss of life in their wake. As official data confirms the death toll has climbed to 1,450, the critical 72-hour window for rescuing living survivors has now closed — but international and local rescue crews have refused to end their search operations across flattened urban and rural landscapes.

    Alongside the rising number of fatalities, the disaster has left 3,150 people injured and more than 12,700 residents displaced from their homes. Tens of thousands of people remain unaccounted for, leaving anxious families across the country and globe waiting for updates on missing loved ones. Among the confirmed dead are three United States citizens, according to reports from NBC News, and more than 300 American nationals have reached out to the U.S. State Department to request emergency support following the disaster.

    A multinational coalition of emergency response teams has deployed to the affected region to support local rescue efforts, bringing with them a suite of advanced detection tools and specialized personnel. Teams from the United Kingdom, United States, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Colombia have joined the search, with K-9 units trained in disaster response emerging as one of the most reliable assets for locating possible survivors trapped beneath rubble. These specially bred and trained canines are capable of detecting human scent through up to 10 meters of compacted debris, according to BBC reporting, and alert their handlers to potential signs of life with a distinct, forceful, and sustained bark. The teams also rely on cutting-edge technology to complement the work of sniffer dogs, including acoustic sound detectors, thermal imaging cameras, and high-resolution technical imaging devices that can penetrate deep layers of collapsed building material.

    In the wake of the disaster, Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has announced interim measures to support those displaced by the quakes, including the establishment of temporary emergency camps. The government has also launched a presidential commission tasked with conducting a full assessment of damaged infrastructure to guide long-term recovery efforts. Despite these steps, public frustration has been growing rapidly among affected communities on the ground. Many local residents have criticized the national government’s disaster response as unacceptably slow, leaving vulnerable communities waiting for critical aid and support days after the earthquakes struck.

    Even as hopes of finding more survivors fade, rescue teams say they will continue combing through wreckage, driven by the commitment to bring closure to grieving families and potentially pull off what many consider an increasingly unlikely miracle.

  • Security Forces to Stage Islandwide CHOGM Exercise July 8-10

    Security Forces to Stage Islandwide CHOGM Exercise July 8-10

    As the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda gears up to welcome global leaders for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) this November, local security authorities have announced a critical three-day national security drill to finalize preparations. Scheduled to run from July 8 to July 10, 2026, Exercise STRONGHOLD is being organized by the CHOGM National Security Planning Committee in partnership with multiple leading security and emergency response agencies across the country.

    The drill is not a response to any specific threat, but rather a core component of routine pre-event preparedness efforts. Its primary goals are to put the nation’s existing security frameworks to the test, refine emergency response protocols, strengthen coordinated action between different public agencies, and boost overall operational effectiveness ahead of the high-profile international gathering.

    Over the course of the three-day exercise, security force members and emergency service personnel will carry out controlled convoy movements and full-scale operational drills across multiple major thoroughfares and key strategic locations across Antigua. To support these activities, temporary traffic disruptions including road closures, traffic diversions, and limited public access will be implemented in designated zones.

    Affected areas cover a broad swathe of the island: routes leading to the American University of Antigua (AUA) and northern coastal hotels, two of the nation’s busiest arterial roads – Sir George Walter Highway and Sir Sydney Walling Highway, as well as Old Parham Road and Friars Hill Road. Disruptions are also planned for the district surrounding the Antigua and Barbuda National Performing Arts Centre, the former Deluxe Cinema, where local businesses and adjacent streets will fall within the restricted area.

    In the capital city of St. John’s, a central security zone has been mapped out with clearly defined boundaries: stretching from Newgate Street in the north to New Street in the south, and from Parliament Drive in the east to Corn Alley in the west. Vehicle access will be fully restricted within this central zone for the duration of the exercise, while pedestrian movement will also be strictly regulated across all exercise areas.

    To minimize disruption to daily life, trained police officers and additional security personnel will be deployed at key positions along all drill routes. Their core responsibilities will include assisting motorists, directing traffic flow, and upholding safe, orderly movement for both vehicles and pedestrians throughout the exercise period.

    Security officials have issued a formal advisory urging all residents and visitors to plan their travel itineraries well in advance of the drill, and to set aside extra time for daily commutes between July 8 and 10. Motorists are requested to comply fully with all diversion signage, posted road rules, and direct instructions from on-duty police and authorized security personnel. The public is also encouraged to follow official government social media channels and local media outlets for real-time updates and additional advisories in the lead-up to and during the exercise.

    In a statement released through the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda’s Office of Strategic Communications, the CHOGM National Security Planning Committee offered advance apologies for any temporary inconvenience brought on by the security measures. The committee emphasized that public cooperation is critical to the success of both the exercise and the November CHOGM itself, and thanked residents in advance for their patience, understanding, and full collaboration as the country finalizes preparations to host this landmark international event.