Carib Scope

分类： world

  • News : Zapping…

    News : Zapping…

    A collection of key recent developments spanning migration enforcement, law enforcement actions, public works initiatives, civil aviation upgrades and health sector reinforcements across Hispaniola, the Caribbean island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, sheds light on the ongoing challenges and incremental progress shaping both nations in early August 2026.

    In the Dominican Republic, the country’s migration authority has announced sweeping enforcement results from a nearly two-year operation. Vice Admiral Luis Rafael, director general of the Dominican Directorate General of Migration (DGM), shared the figures during a recent graduation ceremony for 162 newly trained immigration officers. Over the past 22 months, DGM operational teams have removed 704,142 Haitian nationals residing in the country without valid immigration status, Rafael confirmed. The agency head also outlined a significant expansion of the DGM’s operational capacity since he assumed leadership of the institution in October 2014. At that time, the DGM employed only 302 total officers, with just 235 assigned to frontline immigration control work. Today, the agency’s total staffing has grown to 1,388 officers, 1,272 of whom are actively deployed in control and enforcement operations across the country.

    Turning to Haiti, national law enforcement has secured a key arrest tied to gang activity that has long destabilized parts of the country. In a targeted surveillance operation carried out the night of Saturday, August 1 2026 in Port-au-Prince’s Delmas 75 neighborhood, agents from the Criminal Affairs Bureau under the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ) took 22-year-old Laury Lacombe, who goes by the alias Tikreyòl, into custody. Lacombe is the wife of Ralph Woodmyr Louissaint—known by the alias Chalè—a high-profile gang leader whose faction has terrorized residents of the Tokyo neighborhood along Rue Saint-Martin. Investigators allege Lacombe played an active role in the gang’s criminal operations, and she remains in detention as interrogations continue.

    In a separate domestic criminal case, Haitian National Police (PNH) officers arrested a man accused of murdering his own wife in the Jacmel region. The arrest took place on the morning of Monday, August 3 2026 in the Lamontagne neighborhood of Jacmel. The suspect, 36-year-old Justin Duffault, is accused of killing his 33-year-old spouse Marie Pascale Antoine Duffault on July 27, one week prior to his capture. Initial investigative findings confirm the victim was stabbed multiple times in the attack.

    Also in Jacmel, municipal authorities launched a multi-day public space improvement initiative, wrapping up its second day of targeted sidewalk clearing operations on August 3. The effort aims to remove illegal encroachments on pedestrian right-of-way to restore unobstructed movement for walkers and improve public access to shared urban spaces. The Jacmel City Hall carried out the operation with coordinated support from the Haitian National Police, the Protected Areas Security Brigade (BSAP), and other local and national government agencies. Municipal officials have thanked residents who have already complied with the new regulations, and issued a renewed appeal to all local business owners and merchants to respect the formal rules governing public space use moving forward.

    In northern Haiti’s Cap-Haïtien, the National Civil Aviation Office (OFNAC) has launched a new passenger support service at Cap-Haïtien International Airport. On August 3, the agency officially inaugurated a dedicated complaints and assistance office for air travelers. The new facility is designed to give passengers a formal point of contact when they believe their travel rights have been violated, and to streamline the processing of complaints filed against commercial airlines. “Our goal is to act as a neutral intermediary between passengers and air carriers to resolve disputes and improve the overall relationship between the two groups,” explained Enold Joseph, OFNAC’s regional coordinator for northern Haiti.

    Finally, in Haiti’s southern Nippes department, health authorities have received a critical new shipment of pharmaceutical supplies to bolster local care access. Departmental Health Director Dr. Esther Ceus-Dumond accepted the batch of medications, which was donated by Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health to strengthen the department’s under-resourced public health system. Dr. Ceus-Dumond has publicly committed to strict, transparent management of the supply to guarantee it reaches vulnerable patients in need of care. “As long as I hold this position, every medication provided by the state will reach the population that needs it and depends on it for care,” she stated.

  • Suriname stuurt voedsel en hulpgoederen naar aardbevingsgebied Venezuela

    Suriname stuurt voedsel en hulpgoederen naar aardbevingsgebied Venezuela

    On Monday, neighboring Suriname launched its first batch of emergency humanitarian assistance to Venezuela, nearly six weeks after a severe earthquake left widespread destruction across the South American nation. The initial cargo flight departed from Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport, carrying 1,000 pre-packed food kits and other critical daily necessities for communities impacted by the June 24 disaster. A second, larger shipment carrying 52 metric tons of rice and clean drinking water is scheduled to arrive later this week.

    Suriname’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Cooperation, Melvin Bouva, spoke at the send-off ceremony, emphasizing that the aid mission reflects the country’s commitment as a responsible neighbor and active regional partner. Each of the 1,000 food packages weighs approximately 10 kilograms, stocked with staple goods including rice, flour, beans, cooking oil, sugar, canned tuna, corned beef, sardines and other non-perishable food items. The shipment also includes bed linens and pillows to support displaced families who lost their homes in the quake.

    “Suriname stands with Venezuela as a good neighbor and trusted partner,” Bouva stated. “This assistance is part of our ongoing commitment to supporting a friendly nation as it launches its post-disaster reconstruction process.” He added that Suriname and Venezuela have maintained long-standing cross-sector cooperation, and during a recent diplomatic visit to Caracas, officials from both sides discussed new opportunities for collaboration in agriculture, tourism and education.

    Glennys Hernández, Consul representing the Venezuelan government, expressed sincere gratitude for Suriname’s timely support. She shared the latest official impact figures from the earthquake: the disaster has destroyed nearly 5,000 residential buildings, claimed hundreds of lives, injured approximately 5,600 people, and left roughly 23,800 displaced residents still residing in temporary emergency shelters. “Suriname’s aid is invaluable, and it brings renewed hope to families that have lost everything,” Hernández said.

    Bouva noted that the humanitarian operation demonstrates that diplomacy is not limited to diplomatic dialogue—it also translates into tangible, practical support for nations reeling from natural disasters. Both Suriname and Venezuelan officials highlighted that the joint aid effort reinforces the long-standing friendly bilateral ties between the two countries, and reaffirms their shared commitment to supporting the full recovery and reconstruction of Venezuela’s earthquake-impacted regions.

  • From Emancipation to Reparations: Caribbean push for justice continues

    From Emancipation to Reparations: Caribbean push for justice continues

    As Caribbean nations mark annual Emancipation Day celebrations between August 1 and 3 each year, the region’s decades-long campaign for reparatory justice for the harms of the transatlantic slave trade and Indigenous genocide has taken center stage in 2026, fueled by a cascade of landmark political and international developments that have strengthened its global standing.

    For communities across the Caribbean, Emancipation Day is far more than a cultural holiday: it honors the 1834 abolition of chattel slavery across British colonial holdings in the region, and centers the legacy of resistance forged by iconic freedom fighters. In Dominica, for example, the holiday is celebrated as August Monday, the first Monday of August, with tributes to legendary resistance leaders including “Neg Mawon” Chief Jacko and Balla, who fought against enslavement on the island.

    This year’s commemorations arrive at a pivotal turning point for the reparations movement, following a string of major advances across the spring and summer of 2026. The first critical milestone came in early July, when the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government convened in Saint Lucia from July 5 to 8. During the gathering, regional leaders formally approved an updated policy framework: the Revised CARICOM Ten Point Plan for Reparatory Justice: A Manifesto for the Coming Enlightenment.

    Drafted by the CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC), the revised plan formalizes the region’s demand that European nations provide reparatory justice for two interconnected historical atrocities: the centuries-long transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans, and the systematic genocide of Indigenous Caribbean peoples that accompanied colonial occupation. Speaking after the conference in Gros Islet, CARICOM Chairman and Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre emphasized that all discussions of reparations were rooted in a core commitment to lifting Caribbean communities. “The discussions were guided by a central idea: to improve the lives of the people of the Caribbean Community,” Pierre noted.

    The timing of the CARICOM summit held extra historical significance: its closing day of July 8 marked the 225th anniversary of the 1801 Constitution of Saint-Domingue, signed by legendary anti-slavery leader Toussaint Louverture. That historic document formally abolished enslavement in the colony and enshrined legal racial equality, a move that prompted Napoleon Bonaparte to deploy French military forces to crush the movement and reimpose chattel slavery. That invasion ultimately sparked the Haitian War of Independence, which led to the founding of the world’s first Black republic in 1804.

    Momentum for the movement continued to build through the rest of July. From July 13 to 16, a CRC delegation led by commission chair Professor Sir Hilary Beckles traveled to the United Kingdom to advance the region’s advocacy directly, raising the profile of the reparations demand among British political and civic leaders.

    Beyond the Caribbean, the movement has secured unprecedented global backing in 2026. In March, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution spearheaded by Ghana that formally designated the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans and the system of chattel slavery as “the gravest crime against humanity” in modern history. That global recognition was followed by a high-level consultative conference on reparations held in Accra, Ghana in June, which brought together heads of government, leading scholars, and grassroots advocates to coordinate strategies for advancing the global reparations movement.

    In the wake of the Accra conference, the Ghanaian government extended an invitation to Dr. Ralph E. Gonsalves, former Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Senior Advisor of the global reparations campaign, to join its new Global Advisory Council on Reparatory Justice, cementing collaboration between Caribbean and African leaders on the issue.

    Looking ahead, the reparations movement is set to remain a central global话题 over the coming months. Jamaica has already announced plans to submit a formal official petition for reparations to King Charles III on September 6. The petition will reference the 1781 Zong massacre, one of the most infamous atrocities of the transatlantic slave trade, in which roughly 140 enslaved African people were thrown overboard from the British slave ship Zong on its voyage to Jamaica, so the ship’s owners could collect insurance money for the “lost cargo.” The vessel eventually arrived at Black River in Jamaica’s St. Elizabeth parish on December 21, 1781, after the massacre.

    On the same day as Emancipation Day observances across the region, the University of the West Indies (UWI) is partnering with Jamaica’s Office of the Prime Minister to host a high-level dialogue on reparatory justice, featuring headlined remarks from Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama and Professor Sir Hilary Beckles. The discussion will focus on mapping the future of the global reparations movement, and exploring the critical roles that national governments and academic institutions must play in advancing meaningful justice for the descendants of enslaved Africans.

  • Fidel Castro in Grenada: The visit that renewed ties

    Fidel Castro in Grenada: The visit that renewed ties

    On August 2, 1998, at the tail end of a broader regional tour across the Caribbean, then-Cuban Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro touched down on Grenadian soil at what was then Point Salines International Airport — now renamed Maurice Bishop International Airport. Barely minutes after his arrival, before leaving the airfield tarmac, Castro carried out the first symbolic act of his visit: unveiling a memorial plaque honoring the 24 Cuban citizens who lost their lives during the United States’ 1983 invasion of Grenada.

    This long-awaited visit came at a pivotal turning point for bilateral relations between Cuba and Grenada. More than a decade and a half had passed since the 1983 invasion plunged the two countries into a period of strained estrangement. By the late 1990s, both governments had made active commitments to rebuilding mutual trust and unlocking new avenues for cross-border collaboration. Castro’s in-person presence on the island carried far more weight than a standard diplomatic trip: it served as a public declaration of both nations’ shared commitment to revitalizing their partnership after years of disconnectedness.

    The following day, addressing a gathered crowd at the Tanteen Recreation Ground, Castro delivered a wide-ranging address touching on centuries of colonial exploitation, the brutal legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, and the ongoing economic and political challenges that small developing nations across the Global South face under the growing influence of powerful transnational corporations. The revolutionary leader pushed back against dominant global narratives that measure national progress solely through GDP and economic output. Instead, he argued that a nation’s true wealth is rooted in its human capital: the ability of a state to educate, upskill, and nurture the talent of its people to protect and sustain long-term sovereignty. For small island states like those scattered across the Caribbean, he emphasized, development must be measured by the strength and readiness of their citizens, not just financial metrics.

    The 1998 visit marked a critical moment of political reaffirmation for both sides. Working alongside then-Grenadian Prime Minister Keith Mitchell — a leader widely credited with spearheading the push to restore full diplomatic ties between the two countries — Castro underscored the urgent need to relaunch bilateral cooperation that had stagnated in the 15 years following the U.S. invasion. The high-profile visit opened an entirely new chapter in Cuba-Grenada relations, one that extended far beyond formal diplomatic protocol.

    In the decades since, the impact of Castro’s trip has endured across Grenada’s political and social landscape. It proved that even after nearly 15 years of estrangement, the two nations could rebuild their connection and design new, mutually beneficial frameworks for cooperation across key sectors. The visit reestablished formal channels of dialogue and paved the way for expanded partnerships in high-priority areas including public health, primary and higher education, and technical skills training.

    Today, 28 years after that landmark diplomatic moment, Castro’s 1998 visit to Grenada remains a powerful symbol of solidarity between small Caribbean and Latin American nations. It is more than just a historical footnote: it stands as a enduring reference point for regional cooperation as Caribbean nations confront the interconnected economic, climate, and political challenges of the 21st century.

  • President Abinader confirms attendance at Colombia’s inauguration ceremony

    President Abinader confirms attendance at Colombia’s inauguration ceremony

    In a historic break from decades of Colombian political tradition, the upcoming presidential inauguration of Abelardo de la Espriella will make headlines not only for the leadership transition it formalizes, but also for the guest list of global dignitaries and the unprecedented location of the event. Local authorities confirmed this week that dozens of high-profile international figures, including Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader, have formally confirmed their attendance at the August 7 ceremony held in the southwestern city of Cali.

    Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder was the first to share the full lineup of global attendees, revealing that the guest list spans heads of state, royal figures, cabinet ministers and senior diplomatic representatives from across the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. Joining Abinader will be Spain’s King Felipe VI, alongside the sitting presidents of Argentina, Ecuador, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Panama, Chile and Honduras. For neighboring El Salvador and Guatemala, vice presidents will attend in place of their heads of state, while Curaçao will send Prime Minister Gilmar Pisa and Brazil will be represented by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira.

    One of the most politically significant attendees is Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, whose presence comes as De la Espriella’s incoming administration prepares to reverse a 2024 decision by former President Gustavo Petro to sever full diplomatic relations with Israel. The move to restore ties, paired with Sa’ar’s invitation to the inauguration, signals a sharp shift in Colombia’s Middle East foreign policy as the new government takes office.

    Beyond the diplomatic lineup, the most notable change from past inaugurations is the location: this August 7 ceremony will mark the first time in modern Colombian history that a presidential inauguration is held outside the capital city of Bogotá. De la Espriella has framed the decision to host the event at Santiago de Cali University’s Arena USC as a core fulfillment of his campaign pledge to advance political and economic decentralization across Colombia. The president-elect has also emphasized that the ceremony will be deliberately austere, a deliberate choice designed to align with his administration’s commitment to spreading state influence and investment beyond Bogotá to regional hubs across the country.

  • Yacht owners trapped in Tyrell Bay Marina dispute

    Yacht owners trapped in Tyrell Bay Marina dispute

    A long-running property dispute in Tyrell Bay, Carriacou has left roughly a dozen foreign yacht owners stranded, their vessels trapped ashore and their lives, livelihoods and travel plans upended by actions they had no part in triggering. For full-time liveaboard boaters who call the Caribbean waters their home, the ongoing legal battle between marina developers and the heirs of a local landowner has turned into an unprecedented crisis that shows no sign of immediate resolution.

    The origins of the conflict stretch back to 2013, when Carriacou Devcor Ltd (CDC), the developer behind the Tyrell Bay Marina project, secured government approval to lease 7 acres of adjacent mangrove land to expand the facility. The agreement was immediately challenged by the heirs of the Samuel Corion estate, who argue the parcel was originally granted to Samuel Corion in 1914 and forms part of his family’s legacy. After more than a decade of litigation, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council issued a 2023 ruling that affirmed the Corion estate holds legal title to the disputed land, but declined to rule on the separate question of physical possession. That issue is still pending before the High Court, leaving a murky legal status for the marina’s access points.

    That legal uncertainty boiled over earlier this year, when the Corion estate erected a fence overnight that blocks access to the marina’s launch ramp. The barrier has trapped eight vessels on dry land, stranding roughly 10 people who either live aboard their boats or depend on them for work. For many of those affected, the fallout has been life-altering.

    French national Lou Le Sommer is one of the most impacted boat owners. She arrived in Carriacou at the end of March 2026, and hauled her 24-foot monohull *Malumau* out of the water on April 19 for routine scheduled maintenance, with a relaunch planned 10 days later. The unexpected fence left her boat stranded ashore. For Le Sommer, the boat is not just a recreational vessel – it is her full-time home, a replacement for the boat she lost to Hurricane Beryl in Carriacou two years prior. She was scheduled to return to her job in Martinique shortly after the repairs, but the inability to relaunch has already cost her two positions. “This situation has had a huge impact on me because my home is stranded on land,” Le Sommer explained. “It’s been incredibly difficult.”

    Le Sommer and other stranded owners told reporters that after the blockade went up, the Corion family initially offered to arrange a crane to move the boats, but cut off all communication shortly after. Local police declined to intervene, labeling the conflict a civil matter outside their jurisdiction.

    Leslie Bell-Friedel, a U.S. citizen who owns the 62-foot sailing catamaran *SY Nizhoni* with her husband, said the disruption extends far beyond mere inconvenience. The couple lives and works aboard their vessel full-time, and while they have been able to continue working remotely, many other owners have not been so lucky. Five of the eight trapped boats are permanent full-time residences, and two additional owners were actively preparing to depart when the blockade went up. Dozens more boat owners who planned to haul their vessels out of the water ahead of the annual Caribbean hurricane season have been forced to travel south to Grenada or Trinidad instead, costing the marina and the local island economy thousands in lost revenue.

    For Bell-Friedel, the disruption has also derailed critical conservation work. She serves as a director for Turn the Tide, a non-profit focused on eradicating invasive lionfish populations that threaten Caribbean marine ecosystems. The organization had planned a three-month lionfish removal campaign in the Tobago Cays that Bell-Friedel was set to lead, but the team has been forced to proceed without her, creating major delays to the project.

    The financial damage from the blockade has already surpassed $85,000 for all affected boat owners combined, Bell-Friedel said. The losses include missed wages, cancelled yacht charter bookings, changed and rebooked flights, unused immigration fees, inflated accommodation costs for those forced off their stranded boats, and a range of unexpected expenses that would not exist if the dispute had not trapped them on land.

    Bell-Friedel also raised urgent safety concerns about the blockade. The fence blocks emergency vehicle access to the northern section of the marina yard, where four people live full-time on stranded vessels – one of whom has pre-existing medical conditions that could require emergency response at any time. “This lack of access is putting lives at risk,” she noted.

    Legal efforts to resolve the impasse have so far failed. CDC, the marina developer, filed a legal challenge to the fence with the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, but Justice Agnes Actie dismissed the request for interim relief to remove the barrier. Affected boat owners also filed a motion to have their third-party harms considered in the proceedings, but their application was rejected over a procedural technicality, leaving their interests unaddressed in the ongoing court case.

    It remains unclear whether the Corion family obtained all required construction permits and regulatory approvals to build the blocking fence. The local Planning and Development Authority (PDA) has declined to take enforcement action, however, noting that the entire land dispute is before the High Court. A PDA source told reporters that the authority’s legal counsel has advised against intervening while the matter is still pending in court, even though under normal circumstances the agency would have taken action to address the harm the fence causes to marina occupants.

    NOW Grenada reached out to all key parties involved in the dispute – legal counsel for the Corion estate, Tyrell Bay Marina management, and local government minister Hon. Tevin Andrews – for comment ahead of publication, but no party responded to requests for comment within the five-day waiting period before press time.

    For the stranded boat owners, the complex legal arguments behind the dispute are secondary to the daily disruption of their lives. Their homes, work, and travel plans all remain in limbo as they wait for a resolution. The boat owners have hired legal counsel to advocate for the release of their vessels, but say they remain committed to finding an amicable solution rather than joining the ongoing litigation.

    The owners have also reached out to their respective national embassies for assistance. Embassy officials have raised the owners’ concerns with Grenada’s prime minister and attorney general, Bell-Friedel said. With the dispute still unresolved, embassies have issued a formal warning that they may update their national travel advisories for Grenada over the ongoing violation of their citizens’ rights.

  • Zapping Haiti of August 3rd, 2026

    Zapping Haiti of August 3rd, 2026

    In the first week of August 2026, Haiti is navigating a complex mix of escalating gang violence, public health safeguards, diplomatic engagement, and domestic governance initiatives, according to official updates from across the country.

    The deadliest incident unfolded on July 31 in the coastal town of Gressier, where armed criminal gangs executed at least 10 motorcycle taxi drivers. The victims were traveling along the key route connecting Gressier’s central crossroads to the nearby city of Léogâne, passing through the Degan corridor. Me André Michel, a prominent Haitian official, released a formal statement following the attack, extending heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families and the broader community of motorcycle taxi drivers, who form a critical backbone of local transportation across Haiti. Michel reaffirmed the government’s hardline stance, stating clearly that “we do not negotiate with criminal gangs.” The killing underscores the persistent threat gang violence poses to ordinary Haitian citizens going about their daily livelihoods.

    In a move to protect public health, Haitian trade authorities have launched enhanced border monitoring starting August 3 at the busy Ouanaminthe–Dajabón crossing that connects Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Lesly Théogène, Regional Trade Director for Haiti’s Northeast Region, announced the deployment of a multi-disciplinary team made up of public health workers, licensed pharmacy professionals, and trade inspectors from Haiti’s Ministry of Commerce. The team’s core mandate is to inspect, screen, and monitor all goods entering Haitian territory, with a specific focus on pharmaceutical products and other consumer goods destined for human consumption. The initiative targets counterfeit and low-quality products, which have long posed a severe public health risk to Haitian communities.

    Meanwhile, during an official visit to Cap-Haïtien to mark the 20th anniversary of the Network of Departmental Public Universities (RUPD), Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé held a closed working meeting with Archbishop Launay Saturné of Cap-Haïtien. The pair centered their discussions on the critical role that religious institutions and educational bodies play in advancing a more equitable, inclusive, and progressive Haitian society. The Prime Minister publicly praised Archbishop Saturné for his consistent, unwavering dedication to advancing social peace, collective public welfare, and positioning education as a central catalyst for national transformation.

    Also in the Northern Region, Haiti’s Minister of Youth and Sports Pythagore Dumas led an official inspection tour of regional sports infrastructure on August 2. The tour forms part of a national push to revitalize grassroots and competitive sports across the country, and also included planning for the upcoming official launch of summer national championships. A secondary goal of the visit was to encourage young Haitians to register and participate in the general elections scheduled for the end of 2026. During the first day of inspections at Cap-Haïtien’s Saint-Victor Park, the delegation uncovered significant structural and operational deficits across key facilities, including failing locker rooms, non-functional lighting, dilapidated public bleachers, inadequate VIP seating, and a lack of required sterile buffer space around the park perimeter.

    In diplomatic developments, Haitian Embassy staff held a working session to review proposed financial support from the State of Qatar for Haiti’s Gang Suppression Force (GSF), the country’s dedicated security unit leading operations against armed gang activity and terrorist groups operating within national borders.

    In cultural and civic commemoration, the coastal city of Jacmel marked its 328th founding anniversary with a solemn thanksgiving mass organized by Jacmel City Hall. The event brought together local government leaders, representatives of national and regional institutions, civil society leaders, and hundreds of worshippers from across the city to mark the milestone.

  • MV Barima’s murder charges trumped up to cover officials’ failures – chief mate’s friends

    MV Barima’s murder charges trumped up to cover officials’ failures – chief mate’s friends

    On Sunday evening, August 2, 2026, dozens of supporters including family members, friends, and local residents gathered outside the Grove, East Bank Demerara home of Rondell Dwayne Roberts, the first mate of the sunken Guyanese ferry MV Barima, to stage a solidarity demonstration. The 42-year-old father of three, along with two other marine and transport officials, is currently facing 72 counts of murder in connection with the July 18 sinking that has been linked to an estimated 102 unconfirmed fatalities out of 179 total passengers and crew on board. Protesters argue the charges against the trio are fabricated to deflect blame from senior government officials who they claim bear ultimate responsibility for the disaster.

    Protesters carried hand-painted placards bearing slogans calling for transparency, accountability, and the immediate release of all three accused men. Beyond calling for Roberts’ exoneration, demonstrators also demanded justice for vessel captain Kevin “KP” Price, 40, of Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara, and Delon Granderson, 33, a Transport and Harbours Department goods superintendent based in Fellowship, West Coast Demerara. Additional slogans pressed officials to salvage the sunken ferry to retrieve submerged evidence, called for the dismissal of senior government leaders linked to maritime oversight, and highlighted the need for closure for the families of both the accused and the victims.

    One close friend of Roberts told Demerara Waves Online News that the entire community is convinced he has been wrongfully accused and wrongfully imprisoned. A female friend of the first mate reiterated that sentiment, stressing that accountability must start with the senior government officials in charge of maritime regulation and safety. “They just can’t put all the blame on a low-level employee. That is plain injustice, and all the critical evidence is still sitting at the bottom of the water,” she stated.

    Dr Dexter Todd, the attorney representing the accused, confirmed last week that he intends to file a legal challenge disputing the legality of the murder charges. Picket participant Morti also forcefully refuted unconfirmed reports that Roberts had tested positive for marijuana use while on duty aboard the ferry. “This boy does not smoke or drink. He would only drink a Vita Malt, he doesn’t even smoke cigarettes,” Morti said. “He never got out of bed that morning to go to work and kill anyone.”

    Supporters of the accused uniformly back the plan to salvage the MV Barima from its resting place nine miles offshore, arguing that retrieving the vessel is the only way to uncover conclusive evidence of what caused the sinking and identify all parties responsible, including senior government decision-makers. “The proof of what happened is right there on that boat,” one friend of Roberts explained. “Bring it up so everyone can see the evidence. If the evidence from the vessel proves they are guilty, then justice will be served. But right now, we’re being denied that proof.” Morti went a step further, proposing that once salvaged, the ferry could be brought ashore and converted into a permanent memorial to honor the lives lost during the voyage from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, instead of constructing a memorial at sea.

    Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Hack has defended the decision to bring charges, stating that her office recommended prosecuting the three men based on submitted evidence, binding legal principles, relevant case law from the United Kingdom, Commonwealth jurisdictions, and the European Court of Human Rights, as well as broader public policy considerations.

    Sunday’s demonstration marks the third public protest held in support of the accused in recent weeks, with previous rallies taking place in Melanie Damishana and Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara. Separately on Sunday, Deodat Indar, the minister responsible for maritime administration, confirmed that he had received intelligence that opposition supporters were planning a separate protest outside his personal residence.

    Multiple opposition groups including We Invest in Nationhood, A Partnership for National Unity, and Forward Guyana Movement, alongside the Amerindian People’s Association and other civil society activists, are currently calling for Indar and the country’s minister of maritime transportation to resign or be removed from office over the disaster. In response to growing public pressure, President Irfaan Ali has already taken two formal steps to investigate the incident: he has appointed a five-member Commission of Inquiry to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the sinking, and assembled a specialized technical team to review existing safety and compliance standards for all vessels operating in Guyana’s waters. The technical review team includes former Maritime Administration Department Director-General Dr. Ivor English, Guyana Defense Force Colonel Julius Skeete, and experienced marine officer and ship surveyor Captain Joseph Lewis.

  • Minstens vijf doden en 41 vermisten na brand op veerboot bij Indonesië

    Minstens vijf doden en 41 vermisten na brand op veerboot bij Indonesië

    A devastating blaze on the Indonesian passenger ferry Mutiara Sentosa 2 has claimed at least five lives, with 41 people still unaccounted for, the country’s national search and rescue agency Basarnas confirmed Sunday.

    The incident unfolded in the early hours of local time, between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., as the vessel carried 271 people – 232 passengers and 39 crew members – on a scheduled voyage from Surabaya, East Java, to Makassar, South Sulawesi. The fire broke out roughly 35 kilometers north of Buruan Sapudi Island, off the northeast coast of Madura Island, a small landmass northeast of Java.

    According to Basarnas officials, the ferry operator PT Atosim Lampung Pelayaran alerted emergency responders roughly one hour after the fire started, following a distress report from the captain. Communication with the vessel was lost immediately after the initial alert. Rescue teams pinpointed the ferry’s location with the help of a nearby cargo ship, though the freighter could not approach the burning vessel due to its own cargo of flammable materials.

    Footage released by Basarnas shows thick plumes of black smoke billowing from the ferry, with panicked passengers donning life vests as they crowded the deck waiting for evacuation. User-generated videos circulating on social media capture terrified passengers on the upper deck, with several jumping into the Java Sea as flames spread rapidly across the vessel. By the time tugboats and rescue craft arrived to begin evacuation operations, the ferry was almost entirely engulfed in flames.

    By midday Sunday, rescue teams had pulled 225 survivors from the water and surrounding area, recovered five deceased victims, and confirmed 41 people remain missing. Search and rescue operations are ongoing at the incident site.
    Indonesia’s national navy dispatched a military vessel to support the search effort, while a large rescue craft was deployed from Surabaya, with an expected arrival time of six hours after departure. A smaller rigid inflatable boat launched from a nearby rescue station was forced to turn back mid-voyage due to rough sea conditions and high swells that made a safe approach impossible.

    As of Sunday, the official cause of the fire remains under investigation.

    The incident is the latest in a long string of maritime accidents across Indonesia, an archipelagic nation made up of more than 17,000 islands that relies heavily on ferry networks to connect populations across its territory. Maritme safety experts have repeatedly flagged poor regulatory compliance and unpredictable tropical weather as two of the leading contributing factors to frequent transportation accidents in the country’s waters.

  • 4.5-magnitude earthquake shakes Samaná, felt in Santo Domingo

    4.5-magnitude earthquake shakes Samaná, felt in Santo Domingo

    A moderate 4.5-magnitude earthquake rattled coastal areas of the Dominican Republic early Monday, triggering tremors that reached the capital region but leaving no harm or destruction in its wake, local officials confirmed.

    The seismic event was recorded at 1:01 a.m. local time, researchers from the Seismological Institute of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) confirmed. Mapping data places the earthquake’s epicenter roughly 16.9 kilometers south of the town of Sánchez, in the northeastern Samaná province, with the tremor originating at a depth of 14.7 kilometers below the Earth’s surface.

    Prominent Dominican geologist Osiris de León noted that shaking from the quake was widespread across the region. Residents across the entire Samaná Peninsula reported feeling the tremor, with perceptible movement also registered in Nagua, the broader Northeast region, Bajo Yuna, Monte Plata, and the densely populated Greater Santo Domingo area.

    As of mid-morning Monday, national emergency and geological authorities have not received any reports of human casualties, injuries, or structural damage to buildings or infrastructure across the affected regions. The country’s emergency management agencies remain on standby to monitor any aftershock activity and respond to potential secondary impacts.