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  • Contract signed for Balthazar Bridge Reconstruction and Soubise Coastal Protection

    Contract signed for Balthazar Bridge Reconstruction and Soubise Coastal Protection

    The Caribbean island nation of Grenada has officially entered a new delivery phase for its flagship disaster resilience infrastructure initiative, with the government inking three civil works contracts worth a combined total of EC$36.25 million to upgrade key at-risk assets. The formal signing ceremony, hosted at the Ministry of Infrastructure’s conference room, paves the way for on-the-ground construction work to launch within the next few months, bringing long-awaited flood and storm protection to vulnerable communities in the St Andrew region.

    The contracted works fall under Component 1 of the national Grenada Resilience Improvement Project (GRIP), an overarching program designed to reinforce critical public infrastructure across the country against extreme weather and natural disasters. Two of the project’s three lots focus on coastal protection infrastructure along the Soubise coastline, while the third covers full reconstruction of the Balthazar Bridge, a key transportation link for the area.

    Breaking down the awarded contracts, General Earth Movers Limited (GEML), a local Grenadian construction firm, secured two of the three tenders. The company will lead the EC$20.7 million reconstruction of the Balthazar Bridge, and also take on the EC$4.34 million first phase of Soubise coastal protection works. The second phase of Soubise’s coastal protection upgrades, which includes installation of rock and step revetments to stem coastal erosion, has been awarded to Construction & Industrial Equipment Limited (CIE) for a contract value of EC$11.21 million.

    Alva Browne, Grenada’s Permanent Secretary for Infrastructure, signed the agreements on behalf of the Government of Grenada, with senior leadership representatives from GEML and CIE signing on behalf of their respective companies. The ceremony was attended by multiple high-ranking government officials, including Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, who also serves as the country’s Minister for Infrastructure. Other dignitaries in attendance included Delma Thomas, Minister for Youth and Sports, Minister for Mental Health, Wellness and Religious Affairs, and Parliamentary Representative for St Andrew NorthWest, as well as David Andrew, Minister of Education and caretaker parliamentarian for St Andrew SouthEast.

    In his remarks at the signing, Prime Minister Mitchell emphasized the critical public safety and economic importance of the GRIP initiative, noting that stronger disaster-resilient infrastructure will protect Grenadian communities from the growing impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. He also recognized the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Mobilisation, Implementation and Transformation, the Ministry of Infrastructure, and the GRIP internal project management team for advancing the initiative from planning to the contract award and execution phase.

    All contracted civil works are scheduled for completion within 13 months of the official signing date, meaning upgraded infrastructure is expected to be fully operational by mid-2027 if construction proceeds on schedule. The GRIP project is part of Grenada’s broader national strategy to build long-term climate resilience across its transport and coastal infrastructure sectors, as small island developing states continue to face disproportionate risks from climate-driven sea level rise and extreme storm activity.

  • SLBMC Launches ‘Project Bloom’ to Promote Early Prenatal Care Across Antigua and Barbuda

    SLBMC Launches ‘Project Bloom’ to Promote Early Prenatal Care Across Antigua and Barbuda

    Antigua & Barbuda’s leading public healthcare facility, the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre (SLBMC), has formally introduced Project Bloom, an ambitious public education and community outreach campaign designed to shift maternal health outcomes across the twin-island nation. The initiative targets a growing public health challenge: a persistently high rate of pregnant women who delay routine prenatal care until late in their pregnancy, or forego professional care entirely until they enter labor.

    Project Bloom was developed to counter this trend through accessible, stigma-free messaging and actionable guidance that empowers expectant mothers to prioritize care from the earliest stages of pregnancy. At its core, the campaign centers on three straightforward, life-affirming principles: begin prenatal monitoring as soon as possible, leverage local community clinics and primary care providers for routine check-ups, and transition to hospital-based care for high-risk pregnancies and labor. A key, inclusive pillar of the campaign stresses that it is never too late to seek care, working to dismantle the shame that often keeps women from seeking support at any point during their pregnancy.

    Dr. Raymond Mansoor, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at SLBMC, emphasized the transformative impact of early intervention in maternal health. “Early prenatal care is one of the most powerful protective tools we have to safeguard the well-being of both parent and child,” Mansoor explained. “We regularly treat patients who come to us late with preventable, manageable conditions such as gestational hypertension and syphilis—complications that can be mitigated or avoided entirely if caught early. Through Project Bloom, our goal is to help every expectant mother understand that early care lets us act early, laying the groundwork for safer pregnancies and healthier long-term outcomes.”

    Beyond clinical guidance, the campaign recognizes that access to consistent care depends on more than just service availability. Many pregnant women face unaddressed social, emotional and financial barriers that prevent them from seeking care early, and Project Bloom was designed to meet those needs with holistic, patient-centered support.

    Ann-Marie Browne-Isaac, SLBMC’s Departmental Nurse Manager for Maternity and the facility’s antenatal outpatient clinic, highlighted the on-the-ground difference early care makes for local families. “We see every single day how early intervention changes outcomes for mothers and babies,” Browne-Isaac said. “Our message is clear: start care early with your local community clinic or primary care provider. Most families come to this journey excited and hopeful, and our job is to help keep that positive experience going. Early care lets us monitor for risks, address concerns quickly, and support safer pregnancies, smoother deliveries, and the best possible outcomes for every family.”

    Chanier Moore, a social worker on SLBMC’s maternal health team, added that the campaign aims to wrap around women facing non-medical barriers to care. “A lot of the time, the hurdles aren’t clinical—they’re emotional stress, financial strain, or just not knowing how to navigate the healthcare system to get the care you need,” Moore noted. “We want every pregnant woman to know they don’t have to go through this alone. There is tailored support available, and even that first small step to reach out can make a world of difference for you and your baby.”

    By merging evidence-based health education, targeted community outreach, and compassionate, patient-first messaging, Project Bloom seeks to drive meaningful increases in early prenatal care engagement, reduce preventable maternal and infant complications, and ensure that more families across Antigua & Barbuda get the life-saving care they need when it matters most.

    SLBMC is urging all expectant mothers and their support systems to reach out to local community clinics or their regular healthcare provider to begin prenatal care as early as possible. For additional information about Project Bloom, available antenatal services, or upcoming maternal health education classes, interested parties can contact the SLBMC Outpatient Clinic at 484-2727.

  • Pringle Says UPP Will Be Held Accountable From First 100 Days

    Pringle Says UPP Will Be Held Accountable From First 100 Days

    As the country’s upcoming general election draws near, United Progressive Party (UPP) leader Jamale Pringle has made a landmark pledge to voters, promising strict public accountability from the first day of his administration’s term through its final day if his party secures victory.

    Speaking to a packed rally of supporters in St. Philip’s South on Monday evening, Pringle emphasized that voters have every right to hold a UPP government to the commitments laid out in the party’s official election manifesto. “You must hold us accountable for our promises to you and for every cent of your tax dollars,” Pringle told the gathered crowd, framing his party’s governance plan around clear, measurable timelines that stretch from the critical first 100 days in office through the full five-year parliamentary term.

    The opposition leader positioned this accountability vow as a direct rebuke of the incumbent administration, which he argued has failed to deliver on its own past promises to voters. Pringle stressed that the pledge is core to the UPP’s broader mission to build a transparent, public-centered government that answers directly to the people it serves, rather than operating behind closed doors.

    Pringle also used the campaign event to detail the origins of the UPP’s newly released manifesto, noting that every policy included in the document was shaped by months of extensive, grassroots consultations with a diverse cross-section of national society. These consultations included input from single parents, working-class citizens, retired pensioners, local business owners, and community leaders from every region of the country.

    During those outreach sessions, Pringle explained, citizens consistently raised urgent, everyday concerns that have gone unaddressed under the current government. Top issues included the soaring cost of living, crumbling road infrastructure, ongoing access gaps for clean drinking water, and the alarming rise in gun-related violent crime. Participants also highlighted unmet needs in healthcare access, affordable housing, and broad economic strain facing working and middle-class households.

    According to Pringle, the final UPP manifesto directly integrates this public input, building concrete, actionable policy plans to tackle every one of the key challenges shared by citizens. “We were able to craft a manifesto that addresses these things with clear plans on how we will fix them,” he said, describing the document as a truly people-driven blueprint for national governance that reflects the on-the-ground experiences and top priorities of everyday Antiguans and Barbudans.

    With election day quickly approaching, Pringle closed his remarks by urging all UPP supporters to turn out in force to cast their ballots, reiterating that every one of the party’s pledges will remain open to full public scrutiny throughout their term if the electorate grants the UPP a mandate to govern.

  • “Entangled Islands: Ireland & the Caribbean” Exhibition Opens at Government House Museum

    “Entangled Islands: Ireland & the Caribbean” Exhibition Opens at Government House Museum

    On April 27, 2026, a landmark new cultural collaboration between Ireland and the dual-island Caribbean nation of Antigua & Barbuda reached a major milestone, as the Government House Museum officially opened its doors to the groundbreaking exhibition *Entangled Islands: Ireland & the Caribbean*.

    The opening evening drew a diverse cross-section of attendees, including senior Antigua & Barbuda government officials, diplomatic representatives from across the region and international community, leading cultural practitioners from both nations, and specially invited guests. The gathering was organized to center the often-overlooked shared histories and deep-rooted interconnections that link the Irish archipelago and the Caribbean islands, a narrative that has been rarely explored in formal exhibition spaces.

    His Excellency Governor General Sir Rodney Williams presided over the opening proceedings, setting the tone for the event with opening remarks that framed the exhibition as a critical step forward in bilateral cultural exchange. Williams was joined by a slate of national and international representatives, who each offered perspectives on the value of centering shared heritage to strengthen modern ties between the two regions.

    The event’s program blended artistic performance and academic insight to bring the exhibition’s core theme of interwoven history and culture to life. Attendees were treated to a mix of musical and spoken word performances, including moving renditions of the national anthems of both Antigua & Barbuda and Ireland, alongside traditional cultural works that echoed the exhibition’s focus on interconnection. Dr. Catherine Healy, the exhibition’s lead curator, delivered a comprehensive overview of the showcase, walking guests through the years of archival research and community-centered narrative building that shaped the final display.

    Following the formal program, the event concluded with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the exhibition’s public opening, after which guests enjoyed a celebratory reception and received exclusive early access to explore the exhibition’s installations.

    Today, *Entangled Islands: Ireland & the Caribbean* is open for public viewing at the Government House Museum. The exhibition forms a key part of long-running, collaborative efforts between cultural institutions from both regions to deepen mutual understanding and people-to-people engagement through exploration of shared heritage.

  • Newton attacks Pringle’s record in as MP for All Saints East and St. Luke

    Newton attacks Pringle’s record in as MP for All Saints East and St. Luke

    As Antigua and Barbuda prepares for its upcoming general election on April 30, campaigning has intensified in the competitive constituency of All Saints East and St Luke, where Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) candidate Lamin Newton has launched a sharp critique of opposition leader Jamale Pringle, the incumbent representative for the seat. Newton claims that Pringle has completely failed to deliver for his constituents over two consecutive terms in office, questioning why voters would grant him a third term in power.

    During a high-energy campaign blitz through the constituency, Newton framed the upcoming election as a critical turning point for local residents, urging them to rally behind the ABLP’s full slate of candidates to deliver long-overdue change. “We gave Jamal Pringle two terms and he has done absolutely nothing,” Newton told assembled supporters. “And he has the audacity to come and ask you for a third one. For what?”

    Central to Newton’s campaign platform is a landmark land access initiative designed to expand homeownership opportunities for local residents. He revealed that campaign planners have already identified 50 acres of viable, available land specifically earmarked for distribution to constituents in the Olsen area of the constituency, stating that long-time residents deserve the chance to own their own piece of land in the community they call home.

    Beyond land reform, Newton has also committed to sweeping infrastructure upgrades across multiple smaller communities within All Saints East and St Luke, prioritizing long-delayed road paving projects. He confirmed that an ABLP victory would deliver full resurfacing works for roads in Arsene, Switzerland, Paris, John Hughes, and Old Road, addressing decades of neglect that have left local residents navigating poorly maintained thoroughfares.

    Newton doubled down on his critique of Pringle’s representative record, arguing that the opposition leader has failed to actively advocate for the constituency’s needs at the national cabinet level. He went as far as claiming that Pringle never once submitted a formal letter to the national Cabinet on behalf of his constituents, a failure that has left local priorities sidelined in national policy discussions.

    Closing his remarks to the crowd of supporters, Newton urged every eligible voter in the constituency to turn out to cast their ballot on April 30, framing the election as a rare opportunity for residents to correct the course of local representation and deliver tangible benefits to their communities. “When we win, you all win,” he emphasized, positioning his candidacy as a direct path to improved livelihoods for all voters in All Saints East and St Luke.

  • WATCH: PM Browne says Lamin Newton could become future prime minister

    WATCH: PM Browne says Lamin Newton could become future prime minister

    As the April 30 general election in Antigua and Barbuda draws closer, the ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) has intensified its on-the-ground campaigning across key constituencies. During a high-energy campaign stop in the All Saints district, incumbent Prime Minister Gaston Browne took the stage to rally support behind his party’s local candidate, Lamin Newton, framing him as a rising political star with the credentials to one day lead the entire nation.

    Addressing a crowd of enthusiastic ABLP supporters, Browne positioned Newton as the face of a fresh, next-generation leadership that the country needs to sustain its forward momentum. “This is a man who can even become prime minister of this country,” Browne told attendees, emphasizing the candidate’s readiness to take on responsibility and deliver tangible results for local residents.

    In a sharp rebuke of opposition leader Jamale Pringle, Browne drew a clear line between the ABLP’s candidate and the head of the opposition. He argued that after two terms leading the opposition bloc, Pringle has failed to grow into the role of a national leader, claiming that “Pringle just not ready yet… After two terms, he has not grown. If anything, he has disintegrated.”

    Browne went on to lay out key policy pledges that Newton would deliver if elected, focusing on bread-and-butter issues that matter most to All Saints constituents. He urged local voters to embrace new political talent, noting that Newton has already taken proactive steps to advance development in the area. Among the candidate’s top commitments are targeted upgrades to local infrastructure, starting with repairs for crumbling existing roads, expanded access to educational scholarships for local students, and expanded access to land ownership for area residents.

    In a specific announcement that resonated with attendees, Browne confirmed that Newton has already secured identification of a 50-acre plot of land in the All Saints region that will be subdivided into smaller parcels and distributed directly to local residents. The initiative, designed to address longstanding demand for affordable buildable land in the constituency, is being framed as a concrete example of the ABLP’s commitment to delivering on campaign promises before voters even cast their ballots.

    The campaign blitz marks a key milestone in the lead-up to the April 30 vote, with the ruling party leaning into incumbency and a promise of continued progress to lock in support across key swing districts.

  • Benjamin Rejects Four-Day Work Week as “Theoretical” for Antigua and Barbuda

    Benjamin Rejects Four-Day Work Week as “Theoretical” for Antigua and Barbuda

    As the April 30 general election campaign in Antigua and Barbuda heats up, a leading candidate and senior government official has pushed back against one campaign policy proposal that is gaining global traction, arguing it is completely disconnected from the nation’s economic reality. Sir Steadroy Benjamin, the country’s Attorney General and incumbent candidate seeking re-election for the St. John’s City South constituency, has publicly dismissed calls to adopt a four-day work week, labeling the idea a theoretical, unworkable concept for the small island developing state.

    During a recent candidate interview ahead of the vote, Benjamin drew a clear distinction between the economic conditions of large, developed nations and the unique structure of Antigua and Barbuda’s economy. He noted that while a shortened work week may deliver positive results in advanced, diversified economies, that success cannot be replicated when the policy is transplanted without adjustment into smaller, developing contexts. “That four-day work week works in countries which are developed, diversified economies; those do not work in societies like ours,” Benjamin stated, adding that “these fanciful theoretical ideas that they’ve got, you can’t transplant that into Antigua and Barbuda.”

    The pushback from Benjamin comes as the four-day work week has emerged as one of the new policy topics being debated by candidates and voters across the country during this election cycle. Framing the debate around the four-day work week as a microcosm of a larger divide in this campaign, Benjamin positioned the proposal as an untested, imported idea that contrasts sharply with the incumbent government’s track record of proven, practical governance.

    Benjamin emphasized that all national policies must be tailored to Antigua and Barbuda’s specific economic challenges and structural idiosyncrasies, rather than being copied wholesale from other countries. Echoing a widely held principle of context-specific policy making, he argued, “We have our own special idiosyncrasies… we must cut the cloth to fit our bodies.” To back up his argument for a grounded approach to governing, he pointed to existing incumbent policies that have delivered tangible results for residents, including recent public sector wage increases and a portfolio of ongoing economic development initiatives moving forward across the country.

  • Anchor Concierge Seeks Retraction Over Claims Involving Principal Nicholas Line

    Anchor Concierge Seeks Retraction Over Claims Involving Principal Nicholas Line

    The leadership team at Anchor Concierge Super Yacht Services Ltd. has issued an official statement pushing back against and correcting false allegations shared publicly by Honorable Minister E. P. Chet Greene during a recent radio talk show segment.

    In the on-air discussion, Greene made two damaging and unsubstantiated insinuations about Nicholas Line, the founding principal of the super yacht services firm. First, he incorrectly claimed that Line backs an independent candidate running in the upcoming national election set for April 30, 2026. Second, he implied that Line’s purported support for the candidate is rooted in affiliation with a so-called “White Power” movement. Both claims are completely factually inaccurate, according to the company’s statement.

    The false narrative carries significant reputational risk, the firm notes: it has already created unnecessary confusion among Anchor Concierge’s mixed base of local and international clients, as well as its key partners across the global maritime industry. As a prominent stakeholder in the yachting and maritime sector, Line, his family, and his entire team hold uncompromising commitments to professional integrity and transparent public positioning. For this reason, the company says it is critical to push back against the blatant misrepresentation of Line’s political beliefs and affiliations.

    To address the damage already done to Line’s personal reputation and the standing of Anchor Concierge Super Yacht Services Ltd., the firm has formally requested that Minister Greene issue a full public retraction of the false claims, paired with a formal public apology. This action is necessary to mitigate long-term harm to the professional standing of both Line and the company.

    In closing, the leadership expressed gratitude for the ongoing trust and support extended by its clients and the general public in the lead-up to the April 2026 polls, as the company works to resolve this misinformation campaign.

  • Pirates hijack St. Kitts and Nevis flag bearing ship in Somalia – WIC News

    Pirates hijack St. Kitts and Nevis flag bearing ship in Somalia – WIC News

    In a development that has amplified growing international alarms over a resurgence of maritime piracy off the Horn of Africa, a group of armed pirates has seized control of the MV Sward, a cargo ship flying the flag of St. Kitts and Nevis, off the coast of Somalia. The hijacking marks the second such attack in less than a week in the region.

    According to initial operational updates from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the incident unfolded Sunday evening in waters near the coastal town of Garacad. The MV Sward, which was carrying a cargo of cement, was en route to the Kenyan port of Mombasa when it was overtaken by attackers. On board the detained vessel are 15 crew members: 13 Syrian nationals and two Indian citizens, whose current status remains unclear as operations to monitor the situation continue.

    As a common global shipping practice, the MV Sward is registered under St. Kitts and Nevis as a Flag of Convenience (FOC). This arrangement, standard across the commercial shipping industry, means the ship does not belong to the federation; instead, owners register vessels in foreign jurisdictions to access lower regulatory fees, looser tax requirements, and other administrative advantages.

    Security analysts with British maritime security firm Vanguard have confirmed that the hijacked vessel is now being navigated by the attackers deeper into offshore waters that have long been labeled a high-risk zone for pirate activity. A senior official with the Puntland Maritime Police Force, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that nine armed assailants boarded the vessel and secured full control of the ship and crew. “The ship is presently under the control of armed men,” the official stated, adding that Puntland security teams are actively monitoring the hijacking as it develops.

    Maritime authorities have not yet released details on how the attackers gained access to the MV Sward. However, historical patterns of piracy in the region show that similar operations typically involve heavily armed groups using small, high-speed speedboats to approach unsuspecting transiting vessels.

    This latest hijacking comes just six days after another seizure off Somalia’s coast. On April 21, a team of six gunmen took control of the Honour 25, a fuel tanker flying the flag of Palau, while it was transiting Somali waters. The tanker, which carried 17 crew members and a cargo of 18,500 barrels of crude oil, had departed from the semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland at the time of the attack, the BBC reported.

    In response to the escalating threat, UKMTO has issued an official public warning to all commercial vessels transiting the region. “Due to increased threat of possible pirate armed group activity, vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity as authorities continue to investigate,” the advisory, published as UKMTO WARNING 046-26, reads.

    The string of recent attacks has reignited long-standing international concerns over a full-scale resurgence of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia’s Indian Ocean coast. After reaching a peak between 2008 and 2018, coordinated international anti-piracy patrols drove a dramatic decline in attacks for years. But starting in late 2023, pirate activity began to climb again, leaving shipping companies and security officials scrambling to adjust security protocols for the world’s busiest east-west shipping lane.

  • KPB 2.0’ stands her ground

    KPB 2.0’ stands her ground

    On the eve of the first anniversary of her United National Congress (UNC) administration taking office, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar delivered a blunt, unapologetic warning to her political opponents and critics during an exclusive interview with local outlet the Express: “If you come for my eye, I will take your whole head.”

    April 28, 2026 marks exactly 12 months since the UNC secured victory in the 2025 general election, ending a decade-long tenure of the previous People’s National Movement (PNM) government that left the Caribbean nation with soaring crime and economic stagnation. Referred to by the UNC as “KPB 2.0”, this iteration of Persad-Bissessar’s leadership marks a sharp departure from the more conciliatory approach she adopted during her earlier time in office.

    In a wide-ranging 19-question interview, the 74-year-old prime minister outlined a new, hard-nosed governing philosophy rooted in data-driven decision-making and uncompromising action for law-abiding citizens. “My disposition is more stoic, hard-nosed and focused on helping those who help themselves,” she explained, rejecting calls for the passive “turn the other cheek” approach she embraced in past tenures. “I have no intention of trying to please everyone. My aim is to please the law-abiding people who go out every day and make an honest day’s work to positively contribute to society. It is either peace or total war, no in-between.”

    Addressing widespread criticism that her confrontational tone is unbefitting of a head of government and undermines national unity, Persad-Bissessar pushed back forcefully, arguing that repeated concessions to bad-faith critics only embolden hostility. She dismissed most criticism as the product of personal bias, political allegiance and irrational hatred, noting that she only accepts input from qualified, fair-minded analysts. She rejected the idea of unifying with opposition factions that she accuses of pushing exploitative policies that would steal from hardworking workers to reward their political base.

    Responding to questions about ongoing labor protests and fears of growing civil unrest amid worker dissatisfaction, the prime minister emphasized that legal protest is a protected right, but it will not shift her government’s policy priorities, which are rooted in what is best for the country as a whole. She pointed to her administration’s fulfillment of a key campaign promise: a 10% wage increase that has already been rolled out to more than 51,000 workers across the public service, national energy, and education sectors.

    On the international and regional front, Persad-Bissessar has upended long-standing Trinidad and Tobago diplomatic norms by openly breaking with traditional neutrality to align closely with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, while taking an unusually firm stance against long-standing operating procedures within the Caribbean Community (Caricom). When asked about the diplomatic shift, she explained that the U.S. administration’s conservative, pro-capitalist policy framework aligns with her own, and that she expects the alignment to deliver tangible benefits: increased foreign direct investment, accelerated economic growth, and improved regional security against transnational criminal networks. She pushed back against claims of regional isolation, confirming Trinidad and Tobago has no plans to leave Caricom, but declined to publicly outline future negotiating strategies for regional reform.

    Crime, long the most urgent domestic issue facing Trinidad and Tobago, has been a core focus of the Persad-Bissessar administration. The prime Minister expressed full confidence in her national security ministers Roger Alexander and Wayne Sturge, highlighting significant early gains: murders are down 42%, serious crimes have dropped 30%, and violent crime has fallen 32% from the previous administration’s highs. She defended the decision to implement two states of emergency, noting that while the measure is not a permanent solution to the country’s crime crisis, it is a valuable tactical tool. Persad-Bissessar also criticized the previous PNM government for delaying the measure until just before the 2025 election, using it as a political gimmick after more than 5,000 murders and 8,000 sexual assaults occurred on their watch. She declined to detail full future crime-fighting strategies, arguing that tipping off criminal organizations would undermine operational success.

    When asked to rate her government’s performance after one year, Persad-Bissessar said that judgment should be left to the voting public, but acknowledged that the administration has made significant progress cleaning up the mess left by 10 years of PNM rule. “We have been there for 12 [months] and the fixes cannot be made overnight,” she said. “I do think we are off to a good start: We employed 15,000 people and got murders down by 42%, stabilised the economy with growth in 2027 projected at 3%.” She pointed to progress on the legislative agenda, financial management and national security as the administration’s biggest early wins, and confirmed she has not received any corruption complaints against her cabinet, which she described as corruption-free.

    On questions of internal party governance, Persad-Bissessar said there is currently no leadership vacancy, and argued that political power must be earned rather than handed over. She added that the UNC membership will select the next party leader when the time comes, closing with another sharp warning to potential challengers: “if you come for my head, make sure you don’t miss!” She expressed full confidence that the UNC will win re-election in the 2030 general election.

    Addressing criticism that some UNC ministers engage in unprofessional, distasteful outbursts on social media, the prime minister said she does not micromanage ministers’ personal expression, and that freedom of speech is protected within the bounds of the law. She noted that voters will ultimately hold ministers accountable for their behavior at the ballot box.

    Looking ahead to the administration’s second year in office, Persad-Bissessar promised continued progress on job creation and economic expansion, alongside a ruthless crackdown on criminal networks and their associates that refuse to comply with the law. When asked about personal reflections on her 74th birthday, held earlier in April, she shared a quiet personal note: she mourns her late parents and loved ones, and urged all citizens to cherish their close family members. Closing with a sharp quip about persistent unsubstantiated rumors about her health circulating among opposition supporters, she joked that PNM fans seem to know more about her health than she does.