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  • Pintard rebukes Ingraham and insists he’s best person to lead FNM

    Pintard rebukes Ingraham and insists he’s best person to lead FNM

    Bahamas’ Free National Movement (FNM) leader Michael Pintard has publicly pushed back against former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, who recently made an unprecedented public call for the party to find a new electable leader, asserting firmly that he remains the best candidate to steer the opposition back to power.

    Pintard’s comments, delivered during an interview on Guardian Radio’s *Z Live with Zhivargo Laing*, came in direct response to Ingraham’s remarks at the FNM’s 34th anniversary celebration marking the party’s landmark 1992 general election victory. In that address, Ingraham argued the party urgently needed leadership that could inspire voter confidence instead of demanding forced loyalty, urging members to actively search for a candidate capable of winning the next election. He pointed to past FNM leaders Sir Kendal Isaacs and Cecil Whitfield as examples of respected figures who voluntarily stepped aside when they recognized they could not lead the party to victory.

    While Pintard emphasized that his respect for Ingraham, one of the FNM’s most successful past leaders, remains unaltered, he condemned the timing and setting of the intervention as deeply inappropriate. Pintard argued that if he had been in Ingraham’s position, he would never have raised divisive leadership questions at an event designed to celebrate the party’s collective achievements and legacy. He added that Ingraham had multiple private opportunities to share his concerns with the party, which still holds the former leader in high esteem, making the public rebuke unnecessary.

    Some FNM insiders have interpreted Ingraham’s comments as a clear rejection of Pintard’s leadership, coming after the FNM lost the most recent general election – leaving Pintard the first opposition leader in nearly 30 years to take the party into an election and emerge defeated. Pintard did not push back against the core premise that the FNM must have a leader capable of winning power, noting that regular internal party conventions are explicitly held to address that question. However, he argued that Ingraham’s public comments were misplaced at a moment when the Bahamian public is grappling with persistent national crises, including widespread rolling blackouts and growing concerns over government financial transparency.

    Pintard shared that he has already taken full accountability for the FNM’s election defeat, conducting an internal self-assessment that identified areas for personal improvement, including strengthening public communication and expanding his national profile across the country. While he says he accepts the broader advice that the party must evaluate its leadership’s electability, he made clear that he alone will make the final decision about his political future, rejecting external pressure to step aside.

    He has not yet announced whether he will seek to remain in the leadership role, explaining that he is waiting for the party’s formal post-election review process to conclude. That ongoing process includes a full examination of the leadership’s performance, as well as an analysis of how party missteps contributed to the election defeat. Even so, Pintard asserted that he still believes he is the best option to lead the FNM forward.

    Framing himself as a committed party loyalist who has repeatedly prioritized FNM interests over his own personal political advancement, Pintard recalled being drafted from his home base in East Grand Bahama to run twice for the Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador constituency against current Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis. He said he never complained about the challenging assignments, even when they risked damaging his political career, because he believed Ingraham was the best leader for the FNM at the time. He also highlighted his key role in organizing and running Dr Hubert Minnis’ successful 2017 general election campaign, further underscoring his longstanding commitment to the party’s success.

    Pintard described his leadership style as fundamentally democratic, noting that he has opened the door for diverse perspectives to shape the party’s policy and strategic direction. He acknowledged that he needs to invest more time in grassroots engagement to allow Bahamian voters to get to know him better, but pushed back against critics who have labeled him a lame duck leader following the election defeat.”I will make the determination of what I do next,” he said. “But while I am here, the hell with what The Tribune talking about or what the Guardian talking about in terms of lame duck and what’s not. My head is unbowed, save and except when I pray to God. I am a soldier for the Bahamian people.”

    He added: “I am more committed to the success of The Bahamas than I am to the FNM. I’m more committed to the FNM’s success than I am to my personal advancement. That’s the kind of person I am, and I’ve demonstrated it over time.”

    Speculation over a potential leadership contest has grown steadily since the FNM’s election defeat. Deputy leader Shanendon Cartwright, former Member of Parliament for St Barnabas, and East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson are both seen as likely potential contenders. Long Island MP Dr Andre Rollins has also attracted growing interest following a series of fiery, high-profile speeches in the House of Assembly. As of yet, none of the potential candidates have publicly announced a plan to challenge for the FNM leadership.

  • Dominican Republic launches initiative to mobilize US$100 million for blue economy

    Dominican Republic launches initiative to mobilize US$100 million for blue economy

    Against a backdrop of escalating climate pressures and growing demand for sustainable economic development across the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic has launched an ambitious new initiative designed to unlock $100 million in targeted investment for high-priority environmental and climate resilience projects. The program centers on restoring critical watersheds, advancing sustainable water management systems, expanding sanitation access, strengthening natural resilience to climate shocks, and protecting vulnerable marine and coastal ecosystems that underpin regional livelihoods.

    This cross-sector initiative is led by three key stakeholders: the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Superintendency of the Securities Market (SIMV), and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) through the specialized Bluecar platform. It was formally introduced at a high-profile stakeholder meeting titled “Blue Economy and Capital Market: Opportunities for Securities Issuers,” which received diplomatic and financial backing from the Government of South Korea.

    To lay the groundwork for investment, organizers have opened a public call for proposals through Bluecar, which aims to identify qualified capital market entities that can access GGGI technical support. This assistance will help participating institutions structure and issue blue bonds, a specialized sustainable finance instrument tied explicitly to marine and water-focused environmental projects.

    A broad range of projects qualify for funding under the initiative. Eligible work spans from watershed protection and ecosystem restoration to improved water and sanitation infrastructure, climate-resilient public and private development, circular economy innovations, sustainable coastal tourism, low-impact port operations, responsible fisheries management, and environmentally sound aquaculture development.

    Dominican Republic Environment Minister Paíno Henríquez emphasized that the core mission of the initiative is to bridge the gap between untapped global capital and on-the-ground projects that deliver measurable dual benefits: tangible environmental progress and inclusive long-term economic growth. Henríquez highlighted that safeguarding the region’s watersheds is not just an environmental priority, but a foundational requirement for national water security, as well as the stability of key economic sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism.

    The launch of this new initiative builds on the Dominican Republic’s growing track record of success in the global sustainable finance market. In June 2024, the country issued its first $750 million sovereign green bond, which saw overwhelming investor demand that reached six times the original offering size. Around $142.5 million of the proceeds from that bond have already been allocated to projects focused on efficient, climate-resilient water and wastewater management across the country.

    As an early milestone for the Bluecar initiative, two leading financial institutions — Banco BHD and Scotiabank — have already been selected to develop specialized thematic bond frameworks. Projects led by the two banks account for the first $10 million committed to the $100 million overall investment target, putting the initiative on solid footing to reach its fundraising goal.

    Looking beyond the Dominican Republic’s borders, the Bluecar initiative is designed to accelerate the development of a sustainable blue economy across the wider Caribbean, with a focused secondary focus on supporting progress in Saint Lucia. By aligning private capital with environmental action, the program aims to deliver simultaneous progress on climate adaptation, ecosystem conservation, and equitable, long-term sustainable economic growth across the region.

  • 911 and COE strengthen coordination to improve emergency response

    911 and COE strengthen coordination to improve emergency response

    In a scheduled working gathering held this Tuesday at the headquarters of the National Emergency and Security System 911 in Santo Domingo, the agency’s top leader welcomed the newly appointed head of the Dominican Republic’s Emergency Operations Center (COE).

    Colonel Randolfo Rijo Gómez, executive director of 911 and a member of the Dominican Army (ERD), hosted Colonel Erdwin Robert Olivares Luciano, who recently stepped into the role of COE director, for in-depth discussions on a range of priority topics shared by both organizations.

    During the closed-door working session, the two senior officials walked through existing operational frameworks and mapped out adjusted collaborative strategies designed to tighten coordination between the two leading Dominican emergency response bodies. The overarching objective of these adjustments is to boost the nation’s overall capacity to react quickly and effectively when emergencies and natural disasters strike.

    By the end of the meeting, both directors publicly reaffirmed their shared commitment to sustaining consistent, close institutional collaboration. They also agreed to move forward with a series of joint projects in the coming months, all centered on delivering faster, more reliable emergency assistance to Dominican residents across the country.

    This high-level meeting forms part of a broader, ongoing push across Dominican Republic’s public safety sector to strengthen inter-agency alignment for emergency management. The initiative aims to break down potential communication barriers and create a more integrated, comprehensive response system that can fully address all citizen needs during crisis events.

  • Dominican Republic strengthens position in MICE tourism at IBTM Americas 2026

    Dominican Republic strengthens position in MICE tourism at IBTM Americas 2026

    MEXICO CITY – The Dominican Republic has wrapped up its participation in IBTM Americas 2026, using the high-profile industry event to cement its rapidly expanding reputation as a top-tier global destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) tourism.

    Hosted in the Mexican capital on August 19 and 20, this year’s trade gathering drew a robust contingent from the Caribbean nation: more than 45 Dominican stakeholders across the tourism sector, ranging from boutique and large-scale hotels, coastal resorts, and inbound tour operators to destination management firms and specialized industry suppliers. Over the two-day event, the Dominican delegation arranged and held roughly 1,500 targeted business engagements with international buyers, professional event planners, and global tourism sector leaders who are actively seeking new MICE destination partnerships.

    The country’s showcase at IBTM Americas 2026 comes on the heels of consistent, robust expansion in its MICE tourism segment. Preliminary data for 2025 shows that nearly 330,000 non-resident travelers visited the Dominican Republic specifically to attend business meetings, incentive trips, industry conferences and other professional events, marking a steady upward trajectory for the niche. To support this growing demand, the nation currently boasts 117 hotels purpose-built with dedicated event facilities, offering flexible capacity to accommodate gatherings of all sizes, from small executive retreats to large-scale international conventions.

    Tammy Reynoso, Vice Minister of Tourism Development for the Dominican Republic, emphasized that the country’s long-term tourism strategy centers on strengthening and diversifying its offerings beyond traditional leisure travel. By prioritizing growth in the MICE segment, Reynoso noted, the nation can attract high-spending visitors, generate new cross-sector business opportunities, and highlight its world-class infrastructure, improved global connectivity, and one-of-a-kind tourism experiences that set it apart from competing destinations.

  • LGBT+ groups seek explicit protection against discrimination in new Penal Code

    LGBT+ groups seek explicit protection against discrimination in new Penal Code

    SANTO DOMINGO — A coalition of leading LGBT+ rights organizations in the Dominican Republic has launched a formal legal challenge before the country’s Constitutional Court, pushing to fix what they call a critical gap in the newly enacted national Penal Code. At the center of the dispute is Article 173, the statute that codifies penalties for discriminatory conduct across the country.

    The coalition presented its arguments during a public hearing for an unconstitutionality action filed against the current text of Article 173. Rights advocates emphasize that the provision outlines criminal penalties for discrimination rooted in a range of personal attributes — including sex, skin color, age, disability, nationality, religious belief and political affiliation — carrying sentences of two to three years of imprisonment alongside financial fines. Yet notably, the text fails to explicitly name sexual orientation as a protected ground against discriminatory acts.

    Organizations behind the legal action include Colesdom, Diversidad Dominicana, Amigos Siempre Amigos (ASA), Trans Siempre Amigas (Transsa), Casa Quisqueyana, Revasa, Proactividad and TEPA. Representatives of these groups stress that their lawsuit does not seek any special or exclusive rights for LGBT+ Dominican people. Instead, their core demand is targeted legal reform that would deliver clearer, more robust legal protections against bias and unfair treatment.

    Advocates warn that the current legislative omission creates dangerous legal ambiguity, opening the door for inconsistent, arbitrary interpretations of anti-discrimination law that could leave LGBT+ people without meaningful recourse when targeted for bias. They note that systemic discrimination against sexual and gender minority groups remains an ongoing, tangible crisis across the Dominican Republic, pointing to empirical evidence from the 2020 National LGBT+ Survey. That landmark study documented widespread vulnerabilities for LGBT+ people across every sector of public life, including routine exclusion from employment, unlawful denial of public and private services, pervasive bullying in educational and community spaces, high rates of family rejection, and systemic barriers to accessing equal justice under the law.

  • Dominican Republic approves new rules to regulate professional and recreational baseball

    Dominican Republic approves new rules to regulate professional and recreational baseball

    Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic’s executive branch has enacted landmark new regulations that will govern every layer of the nation’s beloved baseball ecosystem, from professional leagues and recreational amateur play to player development academies, youth programs and scouting networks across the country.

    Issued as Decree No. 601-26 and dated August 26, the new rulebook is crafted to advance three core goals: protecting all people involved in the sport, boosting transparency and ethical integrity across the industry, and expanding the government’s ability to oversee and regulate baseball operations. A dedicated decentralized body, the Directorate of the National Baseball Commissioner operating under the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, has been tapped to lead the implementation of the new framework.

    One of the most significant structural changes introduced by the regulations is the creation of a mandatory National Baseball System Registry. This centralized database will require formal registration and ongoing monitoring for every stakeholder across the sport, including leagues, club teams, active players, training academies, player agencies, player representatives, coaches, umpires, scouts and other industry participants. The rules also lay out clear mandatory requirements for professional player contracts, player transfers between teams or leagues, and official team and league registration, while formalizing stronger protections for informed consent and players’ contractual rights.

    For the country’s large recreational baseball sector, the regulations update standards for player and team registration, event organization, official certification for coaches and umpires, public and private facility safety, and mandatory liability insurance coverage. The new framework also formalizes commitments to expanding grassroots athlete development programs and strengthening coordination between recreational bodies and the Dominican Baseball Federation.

    A central priority of the new regulatory regime is safeguarding young athletes and emerging professional prospects. All player development academies operating in the country are now required to meet strict national standards covering on-site safety, physical and mental health support, nutritional access, housing quality, transportation, adult supervision, and comprehensive medical care. Additional targeted protections for minor athletes explicitly prohibit abuse, exploitation, harassment, discrimination, neglect and deceptive recruiting practices, while mandating that baseball training and activities cannot disrupt young athletes’ compulsory education, physical health, necessary rest, or holistic personal development.

    The regulations also address longstanding systemic challenges in the sport, including performance-enhancing doping, conflicts of interest among industry officials, and competition manipulation. Authorized regulatory bodies will gain broad new authority to conduct unannounced inspections of facilities, investigate formal complaints from athletes or stakeholders, and impose corrective or preventive actions when serious risks to athletes’ health, safety or legal rights are confirmed. All enforcement actions will be required to follow established due process standards and preserve the right of affected parties to mount a formal defense.

    Finally, the framework establishes clear protocols for cross-institutional coordination, mandatory annual statistical reporting, and formal alternative dispute-resolution mechanisms, including binding conciliation, mediation and arbitration for industry conflicts. The new regulations will go into full legal effect immediately following their official publication in the Dominican Republic’s Official Gazette.

  • Abinader backs new telecom competitors to improve services and lower prices

    Abinader backs new telecom competitors to improve services and lower prices

    Santo Domingo — Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has doubled down on his administration’s pledge to inject greater competition into the country’s telecommunications sector, arguing that new market entrants will drive up service standards and cut consumer costs amid a decades-old concentrated market structure.

    In remarks delivered during a public press briefing, Abinader specifically addressed the upcoming entry of a new Vietnamese-owned telecommunications provider, framing the move as a core part of his government’s broader economic agenda. That agenda centers on dismantling entrenched oligopolistic and monopolistic control across key domestic industries by opening closed markets to new domestic and international competitors, the president explained.

    Current market dynamics leave the Dominican telecommunications sector heavily concentrated, Abinader revealed: roughly 95% of the entire market is controlled by just two dominant incumbent operators. As a direct result of this limited competition, local consumer telecommunications rates sit roughly 22% above the regional average for Latin America, he added. The president contended that expanded competition will force existing and new operators alike to ramp up investment in modern network technology, upgrade customer service offerings, and align pricing with more competitive regional benchmarks.

    While the administration prioritizes supporting domestic Dominican investment, Abinader clarified that the country actively welcomes responsible investment from foreign firms based in allied nations, so long as those entities do not pose any identifiable threat to Dominican national security.

    Speaking specifically to the incoming Vietnamese investment, Abinader noted that Vietnam maintains a strategic alliance with the United States, and emphasized that any telecommunications firm seeking to operate in the Dominican Republic is required to adhere strictly to international information security standards and regulatory safeguards. The president closed by reaffirming that the administration’s overarching goals are to foster fair, open competition across the sector, upgrade the quality of telecommunications services available to the public, and deliver tangible, long-term price reductions for all Dominican consumers.

  • Panama, El Salvador Declare Emergency Over El Niño Drought as Central America Braces for Crisis

    Panama, El Salvador Declare Emergency Over El Niño Drought as Central America Braces for Crisis

    As an unprecedentedly intense El Niño event drives a crippling regional drought, three Central American countries have formally declared national emergencies, triggering urgent preparations for a humanitarian and economic crisis that experts warn could extend well into 2027.

    On August 26, 2026, Panama joined Honduras and El Salvador in activating emergency protocols to respond to the drought, which has already forced dramatic cuts to shipping traffic through the critical Panama Canal and destroyed thousands of hectares of staple crops across the isthmus. Panama’s Interior Minister Dinoska Montalvo confirmed that the emergency declaration will unlock rapid-response resources for government agencies, allowing them to pre-position supplies, adjust water management systems, and support agricultural communities whose harvests have already been severely damaged by the lack of rainfall.

    Hours after Panama’s announcement, El Salvador’s civil protection authority declared a nationwide state of maximum red alert for both meteorological and agricultural drought, activating expanded real-time monitoring networks and mobilizing aid teams to reach vulnerable communities already facing water and crop shortages. The Salvadoran agriculture ministry has already rolled out emergency food assistance programs for rural households that rely on rain-fed farming, as unseasonably dry conditions have wiped out nearly a third of the country’s seasonal staple crops.

    El Niño, a cyclical climate pattern defined by elevated surface temperatures across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, alters global wind and precipitation cycles to produce extreme weather events around the world. While the phenomenon occurs on a two-to-seven-year cycle, the 2026 event is on track to rank among the most intense recorded in modern history, and is already a key driver behind forecasts that 2026 will be the hottest global year on record.

    Much of the affected region falls within the Central American Dry Corridor, an arid zone stretching across Honduras, Nicaragua and parts of El Salvador and Panama that has long been identified as one of the most climate-vulnerable regions in the Western Hemisphere. Honduras, the first country to declare an emergency, has placed 80 percent of its national territory on drought alert, while the Panama Canal has already been forced to cut daily transits by more than 30 percent due to critically low reservoir levels, creating a backlog that has rippled through global supply chains.

    As the crisis deepens, experts are sounding the alarm for neighboring Belize, which has yet to declare a formal emergency but is already facing early signs of severe drought. Climatologist Dr. Cedric Van Meerbeeck, a researcher at the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, warned that the full impact of the El Niño event will not be felt until the region’s regular dry season begins. With already below-average rainfall leaving reservoirs and soil moisture at depleted levels heading into the dry months, the impact of the drought is expected to compound over time. Northwest Belize has already been flagged as a drought hotspot through September 2026, and Van Meerbeeck noted that small-scale farmers without access to irrigation or adaptive measures such as mulching could face reduced yields well into 2027, prolonging regional food insecurity risks.

  • Cooks Sanitary Landfill Smoldering Expected to Ease by Weekend, NSWMA Says

    Cooks Sanitary Landfill Smoldering Expected to Ease by Weekend, NSWMA Says

    Jamaica’s National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has released an updated public advisory addressing the ongoing smoldering event at Cooks Sanitary Landfill, a follow-up to its initial public notice issued one day prior. As of the latest update, the intensity of underground smoldering at the waste site remains at a moderate level, according to on-site monitoring data collected by the authority.

    Crews have been working continuously around the clock to contain and extinguish the smoldering, and NSWMA officials report that operational progress is on track to deliver measurable improvements. Based on current response efforts, the agency projects that smoldering activity will drop significantly by the end of the current week, with the explicit goal of fully extinguishing the event by this weekend.

    In the interim, the NSWMA is urging local residents and other community members to remain alert and continue following recommended safety precautions to limit exposure to potential hazards. Smoldering waste produces harmful smoke, fine ash, and airborne particulate matter that can pose respiratory risks, particularly for vulnerable groups.

    The authority outlined four key safety guidelines for the public: First, residents in affected areas should cut back on non-essential outdoor activities to reduce time spent near polluted air. Second, all people should avoid direct prolonged exposure to smoke, ash, and floating debris from the smoldering. Third, children, older adults, and anyone with pre-existing respiratory conditions or sensitivities should remain indoors as much as possible while the smoldering continues. Fourth, drivers passing through nearby areas should exercise extra caution, as drifting smoke can lower road visibility and create dangerous driving conditions.

    For any personnel or authorized visitors that must enter the landfill site itself, the NSWMA added additional guidance: all people on-site are required to wear properly fitted protective masks and adhere to all established safety protocols during their time within the facility.

    NSWMA says it will maintain continuous round-the-clock monitoring of smoldering conditions at the landfill, and will release additional public updates as new information becomes available or conditions change. The agency closed its advisory by thanking the local public for its ongoing patience, cooperation, and understanding as response crews work to fully resolve the incident.

  • Nevis Geothermal Project Reaches Final Pre-Mobilisation Milestone as Drill Rig Inspected in Iceland

    Nevis Geothermal Project Reaches Final Pre-Mobilisation Milestone as Drill Rig Inspected in Iceland

    One of the Caribbean’s most anticipated clean energy development projects has reached a pivotal turning point, as the Nevis Geothermal Project wraps up the final major pre-mobilization milestone: a full independent inspection of its custom drilling rig taking place at an Icelandic facility.

    The update was shared by Nevis Premier and Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Energy Minister Mark Brantley during his monthly press briefing on August 25, one day ahead of the official project announcement. Brantley confirmed that the rig inspection, being held from August 24 to 28 at the Iceland Drilling Company’s operations site, is the last required step before the heavy equipment can be shipped to the Caribbean island.

    “The final pre-condition for mobilization of the drill rig to Nevis is an inspection of that drill rig, and that inspection is currently underway in Iceland,” Brantley told reporters.

    The third-party assessment is being carried out by Scotia Drilling Consultants, a United Kingdom-based firm with specialized expertise in drilling rig safety and performance verification. Inspectors are conducting thorough reviews of the Drillmec HH-300 “Týr” rig’s structural integrity, mechanical systems, operational functionality, and core safety protocols. To oversee the inspection process and coordinate with international geothermal and engineering specialists, Nevis Electricity Company Limited (NEVLEC) General Manager Nelson Ald Stapleton and Project Coordinator Naftalie Errar have traveled to Iceland to be on-site for the assessment.

    Once the inspection is completed and passed, Brantley noted, all preliminary requirements will be fulfilled to advance the project to its next critical phase: transporting the 272-metric-tonne drilling rig to Nevis. The massive rig is slated to drill five exploratory and production geothermal wells at the project’s Hamilton site, located on Nevis’ northern coast.

    While international teams wrap up the rig inspection in Iceland, on-the-ground preparations have already begun at the Hamilton site in Nevis to welcome the equipment and prepare for drilling to start. Brantley confirmed that soil testing and pre-construction technical assessments launched the same week as the inspection, laying the groundwork for the well pad — the reinforced concrete foundation that will support the heavy drill rig during operations. Civil construction work for the well pad will be completed by Icelandic engineering firm COWI, with project supervision provided by Iceland Drilling, Brantley added.

    The development of the geothermal wells is the core component of the broader Nevis Geothermal Project, a long-planned initiative designed to unlock Nevis’ abundant underground geothermal reserves for utility-scale electricity generation. The end goal is the construction of a 30-megawatt geothermal power plant that will produce zero-emission, renewable baseload electricity for the entire Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. Once operational, the plant is expected to drastically cut the country’s reliance on costly, carbon-intensive imported fossil fuels, while significantly strengthening the nation’s long-term energy security.

    The project is led by the NIA, with NEVLEC acting as the main executing agency, and receives full backing from the Federal Government of St. Kitts and Nevis. Brantley disclosed that the NIA has already disbursed approximately US$6 million to Iceland Drilling to keep project preparations moving forward on schedule.

    Beyond benefiting St. Kitts and Nevis, Brantley highlighted that the project has drawn growing interest from neighboring Caribbean nations, signaling its potential to reshape regional clean energy access. He confirmed that the leader of Sint Maarten will visit Nevis in the coming weeks to hold discussions about the island’s geothermal development, including the possibility of Sint Maarten importing carbon-free electricity generated from Nevis’ geothermal resources in the future.

    Brantley closed his briefing by expressing gratitude to all stakeholders involved in advancing the project, specifically recognizing NEVLEC, Stapleton, and Scotia Drilling Consultants for their work and technical expertise during the inspection phase. He also reaffirmed the critical role of the partnership between the NIA and the federal government in moving the project toward full commercial operation, extending public thanks to Prime Minister Terrance Drew for his continued collaboration.

    “I never speak about this project without referencing the participation of the Federal Government and to say again my gratitude to Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew for his partnership on seeking to bring this particular project to commercialization for the benefit of all the people of St. Kitts and Nevis,” Brantley said.