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  • Autopsy reveals girl, 14, beaten and strangled

    Autopsy reveals girl, 14, beaten and strangled

    A Trinidadian community has been shaken by the tragic death of 14-year-old Andrea Francis, a young teenager with dreams of becoming a hairdresser, whose death was initially ruled a suspected suicide before an autopsy uncovered she was killed via blunt force trauma and strangulation. The teen’s father, Andy Francis, has spoken out publicly to express his horror at the official findings and deny any involvement in his daughter’s death, while authorities confirm the homicide investigation remains ongoing with no suspects detained to date.

    Andrea’s story unfolded against a backdrop of joyful excitement: the 14-year-old had recently sat her Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exams in May 2026, and just two days before her body was discovered on July 4, she received results confirming she had earned a spot at her top-choice institution, Cunupia Secondary School. Described by her father as a friendly, jolly teen who loved singing and dancing, Andrea had been thrilled by her acceptance and was already looking forward to starting the new school term. She had also grieved deeply for her mother, who passed away from medical complications in Guyana just nine months earlier in October 2025.

    On the night of July 3, Andrea went to bed around 9 p.m. in her family’s home at Phyllis Lane Extension, Enterprise, sharing a room with her older sister Arielle, who slept in a separate bed. The following morning at approximately 10:30 a.m., Arielle found Andrea unresponsive in her bed. Initial police assessments did not find visible marks of violence or any suspicious signs on the teen’s body or in her bedroom, leading to early assumptions that her death was a suicide. Andy Francis told local reporters in the days after her death that Andrea had been her usual happy, normal self in her final days, with no indication anything was wrong.

    A formal autopsy was conducted by pathologist Dr. Hubert Daisley on the Friday following Andrea’s death. The examination revealed the true cause of death: a combination of manual strangulation, blunt force trauma to the skull and right eye, and aspiration pneumonitis, confirming Andrea was murdered. In a striking twist, Andy Francis told the *Sunday Express* he learned of the homicide finding not from police or medical officials, but from a random social media post he saw while scrolling at around 11:30 a.m. that same day.

    Francis told reporters that authorities never officially shared the autopsy results or cause of death with him directly. He explained that he visited the San Fernando General Hospital, where the procedure was scheduled, three times that week—on the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday following his daughter’s death. On the day of the autopsy, he told reporters he waited at the hospital until after 3 p.m., when officials only told him the procedure was complete, no cause of death had been determined, and police would continue the investigation. He also pushed back hard against any insinuation of his involvement, saying, “To tell you the truth, I never beat my daughter or anything. The night before, no other time. Look my next daughter here. I have witness in the place here. Nobody never beat her Andrea Francis.”

    To date, Francis says the only contact he has had from investigators is a single phone call from an officer who came to the neighborhood to collect security camera footage from nearby homes, with no formal discussion of the case or notification that he is considered a suspect. Still, Francis acknowledged that the lack of communication from authorities leads him to believe he is being treated as a person of interest: “Well, it looking so to me ’cause nobody ain’t really talking to me. They just doing their thing.”

    Reached for comment by the *Express*, a senior homicide official confirmed that no arrests have been made in the case as of the latest updates. The official added that the investigation is active and that detectives are continuing to pursue all leads to identify and apprehend the person responsible for Andrea’s death.

  • PNM fights back

    PNM fights back

    A high-stakes legal conflict has broken out in Trinidad and Tobago, centered on the funding of the People’s National Movement’s (PNM) new party headquarters, Balisier House, located in Port of Spain’s Tranquillity Street. The clash began after High Court Judge Margaret Mohammed granted a court order on Friday that compels the PNM to disclose the sources of funding behind the multimillion-dollar construction project, a move the ruling political party has decried as a politically motivated attack.

    The court order stems from an ongoing investigation by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS). In July 2026, Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro appointed acting Assistant Commissioner Ramdath Phillip to lead the probe, and subsequently authorized Phillip to file an application for a Preliminary Unexplained Wealth Order (PUWO) under the 2019 Civil Asset Recovery and Management and Unexplained Wealth Act, Section 58(1). The application names PNM trustees as the first respondent and the PNM, represented by its general secretary, as the second. The Commissioner of Police is represented by a high-profile legal team including King’s Counsel Anthony Peto and junior counsel Thomas Cleaver of London’s Blackstone Chambers, with local attorney Dayadai Harripaul acting as instructing counsel.

    In an affidavit supporting the application, Phillip referenced a report from UK-based international consultants Berkeley Research Group (UK) Ltd, commissioned by the Office of the Attorney General. The report estimates the total completed construction cost of Balisier House will reach roughly TT$118.4 million, with around TT$73.272 million of work already finished. Phillip stated that investigators have not been able to identify any legitimate source of PNM income large enough to fund a project of this scale, prompting the request for the court order.

    Responding to the public revelation of the court order, PNM chairman Marvin Gonzales issued a scathing three-page media statement announcing that the party has assembled its own full legal team to challenge the order, and will pursue every available legal remedy to protect the party and its members. As of the statement’s release, Gonzales confirmed the PNM had not received official correspondence or formal service of the High Court order from any state body, in line with court rules that give police seven days from the order’s granting to complete service.

    Gonzales rejected the claims laid out in the police application, dismissing the cost estimates as “grossly exaggerated” and denying any wrongdoing in the project’s funding. He explained that the PNM has owned the land and original Balisier House structure for more than 65 years, and the current redevelopment was never conducted or funded in secret. For over 15 years, Gonzales said, the party has raised funds for the project through open, legal means: official party events, public fundraising appeals, and voluntary donations from thousands of party members, supporters, and backers who view the headquarters as a key democratic institution for Trinidad and Tobago.

    The PNM chairman framed the entire investigation as the latest step in a coordinated smear campaign orchestrated by the incumbent ruling United National Congress (UNC). He claimed the effort first began with unsubstantiated public attacks, then escalated when UNC lawmakers abused parliamentary privilege to make unproven allegations under legislative immunity. Gonzales accused the TTPS of cooperating with a political witch hunt, noting that it was the PNM that originally introduced campaign finance reform legislation in Trinidad and Tobago – a bill the UNC refused to support.

    “Today, the very same political party that rejected campaign finance reform and has been at the centre of well-documented corruption, political kickback and bid-rigging scandals now seeks to cast suspicion on the lawful fundraising activities of the People’s National Movement,” Gonzales said. He accused the UNC government of prioritizing partisan attacks over pressing national issues including economic stagnation, rising crime, unemployment, and gaps in healthcare and education, arguing the administration is weaponizing state institutions to target its main political opposition.

    Gonzales warned that the case fits a growing, dangerous pattern of state-sponsored political intimidation over the UNC’s 14 months in office. He claimed the ruling party has increasingly sought to silence political dissent, using state bodies to collect personal information on opposition figures that could be misused for partisan gain. He called the misuse of state power a threat to all Trinidad and Tobago citizens, regardless of political affiliation, and reaffirmed the PNM’s commitment to defending not only its own legacy but the constitutional democratic rights of all citizens.

    In closing, Gonzales expressed confidence in the eventual outcome of the legal battle: “We remain confident that truth will prevail over propaganda, justice will prevail over political persecution and democracy will prevail over tyranny.”

  • China evacueert meer dan 1,7 miljoen terwijl tyfoon Bavi landt en regio teistert

    China evacueert meer dan 1,7 miljoen terwijl tyfoon Bavi landt en regio teistert

    East Asia is grappling with widespread damage and displacement after powerful Typhoon Bavi made its way across the region, leaving dozens dead, missing and millions displaced over recent days. The storm first carved a path through the Philippines before brushing northern Taiwan, slamming into eastern China, and triggering emergency responses across multiple countries and territories.

    By Saturday, Chinese authorities had evacuated more than 1.7 million people ahead of Bavi’s expected landfall in the coastal province of Zhejiang, where the storm eventually came ashore on July 12 in the city of Yuhuan, packing maximum sustained wind speeds of up to 144 kilometers per hour near its center. In the days leading up to landfall, forecasters captured dramatic imagery of massive waves crashing into Wenling’s coastline on July 10, offering a stark preview of the storm’s impending force. After moving past northern Taiwan on Saturday evening, Bavi tracked northwest inland, bringing with it the threat of catastrophic flooding and wind damage.

    Massive pre-emptive safety measures were rolled out across eastern China to mitigate risk. Beyond Zhejiang, surrounding regions including Fujian Province and the major metropolis of Shanghai also activated emergency protocols. Around 34,000 Shanghai residents living in high-risk coastal and flood-prone areas were relocated, while more than 17,000 trained rescue workers were placed on standby across Fujian. The China National Meteorological Center issued an orange typhoon alert — the second-highest warning level in the country’s alert system — and rolled out the first red heavy rain warning of 2026, signaling extreme flood danger.

    Transportation across the region came to a near-standstill as hundreds of commercial flights were canceled and sections of China’s high-speed rail network suspended operations to protect passenger safety. To support emergency response and recovery, China’s central government has allocated 40 million yuan, equivalent to roughly $5.9 million USD, for disaster relief and response efforts in Zhejiang and Fujian. Hundreds of schools and ferry services across both provinces were also shuttered to keep residents out of harm’s way. Bavi marks the second major typhoon to impact China in just over a week, following Tropical Storm Maysak that made landfall in southern China on July 3.

    The storm’s deadliest impact so far has been recorded in the Philippines, where Bavi amplified seasonal monsoon rains to trigger catastrophic landslides across the country’s southern regions. Official reports confirm at least 17 deaths: 10 people were killed in a single landslide that hit a village in Malapatan, Sarangani Province, with three more still listed as missing. A separate landslide in Calanogas, Lanao del Sur, killed five people and left six others unaccounted for, while two additional people drowned in flash floods in Bukidnon Province. More than 11,000 displaced residents have taken shelter in 77 emergency evacuation centers across the southern Philippines.

    Taiwan also bore the brunt of Bavi’s force, as the storm brought torrential rain and fierce wind to the island. By Saturday evening, local health authorities had recorded at least 113 injuries, most linked to slippery road conditions and motorcycle accidents. Over 14,200 people were evacuated from high-risk areas, including communities in the eastern county of Hualien and the central city of Taichung. Schools and government offices across most of the island remained closed during the storm’s passage.

    Further north, Japanese authorities issued urgent warnings for the country’s southern island chain, centered on Okinawa Prefecture. Officials warned residents to prepare for extreme high waves, powerful gusts, and storm surges, as the storm forced the cancellation of more than 200 domestic and international flights. Islands including Ishigaki have already recorded heavy rainfall and sustained strong winds as Bavi passes through the region.

  • Derde helft WK 2026: Argentinië na ‘reddingsboei’ Embolo, naar halve finales

    Derde helft WK 2026: Argentinië na ‘reddingsboei’ Embolo, naar halve finales

    Reigning world champions Argentina have kept their title defense campaign on track with a convincing 3-1 extra-time victory over a resilient Swiss side at Kansas City Stadium, booking their place in the tournament’s semi-finals where they will face England. Led by star talisman Lionel Messi – who has already notched eight goals throughout this edition of the competition – Lionel Scaloni’s side executed a disciplined, clinical performance to end Switzerland’s historic run at the event.

    Switzerland, who had never advanced beyond the quarter-final stage in the tournament’s history, got off to a bright start, pressing Argentina deep into their own half in the opening exchanges. Once the defending champions managed to push out of their defensive third, however, they carved out clear scoring chances almost immediately. In the 10th minute, Messi delivered a pinpoint corner onto the head of Alexis Mac Allister, who nodded the ball past Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel to open the scoring for Argentina.

    Switzerland’s first attempt on goal came 10 minutes later from Djibril Sow, but his tame effort failed to trouble Argentine keeper Emiliano Martínez. After Mac Allister’s opener, the tempo of the match dropped considerably. Argentina dropped deep to defend their narrow lead, with players going down dramatically under minimal contact to win free kicks and break up Swiss momentum, a tactic that earned consistent favor from the match referee. Switzerland threw everything forward to find an equalizer, but repeatedly ran into a packed Argentine penalty area. Lacking pace and penetration in their attacking build-up, they could not break through the organized defense before half time, leaving the score 1-0 at the break.

    The pattern of play remained unchanged after the restart: Switzerland dominated possession in the opposing half, while Argentina sat back and hit on the break when opportunities arose. In the 50th minute, Dan Ndoye missed a golden opportunity to draw Switzerland level, failing to convert a perfectly weighted through ball from Breel Embolo past Emiliano Martínez. A full hour into the match, Embolo saw his headed effort comfortably saved by the Argentine keeper, and 15 minutes later, Ndoye came close again only to be denied by a sharp save from Martínez. A minute after that, Martínez was called into action once more to block a long-range effort from Granit Xhaka, but Switzerland finally found their equalizer in the 67th minute: Ndoye tucked a diagonal finish into the net from a Ricardo Rodríguez assist, leveling the score at 1-1.

    With Switzerland gaining full momentum, a controversial moment turned the tide of the match in the 70th minute. Embolo attempted to draw a yellow card for an Argentine opponent by going down easily under contact, but VAR used the new tournament rule covering “mistaken identity” to issue Embolo a second yellow card, sending him off and giving Argentina a numerical advantage that the defending champions quickly capitalized on.

    In stoppage time at the end of regular play, Messi tried to finish the match with a spectacular long-range strike, but his effort drifted just wide of the post. Shortly before the final whistle, Lisandro Martínez also saw a spectacular bicycle kick attempt go off target, forcing the match into extra time.

    Argentinia pushed for a quick winning goal in extra time, but the Swiss defense held firm in the early stages. Substitute Thiago Almada came inches away from scoring in the 95th minute, when his shot fizzed just past the post. Messi also forced a free kick in a dangerous area, but the Swiss defensive wall blocked his effort. The decisive goal finally came in the 112th minute, when Julián Álvarez fired a spectacular long-range strike past Kobel to put Argentina ahead 2-1. After Xhaka gave away possession late in the second half of extra time, another substitute, Lautaro Martínez, scored to confirm the 3-1 final score, sealing Argentina’s place in the semi-finals alongside England.

  • APNU proposes Integrity Act amendment to allow for disclosure of asset declarations

    APNU proposes Integrity Act amendment to allow for disclosure of asset declarations

    As public debate continues to swirl around President Irfaan Ali’s technology-focused agricultural project along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, Guyana’s main opposition bloc A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has tabled a legislative proposal to amend the country’s Integrity Act, mandating public release of asset declaration summaries for the President, cabinet ministers and other senior public officials.

    In a formal letter submitted to Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs alongside the draft bill, APNU parliamentary leader Dr. Terrence Campbell outlined that the proposed reform is designed to reinforce transparency, accountability and public trust in government. The amendment would require the Integrity Commission to publish summaries of statutory asset declarations held by top elected and executive officeholders, while retaining confidentiality for sensitive information that does not require public disclosure. Under the plan, these summaries would be officially circulated via the country’s Official Gazette.

    Campbell argued that any lawmaker or political party that rejects the broad framework of the bill would send a clear signal they have something to conceal from the Guyanese public. “I want the public to know that anybody who does not support this generally — there might be some changes that they may require — but anybody in Parliament, any parliamentarian, any party that does not support this, has something to hide,” Campbell stated in a public address accompanying the bill.

    Drawing on a regional precedent, Campbell noted that Jamaica’s Integrity Commission already publishes asset declaration summaries for the country’s Prime Minister and Opposition Leader, and proposed extending the same level of transparency to a broad range of senior positions across Guyana’s public sector. The bill would require public summaries for positions including parliamentary secretaries, permanent secretaries, the commissioners of Land Surveys, Geology and Mines, and Forestry, the Commissioner of Police, Deputy Commissioner of Police, chairs and managing directors of state agencies and state-owned corporations, as well as municipal mayors and deputy mayors.

    If the National Assembly declines to convene to debate the proposed amendment, Campbell has called on President Ali and leaders of all parliamentary parties to set an immediate example by voluntarily publishing their full 2025 asset declarations. The opposition leader also offered to lead by example, confirming he would release his own complete asset declaration first thing Monday morning if a cross-party agreement to do so is reached.

    The legislative push comes amid ongoing public uncertainty over the size and financing of President Ali’s Long Creek farm project. Campbell acknowledged that he had prior knowledge of the President’s agricultural venture, but had no idea it spanned as much as 150 acres — a figure first claimed by Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed. President Ali has only stated the holding is smaller than 75 acres, refusing to release an exact acreage, and no independent, documented verification of the property’s size has been made public to date.

    President Ali has thus far rejected calls to release public financial records for his business, which includes poultry and livestock operations. He has maintained that he funded the farm through commercial bank lending, that all required asset disclosures have been submitted to the Integrity Commission, and that he has never used his presidential authority to secure improper favors or preferential treatment for the venture. Campbell also confirmed that he has no knowledge of the Integrity Commission launching a formal investigation into the assets submitted by senior officeholders to date.

  • Zapping Haiti of July 12, 2026

    Zapping Haiti of July 12, 2026

    On July 12, 2026, multiple updates across sports, diplomacy, politics, culture, social welfare and infrastructure have emerged from Haiti, covering a range of key developments for the Caribbean nation.

    In international basketball competition, Haiti’s men’s national team has marked a historic milestone in the FIBA AmeriCup 2029 Caribbean Pre-Qualifiers. Playing in Group B, the squad secured a dominant 100-66 victory over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, marking their second win of the qualifying campaign. This result propelled Haiti from fourth place in the group standings following an earlier match against Grenada up to second position, behind current group leaders Barbados. Haiti’s final group stage match is scheduled for later this same day, July 12, 2026, kicking off at 3:00 PM local time against the Cayman Islands.

    In diplomatic news, Haiti’s ambassador to the Bahamas, Dern Jovens Bonhomme, extended official greetings to the Bahamian people to mark the 53rd anniversary of the country’s independence, which was celebrated on July 10. On behalf of the Haitian government and public, Bonhomme conveyed sincere wishes for lasting peace, shared prosperity, ongoing progress and continued success for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. “Happy 53rd Independence Day to the people of The Bahamas, the Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, and all our Bahamian brothers and sisters,” the message read.

    In political and security developments, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will dispatch a high-level delegation to Haiti at the end of this month, following an official invitation from Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé. The delegation will conduct an on-the-ground assessment of the complex security crisis Haiti currently faces, driven by widespread violence from armed criminal groups. During the visit, the prime Minister noted the delegation will also get a first-hand look at progress made in the country’s ongoing electoral process and national efforts to crack down on widespread insecurity.

    On the cultural front, beloved Haitian comedian and writer Joseph-Jacques Alexandre Ducasse, widely known by his stage name “Sejoe”, is currently on a performance tour across France. Haiti’s Consulate General in Paris welcomed the artist during his tour stop on July 11 and 12, 2026. Jean Jocelyn Petit, head of the consular mission, highlighted the significant cultural impact of the tour for Haiti’s diaspora community and Haitian citizens residing in France, and reaffirmed the consulate’s ongoing support for Haitian creative talent that represents the country with pride on the international stage.

    In social welfare improvements for the country’s prison system, Haiti’s Bureau of Human Rights (BDHH) recently completed a distribution of 250 new mattresses to incarcerated people at two prisons in the southern cities of Cayes and Jérémie. The handover was attended by the regional deputy director of Haiti’s national penitentiary administration and the government commissioner for the Court of First Instance of Cayes.

    Finally, in environmental infrastructure progress, local Haitian officials and project partners joined an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) mission to northern Haiti to inspect the construction site of the new Mouchinette Integrated Solid Waste Management Center. The on-site visit allowed the delegation to review the current pace of construction, align all stakeholders on a shared vision for modern, sustainable waste management, and renew collective commitments to improving local environmental conditions. The $20 million facility, the first of its kind in Haiti, is being built by a Dominican construction firm with specialized expertise in solid waste management, and the full project cost is financed by the IDB.

  • President wil grond alleen nog uitgeven voor concreet doel

    President wil grond alleen nog uitgeven voor concreet doel

    On July 12, during a ceremony in Nickerie where 180 local residents received official land ownership documents, Suriname President Jennifer Simons announced sweeping plans to overhaul the country’s long-troubled land distribution policy, aiming to root out systemic inequities and unlock stalled national development.

    Joined by senior government officials including Minister of Land Policy and Forest Management Stanley Soeropawiro, National Assembly Chairman Ashwin Adhin, and Nickerie District Commissioner Nisha Kurban, Simons outlined that the administration is drafting new legislation to codify the far-reaching changes.

    For decades, Suriname’s land policy has been mired in dysfunction and unfair practices, Simons said. All state land is inherently held as a public resource, designed to enable all Surinamese citizens to build homes, pursue livelihoods, and grow economically—not to hoard large unused tracts for a small privileged group. “Suriname has more than enough land for every citizen to build a life,” she emphasized. “But it cannot accommodate a tiny number of people holding hundreds of thousands of hectares without putting that land to any productive use.”

    Under the proposed reforms, all future state land allocations will be tied to explicit, specific use cases, replacing the vague general designations currently in place. Instead of broadly labeling allocated land as “for housing or construction,” new permits will define exact purposes such as residential housing, small-scale horticulture, public social services, or commercial activity. Every allocation will require a concrete development plan that must be implemented in practice.

    Simons stressed that unplanned, unregulated land use can no longer be tolerated: orderly development requires clear blueprints for where communities will grow and how regions will evolve. Beyond tighter use requirements, the reform will also streamline bureaucratic bottlenecks that have forced citizens to wait years for ministerial approval to transfer or renew land leases. Moving forward, these routine processes will be handled directly by notaries and the State Domain Service, cutting out unnecessary delays tied to ministerial sign-off.

    Another key change will eliminate a controversial long-standing rule that allows 40-year land leases to expire even when a permanent home has been built on the property. Simons noted the rule has been widely abused in the past, putting vulnerable homeowners at risk of losing their only property. “That will no longer be allowed,” she affirmed. Citizens who use their allocated land legally for its designated purpose will retain permanent security of tenure.

    In contrast, any land that remains unused for an extended period—with no housing built, no agricultural activity, or no progress toward its stated development goal—will automatically revert to state ownership under the new law. Simons pointed out that vast swathes of currently allocated agricultural land sit fallow, holding back Suriname’s overall economic growth by locking up valuable resources that could otherwise be put to productive use.

    To advance the reforms, Simons called on the National Assembly to support the upcoming legislative changes, and urged Minister Soeropawiro to continue prioritizing transparent land governance. The ultimate goal of the overhaul, she said, is to deliver greater legal certainty for all Surinamese citizens over their homes, businesses, and livelihoods, creating a fairer framework that supports inclusive national development.

  • Environment : «We want a more beautiful Haiti, not a garbage dump !»

    Environment : «We want a more beautiful Haiti, not a garbage dump !»

    On July 10, 2026, thousands of Haitian citizens joined coordinated nationwide actions organized by two leading environmental advocacy groups—Alternatiba Haiti’s National Citizen Movement for Climate Alternatives and the Francophone Action Group for the Environment (GAFE)—to mark the 8th annual National Day of Citizen Mobilization against polystyrene use across the country. The mobilization unfolded across more than 20 Haitian municipalities, where demonstrators gathered outside local town halls to demand urgent government action: a full, permanent, and uncompromising ban on all forms of polystyrene products, and long-overdue enforcement of a national ban first signed into law back in July 2013.

    Demonstrators carried signs and chanted a unifying rallying cry that encapsulates their core demand: “We want a more beautiful Haiti, not a garbage dump! Down with polystyrene!” In a joint statement released during the mobilization, leaders from Alternatiba Haiti and GAFE highlighted a critical policy failure that has perpetuated the country’s ongoing polystyrene crisis: more than a decade after the original ban went into effect, these single-use products still saturate local markets and contaminate the national landscape, proving that the problem is not the absence of regulation, but a persistent lack of political will to implement existing rules.

    The groups outlined the severe, cascading harms of unregulated polystyrene use that Haitian communities face daily. Beyond creating widespread visual pollution that blights public spaces, discarded polystyrene clogs drainage canals and natural ravines, directly worsening the country’s chronic flood risk during tropical storm and hurricane seasons. Polystyrene also poses a serious threat to public health: the product is a known carcinogen, putting Haitian residents at elevated long-term risk of cancer through environmental exposure. Compounding the issue, the organizations confirmed that nearly all illegal polystyrene entering Haiti is trafficked through unregulated cross-border smuggling networks, which evade existing customs controls to bring the banned product into local markets.

    To address this ongoing crisis, Alternatiba Haiti and GAFE have laid out a clear set of demands for Haitian national and local authorities. First, they call for immediate full implementation and consistent enforcement of the 2013 ban, with aggressive action to shut down all illegal importation and commercial trade of polystyrene products. Second, they demand enhanced, consistent border security inspections to block smuggling routes that bring illegal polystyrene into the country. Third, they urge policymakers to proactively support and incentivize the adoption of eco-friendly alternatives, including reusable food and beverage containers that eliminate the need for single-use polystyrene.

    The groups also issued a broad call for collective action across all sectors of Haitian society, inviting individual citizens, community organizations, primary and secondary schools, universities, religious institutions, local businesses, and municipal governments to join the mobilization effort. Beyond public support, organizers are asking all participating stakeholders to help monitor commercial use of polystyrene products across the country, holding violators of the 2013 ban accountable to create long-term change for Haiti’s environment and public health.

  • CARICOM : Unwavering solidarity with the Haitian people

    CARICOM : Unwavering solidarity with the Haitian people

    Against the backdrop of ongoing political and security upheaval in Haiti, regional leaders from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have publicly reaffirmed their steadfast solidarity with the Haitian people during the body’s 51st Ordinary Session of the Conference of the Parties, hosted in Saint Lucia. In an official statement released on the sidelines of the gathering, the bloc’s Heads of Government made clear their long-standing commitment to backing Haiti’s mission to rebuild national security, reinforce democratic institutions, and restore full constitutional rule of law.

    The conference opened with formal praise for the steps taken by Haiti’s transitional government, led by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, to shore up domestic security, move the electoral timeline forward, and lay the foundational framework for elections that meet global standards of freedom, credibility, inclusivity and peace. CARICOM leaders highlighted the tangible progress already achieved through these efforts and urged the Haitian administration to maintain its momentum moving forward.

    Heads of Government stressed that a successful conclusion to Haiti’s current transitional period is non-negotiable: it is the only pathway to allowing Haitian citizens to exercise their democratic right to select their own leaders through a transparent, free electoral process. The bloc renewed its approval of the government’s continued focus on the three most urgent priorities for the nation: restoring widespread security, establishing consistent national stability, and advancing the electoral process to meet its scheduled milestones.

    A key point of the statement centered on CARICOM’s repeated backing for efforts to strengthen Haiti’s national security institutions. The bloc called for the full operational deployment of the Gang Repression Force (FRG) and the timely renewal of its mandate, noting that security gains in Haiti are not isolated—they are directly tied to the broader security and stability of every nation across the entire Caribbean region.

    CARICOM also reiterated its long-standing pledge to continue close collaborative work with Haitian national authorities, the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and all other relevant international partners. The goal of this coordinated work is to support Haiti as it moves past its current crisis and builds the stable conditions needed for enduring security, democratic elections, and long-term national stability.

    In a call to global stakeholders, the Caribbean Community encouraged all international and regional partners to pursue constructive engagement with both Haiti’s current transitional leadership and all major national stakeholders. This alignment, leaders argue, will enable a coordinated, unified approach that consistently places the interests, personal safety, and long-term future of the Haitian people at the core of all collective action.

    Closing on a note of cautious optimism, the CARICOM leadership expressed confidence that with sustained national commitment from Haitian stakeholders and ongoing, coordinated support from regional and international allies, Haiti will ultimately build a secure, stable, and fully democratic future—one that delivers tangible benefit to both its own population and the Caribbean Community as a whole.

  • Inheemse en Tribale dorpen eisen onafhankelijk onderzoek naar vissterfte Saramaccarivier

    Inheemse en Tribale dorpen eisen onafhankelijk onderzoek naar vissterfte Saramaccarivier

    In a urgent call for environmental justice and government accountability, Indigenous and Tribal communities living along Suriname’s Saramacca River have submitted a formal petition to the country’s national legislature, De Nationale Assemblée (DNA), demanding an independent investigation into the recent mass fish die-off that has upended their way of life. The communities are also calling for immediate government action to protect their health, living environment, and economic livelihoods, which are deeply tied to the river’s health.

    The petition was formally presented to DNA leadership by Captain Joan van der Bosch of the Pikin Poika community, who framed the mass fish mortality as a critical warning sign of broader ecological decline. For the Indigenous and Tribal groups that have called the Saramacca River basin home for generations, the waterway is far more than a natural resource: it provides drinking water for daily use, a primary food source in the form of fish, and the foundation of local fishing livelihoods, while also holding deep cultural and social significance that underpins their entire way of life.

    Since the fish die-off was first recorded, local fishermen have been left without any source of income for weeks. Community representatives also highlight a persistent lack of transparent, clear information from government authorities. When updates are provided, they say, the information often raises more unaddressed questions than it answers, leaving communities in the dark about potential risks to their health and safety.

    In the text of the petition, community leaders laid out a series of pressing, unresolved questions: “How long can this situation continue? Are we meant to be poisoned in silence? Why are no immediate emergency measures being implemented? Who will investigate this environmental disaster through an independent, expert-led process? And can we be guaranteed this will never happen again?”

    The communities emphasize that they hold inherent legal and human rights to a healthy living environment, accessible healthcare, protection of their lands, meaningful participation in decisions that affect them, and respect for their traditional territories. They also note that Suriname has already been cited multiple times in international forums for failing to uphold the territorial and environmental rights of Indigenous and Tribal peoples, yet no long-term structural solutions have been implemented to address these ongoing gaps.

    Beyond the core demand for an independent probe into the cause, scale, and impacts of suspected river contamination, the petition outlines five key additional demands: full public transparency of all investigation findings, fair compensation for affected riverfront communities, concrete policy and regulatory measures to prevent similar ecological disasters in the future, and sustained, structural inclusion of Indigenous and Tribal representatives in all decision-making processes related to their traditional lands and waterways.

    Van der Bosch described the mass fish die-off as “a distress signal from nature.” She stressed that the crisis is not an isolated environmental incident or a routine political debate: it is fundamentally an issue of human rights, justice, equity, and the fundamental right to live in a safe, healthy environment.

    The petition was received on behalf of DNA Speaker Ashwin Adhin by Rabin Parmessar, leader of the National Democratic Party (NDP) parliamentary faction. Parmessar affirmed that both the national legislature and the Surinamese government take the crisis and community demands seriously. He noted that parliament had already previously called on the administration to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the fish die-off and implement measures to prevent recurrence.

    Parmessar also shared an update with the community representatives: water samples and other environmental specimens have already been sent to overseas laboratories for detailed analysis, as local testing capacity is limited. Once the investigation results are finalized, he said, parliamentary leaders and relevant government agencies will collaborate to determine what next steps are needed to address the crisis and meet community concerns.