标签： Bahamas

As The Bahamas grapples with a surge of violent crime, public corruption allegations, and deep-seated social unrest, the nation’s top Christian advocacy group has issued a unifying call for collective spiritual action, inviting all Bahamians to gather for a mass prayer rally at downtown Nassau’s Rawson Square on August 30.

The announcement came from Bahamas Christian Council (BCC) President Pastor Mario Moxey during a press conference held at Nassau’s Bahamas Harvest Church on Tuesday. Alongside unveiling plans for the anti-crime prayer gathering, Moxey shared details of an upcoming memorial service this Friday to honor the ten lives lost in the Independence Day plane crash earlier this year.

To build momentum for the late-August rally, the BCC has launched a 21-day nationwide prayer initiative, asking Bahamians from every industry, neighborhood, and background to participate. Moxey urged residents to set aside just 60 seconds at noon each day, no matter their location—whether at the office, at home, or out in the community—to join the collective moment of reflection and prayer.

“We will pray for our leaders. Pray for our families. Pray concerning crime and violence. We pray for righteousness and justice. Pray for our economy, our communities, our young people,” Moxey told reporters. “And because this rally coincides with the beginning of a new academic year, we’ll also have a special time to pray for our students and teachers and administrators as our children head back to school this coming semester.”

The call for collective spiritual action comes at a time of growing national anxiety, driven by a recent string of deadly gun violence, multiple reports of sexual assault across the islands, and high-profile corruption claims that have roiled the nation’s political landscape. Most recently, a U.S. federal indictment triggered widespread political controversy after court filings alleged that an unnamed Bahamian politician held a meeting with an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent inside the country’s Parliament building in October 2024 to negotiate illicit drug trafficking deals.

Moxey emphasized that this moment calls for more than just public debate about The Bahamas’ most pressing challenges. Instead, he said, the BCC believes it is time for people of faith to “stand in the gap for our nation” to address these ills head-on. He acknowledged that corruption is a global challenge that impacts governments of every nation, and no administration is free from the risk of institutional graft. “And so, we consistently pray for our government. We’re willing to stand in the gap for our government and to also assist everywhere we possibly can to assist them in overcoming corruption within government as well,” Moxey added.

The mass prayer rally will be preceded by Friday’s official memorial service for the ten plane crash victims, set to take place at 7 p.m. at Bahamas Faith Ministries. The event is a joint effort between the BCC and the Bahamian government, designed to bring the nation together to mourn, honor the victims, and wrap the grieving families in collective support. Moxey noted that the tragedy was not just a loss for the families directly impacted—it was a blow that touched every corner of the Bahamian nation, making a unified public commemoration all the more important.

Social Services Minister Barbara Cartwright echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that the partnership between the government and the BCC for the memorial is far more than a symbolic gesture. “This partnership is not ceremonial. It reflects something deep in who we are as a people, a nation built on Christian principles where church and state have always labored side by side in our schools, in our communities and in our hardest hours,” Cartwright said.

Nearly three years after landmark anti-violence legislation was formally gazetted, The Bahamas’ long-awaited Protection Against Violence Commission is marking a key milestone this month: it will officially move into its permanent new facility on Pitt Road, bringing the interagency body one step closer to full operational capacity. Even with the new headquarters opening, commission leadership confirms the body will not yet be prepared to offer direct support services to survivors of violence, a gap that will continue to be filled by existing public and non-profit entities for the immediate future.

Commission Chair Marisa Mason-Smith shared updates with The Tribune on the body’s progress, noting that substantial foundational work has been completed since the commission’s members were officially appointed in March 2024. She explained that at this stage, existing public infrastructure remains responsible for supporting survivors: “Social services is the machinery that is dealing with that at this time. There are still other NGOs and departments within the Ministry of Social Services that are already addressing these needs, and the Police Violence Unit also carries out these core support functions right now.”

Mason-Smith’s comments follow an official announcement from Social Services Minister Barbara Cartwright, who scheduled a formal commissioning ceremony for the new Pitt Road building for August 14. Cartwright emphasized that the new facility will clear the way for the commission to begin its full mandate, adding that the government is “anxiously waiting” for the body to launch its core work.

Established under the 2023 Protection Against Violence Act, the commission is designed to serve as the national central coordinating body for efforts to combat gender-based violence across the country. Its statutory responsibilities include centralized data monitoring on violence incidents, overseeing the network of emergency shelters for survivors, and ensuring that all survivors can access the legal protections and support services guaranteed under national law. Notably, the commission’s official appointment came nearly three years after the enabling legislation was formally gazetted, drawing criticism from advocacy groups over delays in rolling out the new body.

The current Davis administration has allocated an initial $42,900 to the commission to launch its operations – a figure that women’s rights advocates across the country have repeatedly warned is far too small to allow the body to fulfill its broad legislative mandate.

When asked about the funding gap, Mason-Smith acknowledged that the initial allocation is not sufficient to cover all of the commission’s planned work. However, she pushed back against concerns that limited initial funding would derail the body’s progress, noting that government officials have committed to allocating additional supplementary funding through the Ministry of Social Services’ existing budget.

“In the short term, the initial allocation will assist us with getting set up, but the Ministry of Social Services has identified other funding streams from across their budget that will complement the work we are doing,” she explained. Mason-Smith also expressed confidence that the commission will receive a much larger, more robust budget allocation for the next fiscal year, noting that the body was appointed late in the current budget cycle.

“Recognizing that we came in towards the end of the budget cycle, I am grateful that they have included us at all,” she said. “We know that the initial amount is not enough, but we have been assured that we will not be disadvantaged when it comes to meeting the needs and advancing the core priorities of this commission.”

In the months leading up to the move to the new facility, the commission has made steady progress on laying the groundwork for full operations, Mason-Smith confirmed. The body has already held multiple working sessions for its members and is currently developing a multi-year strategic plan to guide its work once fully operational. It is also ramping up public outreach efforts, including educational forums and public town halls, to help residents across the country understand the commission’s mandate and core responsibilities.

Another key priority in the coming months will be recruiting and appointing a full secretariat and support team to handle day-to-day operations. The secretariat will serve as the commission’s core technical division, with responsibilities including coordinating support for community-based anti-violence projects, developing formal protocols for funding applications, and publishing public guidance for service providers and survivors.

Reflecting on the milestone of securing a permanent headquarters, Mason-Smith expressed optimism about the commission’s path forward: “So we are proud and excited, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to have a resting place.”

A promising 15-year-old top-performing high school student is recovering in hospital with life-altering injuries after being struck by a motor vehicle early Friday morning on Nassau’s Robinson Road. The incident unfolded as Dino Pinto Jr., a student at R M Bailey High School, was forced to flee into the roadway to escape two aggressive dogs that were charging him while he walked along the sidewalk on his way to work. Now, his mother is publicly calling for answers and accountability, saying she is devastated by the driver’s apparent lack of care for her injured son.

Dino, who was heading to a part-time shift at an electric store ahead of starting an official summer placement at the Ministry of Agriculture on Monday, recalled that multiple drivers had already stopped their cars to let him cross the two-lane street when the accident happened around 7 a.m. In an interview from his hospital bed, he explained that one vehicle failed to stop, instead overtaking one of the stationary cars and hitting him before he could get out of the way.

“I lost consciousness immediately after the impact, and the next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital bed,” Dino said. “I have no memory of anything that happened right after I was hit.”

The crash left the teen with severe soft tissue damage to his face, a fractured bone adjacent to his spine, a broken kneecap and a damaged ankle – injuries that have forced him to cancel his planned summer job and put his preparations for the upcoming school term in September in jeopardy. As he works through the pain of his recovery, Dino said he is relying on his religious faith to pull him through this difficult period and help him get back to his normal routine.

The teen’s mother, Nakaya Knowles, said she got the devastating news from a Good Samaritan motorist who witnessed the crash and stopped to help her son, calling her to share details of the incident. “When I got that call, my heart just sank. I went into complete shock – I threw on whatever clothes I could grab and rushed to the scene, praying the whole way that my son was still alive,” Ms Knowles recalled.

When she arrived, the driver had remained at the scene but stayed inside her vehicle. Ms Knowles said she walked over to the driver to politely request her name and contact information, to clarify how the crash had unfolded. However, she said the driver refused to share any personal details, claiming she did not want to be “harassed” and did not want her name shared publicly on social media, adding that all communication would go through her insurance provider. She told Ms Knowles she was in shock from the incident.

Police officers at the scene assured Ms Knowles they would collect the driver’s information and follow up on the incident. Still, she says the most hurtful part of the entire experience is that the driver has made no effort to reach out, check on Dino’s condition, or even visit him at the hospital.

Wiping away tears, Ms Knowles said: “This is not about money for me. My child is a human being, not a paycheck or an afterthought. You should at least reach out to me, or call the hospital to see if he’s okay. That’s the only thing that’s hurting me this much.”

Dino echoed his mother’s frustration, saying the driver could have avoided hitting him if she had been paying attention and slowed down. “She didn’t have to keep going when all the other cars stopped for me,” he said. “At the very least, she could have apologized. Right now, my eye is covered in bandages, I’m in a cast, and I have a broken bone right next to my spine that could have left me paralyzed.”

The teen added that he is deeply distressed about the impact the injury could have on his schooling when the new term starts in just a few months. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to get back to normal,” he said.

Ms Knowles’ decision to share her story in a live Facebook video has sparked widespread public attention and solidarity. By the time local media outlet The Tribune went to press, the video had already been shared more than 1,000 times, with hundreds of commenters expressing support for Dino and criticism of the driver’s actions.

A Bahamas woman who captured international attention earlier this year for a fiery public confrontation with government officials during a demolition operation has been taken into custody once again, this time for allegedly erecting four new unauthorized structures on her land in Spanish Wells.

Dominique Pinder was taken into custody on August 4 by members of the Unregulated Communities Action Task Force, the interagency body leading the government’s crackdown on unpermitted development across the country’s major islands. Task force chairman Superintendent Stephen Carey confirmed the arrest in a press briefing, noting that the operation marked a return to Pinder’s property months after a high-profile January incident that drew widespread social media outrage.

In January, Pinder and her brother Blake Pinder became viral figures after cell phone footage captured their heated confrontation with task force personnel as crews carried out a scheduled demolition of unpermitted buildings on the Spanish Wells plot. That encounter led to immediate charges against both siblings: Dominique Pinder faces counts of disorderly conduct, obscene language, and abusive language, while Blake Pinder faces an additional obstruction charge. Both have pleaded not guilty to all allegations and their original case remains pending.

During the January operation, crews demolished 14 unregulated structures on the Pinder property. But when task force members returned last week to conduct routine follow-up checks, Carey said investigators discovered four completely new structures had been erected in the place of the demolished buildings, all without the mandatory government construction permits. Following her arrest on new unpermitted construction charges, Dominique Pinder was released on bail and is scheduled to make her first court appearance on the latest charges this Thursday.

In addition to Pinder’s arrest, six other individuals found on the property during the operation were taken into custody for immigration-related processing, Carey confirmed. The senior law enforcement official used the arrest to issue a sharp public warning to property owners across the country who host unauthorized construction on their land.

“To the landlords, we send out a stern warning that once we come and place 28 day notice on the structures, we will charge the landlords for allowing persons to build without a building permit,” Carey said.

The latest arrest comes as the task force ramps up its long-running enforcement of unregulated construction rules across Eleuthera, where authorities have issued a 28-day eviction notice campaign targeting illegal development. So far, 59 eviction notices have been delivered to landowners in Blackwood, a district where crews demolished roughly 60 unregulated structures earlier this year. Carey confirmed that multiple property owners in the area have already begun rebuilding illegal structures after the 2024 demolitions, mirroring the alleged actions of Pinder in Spanish Wells. Across the entire island of Eleuthera, the task force has issued 63 eviction notices to date.

Looking ahead, Carey confirmed that demolition operations will continue across three major Bahamian islands: Abaco, Eleuthera, and Andros, all of which have seen widespread unregulated construction in recent decades. A major demolition operation is already scheduled for Andros in early September, and Carey warned that there would be no last-minute reprieves for residents of unregulated structures who refuse to relocate ahead of scheduled enforcement actions.

He urged all residents currently occupying illegal, unpermitted structures to vacate their properties before official demolition teams arrive, emphasizing that the task force would not offer extensions or grace periods for non-compliant landowners and occupants.

It has been 12 months since the public rallied behind 22-year-old Ezekiel Miller, whose lifelong battle with a persistent infection has cost him both legs and two fingers. Today, he still pushes his manual wheelchair for an hour each day through the streets of Freeport, Grand Bahama, asking passers-by for small donations to cover his basic living costs. His story has reemerged in the public eye after a video shared to Facebook on Wednesday reignited public concern, showing Miller seated in his chair, wearing black knitted gloves to cover open sores on his hands, his amputated lower legs visible beneath his black shorts. The person who filmed the video confirmed that Miller receives government disability assistance, but emphasized that the support falls far short of what he needs to get by, and called on the community to step forward to improve his quality of life.

In an interview with The Tribune on Thursday, Miller explained that years of pushing a manual wheelchair have left his body worn and strained. Last year, a Florida resident following his story partnered with local business owner Eddie Whan to gift him a donated motorised wheelchair, but the device has since broken down and is in need of repairs that Miller cannot afford. “I just need some help,” Miller said. “I don’t feel like pushing this wheelchair 24/7, messing up my hands. I’ve already been through so much.” He is currently in urgent need of a new functional motorised wheelchair to regain his mobility without constant physical strain.

Miller’s life was upended forever at age 14, when he stepped on a rusty nail that sparked a persistent, unidentifiable infection that has slowly spread through his body. He lost his first leg at 14, his second at 19, and two more fingers earlier this year, leaving him with eight functioning fingers. Though he currently experiences no constant physical pain, the infection continues to progress, and another finger is so deteriorated that his mother is planning for another amputation. “I mean, the legs are already gone, so now it’s moving through my hands,” Miller said, his voice heavy with resignation. When asked if he hopes for further surgery or prosthetic limbs to restore function, he seemed drained of hope, adding: “They can’t even get rid of the infection in me anyway. It’s definitely still hard for me. I basically can’t do too much.”

Last year, Miller traveled to the United States to see specialists in search of answers and treatment, but even top clinicians were unable to identify the root cause of his persistent infection. They only recommended minor additional surgery to remove a small section of remaining leg tissue, a procedure that has not stopped the infection’s spread. The condition has left him unable to hold steady employment, but the 22-year-old still considers himself a hard worker committed to earning what he can, describing himself as a “hustler.”

Each day, he pushes himself more than a mile from his home in Caravel Beach to downtown Freeport and surrounding neighborhoods, seeking small donations from people he meets. Local Grand Bahama community members have continued to show up for him, with many stopping to contribute cash for his daily food and needs, and Whan provides him with a regular monthly stipend to help. After last year’s outpouring of support, a bank account was set up to hold donations from supporters around the world, but Miller says fraudsters hacked the account and stole most of the funds. The Tribune has not yet been able to independently confirm this claim, but Miller said the theft left him devastated, and forced him back onto the streets to beg for support to survive.

For most of his life, Miller has been confined to a wheelchair, and his daily reality stands in stark contrast to the lives of most people his age, who get to enjoy travel, social connection and the freedom of young adulthood. Miller admitted that staying positive is a constant struggle. “When I’m by myself, I get down sometimes,” he said, explaining that he tries to hide his sadness from others. “Certain things I can’t do, I just can’t do. I just sit down and patiently wait for someone to help me, to be honest with you.” Right now, he says he is just doing his best to get by each day, and he is asking anyone who can donate a working motorised wheelchair or contribute financial support to reach out to him directly at 242 827-1213. Any assistance, he says, would be life-changing.

A senseless, unprovoked shooting has robbed a close-knit family of their beloved patriarch, a 71-year-old hardworking construction worker who spent decades raising six children alone and keeping to himself in his adopted home of The Bahamas.

St Gerard Nord, a Haitian national with permanent residency in The Bahamas, died in a local hospital on Friday, two days after an unknown gunman ambushed him as he sat in his parked vehicle outside his Wilson Tract residence, preparing to leave for the day. Nord had only celebrated his 71st birthday four months prior, and was quietly looking forward to retiring in his home country of Haiti after a lifetime of work.

The devastating news has left his relatives, most of whom live abroad, reeling with grief and confusion, as they struggle to reconcile why anyone would target a man they describe as gentle, hardworking, and entirely unconnected to trouble.

Lynda Nord Seide, Nord’s daughter, who lives outside of The Bahamas, recalled speaking to her father just hours before the attack, when the pair laughed, joked, and caught up on life as they usually did during their twice-weekly calls. When her sister called her at work the next morning with the shocking news, Seide said the blow was overwhelming. “I felt like everything just left my body. I felt like my soul literally just left my body, and it’s just been a blur and a roller coaster of emotion for the past week,” she told local outlet The Tribune.

According to initial police accounts, a purple vehicle pulled onto the street near Nord’s home last Wednesday. A gunman exited the vehicle, opened fire on Nord, and immediately fled the scene. Relatives confirmed that Nord suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Bystanders told investigators they had seen a vehicle matching that description parked near the home with multiple men inside in the moments leading up to the attack, a detail that has deepened the family’s confusion.

Nord’s life was defined by quiet responsibility. When Seide was just seven years old, his wife died, leaving him to raise all six of their children alone as a single father. He worked tirelessly in construction to provide for his family, never sought conflict, and had no known ties to criminal groups or gang activity, his relatives said. The family has confirmed that while Nord did mention a minor conflict with an acquaintance that began last year, he never expressed fear for his safety, and the family has no insight into whether that dispute was connected to his killing.

For Tasha Oliver Milfrise, Nord’s niece and goddaughter who also lives overseas, the violence is incomprehensible. She had just visited The Bahamas two weeks before the shooting for her own father’s funeral, and got to see her godfather during that trip. “I just don’t understand. How can someone just take a 71-year-old life?” she said. “My godfather never bothered anyone.”

Seide described her father as the unshakable pillar of the family, and said he was incredibly proud that all six of his children had built lives abroad. Beyond his work and his dedication to his kids, Nord lived a quiet, unassuming life: he kept to himself, avoided conflict, and was planning the next chapter of his life back in Haiti after decades of working in The Bahamas. Right now, the family’s only request is answers and justice for a man who never harmed anyone.