标签： Dominica

As the elected parliamentary representative for Marigot, Anthony Charles has publicly solidified his stance on one of the region’s most contentious development issues: throwing his full support behind continued mining operations at the Deux Branches site. In a detailed written statement addressing public and stakeholder concerns, Charles framed the project as an essential driver of national progress that upholds both community land rights and responsible environmental stewardship.

Charles emphasized that Marigot constituents have a long-standing commitment to balanced, inclusive progress that never sacrifices citizen rights for economic growth. He pointed to the constituency’s earlier approval of mining operations at Crapaud Hall (also referenced as Craupo Haul in the full statement) as a clear example of this balanced approach. That earlier project, he noted, moved forward only after securing full consent from local landowners, who received fair compensation for the use of their property. The successful completion of aggregate extraction at Crapaud Hall, he explained, has cleared the way for the next critical phase of the nation’s flagship infrastructure project: sourcing the large volume of stone needed to build the country’s new international airport.

Acknowledging widespread public concern over the potential environmental impact of expanding mining to Deux Branches, Charles stressed that robust mitigation strategies are already baked into the project’s official plan. He said these targeted measures are designed to minimize any negative ecological effects of the extraction work, aligning the project with commitments to sustainable resource management.

In a firm, clear assertion of his position as the community’s elected official, Charles stated: “Let me be clear on my position as the elected representative for Marigot: I will stand with the decision of the landowners at Crapaud Hall and Deux Branches. With fair compensation and these safeguards in place, then we must proceed.”

Charles rejected framing the project as a simple resource extraction effort, instead positioning it as a catalyst for transformative national benefit. Once completed, the new international airport is projected to stimulate broad economic growth, generate new local jobs, and unlock long-term opportunity for both Marigot and the entire country. “The stone extracted is critical to completing the international airport, a project that will strengthen our economy, create jobs, and position Marigot and the wider nation for growth in the years ahead,” he added.

For Charles, the core of the debate boils down to three non-negotiable priorities: upholding binding agreements with local landowners, protecting natural resources that the entire community depends on, and keeping the nation on a path toward inclusive sustainable development. “This is about building our future while honoring the agreements made with our people and protecting the natural resources we all depend on. We move forward together, with respect for land rights, environmental stewardship, and commitment to national development,” he concluded.

As the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) marks its 50th Conference of Heads of Government, the 56-year-old regional bloc finds itself facing the most severe test of its unity in modern history, pushed to breaking point by shifting great power dynamics that have reopened deep foreign policy divides among member states. The moment of crisis comes as St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew stepped into the six-month rotating CARICOM chairmanship in January 2026, tasked with bridging growing fractures that have undermined the bloc’s longstanding diplomatic cohesion at a time of unprecedented global upheaval.

The core source of tension stems from competing responses to the so-called “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine, a policy framework that has reignited great power competition in the Caribbean and split the 14 sovereign member bloc into two opposing camps. For most small CARICOM states, the doctrine, which has been implemented through heavy-handed U.S. security and foreign policy actions, raises deep alarms: it contradicts the bloc’s foundational commitment to the UN Charter, multilateral cooperation, and sovereign equality, principles that are the primary protection for small states in an anarchic international system.

But a small subset of members has broken ranks to align fully with Washington. Trinidad and Tobago, under Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, has openly backed U.S. policy across multiple flashpoints: it supported the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran (now paused by a fragile ceasefire), endorsed U.S. anti-narcotics military operations in the Caribbean that targeted the Venezuelan Maduro regime, and welcomed Maduro’s capture by U.S. forces. In return, Washington has deepened bilateral security cooperation with Port-of-Spain and admitted it into the high-profile Shield of the Americas initiative, joining only Guyana as the second CARICOM member in the bloc. This split has eroded mutual trust across the regional grouping, opening a diplomatic rift that has persisted for months.

When Drew assumed the chairmanship, he prioritized mending these divides to ensure a successful 50th Heads of Government Conference, held in February 2026. To lay the groundwork, he launched a series of one-on-one high-level engagements with regional leaders, aiming to rebuild goodwill and create space for productive dialogue. Drew’s efforts achieved a partial victory: all 14 heads of government attended the summit, though three departed early before the closed-door leadership retreat, a key session focused on geopolitical reform.

Despite the divisions, CARICOM members were able to close ranks on limited issues, including longstanding policy toward Cuba. On the sidelines of the summit, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with CARICOM leaders, resulting in an agreement to develop a new bilateral cooperation framework, which was formalized in a joint statement on regional engagement. The summit also reaffirmed a core principle of CARICOM: as Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness emphasized in opening remarks, citing the 2013 Rose Hall Declaration, CARICOM is a community of sovereign states bound by shared purpose rather than forced uniformity, a pragmatic approach shaped by historical skepticism of ceding authority to supranational institutions.

Holness acknowledged the growing gap between the accelerating pace of global change and the bloc’s ability to coordinate regional responses, a challenge that has defined the current moment. Even so, the summit was widely framed as a limited success for chair Drew and the bloc – until a new controversy erupted over the reappointment of incumbent CARICOM Secretary-General Carla Barnett to a second term starting August 2026.

Drew first announced Barnett’s reappointment on March 25, 2026, triggering a public dispute that has deepened existing divides. The impasse extends far beyond procedural questions, opening up broader debate about CARICOM’s governance structures. As of mid-April 2026, neither side has backed down: public diplomatic correspondence from Trinidad and Tobago Foreign Minister Sean Sobers (dated April 9) and Drew (dated April 11) show positions have hardened, with many remaining members forced to navigate a diplomatic tightrope between the two camps. High-level mediation efforts are ongoing, but no immediate resolution is in sight.

For regional analysts, the current crisis is not an isolated incident, but part of a longer pattern of tension sparked by great power interference in the Caribbean. A key historical parallel is the 1983 U.S. invasion of Grenada, which created lasting rifts within the bloc. Today, the resurgence of sphere-of-influence politics directly undermines the post-WWII international order’s cornerstone of multilateral cooperation, presenting an existential challenge to small Caribbean states that rely on the UN Charter to defend their sovereignty.

While the 50th summit delivered much-needed discussion of geopolitical challenges and the bloc’s core identity, CARICOM now faces an urgent imperative: to work through its deepening divides and adapt to the new normal of 21st century great power competition. For small Caribbean nations, the stakes could not be higher: failure to navigate this moment could permanently erode the regional unity that has served the bloc for more than five decades.

*This analysis reflects the personal views of Nand C. Bardouille, Ph.D., manager of The Diplomatic Academy of the Caribbean at The University of the West Indies St. Augustine Campus, and was originally published by the Jamaica Gleaner on April 16, 2026.*

Dominica’s national security landscape has marked a notable milestone in correctional reform, with National Security Minister Rayburn Blackmoore announcing a substantial reduction in the remand population at the Dominica State Prison during an official tour of the territory’s newly constructed remand facility.

As the minister confirmed during his visit, the number of people held on remand ahead of trial has fallen sharply from 143 to just 83 in recent months. This decline aligns with a broader downward trend in overall incarceration rates across the country. Blackmoore noted that the total current prison population stands at 191, a figure far lower than the incarceration levels recorded throughout the 1990s. He emphasized that the long-term policy goal of the current Labour Party administration is to drive the number of incarcerated Dominicans down to the lowest possible level.

Moving beyond mere population reduction, Blackmoore stressed that rehabilitation is a core pillar of the administration’s correctional strategy moving forward. The government is currently expanding access to a range of rehabilitation programming, with a particular focus on offenders incarcerated for non-violent offenses. The ultimate aim of these initiatives, the minister explained, is to equip incarcerated people with the skills and support needed to reintegrate successfully as productive, positive members of Dominican society upon their release.

Blackmoore also underlined the government’s commitment to upholding the basic human rights of all people held in correctional facilities, whether they are awaiting trial or serving completed sentences. He noted that this commitment is reflected in the design and amenities of the new remand center.

Jeffrey Edmond, Superintendent of the Dominica State Prison, provided additional details about the new facility during the tour. He explained that the project was first conceptualized by his predecessor, Kenrick Jean Jacques, to address chronic overcrowding in the original remand housing unit. As remand numbers grew in past years, the need for an alternative, purpose-built facility became urgent, leading to the construction of the new center.

The completed facility features 11 individual cells, each equipped with three bunks to hold up to three detainees per cell, as well as private en-suite washroom facilities. Edmond confirmed that the center is not yet fully operational due to a small number of outstanding logistical challenges, but the facility will be officially commissioned and open for full use in the near future.

In a move aimed at removing barriers to democratic participation, Dominica’s Cabinet has greenlit a temporary elimination of fees for birth certificate issuance, timed to coincide with the island nation’s ongoing voter confirmation process. The policy was formally approved during a Cabinet gathering held on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, according to an official statement released by the Cabinet Secretariat.

The fee waiver went into effect immediately following the announcement, and will stay in place through October 14, 2026 — matching the scheduled end date of the voter confirmation period. Officials explained that the policy was crafted to address one of the most common logistical barriers for citizens seeking to update or confirm their voting eligibility: access to required foundational identification documents.

“The entire goal of this initiative is to ensure that every eligible citizen can secure the documentation they need without financial barriers, so they can participate fully in the democratic process,” the statement noted. The Dominican government is actively encouraging all qualifying residents to take advantage of the six-month waiver to secure or replace their birth certificates and solidify their standing on voter rolls.

For convenience, the government has offered two accessible pathways for citizens to request their birth certificates. Eligible individuals can submit applications via the country’s official government online portal, for contactless processing from anywhere in the country. Alternatively, applicants can choose to visit the in-person Registry Division, housed on Dame Eugenia Charles Boulevard in the capital city of Roseau, to submit their request directly to staff.

This policy comes as part of broader efforts by the Dominican administration to expand access to voting and streamline voter list maintenance ahead of upcoming electoral processes, removing unnecessary financial hurdles that have historically discouraged low-income and marginalized citizens from completing their voter confirmation.

The International Monetary Fund’s 2026 Article IV Mission Report on the Commonwealth of Dominica has sparked intense political scrutiny from the island nation’s main opposition bloc, the United Progressive Party (UPP), led by attorney Joshua Francis. The UPP has raised sharp alarms over the report’s findings, which paint a mixed picture of Dominica’s economic trajectory and highlight deep structural vulnerabilities that the party argues have been left unaddressed by the long-ruling Dominica Labour Party.

According to the IMF’s analysis, Dominica delivered a solid 4.5% GDP growth rate in 2025, a figure that reflects short-term expansion following recent global and regional economic disruptions. But the fund’s medium-term outlook is far from encouraging: projections show growth will slow to a range of 2% to 3% in coming years, with overall economic risks explicitly “tilted to the downside.”

One of the most pressing issues flagged in the report is Dominica’s extreme current account deficit, which the IMF estimates has reached 38% of total GDP. This gap underscores the country’s persistent heavy dependence on imported goods and services, a structural imbalance the UPP says the current administration has failed to correct. Even more concerning for the opposition is Dominica’s public debt load, which sits at roughly 103% of GDP — far higher than standard regional benchmarks, placing the island at high risk of sovereign debt distress. The IMF’s recommendation of an additional EC$60 million in fiscal consolidation further confirms the ongoing fiscal pressure squeezing the national budget, the UPP notes.

The report also draws attention to weaknesses in Dominica’s financial sector. Non-performing loans remain at elevated levels, and regulatory oversight has not kept pace with the rapid growth of the country’s credit union industry, which now holds more than 50% of all private sector credit in the economy. Additionally, the IMF echoes longstanding questions about Dominica’s heavy reliance on revenue from its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program, raising concerns about both transparency and long-term fiscal sustainability. For the UPP, this overreliance is clear proof that the ruling Labour Party has neglected to build a diversified, shock-resilient national economy.

Institutional weaknesses round out the list of risk factors: the IMF highlights gaps in public financial management systems and limited fiscal transparency, both of which the UPP says contribute to the country’s overall economic fragility. In a formal statement following the report’s release, UPP leader Joshua Francis emphasized that the IMF’s findings validate the opposition’s longstanding warnings. “The IMF report confirms that Dominica’s economy remains fragile and exposed,” Francis said. “We need responsible leadership, stronger governance, and a clear path toward sustainable economic growth.”

The UPP has laid out its policy vision, calling for urgent nationwide reforms to cut public debt, generate new private sector jobs, expand economic diversification, tighten financial sector oversight, and improve government transparency. The party warns that without bold, immediate policy intervention, Dominica will remain trapped in a cycle of slow growth, limiting opportunity for citizens and blocking progress toward long-term economic resilience.

For its part, the ruling administration has acknowledged the IMF’s conclusions. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit recently addressed the report’s findings during a parliamentary session, noting that the government respects the fund’s conclusions and has outlined its own official position on the issues raised to provide contextual perspective for lawmakers and the public.