Category: CANA News

Sri Lanka declared their innings after reaching 549 for nine against the West Indies after tea on the second day of the second Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here on Saturday.

SRI LANKA 549-9 dec’d in 139.3 overs (Lahiru Udara 188, Sonal Dinusha 92, Kamindu Mendis 84, Kusal Mendis 69, Dhananjaya de Silva 33, Prabath Jayasuriya 17 not out, Milan Rathnayake 15, Isitha Wijesundara 14; Shamar Joseph 2-98, Jayden Seales 2-98).

In July 2021, in the pages of the Jamaica Gleaner, the question was posed: Why is CARICOM Day not a national holiday throughout the Caribbean?

Five years later, in July 2026, the issue arises again for consideration by our Caribbean policymakers.

THE FOURTH OF JULY

On 4 July 1973, four visionary leaders, Errol Barrow of Barbados, Forbes Burnham of Guyana, Michael Manley of Jamaica, and Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago, signed the Treaty of Chaguaramas creating the Caribbean Community. In so doing, they laid the foundation for what remains the most ambitious experiment in regional integration undertaken by small developing states anywhere in the world.

Vere Bird of Antigua and Barbuda, one of three original signatories to the Dickenson Bay Agreement, is also a widely recognized figure in the history of regional integration.

That date is more than a historical footnote. It is the birthplace of the Caribbean Community and therefore the midwife of our claim to regionhood. And to our being one out of many.

Public holidays are rarely only about the past. They are moreso about the present and the future. They provide societies with the opportunities to reaffirm shared values, preserve a collective memory, and cultivate a sense of belonging and continuity across generations. Independence Days, Republic Days, Emancipation Days, and other national observances perform this function in countries throughout the world. They remind citizens not only of what occurred on a particular date, but also of why, and who they are, as a people.

The Caribbean Community remains in the unusual position of possessing many of the attributes of a single economic space while lacking a single day for public reflection upon that communal space. We have common institutions, common legal heritage and arrangements, shared educational structures, and an increasingly integrated economy. Yet we do not pause collectively and simultaneously to celebrate the regional project that made those achievements possible.

The observance of CARICOM Day would help fill that space.

Communities are defined not only by our territories and institutions but also by our symbols, traditions, and rituals. Their sustainability requires moments through which citizens can recognize themselves as participants in a common enterprise. The observance of a regional CARICOM Day would provide such a moment. It would draw a boundary not in geography but in time, setting apart one day each year where we reflect upon the Caribbean endeavour and the aspirations that continue to animate it.

On 4 July this year, the United States celebrates 250 years since the Declaration of Independence. While Americans gather annually on 4 July to celebrate the birth of their nation, we in the Caribbean have an opportunity on that same day to reflect upon the birth and evolution of our regional community.

A PROJECT ACROSS GENERATIONS

The leaders who gathered in Chaguaramas on 4 July 1973, understood that regional integration would be the work not of a few years but of many decades. The responsibility for advancing that vision therefore passed from one generation of Caribbean leaders to the next.

The work begun by our founders was carried forward by leaders such as P.J. Patterson, Basdeo Panday, Owen Arthur, and Bharrat Jagdeo, who helped encouraged economic integration and strengthen regional institutions. More recently, leaders including Kenny Anthony, Patrick Manning, Ralph Gonsalves, and Mia Mottley, have continued to champion regional cooperation while adapting the integration movement to contemporary realities.

CARICOM therefore is not the achievement of a single generation. It is the shared inheritance of many.

THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF INTEGRATION

A regional holiday would provide an annual opportunity to reflect on how far we have travelled and how much further we still have to go.

The Caribbean Community has endured and matured through changing administrations, economic turbulence, natural disasters, and shifting global realities. It has done so because the idea at its heart remains compelling: that cooperation among Caribbean peoples, despite their different ancestries, achieves greater welfare, security, and prosperity.

The entry into force 20 years ago of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and the creation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) represented the maturation of that vision. Today, Caribbean nationals enjoy opportunities unimaginable to earlier generations. Citizens can travel freely across the Community, establish businesses, provide services, pursue employment opportunities, and invest beyond the borders of their own States.

The movement toward full free movement of CARICOM nationals, continues to advance. Each step in that direction reinforces a simple but powerful idea: that a Jamaican, a Dominican, a Vincentian, a Kittitian, a Barbadian, a Trinbagonian, a Guyanese, or a Belizean is not only a citizen of a particular State but also a citizen of the Caribbean Community. The CARICOM passport is a powerful symbol of that unity.

The institutions of regional integration have likewise become among our greatest strengths.

The University of the West Indies (UWI) has educated generations of Caribbean leaders, scholars, professionals, and public servants. The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has developed qualifications recognised throughout the Region and internationally. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has financed development across Member States. The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has enhanced our collective public health response and CDEMA has managed relief efforts across the region in times of disaster.

Both West Indies Cricket (CWI) and the CARIFTA Games have demonstrated the power of sport to unite the region, while serving as enduring symbols of Caribbean identity and pride.

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), both the apex or highest court for participating states and the judicial guardian of the rights enshrined in the integration movement is uniquely endowed with the responsibility to adjudicate over Caribbean matters, and has been making great strides in adjudicating cases that impact our daily lives. The Court, indeed, belongs to the people of the Caribbean; a truth embodied in its motto ‘One People. One Region. One Court.’

All people of the region are encouraged to visit the Court, whether in person in Port-of-Spain or online via its website (www.ccj.org) and social media pages to understand the Court’s cases and how they impact us – from Kingston to Georgetown.

These achievements should not be taken for granted.

WHY CARICOM DAY MATTERS

A regional holiday on 4 July, and where this falls on a weekend to be celebrated on the first Monday thereafter (this year on 6 July) would therefore be about far more than remembrance.

It would provide a catalyst for schools to teach the history of regional integration; for governments to highlight the achievements of Caribbean institutions; for businesses and civil society to celebrate Caribbean enterprise and innovation; and for citizens to reflect on the shared inheritance that binds us together.

Two Member States, Antigua and Barbuda, and Guyana, already recognise CARICOM Day as public holidays. Their example demonstrates that such recognition is practical and appropriate.

It would be a good thing if our policymakers did not allow another 5 years to pass us by without giving serious thought to celebrating our shared history and bright future on CARICOM Day.

On 4 July each year, we should pause to celebrate our achievements, reflect on our shared journey, and renew our commitment to the Caribbean project. In the end, we are all we have. Warts and all.

*Justice Winston Anderson is the President of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

As the United States on Saturday commemorates in 250th Anniversary of Independence, the Donald J. Trump administration says it is imposing sanctions on ‘Cuban actions’ allegedly responsible for subversive anti-American activities.

The US Department of State said on Saturday that it is designating five entities and five individuals as part of the ‘Trump administration’s comprehensive push to end the Cuban regime’s decades-long campaign of political, ideological, and institutional warfare against the United States and to hold accountable those who sustain its operations and profit from the Cuban people’s oppression.

‘The Cuban regime continues to demonstrate that it prioritises the exportation of radical left-wing violence through its malign influence networks and the enrichment of the regime over the well-being of the Cuban people,’ it said. ‘These sanctions are designed to hold international actors supporting the Cuban regime accountable.’

The department warned that foreign banks and companies providing services to those designated are at risk of sanctions and should freeze those activities.

‘The Trump administration will continue to target the Cuban regime’s subversive network, those who enable its subversive operations, and those who profit while the Cuban people suffer,’ it said, stating that ‘all targets’ designated on Saturday have been designated ‘pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14404, which authorises sanctions on persons determined to meet specified criteria related to repression in Cuba and threats to US national security and foreign policy.’

The State Department said entities associated with ‘developing, implementing, and funding the Cuban regime’s violent revolutionary network are being designated.’

They comprise the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba  (MINFAR) for ‘being a political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of the Government of Cuba.’

The State Department said MINFAR is the government ministry in charge of the Cuban military.

It said the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) is designated for ‘being a political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of the Government of Cuba.’

The State Department said ICAP is a Cuban organisation founded by late Cuban President Fidel Castro in 1960 that supports Cuban intelligence and counterintelligence activities.

It said Amistur Cuba SA is designated for ‘being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, ICAP, an entity designated pursuant to E.O. 14404 for being a political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of the Government of Cuba.’

The US Department of State said the Committees for the Defence of the Revolution (CDR) is designated for ‘being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Government of Cuba.’

It claimed that CDR is under the direction of the Ministry of Interior of Cuba, which was previously designated for ‘being a political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of the Government of Cuba, and is a fundamental pillar of Cuba’s state oppressive security apparatus.’

The State Department said several ‘regime-aligned elites and their family members’ are also designated.

They include Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez for ‘being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the Government of Cuba,’ the State Department said.

It said Lis Cuesta Peraza is designated for ‘being an adult family member of a person designated pursuant to this order’, stating that Peraza is the spouse of Diaz-Canel.

The State Department said Manuel Anido Cuesta is designated for ‘being an adult family member of a person designated pursuant to this order’, stating Manuel Anido Cuesta is Lis Cuesta Peraza’s son and Diaz-Canel’s stepson.

In addition, the State Department said Alejandro Castro Espin is designated for ‘being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Government of Cuba.’

It said Alejandro Castro Espin is the former head of the Cuban intelligence services and the son of former Cuban President Raul Modesto Castro Ruz, the brother of Fidel Castro.

The State Department said Raul Alejandro Castro Calis is designated for ‘being an adult family member of a person designated pursuant to this order.’

It said Raul Alejandro Castro Calis is the son of Alejandro Castro Espin.

The State Department also said Minera la Victoria SA, a Cuban gold mining joint venture created by Australia-based entity Antilles Gold Ltd and Cuban SOE Geominera SA, is designated for ‘operating in or having operated in the metals and mining sector of the Cuban economy.’

The department said Minera la Victoria SA is ‘responsible for generating revenue for the Cuban regime.’

The State Department said that, as a result of Saturday’s sanctions-related actions, and in accordance with Executive Order 14404 of May 1, 2026, ‘Imposing Sanctions on Those Responsible for Repression in Cuba and for Threats to U.S. National Security and Foreign Policy,’ all property and interests in property of the designated persons ‘described above that are in the United States or in possession or control of US persons are blocked and must be reported to the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).’

Additionally, the State Department said that all entities that are owned individually or in the aggregate, 50 per cent or more by one or more blocked individuals, are also blocked.

It said all transactions and dealings by US persons or persons within, or transiting, the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are prohibited, ‘unless authorised by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or exempt.’

The State Department said these prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

The department warned that foreign persons that engage in transactions with persons designated pursuant to E.O. 14404 – or that operate in the energy, defence and related materiel, metals and mining, financial services, or security sector of the Cuban economy, as identified in E.O. 14404 – are themselves at risk of sanctions.

‘Non-US persons, including foreign financial institutions, should proceed with caution in any dealings with a party sanctioned under this authority,’ the department further cautioned.

It said actions to return assets to a sanctioned party or transfer them to another jurisdiction for potential use by the target ‘could expose non-US persons to significant sanctions risk.’

The Department of State said all property and interests in property of persons that are blocked pursuant to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) continue to be blocked.

It said the CACR prohibits persons subject to US jurisdiction from dealing in property in which Cuba or a Cuban national has an interest, unless authorised or exempt.

Sri Lanka built on their impressive start by producing another sterling batting display on the second day to maintain their grip over the West Indies in the second Test at the end of day two here on Saturday.

Half centuries by Sonal Dinusha and Kusal Mendis helped them convert their healthy overnight score of 338 for five into a formidable 549 for nine, before declaring their innings shortly after tea at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

In their reply, the West Indies lost the wicket of Brandon King, but John Campbell and a nervous looking Kavem Hodge guided them to 58 for one at the close of play.

The day once again belonged to the visitors, with a 143-run partnership between Dinusha and Mendis helping them to strengthen an already robust first innings position.

For the second straight day, the Windies’ pacers were guilty of being either too short or too wide, and they were made to pay dearly.

The pair negated the first hour without much alarm, but the partnership should have been broken when it was worth just 44 and the score 382 for five, but Campbell put down a regulation catch to dismiss Mendis at first slip off Shamar Joseph.

They caried the score to 420 for five at lunch and after the break Dinusha brought up his half century in streaky fashion by edging Shamar Joseph along the ground through slip.

Mendis wasn’t too far behind, and he whipped Alzarri Joseph over the backward square leg boundary for six to bring up his 50.

The West Indies finally got a breakthrough when Anderson Phillip bowled Mendis for 69 off 115 balls as he tried to scoop him over fine leg, to make the score 476 for six.

When new batsman Milan Rathnayake clipped pacer Justin Greaves into the onside for two runs, it carried Sri Lanka past 500 runs for the first time in the Caribbean.

By that time Dinusha was in sight of his maiden Test century, which he neared by hitting part-time bowler Hodge for two successive boundaries to move to 92.

But Hodge got his revenge by having him caught at cover off the next ball to end his 166-ball innings and reduce Sri Lanka to 512 for seven.

Roston Chase then removed Milan Rathnayake for 15, and Jayden Seales claimed the wicket of Isitha Wijesundara for 14, before Sri Lanka declared their innings.

Shamar Joseph and Seales both finished with figures of 2-98.

Needing to navigate the final two hours of play, the home side’s opening pair of John Campbell and Brandon King started brightly, with King driving Wijesundara for two boundaries in the eighth over to see them move to 32 without loss.

But after scoring 17 runs off 26 balls, King drove loosely at a delivery from fast bowler Asitha Fernando and was snapped up at slip by Kamindu Mendis.

Hodge, who looked unsettled during his unbeaten six off 41 balls, should count himself lucky to be still at the crease after Sri Lanka spurned two opportunities to dismiss him.

He had scored a solitary run when Dinusha failed to hold on to a tough chance running in at fine leg off the bowling of Rathnayake.

And two overs late, Hodge’s thick edge was dropped at first slip by Isuru Udara off the same bowler.

It allowed the Windies to end the day trailing Sri Lanka by 491 runs and needing a herculean task from their batters on Sunday’s third day.

Rovman Powell blasted a boundary-studded half century to carry the Los Angeles Knight Riders to a comfortable six-wicket victory over the Texas Super Kings in their Major League Cricket contest here on Friday.

The powerfully built Jamaican bludgeoned 73 off just 27 balls, inclusive of six sixes and six fours, while Colin Munro scored an unbeaten half century as the Knight Riders chased down the Super Kings’ total of 173 for five, ending on 175 for four in 18.4 overs.

The pair shared a match-winning partnership of 107 runs off a mere 41 balls that rescued their side from a shaky position of 59 for three in the 11th over.

With 40 runs required off the last four overs, Powell, who was named Player-of-the-Match, essentially ended the contest by hitting Adam Milne for two sixes and three fours, which also brought up his 50 off 18 balls.

By the time he was dismissed the Knight Riders only required eight runs, and Munro took the side to an easy victory with eight balls remaining.

Earlier, Sunil Narine (2-22) and Jason Holder (2-48) helped limit the Super Kings to their eventual total despite a knock of 80 off 55 balls from opener Saiteja Mukkamalla.

Scoreboard of the second day of the second Test between West Indies and Sri Lanka at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here on Saturday.

SRI LANKA 1st innings

(overnight 338 for five)

Nishan Madushka c King b S Joseph 6

Lahiru Udara c S Joseph b A Joseph 188

Dinesh Chandiman c King b S Joseph 1

Kamindu Mendis st +Hope b Greaves 84

*Dhananjaye de Silva c Campbell b Seales 33

+Kusal Mendis b Phillip 69

Sonal Dinusha c King b Hodge 92

Milan Rathnayaka c Greaves b Chase 15

Prabath Jayasuriya not out

Isitha Wijesundara c Campbell b Seales 14

Extras (b1, lb14, nb7, w8) 21

TOTAL (nine wickets; 139.3 overs) 549

Did not bat: Asitha Fernando.

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-25, 3-240, 4-333, 5-333, 6-476, 7-512, 8-532, 9-549.

Bowling: Seales 25.3-5-98-2, S Joseph 23-4-98-2, A Joseph 21-4-98-1, Phillip 19-0-72-1, Greaves 18-2-43-1, Chase 29-3-99-1, Hodge 4-0-26-1.

WEST INDIES 1st innings

John Campbell not out 31

Brandon King c Mendis b Fernando 17

Kavem Hodge not out 6

Extras (b4) 4

TOTAL (one wicket; 24 overs) 58

Yet to bat: Amir Jangoo, +Shai Hope, Justin Greaves, *Roston Chase, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales.

Fall of wickets: 1-33.

Bowling: Fernando 7-2-11-1, Wijesundara 7-0-26-0, Rathnayaka 5-2-12-0, Jayasuriya 5-2-5-0.

Position: West Indies trail Sri Lanka by 491 runs with nine wickets remaining.

Umpires: Ahsan Raza, Paul Reiffel.

TV: Umpire: Sharfuddoulla.

Reserve Umpire: Deighton Butler.

Match Referee: Javagal Srinath.

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Chairman and St. Lucia Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre says the region must move beyond discussion and strengthen collective action to ensure the integration movement continues to deliver tangible benefits for Caribbean people.

In a message marking CARICOM Day, Pierre said the Community faces a critical period as member states confront climate change, economic uncertainty, food and energy security challenges, crime and security concerns, and the need to create more opportunities for young people.

He said these challenges require a renewed commitment to regional cooperation and integration.

‘Let us recommit ourselves to the founding ideals of CARICOM: cooperation, solidarity, shared development, and respect for the dignity of every Caribbean person,’ he said.

CARICOM was established on July 4, 1973, with the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas by Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. The regional integration movement now comprises 15 member states and five associate members.

Sri Lanka elected to bat after winning the toss against West Indies on the opening day of the second Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here on Friday.

West Indies have made two changes with Shai Hope and Anderson Phillip replacing Joshua Da Silva and Kemar Roach, while Sri Lankas had made three changes with Lahira Udara, Prabath Jayasuriya and Isitha Wijesundara coming in for Pathum Nissaka, Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara.

WEST INDIES: Roston Chase (captain), John Campbell, Brandon King, Kavem Hodge, Amir Jangoo, Shai Hope, Justin Greaves, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales.

SRI LANKA: Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis, Sonal Dinusha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Milan Rathnayake, Isitha Wijesundara, Asitha Fernando.

Umpires: Ahsan Raza, Paul Reiffel.

TV: Umpire: Sharfuddoulla.

Reserve Umpire: Deighton Butler.

Match Referee: Javagal Srinath.

The Nevis Island Administration (NIA) has officially launched a multi-million-dollar expansion and modernization project at the Vance W. Amory International Airport, a development officials say will significantly improve air connectivity, boost tourism and create new economic opportunities for the island.

The groundbreaking ceremony, held on July 1 at the airport in Newcastle, marked the start of what the administration described as a transformative investment aimed at strengthening Nevis’ tourism sector and supporting long-term economic growth.

Premier of Nevis and Minister of Tourism, Finance and Economic Planning, Mark Brantley, said the project represents a historic milestone for the island and an investment in future generations.

‘I want our people to consider that we are gathered here together at a point where we are making history at this groundbreaking for purposes of an investment which we feel will propel Nevis for the next generation,’ Brantley said.

‘We are here because this government is committed to moving this island to the next level. We are doing what we are doing for those who are coming; the next generation. We all understand that having an advanced Vance W. Amory International Airport is good for Nevis and good for the Federation.’

Brantley said the project is the result of more than a decade of planning, technical assessments and financial negotiations undertaken by the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM)-led administration.

He said the upgraded airport will improve access to Nevis, enhance the visitor experience, stimulate economic activity and create jobs during both the construction and operational phases.

Officials expect the project to generate employment for local contractors, tradesmen, labourers and service providers during construction, while creating additional permanent positions in airport operations, security, customs and immigration, maintenance and ground handling services after completion.

The premier acknowledged that bringing the project to fruition had required overcoming numerous technical, financial and logistical challenges.

‘Sometimes we have to be patient and appreciate that projects take time. This effort has been a relentless, ongoing effort, but to get to where we are today, we have had to navigate the technical and practical issues that are involved,’ he said.

‘We had to design and redesign. We had to go back to the drawing board, and when we thought we had a plan, we had to get financing for that.’

Brantley thanked the federal government for guaranteeing the NIA’s EC$20 million loan through the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank, the Government of Taiwan for providing a US$20 million concessional loan, and businessman Patrick Drahi for contributing US$25 million towards the project.

Taiwan’s Ambassador to St. Kitts and Nevis, Edward Ling-Wen Tao, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to supporting Nevis’ development agenda and expressed confidence in the success of the airport expansion project.

Brantley said the project is the result of more than a decade of planning, technical assessments and financial negotiations undertaken by the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM)-led administration.

He said the upgraded airport will improve access to Nevis, enhance the visitor experience, stimulate economic activity and create jobs during both the construction and operational phases.

Officials expect the project to generate employment for local contractors, tradesmen, labourers and service providers during construction, while creating additional permanent positions in airport operations, security, customs and immigration, maintenance and ground handling services after completion.

The premier acknowledged that bringing the project to fruition had required overcoming numerous technical, financial and logistical challenges.

‘Sometimes we have to be patient and appreciate that projects take time. This effort has been a relentless, ongoing effort, but to get to where we are today, we have had to navigate the technical and practical issues that are involved,’ he said.

‘We had to design and redesign. We had to go back to the drawing board, and when we thought we had a plan, we had to get financing for that.’

Brantley thanked the federal government for guaranteeing the NIA’s EC$20 million loan through the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank, the Government of Taiwan for providing a US$20 million concessional loan, and businessman Patrick Drahi for contributing US$25 million towards the project.

Taiwan’s Ambassador to St. Kitts and Nevis, Edward Ling-Wen Tao, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to supporting Nevis’ development agenda and expressed confidence in the success of the airport expansion project.

Sri Lanka reached 338 for five against West Indies at the close of play on the opening day of the second Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here on Friday.

SRI LANKA 338-5 in 83 overs (Lahiru Udara 188, Kamindu Mendis 84, Dhananjaya de Silva 33; Shamar Joseph 2-60).