Category: CANA News

The government says it will intensify the trucking of water to communities across the island as drought conditions continue to place severe pressure on the country’s water supplies.

Water Minister Matthew Samuda said the prolonged lack of rainfall is affecting the country’s primary water sources, making water conservation increasingly critical.

He noted that rainfall over the past three months has been below average during a period when precipitation would normally help recharge aquifers, replenish wells and rivers, and restore water storage facilities.

The situation is particularly concerning ahead of the reopening of schools, when water demand from households and institutions is expected to increase.

The government has already spent approximately J$86 million on emergency water trucking through Members of Parliament to assist communities experiencing water shortages.

However, with drought conditions expected to worsen, Samuda said the cost of the emergency response could increase substantially, potentially reaching J$500 million.

Municipal authorities will be provided with additional resources to assist communities that are outside utility service areas, while the National Water Commission will receive further support to prioritise critical infrastructure.

Samuda said requests for water deliveries must be made in advance, noting that priority will be given to hospitals, health centres, schools and places of safety, followed by vulnerable members of the population.

Meanwhile, more than 400 farmers have benefited from water supplied by the National Irrigation Commission (NIC) since the start of the ongoing drought.

Agriculture Minister Floyd Green provided the update while speaking at the official opening of the Farm Road Project in the southern parish of St Elizabeth, on Wednesday.

St Elizabeth – the island’s ‘bread basket’ is among seven parishes currently under water prohibition orders as authorities seek to manage dwindling water resources.

The government recently announced an additional J$60 million for drought mitigation measures aimed at assisting farmers. This is in addition to the J$149 million previously allocated to support the agricultural sector.

Green also outlined a number of measures being implemented to help farmers cope with the continuing drought as the government seeks to protect agricultural production and safeguard livelihoods.

The authorities have urged Jamaicans to conserve water as the country braces for the possibility of further deterioration in drought conditions.

Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred exacted revenge on Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the USA by storming to victory in record time at the Zurich Diamond League here on Thursday.

Alfred raced across the finish line in a career-best time of 10.70 seconds, setting a new national record in the process at the Letzigrund Stadium. Jefferson-Wooden, who handed Alfred her first defeat of the season at the Silesia Diamond League meet on Sunday, was given the same time but had to settle for silver this time around.

Alfred got off to a much better start on this occasion and fired down the track in front of a capacity 25,000-strong crowd to edge Jefferson-Wooden by just five-thousandths of a second with a savage dip at the line.

For the second straight race American Sha’Carri Richardson rounded out the podium in a time of 10.97, just ahead of Jamaica’s Tina Clayton (10.98), while newly crowned European champion Amy Hunt was fifth in 11.04.

The Government of St. Lucia has guaranteed a US$20 million (EC$54 million) financing facility between the St. Lucia Development Bank (SLDB) and Taiwan Eximbank, in what Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has described as the largest investment in housing in the country’s history.

The agreement was formalised earlier this week during a signing ceremony at the headquarters of the SLDB here.

‘This investment of EC$54 million is the largest investment in housing in the history of this country,’ Pierre told the ceremony, drawing applause from those in attendance.

‘And for the first time, the government is guaranteeing, for a bank, a substantial investment, with the support of a foreign financial institution, which is the EXIM Bank of Taiwan,’ he added.

The financing facility is expected to expand affordable housing opportunities for low- and middle-income households while improving access to long-term mortgage financing at appropriate rates.

Particular attention will be given to first-time homebuyers and groups that have traditionally faced difficulties obtaining financing through conventional lending institutions.

Pierre said the initiative was designed to address the country’s significant housing shortage, particularly the lack of affordable options for families unable to meet the requirements of traditional financial institutions.

‘There is a housing deficit in this country, and that is an understatement,’ Pierre said.

He stressed the importance of distinguishing between affordable housing and low-cost housing, explaining that the programme is intended to provide opportunities for people who may not have the income or financial resources required by conventional lenders but are willing and able to meet their loan obligations.

‘Affordable housing means that people in the population who do not have the wherewithal or do not have the income to deal with traditional financial institutions have the ability to borrow,’ Pierre said, adding that borrowers must demonstrate the will, discipline and commitment to repay their loans.

The agreement forms part of a broader government strategy to increase housing opportunities across the island.

The government is also pursuing a land rationalisation programme involving the Ministry of Housing and the Ministry of Physical Development to make government-owned lands available for residential development.

Other initiatives include the National Site and Service Programme, which provides serviced lots at affordable prices, and the National Housing Assistance Programme, which addresses basic housing deficiencies among low-income and indigent households.

In addition, Invest St. Lucia has partnered with a regional real estate developer on a 10-acre housing development in Canaries and is holding discussions on a similar condominium-style project in another area.

Housing has remained a major area of focus for the SLDB over the past year. In 2025, the bank approved approximately EC$11.5 million in concessionary housing financing as part of efforts to expand home ownership and support home improvements among lower- and middle-income households.

Bank officials said housing continues to be one of the most significant areas of the SLDB’s intervention and will remain central to its agenda.

The new US$20 million credit line from Taiwan Eximbank is expected to significantly increase the country’s capacity to finance housing and help address continuing supply shortages.

Tuesday’s ceremony formally sealed the financing agreement among the Government of St. Lucia, the SLDB and Taiwan Eximbank.

Labour Minister Pearnel Charles Jr. says the recent changes in the immigration policies of the United States, could create more opportunities for Jamaican workers under the government’s overseas employment programme.

Charles says for 2026, the number of participants in its farm work programme increased marginally when compared with the over 15,000 in 2025.

Changes to US immigration policies feature a mix of stricter screening measures, scheduling delays and an increase in total available non-agricultural visas, which have stalled the processing of visas, thereby affecting Jamaicans seeking permanent residence in the United States.

But Charles who was speaking with the Jamaica information Service (JIS), said the legal and longstanding framework of the programme allows for Jamaicans to continue to benefit from overseas earnings on the government programme.

‘My assessment of the policies so far have not impeded or negatively impacted any lawful arrangements. And our Overseas Employment Programme is a lawful arrangement between Jamaica and the US where we have said, as a matter of fact, we have sent a permanent secretary overseas to advance the high level discussions with the US and to stay there, to be fixed there because we have identified the potential opportunities. And we see where those persons that are being removed, Jamaicans are ready to fill those positions, and to do so within the parameters of the law,’ he asserted.

For generations, Kenscoff was where people from Port-au-Prince went to breathe. Its cool hills offered relief, and its farmers supplied the capital’s markets. Gang attacks reached the commune in January 2025, but it remained an important barrier between gang-controlled territory and Pétion-Ville.

On the night of 23 August, the Viv Ansanm coalition launched its largest attack on the community so far.

The United Nations says at least 47 people were killed and 22 injured, including five children. Twenty-two people were reportedly executed inside a church compound where they had sought shelter, and more than 50 others were abducted. It was one of the largest mass kidnappings Haiti has suffered in recent years.

Kenscoff was not a failure of diagnosis or planning. The danger was known, security machinery existed and international assistance had been promised. It was a failure to act in time and with sufficient strength. That failure now has names, bodies and grieving families attached to it.

Kenscoff’s Mayor, Jean Massillon, said gang reconnaissance drones had been seen over the town 15 days before the attack.

Yet the warning did not produce the protection required. After the massacre, the chief prosecutor, Fritz Patterson Dorval, said eight armoured vehicles were in the area.

Armoured vehicles protect no one if they are not where they are needed when gunmen arrive.

The slaughter at Kenscoff was not an isolated act. On 25 August, the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti reported that, between April and June, at least 1,408 people were killed and 656 injured. Kidnappings rose from 57 in the previous quarter to 81.

Fighting in Cité Soleil and the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac displaced more than 18,000 people.

During the same period, the United Nations documented 796 victims of gang-related rape: 772 women, 23 girls and one man.

They ranged in age from ten to seventy-one. Eighty-seven per cent were raped by more than one attacker, sometimes in the presence of their children or other relatives. In several cases, their homes were looted and burned.

The report also raises serious questions about the conduct of the security forces. Forty per cent of those killed or injured during the quarter were victims of security operations against gangs. Twelve per cent of them had no gang association, including children struck by bullets or drone explosions. The United Nations says it has received no information that investigations have been opened into these deaths and injuries.

On 25 August, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the Kenscoff massacre and called for those responsible to be brought to justice through the specialised judicial units established with international support. No one doubts the sincerity of that statement. But condemnation has become the cheapest commodity in the international system. Haitians want to know which government will put an aircraft, a vehicle, an investigator or a prosecutor behind the words.

Kenscoff has exposed the central weakness of the Gang Suppression Force. It exists in mandate, but lacks the numbers and reach required to protect the Haitian people. The United Nations Security Council authorised 5,550 personnel. In July, only about 1,000 were in Haiti.

Jack Christofides, the Special Representative for the Force, told the Security Council that its headquarters, rules of engagement, intelligence structures and first forward operating base had been established, and regular patrols and initial operations had begun.

These preparations do not amount to the operational strength required to confront gangs across several regions of Haiti.

The Force’s initial authorisation expires on 30 September, yet it remains far short of its authorised strength. Personnel, equipment and money have been promised, but promises do not secure communities. Countries with strategic airlift capacity must help move pledged contingents and their equipment to Haiti. A soldier pledged by a country but left at home cannot protect a family in Kenscoff.

Romain Le Cour, head of the Haiti Observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, said of the international force and Haitian police: ‘They don’t have enough personnel.’ He is right. One thousand personnel cannot protect Delmas, Tabarre, Cité Soleil, the Artibonite, Mirebalais and Kenscoff simultaneously. The gangs understand the arithmetic. They stretch the security forces by attacking communities where the State is already weak.

Even a fully deployed force will not succeed if the ground it recovers cannot be held by Haitian institutions. Monica Juma, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, told the UN Security Council in July that Haiti is facing ‘a governance crisis, driven by organised crime’. She warned that, without functioning courts, prisons, police institutions and financial investigations, security gains would be temporary.

From 16 to 19 August, the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, led a high-level delegation to Haiti. It included CARICOM Secretary-General Carla Barnett and representatives of the United Nations, the Pan American Health Organization and international financial institutions. Ramdin returned with an unambiguous message: the Gang Suppression Force needs more personnel, financing, logistical support and operational capacity, and progress must become ‘visible and measurable as soon as possible’.

As this Commentary is written, the Permanent Council of the OAS is due to consider how the organization can support Haiti. The Council must not receive another report only to file it among the growing collection of plans for Haiti. It must require a programme of action identifying what will be delivered, by whom and by what date. Commitments of personnel, equipment, strategic airlift and money should be published. So should failures to honour them.

The OAS can use its machinery against organised crime, illicit firearms and money laundering to bring together customs services, financial intelligence units, coastguards, police forces and prosecutors. The weapons used in Kenscoff were not made there. The money used to buy and transport them did not appear from nowhere. The suppliers, financiers and political protectors of the gangs must be identified, sanctioned and prosecuted.

Haiti is a member of CARICOM and a founding member of the OAS. Its people are our people. Caribbean countries have limited resources, but we do not have limited standing. Our voices should be heard, and our actions must be seen and measured.

Kenscoff has stripped away every excuse. The danger was known. Personnel and equipment had been promised. Institutions had been created. Yet people were left to die. Governments must now be judged not by the plans they approve or statements they issue, but by the personnel, equipment, investigators and prosecutors they put into the field. Anything less leaves the next Haitian community waiting for its turn to be slaughtered.

The Jamaica Kingsmen reached 182 for seven in their 20 overs after being sent in by the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the 18th match of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League at Warner Park here on Thursday.

JAMAICA KINGSMEN 182-7 in 20 overs (Saim Ayub 102, Keemo Paul 25 not out, Rovman Powell 21, Kirk McKenzie 10, Usman Khan 10; Wanindu Hasaranga 2-18, Naseem Shah 2-35, Obed McCoy 2-43).

Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed was on Wednesday released on GUY$100,000 (One Guyana dollar=US$0.004 cents) station bail after a ‘go-fast’ vessel was intercepted on Tuesday night with several people on board.

The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) said that based on its records the ‘go-fast’ vessel was being operated illegally. ‘In relation to the recent detention of a fast craft reportedly owned by Mr. Azruddin Mohamed, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) wishes to clarify that, based on its records, neither the fast craft nor Mr. Azruddin Mohamed is licensed or otherwise authorised to operate,’ MARAD said in a statement.

In its statement, MARAD said that the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard, pursuant to its mandate under the Defence Act ‘is empowered to enforce the provisions of every law relating to maritime safety and security.

‘MARAD urges all owners, operators, and users of Guyana’s waterways to ensure that their vessels and operations comply with all applicable legal and safety requirements,’ it added.

Mohamed and his opposition colleagues were reportedly returning to Georgetown from Region One after spending the day meeting with survivors and relatives of those who died in the July 18 MV Barima ferry tragedy, regarded as one of the country’s worst maritime disaster.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) had in an earlier statement said that about 9:45 pm (local time), on Tuesday night a routine joint maritime patrol involving the Coast Guard and Police observed a ‘go-fast’ vessel entering the mouth of the Demerara River at a high rate of speed.

Police said the vessel was signalled by siren to stop but failed to comply, prompting a pursuit. It was subsequently intercepted at a wharf at Friendship, East Bank Demerara.

Police said three three persons, including Mohamed, were found aboard the vessel, and five other persons, suspected to have travelled aboard the vessel, were observed at the wharf facility.

The police said also that during the pursuit, officers reported observing a bag being thrown from the vessel into the Demerara River, but could not determine the contents of the bag or who threw it.

But in a statement, the Office of the Opposition Leader said that around 10.45 pm, members of the security forces arrived at the wharf at Friendship, East Bank Demerara, at Mohamed premises.

‘At the time of their arrival, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Mohamed, was seated aboard a privately owned vessel that was docked at the wharf, along with Members of Parliament Odessa Primus and Natasha Lewis. Members of Parliament Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, Dawn Hastings-Williams, and Deon LaCruz were standing on the wharf.’

The statement said that permission was sought to search the vessel, but when asked under what authority or basis the search was being conducted, ‘the officer in charge stated that the officers had ‘reasonable suspicion’ of illegal activity.

‘What followed was a prolonged engagement during which the conduct of the officers appeared increasingly disproportionate and, in our view, raised serious concerns about the possible misuse of state authority and resources.

‘The officers subsequently called for reinforcements, disconnected the vessel from the dock, and towed it to the Marine Wing of the Ruimveldt Police Station, where a search of the vessel was conducted,’ the statement said, adding ‘nothing illegal was found on the vessel’.

It said that despite this, the police informed Mohamed that the vessel was being detained with the officers indicating that the relevant documentation for the vessel had not been produced.

‘Upon leaving the facility, Mr. Mohamed requested documentation confirming the detention of the vessel. Instead, he was invited to sign a statement prepared by the police. Mr. Mohamed declined to sign the statement,’ the statement said, adding that ‘he was subsequently informed that he was under arrest pursuant to the ‘Maritime Act’.

‘We are deeply concerned that what should be a lawful and transparent enforcement process has instead evolved into an apparent attempt to harass, intimidate, and obstruct the Leader of the Opposition through the use of state power.

‘If the authorities believe that an offence has been committed, they must identify the specific law, the specific provision relied upon, and the factual basis for the action being taken. The people of Guyana are entitled to know that the powers of the State are being exercised lawfully, proportionately, and without political interference.’

The opposition statement said that ‘this matter will be closely monitored, and all available legal and constitutional avenues will be pursued to ensure that the rights of the Leader of the Opposition are protected and that the actions of the State are subject to the rule of law’.

Amid reports that more than 200 cases of physical and sexual abuse involving children have been recorded in Antigua and Barbuda so far this year, Minister of Social and Urban Transformation Rawdon Turner is advocating stringent measures including a minimum 15-year prison sentence for anyone convicted of sexually abusing a child.

Turner told a townhall meeting here that the number of abused children could be much higher as many cases go unreported.

‘When you see a headline that a 50-year-old male would have abused a five-year-old child, think about that. A five-year-old child,’ Turner said, adding that the severity of such offences demands a stronger response from the justice system and society as a whole.

Later Turner, outlining plans for a national discussion on child abuse, told state-television that he is in support of legislative changes to establish minimum sentences for offences involving the abuse of children, acknowledging that there could be exceptional circumstances that warrant judicial discretion and that those circumstances could be clearly defined in legislation.

But he insists that there must be a firm minimum penalty to send a clear message that the sexual abuse of children will result in significant prison time.

‘There must be a starting point where we’re going to tell society, if you violate a child, someone so innocent, you must do time in prison. You must be removed from the society,’ he said, noting that existing laws provide for severe penalties for the abuse of children under 14.

The minister said that despite those provisions, offenders in some cases receive sentences of only a few years or probation.

‘The maximum penalty for abusing a child under the age of 14 years old is life imprisonment. When last have you heard anyone in this country being sentenced to life for abusing a child?’

Turner said that his comments are not intended as an attack on the judiciary and that the central issue must remain the protection of children and the wider public.

The Minister argued that stronger minimum sentences could help prevent such cycles and provide greater protection for children, expressing support for Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s recent position on taking stronger action against serious crime.

The government has since reaffirmed its commitment to an independent judiciary as it defended Prime Minister Browne recent criticisms over his recent statements regarding the sentencing by courts here.

Browne’s statement had drawn comments from several organisations including the Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association (CMJA).

Turner said the severity of some child abuse cases has generated anger and frustration within the wider society, warning that the country must act through its laws and institutions rather than allow public frustration to develop into vigilante justice.

‘Before we become a society where we have vigilante justice, something has to give. Changes have to be made,’ Turner said maintaining that the Executive, Parliament and Judiciary each have a responsibility to protect society.

‘You can’t look in the face of your children and say, we’re not going to do all that we can to protect them,’ he said, warning that failure to adequately protect abused children could have long-term consequences, including the possibility that some victims may themselves become abusers.

Turner said he was shocked when he was first exposed to the statistics surrounding abuse of vulnerable people after assuming responsibility for the ministry nearly two years ago.

‘As a citizen, you would see headlines in the newspaper or you may see Facebook posts over time, and you believe that you have an idea of what’s taking place in terms of abuse of our children in Antigua and Barbuda.

‘But I can say that the public doesn’t know. We don’t understand,’ he said, adding that the figures have forced him to confront what he described as a deep-rooted problem within Antiguan and Barbudan society.

‘…the village raises a child. We’re at the point now where the village is abusing our children,’ Turner said, adding that the country must have an honest and frank discussion about the nature and extent of child abuse and develop practical solutions to address it.

The Suriname government says the M.V. Canawaima is likely to resume service between Suriname and Guyana soon amid reports that the two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries have reached an agreement to allow travellers from both countries to temporarily cross the Corantijn River along the so-called backtrack route.

Transport, Communication and Tourism Minister, Raymond Landvel, told the National Assembly on Tuesday night that virtually all safety requirements demanded by the Maritime Authority Suriname (MAS) have now been met.

The MAS had imposed a sailing ban on ferry after an inspection revealed that a number of important safety features were not in order. The inspection concerned, among other things, a lifeboat, lifebuoys, life jackets, and a VHF radio for emergency communication.

There were also doubts regarding the thickness of the ship’s steel plates, which has not been to dry dock since 2021.

Landveld told legislators that measurements have since been carried out on the hull and that approximately 99 per cent of the measurements performed show that the plates have met the required minimum thickness.

‘The MAS’s requirements have virtually all been met,’ said Landveld, adding that he expects that a statement would be issued shortly allowing the boat to sail again.

The resumption would be provisional. The MV Canawaima is scheduled to go on dock for maintenance on August 31. The Guyanese ferry Sandaka, which is on dock, is to temporarily take over the service.

But government legislator, Rabin Parmessar is urging Landveld to intervene administratively. ‘We are going to hold you responsible now. And that means: you must intervene,’ he said, adding ‘we now demand that the minister intervenes.’

Another government legislator, Jerrel Pawiroredjo, said that the problem goes beyond the technical condition of the ship.

‘The management and supervision are not meeting the standards,’ he said, adding that the the matter must be tackled at the root.

Landveld acknowledged that the problems cannot be dismissed as a technical incident, noting that things have gone wrong at Canawaima for years and the organization must be managed in a more business-like manner.

On Tuesday, the Guyana government said it is aware of the concerns of members of the public regarding the suspension of the ferry service between Guyana and Suriname.

‘The government wishes to assure the public that since the beginning of this suspension, officials have been in constant and daily contact with their Surinamese counterparts to resolve the issue and have the service resume operations,’ the government said in a statement.

The current structure is split into two separate entities, with the company governed by Guyanese law acting as the asset holder and the Surinamese branch managing daily operations.

In its statement, Tuesday, the Georgetown said that as stated previously, ‘the responsibility for maintenance and drydocking of the M.V Canawaima falls under Suriname’.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Cooperation Minister, Melvin Bouva said that agreements have been reached to allow travellers to temporarily cross the Corantijn River via the so-called backtrack route.

Bouva said that this is an emergency measure and that travellers must go through the regular immigration formalities on both sides of the border.

According to Bouva, the arrangement is primarily intended to offer, among others, stranded passengers the opportunity to still cross the border in an orderly and legal manner. In doing so, it must be prevented that the temporary opening leads to persons entering or leaving Suriname or Guyana without registration.

‘The Government of Suriname always prioritises that border crossings take place in a legal and controlled manner, whereby persons on both sides of the border are registered and stamped in and out by the competent immigration services,’ he said.

Agreement has also been reached with the Guyanese authorities that passengers making use of the temporary backtrack arrangement must be able to be processed by immigration services in both Suriname and Guyana.

Bouva has spoken of a ‘temporary, practical emergency solution’ in which regular immigration control and legal border clearance remain guaranteed.

The Saint Lucia Kings defeated the Trinbago Knight Riders by 36 runs in the 17th match of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League here at the Queens Park Oval on Wednesday.

SCORES:

ST. LUCIA KINGS 211-4 in 20 overs (Tim Seifert 105 not out, Charith Asalanka 33, John Campbell 27, Kamil Pooran 25; Kieron Pollard 1-24, Sunil Narine 1-27)

TRINBAGO KNIGHT RIDERS 175-6 in 20 overs (Kieron Pollard 65, Colin Munro 48, Sunil Narine 25; Roston Chase 3-24, Joshua Bishop 1-25)