Category: CANA News

Jamaica’s U17 Reggae Boyz have carved their names into the nation’s football history books, becoming the first Jamaican team at any level to secure three World Cup qualifications following a commanding 3-1 victory over Canada here that sealed top spot in Group G in the Concacaf qualifiers on Wednesday.

The young Boyz finished the qualifying campaign with a flawless nine points after goals from Jahmarie Nolan, Jamone Lyle, and Jaheem Bennett downed a stubborn Canadian side reduced to ten men late on.

Jamaica broke the deadlock in the 37th minute when Nolan found the back of the net, before Lyle doubled the advantage in the 53rd minute.

Canada refused to wilt and pulled one back through Van Parker’s penalty, but Bennett restored the two-goal cushion in added time to spark wild celebrations.

To compound Canada’s misery, Vincent Laurenco received his marching orders in the 85th minute after collecting a second yellow card.

Meanwhile, Haiti produced a nerve-shredding performance at Estadio Cementos Progreso in Guatemala City, defeating tournament hosts Guatemala 2-1 in a winner-takes-all Group C showdown.

Sonson Jean-Baptiste emerged as the hero for the visitors, netting a first-half brace that proved decisive. The striker rose highest to power home a header from inside the box after just seven minutes, silencing the home crowd.

Guatemala responded almost immediately, with Patrick Arana capitalising on Hensen Chacón’s cross to level the scores in the 11th minute.

But Baptiste restored Haiti’s lead inside 22 minutes, unleashing a powerful drive from inside the area to complete his double and secure the vital victory.

The result confirms Haiti as Group C winners and books their place at the FIFA U17 World Cup for the fourth time in the nation’s history.

Both Jamaica and Haiti will now turn their attention to November’s FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar. The tournament draw is scheduled for May.

A High Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit from a member of the main opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, who had challenged the decision of a bank to close his account.

In the run-up to the regional and general elections here last September, several commercial banks cancelled the accounts of customers linked to WIN, which is headed by billionaire, Azruddin Mohamed, who been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in June 2024 for allegedly evading US$50 million in taxes payable to the Guyana government on more than 10,000 kilogrammes of gold exports.

The Guyana Association of Bankers Inc. (GABI) had said that all licensed commercial banks here operate within a framework of national laws and international standards. It said the banks are guided by strict regulatory obligations, including Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) requirements, as well as global risk management practices.

Justice Nicola Pierre in dismissing Gobin Harbhajan’s challenge noted that the Personal Financial Services Agreement (PFSA) that was incorporated into the account application allowed Scotiabank to close accounts and cancel services without reason giving 30 days’ notice.

‘It is an unqualified contractual right and does not require the decision-maker to form a judgement or evaluation,’ the judge said, suggesting that the National Assembly consider passing legislation to allow for the appointment of an independent person to investigate complaints of account closures.

She said the purely contractual nature of the banker-customer relationship that insulates the bank from liability at common law is undesirable given the centrality of access to banking services in modern life, and the move to make access to Government services digital.

‘In other jurisdictions, this gap has been addressed by the creation of statutory financial services ombudspersons empowered to scrutinise account closures and terminations by reference, not to public law principles of natural justice, but to a statutory standard of whether the bank acted fairly and reasonably in all the circumstances,’ she said.

Justice Pierre said Harbhajan could not successfully claim that the bank breached procedural fairness because its decision to terminate the contract could not be reviewed in accordance with public law.

She said the duty to observe procedural fairness is a public law duty as the bank was not administering a government scheme, acting under delegated statute or otherwise performing a public function.

‘The duty to observe procedural fairness is a public law duty,’ she added.

The High Court also refused to issue a declaration that WIN remains a distinct entity from its individual members and that no sanctions have been imposed on the party or its other candidates.

‘No evidence has been adduced to establish the sanction status of the party or its candidates,’ the judge ruled, adding that on the issue distinctness, she relied on a High Court decision that an unincorporated political party does not have legal personality.

Scotiabank had admitted the account was in good standing and that it was terminated by letter dated 7 August 2025. It denied that the letter stated ‘breach’ as the cause; that the applicant suffered reputational harm; that termination was due to WIN affiliation; and that it lacked a lawful reason.

The judge’s decision noted that Scotiabank through the affidavit of Vibert Jones, said he had no knowledge of Harbhajan’s WIN affiliation or the sanction status of the WIN leader, and had no knowledge that the bank closed the accounts of all WIN members. The bank denied any failure to follow policy or guideline, any breach of natural justice, or Anti-Money Laundering Countering of Financing Terrorism (AMLCFT) Act failure.

The judge said while Harbhajan established that his account was terminated and that he is a WIN candidate, in order to succeed he must show that the reason for termination was his political opinion.

‘He has produced no cogent evidence that political opinion was the reason. His assertion that all WIN members’ accounts were closed by the Respondent is uncorroborated – mere assertion or correlation is insufficient,’ the judge said.

On the issue of Harbhajan alleging non-compliance with the AMLCFT Act and failure to file a Suspicious Transaction Report, the judge dismissed it, saying these are regulatory obligations owed primarily to the State and supervisory authorities.

Justice Pierre added that the applicant identifies no AMLCFT Act provision conferring a private right of action in damages for alleged non compliance. She says a breach of a statutory duty does not automatically give rise to a private right of action, unless it can be shown that Parliament intended the statute to confer such a right on individuals.

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Wednesday, February 11,2026.

BRIDGETOWN -An estimated 271 205 voters have begun casting their ballots in Wednesday’s snap general election that Prime Minister Mia Mottley called a year in advance, hoping to win a third consecutive term in office

GEORGETOWN – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders say they recognise the ‘urgent need’ for a stable political process in Haiti following last weekend end to the mandate of the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) while leaving the future of the French-speaking member country in limbo.

KINGSTOWN – Opposition Leader Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has dismissed the first budget of the ruling New Democratic Party (NDP), describing the fiscal package as ‘unimaginative’ and had probably been written with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI).

CASTRIES – The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) says the results of a survey will provide critical insights into the state of access, affordability, usage and digital skills across its member states.

WASHINGTON -The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has welcomed the ‘courageous steps’ being taken by the Trinidad and Tobago authorities to improve the long-term sustainability of the public pension system.

SPORTS:

MUMBAI – England elected to field after winning the toss against West Indies in the 15th match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup here at Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.

The chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew Wednesday held talks with Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit on issues ahead of the February 24-27 CARICOM summit to be held in St. Kitts and Nevis.

‘I came to meet with senior Prime Minister Skerrit to discuss matters of importance with respect to regional integration, matters that affect the region specifically CARICOM ahead of the 50th regular meeting to be held in Basseterre,’ the St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister told reporters.

Drew has in the past visited several other CARICOM countries and as part of this regional outreach is visiting Dominica and Grenada holding talks with Skerrit and Prime MInister Dickon Mitchell of Grenada.

The engagements form part of Drew’s commitment to direct, face-to-face dialogue with regional leaders, aimed at strengthening coordination, deepening consensus, and ensuring that priority issues affecting CARICOM are effectively ventilated ahead of the summit.

‘We discussed a number of pertinent issues,’ Prime Minister Drew said, adding that he believes the discussions ‘give great hope to the advancement of CARICOM and we look forward to strengthening it, making it even more relevant to the people of the region’. Listen to audio

Drew said that some of the major issues to be discussed at the summit will deal with the efforts at advancing the regional integration process, including trade, foreign policy ‘and how do we advance CARICOM and make it relevant to our people’.

He said he work of the Barbados-based Regional Security System (RSS), the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) will also be discussed.

In recent times, the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has been critical of the integration movement following her country’s support for the United States war on drugs in the Caribbean.

Last December, Persad-Bissessar said the regional organisation was ‘not a reliable partner at this time’ and that every sovereign state must be prepared to accept the consequences of its foreign and domestic policy choices as she defended the United States’ announcement of partial entry restrictions on nationals of Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica.

She said also that the organisation’s support for the then Nicolas Maduro regime in Venezuela, which has been accused of human rights violations and threats against CARICOM members, further undermines its credibility.

But Prime Minister Drew, who earlier this month met with Prime Minister Persad Bissessar, reiterated the position that CARICOM is made up of many different sovereign countries ‘and we seek to reach consensus on what is said.

‘I have always said, no chairman is the president or prime minister of CARICOM. We seek to bring our leaders together and get consensus. So what comes out would be the consensus from CARICOM.

However, at the meeting these things will be discussed as they are always discussed, but more acutely, especially with the geopolitical situation we are facing. But I ant to say to the people of the region, part of my visit is to engage each leader, face to face, eyeball to eyeball so that we can really invigorate CARICOM with what is needed at this particular time.’

Prime Minister Drew recalled a statement made by Prime Minster Skerrit during their discussions in which he said that the principles upon which CARICOM was founded are needed now more than ever,

‘That has stayed with me .and I think that’s the foundation on which we will approach this meeting. The principles on which CARICOM is built, those principles are needed now more than ever.

But to say to our people we have been through tough times before and any organization that is worth its salt, it is shown when things get tough..that if we can survive the tough days we will survive almost any other day.

‘We are not daunted by the difficulties and challenges. As a matter of fact I think we get tough when times get tough, we are stepping up to the plate so that CARICCOM can respond in a way that will benefit our people and the region’.

Prime Minister Drew acknowledged that the situation is challenging, but added ‘we will work through this challenging time and make CARICOM stronger than it was before.

‘I am very hopeful because I see challenges as opportunities for greater things’.

Prime Minister Skerrit has welcomed Drew’s visit to regional countries ahead of the summit, saying ‘ I think it is good gesture.

‘I think it will allow, certainly for more robust discussions at the heads meeting and better outcomes and I think we are well on our way to achieving this.

‘We look forward to the meetings of the heads, it is a challenging time as your have indicated but we are a family in the Caribbean with challenging times and at every opportunity we have overcome those challenges and the challenges we are going through now we believe we can overcome them,’ Skerrit told reporters.

Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed said he is not surprised that the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said Wednesday it had discovered illegal cambio operations at Mohamed’s Enterprise.

‘I think it’s because of the speech in Parliament, this is the outcome but whatever I’m saying is the truth. I have no need to lie about anything,’ said Mohamed who told the National Assembly last Friday that he helped to finance the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

SOCU said the discovery was made during a targeted joint law enforcement operation at the establishment following the receipt of ‘credible information’ and that during the course of the operation, officers uncovered evidence of illegal financial operations and additional materials believed to be connected to unlawful activities.

It said all items seized are currently subject to active forensic and financial investigation and that several individuals are assisting with ongoing enquiries.

SOCU said investigations remain active and further enforcement action will be taken where the evidence so warrants.

‘This action forms part of an intensified national and regional security strategy aimed at disrupting organised criminal networks engaged in gold smuggling, illicit financial flows, unlicensed money exchange operations and related serious offences,’ SOCU noted.

Mohamed said that the police seized just under two million dollars (One Guyana dollar=US$0.004 cents) and several boxes of documents related to gold trading as well as the personal firearm belonging to one of his relatives.

He also one relative and an employee had been taken to a police station by SOCU at the end of the 30-minute search.

He said the money seized was being used to help the less fortunate.

‘They didn’t find any gold, didn’t find any drugs, they didn’t find any large amount of money. All they found was a couple hundred dollars that we would help beggars on a daily basis,’ he said, noting that was the first search of the Mohameds premises since the US sanctions.

Mohammed, along with his billionaire businessman father, Nazar ‘Shell’ Mohamed, were sanctioned by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for allegedly smuggling more than 10,000 kilogrammes of gold worth more than US$50 million and in the process failing to pay the relevant taxes to the Guyana government.

Last October, a US Federal Grand Jury unsealed a 11-count indictment on the Mohameds for alleged wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering. Subsequently, the US requested his extradition to face trial for those alleged crimes. The extradition matter is now before the local courts.

In a video of the search by SOCU posted on his Team Mohamed’s Facebook page, a man was seen reading a document alleging that the Mohameds had in their possession at that building precious minerals, local and foreign currency, electronic documents and financial documents to assist in the investigation of money laundering.

A man was heard telling Mohamed that a dog, which was at the scene, was trained to locate firearms, narcotics and cash. The man then informed Mohemed that he would not be searching the prayer area, to which the Opposition Leader replied ‘you sure you don’t want to search the masjid. (President) Irfaan Ali used to come and pray in that same masjid.’

‘Sheer political persecution in this country just because I am standing up to the PPP for the people of this country, this is what I am going through,’ Mohamed said, urging the search party to go and search other places.

He said he had nothing in the offices because the government had already shut down his businesses and Mohamed in the video is seen frequently asking members of the search party be with him to avoid any alleged planting of drugs in his premises.

Mohamed said he and his father were not required to surrender any cash or gold to the government after the United States sanctions and he had asked for a special account to be established at the Bank of Guyana to ‘store whatever little cash we have’ after the commercial banks had closed both his and his father’s accounts following the OFAC sanction.

A 27-year-old man has been released on BDS$5,000 (One BDS$=US$0.50 cents) bail after he pleaded guilty to posting on social media a video claiming that he had received money from a candidate of the ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP) ahead of Wednesday’s general election.

Akeem Renaldo Durant will return to the Oistins Magistrates’ Court on Monday for sentencing by Chief Magistrate Deidre McKenna.

The court heard that Durant had posted a video on social media falsely claiming that the BLP candidate Wilfred Abrahams had sent him cash in an election envelope. He later claimed the post was a joke.

But police charged him with malicious communication under the Computer Misuse Act.

In the video posted on Monday, Durant is seen opening an election circular purportedly from the candidate containing hundred and fifty-dollar bills, claiming that the money came in the same envelope from Abrahams.

He later posted another video retracting the allegation and apologising.

Abrahams later told the online publication, Barbados TODAY that he was hurt by the post, and that the video not only threatened his reputation but that of his party colleagues who helped prepare the campaign material.

‘The bottom line is, this is not just Wilfred Abrahams, this is impugning the integrity of the volunteers who helped stuff the envelopes. I didn’t have anything to do with the circular. It impugned the integrity of the BLP campaign, it impugned the integrity of our electoral system,’ said Abrahams, an attorney, wh served as home affairs minister in the outgoing government.

Under section 14 of the Computer Misuse Act, sending an electronic message or other communication that is either indecent, obscene, contains a threat, or is menacing in character, is considered malicious communication. The message must not merely be false but could be intended to ’cause or being reckless as to whether they cause annoyance, inconvenience, distress or anxiety to the recipient or another person’.

The offence carries a fine of up to BDS$50 000, or up to five years’ imprisonment, or both.

President Irfaan Ali Wednesday said government is considering the establishment of special courts to deal with traffic-related matters amid plans to expand the electronic ticketing system which was launched in April 2025.

Addressing the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Annual Police Officers’ Conference. Ali, the Commander-in-Chief said the world is being reshaped by artificial intelligence (AI) and rapid digital advancement, and Guyana must move just as quickly to stay effective.

He said that the centre of the shift is the new e-ticketing system, which is already transforming law enforcement on the road.

Formally called the Safe Road Intelligent System (SRIS), the automated traffic enforcement network monitors speeding, seatbelt usage, and illegal third-lane driving. It uses AI-powered cameras, radar, and cloud infrastructure to issue digital tickets and already, hundreds of offenders have been hauled before the courts.

‘We have started the e-ticketing system that has been working tremendously well,’ Ali said, adding that it has brought ‘sanity on our roadways’ by reducing bias and removing much of the human interference that once influenced traffic enforcement.

But the success of the system is creating a new challenge of volume with technology able to detect and process offences at high speed and President Ali noting that the traditional court system may soon struggle to keep up.

He said to deal with the blacklogs and delays, there must be a specialised traffic court.

‘Because of the mere speed of this technology and the number of transactions, the judiciary may very well have to look at a specialised court to deal with traffic offences,’ he said, noting that if offenders believe cases can be delayed, it could weaken the impact of enforcement.

Ali has since asked the Minister of Home Affairs, Oneidge Walrond, to examine advancing legislative changes to digitise the entire process.

‘E-ticketing, e-prosecution, but importantly, the writs, the warrants and everything, that has to be presented in court, all of this must be on an electronic platform. It is the only way we can achieve and celebrate the fullness of the technology,’ he said.

Under the SRIS, the President noted that the government will soon launch a demerit system.

‘The points demerit system will be integrated in the e-ticketing system.the amendments will speak to this, how the demerit system will work.how it’s integrated into persons who don’t pay their tickets and the different tiers of suspension for your licence.’

Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken has admitted that some investigations are taking too long, affecting both case progress and public trust and as a result a major reform plan is underway.

‘We must acknowledge that some crime investigations take too long, affecting public confidence. We are rolling out reforms in phases, with better training and practical systems to make policing more effective,’ Hicken said.

He told the opening ceremony the GPF’s 2027-2031 strategic plan includes nationwide rollout of the Safe Country Initiative, expanding command centres and CCTV coverage, the use of artificial intelligence and data for crime prevention, digitising citizen reports and improving regional dispatch systems to cut response times.

‘These reforms will make investigations faster, smarter, and more reliable, giving the public the confidence they deserve.’.

In 2025, the GPF recorded a 25 per cent reduction in serious crimes.

An estimated 271 205 voters have begun casting their ballots in Wednesday’s snap general election that Prime Minister Mia Mottley called a year in advance, hoping to win a third consecutive term in office.

While six political parties and independent candidates, numbering 96, are facing the electorate for control of the 30-seat Parliament, political observers say the poll is a straight fight between the country’s two oldest political parties – the incumbent Barbados Labur Party (BLP) and the main opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP).

The Supervisor of Elections, Sherland Turton, in a statement headlined ‘Prohibited Devices’ has said that while ‘voters are assured that there will be privacy’, polling booths ‘will be positioned so each voter will enter the booth with his or her back to the Presiding Officer’.

The polling stations opened at 6.00 am (local time) and will close 12 hours later.

Turton is also reminding voters that all communication devices including smartwatches, smartphones, and smart pens, will be prohibited inside the polling stations.

But she said that the new regulations, ‘there will be privacy, so that the secrecy of the vote will be maintained’.

For the first time in Barbados’ political history, the election is being monitored by observer groups the the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Commonwealth.

Mottley had invited the observers so as to maintain the country’s long-standing reputation for democracy and integrity, while rejecting opposition calls to postpone the poll.

All the political parties on Tuesday night sought to woe voters ahead of the polls with Mottley telling BLP supporters thsat ‘there will not be arrogance’ in the party, which had won all 30 seats in the last two general elections.

For its part, the DLP speakers said ‘we have to restore the balance in this country, we have to go to the polls and allow our voices.and we declare we are taking back our country’.

The EBC has reminded voters to ensure that they bring along their national identification cards to the polling station where they are registered to vote, adding that a valid passport or driving licence may also be presented as official identification.

Employers have also been told that workers must be allowed ‘a reasonable period of not less than one hour.

‘Employers must not make any deductions from wages, salaries or any other remuneration, or impose upon any elector any penalty due to their absence for the period of voting.’

Shai Hope has delivered a stark warning to his West Indies teammates after their 30-run victory over England at the Wankhede Stadium, stating that there are no second chances in World Cup cricket.

The West Indies captain cut a satisfied figure after watching his side topple England in Wednesday’s ICC T20 showdown, making it two wins from two in the group C action.

But with qualification margins razor-thin, Hope made it clear that complacency will not be tolerated.

‘This is World Cup cricket. It’s not like a bilateral series where you can go one down and then come back and win 3-2,’ Hope said. ‘You’ve got to make sure you try to execute as precisely as you can, especially from the jump. There’s not really a second or third game that you could come back and hope for the best.’

The Caribbean side delivered a polished performance, but their captain is already looking ahead.

‘I can’t really put too much stress and emphasis on the past. The results that we’ve had previously are something we can’t necessarily control. Now we’ve got to focus on what’s in front of us.’

What’s in front of them is a group stage campaign that suddenly looks promising. Two wins from two. Table-toppers. But Hope knows better than most how quickly fortunes can shift in this tournament.

‘It’s just nice to get two wins in our first two games. The aim is to continue that trend. Hopefully, we can get nice, smooth sailing through the rest of the group stage games.’

If there was smooth sailing to be found in Mumbai, Hope found it. The West Indies skipper spoke with genuine affection about a venue that seems to bring the best out of his side.

‘It’s one of those grounds that when you come here, you just feel like playing cricket,’ he said. ‘You can say the same for most venues in India, but something about here at Wankhede just brings a different vibe, a different energy. It’s a very nice ground to play at. It’s just nice to get a win here as well.’

The win was built on collective effort, but one man drew special praise from his captain. Sherfane Rutherford’s impact with the bat did not happen by accident, Hope revealed.

‘He’s always a hard worker, especially when it comes to his batting. He is always very diligent with the way he goes about his preparation. He would bat from the start of the session all the way through to the end if he’s really working on something.’

Hope’s voice carried genuine warmth when discussing a teammate whose methodical approach is now paying dividends on the biggest stage.

‘I don’t think that has changed from the time he came into the team all the way till now. It’s just nice to see when guys are putting in that hard work in the nets, that preparation, that the success follows.’

‘It was very good to see Sherfane coming in and making an impact once again today. It was good to see the batters putting their hands up.’

Hope also had high praise for his bowlers, including countryman Roston Chase, who came into the team to bolster their stocks.

‘Roston is one of those utility players you can call on anytime. We brought him in as a tactical change with all the left-handers England have in their team, and that decision paid off for us today, as Roston contributed with the bat and the ball.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has opened a new recreation center in the heart of the Caribbean community in Brooklyn honouring the late Caribbean-American Congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm.

Chisholm, the daughter of Barbadian and Guyanese immigrants, was born on November 30, 1924 in Brooklyn and died on January 1, 2005 in Ormond Beach, Florida. She made history as the first African American woman to be elected to the US Congress, serving in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 1983.

In 1972, Chisholm also became the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.

The new center in East Flatbush, Brooklyn is called the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center.

Mayor Mamdani was joined at the opening ceremony by New York City Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura and several Caribbean-American legislators, including Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, the son of Grenadian immigrants; New York State Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party and daughter of Haitian immigrants; Assembly Member Monique Chandler-Waterman, the daughter of Jamaican and Barbadian immigrants, who represents the 58th Assembly District in Brooklyn; and New York City Councilmember Farah Louis, the daughter of Haitian and Bahamian immigrants, who represents the 45th Council District in Brooklyn.

Mamdani said the new center is the first new Park recreation center in over a decade, the first ever in Central Brooklyn, and the largest recreation center in the whole borough.

Located in the heart of Little Haiti, the mayor said the center is expected to serve residents of East Flatbush and Midwood, with over 41,000 New Yorkers living within a 15-minute walk or transit ride of the new center.

Mamdani said the approximately 74,000-square-foot recreation center provides space for swimming, team sports, exercise, educational programming, and even A/V production in a media lab.

Like all Parks recreation centers, he said discounts are available for New Yorkers of all ages, and membership is entirely free for people 24 years and younger.

The center was fully opened to the public on Tuesday and Mamdani said for the first week, all New Yorkers will have the opportunity to use the brand-new center for one free day of their choosing, prior to becoming members.

‘The Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center will soon be alive with possibility – kids learning to swim, cook, and grow their own food; friends coming together on the court; neighbors of every generation creating and connecting, from the gym to the podcast studio,’ Mamdani said.

‘This will be a space where the city meets itself, built to serve the people who call it home. Shirley Chisholm believed that politics should be accountable to everyday people,’ he said, adding that ‘in that spirit, this center will stand as a living tribute to her legacy, proving that when we invest in truly affordable, accessible public spaces, we can build a city that works for all of us.’

Shimamura urged New Yorkers to cancel their gym subscription and ‘join us at Shirley Chisholm, where we have state-of-the-art amenities at a fraction of the cost.

‘This new center means that over 41,000 New Yorkers now have an affordable space to exercise, learn, and connect with their neighbors, a fitting tribute to Chisholm’s commitment to community investment,’ she said. ‘

Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, said Chisholm was ‘not only a trailblazer and a champion for Brooklyn, but she was my mentor, my guide, and a constant reminder to lead with courage and conviction.

‘Witnessing her name on a space that will uplift East Flatbush is deeply personal and profoundly meaningful to me,’ said the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

‘The Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center is a living tribute to her ‘unbought and unbossed’ legacy, and a place where our young people can dream big, our families can gather, and our seniors can thrive.

‘I look forward to seeing our community take full advantage of the variety of amenities this facility will providen. This center represents what Shirley Chisholm always fought for: community, opportunity, and a future where everyone has the chance to live healthy, safe,

Williams thanked the mayor, the Parks Department and elected officials at the ceremony.

‘There were no youth centers in East Flatbush, in this part . It was a shame that, as was mentioned, there are some communities that have a plethora of these [recreation centers], and there are some communities that have none,’ he said. ‘This is a celebration with a lot more work to do.’

Bichotte Hermelyn said that, after years of advocacy, securing funding, and two years of construction, ‘it is deeply meaningful to see the Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center finally open its doors to the community.