Category: CANA News

Several Caribbean Community (CARICOM), countries, excluding Guyana Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, have been included among 75 countries that the United States Wednesday announced it was suspending the processing of immigrant visas.

The move by President Donald Trump is the latest move designed to prevent foreigners seeking to visit the North American country.

‘The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people,’ State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.

He said that the immigrant visa processing from the 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassesses immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.

The CARICOM countries named are Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, , Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Saint andSt. Viincent and the Grenadines,

White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt posted on X that the countries affected would include Somalia as well as Russia and Iran.

She confirmed that other countries affected would include a number of countries with friendly relations with the United States.

Trump has made no secret of his desire to reduce immigration by people who are not of European descent and the State Department said Monday that it has revoked more than 100,000 visas since Trump’s return, a one-year record.

The Department of Homeland Security last month said that the Trump administration has deported more than 605,000 people, and that 2.5 million others left on their own.

The latest announcement by Washington does not affect tourist, business or other visas, including for soccer fans seeking to visit for this year’s World Cup.

The main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) says while it supports growth in technology and investment, this should not be at the expense of transparency as the debate continues here over the move by the Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) to acquire Speednet – SMART.

BTL says it is offering BDZ$80 million (One Belize dollar=US$0.49 cents) with BDZ$10 million being paid in cash and the balance being paid in the form of loan notes which are for a four year term and carry interest at a rate of 4.5 per cent per annum.

Speednet, is a Belizean communications company, established in 2003 and providing mostly deals with cellular services under the brand name ‘SMART’ and other landline services.

UDP and Opposition Leader, Tracy Panton outlined her party’s concerns telling reporters that the positions are non-negotiable.

‘Here are the UDP’s non-negotiable demands, public disclosure on the independent assessments and evaluations that have been complied to justify this deal must be made public.

‘There must be full transparency on financing sources and public exposure. Parliamentary consideration and debate must be had before the process is allowed to proceed any further. There must be binding consume protection on pricing and service quality. There must be binding worker protection and disclosure on labor impact. There must be the establishment of clear competition and merger control rules,’ she said.

‘Let me be clear, the UDP is not anti- technology, not anti-investment. We are however firmly oppose to secrecy. We do not accept monopolies without proper consultation and consent,’ she said.

The UDP insists that it is not closing the door on a telecom monopoly, bit is making it quite clear that their list of non-negotiables must come first before any deal is signed.

On Monday, Panton led a delegation that held talks with Lord Michael Ashcroft, laying out its position on the proposed sale. Ashcroft’s Waterloo Group Charitable Trust owns 70 per cent of Speed-net SMART.

‘Indeed, I met with Mr. Ashcroft to make it clear to him what the position of this party is. We cannot continue to support any kind of public acquisition that will affect materially the public interest. That is our stand.

‘We cannot support a monopoly. And you want me to say there will be absolutely no monopoly. Well, there should be absolutely no monopoly in electricity. There should be absolutely no monopoly in water if that is the stance we are going to take.’

Panton said that in democratic countries, especially in Belize ‘there is room for monopolies because we have a small market to serve, that is why there is only one electricity provider and that is why there is only one provider for water service’.

Last week, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) urged the government to address the sale of Speednet – SMART, warning that the acquisition represents ‘a matter of profound national significance’.

‘This transaction would fundamentally reshape Belize’s telecommunication’s landscape, with lasting implications for consumer welfare, business competitiveness, the stewardship of public funds and the overall health of our digital economy,’ the BCC said in a statement.

Four independent members of the Senate also called for an immediate pause on any decisions related to the sale.

In a joint statement, the legislators said they support calls from the BCCI and the National Trade Union Congress of Belize for full disclosure before any acquisition of commercial assets is approved.

The Barbados government has hinted at the possibility of following several other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries in signing an agreement with the United States to facilitate third country refugees so as to mitigate scenarios where Washington cannot return these individuals to their state of birth or origin.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Kerrie Symmonds, says while Bridgetown has not yet been approached by Washington, ‘I would like to think that we would not be left out:.

So far, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Lucia and Saint Kitts and Nevis have all indicated that they have signed the accord with the North American country, while Guyana has disclosed that negotiations are still ongoing.

Symmonds told the online publication, Barbados TODAY that the United States is going around the Caribbean, and ‘they have not reached out to us yet, so we will just wait and see.

‘It is not something we are looking forward to,’ he said, adding that Barbados will ‘cross that bridge’ when the time comes.

Symmonds declined to comment on what conditions Barbados might attach to any deal with the US, reiterating that the country had not yet heard from the Trump administration.

He said that Antigua and Barbuda had stipulated that it would not accept asylum-seekers with criminal records, while Dominica has said there were ‘careful deliberations of the need to avoid receiving violent individuals or individuals who will compromise the security of Dominica’.

In December last year, the Trump administration expanded travel restrictions to 20 more countries, including Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda that went into effect on January 1 this year.

Last week, the US State Department said Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica were the only two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries whose citizens will now have to post a bond of up to US$15,000 when applying for a visa to enter the North American country.

The US State Department said that the measure comes into effect from January 21, this year and the only other Caribbean country named is Cuba. The majority of the countries whose citizens would need to post the bond are from Africa.

The Trinidad and Tobago government Wednesday signalled its intention to follow its counterpart administration in Jamaica and introduce

Zones of Special Operations (ZOSOs), as the country seeks to take advantage of the reduction in murders and other crimes during a state of emergency (SoE) that is expected to end at monthend.

Jamaica established ZOSOs under the 2017 Special Security and Community Development Measures Act, to tackle high crime in specific areas through enhanced security and community development and regularly extended by Parliament.

Attorney General John Jeremie, speaking at a news conference held at the headquarters of the ruling United National Congress (UNC), said the Kamla Persad-Bissessar administration intends to advance the ZOSO legislation, designed to target crime ‘hot spots’ without resorting to a SoE, which he acknowledged had ‘yielded tangible benefits.

‘We intend to lock in those advantages which have yielded tremendous results in terms of the drop in homicides, the drop in wounding and the drop in general crime generally,’ Jeremie told reporters, adding ‘our first attempt to do that is with the zones legislation.

‘The legislation which is before the House is intended to ensure that there is a measure of proportionality between our responses and the threats which we now face. So that instead of a national state of emergency, we propose to concentrate on hot spots,’ he added.

Jeremie said there would also be some parameters under which the ZOSOs will function.

‘There is legislative precedence, I think I can say that without going into the bill. There is legislative precedence for what we propose to do. There are checks and controls. There will be judicial oversight, there will be some time constraint in respect to how long the designation of a particular zone of operation, how long that designation can last and there will be procedures set in the bill to govern who exactly can declare somewhere zone of operation,’ Jeremie said.

‘We just ask you to remember that these are matters which are before the Parliament,’ he said.

Last year, Trinidad and Tobago recorded 369 murders last year, a 42 per cent decline in murders as compared to the previous year when 626 people were killed the lowest murder figures for Trinidad and Tobago since 2014.

The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) had in an earlier statement this month said that serious crimes had also declined by eight per cent, violent crimes dropped by 15 per cent, larceny of motor vehicles decreased by 21 per cent and fatal road traffic accidents went down by 22 per cent.

The police said there was also an improved detection rate, including an increase in the detection rate for murders, which went from 15 per cent to 20 per cent. For national serious reported crimes, the detection rate went up from 29 per cent to 36 per cent.

Police also seized 673 illegal firearms and more than three tonnes of marijuana.

The police said, under SoE powers, they executed 12,574 operations, targeting 3,723 priority offenders and conducted over 82,000 searches.

Royal Caribbean International, the only cruise line serving Haiti, says it has cancelled more of its scheduled visits to Labadee, its private destination on the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country, until the end of this year.

‘Out of an abundance of caution, we have extended our pause to Labadee through December 2026,’ a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said in a statement .

The company had previously suspended calls to Haiti through April 2026 amid ongoing violence in the country, where criminal gangs are seeking to overthrow the provisional government, whose term of office comes to an end on February 7.

Gang violence escalated in Haiti in 2024, and the United States State Department travel advisory lists it as Level 4, denoting a ‘do not travel’ warning, its highest rating.

‘Crimes involving firearms are common in Haiti. They include robbery, carjackings, sexual assault, and kidnappings for ransom. Do not travel to Haiti for any reason.’

The leased land around Labadee allows Royal Caribbean passengers to enjoy a multitude of activities on five private beaches nestled between the sea and the mountains. It also features an 800-meter zipline, water slides, jet skis, private cabanas, and much more. The resort has its own private security team.

Belize and the United States have launched a new initiative marking a milestone in their cooperation on border protection amid concerns being raised by opposition legislators.

The initiative will allow for officials from the Ministry of Immigration to work with their US counterparts under the Biometric Data Sharing Partnership (BDSP).

As part of this new partnership, Belize’s points of entry will receive a software and hardware upgrade that enables immigration officers to conduct background checks on visitors by accessing the United States Department of Homeland Security’s identity database, one of the world’s largest biometric law enforcement archives.

‘We are pleased to introduce the Biometric Data Sharing Partnership, a collaborative initiative between the Ministry of Immigration and the government of the United States through its embassy here in Belize,’ said Immigration Minister, Kareem Musa, at the signing ceremony.

‘This partnership modernises how we identify people entering our country, supports our immigration officers with advanced tools and training and strengthens national security.

‘We remain fully committed to safeguarding our national borders while providing excellent service to those who visit us with genuine intent,’ Musa added.

Home Affairs and Enterprise Minister, Oscar Mira, said that in an ‘increasing inter connected world, national security, border management and public safety are no longer challenges that anyone country can face alone.

The chief executive officer in the Ministry of Immigration, Governance and Labour, Tanya Santos, said that the new technology will provide immigration officers with the ability to ‘identify certain red flags be it in behaviour, patterns of travellers that would allow them to submit someone to secondary screening where their bio-data will be captured’.

The Charge’ D’Affaires at the US Embassy here, Catherine Beamer, said that this initiative will provide Belize with access to data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data base.

‘This data base is one of the world’s largest biometric data base. we have countries from all over the world providing information and we are sharing it with our partners like Belize’ the diplomat added.

However, opposition legislator, Patrick Faber, told a news conference that the party is questioning the agreement reached with the United States.

‘ A year ago we saw the prime minister (John Briceno) signed an agreement with the US government about sharing biodata information and up to now we have not heard any clarification as to what that is.’

He said that Musa signed an agreement for the sharing of biometrics and biodata ‘and we have to be concerned when we are not hearing from our leaders about this information sharing.

‘People might say this is no big deal. It is nothing happening here. It is ok to share this information. Think about your private information being shared to somebody, especially if it may land in the hands of your enemy or somebody working against you or trying to coerce you to do something that you might not find important to do. Think of it in that light,’ Faber told reporters.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says two of Jamaica’s top academic leaders are now working on a national rollout strategy to equip Jamaican women to thrive in the digital era.

It said that the academics recently participated in a Global Leadership Academy on Women Leading in the Digital Era that took place in Marrakesh, Morocco.

The chief executive officer of the Management Institute for National Development (MIND), Dr. Ruby Brown and University of the West Indies (UWI) Professor, Gunjan Mansingh, joined more than 60 diverse women leaders across politics, institutions, and civil society, connecting five continents, for the four day event last month hosted by the UNDP and the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division (UNEAD).

The UNDP said that the two Jamaican educators were equipped to champion digital equity and inclusive leadership in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI), focusing on developing personalised leadership journey maps and concrete action plans to promote women’s leadership in the digital space within their institutions and communities in Jamaica.

‘Their plans are expected to form the foundation for national implementation strategies, enabling participants to share lessons while scaling the Academy’s impact across sectors and generations,’ the UNDP said, adding that long after the 2025 global academy, the initiative intends to build a global alumni network of women leaders who continue to collaborate, mentor, and support one another.

UNDP Resident Representative, Dr. Kishan Khoday, said this is not just training, it is a movement for future-ready, values-driven leadership.

‘By investing in women’s digital leadership, the Academy contributes directly to inclusive governance, stronger institutions, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UNDP Multi Country Office here in Jamaica was delighted to nominate these two outstanding academic leaders to help further the participation of women in the digital age,’ Khoday stated.

Brown said that participating in the academy was a ‘timely and highly practical experience that strengthened my approach to inclusive, future-ready public leadership’.

She said lessons learned will support institutionalising leadership development in MIND’s implementation of the Public Sector Learning and Development (PSL and D) Policy and its learning framework and help embed leadership values and behaviours to sustain transformation across the public service.

For her part, Mansingh said the conversations went far beyond theory.

‘I gained practical frameworks and tools for transformational leadership that challenged my long-held belief that leadership is either innate or learned only through experience,’ she recalled, noting that a key takeaway for her is that technology, when guided by diverse and inclusive leadership, can become a powerful force for systemic equality.

The academy’s mandate is shaped by evidence of systemic exclusion of women, youth and persons with disabilities from systems which shape the future, demonstrating the urgency of inclusive design and leadership.

Globally, women hold only 10-11 per cent of tech leadership roles, 22 per cent of AI jobs, and 27 per cent of parliamentary seats, leaving half of humanity out of digital and political decision-making.

The UNDP said that AI is also advancing faster than institutions can govern it, disproportionately affect women, girls, and marginalized communities.

Barbados Women defeated Trinidad and Tobago Women by three wickets in the third match of the T20 Blaze here at Arnos Vale on Tuesday.

Scores

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO WOMEN 97-5 in 20 overs (Britney Cooper 33, Karishma Ramharack 21; Naijanni Cumberbatch 2-18).

BARBADOS WOMEN 99-7 in 18.3 overs (Eboni Brathwaite 26, Trishan Holder 16, Shamelia Connell 16 not out; Brianna Harricharan 3-8)

Antigua and Barbuda Wednesday said it has not been officially informed of the latest migration policy of the United States where Washington announced it was suspending the processing of immigrant visas for 75 countries including 12 in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region. for 75 countries including 12 in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region.

Antigua and Barbuda Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders, in a statement said that he has been made aware of United States and regional media reports that the United States Department of State is contemplating a suspension of the visa processing..

‘Upon becoming aware of these reports, I made immediate inquiries with the United States Department of State. As of this moment, no formal announcement has been made, and no official communication has been issued to the Embassies of the countries reportedly affected.’

Sir Ronald said that he was advised by senior officials of the Department of State that this matter arises from a new requirement under direction of the White House.

‘However, contrary to some media reports, the measure under consideration does not apply to all visa categories. It relates only to applications for immigrant visas (commonly referred to as ‘green cards’), which are subject to a temporary pause of up to sixty (60) days while vetting and screening procedures are reviewed.’

Sir Ronald said that he wanted to emphasise that ‘at this stage, no written notification has been provided to Embassies, and the information available to me is based on direct conversations with senior officials, rather than on any formal directive.

‘It is also important to clarify that applications for immigration to the United States are matters exclusively between the individual applicant and the Government of the United States. The country of nationality or origin of an applicant has no legal or administrative role in decisions relating to the grant or refusal of immigrant status.’

The move by President Donald Trump is the latest move designed to prevent foreigners seeking to visit the North American country.

‘The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people,’ State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.

He said that the immigrant visa processing from the 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassesses immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.

The CARICOM countries named are Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, , Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Saint and St. Viincent and the Grenadines.

Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago are not included in the new policy.

White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt posted on X that the countries affected would include Somalia as well as Russia and Iran.

The Antigua and Barbuda diplomat said that in the meantime, the Gaston Browne administration ‘continues its representations to the relevant United States authorities to secure the removal of Antigua and Barbuda from the list of countries subject to partial visa restrictions, including the requirement for certain visa applicants to post a bond.

‘These efforts remain ongoing and active,’ he added.

A new study released by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has found that drug use disorders are a major and growing public health problem in the Americas, including the Caribbean.

It said that drug use is among the top 10 risk factors contributing to all-cause mortality and disability in the region.

PAHO said that in 2021, an estimated 17.7 million people in the Americas were living with a drug use disorder, resulting in nearly 78,000 deaths directly attributable to these disorders, representing a mortality rate four times higher than the global average.

The new study, based on analyses of data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021, revealed that drug use disorders are primarily underpinned by opioid use and disproportionately affect young men.

Opioid use disorders accounted for more than 75 per cent of all drug use disorder-related deaths. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) linked to drug use disorders nearly tripled between 2000 and 2021, increasing at an average rate of almost five per cent per year. Young adults, particularly men, experienced the highest burden, while deaths among women also increased, raising additional concern.

‘Drug use disorders are a preventable and treatable public health problem, yet they are taking an increasing toll on families and communities across our region,’ said PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa.

‘Countries must urgently scale up evidence-based prevention, treatment, and harm reduction services-especially for young people and those at higher risk.’

PAHO said that the landscape of drug use disorders varies significantly across the region. In North America, the study highlights a sharp increase in disorders related to opioids-particularly highly potent synthetic opioids such as fentanyl-as well as amphetamines.

In contrast, the main contributors to drug use disorders in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America over the past decade have been cannabis and cocaine use.

The authors estimate that 145,515 all-cause deaths in the Americas in 2021 resulted from conditions such as opioid overdose, liver cancer, cirrhosis, and suicide attributable to drug use.

This places drug use among the top 10 risk factors contributing to mortality and disability in the region, alongside high blood pressure, high body-mass index, dietary risks, and tobacco use.

PAHO said significant increases in opioid and amphetamine use disorders were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Itsaid crisis-related stress, disruptions in health services, and social isolation may have intensified existing vulnerabilities and contributed to the increase in drug-related deaths during this period.

PAHO said that the study’s findings underscore critical gaps in prevention, access to treatment, and harm reduction services across the Americas.

It is urging countries to strengthen drug prevention programs targeting youth and high-risk populations; expand access to treatment and harm reduction, including medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders; integrate substance use services into primary health care and community-based services; improve surveillance and data systems to detect emerging trends, particularly those involving synthetic opioids and combined drug use; and ensure gender-responsive approaches, given the growing burden among women.

PAHO said tools such as the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), are recognized as cost-effective strategies to reduce harm and close the treatment gap.

‘We must place mental health and substance use care at the center of our health systems,’ said Dr. Renato Oliveira E Souza, chief of the Mental Health and Substance Use Unit at PAHO.

‘Community-based, people-centered services, supported by strong public health leadership and national strategies informed by epidemiological patterns, can reverse these trends and save thousands of lives across the Americas.’