Category: CANA News

The Bahamas government says it is awaiting a response from China regarding the construction of a US$277 million 200 bed hospital.

Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. Michael Darville, told a news conference that the Phillip Davis government is waiting response from Beijing for the finalisation of documents associated with the project on New Providence. Last year, the government signed an agreement to borrow US$195 million from the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of China covering an estimated 73 per cent of the funding for the project.

The government had indicated that the remaining US$72 million will be funded by the Ministry of Finance.

‘I’m pleased to report that the Chinese EXIM Bank forwarded a document to the Ministry of Finance that was signed and forwarded back to Beijing for finalization,’ Darville said, adding ‘once that is in our possession. all of the other details associated with the project will be finalised.

‘And once that exists, I’ve made it very clear in the House of Assembly that I would bring a communication in the House where I would lay on the table all of the parameters associated with that contractual signing.’

The main opposition Free National Movement (FNM) has questioned the government regarding the labour component of the point.

‘The new day administration does not like to talk about just how many Chinese workers will come into the country as part of their deal,’ said former prime minister, Dr. Hubert Minnis, adding ‘I have asked before what that number will be. Will it be 500, or 800 or more than 1,000?

‘Why won’t they answer this question? Are they hiding the number?’

The government said the new hospital will feature specialized maternal and pediatric wards, emergency intensive care services, diagnostics, lab facilities, surgical suites, infectious disease isolation units, and a lot of green spaces for holistic healing.

he Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) says 100 Brazilian miners have been suspended from all mining operations with immediate effect.

In a brief statement, the GGMC said it is also suspended with immediate effect the miners permission to operate and any related authorisation. ‘Such suspension takes effect immediately and shall remain in force pending the affected persons’ engagement with, and compliance to the satisfaction of, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission,’ the GGMC said, adding that this notice is issued ‘without prejudice to any further regulatory or enforcement action which the Commission may lawfully pursue’.

Last weekend the Guyana government, through the Ministry of Natural Resources, said it had carried out joint operations with the GGMC, the ministry’s Compliance Unit, and the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

It said during these operations, several undocumented individuals were processed, gold was seized, and the verification of persons of interest was successfully completed.

‘This initiative is a part of our ongoing efforts to combat illegal mining and the trading of precious metals in our country,’ the ministry said in a statement.

Last Friday, President Irfaan Ali said gold miners who fail to declare their production will face immediate consequences, including deregistration, prosecution, and possible expulsion as the government intensifies its crackdown on illegal and non-compliant mining operations.

‘All registered dredges with no declaration will be deregistered, and all foreign miners operating illegally in Guyana must be identified for prosecution and expulsion,’ Ali said.

Guyana last year set a target of 500,000 ounces of gold and according to a government statement, Ali directed that immediate action be taken to ensure that all gold miners fully comply with their obligations to declare all gold produced in 2025.

The opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) is calling on the Dominica government to ‘immediately halt’ the implementation of the agreement with the United States to facilitate third country refugees to be sent to Dominica so as to mitigate scenarios where Washington cannot return these individuals to their state of birth or origin.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit told a news conference on Monday that during discussions with the State Department there has been careful deliberation of the need to avoid receiving violent individuals or individuals who will compromise the security of Dominica. He said given the importance of bilateral relationships between the United States and Dominica, he as prime minister and head of government, ‘believe it is important to find key points of agreement and compromise between our countries.

‘This engagement is based on our responsibility to safeguard the wellbeing of our people, particularly their access to lawful travel, education, employment and family connections, while strengthening cooperation between our governments.

‘I believe this will further deepen our longstanding relationship and signal clearly that Dominica remains a willing and reliable partner of the United States in the region,’ Skerrit said.

But the UPP said that while it recognises Dominica’s humanitarian traditions, ‘this decision raises fundamental questions that demand immediate answers from the administration.

‘The Prime Minister’s brief statement announcing this agreement falls far short of the transparency he has repeatedly promised the people of Dominica. Most troubling is his declaration that this is ‘a done deal’ – a unilateral decision made without any consultation with the Dominican people. This represents a blatant disrespect to the citizens of this nation and a dangerous precedent for governance.’

The UPP said it is demanding that Prime Minister Skerrit halt the implementation of this agreement until proper consultation with the Dominican people has occurred as well as ‘release the full terms of this deportee agreement to the public’

The opposition party is also calling on the government to provide detailed information about security vetting procedures and protocols, provide detailed information about financial compensation and support mechanisms as well as outline specific plans for housing, employment, and integration

The party is calling for consultation with all stakeholders, including opposition parties, civil society, and affected communities and allow ‘parliamentary debate and scrutiny of this agreement before any implementation proceeds’.

During the news conference on Monday, Prime Minister Skerrit was asked to disclose which countries the migrants would be coming to Dominica, but responded by saying ‘there are details’ which he cannot share with the country at this stage.

‘But all of the questions you have asked have been considered as part of the discussions and part of the agreement, the MOU between Dominica and the United States,’ Skerrit said, noting that Washington ‘has been very respectful and reasonable and understanding of our concerns’.

The Bermuda government Tuesday said it is extending to January 31, this year, the public consultation on modernising the island’s jury and providing residents with additional time to share their views.

The consultation was originally scheduled to have concluded at the end of December last year, and Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Kim Wilkerson, said the decision to extend the consultation period reflects the Government’s commitment to broad and meaningful public engagement, including focused outreach to young people. ‘The feedback we have received to date, from public meetings, online submissions and radio discussions, has already been insightful, and this continued engagement will help shape meaningful change.

‘Extending the consultation period allows us to ensure that a wide range of perspectives are considered,’ said Wilkerson, thanking ‘everyone who has participated in the consultation so far, including those who attended parish council meetings and those who took the time to engage with us through public forums and media discussions’.

She said their contributions ‘are valued and form an important part of this process’ and that as part of the extended consultation period, the Ministry of Justice will host a dedicated engagement session later this month.

The session will focus on introducing senior school students to the role and importance of juries and inviting their perspectives on how Bermuda’s jury system can continue to evolve.

Wilkerson said that directly engaging young people represents a unique and forward-looking element of the consultation.

‘We believe that engaging students at this stage allows us to better understand how young Bermudians view civic responsibility and participation, and those insights can help inform a reformed jury selection system that reflects the society it serves,’ Wilkerson added.

Former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has revealed that it was not his choice to retire from Test cricket almost 11 years ago.

Speaking recently on the Beard Before Wicket Podcast, the 42-year-old said he believed then West Indies head coach, Otis Gibson was responsible for pushing him out of the side.

Bravo, considered one of the greatest-ever T20 players, played 40 Tests for the West Indies, scoring 2200 runs, inclusive of three centuries and 13 half centuries at an average of 31.42. He also took 86 wickets with two five-wicket hauls, at an average of 39.83. ‘No, I didn’t decide to give up Test cricket, they decided to give me up. So, it’s funny that you ask that question because my assistant coach, Otis (Gibson), is the guy who was the coach of West Indies team back then, when my Test career came (to an end).

‘I didn’t think it had anything to do with Sammy because I think at that time Sammy was a young captain and the captaincy was just given to him, so he didn’t have much influence, so much say over what team was selected,’ Bravo said.

‘So, I always tell Gibbo it was him and the selectors back then and the board’s decision. It was never my personal decision to finish Test cricket and that’s (the) God honest truth.’

Bravo said he made the tough decision to retire after he was left off the Test team for five years.

He recalled that the selectors saw him mainly as a white-ball cricketer, despite declaring his interests to play Test cricket.

‘I had made it very clear that I wanted to continue my Test journey and obviously they had different plans and different ideas and there’s not much I could have done.

‘But if it was my decision, I would have played a lot more Test matches and longer,’ Bravo admitted.

However, while he was disappointed to have his Test career cut short, Bravo acknowledged that the outcome also opened the door to a different chapter of his career and one that would eventually redefine his legacy.

‘It was cut short and you lose here, but I gained here. Because I think if I continued to play more Test matches, I would not have the T20 career that I have,’ he acknowledged.

The Organization of American States (OAS) Tuesday said it is prepared to play a meaningful role in the future development of Venezuela as member countries split over whether the United States’ decision to invade the South American country last Saturday, seizing its head of state, upholds accountability or undermines a foundational principle of international order.

OAS Secretary General, Albert Ramdin, told a special meeting of the OAS Permanent Council following the US military action that led to the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, that there is need to ‘reaffirm the importance of unity within the American region, recognising that diversity of views exist by underscoring the shared responsibility to peace and stability in the hemisphere’. Ramdin said member states are the corner stone of that unity and as the ‘shared adherence to international law in the Inter-American legal framework which provides a common point of reference for dialogue and collective consideration including respect for sovereignty, human rights and democratic governance.

‘As we go forward we must consider in what way we all can find the moment to re-affirm the collective commitment of member states to these norms and values that underpin our unity and peaceful coexistence in our hemisphere’.

Ramdin said that the Americas has historically aspired to be a zone of peace and that safeguarding this position ‘continues to be in the collective interest of all member states’.

He said with regards to Venezuela, the ‘commitment is clear,’ and that morally, the member states owe the Venezuelan people ‘our solidarity.

‘Strategically, a stable democratic and prosperous Venezuela is in the interest of every single member state around this table. At a minimum we share responsibilities for m=finding solutions that deliver concrete improvements to people’s lives, respecting the inalienable right of the Venezuelan people to determine its own government and its own leadership in a representative democracy’.

Ramdin said that the OAS also welcomes the willingness of several member states as stated today to cooperate in good faith and in diverse ways ‘during this particular sensitive period’.

He said that the strength f the Inter-American system lies not in the uniformity of views ‘but in the capacity of member states to engage constructively despite ideological differences.

‘Therefore we encourage member states to continue using this forum to listen to one another, seek areas for convergence and avoid actions that could deepen divisions or heighten tensions.

‘We must also reaffirm that maintaining the Americas as a hemisphere of peace is a shared achievement and a shared responsibility requiring cooperation, prudence and sustained management and engagement’.

The OAS Secretary General said that following private meetings on Monday and requests regarding the role of the OAS Secretariat in restoring democracy, the hemispheric body based on its responsibilities, mandate and charter ‘is here to safeguard democracy, defend human rights, promote development and stability and strengthen multi-dimensional security to keep our hemisphere a zone of peace.

‘The stability of our region depends on our collective response. A stable democratic Venezuela is good for its people and good for the whole hemisphere,’ he said, reiterating that the OAS will be a key venue for dialogue, reflective and collective engagement consistent with its mandate.

‘We must highlight the potential value of the OAS as an honest broker,’ Ramdin said, adding that the body acts as ‘a trusted partner to our members.fully respecting the principles of sovereignty, non-intervention and constitutional order’.

But he said that the OAS would continue to monitor and document the human rights situation in Venezuela with particular attention to political prisoners.

‘We are convinced that Venezuela’s path must be grounded in the will of its people,’ he said, noting that ‘sustainable stability and democratic legitimacy can only be achieved through peaceful means.’

But he acknowledged that recent reports ‘on top of all what we already knew are giving us reasons to be concerned. Repression and political prosecution must not be tolerated in Venezuela or anywhere else in our hemisphere’.

Ramdin ended his presentation by recalling the words of Simon Bolivar, given more than 200 years ago that ‘each nation may govern itself according to its character and circumstances, but all require order, justice and cooperation if freedom is to endure. Without unity of purpose and adherence to common principles, no republic can hope to achieve stability much less peace’.

Earlier, the 15-member regional integration grouping, CARICOM, in a statement read out by the Jamaica delegation, reiterated a call for ‘peaceful dialogue’ to ensure stability in Venezuela.

‘The region reiterates its call for peaceful dialogue through diplomatic channels to ensure Venezuela’s stability, good governance, democracy and prosperity for the people of Venezuela,’ the diplomat said, adding that ‘CARICOM remains ready to support all such efforts, in a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect’

The Jamaican delegate said that the regional grouping ‘assures that every effort is being taken to ensure the safety and security of citizens of the Region’ and that it ‘will continue to monitor the multifaceted impact of this evolving situation and the implications for economic activity within the Community, particularly air travel’.

The United States delegate in his address disrupted by a woman protestor, told the OAS Special sitting that Washington wanted to uphold peace, democracy across the hemisphere.

‘Let me be clear the United States did not invade Venezuela. This was a targeted law enforcement action that resulted in the arrest of an indicted criminal and co conspirators with the objective of bringing them to face American justice,’ he said urging the member states to read the indictments against the Maduros.

‘This action was not taken lightly,’ he said, with President Trump in the past offering President Maduro ‘several opportunities’ to resolve the matter, which he refused.

‘This is not about democracy, this is not about human rights. We want a better future for Venezuela and its democratic future,’ he said, calling for the immediate release of all political prisoners, which Washington estimates to be at least 1,000.

He said the United States was not going to allow Venezuela to be turned into an ‘operating hub’ for Iran Russia, Cuba, China among others.

‘You cannot continue to have the largest reserves of oil in the world under the the control of the adversaries of the Western Hemisphere while the people of Venezuela have no electricity sub standard quality of life and its profits don’t benefit the people of Venezuela,’ the US diplomat told the OAS.

The Guyana government has called on the police to to ‘conduct a thorough and expeditious investigation’ into the attack on the internationally known host of the Jumps Travel Documentary YouTube channel.

The Ministry of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce, and the Guyana Tourism Authority, both said they ‘unequivocally condemn’ the attack on Antony D’Oliveira. ‘Such acts of violence are wholly unacceptable and run contrary to the values of hospitality, safety, and respect for which Guyana and its people are known,’ the authorities said, adding that the safety and well-being of all visitors and residents remain a top priority.

‘We reaffirm our commitment to working closely with law enforcement agencies, tourism stakeholders, and local communities to ensure that Guyana remains a destination where all feel secure and respected.

‘In this regard, we call on the Guyana Police Force to conduct a thorough and expeditious investigation into this matter and to take all necessary steps to apprehend the individual responsible, in accordance with the law.’

The authorities gave no indication as to when the attack on D’Oliveira occurred, but said ‘we extend our sincere concern and best wishes.and trust that this matter will be addressed with the seriousness and urgency it warrants’.

A senior Guyana official has confirmed that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country is holding talks with the United States on accepting third country nationals from the North American country.

‘Guyana and the USA have been in productive discussions on a framework of understanding which is consistent with our national priorities and needs and supportive of the USA objectives,’ Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud told the Demerara Waves Online News. Washington is reported to have first made the proposal to friendly countries in the Caribbean and elsewhere in early 2025.

The United States government, particularly under the second Trump administration, has actively pursued and made deals with various countries, including Belize, Ecuador, Honduras, Uganda, Ghana and Rwanda to accept asylum seekers or deported migrants from the US as ‘safe third countries,’ aiming to shift asylum processing away from the US.

Washington is also offering incentives like eased tariffs or immigration restrictions, despite human rights concerns about migrant safety in these locations.

On Monday, both Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda announced that they had reached agreement with the United States to facilitate third country refugees.

‘I believe this will further deepen our longstanding relationship and signal clearly that Dominica remains a willing and reliable partner of the United States in the region,’ said Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.

For its part, Antigua and Barbuda said it has not entered into any ‘binding agreement with the United States to accept deportees or refugees.

‘What exists is a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding proposed by the United States, as part of its global efforts to share responsibility for refugees already present in its territory.

‘Antigua and Barbuda was approached by the United States, along with more than one hundred governments worldwide, including several within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), to consider this non-binding arrangement,’ the government said in its statement.

Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell, says the weekend events in Venezuela have not advanced the causes of any parties nor have it narrowed differences, and instead ‘is pushing the region into more instability’.

‘We again reiterate our position diplomacy, dialogue, negotiation, and compromise are the only means of achieving any sustainable, long-term resolution to differences,’ Mitchell said on the Grenada Broadcasting Networks (GBN) ‘Beyond the Headlines’ programme on Monday night. Last weekend, the United States military invaded Venezuela and seized President Nicolas Maduro on allegations of being involved in the illegal drugs trade.

Maduro and his wife, appeared in a Federal Court in New York on Monday, where they bth pleaded bot guilty to the charges. The matter has been adjourned March 17 this year.

The 25 page indictment accuses Maduro and others of working with drug cartels to facilitate the shipment of thousands of tons of cocaine into the U.S. They could face life in prison if convicted.

The United Nations Security Council met on Monday against a sharply altered diplomatic backdrop, with Council members members split over whether Washington’s move upholds accountability, or undermines a foundational principle of international order

Some delegations argue the action was exceptional and justified; others warn it risks normalising unilateral force and eroding state sovereignty.

The United States rejected characterisations of its actions as military aggression, describing the operation as a targeted law enforcement measure facilitated by the military to arrest an indicted fugitive.

Its Ambassador Michael Waltz said Maduro is not a legitimate head of State following disputed 2024 elections an that last Saturday’s operation was necessary to combat narcotics trafficking and transnational organised crime threatening US and regional security.

‘There is no war against Venezuela or its people. We are not occupying a country,’ he said, adding ‘this was a law-enforcement operation in furtherance of lawful indictments that have existed for decades’.

But the Venezuelan Ambassador, Samuel Moncada, described his country as the target of an illegitimate armed attack lacking any legal justification, accusing the US of bombing Venezuelan territory, the loss of civilian and military lives, and the ‘kidnapping’ of President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

‘We cannot ignore a central element of this US aggression. Venezuela is the victim of these attacks because of its natural resources,’ he said, calling on the UN Security Council to act under its Charter mandate.

He said the US be required to respect the immunities of the president and his wife and ensure their immediate release and safe return as well as the use of force against Venezuela be clearly and unequivocally condemned.

Mitchell, an attorney, told television viewers that all parties should respect international norms, the rules of international engagement, and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries in the Western Hemisphere and the Americas.

‘That is the only way we will make progress.whenever differences arise between certain countries or amongst countries,’ he said, side stepping Washington’s announcement that it intends to ‘run’ Venezuela following the removal of President Maduro.

‘I don’t think I have a response to that. The only way a country can run another country,let me put it this way. A country runs its own country and the only way you can run another country is if that territory beongs to that country or is a colony of that country,’ Mitchell said, adding ‘so I really think the question should be directed at President (Donald) Trump and his team as to what they mean by that’.

Mitchell said he was being honest in saying he cold not explain those statements by US officials regarding Venezuela saying ‘I think really it is for the officials in the US government to explain what they mean by those statements. I am not in a position to comment on what it means’.

Prime Minister Mitchell told Grenadians that his administration is reviewing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) proposed by Washington regarding the acceptance of third-country nationals as ‘safe third countries,’ as the United States seek to shift asylum processing away from the the North American country.

He said that no agreement has been reached acknowledging also that while the US has approached several Caribbean countries with this proposal, Grenada has not committed to the arrangement.

‘For some time now, the US government has approached Caribbean countries, including Grenada, to enter into a memorandum of understanding about third-country nationals,’ Mitchell said.

‘We’ve been in discussions with the United States on this. Discussions along with texts of the MOU have been shared,’ Prime Minister Mitchell said, explaining that the proposal would involve Grenada potentially hosting individuals on a case-by-case basis when the US is unable to return deportees to their countries of origin.

However, he stressed that technical officers and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been engaged in discussions with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Embassy in Washington, and ‘to date we have not agreed to accept.’

Mitchell declined to disclose details of Grenada’s counter-proposal, citing national security concerns.

On Monday, both Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda announced that they had reached agreement with the United States to facilitate third country refugees.

‘I believe this will further deepen our longstanding relationship and signal clearly that Dominica remains a willing and reliable partner of the United States in the region,’ said Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.

For its part, Antigua and Barbuda said it has not entered into any ‘binding agreement with the United States to accept deportees or refugees.

‘What exists is a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding proposed by the United States, as part of its global efforts to share responsibility for refugees already present in its territory.

‘Antigua and Barbuda was approached by the United States, along with more than one hundred governments worldwide, including several within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), to consider this non-binding arrangement,’ the government said in its statement.

Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell, says the weekend events in Venezuela have not advanced the causes of any parties nor have it narrowed differences, and instead ‘is pushing the region into more instability’.

‘We again reiterate our position diplomacy, dialogue, negotiation, and compromise are the only means of achieving any sustainable, long-term resolution to differences,’ Mitchell said on the Grenada Broadcasting Networks (GBN) ‘Beyond the Headlines’ programme on Monday night.

Last weekend, the United States military invaded Venezuela and seized President Nicolas Maduro on allegations of being involved in the illegal drugs trade.

Maduro and his wife, appeared in a Federal Court in New York on Monday, where they both pleaded bot guilty to the charges. The matter has been adjourned March 17 this year.

The 25 page indictment accuses Maduro and others of working with dr