Category: CANA News

A defiant Nicolas Maduro Monday pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges telling a New York Federal Court that ‘I am still president’.

Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who were seized from their Caracas compound last Saturday and flown to the US as part of a special forces operation that has drawn both praise and condemnation from around the world.

The United Nations Security Council is meeting in an emergency session and when he appeared in court, Maduro told the 92-year-old judge in Spanish ‘I was captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela’

Maduro, wearing a blue jail uniform, and his wife were led into court for a brief, but required, legal proceeding that will likely kick off a prolonged legal fight over whether he can be put on trial in the U.S. Both put on headsets to hear the English-language proceeding as it is translated into Spanish.

The couple were transported under armed guard early Monday from the Brooklyn jail where they’ve been detained to a Manhattan courthouse.

The matter has been adjourned to March 17.

As a criminal defendant in the US legal system, Maduro will have the same rights as any other person accused of a crime, including the right to a trial by a jury of regular New Yorkers.

Maduro’s lawyers are expected to contest the legality of his arrest, arguing that he is immune from prosecution as a sovereign head of state.

Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega unsuccessfully tried the same defence after the U.S. captured him in a similar military invasion in 1990. But the U.S. doesn’t recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate head of state, particularly after a much-disputed 2024 re-election.

Venezuela’s new interim president, Delcy Rodriquez , has demanded that the Unted States return Maduro and before his capture, Maduro and his allies claim Washington’s hostility was motivated by lust for Venezuela’s rich oil and mineral resources.

Trump suggested Sunday that he wants to extend American power further in the Western Hemisphere and that removing Maduro would enable more oil to flow out of Venezuela.

The 25 page indictment made public Saturday 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.

At the UN Security Council meeting, UN Secretary General, Anntonio Guterres said the session was taking place ‘a grave time’ and that the extent of casualties resulting from the US miliary action in Caracas ‘remains undetermined.

Guterres said that President Trump has indicated that Washington will run the country until such time that it can do a safe, proper and judicious transition’

But he said ‘what is less certain is the immediate future of Venezuela.

‘I am deeply concerned about the possible intensification of instability in the country, the potential impact on the region, and the precedent it may set for how relations between and among states are conducted.

‘The situation in Venezuela has been a matter of regional and international concern for many years now. Attention on the country only grew following the contested presidential elections in July 2024.’

The UN Secretary General said that the panel of electoral experts he appointed at the Venezuelan government’s request to accompany the elections highlighted serious issues.

‘We have consistently called for full transparency and the complete publication of the results of the elections. As we reported to the Council on 23 December, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has catalogued serious violations. ‘

But Guterres said that he remains ‘deeply concerned that rules of international law have not been respected with regard to the 3 January military action.

‘The Charter enshrines the prohibition of the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. The maintenance of international peace and security depends on the continued commitment of all Member States to adhere to all the provisions of the Charter.’

He said that the situation in Venezuela is critical, but it is still possible to prevent a wider and more destructive conflagration.

‘I call on all Venezuelan actors to engage in an inclusive, democratic dialogue in which all sectors of society can determine their future. This entails the full respect of human rights, the rule of law and the sovereign will of the Venezuelan people.

‘I also urge Venezuela’s neighbours, and the international community more broadly, to act in a spirit of solidarity and in adherence to the principles, laws and rules erected to promote peaceful coexistence’ Guterres added.

The St. Vincent and the Grenadines government says it is monitoring the situation in Venezuela very closely, following the invasion by the United States and the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

‘Indeed, we are members of the families of nations, of the United Nations and of the Organisation of American States. So, you can well appreciate that the situation is of grave concern to our country and our region,’ said Foreign Affairs Minister, Fitz Bramble.

He said Kingstown recognises that there are ‘possible, far-reaching implications’ for St. Vincent and the Grenadines as a small island developing state.

‘Resultantly, we will continue to follow closely the situation in Venezuela as it unfolds, and we will continue to assess and respond when necessary to possible economic and other impacts,’ Bramble said.

He said Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday and his just over one month old government government remain committed to the development of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Caribbean region.

‘As a member of CARICOM, we align ourselves with the statements made by the CARICOM conference of heads of government and the Bureau of the Conference of heads of government, made on January 2nd and third, 2026, respectively,’ Bramble said.

The Bureau reiterated a call for ‘peaceful dialogue’ to ensure stability in Venezuela and in their statement, the CARICOM Bureau, comprising the St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew, the CARICOM chairman, Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness and their St. Lucian counterpart, Phillip J. Pierre, said ‘CARICOM is firmly committed to the fundamental principles of international law and multilateralism enshrined in the UN Charter, including sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and respect for human dignity.

‘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 Bureau said, adding that ‘CARICOM remains ready to support all such efforts, in a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect’.

Bramble said that the St. Vincent and the Grenadines government ‘will continue to monitor the situation in Venezuela and will keep the people of our blessed land informed of further developments’.

Bramble said Kingstown has been in constant contact with its ambassador in Caracas, Gareth Bynoe, who has advised that all Vincentian diplomatic staff are safe and the country is calm.

He said Bynoe had also advised that the Vincentian embassy had not been contacted by any Vincentian who might be in Venezuela.

Bramble said that both Venezuela and the United States are friends of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

‘Indeed, we are members of the families of nations, of the United Nations and of the Organisation of American States. So, you can well appreciate that the situation is of grave concern to our country and our region,’ said Bramble, a former diplomat.

Following the US invasion, President Donald Trump told a news conference that the US is going to ‘run’ Venezuela ‘until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition. He sad US oil companies will fix Venezuela’s ‘broken infrastructure’ and ‘start making money for the country’.,

But in an address on state television, Venezuela’s Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez, who is being sworn in as head of state latter on Monday, said Maduro is the country’s only president even as Trump had earlier shared a photo he said was of Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima. The image shows him blindfolded and wearing ear defenders.

Maduro has been indicted in New York on drug and weapons charges. He has previously denied being the leader of drug cartel despite the US placing a ransom of US$50 million on his head. Venezuela has declared a national emergency, denouncing ‘extremely serious military aggression’.

West Indies Under-19 all-rounder Aadian Racha believes the regional side is in prime position to capture their second ICC Under-19 World Cup title.

Racha, the lone Trinidadian selected in the 15-member squad, has lofty expectations for the team at the tournament, which will be co-hosted by Namibia and Zimbabwe from January 15 to February 6.

During a recent interview with Newsday, the pacer said the squad was comprised of quality players who had the skills to beat any team in the competition and add to the lone title they won in 2016.

‘I think the team has a really good chance. We’ve been working well together and gelling well as a team. There’s definitely a strong bond and camaraderie among the players.

‘Each player brings unique strengths we can build upon, and we have an understanding of our individual roles and collective responsibilities. Overall, I’d say we stand a very good chance at that World Cup,’ Racha said.

Racha, who has been preparing for the tournament under the watchful eyes of former T and T leg-spinner Imran Khan and current Red Force coach Rayad Emrit, said he was looking forward to making a meaningful contribution.

He revealed that being selected to the team was a ‘dream come through’ and an opportunity he intends to grab with both hands.

‘I want to thank God and CWI for giving me this opportunity to represent the region and my country in such a prestigious tournament on the world stage. It’s a really proud moment, and I consider it a significant milestone in my career.

‘To be selected for the Under-19 World Cup squad is an incredible feeling. It’s a dream come true and being the only representative from TT is extraordinary also,’ Racha said.

‘It’s not only my dream, but my dad’s dream was also to represent West Indies at any level. It’s not only a dream come true for me, but it’s a dream come true for him as well.’

A 38-year-old man was sentenced to 11 months in jail after his 80-year-old grandmother, who was given a chance to decide whether he should go to prison, virtually slammed the prison cell door shut with her words with him inside.

‘Well, I can’t go against the court. Whatever the court says, I have to satisfy. That ain’t mean that he going behave himself better. . He is very rough and rude. Sometimes, you talk to him and he listen, other times he don’t,’ Kerhen Jacobs told Chief Magistrate Colin John when asked her what she thought of the prosecution’s suggestion that her grandson be given a suspended sentence.

As a result, Jamel Douglas will spend the next 11 months in prison for assaulting his grandmother on December 26, 2025 – Boxing Day – causing actual bodily harm. And when he is released from prison, he has two months to compensate the woman EC$270 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) for her cellphone, which he smashed during the same incident, or spend a further six months in prison.

Douglas first appeared in court on December 29, last year where he pleaded guilty to a charge that on December. 26, 2025, without lawful excuse he damaged one black Nokia cellular phone valued at EC$270, Jacobs’ property, intending to damage such property.

He also pleaded guilty to a charge that he assaulted Jacobs, causing actual bodily harm.

During the sentencing hearing, the prosecutor, Shamrack Pierre, had suggested that Douglas be given a suspended sentence.

However, when Chief Magistrate Colin John asked Jacobs what she thought about that, she pointed out that Douglas has repeatedly been aggressive to her.

‘So, whatever the court decides, I can’t go against it and I won’t go against it,’ Jacobs said.

The court heard that on December 26, Jacobs was at her home in her porch in conversation with a friend, when the Douglas showed up at her house and sat on a table. Douglas and Jacobs live in separate houses in the same yard.

Jacobs told Douglas that she was having a conversation and asked him to excuse himself.

As a result, Douglas jumped on top of the table and began behaving aggressively.

Jacobs had her cellular phone in hand and made a phone call. Douglas pulled the cellular phone out of Jacobs’ hand and, in doing so, squeezed the fourth finger on her left hand.

He then took the phone and slammed it to the ground, and left.

In mitigation, Douglas gave a rambling excuse for his action, telling the court that he had had a history of mental illness but his last episode was over five years ago.

He presented himself as unfairly treated by the other members of his family.

After hearing Douglas’ mitigation, the chief magistrate told Douglas that he thought he would have used the opportunity to apologise to his grandmother.

Douglas then went on to apologise to his grandmother even as he made excuses for his actions.

The chief magistrate told Douglas that a person’s home is their castle.

‘Your grandmother should be allowed to enjoy her home in comfort without disturbance by you. You are a big man; you are 38 years old, and you should not be going there to harass your grandmother.

‘I have to ensure that at least for the next 11 months that your grandmother enjoys some level of comfort without you interfering with her.

‘I hope that you learn when you are in prison and not repeat that behaviour,’ the chief magistrate added.

Two Caribbean-born community activists in New York have strongly denounced the United States military strikes in Venezuela and the capture of the country’s President Nicolás Maduro and subsequent extradition to New York to face charges of narco-trafficking.

Maduro and his wife are expected to be arraigned in a US federal court in Manhattan on Monday.

Grenadian Martin Felix and Jamaican Delroy Wright, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that Trump’s actions do not bode well for the region.

‘The long-standing Caribbean people’s aspiration to remain a zone of peace is now under threat from the Trump doctrine, which places oil profits above people and normalizes confrontation in the region,’ Felix said.

‘US actions toward Venezuela signal a dangerous new phase, reinforced by the so-called Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, defined by bullying, unilateralism, overt regime-change, and economic coercion.

‘This approach undermines both international stability and the rule of law, disregarding the constitutional requirement that only Congress may authorize war. Such practices erode legal norms and directly challenge the Caribbean’s right to peace, sovereignty, and non-militarization.

‘We need a strong CARICOM (Caribbean Community) now more than ever, if ever we are to survive this existential threat to the region. Now more than ever, we need to revive the unifying principles enshrined in the Treaty of Chaguaramas,’ Felix added.

Wright lamented that if the proposed Caribbean Federation in the late 1960s had materialised, it would have been more difficult for Trump to intervene militarily in the region.

‘Now, here we are, that Trump believes it’s ok for him to do as he pleases in the Caribbean, aided and abetted by a few self-serving Heads of State.to invade Venezuela and extract its president.

‘If we had a federation, it would not be so easy for Trump or any foreign leaders to do so. Our country would not only be a sovereign nation; it would be a sovereign federation-a collective. And so, you can trace this back to the failed federation.

‘It created a weak regional economic that failed to attract future leaders or the kind of think tank to put policies in place to build up a barrier against infiltration or invasion.’

Wright said that Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad- Bissessar ‘not only empowered Trump to invade Venezuela, but she also made every Caribbean nation susceptible to be invaded.

‘Kamla should be ashamed!’ he declared.

On Saturday, Caribbean-American Democratic Congresswoman, Yvette D. Clarke strongly condemned what she described as Trump’s ‘unauthorized’ military strikes in Venezuela and the US military’s capture of Maduro.

Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, told CMC that Trump acted without congressional authorization in conducting military strikes in Venezuela, and forcefully and unilaterally causing ‘regime change by seizing President Nicolás Maduro.

‘In a brazen affront to the rule of law and the US Constitution and without any rational consideration of the grave consequences that will inevitably follow, in the dead of night, Donald Trump has plunged the United States into yet another dangerous foreign entanglement by unleashing direct military strikes upon Venezuela’s capital and capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife,’ said Clarke, who also chairs the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).

In a separate statement, the CBC said that Trump’s decision to bypass Congress and conduct a military operation to capture Maduro and bring him to the United States to stand trial is ‘a grave and illegal abuse of power.

‘It is also indefensible that President Trump would choose to funnel taxpayer dollars into unauthorized military action in Venezuela for the expressed interest of oil, rather than addressing the urgent needs of millions of Americans struggling with rising health care costs,’ the CBC said.

It said while Maduro is, in fact, an illegitimate leader, the deployment of US military power to impose political change in a sovereign nation, without the consent of Congress or a clear and defined plan of action, ‘threatens to draw the United States into an indefinite conflict in Venezuela.

‘We cannot understate the severity of the consequences that could follow from such reckless actions, which threaten regional stability and weaken our standing on the world stage,’ it said, adding that Trump’s stated intention to assume control over Venezuela is ‘wholly unacceptable’.

The CBC called on the Trump administration ‘without hesitation, to provide comprehensive briefings to the Gang of Eight, as well as to all Members of the House and Senate’.

The ‘Gang of Eight’ (G8) in the US Congress refers to a small, bipartisan group of top-ranking leaders and intelligence committee chairs who obtain sensitive classified briefings from the president and his administration, ensuring important national security information is shared while restricting access to only essential legislators.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, also of New York, denounced Trump’s announced plan to run Venezuela as ‘unacceptable.’

‘It is critical that the Trump administration provide an immediate ‘Gang of Eight’ briefing, followed by briefings for all members of the House and Senate early next week,’ they urged in a joint statement.

Jeffries told CMC that while ‘Maduro is a criminal and authoritarian dictator who has oppressed the people of Venezuela for years, Donald Trump has the constitutional responsibility to follow the law and protect democratic norms in the United States.

‘That is what putting America First requires. The Trump administration has not sought congressional authorization for the use of military force and has failed to properly notify Congress in advance of the operation in Venezuela.

‘The promotion of security and stability in a region requires more than just military force as we painfully discovered in Iraq and Afghanistan,’ added Jeffries.

Pursuant to the US Constitution, Jeffries said the framers gave Congress ‘the sole power to declare war as the branch of government closest to the American people.

‘The House and Senate must be briefed immediately, and compelling evidence to explain and justify this unauthorized use of military force should be presented forthwith,’ Jeffries demanded.

In defending the Trump administration for not notifying the ‘G8’ before military strikes in Venezuela and the capture of Maduro, Republican Senator Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said ‘Congress isn’t notified when the FBI is going to arrest a drug trafficker or cyber-criminal here in the United States, nor should Congress be notified when the executive branch is executing arrests on indicted persons.

‘Congress doesn’t need to be notified every time the executive branch is making an arrest,’ he said.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has confirmed that a senior official of the West Indies Oil Company (WIOC), in which Venezuela has a 25 per cent shareholding, had been questioned by United States authorities during a recent trip to the North American country.

Speaking on his weekly radio programme, Prime Minister Browne said that he first became aware of the situation involving WIOC chief executive officer, Gregory Georges, in a report that had been published in the local media.

‘I saw the publication on Real News and I spoke to Gregory Georges,’ Browne said, adding that Georges had confirmed that he was detained and questioned by US authorities and that his electronic devices were temporarily taken during the process.

‘He told me that he was questioned and that his laptop and phone were taken, but later returned to him,’ Browne said, noting that WIOC’s Venezuelan shareholding predated the imposition of US sanctions on Venezuela.

Prime Minister Browne said that WIOC is in compliant with the sanctions adding ‘there has been absolutely no violation whatsoever’

Prime Minister Browne explained that the questioning appeared to be linked to ongoing international scrutiny surrounding Venezuela’s historical 25 per cent shareholding in WIOC.

‘I’m just stating what the issues are as I know them,’ Prime Minister Browne said without indicating whether any action would be taken against the WIOC official.

He told radio listeners that his comments were intended to clarify the situation amid heightened international attention on Antigua and Barbuda and its state-owned entities.

According to WIOC, it is the premier oil storage and petroleum products provider in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and the rest of the Eastern Caribbean.

A teenage Haitian girl who was forced to flee her home in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, due to gang violence is urging adults not to ‘give up on children.

Thirteen-year-old Dieussika was living peacefully with her family before armed violence and insecurity forced them to flee.

‘We had to leave our home, and my sister almost died because of her asthma,’ she said.

Haiti remains firmly in the grip of a security crisis as gangs battle for control of territory in the capital and beyond.

Insecurity has caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people which has added to the humanitarian and economic crises the country is grappling with.

Conflict, displacement, poverty and insecurity have converged to make learning nearly impossible for hundreds of thousands of Haitian children.

During the 2024-2025 school year, many schools were directly impacted by violence, with more than 1,600 closed and dozens occupied by armed groups.

In overcrowded shelters and displacement sites, children lack access to textbooks, learning materials as well as qualified teachers.

Dieussika’s family was forced to live in a number of temporary locations but life remained difficult. ‘There are diseases, insects that bite. but despite everything, I wanted to continue going to school,’ she says.

In one site for displaced people, she was able to resume her studies thanks to catch-up classes organized by UNICEF.

Today, she dreams of becoming someone important in society to help children and raise awareness among young people about rejecting armed violence.

One night, heavy rain soaked her belongings, destroying her books and clothes. Yet, Dieussika spent the entire night drying them, determined not to give up on her studies.

‘School means so much to me. Without education, my dream would be lost,’ she said.

Her favorite subjects are French and maths, and she said she feels pride every time she can bring good grades home to her parents.

Thanks to five months of catch-up classes with the support of Education Cannot Wait, a UN fund for education in emergencies, Dieussika was able to take her exams and return to school.

‘I had lost hope, but these classes gave me confidence again. We also received vocational training in crochet, leatherwork, and cosmetology. It was an incredible opportunity,’ she recalled proudly.

At school, Dieussika actively participates in her mathematics class, encouraged and supported by her teacher. She wants to put an end to the hardship her household faces and show her family that they too can follow in her footsteps.

‘I want to become someone important to help people. Without school, we cannot achieve our dreams,’ she said with determination.

Her message to adults and decision-makers is clear and moving: ‘Do not give up on children. Love them even more and give them opportunities to learn and dream.’

Many adolescent girls like Dieussika drop out of school due to safety concerns, caregiving responsibilities or the absence of menstrual hygiene materials.

Thanks to the UN and its work with the Haitian authorities and partners, educational and psychosocial support programmes have reached more than 17,500 children, including 10,500 girls.

For Dieussika, as for so many others, these programmes represent more than education they are a lifeline, a chance to turn fear into confidence and ambition.

Caribbean-American Democratic Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke on Saturday strongly condemned what she described as President Donald Trump’s ‘unauthorized’ military strikes in Venezuela and the military’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that Trump acted without congressional authorization in conducting military strikes in Venezuela, and forcefully and unilaterally causing ‘regime change by seizing President Nicolás Maduro.

‘In a brazen affront to the rule of law and the US Constitution and without any rational consideration of the grave consequences that will inevitably follow, in the dead of night, Donald Trump has plunged the United States into yet another dangerous foreign entanglement by unleashing direct military strikes upon Venezuela’s capital and capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife,’ said Clarke, who also chairs the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).

‘For years, Maduro’s authoritarian rule has oppressed Venezuelans and weakened their country. He was a despot, with no regard for his own nation. His people have endured extreme hardship, political unrest, uncertainty, and instability under his leadership – so much so that many took great risks to seek asylum behind our borders,’ she added. ‘However, this is not a case of the ends justifying the means.

‘Despite this military operation and considering Donald Trump’s comments in its aftermath, it has become crystal clear that toppling Maduro for narco-trafficking was far from the primary reason the administration engaged militarily with Venezuela,’ Clarke continued. ‘This reckless and non-congressionally sanctioned regime change was driven not by national security, but by the pursuit of oil riches. This action has no place in US foreign policy. It is an illegal and illegitimate doctrine of extreme aggression sanctioned solely by the executive branch.’

The congresswoman noted that since the Trump administration first initiated strikes in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Venezuela, under the guise of averting narco-trafficking, ‘Americans have overwhelmingly opposed these illegal military actions and have rightly already rejected this unhinged escalation.’

She said Trump ‘lacked both the righteousness and the constitutional respect to bring his war before Congress.

‘Had he done so, I would have voted no,’ she declared. ‘This impulsive interventionism does not make Americans safer; it leaves our global reputation in tatters and further destabilizes an already volatile region and our South American and Caribbean relations.

‘Worse still, Donald Trump has now threatened a lasting US occupation of Venezuela and refuses to rule out a significant presence of American troops on the ground,’ Clarke added. ‘The Venezuelan people deserve their chance at freedom. They do not wish to substitute their dictator with America’s.

‘The Trump administration’s actions today will only serve to embolden and implicitly endorse our adversaries to carry out their own military aggressions against sovereign nations, eroding international norms and the rule of law,’ she continued. ‘They have also paved the way for further interventions by Donald Trump and his enablers.’

Clarke warned that Trump’s ‘imperial pursuits will not end with Venezuela.

‘If left unchecked, more illegal military aggressions loom just over our horizon,’ she said. ‘They will, undoubtedly, come at great cost to American lives, resources, and moral standing.’

The CBC, under Clarke’s leadership, also said separately that Trump’s decision to bypass Congress and conduct a military operation to capture Maduro and bring him to the United States to stand trial is ‘a grave and illegal abuse of power.

‘It is also indefensible that President Trump would choose to funnel taxpayer dollars into unauthorized military action in Venezuela for the expressed interest of oil, rather than addressing the urgent needs of millions of Americans struggling with rising health care costs,’ the CBC said.

The CBC added that Trump’s stated intention to assume control over Venezuela is ‘wholly unacceptable’, calling on the administration, ‘without hesitation, to provide comprehensive briefings to the Gang of Eight, as well as to all Members of the House and Senate.’

The ‘Gang of Eight’ (‘G8’) in the US Congress refers to a small, bipartisan group of top-ranking leaders and intelligence committee chairs who obtain sensitive classified briefings from the president and his administration, ensuring important national security information is shared while restricting access to only essential legislators.

Just days after being honoured nationally, track and field luminaries Leah Bertrand and Keshorn Walcott reaffirmed their dominance of the local sporting landscape, sweeping the top awards at the National Association of Athletics Administration (NAAATT) awards ceremony on January 3rd.

Held at the National Racquet Centre, the event celebrated a spectacular 2025 season, headlined by the duo’s continued acclaim.

Bertrand sprinted to the Senior Female Athlete of the Year title, while javelin king Keshorn Walcott launched himself to the Senior Male Athlete of the Year honour.

This double triumph comes less than a week after both athletes claimed the TT Olympic Committee’s Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year awards on December 29th.

The accolades are a fitting tribute to a landmark year. Walcott stormed back to the pinnacle of global athletics in September, capturing World Championship gold in Japan with a mighty throw of 88.16 metres.

Bertrand, also a World Championships competitor, shattered personal barriers, setting new national standards in the 100m (10.92s) and 200m (22.54s).

The awards evening further recognised their specific disciplines, with Walcott named Most Outstanding Male Field Athlete and Bertrand taking the Women’s Track Athlete of the Year prize.

They were joined by an elite group of 2025 standouts. World Championships 400m silver medallist Jereem Richards was crowned Most Outstanding Male Track Athlete, while Tyra Gittens-Spotsville earned the title of Most Outstanding Female Field Athlete.

The ceremony also shone a spotlight on the nation’s promising future. Christopher Sammy, a double-gold medallist in the Under-17 1500m and 3000m at the Carifta Games, was named Youth Male Athlete of the Year.

His middle-distance counterpart, Oshea Cummings, who took Carifta 1500m gold and 3000m bronze, claimed the Youth Female Athlete of the Year award.

Janae De Gannes successfully defended her Junior Female Athlete of the Year title, a feat matched by Jaden Marchan, who won the junior male honour. Both secured individual medals at the Junior Pan American Games in Paraguay.

The Bureau of the Caribbean Community (CARICM) leaders has reiterated a call for ‘peaceful dialogue’ to ensure stability in Venezuela following the United States invasion of the South American country and the detention and arrest of its President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday.

In a statement, the Bureau, comprising the S. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew, the CARICOM chairman, Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness and their St. Lucian counterpart, Phillip J. Pierre, said that they met on Saturday to discuss the situation.

CARICM had earlier issued a statement in which it said it ‘is actively monitoring the situation which is of grave concern to the Region with possible implications for neighbouring countries.

‘CARICOM will continue to update the people of the region as more information is received,’ the two paragraph statement added.

In their statement, the CARICOM Bureau, whose principal responsibilities include updating the consensus of member states on issues determined by the regional leaders and facilitating implementation of CARICOM decisions, both at the regional and local levels, in an expeditious and informed manner, said ‘CARICOM is firmly committed to the fundamental principles of international law and multilateralism enshrined in the UN Charter, including sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and respect for human dignity.

‘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 Bureau said, adding that ‘CARICOM remains ready to support all such efforts, in a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect.

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

Following the US invasion, President Donald Trump told a news conference that the US is going to ‘run’ Venezuela ‘until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition. He sad US oil companies will fix Venezuela’s ‘broken infrastructure’ and ‘start making money for the country’.,

But in an address on state television, Venezuela’s Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez said Maduro is the country’s only president even as Trump had earlier shared a photo he said was of Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima. The image shows him blindfolded and wearing ear defenders.

Maduro has been indicted in New York on drug and weapons charges. He has previously denied being the leader of drug cartel despite the US placing a ransom of US$50 million on his head. Venezuela has declared a national emergency, denouncing ‘extremely serious military aggression’.

Meanwhile, former Guyana president, Donald Ramotar has condemned the US action saying ‘the bombing of Venezuela and the kidnapping of the country’s president and first lady has taken us back to the days of gunboat diplomacy.

‘International laws are being trampled on and totally disregarded,’ he said, adding that ‘sovereignty of small and medium sized countries have become meaningless and the US has emerged as a Super Colonial power.

‘Countries in the region have become terrified and many will soon have to express ‘support’ for the US action,’ he said, adding what occurred on Saturday ‘is a continuation of the US and Israel’s action in Palestine and unless the peaceful and democratic forces of our world unite we will see more of the same.

‘Cuba and Iran may be next,’ said the 75 year-old Ramotar, who served as head of state here between 2011 and 2015.