Category: CANA News

Opposition Leader, Pennelope Beckles, is warning that plans by the Trinidad and Tobago government to ‘crack down’ on social media bloggers, represent an ‘alarming attempt to intimidate independent voices and stifle public scrutiny’.

Homeland Security Minister, Roger Alexander said last weekend that the Kamla Persad Bissessar-led government is examining legal options to curb what he described as the misuse of social media and the spread of misinformation that threatens national safety and security.

Alexander said that discussions are under way on ‘how we can approach (Attorney General John Jeremie) to see what is the best solution we have’ adding that the aim is to craft ‘a legal approach against that behaviour,’ including potential new laws ‘to limit persons’ continuous misuse of social media and the spread of misinformation’.

Opposition Leader, Pennelope Beckles

He said that the measures would target harmful conduct and not legitimate public expression.

But in a statement, Beckles said that such an act ‘has no place in a society committed to transparency and accountability.

‘In today’s communications landscape, Bloggers, digital commentators, and online journalists play a crucial role in exposing state wrongdoing, amplifying marginalized perspectives, and keeping citizens informed especially against state over-reach.

‘Today, Ministers in this Government have invoked Standing Orders of the Parliament to evade scrutiny and account to the citizens through legitimate channels like our Parliament. To fill this vacuum, many socially conscious citizens keep the public updated with critical information on the functioning of our government and holding the Government accountable.’

Beckles said that the threats ‘to muzzle dissenting voices on the basis of threats to our national security is to attack the very foundation of a free and open society.

‘It is deeply troubling that rather than addressing legitimate concerns raised by the public, the Minister has chosen to target the messengers by calling on foreign States to take action against them or invoking emergency power under the current State of Emergency to incarcerate citizens. ‘

Beckles said that it is ‘reprehensible’ that the government ‘is seeking to weaponize the issue of visas and the residency status of Trinbagonians overseas as a means of suppressing public discontent and for the muting of questions and lawful expression’.

She said that the main opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) is reminding citizens ‘that this latest development is a continuation of a very dangerous pattern of conduct by this Government that should now cause every right-thinking citizen to be repulsed’.

She said that this latest attack on the country’s democracy comes after thousands of daily paid workers had been fired by the government , the cancellation of the Independence celebrations ‘under the guise of ‘threats to public officials’ and ‘the declaration and extension of a State of Emergency in Trinidad and Tobago under the guise of ‘threats to certain public officials’ as well as ‘the crackdown on carnival activities under the guise of ‘noise pollution’:

‘We strongly condemn this attempt to weaponize State power against private citizens exercising their constitutional rights. Any government that fears criticism, has abandoned its commitment to democratic values.

‘We call on the Minister to immediately retract these threats, affirm respect for free expression, and focus instead on the real issues facing the nation-issues which cannot be solved by silencing critics. The misuse of social media by anyone, can be adequately prosecuted under our criminal and civil laws,’ said Beckles.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Leader is questioning the arrival here later on Tuesday of the chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine.

The US Embassy said that Caine will meet with Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar and that the ‘visit will focus on the two nations’ strong bi-lateral relationship, strengthening regional stability, and regional unity on the vital importance of countering illicit trafficking and transnational criminal organizations’.

Caine is the 22nd chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the US’s highest-ranking military officer, and the principal military advisor to the President, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council.

Ina statement, Beckles said Trinidad and Tobago citizens ‘are deeply concerned that this sudden high-level U.S. military visit, coming at a time when the Prime Minister refuses to answer even the most basic questions on national security, raises far more questions than answers.

‘A government that withholds critical information from its own people, while three clueless Ministers of National Security remain silent and directionless, is operating less like a democracy and more like a dictatorship.

‘The nation demands full transparency now, because Trinidad and Tobago will not accept secrecy, distraction, or a Prime Minister in hiding,’ she added.

Caine’s visit here comes as the United States President Donald Trump has ramped up its military presence in the Caribbean Sea ordering an amphibious squadron to the southern Caribbean as part of his effort to address threats from Latin American drug cartels.

A nuclear-powered attack submarine, additional P8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, several destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser have also being allocated to US Southern Command as part of the mission. In addition, the US largest carrier, the Gerald Forde has joined the build-up

But the United States military has been bombing vessels in the international waters claiming that the occupants were drug traffickers without offering any evidence of such activity.

The United Nations UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also strongly condemned the airstrikes carried out by the United States against alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Pacific.

Volker Trk said in a statement that the strikes ‘violate international human rights law’, demanding that they be stopped immediately.

Last month, the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said that regional leaders had discussed several issues on the regional agenda, including the security build-up in parts of the Caribbean and its potential impact on member states.

It said that the position at that meeting was not endorsed by the government of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Bahamas government Tuesday welcomed the latest unemployment report indicating that more Bahamians are finding work and that the local economy is continuing to move in a positive direction.

The Bahamas National Statistical Institute said unemployment has declined to 9.3 per cent from 10.8 per cent and that 3,455 more people were working between April and June. In total, 218,620 Bahamians now have jobs almost 4,000 more than the last quarter.

Many of these new jobs came from construction, retail, hospitality, and community services. ‘This is the kind of growth people see every day when new buildings go up, hotels expand, and businesses get busier,’ a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister stated, adding that the report also shows ‘the number of people who had given up looking for work has fallen by 64 per cent.

‘More Bahamians feel hopeful again and are confident enough to start job searching,’ the statement said, adding that ‘this good news follows other positive signs about our economy. International credit agencies have improved their outlook for The Bahamas, large investments are happening across the islands, and major upgrades to airports, roads, and utilities are creating even more job opportunities’.

The Phillip Davis government said that across the country, it is pushing ahead with programmes focused on training, upskilling, small business support, and improvements to family island infrastructure.

‘These efforts are helping people find work and creating pathways for Bahamians to build a better future,’ the statement said, noting that ‘while today’s numbers are encouraging, the Government understands that many families are still facing challenges’ and that it remains ‘committed to helping Bahamians through cost-of-living pressures and making sure opportunity reaches every island and every community’.

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, Tuesday called on Venezuela and the United States to use other means than warfare as means of settling their differences, insisting that the hemisphere must remain a zone of peace.

‘I hope that both countries, Venezuela and the United States .restrain themselves and make sure whatever other path can be found diplomatically, negotiations to solve their problems at a different level that should be.a priority.

‘We don’t want any war in our hemisphere. Peace in the end is what everybody in this hemisphere wants. Nobody gains from a war. So I think if we can achieve that and maintain at the same time this unity going forward on that consensus based agenda we possibly will end up after five or 10 years in a better environment.and prosperity in the Americas.

‘That is all the people of the Americas want, in every single country,’ Ramdin said during a wide ranging ‘Dialogue for the Americas: Conversation with OAS Secretary General,’ interview with the Trinidad-based journalist, Wesley Gibbings.

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, Tuesday called on Venezuela and the United States to use other means than warfare to settle their differences, insisting that the hemisphere must remain a zone of peace.

‘I hope that both countries, Venezuela and the United States .restrain themselves and make sure whatever other path can be found diplomatically, negotiations to solve their problems at a different level that should be.a priority.

‘We don’t want any war in our hemisphere. Peace in the end is what everybody in this hemisphere wants. Nobody gains from a war. So I think if we can achieve that and maintain at the same time this unity going forward on that consensus based agenda we possibly will end up after five or 10 years in a better environment.and prosperity in the Americas.

‘That is all the people of the Americas want, in every single country,’ Ramdin said during a wide ranging ‘Dialogue for the Americas: Conversation with OAS Secretary General,’ discussion with the Trinidad-based journalist, Wesley Gibbings.

United States President Donald Trump has ramped up his country’s military presence in the Caribbean Sea ordering an amphibious squadron to the southern Caribbean as part of his effort to address threats from Latin American drug cartels.

A nuclear-powered attack submarine, additional P8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, several destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser have also being allocated to US Southern Command as part of the mission. In addition, the US largest carrier, the Gerald Forde has joined the build-up

But the United States military has been bombing vessels in international waters claiming that the occupants were drug traffickers without offering any evidence of such activity. Venezuela regards the US presence as a means to removing the Nicolas Maduro administration from office with Caracas warning that it would not allow such an event to occur.

The United Nations UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also strongly condemned the airstrikes carried out by the United States against alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Pacific.

Volker Trk said in a statement that the strikes ‘violate international human rights law’, demanding that they be stopped immediately.

Last month, the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said that regional leaders had discussed several issues on the regional agenda, including the security build-up in parts of the Caribbean and its potential impact on member states.

It said that the position at that meeting was not endorsed by the government of Trinidad and Tobago.

Ramdin, a former foreign affairs minister of Suriname, who took up the position of OAS Secretary General on May 26 this year, said that when it comes to the fight against trans-national crime , it is something he believes no country will object to.

‘Everybody is in favour of fighting trans-national organised crime. Trans-national organised crime has a devastating impact in each country, in our region, the whole hemisphere,’ he aid, adding that the ‘objective of the goal to fight it, I have not heard any country saying it is not a good thing to do.

‘I think it is much more in the method in the implementation of that goal, the way it is being done, and I made the point that we must do these things, carrying these attacks out in the context of international law and also human rights, but with also justifiable evidence.’

Ramdin said that while ‘this matter’ had not been discussed within the OAS ‘for a long time,’ it was only about 10 days ago that Colombia raised the issue in the context of organised crime and ‘how we are going to battle that.

‘I am still following the debate within the OAS on how they want to go about this,’ he said, adding that what he did mention, and he intends to raise it as Secretary General, ‘is given the fact that fighting trans-national organised crime is an unequal battle, governments with the same tools will not be able to effectively battle or fight trans-national organised crime’.

He said those involved in trans-national crime are not abiding by any law.

‘They don’t care for law, or rules or regulation or protocols or people. They kill at random. It is an own personal interest organisational interest and they have advanced technology, they have revenues, all illegal.

‘On the other hand, you have law enforcement or the government to fight them, but in a way where they have to keep in mind all kinds of constitutional or legal arrangements,’ Ramdin said, adding that he is all in favour of respecting constitution and laws.

‘But when you have this unequal battle and we want to win that battle, then you will need to find in a creative way, new legal framework that gives the authority to the governments to fight crime with more tools with due respect for human rights’.

Ramdin said that for too long ‘we have thought we would have been able to battle trans-national organised crime in that way’.

He said that regarding the current situation in the Caribbean, the United States has decided ‘unilaterally’ to fight the illegal drugs trade, and while no one is against the objective ‘it is the way it is being done that requires some more discussion.

‘I don’t have all the information as well .,’ he said, noting that in terms of the positioning of some countries on the issue ‘that is primarily a matter for the regional organisation, CARICOM.

‘I have spoken to some about this, also at the prime ministerial level to get an impression about what the situation is,’ he said, adding that he is also being asked by others about it.

‘So there is an interest. CARICOM is a united front, this one it looks like it is not and this is for CARICOM to discuss. Whatever we can dop to facilitate, we will be willing. But I think it is a matter time that CARICOM will be able to see eye to eye within the region on this matter’.

He said governments in today’s world have different inter-state relationships and ‘we see that with the United States, we accept that reality, the same reality we must accept in the Caribbean as long as we keep talking and keeping our eyes on the ball, which is to create a more safer hemisphere because we are not in favour of any incident lead into an escalation or a war type situation.

‘We must keep the hemisphere as a zone of peace, otherwise we will be further home,’ Ramdin added.

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Tuesday, November 25, 2025.

KINGSTOWN – Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves says at least eight lawyers and activists from Trinidad and Tobago are here to campaign for the opposition ahead of Thursday general election in which his ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) is seeking an unprecedented sixth consecutive term in office.

PARAMARIBO – The state-owned oil and gas company, Staatsolie has launched its ‘Open-Door Offering’, an initiative aimed at unlocking new exploration opportunities in the Guiana Basin, one of the world’s most prolific hydrocarbon basins.

LONDON – The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is hearing an application by Guatemala into a land dispute that could reshape regional borders in Central America.

WASHINGTON – The United States says it is imposing visa restrictions on an unnamed Haitian government official for supporting gangs and other criminal organizations, as well as obstructing the Haitian government’s fight against terrorist gangs designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

GEORGETOWN – The Guyana-based Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat Tuesday congratulated Suriname on its 50th anniversary of political independence from the Netherlands.

SPORTS:

CHRISTCHURCH – Having been competitive in both the preceding T20I and One Day International series against New Zealand, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy says the team is brimming with confidence ahead of their upcoming Test series.

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Tuesday said that the country has signed six new air services agreements aimed at improving between Guyana and Africa and Latin America.

It said the agreements were signed at the recently held 17th International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Air Services Negotiation Event (ICAN 2025) in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

The GCAA said Guyana negotiated and initialed the air service agreements with Panama, St. Maarten, Uganda, Ecuador, Liberia, and Kenya and that the agreements create the legal framework that opens market access for airlines to operate and enhance competitive air transport services, trade, and economic growth between Guyana and those States.

It said it is anticipated that the agreements will stimulate interest from airlines in these states to consider destination Guyana as part of their route network and with these new agreements Guyana now has bilateral and multilateral air service agreements with over 60 countries.

Public Utilities and Aviation Minister, Deodat Indar, in welcoming the new agreements, said they will help in accomplishing the vision of connecting Guyana to the rest of the world.

‘Air services agreements signed by Guyana are necessary to advance our aviation sector. We are building a transformative aviation sector and having ASAs with other states is critical to accomplishing the vision of connecting Guyana with the rest of the world and building the Cheddi Jagan International Airport into an international air transport hub,’ he said.

Guyana has also commenced negotiations with France to update the 1974 air services agreement with the GCAA stating that updating of the agreement will allow airlines of both countries to operate to each other’s territory under a more liberal arrangement.

Negotiations were also initiated to establish an air service agreement with Austria.

The GCAA also signed two Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Technical Cooperation with the civil aviation authorities of Cabo Verde and the Dominican Republic. Those MOUs aim to improve the development, modernization, and operational efficiency of aviation systems between Guyana and those countries.

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary General, Dr. Carla Barnett, Tuesday said that the regional integration grouping stands in ‘solidarity’ with the global community in commemorating the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

Ina message, she said that during the November 25 to December 10 period, four important days will be observed, namely the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25, Human Rights Defenders’ Day on November ,29, World AIDS Day on December 1 and Human Rights Day on December 10.

CARICOM Secretary General, Dr. Carla Barnett

She said that the campaign underscores that violence denies women and girls the enjoyment of the full complement of their human rights.

‘CARICOM joins this global call to action against harmful gender norms, impunity, silence and stigma, all of which have allowed violence against women and girls to become normalized in far too many communities.

Barnett said that this year’s theme ‘UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls,’ addresses the alarming rise of digital violence against women and girls, fueled by artificial intelligence, online anonymity, and weak legal accountability.

‘Despite the internet’s potential for empowerment, women and girls now face increased threats, including cyber harassment, deepfake attacks, and relentless online abuse. UN Women reports that 1.8 billion women and girls lack legal protection from technology-facilitated abuse, with less than 40 per cent of countries having relevant laws.

‘The escalation of AI-driven abuse has made it faster, more targeted and harder to detect, with deepfake pornography disproportionately affecting women.’

Barnett said that the rise of the ‘manosphere’, a network of online communities promoting toxic masculinity and misogyny, adds to the growing threat to gender equality, saying it negatively affects the mental and physical wellbeing of both women and men, and deters women from participating in digital spaces.

‘With billions of people online, digital platforms are increasingly being used to spread hate, harmful stereotypes, reinforce sexist ideologies and portray feminism negatively among young men and boys.

‘Social media is being used to amplify these divisive messages, causing real-world impacts on attitudes and behaviours, affecting careers, shaping culture, causing fear and contributing to extreme acts of violence.’

The CARICOM Secretary General said that there is an urgent need to devise effective approaches to counteract toxic online environments.

She said multifaceted efforts must include research, policy advocacy, support for survivors, public education about gender equality and healthy relationships, youth-focused programmes, digital literacy and cultural change.

‘Emphasis should continue to be placed on legislative reform; hiring of more women in the digital space; swift removal of harmful content; and deceleration of the spread of misogynistic ideas.’

According to the United Nations, one in three women worldwide has experienced physical or sexual violence during their lifetime, most often at the hands of an intimate partner. Barnett said prevalence surveys conducted between 2017-2019 in five CARICOM member states, sampling women and girls 15-64 years old, indicate incidence rates as high as one in two women.

She said the social and economic consequences are concerning, with potential costs in healthcare, legal services and lost productivity. This underscores the need for a comprehensive response in our countries.

‘CARICOM member states have been implementing measures to address violence against women and girls by promoting gender equality, strengthening legal frameworks and enhancing support systems for survivors.

‘The CARICOM Secretariat remains committed to supporting member states in developing and implementing polices to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls, including through facilitating training of frontline professionals, including police, healthcare workers and social service providers, to better respond to cases of gender-based violence.’

Barnett said the region is today honouring the courage of survivors, amplify their voices, and commit to remain united in the pursuit of justice and equality.

‘The eradication of violence against women is not only a moral and vital human rights imperative, but a prerequisite for sustainable development and prosperity.

‘In a region of some 16 million people, more than half of whom are women and girls, we are individually and collectively responsible for creating safe, inclusive, and equitable societies, where every woman and girl can live free from fear and violence,’ she added.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is hearing an application by Guatemala into a land dispute that could reshape regional borders in Central America.

Belize is claiming ownership of a cluster of islands known as the Sapodilla Cayes, but its ownership is being contested by Honduras, and when the hearings began, Guatemala stepped in, seeking permission to intervene.

The Sapodilla Cayes, where the Caribbean meets the Gulf of Honduras, are a cluster of tiny islands. They are 14 specks of sand and palm trees, and for decades, these cayes have been more than a marine sanctuary, seen also as a geopolitical fault line.

The ICJ hearing is the latest chapter in a decades-old sovereignty battle that resumed when Belize filed its case back in 2022.

ICJ President, Iwasawa Yuji, addressing the parties reminded that the court is meeting under Article 84 Paragraph 2 of the Roosevelt Court, to hear the first round of oral arguments of the Republic of Guatemala on its application for permission to intervene in the case concerning sovereignty over Sapodilla Cayes, Cayos Zapotillos, Belize versus Honduras.

She said that on November 16th, 2022, Belize filed an application instituting proceedings against Honduras with regards to a dispute concerning sovereignty over Sapodilla Cayes, referred to by Honduras as the Cayos Zapotillos.

Yuji said in its application, Belize sought to find the court’s jurisdiction on Article 31 of the American Treaty on Pacific Settlements, signed on April 30th, 1948, officially designated, according to Article 60 thereof as the Pact of Bogota.

She said by an order dated February 2nd, 2023, the court had chosen May 2nd, 2023, and December 4th, 2023, as the respective time limits for the filing of a memorial by Belize and the counter-memorial by Honduras.

In her presentation, Guatemalan’s Ambassador, Cristina Rodriguez Pineda, told the court that the question of ownership is already before the court as a result of the case brought jointly by Guatemala and Belize through a special agreement concluded 14 years before Belize’s application against Honduras.

‘That case, pending before this court since 2019, concerns inter alia Guatemala’s insular claim against Belize for sovereignty over Cayo Zapotillos. Notably, Belize commenced the present proceedings just a few days before Guatemala was due to file its reply in the Guatemala/Belize case on December 8th, 2022.

‘This move by Belize has created an unfortunate procedural conundrum for the court. For the sake of consistency and efficiency, hearing the merits of the two overlapping cases, back-to-back, could be appropriate, particularly if Guatemala is permitted to intervene.’

The Guatemalan diplomat said that the interplay between the two cases is ‘ obvious.

‘It has specifically been acknowledged by Belize in correspondence and over the course of several meetings with Honduras. For instance, in notes verbals between April and October 2022, Belize sought to obtain guarantees from Honduras that it ‘would not assert a claim to the Sapodilla Cayes by way of application to intervene in the case before the International Court of Justice pending between Belize and Guatemala,’ she said.

The United States says it is imposing visa restrictions on an unnamed Haitian government official for supporting gangs and other criminal organizations, as well as obstructing the Haitian government’s fight against terrorist gangs designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

The Department of State said in a statement that the action is taken under INA 212 ‘generally bars entrance to those whose entry or proposed activities have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.

‘The Department will revoke any currently valid visas held by this individual,’ said the State Department without identifying the official.

It said this policy, first announced in October 2022, targets individuals and their family members, who provide financial or material support to gangs and criminal organizations operating in Haiti.

‘The United States remains committed to supporting Haiti’s stability and expects measurable progress toward free and fair elections. The Haitian people have had enough with gang violence, destruction, and political infighting,’ said the State Department, adding ‘the Trump administration will promote accountability for those who continue to destabilize Haiti and our region’.

Last month, the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Dimitri Herard for his support to the Haitian gang coalition, Viv Ansanm.

OFAC also said it ‘designated’ Kempes Sanon, leader of the Bel Air gang, one of the constituent gangs in the Viv Ansanm alliance.

OFAC said Viv Ansanm contributes to the violence and instability within Haiti and that the action ‘underscores the critical role of gang leaders and facilitators like Herard and Sanon, whose support enables Viv Ansanm’s campaign of violence, extortion, and terrorism in Haiti.

‘The United States is committed to holding accountable the violent terrorist gangs that endanger the Haitian people.’

Grenada says it has granted a marketing licence to a Nigerian company after announcing earlier this year that it would be focusing on marketing the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme in Africa .

Under the CBI programme, foreign investors are granted citizenship of the country in return for making a substantial investment in its socio-economic development.

A notice published in the November 21 edition of the Government gazette, said that the Lagos-based VTA Global Services, ‘has been granted the license of a Marketing Agent and is therefore authorized to conduct business in the State of Grenada, pursuant to the terms and conditions specified in the said Grenada Citizenship by Investment Act, 2013’.

The notice said that the licence has been signed by Thomas Anthony, the chief executive officer of the Investment Migration Agency (IMA) and became effective as of November 3 this year.

VTA Global Services is reported to be operating in a residential area containing a variety of properties, including luxury apartments and duplexes. Properties in this area are known for being high-end, secure, and amenity-rich, with options for sale and rent, often including features like waterfront access, private security, and recreational facilities.

Besides Grenada, the company offers global citizenship services to St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda and the Dominican Republic.

‘We provide expert team to create great value for immigration. Our certified and reliable Immigration Consultant professionals can help you get a positive decision on your case. We provide immigration services in all countries,’ according to its website.

IMA data shows that a significant number of the people granted Grenada’s citizenship through the CBI are from Nigeria , one of the West African nations being targeted by the IMA.

In July, Anthony said Nigeria represents the largest demographics in Africa applying to the CBI and the plan is to extend it to nationals of other African countries.

‘We have been exploring more African countries, more recently we were in Kenya in collaboration with the Nairobi Chamber of Commerce and at that event we have more than 100 individuals attending and we believe that we will see some fruit from that event,’ Anthony said then.