Category: CANA News

United Nations Special Representative for Haiti and Head of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), Carlos G. Ruiz Massieu, says that, despite crises facing Haiti, the people of the French-speaking Caribbean country have not given up and that ”their fortitude gives us hope.’

Carlos G. Ruiz Massieu

‘There is no doubt that the circumstances are dire, but the Haitian people have not given up,’ said Massieu in addressing the UN Security Council for the first time on Wednesday.

Massieu, who has met multiple political, international and civil stakeholders in Haiti over the past two and a half months, addressed the continuing gang violence and humanitarian crisis in the country, the upcoming political transition set to take place next year and bid to restore national security through the recently agreed Gang Suppression Force (GSF).

As armed groups are increasingly targeting farming communities on the outskirts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and other areas, Massieu stressed that the scale and impact of internal displacement is ‘unprecedented,’ amounting to over 1.4 million displaced people.

He said the human rights situation also remains ‘deeply concerning, with widespread abuses linked to gang attacks, violence involving self-defense groups, and even some security operations.

‘I am concerned that a steady path towards the restoration of democratic governance has yet to emerge,’ said Massieu, addressing the transfer of authority to elected officials expected to take place by February 7 next year.

He welcomed actions by Haitian authorities to consult with political representatives regarding the elections to avoid a political vacuum beyond February, stating that ‘sustained inter-Haitian dialogue remains crucial to forging renewed consensus on the way forward.’

Massieu said BINUH will be providing technical and logistical support ahead of the election.

He welcomed the Security Council-backing for the Gang Suppression Force and urged authorities to take appropriate measures to increase security and ensure communities most affected by violence, particularly children, are protected.

The UN Special Representative warned that the hostile security environment continues to affect Haiti’s international partners in the capital, but that he is leading efforts in BINUH to achieve ‘100 per cent staff presence in the capital as a matter of urgency.

‘The recent action by this Council was a signal of reassurance to the Haitian people that they are not alone – that the international community stands with them during this critical moment,’ he said.

‘Now is the time to swiftly translate this signal into real progress and turn the tide of violence,’ Massieu added.

The leaders of three Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) say they will support Grenada regardless of the decision it makes in responding to the request by the United States to temporarily install a radar at the Maurice Bishop International Airport (MBIA) and the deployment of US military assets on or near the island.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, flanked by his counterparts from Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit and Phillip J Pierre of St. Lucia, spoke on the issue at a news conference here.

Earlier this week, Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell, said he welcomed the ongoing ‘raging’ public debate regarding the US request saying that his administration has not yet taken a decision on the matter and that he would be making a statement to the nation in due course.

‘Nothing much has changed since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that we were considering the request. We are still doing so. It is a technical matter and requires a lot of technical people to provide us with guidance on what it is we are being asked to accommodate,’ Mitchell said during his ‘DM with the PM’ programme on social media and other platforms on Tuesday night.

The Donald Trump administration has been building up a military presence off the coast of the South American country allegedly as part of its fight against the illegal shipment of drugs to the United States. Washington has confirmed that it has bombed several vessels, killing all but two people, in recent times as it puts its policy into action.

Last weekend, the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said that Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders had met earlier this month to discuss 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.

But at the news conference, the three OECS leaders were asked about the advice they would give or had given to their Grenadian counterpart on the US request.

Skerrit and Pierre their position is similar to that of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines leader.

‘A matter of this great sensitivity, I wouldn’t want to say what advice we gave to Dickon or what issues we discussed,’ Gonsalves said, adding ‘but I could tell you what I said then, and what I could say publicly is that whatever decision he makes, I will support him, because he’ll have a rational basis on which to make whatever decision he make’.

Gonsalves said that the matter is complicated and that if Prime Minister Mitchell says no, the United States would find somewhere else to put the radar system.

‘They can put it on a platform in the sea. They have satellites. The argument, as I understand it, that’s the best place to put it,’ he said, telling reporters that Washington has not requested that the radar be placed in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

He said his view is that the United States wants to put the radar system near Venezuela to put pressure on President Nicolas Maduro.

‘But if I could figure that out, you don’t think Maduro could figure that out too?’ said Gonsalves, who is a strong ally of the Maduro government.

‘So, the effect of the pressure would be lost. That is the intention,’ Gonsalves said, noitng the reality of the Grenada location and economic situations.

He said 20 per cent of Grenada’s gross domestic product (GDP) ‘is in relation to one medical school, most of the persons come from America.

‘The airlines which bring passengers come mainly out of the United States of America. There are all kinds of pressures which could be brought and then on the other side, there are principles of non-intervention, non-interference; this is the zone of peace.’

Gonsalves said it was not nuclear physics that any prime minister confronted with a request from the United States ‘will balance and consider all various factors.

‘I can’t tell Dickson what to say, I can’t tell the Grenadian people what to say, but whatever decision they take, I will support them, because it would be a decision which is difficult, problematic, and it’s a judgment, and they would look where do they see at this particular point in time the interest of Grenada.’

Gonsalves said certain people may give advice one way or the other, ‘but at the end of the day, it’s Dickon, having listened to the advice of his people, listened to his cabinet, considering all matters, that he will make his determination.

‘And so, I will not adopt a posture other than to support my brother in whatever he decides to do. But I wouldn’t say to you what advice I will give him if he asks me, and that is the way I will put the issue. I will be in this corner.’

Gonsalves said he is aware that Antigua and Barbuda had indicated that it would not give permission for the radar system to be installed there.

‘Antigua, as I understand it, they asked Antigua, and I support Antigua in saying no. I support my colleagues in a decision which they take, which they themselves assess the national interest of their own country at that particular point in time,’ Gonsalves said.

‘It’s as simple and straight forward as that. You see, people look at things in a very abstract way. This is a concrete question, and that concrete question has to be determined by all sorts of considerations.

‘Where your judgment comes down depends on how you see things at that particular point in time, and that’s why I wouldn’t add my voice to denounce anybody who takes a decision which I may not think in my own head, abstractly, that that’s the best decision, and it’s the only way solidarity can work.’

Skerrit and Pierre, have expressed support Gonsalves, 79, for a sixth term as prime minister in the general election, widely expected next month, ahead of the February 2026 constitutional deadline.

The three leaders spoke to the media after touring the construction of the Modern Port Facility in Kingstown.

All government agencies are now actively engaged in dialogue as preparations intensify for tropical storm Melissa, which could become a hurricane.

According to Michael Belnavis, the Mayor of the town of Mayor of St. Ann’s Bay, in the northern parish of St Ann, with the island now officially under both a tropical storm and hurricane watch, all state agencies are being vigilant and ready for all eventualities.

‘At this moment, the first order of business is to secure every asset of the municipality – documents, properties, and critical records. We must ensure the safe protection of our vulnerable residents, especially the elderly, who may require targeted support in extreme weather events,’ he said.

The Mayor noted that coordination across ministries and agencies remains ongoing, with regular briefings to assess evolving threats and resource needs.

He outlined a proactive, multi-pronged approach designed to minimise disruption and protect lives and property, emphasising that one of the goals is to also establish clear lines of communication between agencies and community leaders.

He reiterated that even in the absence of a hurricane, the parish should prepare for significant rainfall, which could trigger flooding, and that shelter and evacuation planning are being intensified.

‘We want to be ready for all eventualities. we don’t want to be caught napping.’

Meanwhile, Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, is urging all tourism stakeholders, industry partners and visitors across the island to take the necessary precautions for Tropical Storm Melissa.

He says the ministry’s Tourism Emergency Operations Centre that was activated on Thursday, will ensure continued coordination between key agencies and industry partners to safeguard the tourism sector.

The minister says the ministry will continue to monitor updates from the Met Service.

He’s encouraging all tourism entities, citizens and visitors to do the same, and to follow official guidance as weather conditions evolve.

The government of Jamaica has issued a Hurricane Watch for the island, and has upgraded the Tropical Storm Watch to a warning as Tropical Storm Melissa continues on a slow trek towards the island.

In an update at 8:00am (local time), the Miami based National Hurricane Centre said the center of Tropical Storm Melissa was located by Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft near latitude 15.5 North, longitude 74.9 West.

Melissa is moving toward the northwest near five miles per hour and A slow northwest or north motion is forecast during the next couple of days, followed by a westward turn over the weekend.

On the forecast track, Melissa is expected to move closer to Jamaica and the southwestern portion of Haiti during the next couple of days.

Maximum sustained winds are near 50 miles per hour with higher gusts and little change in strength is expected during the next day but significant strengthening is expected by late Friday and over the weekend.

Hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area in Haiti and Jamaica beginning on Friday afternoon. Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin in Jamaica earlier on Friday.

According to the NHC, interests elsewhere in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba should monitor the progress of the storm .

Meanwhile, all schools have been directed to suspend face to face classes on Thursday, the Education Ministry said it took the decision to suspend face to face classes as a precaution, due to the approach of Tropical Storm Melissa.

Education Minister Dr Dana Morris-Dixon said where remote learning is not possible, schools should prepare take-home worksheets and other at home learning activities to ensure learning continues.

Four days after the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government reaffirmed the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago startled the region with a public statement that CARICOM should ‘get together’ and take some of the ‘illegal Venezuelans’ sheltering in her country, and that the Community should press Caracas to accept two hundred Venezuelans now in Trinidad’s prisons.

She went further, saying that if any CARICOM state withdrew support for Trinidad’s foreign-policy ambitions because of her stance, ‘she did not care.’

The remark appeared to be an exasperated-and sarcastic-response to the joint statement of her CARICOM colleagues: a perhaps intemperate reminder that Trinidad and Tobago bears one of the heaviest per-capita burdens in CARICOM of Venezuelan migration and the trans-Caribbean narcotics trade.

It was a sharp political riposte that unsettled the harmony of CARICOM’s communiqué of October 18, which sought to reaffirm the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace amid unilateral U.S. military action against alleged narco-traffickers off the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia.

In the Caribbean, small states value regional unity, yet face national pressures that make collaboration with other powers tempting. Many have done so from time to time. Therefore, while the position and tone of Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar’s statement are troubling, every government in the region knows the regular calculus between adhering to regional positions and putting national interest first.

But understanding cannot mean silence when the boundary line is crossed. If the Caribbean’s response to migration, crime, and security becomes a chorus of individual voices – each pitched to its own domestic concerns – then the collective shield that should define CARICOM will splinter. Disunity weakens the strength of the regional collective.

No CARICOM state benefits, for none has the capacity to cope in a world where the might of the powerful is continuously imposed.

CARICOM’s survival has always rested on the discipline of acting within international law, never outside it. Cooperation with larger democracies has served the region well when kept squarely within the framework of law. When cooperation with larger partners begins to place their priorities over the region’s, partnership turns into proxy, and sovereignty erodes.

The problem is not that Trinidad and Tobago drew attention to its burden; it is that the regional discourse slipped from coordination to confrontation. The duty to readmit nationals belongs to the state of origin – in this case, Venezuela. Burden-sharing among CARICOM members is a political choice, not a legal one, and cannot be imposed by rhetoric. To conflate the two is to replace law with leverage.

None of this denies the need for action. Crime, trafficking, and uncontrolled migration are real threats. But security built outside of law inevitably turns inward; lawlessness cannot be disguised as necessity.

The October 18 CARICOM statement warned against ‘security build-ups in the region’ that could disturb peace or sovereignty. It was a caution, not a command. The message was that CARICOM states can cooperate with larger partners -indeed they must – but under clear agreements, transparent mandates, and regional consent. That is how a Zone of Peace becomes more than a phrase on paper.

Properly understood, the Zone of Peace limits the reach of power, not the reach of justice. It forbids aggression between states, not the pursuit of traffickers and lawbreakers. Yes, any external lunge at regime change in Venezuela would ripple across the region – law and prudence both counsel restraint. But restraint runs in two directions: Venezuela must also meet its obligations – consular access, travel documents, and the readmission of its own nationals – while CARICOM holds its line on legality and consultation.

CARICOM’s partnerships with all bigger countries endure best when they are squarely within law, and CARICOM unity holds when it tolerates legitimate national concerns.

CARICOM’s cohesion has always contained diversity. Geography, aid, and commerce dictate that some members will align more closely with some external powers than others. That diversity is not betrayal; it is reality. But collective sovereignty – our ability to act as one where it matters – requires tolerance of those national variations without permitting them to unravel the whole.

As I wrote last week: ‘Governments will have to understand and tolerate why some amongst them, in their national interest, have to be more accommodating of larger powers. They will also have to accept that ‘collective sovereignty’ cannot be exercised if it invites individual punishment.’ Trinidad and Tobago’s position embodies that tension.

The test is whether the Community can absorb it without tearing itself apart. But a necessary condition is that leaders must keep the entrancement of local control at bay; it is unsustainable for small states.

Leaders declared CARICOM a ‘Community of Sovereign States’; too often, emphasis has fallen on Sovereignty at the expense of Community, accentuating individual weaknesses and deepening external dependence. However, if CARICOM truly wants to keep the Caribbean a Zone of Peace – and it should, because its economies and the well-being of its people depend on it – its members must now commit, more than ever, to regular consultation and to regional positions that account for each other’s specific circumstances as well as their regional commitments.

CARICOM’s strength lies in the willingness of its member states to speak in concert when it counts-and to keep that concert squarely within the law.

If CARICOM leaders allow the region’s security debates to become contests of loyalty – to any external country – they will find that the Zone of Peace has been outsourced, and the rent is payable in loss of sovereignty.

CARICOM states stand at a crossroads familiar to every small state in a power-driven world. They must cooperate with others in the international community – but within the framework first of the CARICOM Treaty and the UN Charter, and thereafter in the context of the multilateral agreements to which they are signatories, including the Law of the Sea Convention.

Accommodation may be necessary; abdication is not. CARICOM can cooperate with others without surrendering agency. And that is what, collectively, CARICOM states must strive to do.

The Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF) Coast Guard is conducting an active search operation following reports that a captain fell overboard from a vessel bound for Dominica late Tuesday night.

The missing mariner has been identified as Phillippe ‘Daniel’ Jules, reportedly fell overboard while attempting to avoid being struck by the vessel’s mast.

Information provided to the Coast Guard indicated that the incident occurred at approximately 2300 hours on October 21.

‘They cleared Customs on Tuesday and moved to Dominica. Five crew, six passengers on board, and somewhere between six and ten nautical miles northeast of Guadeloupe at around 2300 hours . Jules was either struck by the mast of the sailing vessel or he fell overboard as a result of trying to avoid being struck,’ sais ABDF Officer Lieutenant Best.

‘So far, we’ve been able to confirm that five crew . and all passengers are confirmed safe in Guadeloupe. Most understandably they are shaken and we can understand that this is a difficult situation to be in. It is just the Captain who remains unaccounted for,’ he said.

The ABDF Coast Guard expressed regret that official notice of the incident was received only during the early daylight hours the following morning, resulting in a delayed response and reduced likelihood of a swift recovery. ‘Despite this delay, the organization asserts that extensive efforts continue as we work tirelessly to transform this unfortunate event into a successful rescue,’ he stated.

Best reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to safety while noting meanwhile that some passports cannot be recovered.

He said that all available resources are being utilized in pursuit of a favorable outcome and that their thoughts and prayers remain with Jules’ family and friends during this difficult time.

Best also used the opportunity to urge all mariners to maintain proper safety protocols while in port, at anchor, or under weigh, including the consistent use of personal flotation devices and man-overboard alert systems.

Public hospitals islandwide have entered emergency mode which means that in-patient services and elective surgeries have now been suspended.

This was announced by Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton who on Thursday afternoon advised relatives of patients admitted for non-critical reasons to pick them up as soon as possible.

Speaking at a press briefing to update the country on plans being rolled out by the Government in response to the impending threat from Tropical Storm Melissa, Tufton said the hospitals have to reserve bed spaces in case they are needed for emergencies.

Tufton said the emergency centre is now fully activated and consultations have been held with the regional health authorities.

At the same time, 702 health personnel are on standby across parishes for emergency responses.

A 29-year-old contractor died on Wednesday after being attacked by a swarm of bees while working on a road contract in the village of Triumph, to the east of here.

Contractor Winston Semple suffered multiple stings about his body and collapsed at the scene. He was rushed to the nearby hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

Another worker, 40-year-old Glendon Sampson, was also attacked by the bees. He was also rushed to the hospital and has been listed as being in a critical condition.

The Police said residents in the community of Triumph were key in getting the two men to the hospital after the attack by bees.

A post-mortem examination is to be performed on Semple’s body shortly.

Meanwhile, several agencies are assisting with the investigation.

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has refuted claims made in an article published on Demerara Waves online news that the rescue and fire-fighting capacity at the Cheddi Jagan International airport has been downgraded.

In a statement late Thursday, the GCAA’s Director General, Lt. Col. (Retd) Egbert Field, said there has been no downgrade of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport’s status from category eight to category five and he has not signed any document to suggest such a change.

‘The GCAA wishes to highlight that unnamed sources in the article, unfortunately, provided inaccurate and misinformation regarding the category rating of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.The GCAA does not disclose or discuss inspection findings and reports on aviation stakeholders with third parties.’

The release added that the GCAA ‘maintains its commitment to the highest standards of aviation safety and regulatory oversight and assures the public that Cheddi Jagan International Airport continues to operate safely and efficiently.’

Bangladesh reached 296 for eight off their 50 overs after electing to bat against the West Indies in the third and final One Day International here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Thursday.

BANGLADESH 296-8 in 50 overs (Soumya Sarkar 91, Saif Hassan 80, Najmul Hossain Shanto 44, Towhid Hridoy 28, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 17, Nural Hasan 16 not out; Akeal Hosein 4-41, Alick Athanaze 2-37).