Category: CANA News

Chairman of the Regional Security System (RSS), Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre says that the threats that led to the formation of the Barbados-based entity have evolved rather than disappeared.

Addressing a high level meeting convened to commemorate the 43rd anniversary of the RSS, the St. Lucia Prime Minister cited cybersecurity, organised crime, climate-related instability, and gang violence as among the most pressing challenges confronting the region today.

St. Lucia’s Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre, who is also chairman of the Regional Security System (RSS), addressing the 43rd anniversary of the Barbados-based organisation (CMC Photo).

‘We cannot take for granted that our region remains a zone of peace. The work of the RSS continues to be indispensable to the safety, stability, and prosperity of our citizens,’ Pierre said.

The meeting, which ends later on Tuesday, has brought together heads of security, defence, and law enforcement from across the region to review emerging threats and strengthen cooperation in safeguarding the Caribbean’s peace and stability.

Pierre said that security is the foundation of economic development and social progress, noting that both public and private investment depend on an environment of peace and rule of law.

He called on member governments to deepen collaboration, increase investment in training, particularly in cybersecurity and harmonise legislation to ensure consistency in addressing transnational crimes.

The RSS was created out of a need for a collective response to security threats, which were impacting on the stability of the region in the early 1970’s and 1980’s. In October 1982, four members of the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States, namely, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Barbados to provide for ‘mutual assistance on request’.

St. Kitts and Nevis joined in 1983 and Grenada two years later. Guyana became a member in 2022.

The MoU was updated in 1992 and the RSS acquired juridical status in March 1996 by way of the Treaty which was signed in St. Georges, Grenada.

In his address to the conference, Prime Minister Pierre reaffirmed St. Lucia’s commitment to the RSS, and encouraged continued engagement with international partners such as the United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union, and the United States.

He also expressed support for the eventual expansion of the RSS within CARICOM to strengthen regional resilience.

Pierre emphasised the importance of succession planning and institutional independence, urging the organisation to safeguard its credibility and operational focus while remaining responsive to the region’s evolving security landscape.

Government and several other stakeholders are condemning acts of femicide as they express ‘profound sorrow and outrage’ at the deaths of a mother and her young son during the early hours of Monday morning.

Femicide is defined as an intentional killing with a gender-related motivation. It is different from homicide, where the motivation may not be gender-related.

Police are investigating the deaths of Angelita Majana and her young son, Tishan Godoy, who ‘tragically lost their lives’ in the fire that occurred in the Orange Walk District, north-west of here.

Two other people, Miguel Novelo and Shadia Majana, continue to receive medical care after surviving the fire.

The Ministry of the Public Service, Governance, and Disaster Risk Management has since commended law enforcement authorities for ‘their swift action in detaining the accused arsonist and acknowledges the tireless efforts of the National Fire Service and all first responders who assisted at the scene’.

In a joint statement, the Ministry of Human Development, Family Support and Gender Affairs, the Office of the Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children, and the National Women’s Commission said ‘preliminary investigations indicate that this was a deliberate act of domestic violence, an appalling case of femicide.

‘This horrific event is a painful reminder of the persistent and devastating impact of gender-based violence in Belize. Femicide, the most extreme form of violence against women, must be recognized, condemned, and urgently addressed. Violence within our homes and communities can no longer be accepted or ignored. Every woman and child deserves to live in safety, dignity, and peace,’ they added.

They said as national bodies charged with advancing gender equality and the protection of families, ‘we stand united in our commitment to action’ and that ‘efforts are ongoing to strengthen Belize’s legislative and institutional frameworks to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.

‘There is continued advocacy for the formal recognition of femicide in Belizean law. Ending violence against women and children is not the responsibility of the government alone; it requires a collective national response.’

The stakeholders said that they are calling on community leaders, village councils, educators, youth organizations, civil society, and faith-based groups ‘to join us in building a culture of zero tolerance for violence.

‘Change begins with awareness, accountability, and the courage to speak out and intervene. Through collaboration with local NGOs, shelters, and advocacy organizations, we continue to expand access to services, strengthen community networks, and promote education and prevention at every level.

‘Together, we must ensure that no life is lost to violence and that survivors receive the protection and support they deserve,’ they said, urging the public to contact them or the nearest police station ‘if you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence.

President of the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Daniel Best has sought to reaffirm the leadership role of the region’s premier financial institution in advancing inclusion, accessibility, and equal opportunity for persons with disabilities across the Caribbean.

Best, speaking at the 2025 Caribbean Disability Conference being held under the theme ‘Breaking Barriers: Advancing Inclusive Education for All Abilities,’ called for renewed regional commitment to create societies that leave no one behind.

Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) President Daniel Best (right) presents a signboard confirming CDB’s support for the Caribbean Disability Network (CDN) Legacy Project in Barbados to CDN President Andrew Sharpe (left) and Barbados Council for the Disabled President Patricia Padmore-Blackman (centre).

In his address to the event which ends on Wednesday, Best highlighted the findings of a recent CDB Regional Disability Assessment Report that reflected in the bank’s disability policy, showing that persons with disabilities across the Caribbean continue to face systemic exclusion and limited access to services, education, and employment.

He urged governments, institutions, and communities to act decisively to dismantle these entrenched barriers.

‘CDB is in the business of breaking barriers that contribute to the unfulfilled development needs of all vulnerable populations, including persons with disabilities. The bank affirms that persons with disabilities must enjoy the rights, dignity, respect and access to opportunities as citizens of our independent nations. They possess equal rights and fundamental freedoms to participate fully in all aspects of life, and express their views freely on matters affecting them,’ Best added.

He said that as part of its leadership role, CDB has developed a Model Special Education Needs and Inclusive Education (SEND) Policy and Strategy (2024) in collaboration with education stakeholders across the region.

The initiative provides a blueprint for transforming education systems to ensure that all learners, regardless of ability, can access quality education in supportive, inclusive environments.

The CDB said it continues to invest in early identification and intervention, teacher training, curriculum adaptation, and the development of accessible infrastructure.

Additionally, the bank has an enduring partnership with the conference organiser, the Caribbean Disability Network (CDN), and provides support for the annual event.

Most recently, CDB pledged financial and technical assistance for the CDN Legacy project in Barbados that will train local information technology (IT) professionals in digital accessibility and establish an accessible technology hub at the Barbados Council for the Disabled.

Best said that over the past five years, CDB has strengthened national capacity for disability inclusion through targeted financing, policy development, and technical assistance.

He said the CDB’s Disability Assessment Reports and Policy Briefs for Grenada, Jamaica, t. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago reflect this ongoing commitment and to further promote accessibility and inclusion, it has introduced tools such as the Disability Inclusion Checklist and the Persons with Disabilities User Assessment Tool, both designed to improve inclusivity in infrastructure projects and community development initiatives.

In a symbolic gesture of accessibility, the bank will hand over CDB’s Commitments to Inclusive Development in braille to National Associations for Persons with Disabilities, reaffirming its d

The opposition Alliance For Change (AFC) Tuesday urged the public and the media to allow the judicial process to take its course after one of its members were arrested by police on Monday night during a drug exercise.

Police said that the former AFC legislator and educator, Devin Sears, was arrested on Monday night after they uncovered more than 310.71 kilogrammes of marijuana in a minibus he was driving in the vicinity of the Old Bamia Police Checkpoint in Linden, the second largest city in Guyana and capital of the Upper Demerara-Berbice region.

Devin Sears (File Photo)

Police said that the 39 year old politician was in the company of Albert Sandy, a 69-year-old farmer.

The lawmen said Sears reportedly told them that he was transporting ‘tourism plants,’ but that upon searching the vehicle, they discovered 22 bulky black plastic bags and four large brown canvas bags filled with leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis. The men were immediately told of the offence, arrested, and cautioned.

In its statement, the AFC said that it has taken note of the reports in the media regarding the arrest of Sears, and another individual in connection with the discovery of a quantity of suspected marijuana.

‘We note that another individual who was in the vehicle with Mr. Sears has taken ownership of the suspected Marijuana, even as Sear remains in police custody.’

The party, which failed to win a seat in the September 1 general and regional elections, described Sears as ‘an active member’ even as it emphasised ‘that all persons are entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law.

‘The AFC firmly believes in upholding the rule of law and due process and trusts that the relevant authorities will conduct a fair, transparent, and impartial investigation into the matter.

‘The Alliance For Change reiterates its unwavering commitment to integrity, accountability, and lawful conduct among all those who serve or have served under its banner. The Party does not condone any act that contravenes the laws of Guyana or undermines public trust.’

The party said that it is urging the ‘public and the media to allow the judicial process to take its course and refrain from speculation that could prejudice the outcome of ongoing investigations’ adding that it ‘extends its support to Sears as he faces the challenges before him’.

The Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Dr. Didacus Jules, says the St Lucia based sub-regional grouping stands in full solidarity with Grenada and its people as the member state ‘navigates imponderable currents.

”We recognize the enormous pressures brought to bear on small states that strive to chart their own course in a turbulent world. And we affirm the right of every Caribbean nation to determine its destiny, free from coercion, free from fear, and faithful to its own conscience,’ Jules said, while delivering the keynote address at the official National Heroes Day celebration which was held on Monday, 24 hours later due to the inclement weather.

Grenada is currently reviewing a request from the United States to temporarily install radar at the Maurice Bishop International Airport (MBIA) and the deployment of US military assets on or near Grenada.

A group comprising lawyers, educators, trade unionists and religious leaders calling itself the Coalition for a Zone of Peace has called on the government to say no to the request with former Senate president Chester Humphrey saying he is prepared to lead a peaceful protest and that the US request is a precursor to a possible invasion of Venezuela.

Grenada’s lone electricity distributor, GRENLEC, remained profitable last year with its overall profit being recorded at EC$90.86 million up from the EC$74.67 million registered in 2023.

‘Despite exceptional challenges and a rapidly shifting energy landscape, our company remained profitable in 2024, achieving record non-fuel dollar sales growth of 10.52 per cent, up from EC$99.26 million in 2023 to EC$109.70 million,’ chairman James Pitt wrote in the 2024 annual report released to shareholders at the annual general meeting.

‘This growth helped offset higher operating costs, net of fuel, which rose from EC$74.67 million in 2023 to EC$90.86 million in 2024, due to increased generation maintenance and rental of emergency units,’ Pitts told shareholders.

The report said that notwithstanding the sales growth, maintenance and rental of emergency units reduced profitability.

‘Operating profit declined by more than 50 per cent, from EC$43.11 million in 2023 to EC$20.7 million, while net profit fell to EC$7.6 million down from EC$21.29 million in 2023,’ said the report under the sub topic financial performance.

As a result of profit decline, the board reduced dividends from 40 cents per share to 32 cents per share. However, retained earnings increased modestly to EC$64.8 million, up from EC$63.30 million in 2023, reflecting prudent financial management and long-term focus in a year of significant disruption, said the report.

This positive trend reflected in the company’s overall financial performance in 2023 where net profit before tax for 2023 was EC$28.94 million, exceeding both the budgeted EC$18.01 million and the EC$12.23 million recorded in 2022.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Kamla Persad Bissessar, says she is not concerned if regional countries decide to withdraw their support for Port of Spain as it seeks a position on the United Nations Security Council for the period 2027-28.

‘I simply do not care if anyone withdraws their support. That is their choice,’ Persad-Bissessar told the Trinidad Guardian newspaper in response to a story carried by the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that her administration’s decision to support the United States in its military build up in parts of the Caribbean, could lead to a re-think by regional countries to support the UN Security Council nomination that had been secured under the Keith Rowley administration.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar addressing the United Nations General Assembly last month (File Photo)

The CMC quoting regional sources said that Trinidad and Tobago may have also rendered itself ineligible to represent CARICOM given Prime Minister Persad Bissessar’ view that the US military should kill all traffickers ‘violently’.

On Sunday, Port of Spain reiterated its position why it is standing apart from its Caribbean Community (CARICOM) neighbours saying that the United Sates military operations are ‘aimed at combatting narco and human trafficking and other forms of transnational crime (and) are ultimately aimed at allowing the region to be a true ‘Zone of Peace’ where all citizens can in reality, live and work in a safe environment’.

The statement came less than 24 hours after the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said that regional leaders had met last week 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 the twin-island republic.

The meeting follows a series of deadly strikes by the Donald Trump administration targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels off the Venezuelan coast, the latest of which reportedly claimed the lives of two Trinidad and Tobago nationals.

Prime Minister Persad Bissessar told the Trinidad Guardian newspaper ‘Quite frankly my only care and concern is for the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

‘I have made it explicitly clear that Trinidad and Tobago will always come first under my leadership. No other country besides the US is willing to assist us to aggressively fight the drug and arms traffickers.

‘I am not going to toe Caricom’s line while our country is going to hell with drugs, out-of-control violent crime and murders for the last 20 years. Added to that we have tens of thousands of illegal Venezuelan immigrants here who are putting a strain on our services,’ she added.

Last month, following discussions with the United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, which she described as ‘very, very good’ for Trinidad and Tobago, Persad Bissessar told the Trinidad Guardian newspaper ‘You may or may not know, we applied for a seat on the UN National Security Council, there has been no objection to that, there has been no other nomination, so it means we would have succeeded’.

But former foreign affairs minister, Dr. Amery Browne, Monday accused the Trinidad and Tobago government of ‘deliberately’ misconstruing ‘basic CARICOM principles and concepts’ and that Prime Minister Persad Bissessar ‘continues to misunderstand’ the CARICOM concept ‘such as the zone of peace.

‘The current government of Trinidad and Tobago has now completely isolated itself from CARICOM and is clearly serving another agenda,’ Browne told CMC, adding that ‘every right thinking citizen must be deeply concerned by recent developments’.

Trinidad and Tobago holds responsibility for security in the quasi CARICOM cabinet and Browne said the prime minister has ‘completely abdicated her responsibilities her responsibilities within the CARICOM quasi cabinet and her government is doing harm to our relations in CARICOM and our relations with other countries in the region’.

Rescue teams are continuing the search for four Guyanese nationals, now feared dead, after a fishing boat sank in the Saramacca River near Lareco last on Saturday evening.

The Saramacca River is regarded as a key waterway for the Maroon communities who live along its banks and who use it for transportation and trade.

The police said that they had received a report early Monday morning that the crew were floating on ice cubes. They said that the caller had indicated that people in the area had used their boats to search for the four people, without success.

The National Army Marine Corps and the Groningen police were also deployed in the search.

The wife of the boat owner’s reported that her husband and three crew members were missing. She did not provide he names of the crew members.

According to her, her husband departed from the mooring at Huwelijkszorg on Friday evening, October 17th, in a recently purchased and renovated fishing boat, heading for Paramaribo, for a mandatory seaworthiness inspection by the Maritime Authority and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LVV).

She said that on Saturday morning, her husband, identified only as RL, called her to say the boat was taking on water and they were floating on ice. The call was abruptly cut off.

Later that evening, he called again and asked her to quickly write down coordinates because ‘he wouldn’t make it.’

According to authorities, the location she gave turned out to be more than 100 kilometers offshore, in the direction of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Police Public Relations Department said that the search is continuing.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Garth Lucien Wilkin, will deliver a keynote address at the eighth Biennial Conference of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) Academy for Law that gets underway in Trinidad next month, according to a government statement issued here.

It said that Wilkin had been invited to the November 26-28 event by CCJ President Justice Winston Anderson.

Attorney General, Garth Wilkin

The conference will be held under the theme ‘The CCJ at 20: Reflections on Caribbean Jurisprudence’ and that the statement said that as the Trinidad-based CCJ marks two decades of service to the region, this conference presents a timely opportunity for Caribbean legal stakeholders to reflect on past successes and chart the way forward.

It said that Wilkin will address the topic ‘The Criminal Justice Reform Journey in Saint Kitts and Nevis’ on November 26 and that his presentation, alongside distinguished regional jurists and practitioners, will consider critical issues such as case-management, modern trial procedures and harnessing technology for the efficient delivery of justice.

Wilkin will also chair a panel discussing the structured role of other stakeholders in developing Caribbean jurisprudence.

‘Since the implementation of innovative criminal justice reform measures over the past three years, the Federation has seen a drastic reduction in major crimes and greater efficiencies in its justice system,’ the statement said, adding that ‘this invitation is therefore a strong recognition of the Federation’s active leadership in regional justice reform’.

The statement recalled that in February last year, Wilkin was appointed to serve on the CCJ-established Monitoring, Evaluation and Facilitation Committee, a region-wide platform tasked with assessing the implementation of key justice-reform initiatives, including those set out in the Needham’s Point Declaration.

‘His role on that Committee enabled Saint Kitts and Nevis to help shape and benchmark the reform agenda in the Caribbean and demonstrates our Federation’s commitment to delivering tangible improvements in access, efficiency and fairness in our justice system,’ the statement said, adding that ‘the Federation is proud to stand at the forefront of regional legal transformation and confident that the address will highlight our reforms and strengthen St. Kitts and Nevis’ position as a partner in building a just, modern Caribbean’.

Chief Justice Ivor Archie Tuesday announced that he would retire as head of the judiciary on Wednesday, a few weeks after first hinting at the decision to do so.

In a three paragraph statement in which he reminded the country that during his address to the opening of the 2025-26 Law Term in September, he had indicated ‘that my departure from the Judiciary was imminent’, Archie said that the time had come.

Justice Ivor Archie (File Photo)

‘I wish to advise that that time has arrived and today I indicated to the Acting President that I will retire on October 22 2025.

‘Trinidad and Tobago has been good to me and I hope that I have been equally good to my country. It has been an honour to serve. I wish my successor every success in the period ahead. May God guide his or her path as this new endeavour is commenced,’ Archie wrote.

Last month, Archie, the country’s longest-serving Chief Justice after more than 17 years at the helm of the Judiciary, did not reveal the exact date that he would demit office, but indicated that he would not be around when the new law erm is observed once again next year.

‘I have decided to retire, not resign, at a time of my own choosing and not to wait until I reach the age of 70. There will always be unfinished business no matter when I leave, but I have decided to retire during this term, so this will be my last speech,’ he told the opening of the law term.

He said he chose the occasion to publicly announce his decision so he can assist in ensuring the smooth transition of his eventual successor, once that person is selected.

Under Section 102 of the Constitution, the Chief Justice is selected by the President after consultations with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

‘The office of Chief Justice is not private property or something you own or cling to; it is a sacred baton held in trust for one’s successors and the nation. I am but a single runner in a never-ending relay, and the baton must be passed at some time,’ Archie said last month.

In his address he had thanked his judicial colleagues for their support lamenting over the inability of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission’s (JLSC), which he chairs, to properly manage a small minority of colleagues who commit minor transgressions, such as delayed judgments or inappropriate media engagement with the media.

”Short of impeachment, the Chief Justice and the JLSC have no means of sanction other than to write or have a conversation in the hope that mature reflection would bring about behavioural change,’ he said.