Category: CANA News

The California-based Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) Tuesday demanded a ‘full, independent investigation’ into the fatal shooting of a man, who the United States Immigration and Customs (ICE) agents shot and killed after pulling him over in Houston.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, claimed on July 7, that Lorenzo Salgado Araujo had ‘weaponized his vehicle.’ But HBA Executive Director Guerline Jozef told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that HBA wants ‘complete transparency and accountability’ from DHS and ICE.

‘Reports indicate that Mr. Salgado Araujo was not the intended target of the operation, raising serious concerns about ICE’s tactics, use of force, and disregard for human life, especially Black and brown immigrants,’ she said.

Jozef said this tragedy is not an isolated incident, stating that at least 50 people have died in ICE custody or during ICE enforcement operations.

‘These deaths point to a deeply troubling pattern of violence, neglect, and a lack of accountability that demands immediate action. Haitian Bridge Alliance calls on the Department of Justice to immediately launch an independent investigation, publicly release all available evidence, and hold accountable anyone found to have violated the law or agency policy.

‘No federal law enforcement agency should be permitted to investigate itself without meaningful independent oversight. The killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo is not simply another tragedy-it is part of a deeply troubling pattern of violence and impunity that has become synonymous with ICE enforcement.’

Jozef said far too many people have died during interactions with ICE and that communities are living in fear, families are being devastated, and accountability remains elusive.

‘We cannot continue to accept a system that repeatedly produces these outcomes. It is past time to abolish ICE and replace it with an immigration system rooted in due process, transparency, human dignity, and respect for life,’ Jozef said.

She reiterated that Haitian Bridge Alliance stands in solidarity with the Salgado family and every family that has lost a loved one during immigration enforcement operations.

Caribbean immigration advocates in New York have also called for the abolition of ICE in the wake of Salgado Araujo’s killing.

‘No one should have to fear that masked federal agents can stop their vehicle and take their life with impunity,’ said Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an umbrella organization of over 200 immigrant and refugee groups on New York State.

‘Yet once again, ICE has killed someone on an American street, and once again DHS has sought to justify the use of deadly force by claiming that the individual ‘weaponized his vehicle’.

‘DHS has repeatedly lied in these moments, undermining public trust and raising serious questions about their credibility. Their claims cannot be accepted at face value and must be subjected to an independent investigation,’ Awawdeh said, adding ‘our hearts are with the family of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during this horrific tragedy’.

ICE’s acting director, David Venturella, said in a statement that Araujo was an ‘illegal alien’, who had ‘weaponized his vehicle’ in trying to run over the ICE agent, who fired at him.

But Araujo’s son, Ronaldo Salgado, said on Facebook that his father was ‘a hardworking Mexican man.

‘My father has been in this country for nearly 35 years, working in construction to provide for myself, my two brothers, and my mother. He was in the process of obtaining his work permit through the legal process. He was on his way to work, picking up his workers. My father did not deserve this.’

The chief executive of the League of United Latin American Citizens, Juan Proaño, also called for an independent investigation into Araujo’s killing, disputing DHS’s account of the incident, describing it as ‘a template.’

‘We don’t trust ICE, and we don’t trust the F.B.I. to be responsible enough or open or transparent enough with what happened today,’ Proaño said.

Araujo’s shooting comes as the Trump administration has intensified its arrest deportation onslaught of Caribbean and other immigrants.

In

response to reports of a surge of 10,000 ICE arrests within five days, Yaritza Mendez, deputy director of the immigrant advocacy group Make the Road New York, said ICE is ‘ramping up arrests of mothers, fathers, and community members to meet their 2,000 arrest-per-day quota.

‘This is a clear illustration of this administration’s inhumane tactics, which reduce people to nothing more than numbers. The Trump administration’s actions over the past few months may not seem as oppressive as what we witnessed in Minneapolis, but, in reality, their mass deportation apparatus is as cruel as ever.

‘Instead of sending armed militias into American cities to terrorize the population, the administration has fortified its reliance on racial profiling and surveillance technology to separate families,’ Mendez added.

Last month, Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said he would send ICE agents to New York City in response to New York Governor Kathy Hochul signing a slate of immigration legislation into law.

The ongoing war between the United States and Iran in particular the control of the Strait of Hormuz is forcing Caribbean governments into some form of a dilemma as hey seek to provide subsidies to their citizens in order to deal with the impact of the high cost of energy.

Montserrat Premier Reuben Meade, appearing on a radio programme here Tuesday with Dr. Hyginus ‘Gene’ Leon, the Executive Director of the Development Bank for Resilient Prosperity (DBRP), a global multilateral institution created to serve Small Island Developing States (SIDS), told listeners that one has to prioritise how you spend the limited resources that are available to governments. ‘Sometimes we provide subsidies as a tremendous cost to the government and that cost has to be recouped in some way and it is recouped from the taxpayers. So you believe you’re getting something on one side but the government is getting it back from you one way or the other on the other side,’ Meade, an economist said.

‘So we have to be very prudent in terms of how we introduce subsidies,’ he said, noting that in the case of Montserrat, ‘one way of subsidising public transport, we have reduced the freight element for the calculation of import duties by 50 per cent and that too is a subsidy because we know what is happening with freight charges.

‘So that’s the Montserrat position. The other Caribbean territories will do what they can because most of them are in a position so to do based on their own fiscal position. But the fiscal position as it remains in Montserrat means that with 67 cents on the dollar funded by HMG (His Majesty Government), we do not have the fiscal space to provide general subsidies,’ he added.

Leon, a former president of the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), said that citizens throughout the Caribbean need to keep in mind that it doesn’t matter whether it’s Montserrat or anywhere else for that matter in the world ‘there is no free lunch.

‘There is no free lunch and subsidies will always be a need,…at any one point in time in the future. The issue at hand is living today versus living or being able to live tomorrow. And the choice that I think is always before any government is how do you spend the monies that you have access to, the monies that you will be able to have on activities today that does not prevent you from being able to live tomorrow.’

The St. Lucian-born economist told radio listeners here that so when Premier Meade talks about subsidies in Montserrat ‘the alternative of which segments get that subsidy, for how long, and what do you put in place for tomorrow to reduce the risk of needing to continue to provide subsidies, this is the essence of the policy, the trade-off that needs to always occur.

‘Now at some point one person or one group may always feel enough attention is being provided to them, but if you have to make a choice between being able to fund a hospital or being able to fund education or being able to fund transport logistics versus which is about tomorrow and viability tomorrow versus being able to live a little better today, that is a trade-off that I think depends on where you are and how you see it.’

Leon said that this is why he made the point that there has to be joint responsibility ‘because part of it is an acceptance by people that they can also contribute by reducing their need while the government can help support particular segments such that you minimise the overall impact on society while you secure a better future for people tomorrow.

‘So the subsidy issue is not about am I denying you of today’s benefit, it is more about how am I balancing or minimising your discomfort today while promoting a better living space for you tomorrow,’ Leon told radio listeners.

Oil prices have surged to their highest level in a month as renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran continued for a third consecutive day, dampening hopes for a return to normality in the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude, the primary international benchmark, rose as much as 3.8 per cent on Tuesday, extending a 9.6 per cent gain from the previous day.

After easing to pre-conflict levels following Washington and Tehran’s signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for peace last month, Brent has risen 19 percent from its price before the start of the US-Israel war on Iran in late February.

Premier Meade said what has been done in terms of fuel subsidy is that ‘we have focused on providing subsidies to the bus drivers, because the people who use public transport are the lowest earning persons in the island.

‘ And it is tied to the price of fuel. So if the price of fuel falls back to normal levels, then the subsidy goes. But up until a week ago, the entire world felt that the oil prices were falling, and now we are hearing that the United States has now closed the Strait of Hormuz.

‘Now I don’t understand how they have closed it when Iran had closed it before, ut they are blockading the closed Strait. So you are double-locking the Strait of Hormuz. And secondly, coming out of the United States, they want to implement a toll for the use of the Strait of Hormuz when in fact the Iranians are saying, we will impose a toll.’

Meade said that the positions of the two countries will result in fuel prices are rising again ‘which means that you are doubling up on your subsidies and so you are deflecting resources from much-needed other investments into a very short-term benefit.

‘And we have to stop looking at short-term benefits and look at the longer-term goals,’ Meade said, adding ‘for example, we are now getting ready to prepare tender for the development of geothermal, so that we can now have our grid being fully sustained by both geothermal and solar.

‘Now, those are investments, which, had we been using those funds for subsidies, we would not have been able to make. And if we provided the subsidies, that shortfall will have to take up as borrowing to deal with that fiscal deficit, which means that the people have to pay the interest and pay the returns on that,’ he told radio listeners.

Police say they are taking seriously threats made against the family of Police Commissioner, Allister Guevarro, with the Homeland Security Minister, Roger Alexander saying he is aware of the threats against Guevarro’s daughters.

‘We certainly do not take kindly to threats, especially threats made to our Commissioner of Police, his family, any officer or any citizen, and we will do what is absolutely necessary to deal with the situation decisively, and we will deal with it in accordance with the law…the full brunt of the law,’ Deputy Commissioner of Police (Administration) Junior Benjamin told the Express newspaper. Media reports had indicated that the threats were made in a telephone call on the E999 service last Saturday with the caller threatening Guevarro’s family if they could not reach him.

The caller warned that if they could not get to the commissioner, they would target his two daughters instead.

‘Bosses and them want to come outside. It have too much f@##ing bosses inside and if they don’t come out, If we can’t get to him, we will get to his f@##ing children. We know he have a big daughter and a small daugh(ter).’

But Guevarro has told those making the threats that they should ‘come after me all you want.

‘But to threaten me to leave the bosses or they will come after my daughters…I want them to know that Gopaul luck is not Seepaul luck,’ Guevarro said, noting that he is not prepared to back down from doing what needs to be done, including putting people considered to be ‘untouchables’ behind bars.

‘Same rain does fall on everyone’s roof,’ Guevarro said reaffirming his commitment to the job, and repeating the oath he swore on the day he was installed as top cop.

Benjamin has said that the TTPS (Trinidad and Tobago Police Service) stands firmly behind its Commissioner, and officers would not be intimidated, by such actions, from performing their duties,’ Benjamin said.

Alexander, who spoke with reporters at his constituency office in Tunapuna along the eas west corridor, said he was aware of the threats against Guevarro’s daughters and that he has full confidence in the police to treat with the issue.

‘It is clear that something positive is happening in this country, and criminal elements are doing what they can to disrupt it,’ Alexander said.

Spain on Tuesday named nine Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries among 60 nations worldwide, whose citizens will not need a visa to enter the European country.

According to the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Madrid, the CARICOM countries named are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, The Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The list doesn’t include Jamaica, Guyana, Suriname, Belize and Haiti.

Apart from the CARICOM countries, Spain is also granting citizens of eight African countries visa-free access for short stays of up to 90 days. The holders of ordinary passports from Botswana, Namibia, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mauritius, Seychelles, Cape Verde and Rwanda can travel to Spain and the wider Schengen Area without first obtaining a visa.

The visa-free arrangement applies to tourism, business trips and other short visits of up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

However, citizens of most other Caribbean and African countries will still be required to apply for a Schengen visa before travelling to Spain or any other country within the Schengen zone.

The Guyana Amazon Warriors have unveiled their overseas player roster for the upcoming 2026 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League season, assembling a star-studded quintet that blends veteran savvy with explosive youth as the franchise aims to build on its impressive 2025 campaign.

The five international signings confirmed for the upcoming tournament represent a strategic mix of batting firepower, bowling mastery, and all-round versatility.

South African leg-spin wizard Imran Tahir, New Zealand dynamo Glenn Phillips, Afghan stars Mohammad Nabi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and South African all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius will don the green and yellow this season.

Imran Tahir, one of franchise cricket’s most decorated leg-spinners, returns to spearhead the Warriors’ bowling attack.

The South African veteran’s extraordinary control and uncanny ability to strike in the middle overs make him a perennial threat on Caribbean pitches.

His vast experience across global T20 competitions adds an invaluable strategic dimension to the squad.

Glenn Phillips arrives with a reputation for destructive strokeplay and electric athleticism. The New Zealand international’s capacity to single-handedly shift momentum makes him a fearsome presence in the top order.

His exceptional fielding standards further bolster a Warriors unit already known for its energy in the park.

Mohammad Nabi continues his association with the franchise, bringing his trademark composure and cricketing intelligence. The Afghan veteran remains one of the world’s most reliable all-rounders, offering wily off-spin in the middle overs alongside calculated lower-order hitting.

His experience across every major T20 league provides priceless mentorship for younger players.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz joins as one of global cricket’s most exciting young wicketkeeper-batters. The Afghan opener’s fearless approach at the top of the order promises to ignite the powerplay overs, adding significant firepower to the Warriors’ opening combination alongside retained West Indian talent.

Dwaine Pretorius rounds out the overseas contingent with his dual threat as a new-ball specialist and death-over enforcer. The South African all-rounder’s disciplined bowling in high-pressure phases, complemented by his handy lower-order striking, offers head coach and management valuable tactical flexibility.

This overseas contingent joins a formidable core of Guyanese and West Indian talent, headlined by the explosive Shimron Hetmyer and the elegant Shai Hope.

The blend of international pedigree and regional familiarity positions the Amazon Warriors with a remarkably balanced squad covering batting depth, spin variation, and pace options ahead of the 2026 campaign.

The Guyana government says in an effort to strengthen its natural resources capacity, it is accelerating a new phase of oil exploration as it moves to expand petroleum activities beyond the prolific Stabroek Block, creating new opportunities for investment, employment and economic growth.

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat in outlining the progress being made under recently signed petroleum agreements with new operators, said that the consortium of TotalEnergies, Qatar Energy and Petronas has already commenced seismic surveys on its offshore block, marking a significant milestone in the country’s continued petroleum expansion. ‘We are very happy that they are progressing in just a short period of time… they already have a vessel in Guyana’s waters conducting the seismic survey. Once that data is analysed and it shows signs of hydrocarbons, then they will move to the exploration programme where they start drilling exploration wells,’ Bharrat said noting that seismic surveys are a critical first step in identifying potential hydrocarbon deposits before exploration drilling begins.

Bharrat also spoke of the agreement signed with Ghanaian company Cybele Energy, noting that while the company has requested additional time to pay its signing bonus because of investor-related issues, the government continues to engage through legal channels to ensure compliance with the agreement.

He said the company has already established a local office, hired Guyanese employees, and fulfilled other financial obligations, including licence and environmental fees.

Bharrat also highlighted the recently signed agreement with the Dominican Republic for exploration of the Berbice Block, describing it as another important step in broadening Guyana’s petroleum industry.

He said that the block was already available after being relinquished by its previous operator and was not created specifically for the agreement.

‘We have given them a very short timeframe, and within four to six months, we must see some kind of activity in the Berbice Block. It will generate opportunities in Region Six through direct employment, indirect employment, provision of goods and services, housing and transportation.’

Bharrat said the government remains committed to attracting credible investors with the technical and financial capacity to responsibly explore Guyana’s petroleum resources, ensuring that continued exploration translates into long-term economic development and expanded opportunities for Guyanese.

Meanwhile, Bharrat has reiterated the government’s call for Guyanese workers with comparable qualifications, experience and skill sets to expatriate employees in the oil and gas sector to receive equal pay for the work they perform.

He said Guyana has reached a stage where many nationals have developed the technical expertise and experience needed to take on roles within the sector.

‘Ten years after discovery to production, we have Guyanese who have upskilled themselves, who went abroad and studied on scholarships or on their own. We have Guyanese who qualify themselves through technical training colleges in Guyana, and they are on FPSOs (floating production, storage, and offloading) working alongside Exxon.

‘If you’re…an expat, you have five years’ experience in the oil sector, you’re a reservoir engineer, I am a Guyanese, I have five years’ experience, I have the same kind of qualifications as you, both of us are working on a drill ship offshore, then the salary that you receive, I should receive too.’

Bharrat noted that differences may exist in other benefits, such as allowances provided to expatriate workers living away from their home countries, but maintained that salary should reflect the employee’s skills, qualifications and responsibilities.

He said the issue has been discussed with major companies operating in Guyana’s oil and gas sector, including ExxonMobil, SBM Offshore and MODEC, adding that they have indicated support for fair pay practices.

He said Guyana’s growing oil and gas industry has led to a larger pool of skilled Guyanese workers, with citizens now gaining experience in areas previously dominated by expatriate personnel.

Local Government and Community Development Minister, Desmond McKenzie, Tuesday said he had been pepper-sprayed by a police officer while he was attempting to calm residents following a police shooting in his West Kingston constituency earlier during the day.

The shooting, which occurred shortly before 7.00 am (local time) resulted in a tense situation with residents accusing the police of using excessive force. The police have not yet issued any information regarding the shooting. But McKenzie speaking on a radio programme said that he had gone to the community in an effort to calm residents and prevent the situation from escalating.

‘When I came, the community was very upset because they are saying men who were going to work were abused by the police,’ McKenzie said, adding that he was attempting to quell the anger and asked residents to allow the police to continue their operation.

‘When I was there talking, the crowd started to gather and everybody started to make noise… This young lady said something. I don’t know what she said to the police, but the police attempted to hold her. She ran behind me,’ He said as he spoke with a senior officer.

He said that when he intervened, an officer proceeded to pepper-spray him.

‘I said to the policeman, ‘Hold on,’ and the policeman proceeded to pepper-spray me,’ said McKenzie, as persons poured water and milk over his face to combat the effects of the pepper spray.

The incident was captured on video and has since gone viral.

McKenzie said the incident was particularly troubling because of the longstanding relationship between the police and residents of West Kingston.

‘We have had a very good relationship with the police here in West Kingston. We enjoy that relationship, and we have no problem with the residents of the community.

‘But an incident like this this morning is not something I can tolerate or condone. You pepper-sprayed me as an ordinary Jamaican… Don’t think about me as a Member of Parliament or because of who I am. If I did something, you had a right to pepper-spray me, and there was no need for the police to use pepper spray.’

The Antigua and Barbuda government used its overwhelming majority to pass a resolution allowing it to continue negotiations with the United States on receiving third country nationals (TCN) even as the opposition maintained that St. John’s had no ‘cards’ to affect the outcome of the US migration policy.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who tabled the resolution in Parliament on Tuesday said that the country rather face additional visa restrictions from Washington than accept third-country nationals with criminal backgrounds, whom he said would pose a far greater threat to the Caribbean island’s safety and developmentThe resolution outlines the government’s negotiating principles for any agreement with the United States on the possible transfer of third-country nationals, with Browne telling legislators ‘if we were faced with an option of not taking criminals and to have visa restrictions, we’ll go for the visa restrictions because accepting criminals will destroy our country’.

But he noted that the ‘negotiations at this point do not indicate that Antigua and Barbuda is obliged to take any criminal elements’ and that all formal exchanges with the United States have excluded such a requirement.

Browne said the disagreement arose because draft language submitted by the United States did not explicitly state that convicted criminals would be excluded from any transfer arrangement.

‘We can then amend the language to state that we will not accept criminals, with the exception of individuals who may have been involved in visa violations,’ Browne said, noting that Antigua and Barbuda has historically taken a practical approach to immigration offences by periodically granting amnesties to undocumented migrants, many of whom are Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nationals.

He said the government would be prepared to consider accepting individuals whose only offence was a visa violation, particularly if they possess skills needed in Antigua and Barbuda, including nurses, specialist doctors and skilled construction workers.

‘What we don’t want are criminal elements. We don’t want any liabilities either,’ Browne said adding that the government also intends to reject individuals who are likely to become a financial burden on the country.

He said that Antigua and Barbuda will seek up to US$75,000 in financial support for each third-country national it may agree to receive indicating that the country’s high cost of living requires greater assistance than other participating nations have reportedly received.

‘My understanding is that they have given between US$25,000 to US$50,000 to some countries for each individual. I said to them Antigua and Barbuda is an expensive country, so we may want to consider about US$75,000 each.’

But in his contribution, Barbuda legislator, one of two opposition legislators in the Parliament, Trevor Walker, who abstained when the matter was put to a vote, said that the government is negotiating from a position of weakness with the United States. Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle was not present during the debate on Tuesday.

‘I want Antiguans and Barbudans to hear me. Antigua and Barbuda don’t have no cards. You have no cards,’ Walker said, acknowledging that while negotiations remain the appropriate course, he is also questioning what Antigua and Barbuda hoped to secure in return for cooperating with the United States.

‘If that’s what the government is going to do, then what are the reciprocal arrangements that’s being sought by Antigua and Barbuda?’ he asked, adding that he did not believe the question was unreasonable.

Walker said the matter should not be approached as a partisan issue because any agreement would affect all citizens.

‘This matter ought not to be partisan and political because it will affect all of us,’ Walker said, noting that Antigua and Barbuda was negotiating while already subject to heightened US travel restrictions.

He said the government should explain why Antigua and Barbuda has reached what he described as one of its most difficult periods in relations with the United States.

‘The Prime Minister of this country has an obligation … to let Antiguans and Barbudans understand why Antigua and Barbuda at this time is placed in a position where things are almost at the highest element of hardship when it comes to United States travel restrictions.’

Walker contrasted the current situation with Antigua and Barbuda’s relationship with the United States during the mid-2000s, when he said then-U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice commended the country for legislation promoting accountability and transparency.

Walker said whatever decision the government ultimately makes must protect Antigua and Barbuda’s economic interests, particularly tourism, while preserving citizens’ ability to travel, study and conduct business in the United States.

‘Our access to the United States, to do business, to go to school … and also the whole question of our economic survival, which is tourism, all those things must be taken into consideration,’ he said.

Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene defended the government’s negotiations with the United States saying Antigua and Barbuda engaged Washington to protect its sovereignty rather than surrender it

‘We engage because responsible governments do. They do not make important decisions in ignorance. They do not refuse to listen before they know what is being proposed. And they do not confuse engagement with agreement.’

He said the issue extended far beyond immigration policy, describing it as a test of how a small independent state responds when a powerful ally presents proposals that raise questions about sovereignty, national security and the country’s future.

‘This debate is not simply about immigration. Neither is it about the United States of America. It’s about something fundamentally much bigger. It’s about how Antigua and Barbuda, as a small independent nation, responds when a close and powerful neighbour and friend asks something that raises serious questions for our own sovereignty, our laws, our security and our future,’ Greene said.

He urged legislators to treat the matter as a national issue rather than a partisan one, arguing that questions involving sovereignty and foreign policy transcend political parties.

‘When questions arise that touch the sovereignty of our country, our immigration policy, international obligations and the welfare of our people, our first duty is not to any political party. It must be to Antigua and Barbuda.’

Greene said that Antigua and Barbuda remained a sovereign nation regardless of its size and rejected any suggestion that the country had compromised its independence through negotiations

‘We are a sovereign nation. Small in size, equal in dignity. Our flag carries exactly the same worth and legal standing in the community of nations as does the flag of any larger state,’ he said, even as he acknowledged the realities facing small states.

‘The responsibility of government is not to complain about that reality. It is to navigate it wisely.That means protecting our sovereignty without isolating ourselves, maintaining our friendships without compromising our principles, working with our partners without surrendering our judgment,’ Greene said, dismissing criticism that the government should have publicly dismissed the US proposal from the outset.

‘Leadership is not measured by how loudly a government speaks. It is measured by how well it protects the interests of its people.

‘We listened, we examined every proposal, we took legal advice, we consulted officials, we assessed the implications, and when we concluded that important parts of the proposal were not in Antigua and Barbuda’s best interest, we simply rejected them,’ he added.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin said that Antigua and Barbuda has not entered into a final agreement with the United States on the transfer of third-country nationals, insisting that negotiations are still underway.

Benjamin rejected suggestions that Parliament was being asked to endorse a completed agreement, saying no such document currently exists.

‘The White Paper is not presented as a complete agreement, nor is this House being asked to approve a conclusive operating agreement. None exists,’ Benjamin said, explaining that the resolution seeks parliamentary approval of a framework that would define the government’s negotiating position while allowing Cabinet to continue discussions with U.S. officials.

‘The role of this Parliament is to determine the governing principles and the limits within which the Executive may proceed. Negotiation is, by its nature, an executive function,’ Benjamin said, adding that once Parliament establishes those principles, the Executive will negotiate within the boundaries set by lawmakers and return with any necessary legislation if a final agreement requires changes to domestic law.

Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez said Antigua and Barbuda must carefully balance protecting its national interests with maintaining a strong relationship with the United States, warning that a breakdown in negotiations could have serious consequences for the country’s tourism-dependent economy.

‘The point I’m making is yes, might is right,’ Fernandez told lawmakers, arguing that Antigua and Barbuda must pursue a practical approach while defending its national interests

Fernandez said tourism accounts for approximately 60 to 65 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, making it essential that the government avoid actions that could jeopardize the industry

‘If we lose our tourism 60, 65 percent of GDP (would go) down the drain,’ he said, adding that the impact would extend beyond hotels, affecting thousands of workers employed throughout the industry, including restaurant staff, tour operators and others whose livelihoods depend on visitor arrivals.

He said the government therefore could not simply reject negotiations outright nor accept every proposal presented by Washington.

‘So it is a balancing act. We have tried to strike a balance whereby we can stand up and say with dignity and pride, this is what we obtained, this is what we asked you to put into the agreement and that is what we’re looking for,’ Fernandez said.

The main opposition United Workers Party (UWP) has called on Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre to remove Housing, Local Government and Urban Renewal Minister Richard Frederick from the cabinet after he was questioned by police last week.

Last Thursday, Frederick confirmed he is the subject of a police investigation, but that he ‘has nothing to fear’. Appearing on his weekly television programme ‘Can I Help You,’ the 60 year-old attorney and former police officer, told viewers that he had been ‘greeted by a barrage of police officers ‘ at his home soon after he had awakened.

‘And I asked why, they told me I cooperated with them. They did what they had to do and told me, you know, they need to see me at the station. I accompanied them to the police station.

He said ‘when I heard all the allegations, I knew in my heart of hearts…that in a nutshell, Richard has nothing to fear.

‘In a nutshell. I don’t wanna go into everything because obviously, the police are conducting their investigations and I don’t want in any way, shape or form to compromise the integrity of the investigations.’

But while he did not tell viewers the reasons behind the police investigation, Frederick said ‘what I do know is this man you see there, call me what you want, call me this, call me that, but there are certain things I don’t cross boundaries on, never and never will, okay.

‘I don’t cross those boundaries. I have five daughters, five,’ he said, confirming that the police were investigating ‘certain allegations’ against him.

Opposition Leader Allan Chastanet ina July 13, 2026 letter to Prime Minister Pierre noted that ‘the appropriate course of action is clear.

‘Richard Frederick must be removed forthwith from his ministerial post, pending the completion of all investigations. The people of St. Lucia deserve a Government that places integrity above politics, accountability above expediency, and the national interest above self-preservation. St. Lucians deserve nothing less.’

Chastanet said that public office is built on public trust and that ‘a Minister who is the subject of allegations of this magnitude cannot credibly continue to exercise the authority of the State while investigations remain ongoing.

‘His continued presence in the Cabinet creates an unavoidable perception of conflict, undermines public confidence in the impartiality of the investigative process, an erodes trust in the institutions of Government’.

Chastanet wrote that ‘at this radical juncture, with our country continuing to appear on undesirable international lists, we can ill afford further scandal-least of all one rooted in allegations of such flagrant corruption’.

The government has already indicated its ‘respect for the independence’ of the police and the ‘rule of law’ and that it remains ‘committed to ensuring that all lawful processes proceed without interference and in accordance with the Constitution and the Laws of St. Lucia’.

According to a statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister, the government ‘remains committed to transparency, accountability, and keeping the public appropriately informed as official information becomes available’

The brief government statement said that it had been notified that Frederick ”had been detained for questioning as part of an ongoing matter and subsequently released.

‘As this remains an active process, we will not comment on issues that may prejudice or interfere with any lawful process.’

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Tuesday, July 14, 2026.

NASSAU – The chief investigator with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA), Kendall I. Dorsett Jr. Tuesday said that they are still gathering data regarding last Friday’s plane crash that claimed the lives of all 10 people on board.

BRADES -The ongoing war between the United States and Iran in particular the control of the Strait of Hormuz is forcing Caribbean governments into some form of a dilemma as hey seek to provide subsidies to their citizens in order to deal with the impact of the high cost of energy.

PORT OF SPAIN – Police say they are taking seriously threats made against the family of Police Commissioner, Allister Guevarro, with the Homeland Security Minister, Roger Alexander saying he is aware of the threats against Guevarro’s daughters.

KINGSTOWN – The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) has ruled that the lead judge who overturned the initial ruling in the COVID-19 vaccine mandate case in St. Vincent and the Grenadines was not a justice of appeal at the time of the February 2025 ruling.

NASSAU – The main opposition Free National Movement (FNM) is calling on the Bahamas government to make public, the agreement signed with Ghana allowing for the African country to send 300 teachers this year to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

SPORTS:

MIAMI – In a historic first for the Confederation, Concacaf match officials have been appointed to both FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals, with Salvadoran referee Iván Barton and American Ismail Elfath set to take charge of the high-stakes clashes.

DUBAI – Nathan Smith has been drafted into the Desert Vipers squad for the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League, replacing the withdrawn Kyle Jamieson.