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Waterspouts and a weak tornado Tuesday damaged and blew off the roofs of several houses in north western Trinidad, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.

The Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service said that around midday (local time), ‘a low-level trough together with daytime heating produced strong isolated thunderstorm activity, which created waterspouts and a weak tornado over northwestern Trinidad in the vicinity of Westmoorings’.

It said that the conditions are expected to improve later on Tuesday and that partly cloudy to cloudy conditions and thunderstorm activity are ongoing.

Rural Development and Local Government Minister, Khadijah Ameen, who toured the area, told reporters that the authorities would be engaging in data collection for every damage household.

‘This is not a situation where we need to send it to them to get a grant to replace their roofs and so on,’ she said adding that other agencies like the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Company (T and TEC) and fire services on the ground.

‘There is a serious concern here because these houses are so soaked and T and TEC has already cut off the electricity to the affected streets and they are doing repairs to their infrastructure, the fallen lines and so on’.

She said that some of the houses because the structure is ‘so soaked it is not safe to turn on electricity in that house,’ warning that people could get electrocuted.

‘So far we have no injuries.and we want to maintain that,’ she added.

The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) has commended ‘the heroic actions of two officers’ of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), who risked their lives to rescue an eight-year-old girl swept away by flood waters in the East Dry River, in the capital.

The police said that on Sunday police constables Taylor and Neptune were conducting a mobile patrol when they were alerted by a passerby that a young child had fallen into the river and was being carried away by strong currents.

Homeland Security Minister, Roger Alexander, watched by Police Commissioner, Allister Guevarro, commending the two police officers involved in the rescue of the eight year old child.

The officers immediately responded and, upon locating the child, ‘Taylor entered the turbulent waters without hesitation. After a brief struggle, he managed to secure the child; however, he soon encountered difficulty and was himself at risk of being swept away’.

The TTPS said that recognizing the danger, Neptune, assisted by a civilian, Dillon Ramsey ‘bravely intervened and helped bring both PC Taylor and the child safely to shore’.

The TTPS said that the child was subsequently transported to a nearby police station, where she was handed over to the relevant authorities for medical evaluation and care.

It said that both police officers were taken to the Port of Spain General Hospital for medical attention.

‘I feel happy to be home. I was scared. Really scared,’ the eight-year-old, Abigail ‘Abby’ Joseph, told the Trinidad Express newspaper after her rescue.

‘I was playing with my brothers when I stepped back and I fell. We were playing by Miss Maude. I tried to swim. But the water was pushing me back. I hit my head against a post. I drank water. I vomited. I was glad when the policeman came to help me.

‘They wrapped me in towel. I was still cold. But I was happy to be out of the water. I was happy to see my mother,’ she told the newspaper.

‘The TTPS publicly recognizes and commends PC Taylor and PC Neptune for their courage, swift response, and unwavering commitment to protecting and serving the public. Special appreciation is also extended to Mr. Dillon Ramsey for his selfless assistance in this life-saving effort.

‘The TTPS continues to urge members of the public to exercise caution during periods of heavy rainfall and flooding, and to remain vigilant-particularly near rivers and other watercourses,’ it added.

The World Bank Tuesday said that Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) continues its efforts to reignite growth and create more and better jobs, but progress remains constrained.

The Washington based financial institution said that the regional growth rate is expected to edge up slightly, from 2.2 percent in 2024 to 2.3 per cent this year, even as many individual economies face downward revisions in their projections

It said that these adjustments reflect, in part, an external environment that offers limited support, shaped by a cooling global economy, falling commodity prices, and greater uncertainty.

According to the World Bank, monetary authorities in the region continue to manage inflation competently, but the ‘last mile’ is proving longer and rockier than expected.

It said interest rates in advanced economies have slowed their decline, constraining interest rate reductions across the region, and delaying the needed relief for households, banks, and governments’ fiscal accounts. Investment, both public and private, remains depressed, and any momentum for ‘nearshoring’- the practice of bringing offshore operations to close or friendly countries-is stalled, both because of the rise in global uncertainty and because of a lack of preparedness in the region’s enabling environment to attract and host it.

The bank said that the persistent lack of fiscal space underlines the continuing importance of improving the efficiency of government spending, as well as rethinking the ways governments raise revenue to generate resources for development investments

According to the World Bank, Caribbean economies outpaced Latin American ones in 2024, though performance varied between tourism dependent countries and commodity exporters.

Tourism-dependent economies have largely regained pre-COVID pandemic gross domestic product (GDP) levels, supported by a strong recovery in tourist arrivals, though growth in the services sector is expected to moderate.

Among commodity exporters, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname experienced sharp declines in output during the pandemic due to falling commodity prices, but growth has rebounded as prices have recovered.

Guyana has seen sustained, rapid GDP expansion since 2020, driven by new oil production. But the World Bank said that beyond short term macroeconomic dynamics, longer-term development challenges persist, particularly around productivity and labour mobility.

Public debt trajectories differ across the Caribbean and Central America with several countries have reduced debt-to GDP ratios through growth and fiscal discipline.

The World Bank said Jamaica’s Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC) offers a model for transparent fiscal oversight.

As of January 1, 2025, Jamaica’s fiscal oversight transitioned to the newly established Independent Fiscal Commission and Advisory Committee, marking a significant institutional upgrade that enhances transparency and credibility.

Barbados and Belize have also made notable progress through consolidation efforts. However, some highly indebted Caribbean countries still face challenges in achieving debt sustainability. Inflation surged across the Caribbean in 2022 due to increases in global food and fuel prices, though countries with currency pegs cushioned these impacts compared to the ones which have inflation-targeting regimes.

Since 2023, price normalization has helped ease inflationary pressures across the region. Regarding skilled migration and local economic development, the World Bank notes that in Central America and the Caribbean face persistent productivity challenges alongside high outmigration rates.

It said though the high number of workers seeking jobs abroad is often viewed simply as brain drain, it should probably be seen as a ‘feature’ rather than a ‘bug’ of small economies that can be harnessed for faster local growth.

That said, the World Bank said there has been little careful work on how migration patterns influence local productivity and economic growth.

‘Specifically, how might development impacts differ between Central America and the Caribbean, where skill levels of migrants differ greatly? How can policy makers use this loop to generate local growth?’

The financial institution commenting on a framework for skilled migration and local growth, said that a 2023 World Bank report outlined a framework linking skilled migration and development in the Caribbean.

It said economic shocks in destination countries influence the growth of origin countries through two main channels: local skills and local demand.

‘The skills channel captures how opportunities abroad affect the return to education and the local skill distribution. For example, skilled migration can increase the returns to education, generating spillovers to the local skill distribution.

‘The demand channel captures how income earned abroad can influence demand and investment. For instance, investment of remittances can multiply the effects of migrant income on local demand.’

The World Bank said however that evidence from the Caribbean suggests a weak skills channel driven by a low domestic skill premium, rather than barriers to schooling.

It said that the quality of education is high enough that Caribbean nurses receive job offers in the United States, where they earn more than four times as much.

‘As a result, more than 70 per cent of nurses educated in the Caribbean moved abroad. At the same time, public health care systems prevent wages from rising to compensate for the shortage in nurses.’

Some countries have tried to strengthen the skills channel through ‘bonding policies,’ which subsidise the cost of education in exchange for local service.

But the World Bank said that these policies have had limited success, suggesting that the bonds are mispriced.

‘Moreover, since 1997, members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have established a Skills Certificate, which allows free movement of skilled workers and effectively increases the size of the local market.

‘Studies also suggest a weak demand channel driven by low levels of investment of remittances and migrant entrepreneurship, rather than low levels of return migration. Many skilled migrants return to the Caribbean, but they typically exit the labour force or start businesses in the tourism sector, with limited impact on local productivity.’

It said remittances are typically spent on necessities, limiting the potential for investment and lowering the aggregate demand multiplier. Attempts to funnel remittances into local investment through migrant savings accounts and remittance taxes have failed.

Recent efforts to engage directly with migrant families by providing access to investment opportunities or business loans collateralized by remittances appear more promising, it said.

Regarding the global poverty lines, the World Bank examines the implications for Latin America and the Caribbean of the 2021 Purchasing Power Parity Update Between 2017 and 2021, revising its international poverty lines to reflect updated purchasing power parity (PPP) rates and improved national poverty data.

The new poverty thresholds of three US dollars a day for low-income countries, US$4.20 for lower-middle-income countries, and US$8.30 for upper-middle-income countries, replace the previous daily lines of $2.15, $3.65, and $6.85, respectively.

It said that these adjustments stem from the 2021 International Comparison Program (ICP) data, which captured price levels following the COVID-19 pandemic, and from enhanced household survey methodologies that better reflect actual consumption patterns.

‘For the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, these adjustments resulted in a slightly bleaker picture. Extreme poverty, defined by the new hree US dollars threshold, rose from 3.8 per cent to 5.3 per cent of the population in 2023.

‘Poverty at the upper-middle-income line increased from 25 percent to 27.9 percent. However, it is critical to remember that 97 per cent of the change in LAC’s poverty rates is attributed to the revised international poverty lines rather than deteriorating economic conditions.

‘The underlying poverty trends remain consistent, but the updated benchmarks offer a more accurate and comprehensive measure of deprivation across the region,’ the World Bank added.

Jamaica will host a four-day biennial summit that will address mounting environmental pressures on the Caribbean Sea and set the strategic direction for regional marine conservation efforts.

The October 13-16 event will bring together government officials and technical experts from across the wider Caribbean region for the 18th meeting of the Contracting Parties (COP18) to the Cartagena Convention.

The conference is being hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and will incorporate sessions for the Conference of Parties to the Land-Based Sources of Marine Pollution (LBS) Protocol and the Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) Protocol. These meetings aim to strengthen regional collaboration in combating marine pollution, biodiversity loss, and the degradation of coastal ecosystems.

Coordinator of UNEP’s Cartagena Convention Secretariat, Christopher Corbin, spoke of the urgency of the summit, citing a range of escalating threats to the region’s marine environment.

‘The marine environment is facing unprecedented pressures from land-based pollution, the ever-increasing challenge of plastic waste, massive influxes of sargassum, the intensifying impact of warming seas and coral reef bleaching, sea level and coastal erosion, ocean acidification, habitat and species loss,’ Corbin said.

‘COP18 will serve as a crucial platform for the Convention Contracting Parties to reaffirm their commitment and forge a coordinated path forward to further safeguard these vital ecosystems.’

The key objectives of COP18 include reviewing the implementation of the 2023- 2024 work plan, approving a strategic programme and budget for 2026-2027, and adopting resolutions on emerging environmental issues.

Delegates will consider proposals to advance the regional action plan for marine litter, enhance pollution control from land-based sources, expand the network of protected areas and wildlife, and improve ocean governance frameworks to support a resilient and sustainable blue economy

‘This COP is a critical call to action. We have the science and frameworks, but now we must accelerate implementation. Our focus will be on translating regional commitments into more tangible national actions that protect our shared marine resources for future generations.’

The expected outcomes from COP18 include a robust and adequately financed work plan for 2025-2026, potential adoption of new guidelines and action plans- particularly for sargassum management and plastic pollution-and renewed political commitment to the Convention and its three Protocols on Oil Spills, SPAW, and Land-Based Sources of Pollution.

‘These outcomes will have far-reaching implications for the sustainable development of the region directly impacting key sectors such as tourism, fisheries, and shipping, and contributing to the global agenda for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water,’ Corbin added.

The leader of the recently formed We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, Azruddin Mohamed, says he will not be silenced and accused the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) of delaying the opening of the new parliament following the September 1 general and regional elections.

‘I have noted the allegations peddled against me and my family. While there are legal constraints on how much I can share at this juncture, I am permitted to say this much in the interim; the leadership of the PPP has been advancing a sustained narrative against the Mohameds aimed at discrediting us,’ Mohamed said in a statement posted on his Facebook page.

On Monday, it was revealed that the United States authorities had indicted the WIN leader and his father, Nazar ‘Shell’ Mohamed on charges related to wire and mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, stemming from tax evasion on gold exports and the importation of a Lamborghini luxury car.

Denying the allegations contained in the 11-count indictment, Mohamed said he and his father would fight any extradition request by the United States.

‘We are going to fight it here in the court. We are innocent,’ he said, adding ‘ ‘I’m going to defend myself vigorously because I’m innocent. I am innocent of all these charges and I know it’s heavily political with this administration’.

The indictment come just over a month after Mohamed led his newly formed political party to become the main opposition party in the National Assembly.

If found guilty on the charges of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, the Mohameds, who were sanctioned by the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in June last year, could separately face a maximum of 20 years on each count, as well as maximum supervised release of three years, a maximum fine of US$250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss.

On the charges of wire fraud, the politician businessman could also be sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and maximum supervised release of three years and a fine of US$250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss.

The Grand Jury is also seeking a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, three years supervised release and a fine of US$500,000 or the value of the property involved in the transaction for conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The US is also asking the court that ‘upon conviction.as alleged in this Indictment, the defendants ‘shall forfeit to the United States any property, real or personal, which constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to such offense.’

The PPP/C and the Guyana government have denied having any hand in the US legal actions against the Mohameds.

But in his statement, Mohamed said that ‘this is not just a personal attack; this is political; this is a fear tactic’ adding that the ruling party has become afraid of his involvement in the politics of Guyana.

‘My emergence into Parliament after campaigning for only three months sends a clear message of how quickly our movement has changed the political landscape in Guyana. It was declared that WIN has 16 seats, though that allocation does not reflect our numbers on the ground.

‘We are grateful because this result is a remarkable achievement on entry. The PPP knows what is at stake in 2030, and they want no challengers in Parliament. The PPP holds a majority; why then are they stalling to convene the 13th parliament and swear in the duly elected opposition?’

He said that the Irfaan Ali government had spent thousands of US dollars hiring a lobby firm in the US ‘ whose sole purpose is to smear and marginalise political opponents’ and ‘in this instance, their sole purpose is to target the Mohameds and, in their attacks, paint a false narrative about us’.

He said that the ruling party is now fearful of the ‘momentum seen at the last election and .they are doing everything possible to stop me.

‘The constant attacks, whether directly or indirectly, are to weaken me, with hopes that if they hit hard enough, I will cower and retreat. Truth be told, if I rid myself of my political ambitions, these attacks will cease, but I, Azruddin Mohamed, leader of We Invest in Nationhood and Leader of the Opposition (Elect), reaffirm my commitment to you, the Guyanese people. I will continue to stand up and fight, no matter the cost,’ he wrote.

‘I will not be silenced.I shall not fear,’ he added.

The World Bank Tuesday said that Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) can break its low-growth cycle by harnessing entrepreneurship to create jobs, boost productivity, and accelerate innovation.

In the latest publication the financial institution said that constrained by stubborn inflation, rising debt, weak investment, and ongoing global uncertainty, the forecast is for the region to grow by 2.3 per cent in 2025 and 2.5 per cent in 2026, the slowest among global regions.

William Maloney, Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean at the World Bank.

‘Governments in the region have steered their economies through repeated shocks while preserving stability,’ said Susana Cordeiro Guerra, Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean at the World Bank.

‘Now is the time to continue building on that foundation-accelerating reforms to improve the business climate, invest in enabling infrastructure, and mobilize private capital,’ she told reporters.

According to the publication, titled ‘Latin America and the Caribbean Economic Review, Transformational Entrepreneurship for Jobs and Growth,’ the external environment remains challenging, with falling global demand and commodity prices projected to drop around 10 per cent in 2025 and another five per cent in 2026, hurting key sectors.

It said trade policy uncertainty also threatens market access and nearshoring.

Domestically, inflation persists, and public debt is high, with the debt-to-GDP ratio rising to 63.8 per cent in 2024 from 59.9 per cent in 2019. Slower monetary easing in advanced economies is keeping debt servicing costs high and credit expensive, further dampening investment, job creation, and productivity growth.

Against this backdrop, the report calls for domestic reforms to attract investment and promote ‘transformational’ entrepreneurship: high-growth firms that diffuse technology, create jobs, and raise productivity.

‘The entrepreneur is the critical actor in development, identifying opportunities, innovating, and taking the risks needed to create value added and jobs,’ said William Maloney, Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean at the World Bank.

‘Creating more dynamic economies in Latin America and the Caribbean will require strengthening our pipeline of entrepreneurial talent, while undertaking the systemic reforms necessary for them to thrive,’ he told a news conference on Tuesday.

Although support for entrepreneurship is strong, the World Bank said most firms in the region are micro or small businesses with limited paths to scale, accounting for up to 70 per cent of enterprises in some countries.

It said a smaller group of ‘transformational’ firms could drive productivity and innovation, but face familiar obstacles: scarce financing, heavy regulation, skills gaps, and weak infrastructure.

To stimulate private sector-led growth and jobs, the report proposes a three-point agenda. It said the region needs to invest in human capital, which is critical to job creation.

‘Strengthen education quality at all levels and expand managerial support to grow the pipeline of capable entrepreneurs. Scale up short-cycle trainings, align workforce programmes with private sector needs, and update labor regulations to protect workers and support business growth.’

The report also calls for supporting policy and regulatory reforms that establish a business-friendly environment.

‘Eliminate distortionary subsidies, reform taxes to boost investment, and invest in logistics, energy, and digital infrastructure to lower entry barriers.’

There is also need to expand access to finance, including private investment with the report noting that over a quarter of firms face credit constraints, about twice the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) rate.

‘Strengthen risk-sharing, streamline dispute resolution, and modernize bankruptcy laws to improve capital allocation and protect creditors and entrepreneurs.’

The report notes that with the right reforms, Latin America and the Caribbean can foster entrepreneurship to fuel innovation, expand opportunities, and build more dynamic, competitive economies.

The Jamaica government is warning nationals against using unofficial channels in order to acquire legitimate job opportunities overseas.

Labour and Social Security Minister, Pearnel Charles Jr., said that Jamaicans should use official channels in order to protect themselves from fraudulent schemes and potential exploitation.

‘It is very important, as we have a lot of scamming. You have many individuals that try to mimic the Ministry, and some of them even [post] my image and give persons the impression that we are recruiting through Tik Tok [and] Instagram,’ he told Jamaica Information Service (JIS) News.

Charles Jr reaffirmed that there are no registration or placement fees associated with the Ministry’s Overseas Employment Programme, adding, ‘we (continue to remind) persons (that) there is no fee involved at any stage of the recruitment process.

‘Now, understand that you have the government programme, which is run by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. But you do have private entities, companies that do have a licence from the Ministry to (take) persons from Jamaica, overseas. But when it comes on to our agricultural programme, it is only the Ministry that has that authority,’ he said.

The Overseas Work Programme facilitates temporary, skilled employment for Jamaicans, primarily through Canada’s Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme (SAWP), and the United States’ H-2A and H-2B visa schemes, which support the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, respectively.

‘Once you have someone asking you to make a payment other than the visa fee, which would mean you have gone through all of the process and just have to pay for your visa, then you know you are dealing with someone who is not authorised by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security,’ Charles Jr said.

‘All of those things are high alerts to you that you are about to get scammed, so you should call us. Thankfully, many Jamaicans have reached out to me on social media, some get my number. and they call and we talk to them, and some of them reach out to the Ministry. They ask us, they show us the images before they get involved, and we have been able to really divert them from those potential issues,’ he added.

The Labour and Social Security Minister, noted, however, that despite these efforts, too many individuals remain vulnerable to exploitation.

‘Because they want to access the programme so badly, they are easy to be manipulated by persons who can create perceptions that look very close to what the Ministry would be doing,’ he stated.

‘So this is an important opportunity for me to say to Jamaica. do not fall prey to these scammers. If you ever have any issue, reach out to us. But be advised, we don’t ask you to make any payment when it comes on to recruitment or placement. That’s not the Ministry’s process. . It will never be,’ Charles Jr added. ST. VINCENT-TOURISM-Sandals to begin designing new resort for St. Vincent next year

President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons says the country does not have money to provide financial support on a monthly basis to the cash-strapped state-owned Suriname Airlines (SLM).

‘You are taking over a company with serious problems that urgently needs a fresh start. The country doesn’t have the money to support SLM every month. We want to get rid of that as quickly as possible. The airline must be able to operate independently again,’ she told the ceremony where the new Supervisory Board (RvC) was sworn into office.

The RvC is led by Chairman Marlon Telting and takes over at a difficult time for the national airline, which has been struggling with serious financial and operational problems for some time.

President Greelings-Simons said it is important that the new board builds on what has already been initiated.

‘We expect the work to continue with the new board and that a good start will be made with new initiatives,’ she added.

Telting said that while he is grateful for the government’s confidence, it is now time to work concretely on recovery.

‘The company has been kept afloat, but now we must take steps together with the management, the board, and the government to make SLM commercially viable.

‘Much has been said about SLM. It’s important that we first fully understand the core of the problems. I’m curious about the management’s initiatives for recovery,’ he added.

Transport, Communications and Tourism Minister, Raymond Landveld, emphasised the importance of a future-proof, commercial course for the airline.

‘We must work towards an SLM that can operate independently in the long term, without being dependent on the state,’ he said, urging the new board to develop a strategic business plan that offers prospects for recovery.

‘With the right course, there can finally be a bright future for SLM,’ he added.

Media reports said that SLM’s debt has increased significantly in recent years and now amount to more than US$125 million.

The chief executive officer of Sandals Resorts International (SRI), Adam Stewart, says the company will in 2026 begin working on the design of the Beaches resort it intends to build here.

Sandals had initially announced the construction of a Beaches resort at Buccament Bay, but changed it to the Sandals that opened there in March 2024.

‘That was our original commitment to the country, . to build a Beaches. And of course, we pivoted after COVID to the Sandals,’ Steward said at the signing of a multi-million dollar agreement on Monday.

‘So, prime minister, we are here to sign today an agreement to build at this stage what looks like the vision of a 500-bedroom, $500 million (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) Beaches resort in this country,’ he said ahead of the signing of the confidential documents with Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves

Stewart said that at full capacity, the resort will employ nearly 2,000 Vincentians.

‘But we’ll phase it and, Minister [of Tourism Carlos] James, we have to hit the ground running. We’re going to have to go to American Airlines and JetBlue and Virgin and many other airlines that are not here, and the Sandals effect will take flight to another level,’ he said.

‘. we’re going to do something remarkable. We’re going to put the sandals design studio to the test,’ Stewart said, adding that the spa will be a work of art.

‘This is a volcanic island, and we’re going to use those minerals, all that history, and infuse it into the next generation of Red Lane Spa,’ Stewart said.

‘Gastronomically, Buccan, which sources all of its ingredients from farmers right here on island, farm to table, has been an amazing beta test for the brand. So gastronomically, we’re going to go overboard. From a water park point of view, we’re going to build something extraordinary.

‘Every facet of this hotel will be the best of the best, and it would not have happened without the support, without the mutual respect between the people of this country and our organisation,’ Stewart said and asked to be given a pen quickly ‘because I have a document to sign’.

He said his job at the event was to say thank you.

‘We couldn’t be more excited. We will start designs in 2026 and we will move as expeditiously as we can to start digging Earth, and do something amazing,’ Stewart said.

‘So, to everybody here, everybody in the room, everybody listening. I just really wanted to say a huge thank you. I see somebody offer me a pen. Anything free I take, you know. Give me a pen,’ he said to laughter.

Stewart said that what Sandals had achieved in St. Vincent and the Grenadines so far is the beginning of what it could actually be.

‘We are going to train thousands of Vincentians beyond the direct employment here. We plan on going further. Prime Minister, we have 250 Vincentians on the cusp of going to Turks and Caicos to go and take over and lead the latest Beaches resort, which opens in Turks on March 1, 2026.’

Stewart said the company has more than 150 other Vincentians working in four other islands across the region.

He praised Gonsalves’ ‘constant leadership at CARICOM about Caribbean connectivity and integration.

‘Let me say it here: Nobody is coming to rescue this region. It is on the people of this region to recognise that the almighty created the most beautiful tapestry for us to share with the world, and tourism, in many instances in these islands, is the largest economic driver, and Sandals is so unbelievably proud to be the most decorated and awarded hospitality in the entire Western Hemisphere.

‘And to be Caribbean-led, born and bred, it is a shining, living example of what we can do together.’

Stewart said that whenever someone refers to the Caribbean as ‘Third World’, people should ‘point to the brand, point to the success and the pride, the calypsos, the reggae, the socas, the gastronomic flair that comes out of this region, the athletes, there are too many to name, overall.

‘We should be so unbelievably proud of where we come from,’ Stewart said, adding that he will continue with his team ‘in partnership with the government [of St. Vincent and the Grenadines] and the governments of the Caribbean to champion and explain to the world that if they give us that opportunity to come here, that we will give them the best holiday that money can buy anywhere in the world, bar none’.

The future has arrived for the Reggae Boyz, and its name is Seymour Reid. The 17-year-old sensation, alongside Inter Miami’s Ian Fray, has officially joined the senior national team camp, bringing a fresh jolt of energy and anticipation to Jamaica’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

The two new invitees are looking forward to their potential roles in the upcoming crucial qualifiers, as the Boyz prepare to face Curaçao away on Friday before returning to a hero’s welcome at home against Bermuda.

For Reid, the call-up is the stuff of childhood fantasy. The young striker, who recently became the youngest Jamaican ever to score in Major League Soccer, shattering a record previously held by Alvas Powell, is still processing the rapid ascent.

‘That news is just a dream come true, to be honest. At 17, senior national team, it’s just different, you know. These players are here, the quality that they have it’s just different. It’s an amazing feeling.’

Reid is no stranger to the national setup, having represented Jamaica at the CONCACAF U-17 Qualifiers earlier this year.

However, this senior call-up cements his status as a history-maker, officially becoming the first player born in 2008 to be summoned for the Reggae Boyz.

On the other side of the camp is Ian Fray, a defender who is accustomed to sharing a pitch with global superstars like Lionel Messi at his club, Inter Miami.

Fray brings a different kind of pedigree, one steeped in Jamaican football lineage. His father, Michael Fray, and his sister, Marlee Fray, have both worn the national colours at the youth level, making this a proud family affair.

Though he is yet to make his senior debut, Fray is no stranger to the National Stadium pitch, having played there with Inter Miami against Cavalier SC in the CONCACAF club championships. Now, he is focused on integrating with the squad.

Reflecting on his first training session, Fray reported a smooth transition. ‘My first practice session went well, and I am gelling already with the players.’

Reid and Fray are expected to jet off with the Reggae Boyz on Wednesday en route to Curacao.