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The Belize government says it intends to make public, the agreement its signed with the United States to act as a ‘safe third country’ for migrants as they seek asylum in the North American country.

Prime Minister John Antonio Briceño said the two-year deal, which still needs approval from the Belize parliament, will mean that migrants deported from the US could apply for asylum here instead of returning to their home countries. The US State Department called the agreement ‘an important milestone in ending illegal immigration’ and ‘shutting down abuse’ of the US asylum system.

The agreement applies to Central American and Caribbean nationals, except Guatemalans, and human rights groups in the US and abroad have strongly criticised such deals, saying migrants face the risk of being sent to countries where they could be harmed.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Francis Fonseca, said the document has already been shared with the clerk and Senators, insisting ‘it’s not a secret document.

‘They will be able to have that and debate it. I already made the point that there’s a process that this has to follow. We sign the agreement. But it has to be ratified by the Senate. So there will have to be tabled, it’ll have to be tabled at the Senate.

‘We’ve already sent it over to the Senate. It’ll have to be debated there. We will have to respond to any questions and concerns raised by the Senators, but there’s also another limb which will require that we amend our domestic legislation, right?’

Fonseca said, for example, the Refugees Act will have to be amended and that it will have to be taken to Parliament and ‘we will present that amended bill, and we’ll have an opportunity to debate that and discuss that.

‘So it’ll be a very open, transparent process. And then the final point is that, as I have said, and I said in my statement in the House on last Friday, this entire agreement will be underpinned by what we call operational procedures.’

He said that the signing was just the beginning of the process, and government has to finalise those operational procedures with the United States ‘and only when we have finalised that, when it has been ratified, when we have done the domestic legislation.

‘And we have finalised and agreed upon the operational procedures. Only then will the agreement take effect. So those steps have to be followed, and all of those steps will be very open and transparent.’

Fonseca said that this position is very clear in that ‘we have a statement of principles that govern our position as it relates to the operational procedures, which means that we will determine where, which countries of origin these people will come from for that.

‘In our case, it’ll be people from Central America and the Caribbean in Central America, with the exception of Guatemala, for obvious reasons. And then we will place a cap on the number of people who will be able to be transferred to Belize. And our position is that number should not be more than 10 people per annum.’

Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on social media that the agreement ‘includes strict security measures to protect Belize’s national security and sovereignty’.

‘The agreement gives Belize full authority to approve or reject transfers, limits eligibility to specific nationalities, and ensures comprehensive background checks, among other measures,’ it said.

Briceño said that for Belize it will be ‘more like a job programme, whereby people with certain qualifications can come to Belize’ and ‘participate meaningfully in our economy’.

But Opposition Leader Tracy Taegar Panton expressed ‘grave concern’ about the deal, saying it ‘could reshape Belize’s immigration and asylum systems, impose new financial burdens on taxpayers, and raise serious questions about national sovereignty and security’.

She said that the agreement will take effect after ratification in the Senate and not after the debate in the House of Representative.

‘However, there are critical omissions that raise more questions than answers. Again, I wish to reiterate the lack of transparency and accountability by this Briceno administration. This has become its hallmark, the same administration who promised to establish and uphold the gold standard for transparency and accountability in government.

‘The full text of the agreement has not been disclosed. The preamble to the agreement and some of the recitals has recently been shared with members of the Senate, however, the full text, the comprehensive text, including the annexes, transitional arrangements, technical assistance and cost sharing commitments have not been disclosed. The annual cap on numerical limits also remain unknown. How many asylum seekers will Belize be accommodating?,’ she added.

The Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago (LATT) Friday said it remains ‘undeterred in carrying out its mandate’ after Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar said she had ‘no regard for the eat-ah-food filth in the hierarchy’ of the organization.

Persad-Bissessar was critical of the body after it issued a statement on Thursday in which it voiced its its unease over what it described as the ‘hastened and truncated’ process that led to the elevation of Court of Appeal Judge, Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh to the position of Chief Justice on Wednesday. In its statement on Thursday, the LATT praised Boodoosingh’s ‘tremendous contribution to the nation’s jurisprudence’ and his years of dedicated service as a lecturer at the Hugh Wooding Law School, while also paying tribute to outgoing chief justice Ivor Archie and thanking him for his long service to the Judiciary.

But the LATT, which said that its mission is maintaining and improving the standard, conduct and proficiency of the legal profession here, expressed concern that the constitutional process which governs the appointment of a Chief Justice may not have been properly observed.

LATT said that while the appointment itself was lawful, it could not be satisfied that a ‘proper and reasonable consultation was undertaken’ between the Office of the President and the key constitutional stakeholders, namely the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, as required by Section 102 of the Constitution.

Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles told reporters Friday that she remains convinced there was not sufficient consultation before the appointment of the new chief justice insisting that her issue was with the time line of the appointment, not the choice of Justice Boodoosingh to fill the post.

‘The issue is that I laid out very clearly the time frame: 6.30 in the evening while I am in Parliament to bring a letter that had some errors, 8.30 in the morning you seek to deal with that error and 2 pm you appoint. I don’t think it is unreasonable for me to say that is not sufficient consultation.

‘I don’t think anybody disputes that CJ Boodoosingh is someone that is competent. He has been a teacher at the University of the West Indies (UWI) teaching ethics. I don’t think anyone queries his qualification,’ she added.

Boodoosingh was selected and sworn in by acting president Wade Mark on Tuesday, one day after Archie announced he was retiring after 18 years in the position.

Asked by reporters to comment on the LATT statement, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar said ‘I have no regard for the eat-ah-food filth in the hierarchy of the Law Association, so their comments mean nothing to me. The Law Association is a defiled and discredited organisation. It is a mouthpiece for lazy, dunce, hungry-mouth PNM(opposition People’s National Movement) senior counsel who loot the treasury’.

She defended the decision by the acting President to move ahead with the appointment of the new chief justice saying ‘Ivor Archie was appointed chief justice one day after Sat Sharma resigned in 2008. CJ Sharma resigned on January 23, 2008, and CJ Archie was appointed on January 24, 2008’.

She also said that in her letters to Mark she made it clear that she had no preference as to whom he selected as Chief Justice.

‘My letters to the acting President are clear. I had no preference,’ she said.

In its statement on Friday and signed by its President, Lynette Seebaran-Suite SC, LATT said it ‘notes the recent comments’ made by the prime minister to its statement on the appointment of the new head of the judiciary.

‘The LATT reaffirms its statutory responsibility to comment on matters affecting the administration of justice and the rule of law. In fulfilling this duty, the Association acts independently, without fear or favour, and in accordance with the highest traditions of the legal profession.

‘The Association emphasises that public discourse on legal and constitutional matters, particularly among holders of high office, should be conducted with mutual respect and regard for the institutions that safeguard our democracy.’

LATT said that it ‘values constructive engagement among all branches of the State’ and that it ‘remains undeterred in carrying out its mandate and will continue to serve the public interest by providing fair and principled guidance on issues affecting the rule of law, while maintaining the dignity befitting its role in national life’.

FIFA vice-president and CONCACAF president, Victor Montagliani along with a six-member delegation from CONCACAF, touched down here on Friday for a one-day visit to the island.

While there, Montagliani and his team met with the Executive of the Dominica Football Association (DFA) and also paid a visit to the DFA’s Technical Centre in Stockfarm.

They also paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, where discussions were held regarding the need to work together to help develop football locally and regionally. Speaking during a welcoming reception, Montagliani said he was impressed to see the progress being made in football in Dominica.

‘.What’s really inspirational is when I come and visit my members, my football family, and see the tremendous amount of work that you do.

‘I know it’s not easy. We all know it’s difficult to keep pushing the envelope, whether its issues of infrastructure, resources, but you are moving the needle,’ Montagliani said.

‘.I see the results. Results are not about winning the World Cup or going to the World Cup, sure of course everybody wants to do that, but the reality is that what football really is, is a journey of a human experience and nothing embodies that more than your president.’

President of the DFA, Glen Etienne said the country was deeply honoured to host Montagliani and his team

‘Your leadership at CONCACAF has been outstanding and visionary under your stewardship.

‘Dominica has received tremendous support from developmental programmes and coaching education initiatives, to assistance in strengthening our competition and improving our football infrastructure,’ Etienne said.

‘You have been a true partner, one who continues to inspire us to build a football system that not only develops talent but also contributes to national pride, unity and community development.’

A war of words has broken out between Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the main opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) after she accused the country’s oldest political party of having links to local drug dealers.

Persad Bissessar in a statement welcoming the arrival of the United States warship USS Gravely from October 26-30, said that it will also be engaged in military training with the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF).

‘This visit augurs well for our nation. It represents a continued partnership in strengthening our national security, enhancing operational readiness, and improving protective capabilities. ‘For far too long, our open and poorly secured borders have facilitated the trafficking of humans, drugs, and firearms. Tens of thousands of illegal migrants have entered our country, and over 10,000 citizens have been brutally murdered in the last two decades,’ Persad-Bissessar said.

But she said that unfortunately, the PNM ‘and their agents are persistent in creating unnecessary hysteria and conspiracy theories in a desperate attempt to create instability and chaos.

‘It is most concerning that the PNM, a party long suspected of being financed by the local drug mafia, is overtly attempting to undermine efforts to stop drug, arms and human trafficking into our country.

‘Most disheartening is that the historically PNM-controlled constituencies are the ones most affected by drugs and bloody gang violence, fuelled by the actions of the drug cartels. Yet the PNM and their agents choose to put the interests of their drug mafia financiers in front of their own constituents.’

Persad-Bissessar said that the PNM’s main concern is ‘the protection of the illegal profits of their drug mafia financiers.

‘They have no care for the pain and suffering of their own constituents, far less all other citizens who have borne the terror of murder and grotesque violence for years.

Clearly, the PNMs’ daily disinformation campaign is aimed at derailing the ongoing drug and arms interdiction efforts so as to protect their drug mafia financiers,’ she added.

But in an immediate response, the PNM, which lost the April 28 general elections after being in power for nearly 10 years, said it ‘categorically rejects outright the Prime Minister’s entirely baseless, viciously reckless and highly defamatory statement issued today, which is a desperate attempt to distract from her government’s failures and the growing public backlash against her leadership’

The party said that this is not the first time a United States naval asset has visited Trinidad and Tobago, noting that such visits have been routine under successive governments as part of longstanding security cooperation.

‘What makes this particular visit deeply concerning is the timing. It comes during a period of extreme regional tension with Venezuela and heightened anxiety among our citizens. Instead of offering clarity, the Prime Minister has refused to address the nation or explain her government’s erratic, isolationist, anti-CARICOM foreign policy.

‘Her silence demonstrates a blatant disregard for the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter, both of which call for the avoidance of the use or threat of force and for respect for the sovereignty of all nations.’

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

Last weekend, the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said that Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders had met earlier this month to discuss several issues on the regional agenda, including the security build-up in parts of the Caribbean and its potential impact on member states.

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

The PNM said that it ‘condemns outright’ Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar’s ‘disgraceful and unfounded claim that the People’s National Movement is ‘a party long suspected of being financed by the local drug mafia.’

‘This is a malicious lie and a gross abuse of her office. Without a shred of evidence, she has tried to smear the PNM in the context of drug trafficking, even while sitting beside a Cabinet Minister publicly accused of human trafficking.

‘Before the Prime Minister dares to accuse anyone of corruption or criminal ties, she should first look in the mirror and confront the rot within her own ranks. Her hypocrisy is staggering. While hurling baseless accusations at others, she remains silent and complicit in the face of credible allegations within her own administration.’

The PNM said that it has always upheld ‘strong and respectful’ relations between Trinidad and Tobago and the United States of America and that under previous PNM governments, ‘our international and regional partnerships have flourished, built on mutual respect and shared democratic values’.

Meanwhile, The United States Embassy Chargé d’Affaires here, Dr. Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz said, the partnership between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago exemplifies regional strength through collaboration.

‘Together, we address shared threats like transnational crime and build resilience through training, humanitarian missions, and security efforts. Our longstanding partnership has provided medical care and disaster preparedness training, improved lives, and strengthened communities.

‘Our cooperation ensures greater safety and stability across the Caribbean region. We are grateful for the close collaboration with our Trinidad and Tobago partners in the TTDF, and for the warm welcome provided from the government of Trinidad and Tobago,’ the US diplomat added.

The authorities Friday said they had suspended the search for a boat captain, Philippe Daniel Jules, who went missing after reportedly falling overboard while sailing from Antigua to Dominica on Tuesday night. The Coast Guard said that the boat with five crew members and six passengers, had cleared Customs here on Tuesday and was moving towards Dominica ‘and somewhere between six and ten nautical miles northeast of Guadeloupe.Jules was either struck by the mast of the sailing vessel or he fell overboard as a result of trying to avoid being struck’.

The vessel was diverted to Guadeloupe, where it remains docked as authorities carried out search-and-rescue operations across nearby waters.

But after several days of aerial and marine searches, officials have now confirmed that the effort to locate Jules has been suspended.

The Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF) Coast Guard has expressed regret that official notice of the incident was received only during the early daylight hours the following morning, resulting in a delayed response and reduced likelihood of a swift recovery.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is observing World Polio Day on Friday, urging the Americas, including the Caribbean to take decisive action to keep the region polio-free.

PAHO said that it is celebrating over three decades without wild poliovirus cases in the Americas and continues to highlight the importance of strengthening vaccination coverage to prevent a possible resurgence of this preventable disease. ‘A few decades ago, parents lived in fear for their children’s health, sudden fever, pain, muscle weakness, and sometimes permanent paralysis. That was polio, an incurable disease that could cause lifelong disability or even death,’ said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO Director. ‘Thanks to vaccines and a tremendous collective effort, it has now been 31 years since wild poliovirus last circulated in our region. This is an extraordinary public health achievement.’

PAHO said polio affected thousands of children across the Americas until the early 1990s. In 1975, nearly 6,000 cases were reported, and the last case of wild poliovirus was detected in Peru in 1991. This milestone led to the certification of the Americas as the first region in the world to be declared polio-free in 1994.

However, PAHO said that maintaining this status requires renewed commitment and sustained action.

It noted that last year, only 83 per cent of children in the Americas received the third dose of the polio vaccine, well below the 95 per cent coverage recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure herd immunity.

It said poliomyelitis is a viral disease that attacks the nervous system and can cause permanent paralysis, mainly in children under five years of age. Most cases are asymptomatic, but one in every 200 infections results in paralysis, and between five and 10 per cent of those affected may die due to respiratory paralysis.

PAHO said globally, polio cases have decreased by more than 99 per cent since 1988, when an estimated 350,000 cases occurred annually in more than 125 countries. It said currently, only two countries continue to have endemic circulation of wild poliovirus.

PAHO said risks remain in areas with low vaccination coverage, where vaccine-derived polioviruses can mutate and spread in unvaccinated communities, leading to outbreaks similar to those caused by wild virus. Robust epidemiological surveillance and the strategic use of a variety of vaccine formulations mitigate this risk while maintaining focus on the global eradication goal.

‘Protecting, strengthening, and following immunization program recommendations is an act of love, solidarity, and shared responsibility among governments, health workers, communities, and each of us,’ Dr. Barbosa said.

PAHO said it is urging all sectors and social actors to take decisive action to keep the Americas polio-free and that parents, caregivers, and guardians should check children’s vaccination records and visit health services if in doubt.

It is also calling on health workers and community leaders provide clear information, counter misinformation, and continue being trusted sources in their communities and that governments and decision-makers should ensure sufficient resources to strengthen national immunization programs and maintain active surveillance.

‘On World Polio Day, PAHO reaffirms its commitment to the global eradication of this disease and to protecting future generations from preventable health threats.’

Chris Husbands capped an incredible comeback season by winning the final race to ride off with the jockeys’ title here earlier this week.

Husbands, who spent most of last year on the sidelines battling injuries, captured the final race of the season, the CAN$30 000 Crimson Maple Cup Stakes, onboard Clarayouthebest on Tuesday to capture his fourth title at Fort Erie. The 36-year-old Barbadian ended the meet with 41 victories and CAN$480 519 in total winnings to dethrone 2024 champion Juan Crawford, who finished with 32 wins and CAN$361 833 in winnings.

Husbands thanked local trainers Mark Fournier and Joe Humber for believing in him and giving him opportunities to ride in his comeback season

‘When I first came back to Fort Erie, it was hard to find my focus again, but my agent, Paul Souter, he kept pushing, he kept me going, kept me working, and now here we are,’ said Husbands.

In the final race, Husbands launched four-year-old bay filly, Clarayouthebest at the leader Moral Terpitude on the homestretch, to win by a neck in a time of 1:45.67 in the race over 1700 metres.

‘Going into that first turn, I was a bit back, I had to check out but it was okay because I didn’t really want to be on the inside anyway, but then when I got the chance to drop back in down the stretch, I went for it, and it turned out exactly how I wanted,’ said Husbands after the race.

It was his third win of the day, following victories in the opening race with Tentomidnight and Maiken the Viking in the day’s fourth race.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Friday announced the fixtures for next month’s CG United Super50 Cup, which will be played entirely in Trinidad.

The tournament will be played in a round-robin format over 11 days from November 19 to 29 at three different venues: the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA), Queen’s Park Oval (QPO) and Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Ground (UWI SPEC).

The six regional squads: Trinidad and Tobago Red Force (TTRF), Barbados Pride (BF), Guyana Harpy Eagles (GHE), Jamaica Scorpions (JS), Leeward Islands Hurricanes (LIH) and Windward Islands Volcanoes (WIV), will battle for the top prize of US$100,000, with US$50,000 being awarded to the runner-up, while the 3rd and 4th placed teams will each take home US$25,000.

A new champion will be crowned following last year’s debacle, which saw the Barbados Pride and Jamaica Scorpions failing to take field in the final, resulting in CWI not naming a winner.

On the opening day on November 19, the Scorpions and Harpy Eagles will face off, with the Red Force and Barbados Pride clashing in the morning matches, while the Hurricanes and Volcanoes will take the field in for the afternoon contest.

Residents of 10 rural communities in Suriname are expected to benefit from a multi-million US dollar electrification project funded by the Barbados-based Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Development Fund (CDF).

The US$11.8 million project to install hybrid renewable micro-grid systems at Cajana and Galibi is a part of a broader initiative to enhance energy access and support a just energy transition in Suriname’s rural communities.

The rural electrification project is financed by a US$10.01 million concessionary loan and US$0.49 million grant from the CDF; and US$1.3 m in-kind contribution from the Suriname government of Suriname. The project commenced with the signing of the loan and grant agreements on April 24, 2024, with a projected implementation of 18 months.

A CDF delegation headed by its chief executive officer, Rodinald Soomer, visited the Dutch-speaking CARICOM country confirming that installation of the micro grids for the project is over 90 per cent complete and should be fully completed and commissioned before the end of 2025.

‘These micro grids will provide reliable, clean, and sustainable electricity to 1,906 residents in 10 rural communities of the Cajana and Galibi regions; and the completion of this project will mark a significant milestone in Suriname’s pursuit of inclusive and resilient growth,” according to a statement issued by Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat.

It said that Soomer during his visit to Paramaribo, held talks with President Jennifer Greelings-Simons on ‘opportunities for increasing CDF’s support to the implementation of Suriname’s economic diversification and sustainable growth agenda.

‘This includes leveraging the CDF’s experience in increasing youth and community participation in the inclusive growth of the agriculture and tourism sectors,’ the Secretariat added.

Residents of 10 rural communities in Suriname are expected to benefit from a multi-million US dollar electrification project funded by the Barbados-based Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Development Fund (CDF).

The US$11.8 million project to install hybrid renewable micro-grid systems at Cajana and Galibi is a part of a broader initiative to enhance energy access and support a just energy transition in Suriname’s rural communities.

The rural electrification project is financed by a US$10.01 million concessionary loan and US$0.49 million grant from the CDF; and US$1.3 m in-kind contribution from the Suriname government of Suriname. The project commenced with the signing of the loan and grant agreements on April 24, 2024, with a projected implementation of 18 months.

A CDF delegation headed by its chief executive officer, Rodinald Soomer, visited the Dutch-speaking CARICOM country confirming that installation of the micro grids for the project is over 90 per cent complete and should be fully completed and commissioned before the end of 2025.

‘These micro grids will provide reliable, clean, and sustainable electricity to 1,906 residents in 10 rural communities of the Cajana and Galibi regions; and the completion of this project will mark a significant milestone in Suriname’s pursuit of inclusive and resilient growth,” according to a statement issued by Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat.

It said that Soomer during his visit to Paramaribo, held talks with President Jennifer Greelings-Simons on ‘opportunities for increasing CDF’s support to the implementation of Suriname’s economic diversification and sustainable growth agenda.

‘This includes leveraging the CDF’s experience in increasing youth and community participation in the inclusive growth of the agriculture and tourism sectors,’ the Secretariat added.