Caribbean RoundUp

Bahamas

Bahamas officials said they detained 22 foreigners, including two children recently after intercepting a 32-foot vessel in Bahamian waters carrying a United States flag in a possible human smuggling ring.

“We are going to remain firm. We are going to be relentless in our pursuit and once we find out you are engaging in human smuggling, human trafficking we’re going to place you before the courts and you will rightly go where you rightly deserve,” Police Press Liaison Officer, Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings, told reporters.

She said that the group included 13 men, six women, two children and one infant from Ecuador, Italy, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Brazil. They were reportedly on their way to North America.

The migrants were apprehended by the Royal Bahamas Police Force Maritime Unit acting on intelligence and intercepted the vessel west of New Providence.

The police said they have since handed over the migrants to the Immigration Department for processing.

Barbados 

Human and gender rights activist, Felicia Dijon, has defended the decision by parents to file a lawsuit against the Barbados government over the controversy last year regarding an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) administered survey.

“I saw some claims where people are saying that the parents may be using their children for monetary purposes. It’s not about that, it’s about justice,” she told a news conference , insisting that the parents who are taking action over how the survey was administered simply want “atonement and justice.”

The online publication, Barbados TODAY, reported recently that the Ministry of Education has been formally served with a pre-action warning letter indicating that court action would be taken unless it agreed to accept liability for the impact that the survey has on students.

Attorney Ajamu Boardi, who is leading a three-member legal team representing the three parents who are bringing the action, said that the plaintiffs are seeking, among other things, damages, hinting at the possibility of an out-of-court settlement.

CARICOM

The 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping recently said it is committed to addressing the issue of plastic pollution and promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns as the global community observes World Environment Day.

The day is being observed under the theme for 2023 as ” Solutions to plastic pollution” and Caricom said plastic pollution is one of the most “pressing environmental challenges of our time, affecting our oceans, wildlife, health and climate.”

According to the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP), more than eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans every year. Plastic also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of its lifecycle, from production to disposal

“CARICOM is committed to addressing the issue of plastic pollution and promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns,” the regional grouping said, noting that it has taken “some actions” in line with the theme of World Environment Day 2023.

CARICOM said it has adopted a regional strategy for the management of marine litter and microplastics, which aims to reduce the generation and impact of waste on the marine environment and human health.

Adding, “CARICOM is supporting it’s member states in developing and implementing national policies and legislation to address plastic pollution and promote sustainable development.”

Guyana

Guyana is seeking election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2024-2025 term with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, saying that the CARICOM country has always played an active role in the global organization.

Guyana is joined by Algeria in seeking a seat on the council.

Todd, outlined Guyana’s vision and priorities for membership on the council and expressed his country’s commitment, if elected, to the rule of law and the principles of the Charter of the United Nation.

If successful, Guyana will be the second CARICOM country to serve on the UN Security Council after St. Vincent and the Grenadines had a two-year term that ended in 2022.

Todd said Guyana has always played an active role in the UN and, as a small state, is ready to contribute to the work of the Security Council in partnership with all member countries for peace and prosperity.

Todd met with Algeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad, Ahmed Attaf, in New York recently. Attaf said that, if elected to the council, this will be another opportunity for Guyana and Algeria to work together, noting that the two countries have a shared history in the Non-Aligned Movement and Group of 77 and China.

Haiti

Prime Minister Ariel Henry said that he has asked for international help as the death toll rises and Haiti struggles to recover from the recent floodings.

The death toll from the heavy floods that hit Haiti has risen to 42, with another 11 people missing, authorities said. At least 85 people are injured, and more than 13,600 homes were flooded, forcing people to evacuate, according to Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency.

The rains pelted Haiti’s western, northwestern, southeastern and central regions. It is reported that many towns are flooded, leaving many people homeless. Many crops were damaged amid a spike in starvation and people are trying to find temporary shelters after the rain turned roads into rushing rivers of brown water.

However, the weather has since improved but the World Food Program said tens of thousands of people have been affected, with the greatest damage reported in Port-au-Prince’s metropolitan area and in the western region.

“A significant weather-induced event of this level so early in the hurricane season…raises concerns about the ability to provide a sustained response should extreme weather incidents continue to occur,” the agency warned.

Trinidad 

The announcement came from the Office of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago that local government elections will take place on Monday August 14 and nomination day will be on Monday June 26.

Local Government and Rural Development Minister Faris Al-Rawi also made the announcement during debate on the Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, 2021.

The opposition, United National Congress (UNC) said on its social media, “Due to our hard work and fighting for the protection of the rights of our citizens, local government elections have finally been announced. We are on the road to victory. Stand your ground and remember, Don’t Tote, Just Vote UNC!”

The announcement comes after the Privy Council, in responding to a lawsuit by activist Ravi Balgobin Maharaj, said the extension of the life of local government bodies for a year was unlawful.

Both major political parties (The People’s National Movement, PNM and the United National Congress UNC) began screening for local government candidates already.

The last local government elections were held on Dec. 2, 2019, and were due to be held in March, 2023. Prior to this, in November 2022, Al-Rawi said the terms of the councillors and aldermen would be extended by a year. This was however challenged by Balgobin Maharaj.

— Compiled by Devika Ragoonanan