Caribbean RoundUp

Bahamas

Prime Minister Phillip Davis accepted the resignation of Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander as there have been allegations by US law enforcement authorities of a senior Bahamian police officer on charges of conspiracy to import cocaine as well as possession and use of firearms.

“I have met with the Commissioner of Police. I have received and accepted his resignation. The Commissioner has served the force with distinction, and I want to emphasize that there are no allegations of wrongdoing against him,” Davis said.

He added that the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) “needs change” and that he has “identified a highly qualified successor who is well-suited to oversee the necessary reform.”

“This appointment requires consultation with the Leader of the Opposition (Michael Clifton Pintard). I ask the clerk to deliver this letter to the Leader, which I invite him to receive and discuss with me at the adjournment of Parliament today,“ Davis said, adding that he is confident that Pintard “recognizes the urgency of consulting with me swiftly so that I am able to make a recommendation to the Governor-General.”

Barbados

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) recently announced that Barbados has completed an unprecedented debt-for-climate operation to finance water and sewage projects resilient to climate change.

Barbados bought back US$293 million of its own debt and refinanced it with the backing of the IDB and the European Investment Bank (EIB). By replacing outstanding, higher-interest debt with more affordable financing, the country generated US$125 million in fiscal savings. The funds will be used to enhance water resource management and improve water and food security.

The Sustainability-Linked Loan transaction was finalized recently, and the loan was supported by US$300 million in guarantees—US$150 million each from the IDB and the EIB, the latter under the European Union’s Global Gateway Initiative.

The debt has been refinanced in three series. Most of the debt has been refinanced at an 8% interest rate with no discount to face value, and smaller portions have been refinanced at lower interest rates of 3.75% and 4.25% but with a higher discount to face value.

The EIB states it is the first SSLL tied to a sovereign water security project.

The loan contains predetermined sustainability performance targets related to the volume of water produced by the South Coast Water Reclamation Facility. However, if the targets are unmet, the government incurs a financial penalty, which will be paid into the Barbados Environmental Sustainability Fund, a specialized trust for environmental investments.

Caribbean

The European Union (EU) has released more than €5 million in humanitarian aid to support affected countries in the Caribbean and Central America due to the particularly active and intense hurricane season in the Atlantic. Over €1.5 million has been given to Central America, and another €3.5 million has been given to countries in the Caribbean.

“A significant share of the allocation for the Caribbean, up to €2.7 million, will support humanitarian partners in Cuba, as they are responding to the impact of both the hurricanes and earthquakes that have struck in the past month,“ the EU said.

It said that for Central America, at least €500,000 has been earmarked for Honduras to respond to recent floods following the passage of Tropical Storm Sara.

The EU said funding for these two regions would be used to provide relief in terms of food, water and sanitation, health, and emergency cash assistance, to name a few. It will also be used for prepositioning and reinforcing essential stocks in the regions.

The EU said this funding brings the total EU humanitarian aid for these regions to close to €9 million this year and includes previous allocations of €600,000 after Hurricane Oscar in Cuba, €650,000 for Hurricane Beryl in several Caribbean islands, and €200,000 for Hurricane John in Mexico.

The EU said the 2024 hurricane season has been very intense, recording up to 18 named storms, nine of which became hurricanes, and five of which reached category three or higher.

Haiti

A member of Haiti’s transitional presidential council has publicly criticized the remarks made by French President Emmanuel Macron, who called the Caribbean country’s leaders “total morons.”

The council’s former president, Edgard Leblanc Fils, said that Macron had insulted an entire nation “living through dark times.“

Macron was filmed making the remarks on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Brazil recently. He criticized the council’s decision to oust prime minister Garry Conille after only six months abruptly.

“They’re total morons,“ Macron had said, referring to the council. “They never should have dismissed him.”

After dismissing Conille, the council appointed Alix Didier Fils-Aimé as the new prime minister.

In his statement, Leblanc said, “(Macron) did not hesitate to interfere in a matter that essentially concerns the Haitian authorities by declaring that he supported prime minister Conille, that the latter was formidable.“

Macron’s remarks encouraged Haiti’s Foreign Ministry to summon France’s ambassador to Haiti, calling the president’s comments “unfriendly and inappropriate.”

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has been re-elected as Leader of the ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) and says that it will field new candidates in at least four of the 15 constituencies for the next general elections, which is expected within the following year.

Gonsalves told the party’s 26th annual convention that two legislators, the North Windward representative and deputy Prime Minister, ULP deputy leader Montgomery Daniel, and South Windward representative Frederick Stephenson, have indicated their intention to leave politics. The candidate for the Southern Grenadines and ULP’s chairman, Edwin Snagg, who has lost five times, also wants to quit.

The party will likely field Senator Keisal Peters in West Kingstown, the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) has held since 2010.

“We have to have candidates selection properly. There are some persons who run last time may not run next time. Gommery, for instance, has already said he is retiring, and we have to thank him for his tremendous service,“ Gonsalves said, referring to the North Winward MP.

“Montgomery has taken North Windward safe thus far, and grace will lead us home,“ Gonsalves said, hinting that Grace Walters will be its North Windward candidate.

“Well, Cummings in West Kingstown ain’t have nothing to say against Keisal other than try to run she down personally,“ he said, referring to Peters, who made history as the country’s first female minister of foreign affairs when she was appointed to the post in August 2022, after two years as the junior minister.

Meanwhile, Gonsalves said that the ULP was considering its alternatives in South Windward, as Stephenson, who is into his third five-year term as MP, has said he is not running anymore.

“And we have one or two persons in mind to take over from Snaggy in the Southern Grenadines because Snaggy says he wants to take a rest from that,“ Gonsalves said.

Trinidad and Tobago

In a recent media release, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) announced that it has approved US$250 million in financing for road infrastructure and resilient educational infrastructure in T&T.

The financing will come from two facilities – the Sector-Wide Approach Programme (SWAP), which will have an allocation of US$150 million, used to strengthen the resilience of the country’s road network against climate change, and the Resilient School Infrastructure Programme, which will have an allocation of US$100 million and used to enhance education through building and rehabilitating early childhood care centers, primary schools, and secondary schools.

It will also ensure that the schools identified are adapted to improve learning and equipped with the necessary equipment.

“The school rehabilitation component will focus on safety, sustainability, and gender inclusion and aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),“ the release said.

CAF executive president Sergio Díaz-Granados said, “CAF has a longstanding, fruitful partnership with TT, and we stand ready to support the nation’s thrust towards building resilience, which are key elements of these programs. This new investment will enhance climate-resilient infrastructure and strengthen the teaching of Spanish as a first foreign language. We are confident this will lay the foundation for a more robust education system that prepares students to be global citizens.”

— Compiled by Devika Ragoonanan