Caribbean Blog International

Does The Haitian Constitution Trumps The Bahamian Constitution in The Bahamas

2026-04-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

DOES THE HAITIAN CONSTITUTION TRUMPS OUR BAHAMIAN CONSTITUTION?

From Speak Up Bahamas:

I’m trying to understand something… and maybe someone can explain it logically. Why are some Bahamians now arguing that the Haitian Constitution is more powerful than the Bahamian Constitution?

The Haitian Constitution says that once you are born to a Haitian parent — whether mother or father — you are Haitian, and that citizenship cannot be renounced.

But let’s be very clear… We are in The Bahamas, governed by OUR Constitution. The Bahamian Constitution clearly states that if a Bahamian married to a Haitian woman, and they have a child, that child is Bahamian — with the full rights of a Bahamian, including the right to vote, and it doesnt mattter how fluent they are in the English language.

So the real question is: Which Constitution governs The Bahamas? Are we seriously saying that a foreign constitution can override our own laws, our own sovereignty, and our own identity as a nation?

That would mean we are no longer in control of our country — and that simply cannot be the case.

You cannot pick and choose when to respect the Bahamian Constitution and when to ignore it.

This is not about emotion, politics, or division — this is about law, sovereignty, and national identity.

Bahamians must decide:

👉 Do we stand on OUR Constitution?

👉 Or are we now allowing foreign laws to dictate who is Bahamian and who can vote? Make it make sense.

Speak Up Bahamas. 🇧🇸

Source / Comment

Bahamian Constitutional Attorney - Craig Butler, Esq., Answers:

I’m answering the question and authoritatively so:

👉🏽 I’m the constitutional expert.

👉🏽 if you think you’re smart take me on Peter.

The Bahamian Constitution governs The Bahamas. Full stop.

No foreign constitution overrides it, dictates it, or displaces it.

But that is not the real issue here.

The confusion is coming from a failure to understand how citizenship actually operates in law.

There are multiple pathways:

• Citizenship by descent (through a Bahamian parent)

• Citizenship by birth with entitlement to apply (e.g., persons born in The Bahamas to non-Bahamian parents applying at 18–19)

• Registration and naturalisation

So when people raise the Haitian Constitution, they are not saying it overrides Bahamian law. They are pointing to the fact that another country may also recognize that person as its citizen.

That creates dual nationality issues, not constitutional supremacy issues.

And here is the key point many are missing:

A child born in The Bahamas to Haitian parents does not automatically become Bahamian. They have a constitutional right to apply for citizenship between ages 18 and 19.

Many have exercised that right. Lawfully.

Once granted, they are Bahamian citizens—under our Constitution.

So let’s not distort this.

This is not about Haiti overriding The Bahamas. This is about people misunderstanding:

• how citizenship is acquired,

• how dual nationality arises, and

• how our own Constitution actually works.

If there are concerns about abuse of the system, then address enforcement and administration.

But do not invent a constitutional conflict that does not exist.

Source / Comment

Political Issues in The Bahamas

2026-04-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

Politics in The Bahamas

THE BAHAMAS: ELECTORAL REALITY, HISTORICAL STRUGGLE, AND THE WORK AHEAD

Saturday, 4 April 2026

4:07 PM Eastern Standard Time

Nassau, The Bahamas

By Craig F. Butler, Esq.

Today marks 58 years since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee — 4 April 1968.

He was killed standing on a balcony.

But what he represented was never killed.

Because the struggle he spoke to — dignity, justice, legitimacy, and the structure of power — did not end in Memphis.

It continues.

And we must be honest enough to say:

It continues here.

I. THE CONTINUITY OF STRUGGLE

We like to think of the African struggle as something external — something that happened “over there,” in America, in South Africa, in the streets of history.

But we are confronting our own version of that struggle right here in The Bahamas.

Not in the same form.

Not with the same violence.

But with the same underlying question:

👉 Who controls power?

👉 How is that power exercised?

👉 And who benefits from it?

II. THE PRESENT MOMENT — EMOTION VS LAW

Right now, the country is agitated.

People are speaking about:

• the voters’ register

• citizenship concerns

• passports

• electoral integrity

• governance and spending

And much of that concern is real.

But we must separate two things:

what is emotionally compelling

and, what is constitutionally possible.

III. THE LEGAL REALITY🇧🇸🇧🇸

Let me state this plainly and finally:

👉 The Prime Minister has exercised the prerogative to dissolve Parliament.

👉 The House is prorogued.

👉 The election is called.

That power is spent.

It is not reversible by public pressure.

It is not undone by commentary.

It is not halted by applications that do not meet constitutional threshold.

So let the Bahamian public understand clearly:

There is nothing — short of war, catastrophic disaster, or a true national emergency — that is going to stop the general election scheduled for 12 May 2026.

Not the courts.

Not politics.

Not outrage.

IV. THE HARD TRUTH

We have been talking about these issues for years.

Not one election.

Not two.

Multiple election cycles.

The voters’ register concerns are not new. Citizenship questions are not new. Administrative weaknesses are not new.

They are systemic.

So let us stop pretending that this moment created the problem.

It did not.

V. THE REAL ISSUE🇧🇸🇧🇸

This is where the country must mature.

The election is going forward.

👉 Votes will be cast

👉 Results will be declared

👉 A government will be sworn in

That is going to happen.

So the real question is no longer: “Can we stop this election?”

The real question is:

👉 Why have we allowed this issue to persist for so long?

👉 And what are we going to do to fix it after the election?

VI. THE DANGER

Too many of our people are locked into budget politics:

- Who gets contracts

- Who controls spending

- Who distributes the billion dollars

That is not governance. That is access to power disguised as democracy.

And until we confront that honestly, we will continue to recycle the same problems.

VII. THE WAY FORWARD

If we are serious, the work is clear:

• structural reform of the registration system

• modernization and digitization

• legal accountability where wrongdoing exists

• continuous audit — not election-time outrage

• and sustained national discipline beyond party politics

Because shouting at the moment of election will never fix a problem that has been growing for decades.

VIII. CLOSING

Dr. King fought for justice, but more importantly, he fought for structure — for a system that could sustain dignity, not just promise it.

That is the lesson.

Not emotion. Not outrage.

Structure.

So let us be clear:

👉 This election is happening.

👉 These problems are not new.

👉 And the real work begins after the vote, not before it.

Because if we do not fix the system, we will be right back here again.

With Professional Respect Asé

CRAIG F. BUTLER ESQ.

Constitutional Theorist

Pan-African Methodology

Commonwealth of The Bahamas

Source / Comment

Why did the British Empire Collapsed?

2026-03-15T14:57:00.000-07:00

The British Empire Didn’t Collapse in War — It Collapsed Through Its Currency

By Robert Kiyosaki

Most people think the British Empire fell because of war. That’s wrong.
Britain won World War II.

But it lost something far more important afterward: Its money. And once a country loses its currency, it eventually loses everything else.

Let me explain.

1945: Britain “Won” the War… But Was Bankrupt

When World War II ended, Britain was still standing militarily — but financially, it was broken.

- Massive war debt

- Destroyed infrastructure

- Rationing that lasted into the 1950s

- A shrinking industrial base

To keep the country running, the British government did what governments always do when they’re broke:

They borrowed.

They printed.

They spent.

And they told the public everything was under control.

Sounds familiar?

THE SLOW DEATH OF THE POUND

Unlike hyperinflation stories like Germany or Zimbabwe, Britain’s collapse was quiet.

No wheelbarrows of cash.

No overnight wipeout.

Instead, the pound died slowly.

1949

Britain officially devalued the pound by 30% against the U.S. dollar. The public was told it was a “necessary adjustment.”

1967

Another major devaluation — again about 14%.

Each time, British citizens lost purchasing power. Each time, their savings bought less. Each time, the government promised stability would return. It never did.

THIS IS HOW EMPIRES REALLY DECLINE

Britain didn’t collapse in one dramatic moment.

It declined through:

- Chronic deficits

- Currency devaluation

- Loss of global confidence

- Capital fleeing to stronger currencies

- Rising cost of living

- A shrinking middle class

By the late 1960s, the pound was no longer trusted as a global reserve currency.

The empire didn’t fall with bombs.

It faded with inflation.

Here’s the part schools never teach: Britain’s economy didn’t stop working. People still had jobs. Markets still functioned. But life got harder every year.

- Wages lagged.

- Savings eroded.

- Assets became unaffordable.

The system didn’t “collapse.” It quietly transferred wealth away from people who trusted the currency…to people who owned real assets.

Americans keep asking: “Why does the economy feel terrible if the country is still strong?”

That’s exactly what British citizens asked in the 1950s and 60s.

The answer was simple then — and it’s simple now:

The country isn’t collapsing.

The currency is being devalued.

And when that happens:

- Savers lose

- Wage earners fall behind

- Asset owners move ahead

Britain learned this the hard way. Empires don’t usually die loudly. They die slowly… while people are told everything is fine.

Britain went from global superpower to secondary player not because it lost wars — but because it lost monetary discipline.

History doesn’t repeat. But it rhymes perfectly.

And if you understand how the British pound fell… you’ll understand exactly why life feels more expensive today — even when the headlines say everything is “strong.”

That’s the cost of a dying currency.

And it’s always paid by the people who trust it the most.

Source / Comment

It's Time for The Caribbean’s Sovereign Rail

2026-03-03T17:12:00.000-08:00

For fifty years, the global financial system ran on a single dominant rail. That era is over

THE WORLD AS IT IS — PART XVIII

Tuesday, 3 March 2026

7:35 AM Eastern Standard Time

By CRAIG F. BUTLER, ESQ.

There are moments when commentary is no longer sufficient.

Part XVIII is not commentary. It is construction.

For weeks we have examined fractures — war, sanctions, mineral leverage, security realignment, the Great Repricing.

Now we move to rails.

The question is no longer who strikes, who sanctions, or who aligns. The question is: who settles?

Because in a multipolar world, settlement systems are power.

For fifty years, the global financial system ran on a single dominant rail. That era is over.

Sanctions have been weaponized.

SWIFT has been politicized.

CIPS has matured.

BRICS Pay is forming.

CBDCs are operational.

The world is fragmenting into monetary corridors. And in that fragmentation lies opportunity.

Part XVIII makes a disciplined argument:

The Caribbean is no longer a peripheral financial basin. It is positioned to become a sovereign settlement corridor.

The region now sits on a tri-layer architecture:

• Middle-power stability (British regulatory credibility, Canadian banking continuity)

• Sovereign currencies (Bahamian, Jamaican, Eastern Caribbean, Trinidadian, Barbadian)

• Operational digital rails (Sand Dollar, Jam-Dex, DCash)

No other small-state region in the world has this configuration.

What is missing is not currency. It is clearing. It is interoperability.

It is a sovereign settlement system that reduces dependence on external rails and anchors the Caribbean in the Age of Consequences.

Part XVIII identifies the gap — and the build.

It argues that:

• Settlement defines sovereignty.

• Clearing defines leverage.

• Digital rails define independence.

• Small states with stability become strategic.

The Bahamas is uniquely positioned to anchor this rail. Not as rhetoric. As architecture.

This chapter is not about nostalgia. It is about infrastructure.

The Caribbean’s sovereign rail is no longer theoretical.

It is the next structural move in a world no longer ruled from one capital.

Part XVIII begins now.

PART XVIII — THE CARIBBEAN’S SOVEREIGN RAIL

Digital money, regional clearing, and the emergence of an independent settlement system

I. The World Is Moving Away From Single‑Rail Finance

For fifty years, the global financial system ran on one dominant rail: SWIFT. That world is gone.

The U.S.–Israel–Iran rupture, the weaponization of sanctions, the rise of BRICS, and the emergence of digital currencies have fractured the monetary landscape. Today, the world runs on multiple rails:

• SWIFT (U.S.–EU)

• CIPS (China)

• BRICS Pay (emerging)

• CBDCs (state digital currencies)

• private rails (Visa, Mastercard, fintech networks)

In this environment, small states cannot rely on a single system. They need sovereign rails — systems they control, not systems they borrow.

The Caribbean is now positioned to build one.

II. The Caribbean’s Monetary Architecture Has Three Layers

Part XVII established the middle‑power scaffolding: Britain and Canada.

Part XVIII builds the sovereign layer above it.

The Caribbean’s monetary architecture now has three distinct layers:

1. Middle‑Power Stability (External)

• British regulatory credibility

• Canadian banking infrastructure

2. Sovereign Currencies (Internal)

• Bahamian dollar

• Jamaican dollar

• Eastern Caribbean dollar

• Trinidad & Tobago dollar

• Barbadian dollar

3. Digital Sovereign Rails (Emerging)

• Sand Dollar (Bahamas)

• Jam‑Dex (Jamaica)

• DCash (ECCB)

This is the foundation for a Caribbean settlement system — a rail that is:

• sovereign

• digital

• regional

• interoperable

• independent of great‑power politics

No other small‑state region has this combination.

III. The Sand Dollar as the Prototype Rail

The Bahamas did not simply launch a digital currency. It launched the first operational CBDC in the world — and in doing so, it created the prototype for a Caribbean monetary rail.

The Sand Dollar provides:

• instant settlement

• offline capability for outer islands

• regulatory clarity

• financial inclusion

• resilience during shocks

• a sovereign payment channel

In a world where:

• correspondent banking is shrinking

• sanctions are expanding

• SWIFT is politicized

• global rails are fragmenting

…the Sand Dollar becomes a sovereign shield.

It is the first Caribbean rail that is not dependent on external powers.

IV. The Region Is Quietly Becoming a Digital Currency Cluster

Three CBDCs in one region is not coincidence. It is architecture.

The Bahamas — Sand Dollar

The world’s first fully deployed CBDC.

Jamaica — Jam‑Dex

A retail CBDC designed for inclusion and micro‑commerce.

ECCB — DCash

A multi‑state digital currency across eight countries.

This cluster gives the Caribbean:

• a shared technological base

• a shared regulatory framework

• a shared digital identity

• the ability to build interoperability

Interoperability is the key. It is how a region becomes a monetary bloc.

V. The Missing Piece: A Regional Clearinghouse

The Caribbean has:

• currencies

• digital currencies

• banks

• offshore centers

• middle‑power scaffolding

What it does not yet have is:

• a regional clearinghouse

• a sovereign settlement system

• a cross‑border CBDC corridor

• a non‑SWIFT payment rail

This is the gap. This is the opportunity. This is the sovereign project.

A Caribbean clearinghouse would:

• settle trade within the region

• settle Africa–Caribbean flows

• reduce reliance on U.S. correspondent banks

• insulate the region from sanctions spillover

• create a Caribbean “alternate rate”

• anchor the region in the Great Repricing

This is the rail that must be built.

VI. The Bahamas as the Anchor of the Sovereign Rail

The Bahamas is uniquely positioned to anchor the Caribbean rail because it has:

• a sovereign currency

• a sovereign digital currency

• a mature offshore financial sector

• regulatory credibility

• geographic centrality

• AU–CARICOM alignment

• British and Canadian stabilizers

• a reputation for compliance

• a history of financial innovation

This combination does not exist anywhere else in the region.

The Bahamas is the only jurisdiction that can:

• host the clearinghouse

• host the settlement system

• host the Africa–Caribbean commodities exchange

• host the digital corridor

• anchor the regional rail

This is the sovereign role.

VII. The Strategic Meaning in the Age of Consequences

In a fractured world:

• chokepoints matter

• settlement systems define leverage

• digital rails define sovereignty

• middle powers define stability

• small states with stability become valuable

The Caribbean’s tri‑rail system — British stability, Canadian banking, Caribbean sovereignty — becomes a zone of resilience.

And The Bahamas becomes the sovereign anchor of that zone.

This is not a regional story.

This is an Atlantic story.

This is a multipolar story.

This is a sovereignty story.

VIII. What Must Now Be Built

The architecture is ready. The moment is here.

The Caribbean must now build:

• a regional clearinghouse

• CBDC interoperability

• a sovereign settlement rail

• a non‑SWIFT corridor

• an Africa–Caribbean payment bridge

• a commodities exchange in The Bahamas

• a Caribbean alternate rate

This is the Caribbean’s sovereign rail. This is Part XVIII.

Source / Comment

Our World as It Is

2026-03-01T10:29:00.000-08:00

THE WORLD AS IT IS

PART XVI — THE AGE OF CONSEQUENCES

Sunday, 1 March 2026 — 7:40 AM EST

By CRAIG F. BUTLER, ESQ.

There are moments when analysis must harden into record.

Part XVI is not reaction. It is structural recognition.

The United States–Israel strike on Iran is not merely a regional escalation. It is an accelerant — one that forces the global system to reveal what it has already become.

For years, we have examined posture:

• carrier groups repositioned

• sanctions expanding

• alliances recalibrating

• minerals repricing

• sovereignty asserting itself

Now we move beyond signal.

This chapter addresses consequence.

What happened was not simply military.

It was valuation.

The old order assumed American force stabilized markets. The emerging order prices American force as risk.

That shift is historic.

Part XVI maps the immediate consequences:

• the collapse of automatic alignment in the Gulf

• the insurance markets repricing corridor risk in real time

• the fracture lines inside Western security architecture

• the acceleration of Global South leverage

• the strategic reweighting of Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean

This is not ideological commentary. It is macro-structural observation.

The rupture did not create multipolarity.

It exposed it. And exposure changes behaviour.

The Great Repricing is no longer theoretical.

It is active.

Energy routes, maritime insurance, alliance cohesion, diplomatic credibility, sovereign leverage — all are being recalculated.

Power is no longer inherited. It is negotiated.

Dominance is no longer assumed. It is tested.

This is the age of consequences. And this is the world as it is.

THE WORLD AS IT IS

PART XVI — THE AGE OF CONSEQUENCES : CRAIG F BUTLER ESQ.

How the U.S.–Israel–Iran rupture accelerates the Great Repricing

I. The World After the Strike

The night the United States and Israel struck Iran did more than ignite a regional war. It exposed a truth that had been building for a decade: the global system no longer absorbs American force the way it once did. The perimeter cracked. The center shook. And the world — from the Gulf to Africa to the Caribbean — recalibrated in real time.

This is not a military event. This is a valuation event.

The old order priced American action as stabilizing. The new world prices it as risk.

That shift is the beginning of the Great Repricing.

II. The Collapse of Automatic Compliance

For fifty years, the Middle East operated under a simple geometry:

• The U.S. enforced the perimeter.

• Israel enforced deterrence.

• Gulf monarchies aligned with both.

• Iran was contained.

That geometry collapsed in a single night.

What changed:

• Saudi Arabia and the UAE refused U.S. use of their bases.

• The UK blocked access to Diego Garcia.

• Oman publicly rebuked Washington.

• Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait were struck by Iranian missiles.

• Israel acted unilaterally, and the U.S. followed.

This is not a diplomatic disagreement. This is the end of automatic alignment.

The world is no longer organized around American permission. It is organized around national survival.

III. The Financial Shockwave

The first markets to react were not oil or equities. They were insurance markets — the quiet barometers of global fear.

War‑risk premiums in the Gulf jumped from 0.2–0.3% to 0.5%, and for Israeli ports to 1%. Quotes shortened from 48 hours to 24. Tanker rates doubled. Underwriters began pricing the Middle East as a live theatre, not a stable corridor.

This is the real signal:

The world is repricing risk faster than the old order can manage it.

And when risk is repriced, power is repriced.

IV. The Global South Steps Into the Vacuum

The rupture did not weaken the Global South. It strengthened it.

Why:

• The U.S. is now tied down in a direct war with Iran.

• Europe is exposed to energy volatility.

• The Gulf is hedging.

• Asia is recalculating supply chains.

• BRICS is watching the U.S. expend strategic capital.

Meanwhile:

• Africa controls the minerals of the 21st century.

• Latin America controls the new oil frontier.

• The Caribbean controls shipping lanes and offshore reserves.

• The Indian Ocean and West Africa control maritime chokepoints.

The old world is distracted. The new world is consolidating.

This is the Great Repricing in motion.

V. The Return of Sovereign Calculation

The strike on Iran did not just destabilize a region. It destabilized the assumption that power flows in one direction.

The new reality:

• Power must negotiate its limits.

• Force has consequences.

• Alignment is conditional.

• Sovereignty is transactional.

• The Global South is no longer a spectator.

This is why Africa’s continental institutions matter. This is why CARICOM’s alignment with the AU matters. This is why Guyana’s oil matters. This is why The Bahamas’ strategic geography matters.

The world is no longer divided into “powers” and “periphery.” It is divided into those who can absorb shocks and those who cannot.

The Global South is learning to absorb shocks. The old order is struggling to contain them.

VI. The Middle East as a Mirror

The U.S.–Israel–Iran rupture is not an isolated conflict. It is a mirror reflecting the fragility of the old system.

What the mirror shows:

• Diplomacy without trust collapses.

• Deterrence without legitimacy fails.

• Power without restraint destabilizes.

• Alliances without reciprocity fracture.

• Systems built on dominance cannot survive multipolar pressure.

The Middle East is not the exception. It is the preview.

VII. The Great Repricing Accelerates

The Great Repricing is not a theory. It is a sequence.

Step 1: The old order cracks.

The U.S. and Israel strike Iran. Iran strikes U.S. bases. Gulf states refuse alignment. Europe panics. Markets spike.

Step 2: The world recalibrates.

Insurance premiums rise. Shipping routes shift. Energy markets tighten. Alliances wobble.

Step 3: The Global South gains leverage.

Africa’s minerals become indispensable. Latin America’s oil becomes strategic. The Caribbean’s geography becomes critical. Asia’s supply chains diversify.

Step 4: Power becomes distributed.

No single actor can enforce order. Balance replaces dominance. Negotiation replaces assumption. Sovereignty replaces dependency.

This is the Great Repricing. Not as aspiration — but as reality.

VIII. The World That Emerges

The world emerging from this rupture is not the world of 1991, 2003, or even 2020.

It is a world where:

• The U.S. is powerful but constrained.

• Israel is capable but isolated.

• Iran is wounded but defiant.

• The Gulf is cautious but sovereign.

• Europe is anxious but dependent.

• China is quiet but calculating.

• Russia is opportunistic but limited.

• Africa is rising but underestimated.

• The Caribbean is small but strategically placed.

This is not the end of the old order. This is the beginning of the post‑order.

A world where power is not inherited — it is negotiated. A world where dominance is not assumed — it is tested. A world where sovereignty is not symbolic — it is strategic.

This is the world as it is. And the world as it is becoming.

Source / Comment

The Brothers and Sisters in The Bahamas - Love and Support Marvin Dames 100%

2026-02-26T17:16:00.000-08:00

To Know Marvin Dames - is to Love Marvin Dames

By Laurie Dames

For most of his adult life, my brother Marvin has served this country - The Bahamasnwith integrity and courage. From his years in the Royal Bahamas Police Force to his time as Minister of National Security, his record speaks for itself.

Recently, a young man who was in business with him made a reckless and illegal decision. He was caught, and he has taken full responsibility for his actions.

Let’s be clear about something. When you operate multiple businesses and employ over 100 people, you cannot be everywhere at once. You cannot monitor every move of every partner or employee 24 hours a day. That is simply not how business, or life, works.

Marvin did not commit this act. He was not involved in this act. And it is unfair and dishonest to suggest otherwise, especially for political gain.

Those who truly know him know his character. They know his commitment to law, order, and the safety of this nation. That has not changed.

I know Marvin will continue to live and serve with the same integrity and strength he always has.

#ISTAND with MARVIN DAMES - Mount Moriah Constituency

Source / Comment

What is Cubanism?

2026-02-19T05:27:00.000-08:00

Cubanism is about solidarity

“DEO ADJUVANTE, NON TIMENDUM

“WITH GOD AS MY HELPER, I HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR”

"CUBA WILL RISE"

By Dr Kevin Alcena

Because of the seemingly growing concept of rich /poor country relationship, concerns toward development countries and their policies have experienced a tremendous leap in international arenas in a relatively short period of time.

Much of this conversation was influenced by the teachings of the counter - revolution of the late - 1950s. Clearly, it was a revolution emphasizing the importance of promoting markets whilst cautioning the hazard of government policies in negatively affecting the benefit; to promote human development policies rather than concentrating on the physical capital, and the unappealing effect of some government polices toward economic.

In the past, the underlying cause of inadequate development were thought to be found in the lack of the criminal embargo that was imposed by the USA against Cuba. Now they do not want them to have oil. Shame! It took the arrival of the counter-revolution to divert the concentration elsewhere to a specific cause, which I feel will ultimately constitute a new trend for the like of 'Cubanism.

Today is a power trip; no empathy about how a person live off $20 pesos - this is crazy, especially a family with 5 little children. Where is the outcry? It is not even the superego judging the ego. It's our own capacity for lack of empathy, increasing until it becomes a kind of compulsion -neurosis where reverence and destruction alternate, and we reverently destroy our Cuba land. We deny The Cuban people their rights like little children.

Cubanism is about solidarity. Mandate of the people’s matter. This is Cubanism. Cuba is crying, I can't breathe, I lost my job, I have no food, I can't pay my rent, and my family abroad cannot help me because of the US embargo and restrictions.

Many Mothers cannot find food, and now many brothers are begging for food. Cuba cries, I can't breathe. We need global solidarity. Oh Lord. There is no dignity in this battleground of shame by so called elite-class in United States that is attempting to choke Cuba - as simple new styles of compulsion corruption by the imperialistic agenda that has no shame.

Cubanism solidarity is a science that has crushed the neo-fascism and has put Machiavellianism deceptive and clandestine plan that is instigated by US.

The inexhaustible spirit of the Cubanism has overcome negative karma.

The Cuban so -called neo-traditional pro-quo fascist elements in the Cuba are back, and Morologists USA is benefits it is no business - where is outcry? Trying to rewrite the Cuban history. Shame!

Our western culture, self-toxified by the poisonous egocentric ideology of imperialism and neo-fascism and the neo-traditional anachronism, is the unhappy heir of the terminator attitude that has precipitated an era of relentless upheaval and intense political propaganda in the decade-long economic growth from the Cubanism outstanding achievement for Cubans.

Salvery, based upon greed control and racism. We are witnessing in the Cuban type of economic slavery - ugly and diabolical form as in Cuba’s beautiful society. They want to stop oil from coming to Cuba, is a criminal act of humanity.

Solidarity is the key in this battleground of the most recent pandemic crisis; respect the law say home we will all overcome. I salute my beautiful Cuban people. Cuba will rise out of this crisis.

Cubanism at its code is solidarity for all citizens. 2026 and beyond will be a great year for this beautiful Cuban republic.

18 February 2026

Source / Comment

The Impact of Foreign Direct Investments on The Bahamian Economy in The Bahamas

2026-02-18T07:26:00.000-08:00

The Importance of Mandatory Economic Partnerships in The Bahamas

By Jamal Moss

Foreign direct investment has long contributed to Bahamian economy. However, the structure of this investment has often marginalised Bahamian policymakers and citizens, limiting their influence over national economic outcomes. Bahamians increasingly recognise that genuine progress is achieved when citizens control their resources and determine their own economic future. Revisiting and strengthening investment laws would ensure that Bahamians are not passive participants in development but active decision-makers and long-term beneficiaries of economic growth.

Economic Empowerment and Ownership

Compulsory alliances would place Bahamian ownership and leadership at the centre of wealth creation. Local equity participation ensures fairer profit distribution and greater reinvestment within the domestic economy. This approach promotes generational wealth, strengthens local entrepreneurship, and reduces economic dependency. Ownership also develops managerial skills, innovation, and professional capacity among Bahamian citizens, allowing economic growth to translate into meaningful social mobility and long-term financial stability.

Keeping Wealth Within Bahamas

The primary advantage of compulsory alliances is the retention of capital within the country. Profits generated by companies operating in The Bahamas are frequently repatriated abroad, limiting their long-term national impact (Syed et al., 2012). We must be conservative and intentional with this because when Bahamians hold equity and decision-making authority in foreign-led ventures, dividends, wages, and reinvestment remain within the domestic economy. This strengthens local financial institutions, increases government revenue, supports small and medium-sized enterprises, and stimulates sustained economic activity across multiple sectors of society. It is just good common sense.

National Security and Economic Sovereignty

Economic control is closely linked to national security. When foreign interests dominate key industries, national priorities can be undermined. Bahamian participation in ownership and governance ensures that strategic decisions align with national interests, cultural values, and sustainable development goals. Local involvement also improves accountability, transparency, and resilience during global economic shocks, protecting the country from external vulnerabilities.

Ending Second-Class Economic Status

Reforming investment legislation sends a clear message that Bahamian citizens are equal stakeholders in their own economy. With a common sense approach, we will get common sense results. Mandatory partnerships promote dignity, equity, and self-determination. Bahamians understand that meaningful development occurs when citizens exercise control over their resources and economic direction. Strengthening Bahamian ownership through law will result in a more inclusive, secure, and prosperous national economy.

FNM St. Barnabas Candidate, The Bahamas
Jamal Moss

Source / Comment

The Epstein Files: Should protecting institutions ever come before delivering justice?

2026-02-14T07:53:00.000-08:00

Pam Bondi warns that prosecuting everyone in Epstein’s files could destroy the system

By Anonymous

If exposing Epstein’s crimes and the people involved breaks the system, then so be it. Revealing wrongdoing is the only way to identify and remove corrupt individuals. Only after the truth comes out can the system be repaired and protected. If wrongdoing continues to be hidden and certain individuals are shielded, the system will move further toward collapse and destruction. Justice must be fair and transparent so that those who are truly at fault are removed from the system. There should be no protection for wrongdoing-otherwise, the result will be chaos and decline.

The growing debate around the Epstein files is no longer just about one man. It is about whether the justice system treats powerful people differently. Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi recently warned that aggressively prosecuting every name tied to the files could damage institutions. But many Americans believe the greater damage comes from silence, secrecy, and selective accountability.

The latest batch of documents has renewed attention on Jeffrey Epstein’s network, including alleged associates and internal communications. While not every name listed is automatically guilty, the public is demanding full transparency. Questions around Epstein’s 2019 death in federal custody have also resurfaced, adding to distrust. For many citizens, it feels like too many doors were closed too quickly.

This moment is bigger than politics. If wrongdoing is proven, then consequences must follow, no matter how powerful the person. Removing corruption protects the system, it does not destroy it. But if accountability is avoided, public trust may erode even further. Should protecting institutions ever come before delivering justice?

References:

U.S. Department of Justice: Jeffrey Epstein Case Documents

Federal Bureau of Investigation: Vault Release on Epstein

The New York Times: Newly Unsealed Epstein Files Draw Attention

BBC News: Jeffrey Epstein Death and Ongoing Questions

Source / Comment

Gain leverage in an AI-driven economy

2026-02-04T21:43:00.000-08:00

AI in Education: Why We Need Transformation, Not Just Improvement

By Maria Mercedes Mateo-Berganza Diaz

Highlights

We are educating for a world that no longer exists: AI is being layered onto systems designed for a pre-digital era, even as evidence shows technology is already reshaping cognition, learning patterns, and mental health.

Incremental improvement misses the scale of the challenge: using AI to optimize existing practices cannot address the learning crisis, inequality, or relevance; only system-level transformation can.

Future value depends on strong foundations plus human judgment: education must prioritize general skills that enable complex, “messy” work—where execution, reasoning, and adaptability remain beyond AI.

We stand at a rare moment in history: a chance to fundamentally reimagine education for a world that technology has already transformed.

This is not a distant future: it is the reality we are living now and there is no way back. Recent work, including the book Artificial Intelligence and Education in the Global South, brings this urgency into sharp focus, reminding us that the central question is no longer whether AI belongs in education.

Technology has already reshaped how we learn, think, and work. The real opportunity lies in understanding what this moment demands of us: not incremental improvements to existing systems, but genuine transformation—one that prepares students for work and life in an AI-augmented world. Here's what the latest research tells us about getting this right. We're not simply adding AI to education. We're introducing it into a world already fundamentally reshaped by technology—and that distinction matters profoundly.

The Reality We're Already Living

Consider how dramatically our world has shifted. In the 1930s, we spent most of our time with family and friends. Today, we spend 60% of our time online. Misha Rubin’s animation illustrates the evolution of how humans spend their time between 1930 and 2024. Recent research reveals that infant screen exposure (children 0-2) has lasting impacts on brain development and adolescent mental health, with higher infant screen time showing accelerated maturation of brain networks. This acceleration isn't beneficial—certain brain networks develop too quickly, before establishing the efficient connections needed for complex thinking, potentially limiting flexibility and resilience later in life.

For adolescents navigating critical prefrontal cortex development, the effects of social media, cyberbullying, and isolation are equally concerning. And a 2025 MIT study demonstrated that over-reliance on AI tools for cognitive tasks creates what researchers call "cognitive debt": reduced neural engagement, impaired memory recall, and weaker sense of essay ownership among students who used AI support to develop essays.

Improvement vs. Transformation

This context demands more than incremental change. Educational improvement—using AI to make existing practices slightly more efficient or support teachers in current frameworks—is insufficient. These improvements are localized, difficult to scale, and fundamentally maintain the status quo.

What we need is educational transformation: systemic change that addresses our most fundamental challenges—the learning crisis, inequality, and relevance—at scale and sustainably. Transformation requires complete systemic alignment across curriculum, teaching methods, assessment, and governance.

Simply put: improvement optimizes parts of the system. Transformation changes how the system works.

Balancing Foundations and Futures

The key lies in understanding how human capital actually develops. A 2023 paper, "Deconstructing Human Capital to Construct Hierarchical Nestedness" analyzed U.S. occupational data and revealed that human capital is hierarchically structured, not flat. The research identifies two types of specialized skills:

- Un-nested specialized skills can be acquired without a strong general foundation, but they offer limited economic returns.

- Nested specialized skills build upon robust general capabilities. These are associated with career progression and significant wage premiums. Premium workers don't simply pile up narrow skills; they deepen general competencies with strategic specializations.

The conclusion is clear: to construct valuable specialized skills, workers and economies must first invest in strong general skills. Specialization without this foundation delivers weaker economic returns.

The Choice Between Single-Task and Messy Jobs

Professor Luis Garicano offers a complementary insight about the future of work. We face a fundamental choice between two job paths:

Single-task jobs are increasingly vulnerable. AI excels at automating well-defined, single tasks. While humans remain in the loop today due to error rates that still persist in many fields (preventing unsupervised AI), those errors are decreasing rapidly.

Messy jobs, those combining multiple tasks, judgment, local knowledge, relationships, and real-world execution, are far more resilient. AI doesn't thrive at these kinds of tasks.

Garicano's conclusion: take the messy job, where learning, judgment, and execution matter, because that's where humans will retain value and gain leverage in an AI-driven economy.

What This Means for Education

If we want AI to augment humans rather than replace them, we must balance foundational learning and core competencies with emerging specialized skills. Students need strong general skills as the foundation for developing nested specialized capabilities that lead to resilient, complex work.

AI commoditizes codified knowledge, but it doesn't replace execution, coordination, empathy, political navigation, or tacit knowledge. These uniquely human capabilities flourish in environments that demand judgment, synthesis, and adaptive thinking.

The Path Forward

This isn't about making our current education system work slightly better. It's about fundamentally rethinking what education means in a world where technology has already transformed how we think, learn, and work.

The question isn't whether to use AI in education. It's whether we'll transform our educational systems to prepare students for a world where their value lies not in what they know, but in how they think, connect, adapt, and execute in messy, complex, human contexts.

That's the transformation we need.

---

We invite you to explore the IDB’s report on Artificial Intelligence and Education, that examines the role of artificial intelligence through the lens of what we already know from decades of digital education. Across Latin America and the Caribbean, teachers and school leaders are asking the same question: How can we use artificial intelligence to help every student learn better? In this blog we share how 193 real AI initiatives are already transforming teaching, inclusion, and school management, and what it means for the future of education.

Also, discover how teachers across the region are already integrating AI into their classrooms — based on new data from CIMA Note #37, drawn from the international TALIS 2024 survey.

Source

Mark Carney DAVOS 2026 speech

2026-01-21T07:15:00.000-08:00

CARNEY ELECTRIFIES: GROWS INTO HIS OWN AS A WORLD LEADER!

By Professor Gilbert Morris
Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas

Hon. Mark Carney’s DAVOS 2026 speech was the finest by a western leader since 1945.

Carney admitted: THE ENTIRE WESTERN ENTERPRISE OF A RULE GOVERNED WORLD ORDER HAS BEEN A LIE: invasions, bogus regime changes, sponsored genocides must all be rejected.

We must turn to “principled pragmatism”: a beautiful term for framing a cooperative world order; pioneered by role model nations like l Singapore, Denmark, Norway, New Zealand, Netherlands, Sweden, Iceland and Estonia.

Canada struck a blow for the only sort of world order in which nations like The Bahamas and other middle states can survive. But Singapore’s Prime Minister Hon. Lawrence Wong, former Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, its former foreign Minister Hon. George Yeo and its former Ambassdor to the UN, H.E. Kishore Mahbubani made similar speeches during the last four months.

With artful aplomb, Carney also foregrounded diplomatic honesty as a key principle and practise.

Carney admitted openly, that Canada was complicit “living within the lies” of the old order.

HERE IS HOW HE PUT IT (EXCERPT):

“Every day we are reminded that we live in an era of great power rivalry. That the rules-based order is fading. That the strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.

This aphorism of Thucydides is presented as inevitable – the natural logic of international relations reasserting itself. And faced with this logic, there is a strong tendency for countries to go along to get along. To accommodate. To avoid trouble. To hope that compliance will buy safety.

It won’t.

So, what are our options?

In 1978, the Czech dissident Václav Havel wrote an essay called The Power of the Powerless. In it, he asked a simple question: how did the communist system sustain itself?

His answer began with a greengrocer. Every morning, this shopkeeper places a sign in his window: “Workers of the world, unite!” He does not believe it. No one believes it. But he places the sign anyway – to avoid trouble, to signal compliance, to get along. And because every shopkeeper on every street does the same, the system persists.

Not through violence alone, but through the participation of ordinary people in rituals they privately know to be false.

Havel called this “living within a lie.” The system’s power comes not from its truth but from everyone’s willingness to perform as if it were true. And its fragility comes from the same source: when even one person stops performing — when the greengrocer removes his sign — the illusion begins to crack.

It is time for companies and countries to take their signs down.

For decades, countries like Canada prospered under what we called the rules-based international order. We joined its institutions, praised its principles, and benefited from its predictability. We could pursue values-based foreign policies under its protection.

We knew the story of the international rules-based order was partially false. That the strongest would exempt themselves when convenient. That trade rules were enforced asymmetrically. And that international law applied with varying rigour depending on the identity of the accused or the victim.

This fiction was useful, and American hegemony, in particular, helped provide public goods: open sea lanes, a stable financial system, collective security, and support for frameworks for resolving disputes.

So, we placed the sign in the window. We participated in the rituals. And largely avoided calling out the gaps between rhetoric and reality.

This bargain no longer works.”

IN FACT THE BARGAIN NEVER WORKED…EVERYONE - ITS VICTIMS ESPECIALLY - KNEW IT WAS A LIE!

CORE OF THE SPEECH FOR ME:

1. Canada was like gangster Tony Soprano’s wife: it went along with Tony (US) and benefited and when after all that blind loyalty, Tony turn on her (Trump’s abuse of Canada), she spoke as if innocent.

2. As such, I’m touched by Carney’s unprecedented honesty in reference the thinking person’s hero Vaclav Havel - the playwright President - who used the metaphor of the complicit shopkeeper in the old soviet system; whose mundane habits kept the system going.

Every country expecting to survive within a RULES BASED SYSTEM should call on Carney now reaffirming their commitment; as he seems possessed of the inner steel of a great man. But do not assume that his load is light or the wisdom and courage of his posture makes him safe; even at home in Canada.

There are US influenced Canadians who say he should let the U.S. abuse happen and just ride it out. He has separatist and MAGA flares in Quebec and Alberta; with noisy little groups wearing 51st state T-shirts. As such he has to hold Canada together as he attempts to galvanise the world out of its lazy, cowardly complicity.

But Carney is not merely talking…like Dr Nigel Clarke former Jamaican Finance Minister - expert skill and experience changed the global equation: Carney never reacts. MAGA gloated that Canada would come running back. But instead in just 6 months…Carney completed 50 trade deals…because when one knows what one is doing, timescales are paper thin!

Whilst Europe and NATO languish as desperate chatter boxes and linger at great risk, Carney has spoken more firmly and courageously than any Euopean leader in its history: insisting ArticleV will be honoured; breathtaking that such a statement comes from within NATO toward a founding member of NATO….but as Lenin said: only Christian democracies attack each other and plunge the entire world into war.

It’s happen twice already.

There hasn’t been a single great leader on the world’s stage since the death of LeeKuanYew: Carney is emerging, but like all things…in this time, yet only for a time.

ACT NOW!

Source / Comment

THE IMPACT of THE U.S. TEMPORARY VISA PAUSE on THE BAHAMAS and BAHAMIAN CITIZENS

2026-01-14T13:59:00.000-08:00

Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas -

CLARIFICATION ON THE US TEMPORARY VISA PAUSE

The visa pause announced via social media by the U.S. State Department today applies to Bahamians seeking immigrant visas. The suspension will not apply to applicants seeking non-immigrant visas, or temporary tourist, student or business visas. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sought clarification on what this means for pending immigrant visa applications.

Further, the arrangement between The Bahamas and the United States for travel via police record remains in place. The official source of U.S. visa information is:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news.html

Source

Free The Bahamas Trump!

2026-01-06T04:41:00.000-08:00

An Open Letter to U.S. President, Donald J. Trump - from a Concerned Bahamian Citizen

A Cry for International Intervention and Investigation Into Alleged Corruption Within the Government of The Bahamas

Dear President Trump,

Firstly, I wish to acknowledge and commend your firm stance against corruption, authoritarianism, and criminal influence in the Western Hemisphere. Many small nations look to strong leadership from the United States when democratic institutions are under threat.

My name is Brittany Harris. I am a Bahamian national, a legal resident of Canada, a mother of four minor children, and an activist and whistleblower advocating for abused women, children, and vulnerable communities. I write to you today out of desperation and deep concern for the future of my country, The Bahamas.

Mr. President, I respectfully ask that you consider authorizing or encouraging a thorough international and U.S. supported investigation into serious and ongoing allegations of corruption within the government of The Bahamas, under the leadership of Prime Minister Philip Edward Davis.

Under this administration, our country is rapidly deteriorating. There is widespread belief among Bahamians that: Millions of dollars in public funds are missing, with little to no development or national improvement to show for it;

Members of the current administration are engaging in unchecked theft, abuse of power, and protection of individuals connected to them;

Innocent citizens, activists, and whistleblowers who speak out are being targeted, arrested, and victimized, while individuals connected to political power are shielded from accountability.

Of grave concern is the belief held by many Bahamians that immigration policy is being deliberately manipulated for political survival. We are receiving alarming information that Haitian nationals are entering The Bahamas directly from Haiti allegedly already in possession of Bahamian passports, despite being unable to speak English or demonstrate ties to our nation. Many Bahamians fear this is part of an effort to engineer a new voting bloc to maintain political power, as the current administration has lost the trust of the Bahamian people and faces growing public opposition.

Mr. President, we are a small nation with limited power to confront systemic corruption alone. We are pleading for international oversight before our democracy collapses entirely.

I also respectfully ask that your administration conduct a close review of the recent U.S. indictment involving members of the Bahamian police force. Many Bahamians strongly believe that the true mastermind behind this criminal activity may be a political figure, and that officers are being forced or allowed to take the fall to protect powerful individuals.

I do not make these claims lightly. I make them at great personal cost. I have already suffered detention, imprisonment, and separation from my children for speaking out. I fear what may come next, not only for myself, but for my country.

Mr. President, we are asking for help. We are asking for transparency, accountability, and protection for those brave enough to speak the truth. The Bahamas needs international attention before it is too late.

Respectfully,

Brittany Harris

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Bahamian National | Canadian Resident

Activist & Advocate for Abused Women and Children

Source / Comment

Eye Care Technology

2025-12-11T05:57:00.000-08:00

How low-cost, high-impact technology can transform healthcare delivery in remote settings

Smartphones, AI, and Glasses: Reaching Remote Communities with Portable Eye Care

By Natalia Monica Laguyas, Leonardo Goes Shibata, Caio Abujamra, Frank Hida

About 80% of our interaction with the world happens through our eyes. Now imagine gradually losing your sight while living in a remote Indigenous community in Brazil, far from specialized care. How hard would it be to carry out your daily activities?

This is the challenge that Aldeia em Foco (“Village in Focus”) set out to solve. Supported by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), IDB Lab, and partners such as the Suel Abujamra Institute, GoodVision, and Japan’s OUI Inc., the project delivers accessible eye care to some of the most isolated regions of the Amazon.

Trained community workers can perform screenings in just 15 minutes using a smartphone, a small camera attachment and AI-powered image analysis. Images are uploaded to the cloud, where AI detects abnormalities and connects patients to specialists remotely. This simple, low-cost model removes logistical barriers to eye care in places without medical infrastructure.

Immediate Solutions, Lasting Impact

In addition to diagnosis, Aldeia em Foco provides on-site vision correction through GoodVision’s modular glasses, which can be assembled and adjusted to each person’s needs within minutes—addressing about 70% of visual problems detected.

So far, the project has reached over 100 villages in 11 Brazilian states, delivering 25,000 screenings, 18,000 consultations, 16,000 glasses, and nearly 370 surgeries. It has also trained almost 700 local workers for basic eye health access, creating a sustainable care network that continues beyond project visits.

'Saving a patient’s vision is almost as important as saving their life'

— Dr. Eisuke Shimizu, ophthalmologist and CEO of OUI Inc., which developed the Smart Eye Camera (SEC) used in the project.

This approach also makes economic sense. According to the Value of Vision study by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, every $1 invested in eye health yields $28 in return. In Brazil, an investment of $295 million between 2026 and 2030 could generate $8 billion in economic benefits. Better vision means higher productivity, more active older adults, and stronger communities—proof that eye care is not only a health priority but a smart investment in inclusion and growth.

Scaling Health Innovation for Broader Impact

Aldeia em Foco shows how low-cost, high-impact technology can transform healthcare delivery in remote settings. Its model—combining innovation, training, and international collaboration—offers a replicable blueprint for inclusive healthcare innovations across Latin America and beyond.

Highlighting the global collaboration and innovation, this project has already received an IDB Innovation Award that focuses on its potential to transform healthcare delivery in underserved regions.

By integrating this approach into public programs and exploring partnerships with the private sector, countries can expand access to essential eye care while strengthening resilience and equity in their health systems.

Restoring sight means restoring independence, dignity, and opportunity. And as Aldeia em Foco proves, a clearer vision for one person can illuminate the path toward a healthier, more prosperous and inclusive future for all.

Source

The Bahamas Government Cannot Explain $1.56M Contract or Its Own Role in Approving It

2025-12-02T15:25:00.000-08:00

The Bahamas Prime Minister, The Hon. Philip Edward Davis - as the minister responsible for the Public Procurement Unit, must explain how his administration has committed more than $400M in public Works through no-bid contracts in clear violation of the Public Procurement Act

FREE NATIONAL MOVEMENT, 144 MACKEY STREET, P.O. BOX N-10713 | NASSAU, N.P., THE BAHAMAS - (242) 393-7853

Dr. Duane Sands, Chairman of the Free National Movement: Questions Multiply as Government Cannot Explain $1.56M Contract or Its Own Role in Approving It

The Free National Movement is pleased that our inquiry into the government's $1.56M no-bid contract has finally forced the government to respond. Unfortunately, the explanation offered by the chairman of the Public Procurement Board raises even more troubling questions.

Instead of clarity, the public has been given a justification that defies logic, contradicts basic procurement standards, and deepens concerns about how and why this contract was awarded. There is still no credible explanation for why a contract of this size was handed out without competitive bidding when government personnel reportedly valued the scope of works at no more than $450,000.

If the issue was truly urgent, the chairman's own admission that there was enough time to secure an external valuation proves that there was also enough time to invite capable Bahamian contractors to compete for the job.

This was not an unforeseen emergency. lt was a known problem that could have and should have gone to tender.

We still do not know why the Bahamian taxpayer is carrying the full cost of major repairs in a building where the government is a tenant. The public deserves to know why the landlord is not responsible for these extensive upgrades and remediation works. That basic question remains unanswered.

We also cannot accept the government's attempt to justify why this contract was routed through the Ministry of Finance rather than through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of Works, both of which have the mandate and expertise for such matters.

The Public Finance Management Act already gives the Ministry of Finance the authority to reallocate resources to any agency that needs them. The public must ask why the Ministry of Finance became the signatory on a foreign affairs contract, particularly in a procurement environment already clouded by secrecy and political interference.

Now that the Procurement Board has broken its silence, the Prime Minister must answer for the larger pattern this contract represents. As the minister responsible for the Public Procurement Unit, he must explain how his administration has committed more than $400M in public Works through no-bid contracts in clear violation of the Public Procurement Act . The law requires competitive bidding except in narrow circumstances. This government continues to ignore that law and award contracts to hand-picked companies without transparency or accountability.

The Bahamian people deserve to know why these deals continue to be signed behind closed doors. They deserve to know who approves them. They deserve to know who benefits. And they deserve a government that respects the rules instead of bending them to suit political allies.

This contract is not an isolated incident. It is part of a wider culture of mismanagement and insider advantages that has defined the PLP's record. The FNM will continue to demand answers and continue to fight for transparent, accountable procurement practices that protect taxpayers and support fair competition for Bahamian contractors.

December 1, 2025

Viewpoint on The Golden Isles By-Election

2025-11-25T14:58:00.000-08:00

Perspectives on The Golden Isles By-Election - Monday 24 November, 2025

From Sean McWeeny, former PLP Cabinet Minister and Attorney General

Some random takeaways on yesterday’s bye-election:

1. That crown on Pintard’s head can rest more securely today than yesterday. By performing impressively in yesterday’s bye-election (even winning a majority of the polling divisions 8-6), the FNM and Pintard can point to all that as evidence that he is indeed a viable leader of a resurgent Party - no need to send a SOS out to Papa!

2. The COI lost its deposit yesterday (you need to get more than 1/6th or 16.6% of the total votes cast to save your deposit). With only 6% of the vote, the COI fell well short of that.

Frankly, for all the noise they were making and all the social media coverage they were getting, I thought they would have done better than they did (then again voters may have had Lincoln-fatigue by the end of it all). Still, they prevented the PLP from winning an outright majority of the total votes cast yesterday. It could also be argued that the COI cost the FNM the election yesterday by garnering 221 votes which, if added to the FNM’s tally, would have given the FNM the victory. But that’s what spoilers do. And the COI are certainly shaping up to be spoilers in “close“ seats in the next General Election. Bottom line : they can't win but they can cause you to lose.

3. Darren Pickstock has a lot to be personally proud of and so do Brave Davis, Jerome Fitzgerald and Kevin Simmons (the latter two as campaign managers). Darren came into Golden Isle a virtual unknown to constituents (in contrast to the FNM’s candidate who had good solid history there). In just 41 days, Darren made the rounds, showed himself to be a class act from start to finish, and ended up in victory.

4. Finally, the PLP has its work cut out for it. Yesterday’s results will no doubt be seen (and felt) as a knock in the head, all the more so when one considers the massive firepower and resources the government had brought to bear.

All of it turned out to be a bit underwhelming if the final count is anything to go by. But the PLP will no doubt see the results as a call to re-assess, reset, and do some things differently in the run-up to the Big One. If, however, yesterday’s results are interpreted as an affirmation that all is hunky-dorry and right on track, or if nothing but excuses are forthcoming now as to why the PLP didn’t get more votes yesterday, the cycle that has seen every single governing party in the past five General Elections get tossed out after just one term is bound to repeat itself - again. Sean

Rick Fox Declares His Intention to Enter Frontline Politics in The Bahamas

2025-11-24T20:58:00.000-08:00

The prosperous future of The Bahamas depends on the choices we make right now

The Bahamas: It’s Better To Be Number One

The Bahamas Must Be First and It Must Start Now.

Today, I’m announcing that I will be a candidate in the next general election.

For months, I’ve been listening closely to the hopes and frustrations of my fellow Bahamians. One truth is clear: the future of The Bahamas will depend on the choices we make right now.

You’ve shared that you want more transparency, a modern economy that prioritizes affordability and security, and a country where opportunity is our reality, not just a promise.

I share that vision.

And I’m stepping forward today because we cannot wait any longer to realize a Bahamas that we all envision is possible.

Why Now?

We are running out of the one resource we can never get back: TIME.

•⁠ ⁠The time we need to empower our youth with real opportunities.

•⁠ ⁠The time we need to build a nation that runs efficiently, innovates boldly, and leads globally.

•⁠ ⁠The time we need to deliver world-class healthcare, affordable housing, and safe communities.

•⁠ ⁠The time we need to compete on the global stage.

Hurricane Future isn’t coming. Hurricane Future is here.

Our Direction

Scripture teaches: “Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long upon this earth.”

We should also honor the fathers and mothers of our nation. Their legacy brought us to this moment. Our responsibility now is to move The Bahamas forward.

We must move with clarity. We must move with courage. We must move with honor and integrity.

We will embrace innovation, education, security and opportunity as the pillars of our future.

We will build a future where Bahamians can compete, influence, and lead globally without having to ever leave home.

We will trust in the lord with all of our hearts. We will not lean on our own understanding and in all of our ways, we will acknowledge him and he will direct our path.

This is Our Moment

As a candidate and as a leader for The Bahamas I will demand transparency, honesty, integrity while demanding a level of excellence from all of us.

This is bigger than party politics. This is The Bahamas versus the world. Imagine a nation where every Bahamian feel secure, safe, empowered, and proud. Where opportunity flows, innovation thrives, and our people shape the world from home.

More is on the way.

The Bahamas will lead. The Bahamas will rise. The Bahamas will be #1.

It’s Better to Be Number One in The Bahamas.

Source / Comment

The Caribbean Climate Reality

2025-11-12T06:20:00.000-08:00

Against the backdrop of a devastating hurricane season that once again underscored the region’s extreme vulnerability, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) will take the Caribbean’s climate agenda to the global stage at the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, scheduled for November 10–21 in Belém, Brazil.

The Bank will lead and participate in a series of events, high-level discussions and bilateral engagements aimed at securing greater access to concessional climate finance and strengthening partnerships for sustainable development. CDB President, Mr. Daniel M. Best said this intensified engagement reflects both the urgency and opportunity of the moment.

“The Caribbean’s climate reality has never been clearer or more urgent,” he emphasised. “The recent passage of Hurricane Melissa has underscored what we’ve been warning for years: without predictable, concessional finance, small island states cannot keep pace with escalating climate impacts. COP30 is one of the most consequential arenas for advancing our case for climate justice and fair financing, and the Caribbean Development Bank will ensure our region’s voice is heard.”

At COP30, the Bank strategically engage governments, international partners, and private investors to deepen partnerships and advocate for increased concessional financing and innovative mechanisms to mobilise resources for the region. On Monday, November 17, 2025, CDB will co-host three side events that reflect key priorities for climate action and resilience in the Caribbean.

The first session, “Leveraging Private Sector Financing for Transport and Energy Sector Transformation in the Caribbean,” will be held from 10:30 - 11:30 am (BRT) at the CARICOM Pavilion. The event will explore strategies to unlock private capital through blended finance models, risk-sharing instruments, and innovative partnerships to accelerate investment in renewable energy and sustainable transport systems.

A discussion on “Agriculture and Food Security in the Caribbean: Scaling Innovative Solutions for Climate-Resilient Agriculture” is slated for 12:00 - 1:00 pm (BRT) at the Food and Agriculture Pavilion. The livestreamed event will spotlight climate-smart agricultural practices and investment opportunities that can strengthen food security and reduce the region’s dependence on imports.

CDB will also join forces with CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) and the CREWS Secretariat to turn attention to disaster preparedness with a panel on “Climate Information and Early Warning Systems for Latin America and the Caribbean” Scheduled for 3:45–4:45 pm (BRT) at the CARICOM Pavilion, the discussion will explore initiatives by the three institutions to finance and implement early warning systems for the region.

“CDB’s agenda at COP30 underscores our approach to climate action, which is practical, innovative, and built on partnerships,” President Best noted. “The Caribbean is helping itself by developing our own solutions to protect lives, preserve livelihoods and transform our energy, transport and agriculture systems to secure our future, but we need the global community to stand with us.”

CDB targets 30-35% of its resources to climate finance demonstrating its commitment to helping Borrowing Member Countries adapt to the accelerating climate crisis. The Bank is also better positioned to deliver transformative regional interventions through a recent increase in its GCF financing threshold to USD 250 million and its new Climate Change Project Preparation Fund, both of which will help countries design and finance concrete, high-impact projects faster and more effectively.

Source

Grenada 19 October, 1983

2025-10-19T16:36:00.000-07:00

1983 Coup D'état - Grenada

By Everton Obi Powell

Maurice Rupert Bishop (29 May 1944 – 19 October 1983) was a Grenadian revolutionary and the leader of the New JEWEL Movement (NJM) – a party that sought to prioritorize socio-economic development, education and black liberation. The NJM came to power during the 13 March 1979 revolution which removed Prime Minister Eric Gairy from office. Bishop headed the People's Revolutionary Government of Grenada (PRG) from 1979 to 1983. In October 1983, he was deposed as Prime Minister and executed during a coup engineered internally by Deputy Prime Minister Bernard Coard.

In September 1983, simmering tensions within PRG leadership reached a boiling point. A faction within the party, led by Deputy Prime Minister Bernard Coard, tried to make Bishop either step down or agree to a power-sharing arrangement. Bishop rejected the proposal.

In response, the Coard faction in conjunction with the PRA placed Bishop under house arrest on 13 October. Large public demonstrations gathered to demand Bishop's release and his return to power. The protesters numbered as high as 30,000 on an island of 100,000, and even some of Bishop's guards joined the protests. Despite the sizable support, Bishop knew the determination of the Coard faction. He confided to a journalist: "I am a dead man."

On 19 October, a crowd of protesters managed to free Bishop from house arrest. He made his way, first by truck, then by car, to army headquarters at Fort Rupert (known today as Fort George), which he and his supporters were able to seize control of.

At that point, Coard dispatched a military force led by Hudson Austin from Fort Frederick to retake Fort Rupert. Bishop and seven others, including his cabinet ministers and aides, were captured.

A four-man PRA firing squad executed Bishop and the others by machine-gunning them in the Fort Rupert court yard. After Bishop was dead, a gunman slit his throat and cut off his finger to steal his ring. The bodies were transported to a military camp on the peninsula of Calivigny and partially burned in a pit. The location of their remains is still unknown.

Partly as a result of Bishop's murder, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the nations of Barbados and Jamaica appealed to the United States for assistance, as did Sir Paul Scoon, Governor-General of Grenada. Within days, President Ronald Reagan launched a U.S.-led invasion to overthrow the PRG.

US invaded within 6 days with 8000 soldiers. Bernard Cord and Hudson Austin were captured and sentence to death but sentences were commuted to Life.

Austin was release in 2008 and died from cancer in 2022. The final U.S. report claims 19 killed and 116 wounded; the Cubans to have had 25 killed, 59 wounded and 638 "combatants" captured; the Grenadians to have suffered 45 killed and 358 wounded.

Violence and death surrounded Bishop family. In 1974 his father Rupert was shot in the back and killed at by Eric Gairy Mongoose Gang during a protest. Maurice himself was shot and killed during the 1983 execution. His son's mother and girlfriend was killed during the 1983 execution and his only son Vladimir was stabbed to death in a Toronto nightclub at only 16.

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The Politically Immature and Thuggish Lincoln Bain

2025-10-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

Mr. Lincoln Bain, Your childish apologies have become meaningless, weak, and lack substance

Mr Lincoln Bain, refrain from violence. Focus on substance over spectacle, and let your vision for The Bahamas speak for itself

By Maria Russell
Freeport, G.B. Island, The Bahamas
In response to Tribune242 FaceBook Post, Pintard Condems Lincoln Bain...

I'm not taking sides, but bullying, intimidation, and fear have no place in a democracy. That was not the time and place. It only takes away from the message of the protest. These silly antics are a turn-off on all levels. Mr. Pintard has nothing to prove. He's already a Member of Parliament and the Official Opposition Leader by law as outlined in our constitution.

Mr. Bain, you, on the other hand, have a lot to prove to the Bahamian people, especially if you're serious and ready for mainstream politics. To get into parliament, one would think that maturity, political sportsmanship, and a willingness to engage in respectful dialogue would be essential. If you two have a personal beef, maybe it would be wise to settle it out of the political spectrum.

You don't want to be known more for your radicalism than your message. Having the loudest mouth is unnecessary and a turn-off. Your apologies will become meaningless, weak, and lack substance. Antics and polarization won't get you elected. Empathy and humility will.

Refrain from violence. Focus on substance over spectacle, and let your vision for the country speak for itself. If the populace is to take you seriously, you must demonstrate leadership worthy of representing the Bahamas both domestically and internationally. Your actions will be scrutinized globally, so it's crucial to maintain a level of maturity and statesmanship. Anything less, undermines your message and credibility.

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Rick Fox - Betrayal or Survival?

2025-10-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

Survival is serious, says Rick Fox

BETRAYAL OR SURVIVAL?

Rick Fox Legacy

Was it Betrayal or Survival? What would you do?

Survival is serious. The lengths we go to in life to secure our future and our family’s future can be serious. Some people bet on a life of crime. I bet on basketball.

Some of you have asked: Why did you play for another team?

It was a simple decision: I played to secure a future for my family.

At the time, The Bahamas didn’t have a national team that competed globally. There was no path to the NBA from home. Playing for another team wasn’t betrayal, it was the only opportunity to be seen, to prove myself, and to secure my future.

In the summer of 1990, with the guidance of my coach Dean Smith and my parents, I joined Canada’s NBA summer league team. I made the all-star team, caught the attention of NBA scouts, and earned my place among the pros.

That decision was never about leaving The Bahamas behind it was about making sure The Bahamas would one day be seen on every stage I stepped on.

Every decision since then has been in service to my family and to The Bahamas. Every opportunity I’ve had has come from God. He is driving this ship.

From championship podiums to Hollywood sets, from boardrooms to global summits The Bahamas has been with me every step of the way.

You don’t have to be seen to serve. You just have to be in action.

And I’ve been a Bahamian in action my entire life building, competing, and winning for my family and our people.

WHAT HAVE I DONE FOR THE BAHAMAS? WHAT WILL YOU DO?

People ask: What have you done for The Bahamas?

My question back is simple: What will you do?

Let’s turn the conversation of service into a competition. Who among us has done more for the nation we love?

Just because one is unseen doesn’t mean one was absent. Let me shine a light.

For over 30 years, I’ve made The Bahamas number one: not just in sports, but in business, culture, and innovation. From courts to boardrooms, studios to sustainability summits, I’ve delivered results that carry the Bahamian flag higher every time.

I’ve rebuilt our basketball programs, mentored athletes, brought world-class coaches, and funded clinics and camps. I’ve fought for Bahamian players to gain international exposure and opened doors for scholarships around the world.

Through Partanna, I’ve positioned The Bahamas as a leader in climate innovation — creating jobs, opportunities, and global respect for our people. I’ve sponsored students to study abroad, bringing knowledge and technology home to fuel our growth.

This is the work of impact — not applause. I don’t chase validation. I chase results. I didn’t return home seeking fame or power. I was invited to help solve national problems: housing, opportunity, and sustainability.

I am not a politician. I am a winner who happens to be on Team Bahamas.

THE MOVEMENT TO WIN

Some enter politics to serve. The day I enter, I enter to compete to defend, to facilitate, and to lead.

Winning requires strategy, focus, discipline, and execution the same principles that have guided my success for decades.

This movement is not for everyone. Some are satisfied with what they have.

But this movement is for Bahamians who want to see our country rise to a level not seen before, locally and globally.

We will finish what our forefathers started. We will go all the way.

Any unseen work I’ve done, any blessing I’ve received, has been used to lift this nation, open doors for our youth, and build pride that cannot be taken away.

That is my contribution. That is my legacy. That is what I’ve done — and will continue to do — for The Bahamas.

Every chapter of my life has been about winning: on the court, on the screen, in business, and now, in building solutions for our people.

Today begins the most important chapter yet: competing and winning for the Bahamian people from home.

I have a vision for the next 50 years: a Bahamas where our children inherit a nation that works for them, not against them.

Where we don’t just talk about progress we deliver it. No movement builds a future alone.

This vision needs teammates, builders, and believers. It will grow as quickly as the Bahamian people decide they’ve had enough — that they deserve more — and are ready to rise.

I’m ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with every Bahamian who wants more: more honesty, more opportunity, more action, more results.

Today is the beginning of a movement that competes, wins, and delivers for The Bahamas.

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The UN Approves a New Multinational Gang Suppression Force (GSF) in Haiti to Replace the Kenyan-led Security Support Mission

2025-10-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

The UN Security Council on Tuesday 30 September, 2025 - authorized a new multinational Gang Suppression Force (GSF) in Haiti to replace the Kenyan-led security support mission, amid escalating gang violence, widespread rights abuses and a humanitarian emergency affecting all aspects of life in the island nation.

The resolution – co-penned by Panama and the United States, and backed by dozens of countries in the region and beyond – was adopted by a vote of 12 in favour, with three abstentions from China, Pakistan, and Russia. Under an initial 12-month mandate, the GSF will work in close coordination with the Haitian National Police (HNP) and the Haitian armed forces to conduct intelligence-led operations to neutralise gangs, provide security for critical infrastructure, and support humanitarian access.

The 5,550-strong force will also protect vulnerable groups, support reintegration of former fighters and help strengthen Haitian institutions.

The Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, authorised by the Security Council in October 2023, faced chronic underfunding, insufficient personnel, and limited operational capacity, making it difficult to contain gangs that now control large parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

While the MSS enabled the HNP to regain access to some areas and infrastructure, it struggled to match the scale of the crisis.

Kenya, which led the MSS, also backed the new mechanism.

Haiti is facing nearly 1.3 million internally displaced people, rising kidnappings, widespread sexual violence, and gangs that control large areas of the capital.

Haiti is not alone

Introducing the text in the Council, Ambassador Eloy Alfaro de Alba of Panama emphasised the urgency of international support.

“Since last year, this Council has requested the Secretary-General to put forward recommendations to address the multidimensional crisis in Haiti.

Haiti is facing an unprecedented, multi-dimensional crisis that requires our decisive attention,” he said.

He urged all Security Council members to support the initiative, stating that doing so would “send a clear message to Haiti – you are not on your own.”

UN Support Office in Haiti

The resolution also tasks the Secretary-General to establish a UN Support Office in Haiti (UNSOH) to provide logistical and operational support to the GSF, HNP and Haitian armed forces, including rations, medical care, transportation, strategic communications and troop rotation. UNSOH will also support the Organization of American States’ SECURE-Haiti project and ensure compliance with international human rights standards.

A force against gangs

The United States, a sponsor of the resolution, highlighted the scale of the new mission. Ambassador Mike Waltz said that the MSS mission lacked the scale, scope and resources needed to take the fight to the gangs and restore a baseline of security in Haiti.

“Today’s vote sets that right. With this vote to transform the MSS mission to the new Gang Suppression Force, a mission five times the size of its predecessor and with a strengthened mandate to go after the gangs,” he noted.

“The international community is sharing the burden and living up to its promise to help Haiti turn the tide. It offers Haiti the chance to assume responsibility for its own security.”

Haitian government ultimately responsible

The Council stressed that Haiti’s government retains “primary responsibility” for national security and governance reform, including tackling corruption, illegal arms flows and the recruitment of children by gangs.

The GSF is intended to support Haitian authorities while creating conditions for the country to gradually assume full security responsibility.

A decisive turning point

The decision to transform the MSS mission to the GSF marked “a decisive turning point” in one of the most serious challenges in Haiti’s already turbulent history, the country’s ambassador said after the vote.

While the Multinational Security Support mission has been “a valuable support and a strong signal of international solidarity”, Ambassador Pierre Ericq Pierre stressed: “But the reality on the ground has reminded us that the scale and sophistication of the threat far exceeds the mandate initially granted to this mission.”

As the Security Council granted a stronger, more offensive and more operational mandate, “it is giving the international community the means to respond to the gravity of the situation in Haiti,” he added.

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U.S. Treasury Sanctions Former Haitian Politician and Gang Leader for Their Connections to Serious Human Rights Abuse

2025-09-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is sanctioning a former member of Haiti’s parliament, Prophane Victor, for his role in forming, supporting, and arming gangs and their members that have committed serious human rights abuse in Haiti. OFAC is also designating Luckson Elan, the current leader of the Gran Grif gang, for his involvement in serious human rights abuse related to gang activity in Haiti’s Artibonite department.

Prophane Victor, and Luckson Elan - Haiti

“Victor and Elan, through their influence over or leadership of the gangs in Haiti, have sought to perpetuate the horrific violence and instability,” said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith. “Treasury remains committed to holding accountable those who seek to leverage human rights abuses, violence, and corruption to achieve their political aims.”

Promoting accountability for gender-based violence is a top priority for the U.S. government. President Biden issued a Memorandum on Promoting Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in November 2022 that directs the U.S. government to strengthen our exercise of financial, diplomatic, and legal tools against this scourge. The UN Panel of Experts report on Haiti states that the “levels of violence and the depths of cruelty that gangs will go to in violating human rights are unprecedented, with regular indiscriminate attacks against the population and the obstruction of humanitarian assistance. Sexual and gender-based violence and rape in particular have become one of the most horrific expressions of violence over the past two years. Such violence and insecurity not only undermine the political transition, but also decimate the national economy and threaten the future of the country.” Today’s action targets one actor directly responsible for gender-based violence and one that has provided material support to gangs, including those that have engaged in gender-based violence as a regular practice of intimidation, control, and extortion.

serious human rights abuse IN ARTIBONITE, Haiti

Prophane Victor is a former Haitian legislator who started arming young men in Petite Rivière, Artibonite to secure his control over the area and his election in 2016. Those men went on to form the Gran Grif gang, which is currently the largest gang in the Artibonite department and the main perpetrator of abuses, including sexual violence.

Prophane Victor materially supported Gran Grif until at least 2020. Prophane Victor has also trafficked weapons to Haiti and is known to have relationships with and provided funds to other gangs throughout Haiti, including rivals of Gran Grif. Prophane Victor’s gang affiliations and material support to them contribute to the climate of terror as the gangs engage in an array of cruelty and violence, fight for control, and leave residents to pay the consequences.

Luckson Elan is the current head of Gran Grif gang. Luckson Elan and other members of the Gran Grif gang are responsible for serious human rights abuse including kidnapping, murder, beating, and raping of women and children, as well as looting, destruction, extortion, hijacking, and stealing crops and livestock. The situation is especially devastating for his child victims who have been subjected to forced recruitment and sexual violence.

OFAC is designating Prophane Victor pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13818 for being a person who has materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of an entity, including any government entity, that has engaged in, or whose members have engaged in, serious human rights abuse, where the activity is conducted by a foreign person.

OFAC is designating Luckson Elan pursuant to E.O. 13818 for being a foreign person who is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human rights abuse. OFAC also is designating Luckson Elan pursuant to E.O. 13818 for being or having been a leader or official of an entity, including any government entity, that has engaged in, or whose members have engaged in, serious human rights abuse relating to the leader’s or official’s tenure.

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS

As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.

Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons. U.S. persons may face civil or criminal penalties for violations of E.O. 13818. Non-U.S. persons are also prohibited from causing or conspiring to cause U.S. persons to wittingly or unwittingly violate U.S. sanctions, as well as engaging in conduct that evades U.S. sanctions. OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC’s enforcement of U.S. sanctions, including the factors that OFAC generally considers when determining an appropriate response to an apparent violation.

Financial institutions and other persons that engage in certain transactions or activities with the sanctioned entities and individuals may expose themselves to sanctions or be subject to an enforcement action. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.

For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC’s Frequently Asked Question 897 here. For detailed information on the process to submit a request for removal from an OFAC sanctions list, please click here.

GLOBAL MAGNITSKY

Building upon the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, E.O. 13818 was issued on December 20, 2017, in recognition that the prevalence of human rights abuse and corruption that have their source, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States, had reached such scope and gravity as to threaten the stability of international political and economic systems. Human rights abuse and corruption undermine the values that form an essential foundation of stable, secure, and functioning societies; have devastating impacts on individuals; weaken democratic institutions; degrade the rule of law; perpetuate violent conflicts; facilitate the activities of dangerous persons; and undermine economic markets. The United States seeks to impose tangible and significant consequences on those who commit serious human rights abuse or engage in corruption, as well as to protect the financial system of the United States from abuse by these same persons.

September 25, 2025

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President Trump on The Major Transit, and Illicit Drug Producing Countries of The World

2025-09-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

Presidential Determination on Major Drug Transit or Major Illicit Drug Producing Countries for Fiscal Year 2026

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States; including section 706(1) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-228) (FRAA), I hereby identify the following countries as major drug transit or major illicit drug producing countries: Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Burma, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.

A country’s presence on the foregoing list is not necessarily a reflection of its government’s counterdrug efforts or level of cooperation with the United States. Consistent with the statutory definition of a major drug transit or major illicit drug producing country set forth in sections 481(e)(2) and 481(e)(5) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (Public Law 87-195) (FAA), the reason countries are placed on the list is the combination of geographic, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs or precursor chemicals to be transited or produced, even if a government has engaged in robust and diligent narcotics control and law enforcement measures.

Pursuant to section 706(2)(A) of the FRAA, I hereby designate Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela as having failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to both adhere to their obligations under international counternarcotics agreements and to take the measures required by section 489(a)(1) of the FAA. Included with this determination are justifications for the designations of Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela, as required by section 706(2)(B) of the FRAA. I have also determined, in accordance with the provisions of section 706(3)(A) of the FRAA, that United States assistance to Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela is vital to the national interests of the United States.

Transnational organized crime’s trafficking of fentanyl and other deadly illicit drugs into the United States has created a national emergency, including a public health crisis in the United States that remains the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 44. More than 40 percent of Americans know someone who has died from an opioid overdose, and in 2024 the United States averaged over 200 deaths daily due to illicit drugs.

This remains unacceptable, and my Administration is deploying every aspect of American power and unprecedented resources to defeat this threat to our Nation.

First, I have secured our borders using the full range of law enforcement and military resources necessary to safeguard our Nation’s security and sovereignty. For the first time in 4 years, our border is no longer an open sieve for drug terrorist cartels, human traffickers, and all others who would do our country harm.

American lives are being saved, with overdose deaths finally starting to recede significantly for the first time in over a decade.

I have also marshalled United States economic strength to compel greater cooperation from our North American neighbors to confront the drug threat and do their part. In Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney responded by appointing a fentanyl czar and proposing legislation to increase the inspection powers of law enforcement, but more action is needed to stop fentanyl and other drugs from crossing our border and to arrest drug criminals exploiting Canadian territory. In Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum has increased cooperation to confront the powerful cartels that poison both our countries with drugs and violence.

Mexico has surged 10,000 National Guard troops to our shared border, achieved major fentanyl and precursor chemical seizures, and transferred 29 high-value targets – including major cartel figures – to United States custody to stand trial for their crimes. My Administration has worked closely with President Sheinbaum to achieve the most secure southwest border in history, saving lives and protecting communities from the scourge of fentanyl.

This surge in Mexico’s efforts must be sustained and institutionalized. Much more remains to be done by Mexico’s government to target cartel leadership, along with their clandestine drug labs, precursor chemical supply chains, and illicit finances. Over the next year, the United States will expect to see additional, aggressive efforts by Mexico to hold cartel leaders accountable and disrupt the illicit networks engaged in drug production and trafficking.

The United States will work with Mexico and other countries to target these national security threats cooperatively where we can, and through our own sovereign authorities where necessary.

My decision to identify Mexico’s drug cartels and other transnational criminal organizations as foreign terrorist organizations opened new authorities for the United States to dismantle these groups using sanctions, expanded prosecution authorities, and other resources. My Administration has also implemented visa restrictions against family members and close associates of drug traffickers to safeguard our country.

While the United States will devote all necessary resources to punish criminals enabling the production, transportation, and smuggling of illicit drugs across our borders, I will also call on countries where these drugs originate and transit to fulfill their obligations and shut off these supplies – or face serious consequences.

The PRC’s role as the world’s largest source of precursor chemicals fueling illicit fentanyl production has been well documented. For too long, the PRC has enabled illicit fentanyl production in Mexico and elsewhere by subsidizing the export of the precursor chemicals needed to produce these deadly drugs and failing to prevent Chinese companies from selling these precursors to known criminal cartels.

For this reason, I took bold action to hold Beijing accountable by implementing an additional 20 percent tariff on the PRC for their failure to enact tangible, consequential reforms to stem the flow of precursor chemicals. I also signed an Executive Order eliminating the duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value imports from the PRC, which Chinese companies had used to hide illicit substances in the flow of legitimate commerce.

The PRC is also a major supplier fueling global epidemics of other synthetic narcotics, including nitazenes and methamphetamine. The PRC’s leadership can and must take stronger and sustained action to cut down these chemical flows and prosecute the drug criminals facilitating them.

In Colombia, coca cultivation and cocaine production have surged to all-time records under President Gustavo Petro, and his failed attempts to seek accommodations with narco-terrorist groups only exacerbated the crisis. Under President Petro’s leadership, coca cultivation and cocaine production have reached record highs while Colombia’s government failed to meet even its own vastly reduced coca eradication goals, undermining years of mutually beneficial cooperation between our two countries against narco-terrorists.

For this reason, I have designated Colombia as having failed demonstrably to meet its drug control obligations. Colombia’s security institutions and municipal authorities continue to show skill and courage in confronting terrorist and criminal groups, and the United States values the service and sacrifice of their dedicated public servants across all levels of government.

The failure of Colombia to meet its drug control obligations over the past year rests solely with its political leadership. I will consider changing this designation if Colombia’s government takes more aggressive action to eradicate coca and reduce cocaine production and trafficking, as well as hold those producing, trafficking, and benefiting from the production of cocaine responsible, including through improved cooperation with the United States to bring the leaders of Colombian criminal organizations to justice.

In Venezuela, the criminal regime of indicted drug trafficker Nicolás Maduro leads one of the largest cocaine trafficking networks in the world, and the United States will continue to seek to bring Maduro and other members of his complicit regime to justice for their crimes. We will also target Venezuelan foreign terrorist organizations such as Tren de Aragua and purge them from our country.

Bolivia’s government has taken some positive steps to increase cocaine seizures and to work with United States law enforcement to bring drug criminals to justice, including Maximiliano Dávila, the country’s corrupt former anti-drug chief. However, much work remains for Bolivia to consistently uphold its counterdrug commitments and ensure that it is not a safe haven for narco-trafficking groups to thrive.

In Afghanistan, despite the Taliban’s announced ban on illegal drugs, drug stockpiles and ongoing production – including expanding production of methamphetamine – have sustained the flow of drugs to international markets.

Revenue from this drug trade funds transnational criminal groups and supports international terrorists. Some members of the Taliban continue to profit from this trade, and I am once again designating Afghanistan as having failed demonstrably to uphold its drug control obligations given the serious threats to United States interests and international security.

September 15, 2025

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International Gang Suppression Force to Combat Haitian Gangs in Haiti

2025-09-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

The next international force in Haiti must be resourced to hold territory, secure infrastructure, and complement the Haitian National Police. In parallel, a comprehensive approach is required to disrupt gang financing, arms trafficking, and other illicit flows fueling instability.

Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Haiti

By United States Mission to the United Nations

August 28, 2025

Ambassador Dorothy Shea
Acting U.S. Representative
New York, New York

AS DELIVERED

Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you Secretary-General António Guterres, Executive Director Catherine Russell, and Mr. Jean Jean Roosevelt for your briefings.

The United States remains concerned about escalating levels of violence in Haiti. The territorial expansion of the gangs threatens to undermine gains made by both the Haitian National Police and the Multinational Security Support mission.

We continue to condemn the recruitment of children in armed gangs and the disproportionate impact of gang violence on children. In 2024, Haiti was reported as one of the countries with the most violations and abuses against children, with the large majority committed by the Viv Ansanm coalition, which for the first time was listed in the Secretary-General’s report on children and armed conflict.

Due to the violence, over 1.3 million people – half of them children – have been displaced. Children face constant risks of being killed or injured during gang attacks, police operations, or acts of mob justice. Forced recruitment by gangs and recurring incidents of sexual violence rob children of the peaceful lives they deserve.

Corruption and indiscriminate violence remain major issues. We have taken concrete steps to counter impunity for those supporting violence in Haiti with the United States’ designation of Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists. We applaud this Council for the recent designation of Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif as well. This sends an important message from the international community that we hold bad actors and entities to account.

The United States recently announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, also known as Barbecue. In addition, we remain committed to the removal and prosecution of criminals and enablers hiding in the United States who contribute to the violence and destruction in Haiti.

These significant steps taken by the United States demonstrate the Trump Administration’s commitment to countering these criminal gangs and foreign terrorist organizations.

Mr. President, food insecurity also remains a pressing concern. Active humanitarian and lifesaving assistance awards continuing in Haiti include U.S.-grown emergency food aid, nutrition support, logistics, shelter, clean water, and medical services for crisis-affected Haitians. This sort of programming addresses critical needs like food, shelter, medical care for violence-affected children and survivors of sexual violence, cholera treatment and prevention, hygiene, and malnutrition treatment for families and children.

In June, the Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly and the United States co-sponsored a resolution which passed unanimously to galvanize action for Haiti and to complement efforts here at the UN. Moreover, the United States continues to work with the OAS as it proceeds with its roadmap for Haiti. This is an important step towards the regional leadership we expect on such shared regional challenges.

Mr. President, with respect to the MSS mission, the United States thanks Kenya for its dedication, leadership and support for over the past year. Kenya answered Haiti’s call at a critical moment, demonstrating an enormous compassion and courage, putting its people in harm’s way thousands of miles from home, and preventing a complete collapse of the Haitian state. Without the presence of the MSS mission, the gangs would have been even more emboldened in their ambitions and brazen atrocities against civilians in Haiti.

We would also like to thank The Bahamas, El Salvador, Belize, Guatemala, and Jamaica, for contributing personnel towards this effort, and to Canada for its sizable contribution to the UN Trust Fund and to the planning efforts. As we look to combat the threat of terrorist gangs looking to topple the State, we must ensure an even greater share of the international community is invested in the fight.

To address this, today, the United States and Panama are sharing a draft UN Security Council resolution with this Council to help address the growing violence by establishing a Gang Suppression Force and creating a UN Support Office to provide logistical support to efforts on the ground. We urge Council members: join us – join us in responding to the call from the Haitian government, as we forge a new path towards peace and security, and establish the UN Support Office to properly, and sustainably, resource this effort. This will ensure the mission has the tools at its disposal to take the fight to the gangs and ensure that the Haitian state can meet the foundational needs of its people.

President, we note the next international force must be resourced to hold territory, secure infrastructure, and complement the Haitian National Police. In parallel, a comprehensive approach is required to disrupt gang financing, arms trafficking, and other illicit flows fueling instability.

To make meaningful progress on this collective challenge, we need international stakeholders and donors to come to the table and join the United States, Panama, and others who have demonstrated their commitment to Haiti’s security, in meaningful burden sharing to help promote stability in Haiti. We stand with the Haitian people as they seek a secure, stable future for their country. We remain committed to working with the international community to drive progress forward in Haiti, and call on all Council members to take concrete action in support of this effort.

I thank you.

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Why did the British Empire Collapsed?

The British Empire Didn’t Collapse in War — It Collapsed Through Its Currency

Most people think the British Empire fell because of war. That’s wrong.Britain won World War II.

But it lost something far more important afterward: Its money. And once a country loses its currency, it eventually loses everything else.

It's Time for The Caribbean’s Sovereign Rail

For fifty years, the global financial system ran on a single dominant rail. That era is over

The Caribbean is no longer a peripheral financial basin. It is positioned to become a sovereign settlement corridor.

The Caribbean’s sovereign rail is no longer theoretical.

It is the next structural move in a world no longer ruled from one capital.

The Caribbean’s tri‑rail system — British stability, Canadian banking, Caribbean sovereignty — becomes a zone of resilience.

And The Bahamas becomes the sovereign anchor of that zone.

Our World as It Is

THE WORLD AS IT IS

The Brothers and Sisters in The Bahamas - Love and Support Marvin Dames 100%

To Know Marvin Dames - is to Love Marvin Dames

For most of his adult life, my brother Marvin has served this country - The Bahamasnwith integrity and courage. From his years in the Royal Bahamas Police Force to his time as Minister of National Security, his record speaks for itself.

I know Marvin will continue to live and serve with the same integrity and strength he always has.

#ISTAND with MARVIN DAMES - Mount Moriah Constituency

What is Cubanism?

Cubanism is about solidarity

"CUBA WILL RISE"

Cubanism is about solidarity. Mandate of the people’s matter. This is Cubanism. Cuba is crying, I can't breathe, I lost my job, I have no food, I can't pay my rent, and my family abroad cannot help me because of the US embargo and restrictions.

The Impact of Foreign Direct Investments on The Bahamian Economy in The Bahamas

The Importance of Mandatory Economic Partnerships in The Bahamas

FNM St. Barnabas Candidate, The BahamasJamal Moss

The Epstein Files: Should protecting institutions ever come before delivering justice?

Pam Bondi warns that prosecuting everyone in Epstein’s files could destroy the system

Gain leverage in an AI-driven economy

AI in Education: Why We Need Transformation, Not Just Improvement

We are educating for a world that no longer exists: AI is being layered onto systems designed for a pre-digital era, even as evidence shows technology is already reshaping cognition, learning patterns, and mental health.

Mark Carney DAVOS 2026 speech

CARNEY ELECTRIFIES: GROWS INTO HIS OWN AS A WORLD LEADER!

Hon. Mark Carney’s DAVOS 2026 speech was the finest by a western leader since 1945.

THE IMPACT of THE U.S. TEMPORARY VISA PAUSE on THE BAHAMAS and BAHAMIAN CITIZENS

CLARIFICATION ON THE US TEMPORARY VISA PAUSE

Free The Bahamas Trump!

An Open Letter to U.S. President, Donald J. Trump - from a Concerned Bahamian Citizen

A Cry for International Intervention and Investigation Into Alleged Corruption Within the Government of The Bahamas

Eye Care Technology

How low-cost, high-impact technology can transform healthcare delivery in remote settings

Smartphones, AI, and Glasses: Reaching Remote Communities with Portable Eye Care

The Bahamas Government Cannot Explain $1.56M Contract or Its Own Role in Approving It

The Bahamas Prime Minister, The Hon. Philip Edward Davis - as the minister responsible for the Public Procurement Unit, must explain how his administration has committed more than $400M in public Works through no-bid contracts in clear violation of the Public Procurement Act

Dr. Duane Sands, Chairman of the Free National Movement: Questions Multiply as Government Cannot Explain $1.56M Contract or Its Own Role in Approving It

Viewpoint on The Golden Isles By-Election

Perspectives on The Golden Isles By-Election - Monday 24 November, 2025

Rick Fox Declares His Intention to Enter Frontline Politics in The Bahamas

The prosperous future of The Bahamas depends on the choices we make right now

The Bahamas: It’s Better To Be Number One

The Bahamas Must Be First and It Must Start Now.

The Caribbean Climate Reality

Grenada 19 October, 1983

1983 Coup D'état - Grenada

The Politically Immature and Thuggish Lincoln Bain

Mr. Lincoln Bain, Your childish apologies have become meaningless, weak, and lack substance

Mr Lincoln Bain, refrain from violence. Focus on substance over spectacle, and let your vision for The Bahamas speak for itself

Rick Fox - Betrayal or Survival?

Survival is serious, says Rick Fox

BETRAYAL OR SURVIVAL?

Rick Fox Legacy

The UN Approves a New Multinational Gang Suppression Force (GSF) in Haiti to Replace the Kenyan-led Security Support Mission

U.S. Treasury Sanctions Former Haitian Politician and Gang Leader for Their Connections to Serious Human Rights Abuse

serious human rights abuse IN ARTIBONITE, Haiti

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS

GLOBAL MAGNITSKY

President Trump on The Major Transit, and Illicit Drug Producing Countries of The World

Presidential Determination on Major Drug Transit or Major Illicit Drug Producing Countries for Fiscal Year 2026

International Gang Suppression Force to Combat Haitian Gangs in Haiti

The next international force in Haiti must be resourced to hold territory, secure infrastructure, and complement the Haitian National Police. In parallel, a comprehensive approach is required to disrupt gang financing, arms trafficking, and other illicit flows fueling instability.

Most people think the British Empire fell because of war. That’s wrong.
Britain won World War II.

FNM St. Barnabas Candidate, The Bahamas
Jamal Moss