Barbados
Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced a cabinet reshuffle just hours after her Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology Minister Marsha Caddle resigned.
In a statement, Mottley said several key ministerial portfolios would be changed to strengthen the government’s focus on national priorities.
She said that consequent upon a request of the Minister of State in the Office of the Attorney General (with a focus on Crime Prevention) Corey Layne to be relieved of his duties for personal reasons, the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs will now take responsibility for crime prevention, effective Feb. 26.
She also announced that Kay McConney would become the Minister of Economic Affairs and Investment, while Chad Blackman would serve as Minister of Education, Technological, and Vocational Training, succeeding McConney.
Sandra Husbands will become the Minister of Training and Tertiary Education.
Jonathan Reid has been appointed Minister of Innovation, Industry, Science and Technology, and Dr. Crystal Haynes has agreed to step down as a senator to facilitate the appointment of Jonathan Reid to that portfolio.
In her statement, the Prime Minister expressed confidence in the new appointees and emphasized the importance of these ministries in Barbados’ development agenda.
“The Prime Minister, on her own behalf and on behalf of the entire Government of Barbados, thanks Corey Lane, Marsha Cad-dle, and Dr Crystal Haynes for their service and contributions, and look forward to her continued support in national development,” the statement added.
Caribbean
The Barbados-based Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF) says an expected return to ENSO neutral conditions in the Pacific while unusually warm Tropical North Atlantic temperatures persist implies that the Caribbean region is set to transition into an intense heat season, with heat waves occurring as early as April.
ENSO, or El Niño-Southern Oscillation, is a climate pattern that involves changes in ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific.
The latest publication of the Caribbean Climate Outlook Newsletter said that for the period March to May this year, March is characterized by high evaporation rates and an annual peak in the frequency of short dry spells, as well as the further buildup of any ongoing drought and increasing wildfire potential.
CariCOF said the potential for flooding, flash floods, and cascading impacts from intense rainfall events increases from limited or moderate in March to high or extremely high in April and May.
CariCOF said the climate outlook for June to August 2025, which marks the summer portion of the Caribbean wet and heat seasons, will likely see night-time temperatures higher than usual in most areas.
CariCOF said the tropical North Atlantic Ocean is forecast to remain unseasonably warm, albeit not at record levels as experienced in 2023 and 2024.
It said unusually high air temperatures would most likely prevail in many locations, and the occurrence of significant heat stress is expected to evolve.
Grenada
The Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) has called on the Government of Grenada to immediately release all withheld union dues without preconditions and cease any further interference in the democratic processes of the Grenada Public Workers Union (GPWU).
In a recent statement, the regional labor body expressed great concern over what it describes as an “unacceptable overreach” by the Grenadian government. The controversy stems from a letter in which the Office of the Secretary to the Cabinet set preconditions for releasing union dues lawfully deducted from members’ salaries.
“The CCL views this as an unacceptable overreach and a direct violation of the autonomy of the GPWU. Trade unions, as democratic institutions, have the fundamental right to manage their internal affairs without government interference,” the statement read.
The preconditions include requiring the GPWU to submit evidence of its 2024 Annual Council Meeting, an attendance register, and proof of consultations held with public officers regarding changes to the dues structure. These conditions were imposed even though, at the Union’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in March 2024, members had passed a resolution approving a 1% increase in dues, effective Jan. 1, 2025.
GPWU president Brian Grimes confirmed that the government has failed to transfer the union’s fees since the second half of December 2024.
Guyana
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) says it will establish several new units to support the country’s development in oil, gas, and tourism.
A unit will also be established to deal with Artificial Intelligence (AI) in keeping with technological advancements.
Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken announced the opening ceremony of the Annual Officers’ Conference, which was themed “Building a Resilient and Contemporary Police Force; Strengthening Accountability, Innovation, and Partnership for Safer Communities.”
During his address, Hicken highlighted the plans for the Police Force.
“Beyond enforcement, we have expanded our policing units. …2025-2026, we remain resolute and committed to advancement efforts with the aim of fully realizing the objectives set forth in our strategic plan 2022-2026.
“Therefore, we move to achieve the following: establish a police tourism unit and an oil and gas unit; we have established an aviation unit and will be boosting that unit…boost forensic, digital and scientific capability, and we are going to establish a unit to deal with Artificial Intelligence,” Hicken said.
He also told those gathered that integrity is “non-negotiable” and reminded them that in order to ensure transparency, all officers are mandated to be equipped with body cameras when interacting with civilians.
Haiti
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is urging the international community to “act quickly,” as he admitted that each new criminal attack against Haiti’s communities and institutions “is a distressing sign that time is running out.”
“I am convinced that the phased approach of the United Nations support…can reverse the shocking and rising trend in gang violence evidenced throughout 2024 and the start of this year,” Guterres said in a letter to the president of the UN Security Council, Fu Chong.
In the Feb. 24 letter, Guterres said the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission, which was authorized by the UN Security Council in October 2023, “is slowly assuming the shape of a real multinational effort to support Haiti.
“We must all stand behind it as an immediate and credible effort to help Haiti’s national police beat back armed gangs, prevent their territorial expansion, and protect the people of Haiti.”
The MSS was initially slated to be composed of 2,500 officers and soldiers, including personnel from the Caribbean. Kenyan police officers formed the core of the force deployed to assist the Haitian police in regaining control of key areas and protecting civilians.
However, the mission is currently facing significant funding issues. It is severely underfunded and unable to reach its full operational capacity due to a lack of contributions from international partners. The United States, which has been a major contributor, has recently frozen some funding.
Trinidad and Tobago
Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley has confirmed that he will soon hand over the leadership of Trinidad and Tobago to Prime Minister-designate Stuart Young.
After more than four decades in politics, Dr. Rowley is preparing to end his tenure as the country’s leader on March 16. But before stepping down, he intends to complete a final set of tasks in the coming weeks.
“Many people in public life do not believe or forget that your service in public life is really for a period. Doesn’t matter how good you are or how important you think you are; it’s all about a specific period long, medium, or short,” Rowley said.
Acknowledging yesterday that he could not accomplish everything he set out to do, Rowley expressed gratitude for his contributions to national development. He said that among his final tasks was overseeing the commissioning of the Central Block at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, which he described as “the most significant thing we would have done infrastructurally in the country.”
As he prepares to transfer leadership to Energy Minister Stuart Young, Rowley defended his administration’s record.
“As fast as you take off what comes to you at the end of the belt, another one appears almost instantaneously. Just cast your mind back on roads that didn’t have any pavements… But one week after the pavement has been built, everybody forgets that there was a time when there was no pavement. And therefore, they start focusing on another problem because the conveyor belt keeps pushing.”
However, he warned critics that while many demand immediate solutions to the country’s challenges, financial constraints remain a reality.
“We will never have enough money to do all that is required to be done now. So we have to do some, leave some for later, come back to them. But it’s a continuous process.”
— Devika Ragoonanan
