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Saint Kitts and Nevis.
A month of celebrations for 41 years of independence
"Together, a proud and strong people" is the theme of this year's 41st anniversary of independence in St. Kitts and Nevis. The two-island federation officially gained independence from Great Britain on September 19, 1983. In a recent press release relayed by the Observer, the government unveiled the calendar of events to mark the anniversary. "Events are designed to showcase the country's rich cultural heritage, vibrant traditions and collective achievements over the past four decades," the document states. The celebrations are scheduled to last a month. The country's independence came after a constitutional conference in London in 1982, "despite disagreements over special provisions for Nevis", recalls the Observer. Kennedy Simmonds, who had been Prime Minister since 1980, remained at the head of the country. Saint Kitts and Nevis chose to remain part of the British Commonwealth and to retain Queen Elizabeth as monarch, represented by a Governor General. "The United States recognized the country's independence on September 19, 1983, and established diplomatic relations the following day," notes the Observer. St. Kitts and Nevis had been under British and French colonial rule for centuries. In 1967, the island territory of St. Kitts and Nevis-Anguilla became an associated state of the United Kingdom with internal autonomy. Anguilla rebelled in 1971 and was allowed to secede, but its union with St. Kitts and Nevis was officially revoked in 1980.
Barbados.
Robotics and renewable energies at school
Barbados' Minister of Energy and Business Development, Senator Lisa Cummins, has proposed the development of an educational program that will combine robotics and renewable energies for the island's schools. Cummins unveiled the initiative during an official visit last Friday, noting that it would require collaboration with the Ministry of Education. Her proposal follows the recent Energy Science Week, an inaugural summer camp for children aged 6 to 11 years, organized jointly by the Energy Division and the Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Science and Technology (MIST). The camp, which saw the participation of around one hundred children, included activities led by teams from Robot Adventures and Relay Education. On this occasion, the children took part in hands-on projects, including the construction of solar cars and wind farms. The Minister of Energy stressed the importance of early exposure to these technologies: "I really wanted to make sure that young people could see, feel and touch what the future of energy could look like for them."All that remains now is to draw up a concrete project and submit it to the relevant authorities.
Saba.
The "unspoilt queen" of green destinations
In a publication dated August 17, Saba News confirms the island's success as a "green destination". This is thanks to the international certification awarded by the "Green destinations award", which, the website assures us, reinforces the reputation of the "unspoilt queen" of destinations chosen on the basis of environmental, socio-economic and cultural criteria. After an extensive preparation process, which included detailed reporting on over one hundred sustainability criteria and indicators, as well as a rigorous independent on-site audit, Saba was honored with the "Silver Quality Coast Award". This distinction reflects Saba's excellence in various aspects of sustainable destination management, including nature and heritage conservation, waste management and energy and climate initiatives. The award also recognizes the island's commitment to maintaining the long-term appeal of its tourism sector. "In addition to evaluating tangible aspects such as natural heritage, the assessment also took into account the effectiveness of Saba's policy and management plans in integrating sustainable development principles," Saba News points out. Since 2018, Saba has been recognized as one of the top 100 destinations for sustainable development. "In 2023, the island once again earned a place in the Top 100 Green Destinations, celebrating its ongoing efforts towards responsible tourism and its unique charm," insists the site. This distinction represents an important step towards full, evidence-based certification of Saba's sustainability performance, in line with international standards set by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council."Tourist Board Director Malinda Hassell said: "Our aim is to achieve even higher levels of excellence and service by the awards year of 2026, ensuring that we meet and exceed expectations."
Saint-Martin.
The Sandy Ground party as a platform for demands
The Sandy Ground neighborhood festival took place on Sunday, August 18. At its inaugural ceremony, held at the Albéric Richards stadium in the presence of Collectivité President Louis Mussington and the Dérepresentatives of the district council took advantage of the event to publicly discuss the problems facing the residents. In particular, they pointed to a lack of prevention during cyclonic periods. We are particularly exposed between the lagoon and the sea," explained Cédrick André, president of the council. In the event of a cyclone, we still don't know where the local residents will be able to take shelter," and he went on to mention the lack of suitable infrastructure for the area's young people, as reported by our colleague from Le Pélican. "We're tired of having to do everything ourselves. It's time for the Collectivité and the State to do their part," said another council member.said another council member, whose comments were relayed by the daily, which also reports Louis Mussington's response. The president of the Collectivité stressed the "singularity" of the neighborhood, promising to organize a meeting before the end of September. He also said he was "concerned for the safety of residents" due to the frequent acts of violence committed in the area. According to Le Pélican, the préfet délégué was optimistic, declaring: "I'm convinced that we can improve the situation, and that will involve, among other things, schools and culture."
Haiti.
Eleven inmates killed during an escape
While the United Nations-mandated police squadrons from Kenya are helping local forces to restore order in Haiti, the country continues to be rocked by acts of violence. Last Friday morning, according to various articles published in the Haitian and international press, prisoners mutinied against guards on their way to the showers. Prison officers were reportedly disarmed before the mutineers stormed the offices, archives, infirmary and staff dormitory. The premises were then vandalized and, in some cases, set on fire. The inmates then sledgehammered open cells and looted the arms and ammunition depot. Alerted, the police intervened and gunfire broke out between the mutineers in the prison and the inmates who had fled. According to RCI, during a press conference in Port-au-Prince, Michel Ange Louis Jeune, spokesman for the Haitian National Police, confirmed that eleven inmates were killed during the operation. Last March, gang attacks led to the escape of several thousand prisoners from two Port-au-Prince prisons.
The daily Le Monde devoted a long article to the health situation in Haiti. It recalls that six out of ten hospitals in Port-au-Prince have ceased operations, due to attacks and looting by armed gangs. The massive emigration of healthcare workers, fleeing the risk of kidnapping, is further exacerbating the crisis in the health system.
Dominican Republic.
A "show" investiture for Luis Abinader
On August 16, to begin his second term in office, President Luis Abinader took the oath of office and delivered his inaugural speech on the stage of the National Theater. The inauguration ceremony was attended by several heads of state and other personalities. In his speech, Luis Abinader spoke of the government's ongoing commitment to developing tourism. He highlighted the government's ongoing investments in infrastructure, which are improving the country's connectivity and logistics capabilities, as well as the construction of two new tourist ports, with three more underway thanks to public-private partnerships, and the development of a large multimodal logistics dock in Manzanillo. In addition, the President mentioned major expansions at the main airports, such as the doubling of facilities at Punta Cana airport, the forthcoming construction of terminal 2 at Santo Domingo airport and new terminals at Santiago airport and the future Pedernales international airport. While Luis Abinader's speech was welcomed by most of the audience, some saw and heard it as nothing more than a "show". This was particularly true of Danilo Díaz, a deputy from the Dominican Liberation Party. "Really, over these four years, what we have is a situation in a country that is in a worse state than the one in which he found it", declared the elected official in the columns of Dominican Today. He continued: "The Dominican family today has 3,000 pesos less in its real purchasing power. We have not recovered the formal employment that was delivered to us in 2019. The only country in all of America that hasn't recovered employment is us. There has been an increase in employment. Do you know where it is? In the public sector. We have more than 100,000 employees. A former Sports Minister, Danilo Díaz will undoubtedly be among Luis Abinader's most fervent opponents throughout this second presidential term.
