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Martinique.
Vie chère: violence, looting and destruction
For the past week, the city of Fort-de-France has been the scene of violence, looting and destruction. According to the prefecture, six police officers were injured by gunfire on Monday night in Sainte-Thérèse. Two people were arrested. A rioter was also shot and wounded, according to RCI. At the same time, "a group of individuals" entered the port of Fort-de-France, taking advantage of the riots in Sainte-Thérèse to open containers. On Tuesday night, further clashes took place "between the forces of law and order and hooded youths", reports RCI. Several fires were set near the Sainte-Thérèse church, and the Dillon McDonald's was destroyed by flames. Businesses were also targeted by "organized gang" robberies. RCI writes: "Individuals on motorcycles attacked a Carrefour Dillon depot and the Cash Converters resale store in the town center. "In addition, several roadblocks were set up during the night. In Mahaut, Brasserie Lorraine, Ravine-Vilaine, Lourdes in Ducos and Jeanne d'Arc in Lamentin. The violence was part of a protest movement against the high cost of living. In an interview with RCI, the mayor of Fort-de-France, Didier Laguerre, deplored the fact that it is "always the same people who are the victims of collateral damage in every social movement".
Puerto Rico.
Power grid at half-mast
According to an Associated Press (AP) article, two of the country's private power companies were inspected last Wednesday to present plans for stabilizing Puerto Rico's crumbling electricity grid. This was in response to demands from local authorities for immediate action to minimize chronic power outages. Representatives of the companies were questioned for more than five hours by the Puerto Rico Energy Office. In June, the latter had ordered the two companies to produce "aggressive" plans to improve the island's power system, which was razed byHurricane Maria in 2017 but was already down before it hit "due to a lack of maintenance and investment" on the part of the Puerto Rico Energy Authority, AP says. "We continue to see a high rate of critical outages," said Daniel Haughton, Luma Energy's director of planning. The ongoing outages come as crews make ongoing repairs to the grid following Hurricane Maria, which caused an estimated $9.7 billion in damage to the transmission and distribution network. To make matters worse, Hurricane Fiona also hit the grid in 2022, triggering an island-wide blackout.Tropical storm Ernesto caused further damage in mid-August. Luma Energy management claims to have taken steps to improve the network, including replacing over 17,000 power poles and clearing vegetation from over 7,700 kilometers of power lines and other infrastructure. In addition, 144 of the 460 projects submitted to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is helping to fund the rebuilding of the grid, are under construction. Yet the state of the network remains alarming.
Saint-Martin.
Formal notice for 24 derelict boats in Simpson bay
In a press release issued on Tuesday September 17, the President of the Collectivité de Saint-Martin, Louis Mussington, and the Prefect of Saint-Barthélemy et Saint-Martin, Vincent Berton, announce that they have taken strict measures concerning 24 "abandoned or non-maneuvering" vessels in the Simpson Bay lagoon. This is because of the risks associated with the hurricane season, and the dangers that these abandoned vessels represent for surrounding homes and populations. As a result, a formal notice was issued to the owners of the 24 boats.
Saint Kitts and Nevis.
9-year-old injured in shark attack
An article in the Observer, relayed by the Caribbean National Weekly, reports a shark attack on a nine-year-old boy. In a statement, police said the boy was at Frigate Bay Beach when he was attacked. He was taken to Joseph-France General Hospital by private vehicle for treatment. "The area around Frigate Bay is being monitored as part of the ongoing investigation, with the focus on identifying any potential hazards in the waters," the statement said. This is not the first time a shark attack has occurred in St. Kitts and Nevis. In January 2021, Ross University student Brook Toussaint was swimming with her Saturday swimming group when she was attacked by a tiger shark. She sustained serious injuries to her leg and right hand. The shark bites were so severe that doctors in her home state of Texas were forced to amputate the leg above the knee.
Dominique.
A tax that drives up soda prices
Soda drinkers in Dominica are going to have to rethink their budgets. On September 12, the local distributor of "sugary drinks", Josephine Gabriel and Company Ltd, announced on a so-called "social network" that the price of its products would be increased. The increase is the result of a new government tax that came into force on September 1. Clearly to general indifference, at least initially. Yet in his 2024/2025 national budget speech, Finance Minister Irving McIntyre revealed the government's intention to increase taxes on soft drinks by $0.37 per liter, and on alcohol and tobacco by $0.28 per liter and per kilogram. For consumers, it's the Coke with a grimace. Particularly as the government's argument is to steer consumers away from unhealthy products and towards a healthier diet, many citizens have pointed out that this healthy food is sold at very high prices.
Antigua and Barbuda.
A program for unemployed fathers
The Caribbean National Weekly reports that the government of Antigua and Barbuda is looking to implement a new initiative to combat "father unemployment". The program is simple: it aims to place unemployed fathers in unoccupied jobs to ensure that they can provide financial support for their children. Cabinet spokesman Lionel Hurst stressed the importance of training, saying: "We believe that acquiring skills will enable them to earn throughout their working lives enough so that they don't have to turn to criminal activity to bring money into the household. "The initiative addresses concerns that many single mothers cannot receive adequate financial support from unemployed fathers, CNW says. The government's approach is not limited to job placement and skills development, the site assures. Lionel Hurst also highlighted the provision of additional support for budding entrepreneurs: "For those wishing to set up small businesses, the entrepreneurial development program with 2% funding is really another of the methodologies employed by the government. "
Dominican Republic.
Discovery of a bat species extinct since 1982
According to Dominican Today, a team of Dominican biologists has identified two specimens of Nyctinomops macrotis, a species of bat endemic to Hispaniola, which had not been reported since 1982. The discovery was made by researchers from Natalus Environmental Consulting during a two-year monitoring study. Nyctinomops macrotis, the largest species of free-tailed bat (family Molossidae) on the island, plays a vital ecological role by feeding exclusively on insects, Dominican Today points out, providing natural pest control. Nyctinomops and the solenodon are both classified as "critically endangered", underlining the urgent need for conservation efforts. Natalus Environmental Consulting, made up of experienced Dominican biologists and ecologists, monitored six caves and sampled over 10,000 individuals of ten bat species. This is the most comprehensive local study ever carried out on bats, the newspaper assures.
Saba.
Major operation to remove car wrecks
In less than a week, 35 car wrecks were recovered before being stored in the island's waste management facility. Saba News explains that this operation is part of the launch of the project to remove car wrecks and scrap metal, which will be processed and recycled. Currently, the facility houses around 150 car wrecks. But the project also aims to collect other ferrous metals such as steel, galvalume and old engines, which are eligible for collection and processing. "Once baled, the metal is exported off-island for recycling," says Saba News, which, however, does not specify the final destination of this waste.
Virgin Islands (US).
$181 million rum tax
The US Virgin Islands collected $181 million in rum tax revenues in 2024, reports the Virgin Islands Consortium (VIC). This is a substantial sum, yet it represents a drop on previous years. This is due to a lower tax rate, resulting in a loss of funding of $47 million for the territory. Had the U.S. Virgin Islands continued to collect rum duties at the previous rate, the territory would have reaped some $228.49 million, the newspaper reports, a difference of some $47.42 million. Rum tax payments play a crucial role in supporting the territory's bonds, as well as the operation of the government employee pension system. "Therefore, any reduction in these payments can have lasting consequences," VIC reminds.
Guadeloupe.
EDF CGT agents on strike
Since Monday September 16, EDF PEI Guadeloupe employees have responded to a call from their union, the CGT, by implementing their strike notice. They have since stopped work for renewable 24-hour periods between September 15 and January 2. The movement is motivated by situations "not in line with the end-of-conflict protocol dated February 17, 2023", according to the CGTG, which cites in particular "an assessment of the application of the rider to the tripartite agreement of October 22, 2014, which was to be carried out no later than 2 months after the protocol was signed". Since then, dialogue between EDF-PEI management and workers affiliated to the FE-CGTG "has come to a standstill", write our France-Antilles confrères. Worse still, the situation seems to be stalling. Yesterday, Wednesday September 18, strikers decided at 11:38 a.m. to shut down all engines at the Pointe Jarry thermal power plant. This situation is set to last until the FE-CGTG has delivered the documents it is awaiting, reports France-Antilles, which points out that by midday, 30,000 homes were without electricity. "The strong mobilization of renewable energy producers is nonetheless enabling 86% of the population to be supplied with power", says the daily.
