Français
Saint Martin.
President Mussington summoned to appear in court
Illegal conflict of interest, embezzlement of public funds, favoritism. These are the alleged charges that Louis Mussington, president of the Territorial Collectivity of Saint Martin, will face before the Saint Martin Judicial Court on October 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
On April 28, the president was taken into custody along with four of his vice presidents (Alain Richardson, Bernadette Davis, Michel Petit, and Dominique Démocrite-Louisy) as part of the investigation.
The “illegal conflict of interest” charge relates to the hiring, between 2022 and 2024, of individuals close to the president within the Collectivité. He will stand alone to answer these charges on October 5 and 6. Regarding the charges of “favoritism” and misappropriation of public funds, he will appear in court alongside his four vice-presidents. The elected officials are accused of allegedly favoring certain companies for vehicle rentals without first validating the transaction through a public procurement process. Vehicles that they allegedly used. All will have to answer for these charges on October 7, 8, and 9 in court.
Puerto Rico.
$919.7 million in customs duties by 2025
According to data published Tuesday by the Puerto Rico Statistical Institute (PRSI) and reported by the San Juan Star, Puerto Rico paid $919.7 million in customs duties in 2025, the highest amount recorded between 2010 and 2025. This figure represents a dramatic increase of $683.1 million compared to 2024, when customs duty payments totaled $236.6 million, the San Juan Star reports. This annual increase of 288.66% is primarily due to higher tariffs on goods essential to the island’s construction and manufacturing sectors. Imports in 2025 reached $19.1 billion, while the island’s effective tariff rate stood at 4.81%, compared to 1.17% the previous year. This upward trend began in April 2025, with monthly tariff payments reaching $79 million, representing an effective rate of 3.59%. November recorded the highest effective rate of the year, at 7.61%, with imports totaling $1.23 billion and tariff payments amounting to $93.5 million. China was the leading country of origin for heavily taxed imports. Goods imported from China totaled $828.6 million and generated $275.2 million in customs duties, representing an effective rate of 33.22%. Japan ranked second with $114.5 million in customs duties, followed by Mexico, South Korea, the Dominican Republic, Spain, Brazil, Germany, France, and Vietnam.
Six Dutch islands sign agreement on agriculture, livestock, and fisheries
The Daily Herald reports that representatives from Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Eustatius, and Sint Maarten signed a renewed memorandum of understanding on Friday, May 29, aimed at strengthening regional cooperation in the agriculture, livestock, and fisheries sectors in the Netherlands Antilles. “Signed as part of the Alliance for Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries in the Netherlands Antilles (DC ALFA), this agreement represents an important step toward formalizing long-term collaboration among the six islands in areas such as food security, sustainable agriculture, fisheries development, climate resilience, and regional policy coordination,” the author notes. The updated memorandum of understanding builds on the initial agreement signed in 2023 and establishes a more structured and forward-looking framework for cooperation through 2035.
U.S. Virgin Islands.
Airlines Reject Public-Private Partnership
An article by the Virgin Islands Consortium discusses the airlines’ rejection of the public-private partnership proposed by the U.S. Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA) and their insistence on an alternative $300 million plan. According to the consortium, the major airlines serving the U.S. Virgin Islands warn that the partnership proposed by the Port Authority would make the territory’s airports more expensive than competing regional airports and could jeopardize air service. “They state that they remain opposed to any economically unsustainable model and refuse to enter into a lease, operating agreement, or tariff agreement based on VIPA’s current structure,” the article notes. The author notes that a conflict has “long” existed between the airlines regarding VIPA’s extensive public-private airport partnership program. The airlines estimate that this program exceeds $1 billion and is based on a fee structure they deem unaffordable. “While reaffirming their commitment to improving the country’s airports, they urge VIPA to review its strategy and consider a phased $300 million investment program, developed by the airlines themselves, which they view as a more realistic alternative,” the Consortium states.
Dominican Republic.
$8.1 million for six new electrical transformers
The Dominican government is investing more than $8.1 million in the purchase of six new power transformers from China, reports the Dominican Today. Edesur Dominicana has begun the process of importing these machines as part of its strategy to modernize the electrical infrastructure and improve service reliability throughout its concession area. The transformers were acquired following a public tender won by Electroval. They have capacities of 30, 40, and 50 megavolt-amperes (MVA) and operate at voltages of 69/12.8 kV and 138/12.8 kV. “This new equipment should enable the company to better meet the growing demand for electricity and improve the stability of the distribution network,” notes the Dominican Today.
Guadeloupe.
A digital platform for the sugarcane industry
As the leading website for the sugarcane sector in Guadeloupe, Iguacanne is launching Karucanne, a digital platform designed to simplify procedures for growers and improve the flow of information. This initiative is part of an effort to strengthen communication within Guadeloupe’s leading agricultural sector, according to the project’s leaders, who note that the sector’s long-term viability and sustainability depend in particular “on better access to information and smoother communication between the various stakeholders ." To develop this tool, Iguacanne drew on the expertise of the company IPEOS I-Solutions. Its director of new technologies, Laurent Vergerolle, explained to our colleagues at La 1ère: “Growers will be able to access valuable data regarding sugarcane harvesting and overall activity, covering both the current season and the past 10 seasons, to review delivered tonnages and active growers via a dashboard designed to simplify their management of the wealth they generate from sugarcane.”
Trinidad and Tobago.
State of emergency in effect until June 17
In a statement, the Office of the Attorney General clarified that the state of emergency remains in effect until midnight on June 17, 2026. The Office of the Attorney General sought to refute the misinformation circulating on social media regarding the expiration date of the state of emergency currently in effect in Trinidad and Tobago, which was declared on March 3. A government decision aimed at curbing a “wave of violent crime” perpetrated by armed gangs.
Haiti.
More than 1.5 million people displaced
The United Nations (UN) reports that nearly 1.5 million people were displaced in Haiti last May, including 95,000 new displacements between December of the previous year and May. UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq stated that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that violence in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area has pushed the number of displaced people to over 300,000 for the first time. “This figure is mainly due to the armed clashes that occurred in the Cité Soleil neighborhood in March and May,” he said. The fighting is also fueling population displacement in the Artibonite department. In total, nearly 80% of displaced people are located outside the capital.” According to the IOM, there has also been a sharp increase in the number of people returning to their communities. More than 165,000 people have returned to their regions of origin, compared to just over 87,500 in December. Health and food challenges are significant. According to Farhan Haq, the $880 million humanitarian response plan for Haiti is only 23% funded, with $198.7 million available.
Anguilla.
EU support for farmers
As part of the OECS Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) project funded by the European Union (EU), farmers in Anguilla have received support to strengthen their operations with agricultural materials, including drip hoses, landscape fabrics (weed mats), and other irrigation supplies aimed at improving the efficiency of their farms. The ILM project was established to help farmers increase their productivity, protect natural resources, and build more sustainable livelihoods for the future.
Saint Lucia.
Record Number of Tourists in April
The St. Lucia Tourism Authority (STA) announced that the island recorded a record number of tourist arrivals in April, confirming the continued growth in visitor numbers from its key source markets, reports the Caribbean National Weekly. Figures released by the STA show that 40,752 tourists visited the island in April 2026, an increase of 8.5% compared to the same month last year. Since the start of the year, the number of arrivals has risen by 3.7%. The U.S. market continued to grow, with 900 additional visitors. The Caribbean market recorded the strongest regional growth, with an increase of 39.6%, or 1,954 visitors. Canada also posted significant growth, with a 45.9% increase and 1,205 additional arrivals. Tourism officials attribute this growth to improved air service. WestJet has increased its flight frequency to twice weekly compared to April 2025, while Air Canada is expected to enhance its service in June 2026, thereby increasing seat capacity to this destination.
Saint Martin.
Strike at Louis Constant Fleming Hospital
A strike was launched on Friday, May 5, at the initiative of the FSAS-CGTG union at the Louis Constant Fleming Hospital. On Wednesday, June 3, the union branch distributed a flyer calling for the strike. The document denounces the “organizational chaos” reigning at the facility. The unions are demanding, in particular, “the urgent appointment of a competent general director and human resources director,” protesting against “a severe shortage of staff (nurses, nursing assistants, healthcare aides)” as well as an excessive workload, and denounce “the assignment to the department of a manager whose previous presence caused serious dysfunction.” Following the administrative court’s announcement of the suspension of the sanctions imposed on the director, the situation is therefore far, very far from improving.
