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Dominican Republic.
Nine million dollars to combat Sargassum
Tourism Minister David Collado stated that the government will allocate nine million dollars to combat the stranding of Sargassum on beaches. The Dominican Today reports that the minister indicated the funds are held by the Dominican Republic Hotel and Tourism Association (Asonahores) and will only be released once the authorities have identified a sustainable solution for collecting the sargassum at sea before it reaches the shore. Furthermore, David Collado emphasized that collecting the washed-up seaweed “is not a sustainable solution to the environmental challenge affecting the country’s tourism sector.” The Minister of Tourism also urged, according to Dominican Today, the “UN Tourism ” (World Tourism Organization) to accelerate research into ways to mitigate the Sargassum problem and revealed that the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is currently developing a pilot project dedicated to this issue. The Dominican Republic and Cancún (Mexico) have been selected to participate, as both destinations are heavily affected by recurring sargassum blooms.
Saint Martin
A New Director for the Saint Martin Hospital
Philippe Luccioni-Michaux, director general of the Regional Health Agency of Guadeloupe, Saint Martin, and Saint Barthélemy, announced at a press conference that a new director will take the helm of the Louis Constant Fleming Hospital in Saint Martin. On July 15, Patrick Lambruschini will take office, bringing to an end six months of interim leadership. He replaces Sébastien Galleyn, who was appointed on November 20, 2025, and suspended a few weeks later after the discovery of writings deemed “reprehensible” by the ARS administration.
A native of Finistère, in Brittany, Patrick Lambruschini began his career as an executive assistant at the French Red Cross before moving to French Guiana in 2002 to take over as director of the Kourou Medical and Surgical Center. He then worked at the Cayenne Hospital from 2003 to 2006, followed by six years at the Pointe-à-Pitre University Hospital. From 2014 to 2017, he joined the Caisse d’Épargne Foundation in mainland France. However, the call of the overseas territories grew strong once again, and he left for Wallis and Futuna, where he served for three years as deputy director of the territory’s health agency, then became, in 2020, the general director of the Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon Hospital.
Anguilla.
Increased Vigilance Against Illegal Immigration
Between May 1 and June 19, 2026, Anguilla’s immigration officers apprehended 24 people for violations of the Immigration and Passport Act. These figures come from the government’s immigration service. According to the published data, 22 people were apprehended for illegal stay, while two others were denied entry at Clayton J. Lloyd Airport. Five people were repatriated to their respective countries “after completing the required legal and administrative procedures,” according to the immigration service’s press release. It was noted that eight of the offenders were from Trinidad and Tobago, five from the Dominican Republic, four from Colombia, three from Dominica, two from Saint Kitts and Nevis, one from Venezuela, and one from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In its statement, the immigration service reminds all visitors and non-citizen residents that authorization to stay in Anguilla is granted only for a specified period. “Individuals who extend their stay beyond the authorized period without legal authorization are subject to detention, prosecution, fines, deportation from Anguilla, and other measures provided for under the Immigration and Passports Act,” the statement notes.
Guadeloupe.
18-Month Suspended Prison Sentence for the Mayor of Les Abymes
The mayor of Les Abymes, Éric Jalton, was sentenced on Tuesday, June 30, by the Pointe-à-Pitre Criminal Court to an 18-month suspended prison sentence for passive influence peddling. The sentence was accompanied by a fine of 30,000 euros and a five-year ban on holding public office, with no provisional enforcement. Éric Jalton was accused of facilitating the awarding of public contracts to a construction company, which in return directly paid approximately 35,000 euros toward election expenses, including printing costs, T-shirts, and campaign materials,” according to our colleagues at RCI, who add: “Frantz Vélayoudom, Éric Jalton’s co-defendant, received a 10-month suspended prison sentence for forgery. The court found that he had indeed fabricated false invoices to cover up these acts while he was the mayor’s financial representative.”
