Caribbean News

Belize Central Investigation Laboratory (CIL) receives Lab Equipment to strengthen Fisheries Monitoring and Testing

Published

2 years ago

September 17, 2023

Bridgetown, Barbados, 17^th September 2023 (IICA): A limitation to increasing trade of fish and fisheries products in Belize is the restricted capacity of the sector to conduct tests indicating that products do indeed meet international market standards. Funded by the European Union, a key activity of the 11^th European Development Fund (EDF) Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures Project is to improve laboratory testing capacity for the fisheries and aquaculture sector in the CARIFORUM Region. As part of this activity, technical assistance has been provided to the Belize Agricultural Health Authority’s (BAHA) Central Investigation Laboratory (CIL) through training, technical guidance, and the provision of equipment. The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) is the executing body, and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) is a major partner in the implementation of this SPS Action.

Speaking at the Laboratory Equipment Handing-over Ceremony on 8^th September in Belize, Aniceto Rodriguez Ruiz, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Jamaica, Belize, and The Bahamas, said, “The Sanitary and Phytosanitary EPA programme in Belize is funded by the European Union, demonstrating its commitment to supporting trade and regional integration, to promote food safety and plant protection in the country. The programme aims to strengthen Belize’s capacity and regulations to ensure the safety of agricultural products such as livestock and food crops or fisheries products and promote safer protection both for domestic consumption and for export.”

As part of this programme, the European Union handed over a Microwave Sample Digestion System, laboratory testing kits, diagnostic tools, and inspection equipment to upgrade CIL’s fisheries monitoring and testing facilities. “These tools will enable Belize to conduct accurate and reliable testing of agricultural and fisheries products, identify potential risks, and ensure compliance with international standards and regulations. The equipment will also contribute to the prevention and control of pests and diseases, safeguarding the health of consumers and ensuring the sustainability of Belize’s agricultural and fisheries sector,” Rodriguez Ruiz said.

In 2020, the most important fishing commodities exported from Belize to the US market were valued as follows, the Spiny Lobster at US$8.4 million and the Queen Conch at US$4.7 million. Dr. Sandra Grant, Deputy Executive Director of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), shared why improving market entry is important, “Increased market access on the trade of fish and fish products requires that businesses in Belize and the Caribbean must meet the requisite standards to export, especially for the international markets. Laboratory testing services are often inadequate and pose challenges to CARICOM countries in achieving the certification of products and meeting international market standards. Therefore, the laboratory services for testing chemicals and microbial food safety parameters for fisheries products play an important role in SPS measures. This small action today will contribute to the attainment of CARICOM food and nutrition security goals, sustain trade and economic development, and improve the capacity of our laboratories across the Caribbean to conduct testing for the fisheries and aquaculture sector in the Caribbean.”

CIL will now be able to perform tests relating to environmental and residue monitoring, preparing Belize to meet testing requirements for improved hygiene and consumer safety and to fulfil high standards for exported products. Ultimately, regional and international trade of fish and fish products will be improved in the following areas: inspection, import/export certification, diagnostics, risk assessment, surveillance, and reporting. The private sector will be positively impacted at all stages of the fisheries value chain, including fishermen, fishing organisations, fish processors, exporters and exporters’ associations, and other national and regional private sector fishing associations and entities.

Dr. Natalie Gibson, Laboratory Administrator/Deputy Director of Food Safety Services at BAHA’s Central Investigation Laboratory, also delivered remarks at the Handing-over Ceremony, “Initial plans for the use of the equipment are focused on testing for such substances as mercury, lead and cadmium in fish and fishery products – these metals can harm the health of consumers when they contaminate food or water at levels that are not safe. The equipment also has many broader applications and can be used in the preparation of various sample types for elemental analysis.”

Photo Captions:

Header: From left to right at the Equipment Handing-over Ceremony: Dr. Natalie Gibson, Laboratory Administrator/Deputy Director, Food Safety Services, BAHA Central Investigation Laboratory (CIL); Aniceto Rodriguez Ruiz, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Jamaica, Belize, and The Bahamas; and Willie Chan, Technical Coordinator, IICA Delegation in Belize.

insert: From left to right, examining the Microwave Sample Digestion System: Xavier Canton-Lamousse, Team Lead, Delegation of the European Union to Jamaica, Belize, and The Bahamas; Aniceto Rodriguez Ruiz, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Jamaica, Belize and The Bahamas; and Colette EuseyCuellar, Analytical Chemist, Central Investigation Laboratory (CIL).

Caribbean News

Guyanese Scholar and Olympian Arrested in Iowa ICE Crackdown

Published

1 week ago

September 27, 2025

Deandrea Hamilton

Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

September 27, 2025 – In a shocking breach of public trust and institutional oversight, Ian Andre Roberts, superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, who is a citizen of Guyana, was arrested on September 26 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under a string of serious offenses that raise troubling questions about hiring practices, accountability, and public safety.

Roberts, born in Georgetown, Guyana, is a former Olympian and accomplished scholar. According to online reports, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Coppin State University after transferring from St. Francis College in Brooklyn, where he played soccer. He holds two master’s degrees—from St. John’s University and Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business—attended an Executive MBA program at MIT Sloan School of Management and earned a doctorate in education with a focus on urban educational leadership from Trident University.

Despite these accomplishments, Roberts was living and working without legal authorization. ICE reported that he fled a traffic stop and abandoned his school-issued vehicle. At the time of his arrest, he was reportedly in possession of a loaded handgun, a fixed-blade hunting knife, and $3,000 in cash. He also has a prior weapons-related charge.

ICE officials questioned how Roberts could hold such a prominent role while subject to a final deportation order issued in May 2024. The school district said they were unaware of his immigration status, noting that he had undergone background checks and completed an I-9 form confirming work authorization. Roberts was placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.

This case highlights vulnerabilities in systems meant to safeguard public institutions and underscores the challenges ICE faces in identifying individuals operating outside U.S. immigration laws while in positions of authority.

For many, Roberts has become a near-literal poster child for these enforcement gaps.

Caribbean News

Bermuda Shaken by Targeted Murder as Crime Returns After a Decade of Calm

Published

2 weeks ago

September 21, 2025

Deandrea Hamilton

Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

Bermuda is reeling after the brazen murder of 37-year-old Janae Minors, a mother of two, who was gunned down in her own beauty supply store on Court Street, Pembroke. The attack, which police describe as “targeted,” has rattled the island, not only for its brutality but for what it says about the state of law and order in a country that less than a decade ago was celebrating a dramatic fall in violent crime.

The Attack on Court Street

According to police, at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16, a lone gunman pulled up on a stolen black motorcycle, walked into the Beauty Monster shop Minors owned, and shot her multiple times. Despite the rapid response of emergency services, she succumbed to her injuries shortly after being transported to hospital.

Detectives say the killer was thin, tall, dressed in dark clothing with a full-face helmet, and wearing bright gloves. CCTV shows him fleeing north on Court Street, down Tills Hill toward TCD, before turning onto Marsh Folly Road. Investigators are pursuing all leads, with a focus on recovering evidence from nearby cameras and eyewitness accounts.

Police Commissioner Darrin Simons confirmed the attack bore the hallmarks of gang-related violence, a chilling indicator that Bermuda’s gang rivalries — long simmering beneath the surface — may once again be spilling into broad daylight.

A Vibrant Life Cut Short

Minors, remembered as a hardworking entrepreneur with “a vibrant, beautiful personality,” leaves behind two children, ages 16 and 18. Her murder has ignited outrage across Bermuda, not just for its senselessness but for its timing: the island had once prided itself on virtually stamping out gun violence.

Then: Near-Zero Murders

Back in 2014, Bermuda made international headlines for reporting zero firearm murders — a remarkable achievement given the small island had endured a spate of gang-related shootings in the early 2010s. Police credited intelligence-led operations, tighter firearms interdictions, and aggressive prosecutions of gang leaders. Community programs and mentoring initiatives also played a role, giving at-risk youth alternatives to gang life.

By 2015 and 2016, gun crime was at historic lows. That period was hailed as proof Bermuda could beat back the tide of violence with coordinated policing, social investment, and political will.

Now: Alarming Resurgence

Fast forward nine years, and the picture looks starkly different. In 2024 and 2025, Bermuda has recorded a rise in gun-related deaths. Rival gangs such as Parkside and 42 have resurged, fueled by a new generation of recruits. Economic pressures, high youth unemployment, and the easy flow of smuggled firearms through maritime routes have undermined earlier gains.

Community trust in the police has also eroded, making investigations harder and retaliations more likely. Opposition MPs and neighborhood leaders warn that without sustained focus, Bermuda risks sliding back into the violent cycles of the early 2010s.

Public Alarm and Political Pressure

Premier David Burt condemned Minors’ killing as “an escalation of community violence that cannot be tolerated,” promising stronger enforcement and deeper engagement with residents. The Bermuda Police Service has appealed for CCTV, dashcam, and doorbell footage from the area, urging residents that even the smallest detail could break the case.

Yet among the public, frustration is growing. People remember the calm of 2014 — when zero murders were recorded — and cannot understand how the island has returned to headlines dominated by gun violence. The contrast is stark: from celebrating the elimination of gun murders to confronting the targeted execution of a businesswoman in broad daylight.

A Test for Bermuda’s Future

The murder of Janae Minors has become more than a single case; it is now a symbol of Bermuda’s struggle to hold on to the progress it once made. The question facing the island is whether the successes of a decade ago can be replicated and sustained in today’s harsher climate of economic pressure and gang rivalries.

For Minors’ family, nothing can erase the tragedy of losing a mother and daughter so violently. But for Bermuda at large, her death is a wake-up call — that the island cannot afford complacency when it comes to crime.

As one community leader put it: “Nine years ago, we had beaten this. Now, we’re back to fearing what happens when the sun goes down. That is not the Bermuda we want to live in.”

Caribbean News

CARICOM-Africa Summit Yields Draft Pact on Trade, Travel and Reparations

Published

2 weeks ago

September 19, 2025

Deandrea Hamilton

Imagine an Atlantic Bridge connecting the Caribbean Region to the African Continent

Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — When CARICOM leaders convened with African counterparts and Afreximbank officials in Ethiopia, the outcomes were savory and exactly what many Caribbean people want to see materialise as the islands become uniquely reconnected to the African continent.

At the Second CARICOM-Africa Summit, held at the African Union headquarters, leaders moved beyond symbolic language to agree on a draft communiqué that, if finalized, would anchor this partnership in practical action. While not yet officially published by the AU or CARICOM, the document points to an agenda that blends history with urgent twenty-first century priorities.

The draft outlines commitments to improve air and sea transport links, including the pursuit of a multilateral air services agreement to break down the barriers that still keep the Caribbean and Africa physically apart. It also calls for visa facilitation and simplified entry regimes, making it easier for citizens of both regions to travel, study, and work across the Atlantic.

Equally significant are pledges to advance double taxation treaties that could remove one of the most stubborn obstacles to investment. With Afreximbank’s Caribbean headquarters already established in Barbados and the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF) gaining momentum, leaders now want to lock in the financial and legal frameworks that will drive new business.

Reparatory justice also featured prominently, with the draft communiqué sharpening a joint call for coordinated advocacy. CARICOM’s long-standing Reparations Commission is expected to work more closely with African institutions to demand global recognition and redress for the shared traumas of slavery and colonial exploitation.

CARICOM’s incoming chair, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew of St. Kitts and Nevis, captured the spirit of the gathering when he urged that the Atlantic Slave Trade be reimagined as an “Atlantic Bridge — a bridge of hope, a bridge of advancement, a bridge that will ensure our people take their rightful place in this world.”

For Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett, the meeting was a “homecoming,” but also a reminder that concrete steps like the Health Development Partnership for Africa and the Caribbean (HeDPAC) and improved transportation links are needed to transform rhetoric into results.

For citizens back home, wrestling with inflation and economic uncertainty, the Addis outcomes — transport, visas, investment, health, and reparations — are precisely the kinds of measures that can validate leaders’ journeys and rekindle faith in South-South cooperation. What was once only rhetoric now hints at the beams of an Atlantic Bridge, connecting the Caribbean and Africa in ways that could finally turn history’s tragedy into tomorrow’s advantage.