Regional News

Mexican President’s ‘Mayan Train’ multi-billion dollar project dealt new legal blow

MEXICO CITY, (Reuters) – A Mexican Court ruling that indefinitely suspended construction of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s flagship “Mayan Train” rail project over environmental concerns was welcomed by activists yesterday.

Trinidad community activist killed in drive-by attack

(Trinidad Guardian) Out-spoken community activist Avinash “Krysis” Seepersad was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Enterprise, Chaguanas, on Sunday night.

Trinidad & Tobago News

Trinidad mother of five shot dead in own gallery

(Trinidad Guardian) A mother of five was killed and her friend wounded following a shooting in Mausica on Sunday night.

A display shows samples of various minerals from Cerro Rico, an active silver mine that is slowly sinking and collapsing onto itself, in Potosi, Bolivia March 24, 2022. REUTERS/Claudia Morales

In Bolivia’s silver mountain, artisanal miners turn to coca and the devil

CERRO RICO, Bolivia, (Reuters) – Next to one of Bolivia’s poorest cities lies one of the richest silver mines in the history of mankind – Cerro Rico, Spanish for ‘Rich Mountain – a once-legendary source of wealth for the Spanish Empire that is now being dug out by artisanal miners.

People watch electoral results on a screen during the Colombian presidential election in Medellín on Sunday. (Joaquín Sarmiento/AFP/Getty Images)

Colombia leftist Petro goes to second round with businessman Hernandez

BOGOTA, (Reuters) – Colombian leftist Gustavo Petro came out on top in the first round of the Andean country’s presidential election yesterday and will face a surprise contender – businessman Rodolfo Hernandez – in a second round on June 19.

Peru opens criminal investigation of President Castillo

LIMA, (Reuters) – Peru’s attorney general’s office announced yesterday it was including President Pedro Castillo in an investigation into alleged crimes including influence peddling, collusion and “criminal organization.”

A house is seen collapsing into a deluge of water, in a video uploaded to social media

Heavy rains in Brazil’s northeast kill at least 35

RIO DE JANEIRO, (Reuters) – At least 35 people died amid heavy rainfall in northeastern Brazil on Friday and yesterday, as downpours lashed two major cities on the Atlantic coast, in what is the South American nation’s fourth major flooding event in five months.

Trinidad & Tobago News

T&T Assistant Commissioner charged with misbehaviour over tint

(Trinidad Express) – A police officer was granted $200,000 bail by Justice of the Peace Stephen Young after he was charged with two counts of misbehaviour in public office.

Barbados News

Barbados woman gets eight years for killing husband

(Barbados Nation) – Syberton Marcelle Miller, who was described by her two daughters as “heartless”, a “sociopath” and “evil personified”, was ordered to serve eight years in prison for killing her husband four years ago.

Trinidad & Tobago News

Six more COVID deaths in T&T, 393 new cases

(Trinidad Guardian) – The Ministry of Health has recorded 6 additional COVID related death.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Nazrudeen Pragg

Trinidad & Tobago News

Trinidad Asst Commissioner of Police charged with misbehaviour over tint

(Trinidad Express) A police officer was granted $200,000 bail by Justice of the Peace, Stephen Young after he was charged with two counts of misbehaviour in public office today.

Cuba’’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel delivers a speech as Venezuela’s Presi-dent Nicolas Maduro reacts during the ALBA group meeting in Havana, Cuba, May 27, 2022. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini

Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua condemn exclusion from U.S. summit

HAVANA, (Reuters) – A bloc of leftist countries meeting in Havana yesterday condemned the exclusion of certain nations from next month’s Summit of the Americas, after the United States said that it only wanted the leaders of governments that respect democracy to attend.

ANSA McAL completes acquisition of Dominican Republic solar park

(Trinidad Guardian) The ANSA McAL Group of Companies has completed the acquisition of the Monte Plata Solar Farm in the Dominican Republic.

U.S. renews Chevron’s Venezuela license through November under same restrictions

WASHINGTON/HOUSTON, (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury Department yesterday renewed a license to oil producer Chevron Corp CVX.N

Brazil invites election observers on record scale as Bolsonaro stirs doubts

BRASILIA, (Reuters) – Brazil is preparing to receive a record number of international observers for its October election, according to electoral authorities and participating organizations, amid a polarized presidential race in which President Jair Bolsonaro has questioned the reliability of electronic voting machines.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The illicit trafficking of illegal firearms is a significant challenge for the Caribbean region, noted Dr Horace Chang, chairman of the CARICOM Council for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE) and Jamaica's National Security Minister.
Addressing yesterday’s Committee meeting on Hemispheric Security at the Organization of American States, by video-conference, Dr Chang pointed out that “the Caribbean accounts for approximately 23 per cent of all recorded homicides, with an average homicide rate of 15.1 per 100,000 people, which is nearly three times the world average.”
He added that “the proliferation and increased access to illegal firearms accounts for the high level of armed violence and insecurity within our regions.”
Dr Chang pointed out that “the firearm is the weapon of choice for committing homicides and other acts of crime and violence. In this regard, I have to underscore the need for greater collaboration and partnership to combat the scourge of the illicit trafficking of firearms.
“This is directly linked to the steps being taken by IMPACS to strengthen the capacity of member states in the region to successfully detect and prevent these illegal firearms from entering our shores.”
In addition, he said, “the region must continue to commit to regional mechanisms that support firearm ballistics gathering and information sharing.”
Turning to drug trafficking, Dr Chang pointed out that “the illicit trafficking in drugs through our regions operates in tandem with mechanisms supporting the legal trade.
“The UNODC reports that the number of new psychoactive substances emerging on illicit drug markets has increased six-fold in the past decade and reached a record high of over 1,000 unique substances in 2020.”
“Specifically, annual global seizures of amphetamine-type stimulants increased by 64 per cent in 2019, while opioid use disorder deaths have gone up by 71 per cent over the past decade. To cauterise the challenges identified facing our regions, there is an urgent need to implement comprehensive coordinated responses to drug demand and illicit drug trafficking,” the CONSLE chairman declared.
“In the area of maritime security, the challenges faced have underscored the need to leverage technology, including through the use of satellite imagery, radar and surveillance systems, and other maritime domain awareness infrastructure.”
He added, “We therefore have to identify opportunities to re-engage our strategic partners to strengthen the existing maritime framework and build on the work of CARICOM IMPACS, which provides maritime data on high risk vessels on a daily basis to several countries in the region.
“The commitment to enhancing maritime security, especially with countries in CARICOM having landmasses one-tenth of their Exclusive Economic Zones, is of paramount importance.”
Dr Chang said this was especially important as “member states are located along the crossroad between North and South America, which intersects the transshipment routes in the illegal guns for drug trade. This reality warrants coordinated responses to maritime crime and maritime domain awareness.”
Dr Chang pointed out that in small-island and low-lying coastal developing countries such as the CARICOM member states, the effects of transnational organised crime may be seen in the growing environmental threats caused by the illicit trade in natural resources, deforestation and coastal management.
He said in this regard, CARICOM's Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, IMPACS, was working with member states to leverage the border security systems in the region, to fully utilise passenger name record and advanced passenger information, to identify persons of interest through risk assessments and pre-screening.
He advised that this comprehensively addressed all forms of trafficking in persons, migrant smuggling and illegal migration, which are integral in the fight against transnational organised crime.
Dr Chang said IMPACS has been taking steps towards the maintenance and strengthening of information sharing and communication between law enforcement counterparts in the region in respect of human trafficking, and all other relevant cross border security considerations.
It is imperative for countries within the region to continue to protect victims; prevent the occurrence through raising awareness; and prosecute and convict perpetrators of these crimes.
Dr Chang said it was also critical that states move with alacrity to strengthen, adopt and implement measures at the national levels in line with relevant international legal frameworks, including international humanitarian, human rights, and refugee laws.
'CYBERCRIME HAS EVOLVED'
Turning to the area of cyber crime, Dr Chang noted that “among the emerging security concerns in our respective regions, cybercrime has evolved and is growing in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic through online fraud, extortion and online child sexual abuse targeting vulnerable individuals, as well as through ransomware that primarily compromises systems, including hospitals.”
“Organised crime groups have also taken advantage of remote working and tele-business resulting from the pandemic, primarily through phishing scams that enable malicious access to critical systems,” Dr Chang observed.

Jamaica News

Trafficking of illegal firearms severely threatens CARICOM region – Jamaica minister

(Jamaica Gleaner) The illicit trafficking of illegal firearms is a significant challenge for the Caribbean region, noted Dr Horace Chang, chairman of the CARICOM Council for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE) and Jamaica’s National Security Minister.