Colombia :

Frontera announces strategic spin-off to unlock intrinsic value

14 November 2025

FRONTERA TO ESTABLISH TWO INDEPENDENT COMPANIES:
FRONTERA E&P   AND    FRONTERA INFRASTRUCTURE

Frontera Energy Corporation has announced a plan to unlock significant value from its existing assets through a spin-off of its Colombian Infrastructure business, creating two independent companies: Frontera Exploration & Production and Frontera Infrastructure.

The Proposed Transaction is projected to be completed in the first half of 2026 and is subject to shareholder approval. All financial amounts in this news release and in the Company’s financial disclosures are in United States dollars, unless otherwise stated.

Orlando Cabrales Segovia, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Frontera, commented:

‘Over time, Frontera has consistently attracted interest from investors and strategic parties who recognize the distinct strengths and value propositions of the upstream oil and gas and infrastructure businesses. While the upstream oil and gas and infrastructure businesses are complementary, each has distinct operational profiles and life cycles, appealing to different investor bases.

To further unlock shareholder value and pursue future consolidation opportunities, the Company is announcing its intention to spin off its Colombian Infrastructure business. This strategic separation will result in two focused, independent companies, each with clear priorities and tailored strategies.

The Company believes the business separation represents a significant opportunity to surface and distribute value to shareholders, not currently reflected in Frontera’s market capitalization. The separation, targeted to be completed during the first half of 2026, remains subject to shareholder and regulatory approval’

The planned separation aims to establish two strategically focused, independent companies:

Frontera E&P will become a pure-play upstream oil and gas exploration and production company, focused on disciplined cash flow generation and operational excellence.

For the last twelve months ended September 30, 2025, Frontera E&P had approximately $336 million of Operating EBITDA(1) and net leverage(2) of 0.7x times.

Frontera Infrastructure will emerge as a leading energy infrastructure business, leveraging robust cash flows from ODL and aiming to invest in near-term strategic projects at Puerto Bahia to deliver a growing and long-term revenue and cash flow stream.

For the last twelve months ended September 30, 2025, Frontera Infrastructure had approximately $16.2 million of Operating EBITDA and $117.4 million of Infrastructure Adjusted EBITDA(3) and net debt to Infrastructure Distributable Cash Flow (Puerto Bahia Operating EBITDA + Dividends received from ODL) of 2.0x times.(3)

Notes:

(1)   This is a Non-IFRS financial measure (equivalent to a “non-GAAP financial measure”, as defined in NI 52-112). Refer to the Advisories section of this Press Release for further details.

(2)   This is a Non-IFRS financial measure (equivalent to a “non-GAAP financial measure”, as defined in NI 52-112). Refer to the Advisories section of this Press Release for further details.

(3)   This is a Non-IFRS financial measure (equivalent to a “non-GAAP financial measure”, as defined in NI 52-112). Refer to the Advisories section of this Press Release for further details.

This transaction is consistent with the Company’s commitment to unlock shareholder value and shall enable the companies to pursue future consolidation opportunities.

About Frontera’s Infrastructure Business

Frontera’s Infrastructure Colombia business includes the Company’s 35% equity interest in the Oleoducto de los Llanos Orientales S.A. (“ODL”) crude oil pipeline, through Frontera’s wholly owned subsidiary, FPI, and the Company’s 99.97% equity interest in Sociedad Portuaria Puerto Bahia (“Puerto Bahia”).

The business combines an attractive growth profile and is backed by a steady dividend stream from its investment in ODL, which has received over $147 million in dividends and capital distributions since 2023.

About ODL

ODL is a midstream infrastructure business with a 260-kilometer onshore pipeline co-owned by Frontera’s subsidiary, FPI (35%) and Cenit Transporte y Logistica de Hidrocarburos SAS (65%) which connects Colombia’s largest oil-producing fields in the Llanos region with the Ocensa pipeline.

Key customers include EcoPetrol, Frontera, GeoPark, Parex, and Hocol. In the last twelve months ODL transported approximately 238,000 barrels of oil per day, or 30% of Colombia’s total daily oil production. Over the last twelve months ODL generated EBITDA of $289 million and paid approximately $170 million ($59.4 million, net to Frontera Infrastructure) in dividends and capital distribution to its shareholders. Source: Frontera Energy

 

 

 

Colombia :

Arrow appraisal well M-6 successfully drilled and on production

26 November 2025

Arrow Exploration, the high-growth operator with a portfolio of assets across key Colombian hydrocarbon basins, provided an update on the operational activity at Mateguafa Attic field on the Tapir Block in the Llanos Basin where Arrow holds a 50 percent beneficial interest.

Mateguafa 6 well

The Mateguafa 6 well (M-6) well was spud on November 8th, 2025, and reached target depth on November 15th, 2025. The M-6 well was drilled, on time and on budget, to a total measured depth of 10,000 MD feet (9,328 feet true vertical depth) and encountered multiple hydrocarbon-bearing intervals.

Arrow has put the M-6 well on production in the Carbonera C7 formation (“C7”), which has approximately 18 feet of net oil pay (true vertical depth). The pay zone is a clean sandstone exhibiting an average porosity of 20% with high resistivities. An electric submersible pump (ESP) has been inserted in the well after perforating.

The M-6 well encountered approximately 30 feet of net oil pay (true vertical depth) in the formation (“C9”) (previously the Guadalupe) and 14 feet of net oil pay (true vertical depth) in the Lower Gacheta. Arrow plans to test these formations in future wells.

The well was put on production at a heavily restricted rate, 28/128 choke and 45 Hz pump frequency, of approximately 824 BOPD gross (412 BOPD net). The oil quality is 32° API and there is a 3% water cut (completion fluid and formation water). Testing results indicate the well is capable of higher rates and the ultimate flow rate will be determined in the first few weeks of production.

Initial production results are not necessarily indicative of long-term performance or ultimate recovery.

Mateguafa 5 well

The Mateguafa 5 well (M-5) continues to produce at approximately 550 BOPD gross (275 BOPD net) with an 18% water cut. The M-5 well is producing from the C9 formation. The official designation of the formation was changed from the Guadalupe to the C9 formation after final analysis of the drill cuttings.

Mateguafa 7 well

The Mateguafa HZ7 (M-HZ7) well was spud on November 22nd, 2025. This horizontal well is targeting the C9 formation, which both M-5 and M-6 encountered and reinforced the horizontal development concept. Expectations are that the well will take 2-3 weeks to drill and complete and will be put on production in December.

Marshall Abbott, CEO of Arrow commented:

‘The M-6 well was drilled on time and on budget and initial production has exceeded expectations. In addition to the thick pay zones encountered in the C7 formation, an additional pay zone currently behind pipe, the C9, provides further production opportunities in the future.’

‘The M-6 well reinforces that the Mateguafa Attic discovery is material to Arrow and we are looking forward to the results of the horizontal well M-HZ7 which will further develop this discovery and help determine the extent of the pools and the potential reserves additions. Initial results indicate that the discovery will develop into another core area for Arrow with the potential for horizontal drilling development.’

‘We look forward to providing further updates on this low-risk development drilling program.’

The Company also announces the appointment of Hannam & Partners as its Joint Corporate Broker to work alongside Canaccord Genuity and Auctus Advisors.

Details re the Tapir Block: Corporate Presentation September 2025

 

 

Arrow exploration well M-5 successfully drilled and on production

12 November 2025

Arrow Exploration, the high-growth operator with a portfolio of assets across key Colombian hydrocarbon basins, has provided an update on the operational activity at the Mateguafa field on the Tapir Block in the Llanos Basin where Arrow holds a 50 percent beneficial interest.

Mateguafa 5 well

The Mateguafa 5 well (M-5) well was spud on October 24th, 2025, and reached target depth on October 30th, 2025. The M-5 well was the first to be drilled into the Mateguafa Attic field after the procurement of the 3D seismic program shot in 2024, and results from this well have confirmed the productive potential of the multi-pool field. The well was drilled, on time and on budget, to a total measured depth of 10,560 MD feet (9,334 feet true vertical depth) and encountered multiple hydrocarbon-bearing intervals.

Arrow put the M-5 well on production in the Guadalupe formation, which has approximately 26 feet of net oil pay (true vertical depth). The pay zone is a clean sandstone exhibiting an average porosity of 22% with high resistivities. An electric submersible pump (ESP) has been inserted in the well after perforating.

The M-5 well encountered approximately 11 feet of net oil pay (true vertical depth) in the Carbonera C7 formation. Arrow plans to test this formation in future wells.

The well was put on production at very restrictive operational parameters to allow the well clean-up and a proper water cut evaluation. Currently, the well is operating at a pump frequency of 30 Hz and a choke aperture of 17/128.

In the final 72 hours of the test, M-5 produced at a heavily restricted rate, 17/128 choke and 30 Hz pump frequency, of approximately 570 BOPD gross (285 BOPD net). The oil quality is 31° API and there is an 8% water cut (completion fluid and formation water). The water cut has been decreasing throughout the testing.

Testing results indicate the well is capable of higher rates and the ultimate flow rate will be determined in the first few weeks of production. Initial production results are not necessarily indicative of long-term performance or ultimate recovery.

The well encountered the Ubaque and Gacheta formations, however, these sands were not deemed to be commercial at this location.

Mateguafa 6

The Mateguafa 6 (M-6) well was spud on November 8th, 2025. The M-6 well will further delineate the C7 and Guadalupe formations to develop a horizontal well program. The drilling, testing and completion of the well is expected to take three to four weeks from spud. The M-7 well is scheduled to be drilled immediately upon completion of the M-6 well.

2025 3D Program

The 2025 3D program has identified multiple prospects with the Icaco prospect, in the southeast corner of the Tapir block, the first one to be drilled in 2026. The Company continues to progress the necessary licenses, permits and drilling pad with the expectation that the Icaco prospect will be drilled in mid Q1 2026. Multiple hydrocarbon reservoirs are being targeted at the Icaco prospect.

Production

Including the restricted production from the M-5 well, total corporate production is approximately 4,000 boe/d, in line with company modeling.

Cash Balance

On November 1, 2024, the Company’s cash balance was US$8.2 million reflecting the intensive, two rig drilling program that Arrow operated during the second quarter. The company continues to have no debt.

Marshall Abbott, CEO of Arrow commented:

‘Initial production from the M-5 discovery has exceeded expectations and is an exciting event for Arrow. In addition to the thick pay zones encountered on the Guadalupe formation, an additional pay zone currently behind pipe, the C7, provides further opportunities for production and reserves increases.

‘The Mateguafa Attic discovery is material to Arrow and we are looking forward to the M-6 and M-7 results which will further develop this discovery and help determine the extent of the pools and the potential reserves additions. Initial results indicate that the discovery will develop into another core area for Arrow with the potential for horizontal drilling development. We look forward to providing further updates on this low-risk development drilling program.’

Source: Arrow Exploration

 

 

Promigas & Vopak to boost Cartagena FSRU capacity

By
LNG Prime Staff

November 11, 2025

    Image: Vopak

Colombian gas distributor Promigas and Dutch independent storage tank firm Vopak have decided to increase regasification capacity at Colombia’s only FSRU-based LNG import facility in Cartagena.

 

 

Cuba :

Melbana Energy completes Amistad-2 well in onshore Block 9

05 November 2025

Melbana Energy provided an operational update regarding Block 9 PSC onshore Cuba, for which it is operator and holds a 30% interest.

Highlights

• Flow-testing indicates a highly permeable reservoir, but no oil was recovered.
• Well drilled to a total depth of 2,000 metres measured depth.
• A total of 169 metres measured depth of highly porous net reservoir intersected.
• Plug and abandonment of Amistad-2 now proceeding.
• Acquisition of a low-cost 2D seismic survey nearing completion.

Melbana Energy’s Executive Chairman, Andrew Purcell, commented:

‘The testing of Amistad-2 is disappointing given the well was updip of known oil, but this can occur in the early-stage appraisal and development of new oilfields.

Oil shows were muted during the drilling, perhaps because the reservoir drilling fluid we have designed for these formations was in balance and doing its job, but well logs indicated good reservoir quality and reasonable oil saturation.

Flow testing confirmed excellent reservoir quality, given the high rate of fluid recovery, but oil was residual at that location. The rate of drilling was also quicker than prognosed, allowing us to continue drilling the encountered formation much deeper than originally planned.

The result of Amistad-2 has placed renewed importance on the low-cost 2D seismic survey currently underway to assist with future well positioning and trajectories. We will use these data with our analysis of the information gained from Amistad-2 to inform our forward work program in Block 9, which we look forward to announcing directly.’

Amistad-2 Production Well

Amistad-2 was spudded on 18 September 2025 and was originally planned to take about three weeks to drill to a total depth (TD) of 1125 metres measured depth (m.MD). Drilling results confirmed the pre-drill structural shape but also showed the primary target in the “hanging wall” of the structure had been eroded and replaced with sediment and that this had happened prior to the most recent phase of structuring.

The top of limestone was therefore encountered in the low-side (foot-wall) of the structure, approximately 600 m.MD deep to prognosis, so the decision was made to continue drilling past the original TD, given the good drilling conditions, before deciding to stop (whilst still in the reservoir formation) at 2000 m.MD at a cost of only about one extra week’s drilling time.

The well was drilled at a lower mud weight than Amistad-1 and the custom reservoir drilling fluid, designed using the learnings of the previous wells drilled in Block 9, was very good and allowed the removal of barite from the drilling fluid in the lower portion of the well. The lower mud weight also assisted with the well drilling at a higher rate of penetration than expected.

An extensive logging program was conducted and provided positive indications of extensive porosity and oil saturation within the 8-1/2” hole. Subsequent preliminary petrophysical analysis interpreted a total 169 m.MD, or 146 metres of true vertical depth (TVD), net reservoir based on a conventional cut-off of 9% porosity.

The reservoir in Amistad-2 is comprised of three primary sections: the upper-most section is highly porous and correlated to the Unit 1A observed in Alameda-2; the second unit is separated from shallower Unit 1A by a tight limestone interval and appears to be consistent with the Unit 1B Lower interval previously observed by Alameda-2; and, the third appears to be a repeat section of Unit 1B, but in a rotated and steeply dipping position. Ongoing analysis aims to confirm the stratigraphic sequence encountered by Alameda-2.

An acid-soak was spotted across the entire reservoir interval before being circulated out without incident. Tubing and a pump were then run in hole and Amistad-2 was opened for testing on 31 October 2025 (Cuba time).

Initial flow confirmed a highly permeable reservoir averaging 550 bbl/d minimal pressure drawdown in the first 24 hours. The pump rate continued to be increased, with a final average rate of 1220 bbl/d of water with minimal pressure drawdown. Cumulative water produced during testing was approximately 1840 bbl, around twice the total combined wellbore and volume of drilling, acid and completion brine/water lost during operations.

Pressure data from the well indicates that the reservoirs at the Amistad-2 location are not in communication with those at the Alameda-2 location.

In recent weeks, Melbana has been acquiring 2D seismic data using a highly mobile hydraulic weight-drop system and associated geophone receivers. The Company commenced the acquisition of these data, primarily along existing roads and proposed well locations, to aid in the identification of potential shallow drilling hazards.

Preliminary processing of the first line indicates good data quality and the potential for the acquired data to supplement, and potentially replace, the vintage seismic data which has been utilised to date for well targeting.

Given the results of Amistad-2 consideration is now being given to Amistad-11 replacing Amistad-3 as the next well. This would be a shallow production well located on Pad 1, where good production characteristics have previously been obtained (peak flow of 1,903 BOPD at a sustained rate of 1,235 BOPD1 ).

Production operations in Amistad-1 have been temporarily halted to prepare for the drilling of this well in case the Joint Operation approves this course of action.

Source: Melbana Energy

 

 

 

Guyana open airspace open amid Venezuela’s closure

2025, 11/30 CMC

Director-General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Retired Lt. Col. Egbert Field says Guyana’s airspace is open despite US President Donald Trump’s position that the airspace “above and surrounding Venezuela” is closed to airlines and flights engaged in illegal activities.

He said neither domestic nor international flights in and out of Guyana would be affected.

International flights to Trinidad and Colombia were now using a different flight path. Traffic is being rerouted for the last couple of days and it wouldn’t impact Guyana and Colombia.

In terms of domestic flights to and from interior destinations close to the Guyana-Venezuela border, he said there were also no disruptions “even closer to the border. They have a different FIR (flight information region) so there will be no disruption. All our airstrips are within our airspace and not that close so there is no disruption,” the GCAA Director-General said.

This position was also supported by local aviators who said on Saturday that domestic flights were operating in those interior areas normally. The assurance by the GCAA came against the backdrop of a post by the US President on his Truth Social platform stating –

“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY”.

Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Defence on Saturday said local, regional, and international airlines continue to operate flights without interruption. Commercial airlines operating in Trinidad and Tobago have not reported any disruptions. Defence Minister Wayne Sturge emphasised that the travelling public can continue to plan flights normally.

 

 

 

As Caine exits, 2 US military aircraft land in Tobago

Nov 26, 2025

One day after US top military officer General Dan Caine arrived in Trinidad and met Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, two US military aircraft are believed to have departed from Tobago, headed to North America.

A US Airforce Boeing C-17A Globemaster III, appeared on tracking site FlightRadar24 today, reportedly leaving Tobago at 5.53.a.m. and is currently in transit over the USA.

According to online Open Source Intelligence expert @LatAmMilMVMTs, who has been following the military build-up this year, the aircraft is one of two of its kind that transited through the Scarborough International Airport (TAB/TTCP) today.

Two C-17’s (RCH660 C-17A 01-0192 and RCH661 C-17A 99-0165) were within the airspace, one of the aircraft tracking on FlightRadar24 when it departed and the other was not tracked. Both are believed to have originated from the Marine Corps Air Station in Cherry Point, North Carolina.

According to the US Air Force the C-17 Globemaster III is he “most flexible” cargo aircraft to enter the airlift force and is capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in the deployment area.

The Airforce website states that the aircraft can perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions and can transport litters and ambulatory patients.

Posts confirmed sightings of large aircraft leaving Tobago this morning. Politician Kelvon Morris urged clarity.

“In this moment of heightened hemispheric tensions, the recent engagements with U.S. military officials and increased military activities using Trinidad and Tobago’s facilities demand full transparency. The citizens of Trinidad and Tobago deserve to be fully informed.It is unacceptable for the Prime Minister to hide behind cryptic posts or silence.

We therefore call on the Prime Minister to face the people and address the nation directly.”

Detection was reported of US military drones, MQ-9 reaper  Drones, aircraft and warships in and around Trinidad and  Tobago.

Minister of Defence Wayne Sturge invoked Standing Order 27 1 (G), refusing to answer if the US military had permission to facilitate operations within in the territory.

MP for Arouca Lopinot and former National Security Minister Marvin Gonzales asked if the US had authorization to conduct military operations during a Parliamentary sitting but Sturge, invoked the order, a procedural rule which allows him to withhold information if it is deemed contrary to the public interest.

“Until the member can convince me as to how disclosure, either way is in the public interest, I would have no choice but to rely on the protections afforded by Standing Order 27 (G).”

Yesterday, Caine, an advisor to US President Donald Trump and a major part of Operation Southern Spear visited Trinidad and Puerto Rico and US warships stationed in the Caribbean since the US began its military buildup in late August.

Currently under this operation there are at least 15,000 troops and multiple warships, including the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier, deployed in the region. The US claimed that this build up, as well as 21 lethal boat strikes which killed 82 whom it alleges are drug traffickers, are part of an effort to curb the flow of drugs to America.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar supported the US , earning the ire of Venezuelan politicians, who earlier declared her persona non grata and severed gas ties . Caine’s visit, which was requested by the US, is the third official US military visit since the build-up began, following the docking of the USS Gravely in Port of Spain, and the conclusion of joint exercises between the US 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force last week.  …..

The release did not say whether ongoing tensions between the US and Venezuela, or the US’s recent designation of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro as a terrorist – and the consequences of such – was discussed. Efforts to reach Persad-Bissessar for a comment proved futile.

On November 24, Maduro joined a list populated by Islamic terror groups, as the US State Department added Cartel Del los Soles, a group it alleges he leads, to its list of foreign terrorist organisations (FTO).

Suriname on Venezuela’s side 

Suriname added its voice to countries in the region concerned about US aggression towards Venezuela.

Venezuela’s ambassador to TT, Alvaro Sanchez Cordero, sent an article written by Venezuelan news agency Ultimas Noticias regarding a meeting between Venezuelan and Surinamese officials on November 24.

Venezuela’s Foreign Minister, Yván Gil met Suriname president Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, both of whom, “reiterated their joint position rejecting threats and military actions of the United States in the Caribbean.”

Gil spoke about the meeting on his Telegram channel and expressed gratitude for the displays of solidarity towards Venezuela, a day before Suriname celebrated its 50th Independence anniversary.

DRUG BOATS

https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-boat-strikes-drugs-cocaine-trafficking-95b54a3a5efec74f12f82396a79617ea

 

 

 

No money from Venezuela to Trinidad and Tobago

30 November

ENERGY Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal says Trinidad and Tobago currently does not earn any energy revenue with Venezuela.

He made this comment during his contribution to debate on a private motion in the House of Representatives filed by Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles. In her motion, Beckles called on the House to condemn inflammatory statements made by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar in relation to ongoing US-Venezuela tensions in the southern Caribbean.

She also expressed concern the actions of Persad-Bissessar and the government in this matter could impact TT’s economy, trade and national security negatively.

Moonilal said, “Notwithstanding very strong trading relations and cultural relations with the people of Venezuela over the years. We have really had no commercial relations with Venezuela on energy matters.”

TT may be trading other commodities with the OPEC founder.

Moonilal reminded MPs about Persad-Bissessar’s visit to Washington, DC, to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on September 30.

After that meeting, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and the US State Department issued separate statements to announce that an agreement had been reached with respect to continuing TT-Venezuela cross border energy initiatives which began under the former PNM administration. The State Department specifically identified the Dragon gas project in its statement.

At Piarco International Airport on October 1, Persad-Bissessar said, “From day one when we came into office, we began work on that OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) licence (for Dragon).” She added, “We had discussions further with Secretary Rubio on other fields – Loran-Manatee and Cocuina-Manakin.”

On May 6 at a swearing in ceremony for government ministers at President’s House, St Ann’s, Persad-Bissessar declared the Dragon gas deal dead. She said Persad-Bissessar indicated the UNC would seek gas from Grenada, Guyana and Suriname.

On December 21, 2023, the Venezuelan government issued a 30-year licence to the NGC (National Gas Company) and Shell to develop and export natural gas from the Dragon gas field to TT. The OFAC played a key role in granting this licence under the then Joe Biden administration.

Concerns were raised about whether the Dragon project could be in jeopardy after Donald Trump won the presidential election on November 4.

The US$1 billion Dragon gas deal was first signed between TT and Venezuela in August 2018. But it was left in limbo after the US imposed sanctions on Venezuela a year later. Donald Trump was president at that time.

Last July, the former PNM government secured a 20-year licence from Venezuela for bpTT to exploit the Cocuina field on the Venezuela side of the unified one trillion cubic feet Cocuina-Manakin field of which bpTT already has an operatorship of the Manakin part lying in TT waters.

At  Whitehall on April 8, then prime minister Stuart Young announced OFAC revoked licences for the Dragon and Manakin-Cocuina fields in Venezuela, granted under the former Joe Biden administration in 2023. Trump won the November 2024 US presidential election. On April 18 said Young had a telephone conversation with Rubio.

They agreed to continue work towards successful pursuit of TT energy initiatives.

Moonilal said, “We are now conducting our business as it relates to the Dragon gas field. That continues uninterrupted.”

He dismissed opposition claims  that Persad-Bissessar jeopardised this work in any way, repeating that government has other energy initiatives in the pipeline but cannot reveal the confidential nature of ongoing discussions.

In her budget contribution  on October 17, Beckles asked government what did it promise the US in exchange for the OFAC licence it received earlier that month.

On November 27, Persad-Bissessar confirmed the presence of US Marines in Tobago.

“The plan there is the runway and a radar. They will improve our surveillance and intelligence we gather…the narco traffickers in our waters and outside our waters.”

In August, the US approached Grenada for permission to use the Maurice Bishop International Airport to house military radar that could monitor both commercial and military flights in the region where it began military deployment that month with three guided missile destroyers (USS Gravely, Jason Dunham and Sampson). The US force in the region has since grown to include the nuclear attack submarine USS Newport News, amphibious assault vessels, special forces command vessels, the 22nd US Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) and the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford and its strike group.

Members of the MEU were in TT last week for joint military exercises with TT Defence Force (TTDF).

Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said Grenada is working with an undisclosed deadline from the US but will not hurry into deciding on such an important issue.

In October 1983, the MEU was a unit of US troops in the invasion of Grenada, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury after then leader Maurice Bishop was executed in a coup

Persad-Bissessar publicly endorsed US military deployment in the southern Caribbean Sea beyond Venezuela’s territorial waters. She approved US military strikes against alleged drug vessels in the Sea amid international concerns that the strikes were extra judicial killings. Persad-Bissessar adhered firmly to the US position that the deployment is an anti-narcotics interdiction exercise in a battle for survival.

It beggars belief that, blessed with Trinidad resources for energy-intensive Aviation, Travel and Tourism, one of the fastest-growing industries, Tobago criminals attack tourists and myopic leaders reject RADAR security, following Caricom barons back to the Dark Ages..

 

 

 

IV EU-Celac Summit

November 10th 2025 –

Only 9 heads of state or government attended the fourth summit of the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) in the Colombian city of Santa Marta, amid significant diplomatic friction and a noticeable lack of high-level engagement from both blocs.

Numerous notable absences and last-minute cancellations, included that of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. A wide-ranging agenda included trade, energy transition and cooperation in the fight against organized crime.

However, proceedings were immediately complicated by the ongoing controversy over US military actions in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. In reference to US attacks against alleged drug smugglers in the region, European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas, representing the EU, said,

“We share the same values, we believe in the rule of law and democracy. Force can only be used for two reasons, either in self-defense or by virtue of a UN Security Council resolution.”

Colombian President Gustavo Petro earlier denounced what he described as US pressure against attendance at the event. He urged Europe and Latin America to act as a “unified beacon” capable of standing up to and correcting “any barbarity.” In a letter to the Celac leaders and in statements by Foreign Minister Yván Gil, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro urged the summit to take a firm stance against increasing military deployment in the Caribbean Sea.

Maduro evoked the legacy of Liberator Simón Bolívar, whose final proclamation was issued in Santa Marta, arguing that regional unity is the “condition of our freedom.”

Key demands from Venezuela included proclaiming the “unconditional defense of our America as a Zone of Peace,” and categorically rejecting the militarization of the region, ordering an immediate end to military attacks, which he compared to historical subjugation efforts and seeking an independent investigation into reported civilian deaths described by UN experts as “executions.”

Caracas also required immediate lifting of all unilateral and illegal coercive measures, including those imposed by the EU, and reiterating condemnation of the “inhumane blockade” against Cuba.

Maduro insisted that the free Latin America and Caribbean region demand “consistency and respect” and will “not accept sanctions as a method of political punishment.”

The summit attempts to forge common strategies on global challenges like climate change, food security, and digital transformation, but the low participation and explicit diplomatic tensions regarding sovereignty and external military influence are expected to dominate the closed-door proceedings.

 

 

CELAC-EU summit paints a grim outlook

Crime-crippled T&T no longer in a Fantasy ZOP

2025, 11/11

The European Union and 18 Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) states launched the EU–Latin America and the Caribbean Alliance for Citizen Security, aimed at strengthening co-operation on citizen security between the EU and LAC countries. This was among outcomes of the fourth European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit, which concluded yesterday. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro issued a letter to CELAC members urging them to reject the “US-led militarization of the Caribbean.”

President of the European Council, António Costa, and Colombian President, Gustavo Petro co-chaired the summit in Colombia. Caricom delegates included Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell and St Kitts Prime Minister Terrence Drew.

Parliamentary Secretary in the Trinidad and Tobago Foreign Ministry Nicholas Morris urged greater international collaboration to combat narco-trafficking and transnational crime, eroding peace and security in Trinidad and Tobago which no longer exists in a “zone of peace” because of the serious impact of drug and human trafficking across the region. While Trinidad and Tobago values peace as a “supreme asset,” its reality over the past two decades has been shaped by organised crime and its social and economic consequences.

Morris urged reform of the international financial system, saying the rules disadvantage vulnerable Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which face the combined pressures of climate change, economic instability and limited access to finance. These disparities “must be urgently addressed” to ensure fairness and inclusion. He expressed solidarity with Jamaica and Haiti and Cuba, affected by Hurricane Melissa.

A European Union press statement said, within the framework of the summit, the EU and 18 Latin American and Caribbean states (Colombia, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay) launched the EU–Latin America and the Caribbean Alliance for Citizen Security. This initiative aims to strengthen cooperation on citizen security between the EU and Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Representatives reaffirmed determination to increase bi-regional efforts to address common citizen security challenges, strengthen the rule of law and enhance cooperation in dismantling transnational criminal networks. This pertains to illicit trafficking of drugs, firearms, ammunition, and explosives; human trafficking; cybercrime; smuggling of migrants; illegal mining; crimes affecting the environment; illicit trafficking of cultural property and financial crimes.

Trinidad and Tobago was among the EU and 15 Latin American and Caribbean countries (Colombia, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, and Uruguay) that launched a bi-regional Pact on Care.

This pact seeks to facilitate “regular exchanges on progress and best practices in the care economy, including policies, programmes, services, regulatory frameworks and institutional structures.”

The summit issued a joint declaration proposing deeper cooperation in:

1. 1. 1. renewable energy,
      2. food security,
      3. technological innovation,
      4. cultural exchanges and other fields.

They reaffirmed adherence to the principles and purposes of the UN Charter , especially:

1. 1. 1. the sovereign equality of states,
      2. respect for territorial integrity and
      3. political independence, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries
      4. and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

“We reiterate our opposition to the threat or use of force and stress the importance of prioritising conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding as essential elements for lasting peace in both regions,” stated the EU–CELAC declaration.

Leaders noted with concern the adverse impact of the increasing number of wars and conflicts and expressed the need to ensure the protection of civilians and the provision of humanitarian assistance.

Amid recent US–Venezuela tensions, Summit host President Petro paid tribute to Alejandro Carranza, a victim of US attacks, which he described as extrajudicial executions.

Governments have different positions on the matter. Venezuelan President Maduro’s letter to the heads of CELAC member states cited the recent destruction of vessels at sea, condemned by the UN.

He sought an investigation into the “executions” and noted deployment of US military forces near Venezuela’s coastal borders.

Maduro urged all countries to unite against attacks and military threats and to demand their immediate cessation.

He stressed the need for “regional mechanisms for humanitarian cooperation and collective defence to protect territorial sovereignty.” He declared that Latin America “must preserve its will, strength, and autonomy.”

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva condemned military deployments in the region and attacks on civilian vessels.

“We are a region of peace and wish to remain so. Democracies do not fight crime by violating international law,” Lula said, expressing concern that recent events could undermine regional stability and calling for Latin America to remain a zone of peace.

Cuba’s Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa echoed these concerns.

Key European leaders did not attend, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Some cited “conflicting schedules,” while there has also been speculation about a rift between summit host Petro and US President Donald Trump.

 

 

T&T dissociated from VANISHED ZONE OF PEACE

11 NOVEMBER

Trinidad and Tobago again withdrew from a regional cry for the Caribbean Sea to remain a Zone of Peace, amid the US military build-up and tensions with Venezuela. Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)-European Union summit participants signed a joint declaration in Santa Marta, Colombia, which contains an article citing the “situation in the Caribbean and Pacific” and calling for dialogue and cooperation.

Following record homicides, T&T distanced itself from that specific point Last month, the Government reserved its position at a Caricom meeting on the security build-up and its potential impact on member states. All others agreed on reaffirming the principle of maintaining the region as a “Zone of Peace” and the importance of dialogue and engagement towards the peaceful resolution of disputes and conflict.

In the joint statement on the declaration, CELAC states in paragraph 10 that it has declared itself a Zone of Peace and is committed to the settlement of disputes through dialogue and cooperation, according to international law.

It recognised ongoing efforts to achieve peace in the region and noted discussions on the importance of maritime security and regional stability.

“We agreed on the importance of international cooperation, mutual respect, and full compliance with international law, including in combating transnational organised crime and drug trafficking.

Several CELAC member states emphasised their national positions regarding the situation in the Caribbean and the Pacific. We reiterate our commitment to strengthening mechanisms for dialogue, coordination, and technical assistance to jointly address these challenges,” paragraph ten read.

The joint statement noted T&T disconnection from this paragraph –  and Venezuela’s withdrawal from the entire declaration.

Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Nicholas Morris delivered T&T’s national statement. T&T welcomed US efforts as the death toll of US boat strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific yesterday reached 75, with US Secretary of Defence/War on Monday confirming that two more strikes had been carried out, killing six alleged “narco-traffickers.”

Since late August, about 10,000 US troops have been deployed in the region, alongside multiple warships and other naval resources.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar welcomed the US presence, promising the US unflinching access to the territory in the event of a Venezuelan attack on neighbouring Guyana. As the US killed 11 people in its first lethal strike on September 2, she praised the effort. In her address to the United Nations General Assembly in September, she further stated that the Caribbean was not a “Zone of Peace.“

At the EU-CELAC summit , Colombian President Gustavo Petro, sanctioned by the US government for criticizing US attacks, repeated reports that a Colombian fisherman was the victim of one strike. The family of Alejandro Carranza was stranded in his absence.

“ Alejandro Carranza, son of a fisherman, a fisherman himself, skilled in handling boats, perhaps he was hired but he died from a missile in the Caribbean Sea. And in light of the treaties we have signed and democracy and freedom he was simply murdered in an extrajudicial execution. There are already dozens in this sea that is the home that shelters us.             

That is today’s world” .

 

 

 

EU-CELAC Guyana seeks security cooperation

November 10, 2025

Guyana Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips, called for enhanced security cooperation, urgent climate financing and stronger multilateral mechanisms during the EU-Caribbean Leaders Meeting, as part of the IV CELAC-EU Summit.

President of the European Council, António Costa, and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, convened a high-level meeting with Caribbean CELAC countries to exchange views on matters of critical importance to both regions and the world at large.

Phillips underscored Guyana’s commitment to maintaining the region as a Zone of Peace, while emphasising that the nations share a collective interest in addressing existing and emerging security threats to sovereignty and territorial integrity, transnational crime, cybersecurity and risks associated with inequality and irregular migration.

In a recent tragic incident in Guyana a six-year-old girl died in a terrorist bomb linked to migrants. Guyana is on a new level of alert to prevent a recurrence.

Combating these threats requires cooperation and collaboration at multiple levels and across several fronts, including information and intelligence sharing, capacity building, joint research, and norm-setting.  The world is now much more integrated and interconnected, demanding enhanced coordinated responses.

“The UN Charter and international law provide an essential safeguard and we must continue to advocate for and insist on this…

….but today’s increasingly complex environment demands a more effective multilateralism, through strengthened international cooperation and enhanced governance supported by more agile and responsive mechanisms.”

This becomes increasingly pervasive due to the misuse of artificial intelligence and threats posed by disinformation and misinformation.

“The global financial system must become nimbler in mobilising short-term equity for crisis response and long-term funding for sustainable development, as proposed in the Bridgetown Initiative.”

He urged greater political support for the application of the multidimensional vulnerability index, which directly affects access to concessional financing for climate-affected states.

He acknowledged the long history of collaboration between the EU and the region, including facilities such as the EU-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement. He expressed Guyana’s appreciation for the cooperation both bilaterally and through regional and global frameworks, including the Global Gateway initiative.

Despite geographical distance, CELAC and EU member states are inextricably linked. “Guyana considers that the present CELAC‑EU partnership, built on shared values    — democracy, the rule of law, respect for the UN Charter and international law —   provides an ample framework for enhanced cooperation to address global issues at the heart of our collective efforts to engender peace, sustainable development and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by all our peoples.”

The world stands at a crossroads, beset by multiple crises and he stressed

the imperative to engender a renewed multilateralism fit for contemporary times. Climate change is “an existential threat of grave and growing proportions.”

Hurricane Melissa was a stark illustration of the existential threat facing the region, emphasising the need for critical support in enabling adaptation, addressing loss and damage and building resilience. He reiterated

“that climate response is inextricably linked to the availability and accessibility of financing at scale and to the treatment of debt caused or compounded by climate disasters.”

He underscored Guyana’s solidarity with Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba and The Bahamas “and its tangible support for relief and recovery efforts after recent devastation. Small states remain vulnerable to climate impacts and need fiscal space and access to climate financing for effective adaptation and resilience‑building.

Too many commitments under the Paris Agreement and subsequent agreements remain undelivered despite growing urgency. A redoubling of effort is imperative to keep 1.5 degrees C within reach.

“Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS 2030) guides its pursuit of economic and environmental stewardship through proactive mitigation strategies and sustainable solutions. Investments in enhanced energy infrastructure, natural gas as a bridge from heavy fuel oil, hydropower, solar, wind and biomass, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable energy.

President Dr Irfaan Ali at COP30 in Belém, Brazil urged a just energy transition as part of the global climate response. Food insecurity was a critical concern for LAC where strengthening of local and regional production and mitigating market volatility can transform global food systems to be more resilient, sustainable,and equitable.

“CARICOM responded by advancing a CARICOM Agri‑Food Systems agenda, which Guyana has the honour to lead. We aim to modernise the regional agri‑food sector, enhance production of quality food at affordable prices, end hunger and promote regional food and nutrition security.

We remain open to partnerships that would strengthen our capacity to deliver on these ambitions.”

The surge in transnational crime across LAC poses a grave threat to governance, stability, and development. Truly united regional and international action can enable countries to effectively confront this growing challenge.

“Developing adequate resilience and response capability and strengthening our collective security must be a common cause for all member states, grounded in mutual respect and our collective interest.”

He underscored Guyana’s strong commitment to the maintenance of a zone of peace and to strengthening partnerships aimed at bolstering regional security. He hoped that bi‑regional programmes such as the EU Global Gateway and the Digital Alliance will foster greater cooperation in response to national priorities.Welcoming the 2025‑2027 Roadmap as a key instrument in the implementation of agreed areas of cooperation, he underscored

“Guyana’s commitment to the CELAC‑EU partnership process and to advancing the common agenda with a view to expanded opportunities for all.”

 

 

 

Barons of Emerging EU superpower

9 November 2025 Ralph Maraj T&T Ambassador to Caricom

Relations with the United States and with the European Union have historically been very important for Trinidad and Tobago. Fraternal ties between the two transatlantic giants made it sometimes seem like a single relationship enjoyed with both.

Profound change is now upon us.

For 75 years, America has been indispensable to European security. It provided a nuclear umbrella, had military capabilities not possessed by the continent and ran air, naval and troop bases with 80,000 troops stationed in Europe. Now with demands from the current US administration that European countries assume more responsibility for their own security, there is an emerging new reality in the global environment.

Recent Russian incursions into EU airspace are pushing Europe into urgent action. A current EU white paper says by the end of 2027, the Commission wants “an EU wide military mobility area with harmonised rules and procedures and a network of land corridors, airports, seaports, and support elements ensuring unhindered transport of troops and military equipment across the Union in close co-ordination with Nato.”

Many ask whether Europe can survive an assault from Russia without help from the USA.

… “with the pooled resources of member-states, Europe could have the second most powerful military in the world. Add Britain and it is a grouping with two nuclear powers, UK and France.”

French President Emmanuel Macron could say “Europe has the economic strength, power and talent to compare ourselves to the United States.” Obviously, Europe would stand tall in any coming multi-polar world.

It also has the wealth and technological know-how to defend itself without the US.

Ben Schreer, Europe executive director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, says if its countries unite and acquire the right equipment, Europe “could pose a serious conventional and nuclear deterrent to Russia. Europe by itself has the capacity and resources to defend itself. It’s just a question of whether it is willing to.”

Indeed. In 2023 ‘Powerful Europe Needed’ noted that after 75 years of over-reliance on the US through NATO, Europe developed complacency and a “lazy transatlanticism”. It largely ignored the mandate of its 2017 Lisbon Treaty “to develop and operate defence capabilities together”, aiming for “swift and seamless movement of military personnel and assets throughout the EU” and a “full spectrum of defence capabilities for national and multinational missions”.

But things are changing. Moritz Graefrath, postdoctoral fellow in security and foreign policy, writes that European countries will improve their own capabilities when they can no longer rely on US to defend them, creating “an even stronger Europe”.

Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, says “Europe is truly capable of winning any military, financial, economic confrontation with Russia – we are simply stronger.”

Europe has started believing in its strength. Not surprising. The ten largest standing armies of the EU, along with Britain’s, exceed 1.7 million personnel. The Military Balance 2025 report reveals that some larger EU nations have weapons to outmatch Russia’s armoury. These include aircraft carriers, amphibious ships, fighter jets, ground-attack jets, F-35 stealth fighters and modern tanks, including German Leopards and British Challengers.

France and Britain are nuclear powers that deploy ballistic missile submarines. There is already talk of extending the nuclear umbrella to all of Europe. Macron is convinced it is the way to stop Russia’s aggression farther into Europe.

“We are entering a new era. Peace is no longer guaranteed on our continent.”

Europe is getting battle-ready. On its own. Defence budgets are rising sharply on the continent. The EU’s Defence Readiness 2030 Roadmap, released last month, seeks to ensure alignment, avoid duplication, maximise efficiency and “bring greater coherence to Europe’s defence ramp-up”.

The EU is taking steps to improve its military forces without US help. Last year six European countries united to develop ground-launched cruise missiles, increase munitions production capacity and diversify their supplier base for military hardware.

They are “building independent defence capabilities and reducing reliance on US security guarantees”. This is the ‘Strategic Autonomy’ that will render European space inviolable and make the continent stand very tall in the coming multi-polar world.

The European Union (EU) is an economic powerhouse with 27 member states in a single market of over 440 million people, the second-largest economy in the world by nominal GDP. Expanding hugely through trade and investment relations with countries and blocs of nations throughout the world – Asia, Africa and Latin America- that include regional powerhouses China, India, Brazil and South Africa.

Most importantly, Europe’s strong and proven commitment to multilateralism and rules-based arrangements make it a trustworthy magnet for global alliances in any coming geopolitical competition.

Any dream anyone had of Europe being turned into some strongman’s sphere of influence had better think again. Europe is that emerging superpower politically, militarily and economically. Trinidad and Tobago, “open for business” and needing foreign investment for its recently announced Revitalisation Blueprint, must surely take note.

[ Editor- For the Blueprint to succeed the POS port must be top priority to preserve PEACE. T&T can emulate the Dominican Republic and immediately authorise USA to build a NAVAL BASE AND RADAR STATION on CHACACHACARE.

This STRANDED ASSET is a prime CITADEL and natural SENTINEL protecting port and islands. Like its WW2 predecessor, a US Naval Base will create jobs, prosperity and permanent security to attract investors visitors. NOW is the TIME to DEVELOP, INNOVATE and DIVERSIFY.

Relocate Sea Lots folks to public housing to produce crafts, souvenirs, utensils, fashion, pharmaceuticals, music instruments etc from bamboo and cotton in POS Jail with experts from India.

Replace TT currency with the U.S. dollar, the world’s dominant currency which, with USA economic and geopolitical preeminence, contributed to a vast increase in global trade and capital flows. A form of discipline which helps control inflation, USD will guarantee Forex security and end misery of SMEs. Gaining a mandate and US trust, UNC can advance dollarization, free from Caricom constraints.

BEWARE PRC expanding T&T tentacles after escalating espionage against ally UK, luring dons and MPs with a new embassy, posing a dangerous threat to UK and global security. PRC spies on data sets with technology, intellectual property, process knowledge, financial, personal, health and other information to train artificial intelligence, influence opinion and exploit vulnerabilities.

A MEGA-MINISTRY can coordinate revitalisation. Merger of an excessive 27 ministries to 20 can cut costs. Combine Defence & Security, Justice & AG, People/Family/Social & Culture/Community & Sport, Housing & Utilities, Education & Tertiary Education, Planning & Trade. The UK with 60 million people has 24 Ministries

PRIORITISE USA OVER AFRICA for investment, security, reliability and prosperity. Rife with corruption, AU gave no aid to disaster victims after claiming Caricom. . Over 52 million around the Gulf of Guinea face hunger during 2025. Nigeria practises religious persecution and politicians launder revenue in Caribbean tax havens. The AU can help itself and the diaspora by harnessing Sahara solar power to electrify the continent, rich in mineral and agricultural resources. This will reduce Sahara dust polluting air in the Caribbean Sea and fertilising Sargassum weed which pollutes the shore and stymies tourism.

DIVEST PROFITABLE ANGOSTURA to fund health care with T&T punch-drunk from homicides. BAN TOBACCO, VAPES, TATTOOS, CASINOS, IMPORTS of FAKES and JUNK FOOD to preserve health. CARONI RACE TRACK is ideal for horticulture to cultivate corn, banana, pomegranate and cocoa to cut the food bill and promote health as NCD mount. Another race course will dent a compromised ethical image. Armia Race Course can be upgraded for families to participate in sport and train jockeys. ]

CAF to invest US$40B in LAC growth

2025, 11/11

The Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) announced US$40 billion investment over the next five years to finance sustainable growth and strengthen climate action, with emphasis on a just energy transition, water security, sustainable mobility, agricultural prosperity and the conservation of key strategic ecosystems for the planet such as the Amazon, Patagonia, high-mountain wetlands and mangroves.

CAF is a development bank committed to supporting the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and improving the quality of life in the region. A release explained that with these financial resources, CAF would consolidate a portfolio that combines project financing, promotion of sustainable public policies, impact investments, green credit lines to financial institutions, use of innovative instruments (such as debt-for-nature swaps and sustainability-linked loans) and collaboration with subnational governments to ensure that financing reaches all citizens.

Executive president of CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, Sergio Díaz-Granados, said, “This is an unprecedented investment by a development bank in Latin America and the Caribbean, demonstrating our commitment to a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous region.

In 2021, we set the goal of becoming the Green Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean and projected that at least 40 per cent of approvals would be green by 2026. We achieved that goal in 2024. With today’s announcement, we are increasing our green financing target to 50 per cent by 2030.”

The CAF announcement coincides with the EU-CELAC summit in Santa Marta, Colombia, which aims to deepen European cooperation and investment in the region.  The EU-CELAC relationship has the potential to boost sustainable development in both regions, with major investment opportunities under the Global Gateway initiative.

Home to 60 per cent of the planet’s biodiversity and generating 30 per cent of its energy from renewable sources, LAC represents a key partner for the EU in advancing the green transition.

Funds would be directed to the following priority areas:

*Just energy transition
LAC has enormous potential in renewable energies such as solar, wind, natural gas, hydropower, and geothermal. To promote a just transition, CAF would focus on decarbonising the electricity, transport, and productive sectors while ensuring energy security and affordability to improve community well-being.

CAF would allocate US$ 10 billion in approvals by 2030 to advance a just energy transition.

*Resilience, strategic ecosystems and the agricultural sector
Amid threats from deforestation, mining, intensive agriculture and climate change, CAF would promote adaptation, climate resilience, and an ecosystem-based approach. The strategy values the richness of terrestrial and marine-coastal ecosystems through conservation and sustainable-use interventions, the blue economy and disaster-risk management, while strengthening regenerative and sustainable agricultural opportunities.

*Resilient territories
CAF aims to enhance water security through access to safe drinking water, sanitation and the management of droughts and floods. At the same time, it seeks to develop sustainable urban and mobility systems and strengthen the creative and tourism economies, promoting models of urban regeneration and infrastructure development that are in harmony with nature.

*Physical and digital infrastructure
To close the infrastructure gap, estimated at about 5 per cent of regional GDP annually, CAF promotes physical connectivity and digital transformation within a regional-integration framework. This includes sustainable transport, logistics and energy infrastructure projects alongside digital-transformation initiatives.

CAF also intends to mobilise third-party financing sources, such as issuance of sustainable bonds and access to green and climate funds, and to foster partnerships among governments, civil society, international organisations, NGOs, and the private sector.

A key component would be close collaboration with subnational and municipal governments.

 

 

 

Trump intensifies pressure on Maduro as Senate eschews limit on military power

November 7th 2025

Despite the legislative setback, President Donald Trump continues to escalate his campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom he accuses of leading a regional narcotics network.

Alongside Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, Trump defended US military strikes. “We’re blowing up cartel terrorists linked to Maduro’s regime.”

Machado, addressing the forum by video link, expressed her full support for the US president:

“Maduro started this war, and President Trump is going to finish it,”

According to the Pentagon, the White House is weighing new intervention options, ranging from targeted strikes against Venezuelan military units to seizing control of the country’s oil fields.

Trump is reportedly exploring possible legal justifications for such actions, even as legal experts warn that any intervention would violate Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against a sovereign state.

“It would constitute an illegal invasion comparable to Russia’s attack on Ukraine,” said attorney Heather Brandon-Smith of the Friends Committee on National Legislation.

The US president kept his intentions deliberately ambiguous. He spoke of a “new phase” in his anti-narcotics campaign but denies planning a full-scale war.

His administration authorized CIA covert operations and doubled the reward for Maduro’s capture to US$50 million.

As the Gerald Ford carrier group crosses the Atlantic toward the Caribbean, the buildup Is a “war of nerves” aimed at pressuring Caracas. “There’s no doubt this campaign is designed to intimidate and bring down Maduro’s regime,” said John Walsh, director of drug policy at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA).

US Senate rejects resolution to curb Trump’s military actions in Venezuela

 

 

 

Machado vision for Venezuelan democracy

November 6th 2025 –

Machado was highly acclaimed by business leaders, officials, and Venezuelan diaspora representatives

Opposition leader María Corina Machado said during her telematic appearance at the Miami-held America Business Forum that if Venezuela were liberated, so should be Cuba and Nicaragua.

The first 100 days following the fall of Maduro’s Chavista regime would focus on food, medicine, security and order.

With the world’s largest oil reserves under democratic control, investments would soar. The Nobel Laureate insisted Venezuela would then become a regional engine of stability and hoped it would resurface after the dictatorship, which would in turn drive “the liberation of Cuba and Nicaragua.”

She dedicated her Nobel Prize to the courage and will of the Venezuelan people who united to confront the regime. She deemed US President Donald Trump the key to achieving a democratic transition. She endorsed Washington’s strategy of classifying Venezuelan drug cartels as transnational terrorist organizations and raising the reward for the capture of Maduro, who, in her view, is not a legitimate head of state, but the head of a “narco-terrorist structure” that wages war against the Venezuelan people and the region.

Machado warned about the serious involvement of PRC, Russia and Iran, claiming Venezuela had become a logistical base for criminal networks and adversaries of the US.

She mentioned:

1. Iran’s military presence, providing training, drones, technology and the use of the financial system for asset laundering (including groups like Hezbollah), with over 10,000 Venezuelan passports issued to facilitate movement;
2. Russia’s supply of weapons, intelligence and agents; and
3. PRC funds over US$60 billion in loans for unprecedented access and control over strategic resources (gold, minerals, rare earths) and information.

Machado described the massive citizen organization, involving over a million volunteers, that monitored the recent election, which had to “smuggle computers, scanners, printers” to disseminate the truth of their “overwhelming victory,” which was rejected by the regime.

In this scenario, her immediate priorities upon taking control would be citizen protection, securing borders and releasing over 170 political prisoners . The first 100 days would focus on providing fuel, security, medicine,and reestablishing economic order.

She highlighted the importance of restoring solid ties with neighbors such as Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. The latter which “will never have peace until Venezuela is free,”

Machado underscored while recalling that 80% of Venezuela’s population was in poverty despite having the world’s largest oil reserves. Her proposal includes an ambitious program of investments and privatizations, estimated at up to US$1.7 trillion in opportunities (energy, mining, infrastructure, technology), including a focus on Artificial Intelligence and tourism.

She promised the nearly nine million Venezuelans who fled that they “will be able to return” to a safe and prosperous nation.

 

 

 

US vs Venezuela – Why should Guyana be worried?

20 November 2025 Greg Quinn OBE www.aodhaninc.co.uk

The USS Gerald R Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world and its Carrier Strike Group joined the Marine Expeditionary Unit stationed in the southern Caribbean Sea led by the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima. Some 12 United States Navy offensive ships make this one of the largest such deployments to the region in decades.

President Trump is serious about taking on what he deems the drug kingpins, personified most obviously, by Maduro in Venezuela. The justification for the deployment, as laid out by the President and Secretary of Defense/War, Pete Hegseth, was that they are on a counter-narcotics mission to disrupt the flow of drugs and people into the USA.

Many believe the real plan is to somehow remove Maduro. What happens next is anyone’s guess. President Trump is nothing if not unpredictable.This unpredictability is bad for Guyana and it should be worried, because, regardless, Guyana is in a no-win situation.

Any action of any sort could destabilise both Guyana and the wider Caribbean region where PRC and Russia are active with significant economic investments and political interests. It is unlikely they will happily let the US act unchallenged. The danger of another proxy war a la Ukraine, in America’s backyard as opposed to Europe’s, is not beyond the bounds of possibility.

Such a proxy war would be significantly more dangerous in the Caribbean region given close proximity to the United States and how unpredictable Trump might be in response to PRC and Russian activity there. The reality is that the Administration’s actions beyond naval deployments were clearly designed to upset and seek reduction in PRC influence.

For Guyana it is not inconceivable that Trump will demand that it supports his ongoing (or enhanced) military action against Venezuela demanding that Guyana is either ‘with us or against us’.

‘With us’ will ensure ongoing support and economic advantage. Who knows what ‘against us’ will mean. Supporting Trump causes Guyana two fundamental problems. It goes against President Ali’s clear support for a ‘Caribbean Zone of Peace’ and will put Guyana at odds with the rest of the Caricom,  (with the exception of Trinidad and Tobago), which made clear their opposition to US actions.

Any significant action against Venezuela will likely cause Guyana broader internal social, economic and political problems because instability in Venezuela can have an impact on Guyana. That could be a result of more irregular immigration from Venezuela caused by economic collapse.

Tensions over existing immigration from Venezuela already exist and there is always the possibility that the Venezuelans will seek to do something in Guyana as a result of US action – kicking the weaker cupcake /friend of the US.

Even if Maduro is ousted, that has the potential to be problematic for Guyana. The opposition in Venezuela is no more pre-disposed to dropping the long-held claim to 2/3rds of Guyana’s territory than Maduro is. Indeed, historically, they have taken an even more hard line.

That leads to another question. Whether or not a more US-friendly regime in Venezuela could lead to the US being more sympathetic to Venezuela’s view on this? In this respect it is relevant to know the history of this controversy.

It was pressure from the US (clearly supporting Venezuela) on the UK (then the colonial power in British Guiana) that gave rise of the agreement which Venezuela has subsequently deemed, without any justification whatsoever, ‘null and void’. The Americans might say publicly this would never happen but Trump is President and he is focused on what is best for the US, regardless of what it said and promised before.

Guyana does hold some cards. Exxon and Chevron’s involvement leading Guyana’s petroleum industry gives it some leverage and influence. Exxon spent significant investment developing the largest find of a generation –over 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent – and it operates the fields. A stable and secure Guyana is therefore vital to Exxon. It will no doubt be using whatever influence it has on the Trump Administration. Ultimately this all means Guyana should be worried about anything the USA does. It has the potential to destabilise Venezuela and/or the region.

Guyana can plan for all eventualities and hope that good sense prevails in Washington DC. It should also use influence it has with other friends and allies (public and private) to encourage common sense and logic. Although these might be in short supply there.

Greg Quinn OBE , a former British diplomat served in Estonia, Ghana, Belarus, Iraq, Washington DC , Kazakhstan, Guyana (High Commissioner), Suriname ( Ambassador), The Bahamas (High Commissioner), Canada (as Consul General ) and Antigua and Barbuda ( British Commissioner). He now runs his own consultancy, Aodhan Consultancy Ltd

[EDITOR- CAVEAT EMPTOR. Hopefully Exxon and Chevron can acquire PRC stake in Stabroek Block after PRC tentacles, escalated espionage against ally UK, luring dons and MPs in a new embassy posing a dangerous threat to UK and global security. PRC spies on data sets with technology, intellectual property, process knowledge, financial, personal, health and other information to train artificial intelligence, influence opinion and exploit vulnerabilities. GUYANA AND T&T MUST BEWARE PRC AGENDA]

 

 

 

Deployment of Hurricane Disaster Assistance Response Team and Urban Search and Rescue Teams

October 30, 2025

The regional Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), activated by US Secretary Marco Rubio on October 29 in response to Hurricane catastrophic damage to the region, has deployed and will be on the ground today. The DART leads the U.S. Government’s humanitarian response at the authorization of President Donald J. Trump and is rapidly mobilizing to assist people of Jamaica, Haiti, the Bahamas, and Cuba.

The DART consists of disaster experts from across the Department of State, with 2 urban search-and-rescue teams from the fire departments of Virginia and California. The DART is responsible for assessing the situation, identifying priority humanitarian needs and leading the U.S. response.

The United States stands with Jamaica, Haiti, the Bahamas, and Cuba as they respond to the impacts of the hurricane and remains prepared to swiftly deliver emergency relief items to communities most severely affected.

 

 

UN COP30 Talk-Fest Ends with Mixed Results

Global Climate Action Agenda at COP 30 OUTCOMES REPORT (Link)

21 November 2025

UN climate summit in Brazil ended with mixed results. COP30 delivered a major win for climate resilience and saw important progress on tropical forests, local climate action and other key issues. But hoped-for roadmaps to eliminate fossil fuels and end deforestation did not materialize.

WRI President & CEO Ani Dasgupta stated, “COP30 delivered breakthroughs to triple adaptation finance, protect the world’s forests and elevate the voices of Indigenous Peoples like never before. This shows that even against a challenging geopolitical backdrop, international climate cooperation can still deliver results.

“But many will leave Belém disappointed that negotiators could  not agree to develop a roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels. Over 80 countries stood their ground for a fair and equitable shift off fossil fuels but intense lobbying from a few petrostates weakened the deal.

“At the last minute, negotiators incorporated a reference to a previous agreement on accelerating the climate transition in multiple sectors, and the Brazilian Presidency announced it would create fossil fuel and deforestation roadmaps outside of the formal negotiations. Now it’s up to President Lula and the Brazilian COP presidency to turn that into a strong and inclusive global plan to transition away from fossil fuels. An equally robust global plan for halting and reversing deforestation is just as essential.”

Other Outcomes

COP30 made meaningful strides in other key areas, including:

1. Increasing finance for climate action and forest
   conservation.
2. Strengthening climate action at the city, state and
   regional levels.
3. Incorporating trade into UN climate talks.
4. Linking climate action to new jobs and economic growth.
5. Putting people at the center of the low-carbon transition.

EXCERPTS ON Latin America and the Caribbean

Accelerating Climate Action

Hundreds of million hectares of forest, land and ocean protected or restored. Millions of farmers are transitioning to regenerative agriculture practices. Land rights of millions of Indigenous Peoples, traditional communities and Afro-descendant groups secured. A total of USD 9 billion in committed investment, covering more than 210 million hectares of land and reaching 12 million farmers across more than 90 agricultural and food commodities building resilience across entire value chains in over 110 countries by 2030. This is how we steward forests, oceans and biodiversity, and how we transform the agriculture and food

Axis 1 – Transitioning Energy, Industry and Transport

The IDB launched the Power Transmission Acceleration Platform  for Latin America and the Caribbean (PTAP), with Germany committing EUR 15 million to support grid expansion and modernization. This includes funding for 16 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, known as RELAC, targeting at least 80% renewable electricity by 2030.

Joint Declaration on Development and Promotion of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in Latin America: Six major groups representing farmers, biofuel producers, airlines, and energy sectors across Latin America and the Caribbean signed the declaration to turbocharge 9 the use of SAF. By bringing supply-side actors with demand-side aviation stakeholders, the region is unlocking its huge SAF production potential for aviation decarbonization. The declaration establishes 5 priority actions:

1. 1. 1. setting up unified fuel rules across the region,
      2. creating national laws that support it,
      3. establishing “farm-to-flight” supply chains,
      4. securing major funding, and
      5. building a regional roadmap for technical collaboration.

Signatories: IICA, CPBIO, IATA, ALTA, OLADE, LACAC. ALTA, OLADE, LACAC

(from COP 30 Evening Summary – November 14)

Other Solutions

USD 6 billion in new contingent and resilience-linked financing will be made available by 2030 through the Financial Instruments for Ready and Resilient (FIRRe) initiative across Latin America and the Caribbean. Using Climate Resilience Debt Clauses, contingent credit lines and risk-transfer solutions, the initiative helps governments respond rapidly to disasters while maintaining fiscal stability and protecting vulnerable populations.

● The IDB, CAF, Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) launched the Multi-Guarantor Debt-for-Resilience Joint Initiative, a pioneering mechanism to ease debt pressures and strengthen disaster preparedness across the Caribbean.

The initiative creates a framework to streamline multi-guarantor debt-for-resilience swaps, harmonizing standards and improving coordination among MDBs, governments, and private sector actors. Each transaction will align with national development and debt strategies.

The Coalition on Phasing Out Fossil Fuel Incentives Including Subsidies (COFFIS) presented a PAS encompassing its ongoing work on advancing coordinated approaches to promote transparency and develop guidelines to subsidy reform related to fossil fuels

The Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) was launched at COP30 – with USD 5.5 billion in commitments from sponsor countries, backed by strong endorsement and plans for delivery.

So far, 53 countries, including 34 tropical forest countries, have endorsed the Facility which has a long-term goal of USD 125 billion. And in a major shift, at least 20% of all the fund’s payments will flow directly to Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

● Also landing at COP 30, is the TFFF Country Access Platform, created to help forest countries meet eligibility requirements and access funds. This will connect countries with
technical partners, provide hands-on knowledge support, and facilitate South–South collaboration.

Fifteen governments endorsed the new Intergovernmental Land Tenure Commitment (ILTC), which establishes a goal to advance the ownership and protection of 160 million hectares of lands belonging to Indigenous Peoples, traditional communities, and Afro-descendant groups.

Commitments announced included 50 million hectares in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and 16 million in Colombia, along with 63 million hectares in Brazil. That includes plans in Brazil to secure 51 million hectares of already-demarcated Indigenous territories by removing land invaders and implementing territorial management plans.

It will also advance land regularisation for another 8 million hectares – 3 million through allocating public lands to Indigenous Peoples and 5 million through demarcating 54 new Indigenous Peoples territories. In addition, 4 million hectares will be designated for Afro-descendant communities, supporting the sustainable development and territorial strengthening of about 300 Quilombola territories over the next five years.

Mangrove Breakthrough: With a fundraising target of USD 80  million, the Mangrove Catalytic Facility (MCF), is designed to multiply the impact of every dollar invested in mangroves, serving as the catalytic mechanism to unlock and mobilize the Breakthrough’s overarching goal of USD 4 billion in sustainable finance for mangrove protection and restoration. Since 2020, the Mangrove Breakthrough has tracked more than 40 large-scale
operations (each exceeding USD 1 million), collectively mobilizing over USD 750 million in mangrove-positive investments.

○ To date, 46 governments—28 national and 18 subnational—have officially endorsed the Mangrove Breakthrough. Several endorsing countries—including Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, and Pakistan—have integrated ambitious mangrove targets into their NDCs under the Paris Agreement.

For example, Jamaica’s NDC 3.0 aims to protect approximately two-thirds of the island’s
mangrove forests by 2033 and restore 7,000 hectares by 2027.

The Mangrove Breakthrough NDC Task Force provided technical policy guidance to governments seeking to include mangroves within their NDCs, including through the launch of four new policy guidance resources that provide practical and concise guidance for integrating mangrove targets into NDCs.

● New Regional Readiness Reports launched at COP 30, developed by the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) supporting the Mangrove Breakthrough, illustrate how countries across Asia, the Americas, and West Africa can accelerate mangrove action.

These reports align funders, governments, and NGOs around regional trends, key threats, conservation and restoration potential, financing opportunities, and enabling policy conditions to drive system-level change for coastal ecosystems and communities.

14 New Countries Platforms Announced, Launch of Country Platform Hub. In a major step towards aligning global support and investments with national climate priorities, 13 countries and 1 region released plans to develop national platforms through the GCF readiness program.

A Country Platform Hub, integrating the COP 30 PAS to connect countries to technical assistance, knowledge, and funding, was also launched to 42 ensure that global support systems effectively respond to the needs of countries, rather than duplicating efforts. Country platforms support the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Report of the COP 30 Circle of Finance Ministers.

The announcements of the establishment of Platforms were made by Cambodia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, India, Kazakhstan, Lesotho, Mongolia, Nigeria, Oman, Panama, Rwanda, South Africa and Togo. The event also announced the launch of the Caribbean Regional Platform.

The Fostering Investible National Planning and Implementation (FINI) for Adaptation & Resilience led by the Atlantic Council’s Climate Resilience Center and the Natural Resources Defense Council, will aim to turn NAP – country-level roadmaps that outline how nations will prepare for and respond to climate impacts – from policy documents into investable plans that can attract real, large-scale funding from the private sector. FINI will identify vulnerable assets, assess the value of building resilience, and connect the right type of finance to the right projects.

The goal: develop project pipelines of USD 1 trillion in adaptation investment pipelines by 2028, with 20% coming from private investors, plus USD 500 million from multilateral agencies and philanthropies for risk assessment and to build local capacity for          implementation.

Additionally, it aims for a 25% rise in pre-arranged finance. The initiative brings together a vast collaboration: countries like Colombia, Peru; multilateral banks including the Asian Development Bank, IDB Invest; insurers such as Zurich, Howden and the Insurance Development Forum; investors like Gawa Capital, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change, the Lightsmith Group; global organizations and coalitions like UNDP, the UNEP FI, CDRI, V20, Global Green Growth Institute; philanthropies including the Gates Foundation,  European Climate Foundation; and data leaders like S&P Global.

USD 6 billion in new contingent and resilience-linked financing will be made available by 2030 through the Financial Instruments for Ready and Resilient (FIRRe) initiative across Latin America and the Caribbean. Using Climate Resilience Debt Clauses, contingent credit lines and risk-transfer solutions, the initiative helps governments respond rapidly to disasters while maintaining fiscal stability and protecting vulnerable populations.

● The IDB, CAF, Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) launched the Multi-Guarantor Debt-for-Resilience Joint Initiative, a pioneering mechanism to ease debt pressures and strengthen disaster preparedness across the Caribbean. The initiative creates a framework to streamline multi-guarantor debt-for-resilience swaps, harmonizing standards and improving coordination among MDBs, governments, and private sector actors. Each transaction will align with national development and debt strategies.

Regional declaration by Finance and Planning Ministers to align  public budgets with NDCs: Latin American and Caribbean countries join forces through a ministerial declaration under the Regional Climate Action Platform to embed the Brazilian methodology of climate expenditure identification in national budgets, aligning financial planning with emission reduction and adaptation targets.

A new global plan for Comprehensive Risk Management (CRM)  has been launched, aimed at integrating climate action and disaster risk reduction in at least 50 countries, with a focus on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Led by the Risk-Informed Early Action Partnership (REAP) and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the initiative aims to address the rising costs of climate disasters, which are projected to reach USD 2.3 trillion, by promoting a holistic governance approach that aligns disaster risk reduction with climate action. The plan aims to dismantle institutional silos, encourage cross-sector coordination, and align policies at multiple levels of governance to enhance resilience strategies and track adaptation efforts.

Launch of the Nature’s Intelligence Studio: Introducing the Amazon and other biodiverse regions as innovation hotspots, the Studio drives nature-inspired innovation for sustainable, local development. Led by the University of Oxford (TIDE Centre) with the National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) and the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), it will be based in Latin America and the Caribbean, initially in Belém. It will foster research, policy engagement, and model legislative templates to protect bio-inspired innovations and ensure benefit sharing for local innovators and communities safeguarding biodiversity’s bank.

 

 

 

Bermuda receives environmentally friendly ferry duo from Strategic Marine

November 18, 2025 Sara Kosmajac

Singapore-based shipbuilder Strategic Marine delivered a pair of low-emission catamaran ferries to Bermuda. Designed by Australia’s One2Three Naval Architects, the 40-meter-long newbuildings were delivered to the Bermudan government ahead of schedule. The handover of the units, which will be able to carry around 550 passengers, marks the first collaboration between Bermuda and the Singaporean vessel construction player,  according to Strategic Marine. The parties shook hands on this project around two years ago.

The environmentally friendly catamarans, which are now ready for deployment in Bermudan   waters, are built with features that would ensure operational efficiency as well as sustainable ferry services. The ferries were engineered to meet Bermuda’s current and future operational   requirements, with projections that they could lead to a carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction level of at least 25%, particularly when compared to the already deployed units on a passenger-mile basis.

Owen Darrell, JP, MP, Bermuda’s Minister of Tourism and Transport, Culture & Sport, remarked that the eco-conscious newbuilds could play a ‘significant’ role in supporting the country’s environmental goals and, at the same time, foster “long-term savings for the taxpayer”.

Strategic Marine had been given the technical acceptance for the aluminium catamaran duo in September this year, which marked the first step before the vessels’ handover and deployment. Despite global environmental regulations, particularly the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Net Zero Framework, which strives for climate neutrality by or around 2050,

Bermuda has kept pace with its sustainability targets. The territory’s vision is to minimize carbon emissions through a combination of energy and transport initiatives. Specifically, Bermuda’s key steps aimed at turning this strategy into reality include vehicle electrification, green infrastructure, marine conservation, as well as reaching 85% renewable energy by 2035 through the application of solar and wind power.

 

 

 

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO LAUNCHES TRANSFORMATION BLUEPRINT

7 November

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yes­ter­­day unveiled a mul­tibilli­on-­dollar vision to transform Trinidad and Tobago through econo­mic diversification and position the country as a global logistics hub. T&T is open for business and private partnerships and foreign investment can fund these megaprojects. The Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, rolled out the red carpet for the diplomatic corps, chambers of commerce, businesses and investors to view the plans first-hand.

A portal was launched for investors to express interest and obtain information on 129 projects including the Infinity Tower at Invaders Bay and Waterfront Residences in Port of Spain and Waterfront Hotel in the Plaza San Carlos restoration project in San Fernando.

Works and Infrastructure Minister Jear­lean John delivered a PowerPoint presentation entitled “Trinidad and Tobago’s Revitalisation Blueprint”, projected to spur a decade-­long construction boom, under 12 development nodes. These projects are aimed at totally transforming Trinidad on par with international standards in business, hou­sing, transportation and more.

Among them are the creation of a Tamana prison campus and judicial complex, consolidating all correctional facilities in one location, converting Carrera Island into a resort, total makeover of the capital city of Port of Spain, expansion of the port, and the creation of an industrial, maritime trade and free zone area in Sea Lots.

Isla Carrera Resort will feature a 75-room boutique hotel. There are megaprojects to devel­op San Fernando, Mayaro and other areas through initiatives that include convention and business centres, hotels, hospitals, financial hubs, and housing projects.

In the feature address, the Prime Minister said work has already begun to action these plans for a Skyline facelift.

“In the coming years, cranes will pierce the skyline of Port of Spain, dredgers will carve new horizons along San Fernando’s coast, bulldo­zers will ready the earth in Tamana and Golden Grove and scaffolding will rise like steel vines across our cities and towns.”

With a major challenge of unemployment, the first phase of the national recruitment drive will employ 20,000 people, while the second phase would create another 50,000 jobs through the massive infrastructural development programme.

During her recent visit to the US, productive discussions with the Crown Prince of Kuwait and representatives from Saudi Arabia, ma­de clear that T&T is open for business.

“This is the message I intend to echo globally.”

Countries such as the UAE and Singapore successfully transformed their economies away from dependence on the energy sector—and so, too, could T&T. There was a need to penetrate Latin American markets, which represent a reach of 60 million people.

“My Government has a plan to reach the international corridors of capital. Our transformation plan will create an ecosystem for investment, innovation and new economic activity.”

Diversification has been an elusive dream, too often a talking point without real action.

“But I give you this assurance: the projects we envision will not be white elephants or illusions of grandeur. They will be grounded in purpose, built to produce real results.”

To ensure this, she announced the establishment of oversight and governance committees. The first, chaired by the Office of the Prime Minister, will oversee project and capital allocation, examining priorities and ranking them from a developmental perspective. The second—the Economic Resilience Council and the Economic Development Board—will guide the diversification process, shape policy and monitor key levers of the economy.

This approach en­sures synergy and collaboration, not fragmen­tation. One team will focus on the diversifica­tion thrust and inte­gration with foreign affairs, trade and capital inflows. The other will ensure execution—that plans are translated into measurable outcomes.

No reckless spending

The public sector must get on board if the vision is to be realised. She intends to revisit the Public Service Manual to ensure greater accountability. These reforms will strengthen governance, improve project management, enhance audits and reporting,and ensure that every dollar spent is tied to performance.

Ministries will be held accountable through key performance indicators. Once these chan­ges take root, they will strengthen financial stability and lay the foundation for greater rewards—including foreign exchange generation, eco­nomic diversification and human development.

“We must align our economic levers and en­sure that everyone—eve­ry ministry, every State agency, every work­er—is moving in the same direction. There must be no red tape, no roadblocks, no unnecessary delays.“

She signalled upcoming legislative changes to address bureaucratic delays, noting that obtaining approvals currently takes an unreasonably long time. She assured there would be no financial mismanagement.

“I want to assure the nation that under my leadership, there will be no reckless spending. Every dollar will be gui­ded by fiscal responsibility and comprehensive reform.”

The Revitalisation Blueprint Programme would generate not only national development but also sustainable reve­nue streams, par­ti­c­­ularly in foreign exchange—as the country expands export-orien­ted industries and opens its economy to greater global participation.

“Our focus is on buil­ding sustainable, people-­centred communities.”

She acknowledged that a recurring question is how Government intends to fund these pro­jects and policies and declared the neces­sary resources would be found.

Foreign investment would be critical to the success of this transformation and Government would partner with other governments, international banks, regional development institutions and private investors who share the vision for growth, equity, and sustainability. A separate blueprint for Tobago would follow at a later date.

“I emphasise : Trinidad and Tobago is open for business—ready to welcome a wide range of proponents who want to invest, inno­vate and grow with us. Together, we will demonstrate what our State can and must become.”

T&T energy resources had long been the lifeblood of the economy and the foundation of its development, but the “time has come to embrace a realistic and forward-­looking diversification thrust—one where energy excellence and economic diversification co-exist, driving sustainable growth for generations to come.”

[This blueprint requires Protection at a US NAVAL BASE and RADAR on Chacachacare FORT.]

 

 

 

Groundwork for megaprojects has begun

7 November

Works and Infrastructure Minister Jearlean John says the groundwork has begun to prepare for revitalisation, with construction expected to start in 2026 on several billion-­dollar megaprojects.

The minister delivered a detailed presenta­tion outlining some of the 129 projects to be rolled out on a phased basis under 12 development nodes.

“This is not just pie in the sky, we didn’t just draw pretty pictures; we have world-class concepts to compete.”

Specially invited guests viewed a video presenta­tion showing what the final transformation of Trinidad would look like. Key speakers par­ticipated including regional investment banker Gregory Hill and international development specialist Christopher Peter Sinckler John said phase one of the programme, projected over 2025 to 2030, would generate 50,919 jobs.

Some of the projects highlighted are:

• Tamana Prison Campus The Government plans to consolidate justice services by closing  prisons on Carrera Island, the Port of Spain Pri­son ( closed) and the Golden Grove Prison.

Government proposes to open a 500-acre Tamana Prison Campus to house the Maximum Security Prison, judicial complex, administrative services, juvenile detention centre and more. Tamana Centre for Justice will include on­site courthouses and judicial buildings.

• Isla Carrera Resort  Carrera Island will be repurposed into a resort featuring a 75-room boutique hotel, with full amenities, bungalows, a marina and more.

• National Security Complex A National Security Complex will serve as a premier operational and strategic headquarters. This will be centred on a 40-acre unified National Security Campus. Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro was in attendance and said she was sure this must be his “vision come to life”.

• South-West Security Hub There will be a full upgrade of security facilities in Cedros and surroun­ding areas, including improved Customs and Immigration offices and a Border Protection Unit.

• New Port of Spain The minister detailed plans to transform the capital. The plan includes 400 acres of reclaimed land to expand the port, as other islands operate at larger capacity and T&T needs to scale up to compete.

She unveiled plans for a revitalised cruise ship complex, a Sea Lots Industrial Park and Free Trade Zone, and a modern transport hub to house the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) and interisland ferry.

There are also plans for dry-docking facilities.  Farther west towards Inva­der’s Bay, there are about 54 acres of reclaimed land, and Government plans to reclaim another 40 acres.   Construction plans include 300 premium waterfront apartments, five-star hotels, a 400-berth marina, convention centre and international financial centre.

• San Fernando Waterfront Plans include a total transformation of the San Fernando Waterfront, featuring a marina, hotels,  amphitheatre, and more.  Constructing the Plaza San Carlos on reclaimed land will feature waterfront shops and 1,800 residences.  A health city is also proposed for San Fernando.

• San Fernando to Mayaro Highway The Government propo­ses to link the energy capital of San Fernando to Mayaro with a 100-kilometre highway.

“That is already going out to tender. We have the first phase of that road from Ta­rouba to Princes Town alrea­dy out for tender.”

• Port of Galeota Tenders will also be issued to consolidate services under a new project in Ga­leota.

• Central Government Campus The Government also plans to decentralise services with a 100-acre megacomplex.  Plans are already being actioned to repurpose proposed sites.

“We are rolling out now, we are actually rolling out today. We are expecting du­ring the construction stage,  we are going to be creating over 50,919 jobs with the private sector.”

She provided timelines, saying that expressions of interest (EOIs) were issued via QR codes yesterday, directing investors to an e-tender portal, open until mid-January. Evaluation and award of requests for propo­sals (RFPs) are projected for April 2026 through 2028 in different “waves”.

The ministry expects “boots on the ground” by August 2026 and established booths at the Hyatt Regency for investors seeking more information.

“If it is we do this the way we are laying it out today, in  2030, you will not recognise this country.”

 

 

Dominican Republic :

IMF Executive Board Concludes 2025 Article IV Consultation

November 18, 2025

Growth in the Dominican Republic is projected to pick up in the period ahead, underpinned by the authorities’ supportive policies. This follows a slowdown in late 2024 and the first half of 2025 due to increased uncertainty and tighter financial conditions.

The Dominican Republic has strong economic fundamentals and policy space to respond should risks materialize, leaving it well-positioned to weather continued global uncertainty.

Fiscal and structural reform efforts, especially for the electricity sector, are key to boosting medium-term growth prospects and further bolstering resilience, including to natural disasters.

Washington, DC: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the Article IV Consultation for the Dominican Republic[1] on November 12, 2025.  The authorities need more time to consider the publication of the Staff Report prepared for this consultation.[2]

The Dominican Republic’s (DR) growth slowed in late 2024 and the first half of 2025 largely due to increased uncertainty and tighter financial conditions. There are preliminary signs that economic activity is reviving, with credit, exports, and tourism growth all picking up in recent months, underpinned by supportive monetary and fiscal policies. Inflation remains close to target and is expected to average 3.7 percent in 2025. External balances are in line with fundamentals and desirable policies.

The current account deficit is expected to narrow further this year to 2.5 percent of GDP, on the back of robust exports and remittances, and is fully financed by foreign direct investment (FDI).

Growth is expected to accelerate to 4.5 percent in 2026 then converge to its long-term trend of 5 percent, while inflation is forecast to remain around the 4 percent ± 1p.p target. The current account deficit is expected to remain around 2½ percent and continue to be fully financed by FDI. The government’s deficit and debt are projected to gradually decline, in part due to the expected reduction of electricity sector losses and improved targeting of energy subsidies. This will also help to create space for planned increases in public investment.

The balance of risks is tilted to the downside, but the DR is well- positioned to weather them. External risks from global financial conditions and heightened uncertainty remain, as does the DR’s vulnerability to natural disasters. But the DR has strong economic fundamentals and policy space to respond should these risks materialize.

On the upside, the DR could benefit from trade diversion and FDI inflows stemming from changes in global trade policies. Domestically, delays in implementing the authorities’ reform and public investment plans could pose a downside risk to growth, while robust implementation would create upside “risks” to growth.

Executive Board Assessment[3]

Executive Directors commended the Dominican Republic’s sustained efforts to strengthen policies and institutions and advance business‑friendly reforms, driving the strong macroeconomic performance over the past two decades. Directors welcomed that growth is expected to accelerate and inflation remain well‑anchored. They agreed that while downside risks persist, the country is well positioned to absorb shocks, given its strong fundamentals and policy space. Notwithstanding the strong fundamentals, Directors encouraged the authorities to continue with their prudent policies and steadfast implementation of the reform agenda to accelerate growth and enhance resilience.  Directors encouraged the authorities to maintain prudent fiscal policies and support increased public investment, in line with the medium‑term fiscal framework and Fiscal Responsibility Law.

They welcomed the planned consolidation, focused on revenue mobilization and improving spending efficiency, including by removing generalized subsidies while safeguarding necessary social spending. A well‑communicated medium‑term revenue trategy could help lay the groundwork for broader fiscal reform.

Directors noted that full implementation of the Electricity Pact is essential to limit fiscal risks and ensure resilience.

Directors concurred that the monetary policy stance is broadly appropriate. They underscored that strengthening the monetary transmission mechanism would help to reinforce the effectiveness of the inflation targeting framework.

Accordingly, Directors encouraged efforts to advance a comprehensive and clearly communicated strategy to gradually wind down exceptional liquidity measures. Furthering domestic financial markets development would also support policy transmission. Directors highlighted the need for continued exchange rate flexibility, with interventions focused on smoothing large shocks and rebuilding buffers to bolster external stability.

Directors noted that the banking system remains healthy and systemic risks are limited.  They commended the progress on enhancing the financial sector supervisory and regulatory framework. The adoption of Basel II and III standards, development of a macroprudential policy toolkit, and strengthening of the AML/CFT framework remain key priorities.

Directors welcomed the ambitious structural reform agenda, aimed at boosting the  country’s potential growth and achieving high‑income status as envisioned in the Meta2036 Plan. They noted that efforts to further improve governance, advance labor and social security reforms, and efficiently invest in infrastructure,  education, and health are essential to achieve these goals.

Notingthe progress made, Directors concurred that the Dominican Republic’s high vulnerability to natural disasters requires a comprehensive approach to mitigating risks and building resilience.  Important measures include enhancing the disaster risk management frameworks and deepening natural disaster considerations in fiscal policy.

 

 

 

IMF reviews Western Hemisphere economy,

November 7th 2025

Nigel Chalk, Director of the Western Hemisphere Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), highlighted the importance offiscal consolidation and structural reforms to bolster resilience and growth potential, particularly amid shifting global conditions. The interview coincided with the launch of the IMF’s Economic Outlook for the Americas report.

The IMF Director warned that smuggling and drug trafficking pose a significant obstacle to growth by undermining investment and productivity. Criminality imposes substantial costs on businesses and public finances, diverting resources away from other priorities.

Addressing this requires a comprehensive policy response combining macroeconomic stability, inclusive growth, stronger institutions, and increased regional cooperation.

 

 

OAS, CEAL join forces for development

2025, 11/10

The Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, welcomed the agreement to strengthen cooperation between the public and private sectors in the economic, social, and educational development of the region, particularly to support Haiti.

“The signing of this document is a milestone for us, and I am pleased that one of the areas of cooperation includes not only financial inclusion, employment, education, and food security, but also support for Haiti.”

He is confident that the partnership involving the Latin American Business Council (CEAL) and the OAS…

“will be the beginning of a long-standing relationship, not only with regard to Haiti but many other places where we will be able to assist.”

CEAL brings together private business leaders from 19 countries in Latin America, Puerto Rico, Miami, and the Iberian Peninsula, who are committed to a “Borderless America,”  promoting the exchange of experiences, the promotion of investment, and integration among entrepreneurs.

This partnership was formalised following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the 36th CEAL Plenary Assembly in Washington last week.

CEAL President, Roberto J. Zamora, said, “This agreement represents a great opportunity for a new era amid so many changes taking place in the world: politicians cannot solve problems alone, and neither can businesspeople. If we come together to confront economic challenges and promote development of our countries, it is a winning formula.”

“Now, the important thing is to make this a reality; not to leave it at the signing of a protocol, but to move forward on issues of interest for economic development. And we are going to put it to the test with a very difficult task: Haiti.”

Haiti has been facing socio-economic and political problems following assassination of President Jovenelle Moise in July 2021. Since then, efforts have been made to try and stabilise the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country with the United Nations Security Council recently approving a resolution allowing for a Gang Suppression Force (GSF), a multinational security force to combat escalating gang violence.