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headline

More Than 50 Dead in Haiti Gasoline Truck Explosion

Blast occurred in the city of Cap-Haitien

The Associated Press · Posted: Dec 14, 2021

A truck carrying gasoline exploded in northern Haiti, killing more than 50 people and injuring dozens of others, officials said Tuesday.

The blast occurred late Monday in the city of Cap-Haitien, Prime Minister Ariel Henry said. He went on to say that he was devastated.

“Three days of national mourning will be decreed throughout the territory, in memory of the victims of this tragedy that the entire Haitian nation is grieving,” he tweeted.

Henry said his administration was deploying field hospitals to the area to help those affected.

Dozens of bodies lay on the street hours after the explosion as a small crowd stood around them.

No further details were immediately available. Police didn’t immediately return calls requesting information.

Homes burned

Patrick Almonor, deputy mayor of Cap-Haitien, told The Associated Press that at least 53 deaths were reported and more than 100 people were injured in the explosion that burned around 20 homes near the site. He said he expects the number of deaths to keep rising because people who died in their homes have not yet been counted.

“It’s horrible what happened,” he said. “We lost so many lives.”

Almonor said a local hospital is in dire need of more nurses, doctors and basic medical supplies to help those injured.

“We are overwhelmed,” a person identified as Dr. Calhil Turenne told Le Nouvelliste newspaper.

Dave Larose, a civil engineer who works in Cap-Haitien, told The Associated Press that he was driving when he saw ambulances and a crowd of people gathered along a road around 1 a.m. local time.

Fuel shortage

He said he observed how some people were using buckets to scoop up gasoline from the truck and the street to take back to their house. The explosion occurred as Haiti struggles with a severe shortage of fuel and spiraling gas prices.

“It’s terrible what our country has to go through” Larose said.

Former prime minister Claude Joseph also mourned the victims, tweeting: “I share the pain and sorrow of all the people.”

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Govt. to pay double salary

Today is Budget Day in St Kitts and Nevis where Prime Minister and Minister of Finance  Dr Timothy Harris will present the Annual Financial Statement and Budgetary proposals for 2022.

Stay tuned to this article where we will provide updates on the major elements within the presentation.

Refresh regularly to see the latest updates.

========================================================

1:00- That is all from us for today’s presentation tomorrow the opposition leader will have his chance to respond to the PMs presentiation.
12:26- Fiscal Measures and Interventions 
All civil servants will before Christmas receive a double salary Dr Harris announced to loud cheers.
“This is a historic development and I want to commend them for saying how please they are. The entire country looks forward to this.”
He said they do so for a number of reasons but importantly but mainly for being a “compassionate government.”
“We understand even as we meet here thousands of persons are still suffering. Thousands are still not fully engaged in our hotels and our restaurants we appreciate that and they need some help.”
12:22-He said they are positive about 2022.
“Positive in the context of the predictions of the IMF and the statistics department the country will grow in double-digit terms.”
Dr Harris noted that total revenue and grants will be comprised of just over $430M and from taxes, we will generate $460M and $15.5M via development aid and is not anticipating having to take on debt
On the expenditure side $910 million by the end of 2022. $728.6M for recurrent expenditure and $180.9M for capital expenditure and net lending.
“If all things remain the same we anticipate we will realise an overall surplus of 4M a primary surplus of 21.8M for the fiscal year 2022.”
He anticipated they will eliminate the need to borrow and we will allow the government to attain the goal of a 60% debt to gdb ratio by 2023.
12:16– He said they are reasonably projecting that in 2021 there will be a surplus
“Over the period 2022 to 2024 it is projected would on average result in an overall surplus of about $900,000.”
Recurrent revenue he said is projected at around $853M and recurrent expenditure is projected at $723M.
He said they are on target to realize a comeback in the economy and it will be in a better place.

12:05-National Security

He said that National Security continues to be a top prerogative of the team unity administration
“We have put forward 80.1M to assist that particular Ministry.”
Hoped national security head will use the investment well.
“We will continue our efforts to keep the country safe and none can deny that St Kitts and Nevis in 2021 is far more at peace and far safer than it was up to 2014.
“The primary responsibility of the state must be to protect the people from harm. When it comes to national security preserving the peace we make no apology for investing.”
Noon Healthcare
the Finance Minister said the money provided for healthcare will help to provide necessary resources to fund additional medical professionals and we need them.
 
A general surgeon, urologist, oncologist, orthopaedic surgeon, ear nose and throat specialist will all be recruited for the health institutions.
 
“We will provide me with diagnostic services with the introduction of a new MRI machine to be installed at the JNF General Hospital for the first time.”
 
He said support for health centres will continue including the renovation work of the health centre in Basseterre.
 
“The future for our health systems look promising and we can take comfort that our investments which have been proposed will lead to 2022.”
11:55 Cannabis
The prime minister said St. Kitts and Nevis are working hard to seize all opportunities within the cannabis industry.
“Our federation will seek to collaborate with neighbouring islands in the sub-region and wider Caribbean as well as to establish relationships with global cannabis professionals and entities to build a thriving cannabis industry here.”
11:50 CBI Programme
Dr Harris noted the ability of the Federation to weather the economic storm caused by the pandemic was significantly influenced by the continued success of the CBI program.
He added that the CBI program has maintained its ranking as one of the best in the industry.
The program he said received the highest score in the citizenship timeline pillar as a result of the accelerated application process.
“We have transformed our CBI we have come a long way from the difficult period in 2014. “
“The robust procedures that are embedded in the program have enabled us to maintain our platinum brand and has ensured we take a significant share in the major markets around the world.”

11:35- Tourism
He said this sector has borne the full brunt of the economic fall out of the pandemic.

Dr Harris noted experts in the travel industry who are hopeful for a return to pre-pandemic global travel levels by 2023.

“My government has initiated a strategy for putting the tourism sector back on track. Our strategy is designed to allow the sector to act as a catalyst for substantial economic growth and development through the creation of employment, spurring entrepreneurship and infrastructure development.”

11:30–Agriculture

He said the goal of the government is to produce more of what is consumed and it continues to align with the commitment to making strides in achieving sustainable development goals.

“The injection of boost the production of the agricultural sector ensure greater food security has helped in this regard. Month after month we have had strong positive returns in crops, livestock and in the fisheries sector.

“We are happy our stimulus package has aided our fisherfolk and farmers in making progress and earning better livelihoods.”

11:27– D Harris said in the medium term, the outlook for the construction sector is positive per cent expect to have a growth rate of 11.7 percent in 2022.
“We are working to ensure the construction sector is back on track in 2022 and sustained in the medium term.”

 

11:25– he said the economic challenges have had little impact on the public sector debt.

The prime minister announced that the debt to GDP ratio increased from 54.3% at the end of 2019 to 67.9% at the end of 2020.
“The 13.6 percentage point decline in economic activity in 2020 was the primary reason for the increase in the debt ratio. As a result of our stimulus packages we are already seeing a rebound in economic activity and this will bring a further positive re-alignment of our debt to GDP ratio.”
11:20–The Minister of Finance deficit of 63M in 2020 but deemed it necessary to continue programs that would result in job creation and spur economic activity in our key sectors.
This was a direct commitment to investing in our people even in the face of the worst health and economic crisis which resulted in diminished revenues and required a much larger outlay of expenditure in certain areas.

11:15–  Adress the Domestic Economy he said as the pandemic continues to test the fortitude and resilience of our citizens and residents and our economy at large.

He disclosed the Team Unity Administration maintained its record of being a good steward of government finances.
“Substantial stimulus packages and considerable capital projects remained that would boost economic activity”

11:13–Dr Harris says that in 2022 the global downside risk includes supply chain disruption, the ongoing social unrest in parts of the world. Geopolitical tensions that have emerged the cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and the impact of severe natural disasters.

He added that the economies in the ECCU recorded a decline in real GDP of 14% in 2020. The decline in economic activity was attributed to significant contributions in key sectors. Tourism fell by 63.2%.

“Across the Currency Union member states suffered a decline in economic activity ranging from 2.7% to 23.8%.

“The 2022 growth prospects within the currency union are now at 6.9% and would be contingent on a number of variables.”

 

11:04-He said they are taking a cautiously optimistic view to 2022.

“These proposals are setting the wheels in motion to advance our plans to get St Kitts and Nevis back on track.”

11:00– He said it will not only assist the government assist investing in its people.

“When you have $100M investment in education you know we are talking people investment. When you hear $73M for Healthcare you know we are talking people investment.”

He said will build resilience in response to the pandemic.

10:55–  Recommended the following allocations which represent proposals for recurrent and capital expenditure and net lending and principal payments.

The Governor-General they have provided $1.73M; for the working of the Parliament $1.97M; the Audit Office $1.27M; Justice and Legal Affairs $12.3M; The Office of the Prime Minister $110M; National Security is allocated $80M; The Ministry of International Trade Industry $5.3M; The Ministry of Finance $300M; Social Development and Gender Affairs $42.7M; Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources is allocated $20.2M; Tourism and Transport $32.7M; Public Infrastructure and Post 59M; Education gets $104M, Health gets $73M; Youth Sports and Culture get $11.7M; Sustainable Development gets $25M; Foreign Affairs and Aviation$25M; The Office of the Attorney General gets $12.3M; Labour gets $7.06M; Human Settlement and Ecclesiastical Affairs and National Health Insurance get $11.5M; Environmental and Cooperatives $2.9M; Entrepreneurship and Communications $9.28M for a total expenditure of $952M.

10:47–Dr Harris announces the allocation of $952.2M to support recurrent and capital expenditure as well as to cover our principal payments.

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Garth Dennis Of Black Uhuru Dead After Celebrating 72nd Birthday

by Ramona Samuels

 

CNW- n December 2, Garth Dennis, a founding member of Grammy award-winning reggae band Black Uhuru, celebrated his 72nd birthday in good spirits; a week later, he died suddenly.

His death was confirmed by international music business consultant Lloyd Stanbury who told the Gleaner that the news of the musician’s death is like a “double blow” amongst close friends.

“This is really difficult for everyone who knows Garth. Most of the musicians would have heard of Robbie Shakespeare’s passing two days prior, and they were united in many ways. Mykal [Rose], who was with the group, having just lost Robbie, was in great distress to hear of another on Friday,” he said.

Garth is known amongst his peers as a humble man. His contribution to reggae music came with the pioneering reggae band Black Uhuru in the 1970’s, with the original members who recorded the memorable hits “Folk Songs” “Time Is On Our Side” and “Slow Coach” before separating.

In 1984, Black Uhuru made history as the first Jamaicans ever to win the prestigious Grammy award for their album Anthem. Soon after, a falling out with a band member, caused him to move on to record with another group, the Wailing Souls, singing hits like ‘Things & Time’, ‘Jah Jah’ Give Us Life to ‘Live’, ‘Waterhouse Rock’, ‘Very Well’, ‘Sweet Sugar Plum Plum’, and ‘Old Broom’.

Several posts from his musical colleagues have been made on social media pages including that of reggae star Junior Reid who replaced the singer after leaving Black Uhuru. His former band members of the Wailing Souls have also been reminiscing about his life and stellar contribution to reggae music and the Jamaican culture on the international scene.

Garth has left behind his wife, two sons and grandchildren.

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Grenada: 7 Dead Adult Males Found Decomposed in a Drifting Dinghy

The Royal Grenada Police Force has officially confirmed that the bodies of seven adult males were found in a vessel drifting near Carriacou.

It states officers assigned to the Northern Division responded to a report of a drifting vessel in the vicinity of Gun Point, Carriacou on December 12.

The boat was retrieved and toured to Harvey Vale by the Grenada Coast Guard, where seven adult male bodies were discovered in a decomposed state.

Specialised units of the force are presently analysing personal effects and devices found onboard the vessel, following which, a comprehensive update will be provided.

Police investigations are ongoing.

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World View: Long Recovery from Tornado Damage, S. Korea Record Covid Deaths, Miss America at 100, More

Dec 14, 2021

Alternate text

The Associated Press

The Rundown

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MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) — Workers, volunteers and members of the National Guard were spreading across tornado-damaged areas of Kentucky to assist with recovery tasks ranging from replacing thousands of damaged utility poles to delivering bottles of…Read More

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection has voted to recommend contempt charges against former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows as lawmakers revealed a series of frantic texts he received as the a…Read More

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Trey and Meghan Rackley and their three daughters sought shelter in a windowless bathroom in their southeast Missouri home as storms raged across the country’s midsection. To prove they were in their “safe space” with the storm approaching Fri…Read More

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea on Tuesday marked its deadliest day of the pandemic as an unrelenting, delta-driven spread stretched thin hospitals and left people dying while waiting for beds. …Read More

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Friday marks 10 years since Kim Jong Un, the third generation of his family to rule North Korea, took power after his father’s sudden heart attack. Initially considered inexperienced, Kim quickly showed his ruthless …Read More

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force has discharged 27 people for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, making them what officials believe are the first service members to be rem…Read More

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian military buildup near Ukraine has raised fears in Kyiv and the West that Moscow might invade its neighbor. The tensions over Ukraine come amid a new…Read More

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — A line from a speech given from the U.S. Senate floor before rioters broke into the Capitol on Jan. 6 tops a Yale Law School librarian’s list of the …Read More

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Barbados Can Be a Beacon for the Region

The Caribbean’s newest republic must avoid the corruption that has hampered Trinidad and Tobago and use its presidency to ensure good governance

by Kenneth Mohammed

Guardian

Guardian- The charismatic prime minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, elevated her country’s status in the world with her stinging speech at Cop26 in Glasgow last month.

This speech resonated throughout the West Indies, a region that has largely been devoid of a strong leader to give these vulnerable small island developing states (SIDS) a voice in the climate crisis debate.

The survival of SIDS such as Barbados depends on the finance to invest in measures to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5C, which was the Paris agreement’s main objective.

Mottley called on all leaders of developed countries to step up their efforts as she outlined a solution embodied in flexible development finance.

First, create a loss and damage fund made up of 1% of revenues from fossil fuels (which she estimated would amount to about $70bn, or £50bn, a year), accessible only to countries that have suffered a climate disaster and loss of 5% of their economy.

In addition, Mottley demanded special drawing rights (SDR) of $500bn a year over the next two decades, to accompany the proposed $50bn IMF resilience and sustainability trust targeted at the most vulnerable countries.

SDRs – funds from the IMF to supplement countries’ reserves – are allocated to countries according to the size of their economy. Sadly, and counterintuitively, richer nations receive most of the support. However, G20 members have graciously agreed to reallocate some of this money to nations with lesser resources.

A few weeks later, Mottley, a strong advocate for reparations for slavery and colonisation, was again in the news as Barbados instituted significant constitutional change to become a republic. By removing Queen Elizabeth as their head of state, and replacing her with President Sandra Mason, Barbados, an island with a population of about 290,000, joined Dominica, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago, all of which became republics in the 1970s. However, like the other Caribbean nations, Barbados remains part of the Commonwealth.

A significant but often overlooked fact is that Barbados performs well on Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index (CPI) and its global corruption barometer. In the 2020 CPI, Barbados scored 64 and was ranked 24th out of 179 countries, leading the Caribbean. The worst-performing country in the region was Trinidad and Tobago, which scored 40 and ranked 86th.

Trinidad and Tobago, one of the world’s oldest oil-producing countries, a republic since 1976 and a developing country with a high income, is today suffering from the real long-term effects of the “resource curse”, corruption and decades of poor and myopic leadership.

The main avenue that facilitates corruption in Trinidad and Tobago, as well as most other Caribbean islands, is through government procurement by ministries and state-owned enterprises, rewarding party financiers, friends and family members with inflated contracts. Poor procurement legislation and an absence of laws on party funding are hallmarks of corrupt nations.

Why has Barbados done better than other Caribbean countries in alleviating corruption? In other British territories, there have been allegations of significant political corruption, major governance issues and even claims of criminal gangs infiltrating the elected and administrative branches of government.

Sandra Mason, Prince Charles and Mia Mottley with military officers
Sandra Mason, Barbados’s first president, centre, with Prince Charles, left, and Mia Mottley, the prime minister of Barbados, right, after Mason’s inauguration in Bridgetown. Photograph: Getty

The answer may be that Barbados has had stronger institutions, more transparent public procurement and better anti-corruption policies and legislation. It has also had good governance and visionary leadership since Mottley took office in 2018. It could also be that the island’s financial mainstay lies in tourism and not in the venal oil and gas industry, with its huge windfalls providing incentives for corruption.

Regardless, Barbados can learn a lot from the mistakes of Trinidad and Tobago, which has not just had several corruption allegations surrounding politicians over the years but has also seen much public resentment towards the presidential office, which is seen as a drain on the country’s resources and an ineffective, neo-colonial mantle.

Barbados can be a beacon in making the president’s role more meaningful and relevant, ensuring strong institutions, and overseeing the fight against corruption. With presidential oversight, an independent anti-corruption agency, supported by effective legislation, and a diligent and expert financial intelligence unit, can remove incentives for bribery and kickbacks within public services, police, parliamentarians and the office of the prime minister.

The oil-coated hands of fisherman and environmentalist Gary Aboud reveal the gravity of the latest spill in the Gulf of Paria.
‘It’s outrageous’: Trinidadian fishers film ‘half-hearted’ oil spill clean-up

When political corruption does occur, a process of financial investigation, thorough tracing of assets and their recovery complement the toolkit. This will be fundamental in the fight against corruption but will also ensure that any perception of it diminishes in Barbados as the nation develops.

The president must not be simply a figurehead but must proactively remove any anachronistic duties and establish a role that is relevant and modern in creating a society of integrity among its public officials.

Corruption is a cancer that creates inequality by harming development and economic growth. Aid to alleviate poverty, disease or climate disaster can easily be siphoned away by corrupt officials, unless measures are installed to prevent this.

Both Barbados’s new president, Sandra Mason, and Mia Mottley, the prime minister, need to present a united front of integrity in ensuring transparency and accountability in all matters of government expenditure, including the allocation of climate change funding outlined at Cop26.

Mason and the rest of the Caribbean’s presidents and prime ministers must follow the inspirational example of Mottley in being outspoken, courageous and irreproachable. The region desperately needs it.

Kenneth Mohammed is a senior adviser at Intelligent Sanctuary.

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UN Report: Colombia Police Brutality Blamed for Protest Deaths

By Stefano Pozzebon, CNN

(CNN)  A UN-backed investigation has found that Colombian police were directly responsible for the deaths of 11 people protesting police brutality in September 2020.

Announcing the results of the report on Monday, Chief investigator Carlos Negret accused Colombian National Police (PNC) of committing a “massacre.”
“The PNC openly dismissed any principle of proportionality or absolute necessity in using lethal force,” according to the report.
“Who gave the order, why were they shooting against unarmed protesters, whose responsible for the pain and for the lives lost — those are the questions we were not able to answer,” Negret said at a press conference on Monday.
Negret, who served as Colombia’s ombudsman from 2016 to 2020, also reiterated the UN definition of a massacre, saying it “takes place when three or more people are murdered in the same incident and by the same perpetrator.”
The independent report was commissioned by the Mayor of Bogota, Claudia Lopez, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) to investigate the deaths of at least 14 people during anti-brutality protests that engulfed the Colombian capital on September 9 and 10, 2020.
The protests erupted after footage of police officers tasering law student Javier Ordonez — who had been detained for allegedly breaking Covid restrictions — went viral.
Ordonez died a few hours after he was tasered. PNC patrol officer Juan Camilo Lloreda Cubillos was sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined approximately US $370,500 for his death.
The report said that “the events of police violence, abuse and brutality that begun in the early hours of September 9 with the murder of Javier Ordonez at the hands of National Police officers triggered one of the most serious episodes of human rights violations in the history of Bogota.”
In a statement to CNN, the PNC said that that they are “mostly interested in having justice delivered and those responsible for those events…must be punished.”
“The full weight of the law must fall,” it said.
The events surrounding Ordonez’s death have drawn comparisons to the murder of George Floyd in the United States — a man who was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, and whose death sparked an uprising against police brutality and racism.
Mayor Lopez was seen crying when the report findings were read.
The anger driving Colombia's protest movement isn't going away anytime soon

The anger driving Colombia’s protest movement isn’t going away anytime soon
“This report is painful for the soul, but it’s a necessary step to rescue and recover the state of our democracy,” she said.
It’s unclear if Lopez herself will face legal action as the top officer in charge of public safety in Bogota at the time of the protests.
Earlier this year, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights accused Colombian security forces of using “disproportionate and excessive force” on protesters demonstrating against a series of issues ranging from income inequality and allegations of police brutality.
The protestors were met with violence that left at least 25 people dead. Eleven of those deaths involved police forces, according to the Colombian Interior Ministry.

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Record Numbers Guatemalan Youth Migrate North, Leaving Families in Limbo

By Megan Janetsky
Cajolá, Guatemala

BBC

It was the early hours of a brisk October night when a van rolled up to María de la Cruz López Vásquez’s home in western Guatemala.

Her 15-year-old grandson Kevin pulled a backpack over his shoulders and climbed into the car that would take him on the first leg of a long journey to the United States.

“Goodbye mama, goodbye grandma, take care!” he called, night still hanging over the corn fields he had worked all of his life.

They had no idea when they would see him again.

Ms López Vásquez and Kevin’s mother asked him not to go, fearful of the dangers he would face.

“I was scared and cried for him. I prayed that God would help him get there safely,” Ms López Vásquez, 52, says. “It’s a hard journey, there are Guatemalans who die on the way.”

But they knew asking was hopeless. Here, in their rural town of Cajolá, there is only one opportunity for subsistence farmers like them: the journey north.

As a wave of Central Americans migrate, a record number of child migrants have arrived alone at the US-Mexico border in the past year.

The number of minors US authorities have come across has nearly doubled since 2019 – a high for unaccompanied minor arrivals – and has now reached a high of 146,925 in the 2021 fiscal year, US Customs and Border Protection data shows.

Adam Isacson, director of defence oversight for the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), said the recent surge was caused by a compounding political shift and crises he described as “a perfect storm”.

More migrants left as pandemic border restrictions loosened and US President Joe Biden took office with the promise to do away with “inhumane” Trump-era migration policies.

But as more have arrived, the administration has reinstated some policies like the controversial “Remain In Mexico” policy, which allows non-Mexican migrants to be sent to Mexico while the US decides on their status.

“Then you have the economic depression that Covid caused. People are desperate to leave because they’re only eating one or two meals a day,” Mr Isacson says.

“And it’s not like the gangs or climate change went away.”

María de la Cruz López Vásquez and her daughter plough the corn fields they have worked for decades in Cajolá, Guatemala
Many Guatemalans leave in search of better economic opportunities in the US

It was that economic turmoil Ms López Vásquez’s grandson hoped to escape, she said, striking a hand plough into the dry earth of her family’s small corn field.

The family of 10 lives in a two-room house, and Kevin left school after sixth grade (aged about 12 or 13) to work the fields. It earned them no money, but at least they could eat.

Kevin hoped for a better life, arriving safely in November after travelling through Mexico for a month to work with his uncle in New Jersey.

But families back home are often left with a pit in their stomach.

“It’ll be years before we see him again,” she says. “I’m always sad, sad that he’s not with us. I think of him every day.”

While most of those travelling to the US are around Kevin’s age, some are as young as six.

The migration of unaccompanied minors picked up steam around 2014, rooting back to an Obama-era law which requires the US government to care for migrant minors from countries other than its neighbours Mexico and Canada.

The law was intended to combat child trafficking, but it was also taken advantage of by smugglers, says Eduardo Jiménez, who migrated to the US as a teenager, and now runs projects in Cajolá to provide youths like Kevin with work opportunities so they do not leave.

Eduardo Jiménez uses a saw in a carpentry project he created in Cajolá, Guatemala
Eduardo Jiménez aims to provide economic opportunities to young Guatemalans

The smugglers, called “coyotes”, often offer minors lower prices because the rule makes it easier to smuggle them, he said, and convince kids and parents that it means that it is legal for them to migrate without papers.

“The coyotes know, and take advantage of the policies of the States,” he says. “And they take advantage of the situation that people find themselves in.”

But with Mexican migration authorities clamping down on its southern border under US pressure, some travellers do not make it as far as Kevin.

Miriam López has been waiting for six hours outside a shelter for unaccompanied minor deportees in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala’s second biggest city, when officials inside the building yell: “38”.

Her son’s number.

Twenty days before, her 17-year-old son, Gustavo Peña, had left with a plan to get an education in New York, despite her pleading for him to stay.

People wait outside a shelter for unaccompanied minors in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
Miriam López’s son was brought to this shelter in Quetzaltenango

Ms López had not heard from him in those three weeks, and feared the worst.

“We were so worried,” she says. “There were so many things going through my mind.”

When she got the call that he had been detained by Mexican authorities and that he would be deported back to Guatemala, a weight lifted off her chest.

She took a bus from her home near the El Salvador border to pick him up. Despite the debt they were in from paying the coyote to smuggle him north, migrating again was out of the question.

As she said it, Gustavo stepped out of the shelter, a bag slung over his shoulder and a Post-It note with his name on it pinned to his chest. He and his mother wrapped each other in a tight hug, but he seemed down-trodden.

“There’s nothing for me here,” Gustavo says. “I wanted to better my life.”

“But now, no,” he added.

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Mexico: Migrants and Police Clash, Injuries Reported

BBC- A large group of thousands of migrants from across Latin America, which has slowly been winding its way through Mexico, has clashed with police.

Sunday’s clash happened as the group approached the capital, Mexico City.

Their plan was to reach the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a Catholic pilgrimage site in the capital.

But police blocked the migrants, saying they should first spend the night at a hostel set up for that purpose, before continuing on their way.

Police prevent members of the migrant caravan from passing on the Mexico-Puebla highway, in Los Reyes La Paz, Mexico, December 12, 2021.Hundreds of police officers were involved in the stand-off
Members of the migrant caravan clash with police, who are preventing them from passing on the Mexico-Puebla highway, in Los Reyes La Paz, Mexico, December 12, 2021
A number of police and migrants were injured
Members of the migrant caravan carry a fellow migrant who was injured when a crowd pushed against the police, who are preventing them from passing on the Mexico-Puebla highway, in Los Reyes La Paz, Mexico, December 12, 2021Image source, Reuters

Thousands of people, many from Central America but some from as far away as the African continent, have been crossing Mexico in an attempt to reach the United States to escape the poverty and violence of their homelands.

They often gather in groups thousands strong for safety, dubbed migrant caravans

This particular caravan was walking along the Puebla-Mexico City highway when its way was barred by riot police.

At least a dozen police and a number of migrants were injured.

According to government officials, 550 police officers were deployed to escort the migrants on their way through the capital.

The officers said they were attacked first by the migrants, who threw stones and grabbed their shields.

The migrants say they felt threatened when they were corralled by hundreds of officers in riot gear.

Tension between police and the migrants has been running high as Mexico is under pressure from the US to stem the number of people crossing Mexican territory on their way north to US border.

More than 190,000 migrants entered Mexico between January and September, according to official figures.

That figure is three times that recorded in 2020. Some 74,300 have been deported.

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Continue Investing in Professional Development, GSS Valedictorian Tells Fellow Graduates

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (December 13, 2021) — Ms. Biblianna Thomas, valedictorian of the Gingerland Secondary School (GSS) Graduating Class of 2021 called on her fellow graduatres to continue to invest in their professional development, to remain focused and to give back to society.

Ms. Thomas who is currently overseas at university, delivered her valedictory speech virtually, at the school’s 48th Graduation and Prize Giving Ceremony at the David Freeman Center of Excellence on December 09, 2021, under the patronage of recently retired teachers Mrs. Vera Jeffers and Ms. Paulette Pemberton.

“Fellow graduates, as we venture into this world of challenges and endless possibilities, I urge you to continuously invest in professional development, whether it may be attending college, moving onwards to university or developing a skillset. Remember, knowledge is power. No one can take away what you have learnt. Pursue your God given talents for we are all talented in our own way.

“Play according to your strengths; this is what leads to success. Do not try to follow your friends’ passion for it will only frustrate you. Do not give up. Remain focused and always have a positive attitude. Surround yourself with people who lift, encourage and support you. Always give back to society whether it is volunteering or being philanthropic, and most of all always remain humble and grateful,” she said.

Ms. Thomas was one of 48 students who wrote the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level and obtained 10 subjects, with nine Grade 1 passes propelling her to be named the school’s most outstanding student.

The GSS Graduating Class of 2021 Valedictorian said her road to achieving the title wasn’t an easy one for her, due to the sacrifices made including: missing new NETFLIX shows, attending classes on weekends and practising countless pass papers.

“All this hard work diminished to one minute where I awaited my CSEC results. It was an exhilarating moment then it vanished for these were only grades,” she said.

It is on that premise that she encouraged her fellow graduands to hold fast to relationships they forged with friends and family.

“The true enjoyment and happiness lies within the relationships fostered during high school. These include the times spent and memories made. Despite chasing good grades, I now recognise the pivotal role of forming and maintaining friendships. This is what we will talk about in the next 40 to 60 years and not the grades we obtained from CSEC.

“For those of us who have put our friends and family on hold for such success it is not too late to reunite or apologise. For those of us who didn’t think we could accomplish it, here you are sitting before me. You have done it, for all it required was discipline, determination and motivation, so keep trying,” she said.

The valedictorian described December 09, 2021, as a day which marked the amalgamation of the hard work of the Graduating Class of 2021, “as we were given this immeasurable weapon which we can utilise to shape an exceptional future.

“Graduands, you will agree that dedication of the staff at Gingerland Secondary has provided us with meaningful and practical knowledge in distinctive fields. This will enable us to be adaptable to challenges of life we will encounter as we continue to pursue our goals and aspirations,” she said.

Ms. Thomas acknowledged her family and expressed gratitude to her mother, grandmother, other members of her family for their unwavering support and prayers, and her classmates who made her time in high school memorable.

On behalf of her fellow classmates, she expressed appreciation to the principal and staff of GSS for their dedication, hard work and patience over the years.

“We know we were not the perfect bunch but we are extremely grateful for all you have done for our development.

“A huge ‘Thank you’ to the Ministry of Education, the Department of Education, parents and sponsors, for all who have worked tirelessly to ensure our time at school was a successful one we say a heartfelt ‘Thank you,’” she said.

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