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UNIONS WARNING OF HEALTHCARE COLLAPSE

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

DOZENS of Bahamian

travellers were left frantic at Miami International Airport yesterday after a bomb scare triggered evacuations and fight delays.

Dr Lockhart: Doctors leaving in droves as they feel abandoned

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

KEY health unions are warning of a breakdown in the public healthcare system after the Public Hospitals Authority ran out of overtime money, leaving doctors, nurses and support staf facing delayed pay and prompting calls for workers to refuse extra shifts.

Consultant Physicians Staf Association president Dr Charelle Lockhart warned doctors are leaving “in droves”, not because they

do not care about patients, but because they feel abandoned by leadership.

The crisis erupted after a January 13 internal PHA memorandum warned that overtime payments would no longer be processed unless frst approved by the managing director’s ofce — a move unions say amounts to punishing frontline staf for government mismanagement. The Bahamas Nurses Union president Muriel Lightbourn and Bahamas CRISIS - SEE PAGE FIVE

A Bahamasair passenger said he arrived at the airport around 5.15 pm for check-in to fnd chaotic scenes unfolding.

“Evacuations were already under way, and it turned out to be our area

Videos sent to The Tribune show passengers huddled together and lined up as US security personnel moved through the terminal.

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

CONCERNS that an unresolved court case could cost the Free National Movement the Long Island seat are weighing heavily on the party’s nomination race, as four aspirants — including the sitting MP — press their case for selection.

Those concerns surfaced repeatedly at a special FNM meeting on Long Island on Friday, where party leader Michael Pintard and senior ofcials met with supporters and heard presentations from the contenders.

The aspirants are incumbent Adrian Gibson, former Fort Charlotte MP

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

UNPAID workers, shuttered properties and stalled projects now defne Grand Bahama, Free National Movement leader Michael Pintard said yesterday, accusing the Davis administration of presiding over deepening economic decline while ofering little more than promises and press events. Standing outside the closed Grand Lucayan Resort, Mr Pintard said the government’s failures on the island’s most critical projects — including

68-year-old man killed in East Bay Street assault

A 68-YEAR-OLD man was killed during an assault on East Bay Street on Saturday night after he was struck with a stick during an altercation.

Preliminary reports indicate that shortly after 8pm,

ofcers from the Marine Support and Services Branch were in the area of Dunmore Lane when they observed a man striking another man. The ofcers intervened and found the victim unresponsive.

Emergency Medical Services were called to the scene and later pronounced the man dead.

A 39-year-old man was taken into custody in connection with the incident as investigations continue.

PM and Minister of Energy and Transport tour progress at Blue Hills Solar Project

PRIME Minister Philip

‘Brave” Davis, alongside Minister of Energy and Transport, JoBeth Coleby-Davis, touring the Blue Hills Solar Project, an initiative led by Madeleine Solar Power Limited, with the aim of highlighting the progress being made as The Bahamas moves from energy planning to real-world results.

“Projects like Blue Hills Solar plant, shows how renewable energy is taking shape on the ground—turning sunlight into sustainable power and long-term opportunity for communities across the country,” said Mrs Coleby-Davis.

“The Ministry of Energy and Transport continues to push this work forward through strong partnerships and responsible action, focused on building a cleaner, more resilient energy future for The Bahamas.”

on

BNT URGES ACTION AS INVASIVE IGUANA CAUGHT IN ADELAIDE

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

THE capture of a large green iguana in Adelaide over the weekend has renewed calls from The Bahamas National Trust for the government to move faster and more forcefully against invasive species that conservationists say are turning up more often across New Providence and beyond.

BNT Executive Director Lakeshia Anderson-Rolle confrmed to The Tribune on Sunday that the animal was sighted and caught on Saturday. She said the Trust was working with the Department of Agriculture to respond. Mrs Anderson-Rolle said sightings of green iguanas were becoming more frequent, warning that the country’s approach to

invasive species was lagging behind the scale of the threat.

“The BNT has been in touch with the department of environmental planning and protection who are looking to execute or access funding from the JEFF global environment facility to be able to address this issue at a national level,”

Mrs Anderson-Rolle said.

“We have a national invasive species strategy that is outdated. It needs national attention. As an organisation, the BNT, we are putting together our invasive species strategy that will focus on controlling invasives within national parks. However, this is a national issue that the government needs to put attention too.”

Green iguanas are not native to The Bahamas. In places where they have established large

populations, the reptiles have been known to strip vegetation, damage gardens and farms, and undermine infrastructure by burrowing along canal banks, seawalls and foundations. Mrs Anderson-Rolle said the ecological risk is equally serious. She said green iguanas can outcompete native wildlife, particularly native lizards and native iguanas, for food and space. She also warned that their burrowing behaviour can destroy habitats and create knock-on problems for infrastructure. Mrs Anderson-Rolle urged residents not to ignore sightings. She advised people who spot green iguanas to report them to the Department of Agriculture and encouraged those who are able to trap the animals to do so before contacting animal control within the department.

‘Grand Lucayan Resort is a symbol of govt failure’

the resort’s redevelopment, the Grand Bahama International Airport and healthcare services — have left residents in limbwo and eroded confdence in Grand Bahama’s future.

Workers at the Grand Lucayan were sent home again last week without pay, the property has no running water, and the government has ofered no public update on the state of the long-promised redevelopment.

“This is but one example of the failure of the PLP here in Grand Bahama,” Mr Pintard said.

“Behind this building are real people — workers who missed paychecks, families who fell behind on rent and light bills, men and women who did everything right and were left in limbo while the government drags its feet and refuses to tell the truth.”

Mr Pintard was joined at the press conference by East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson, FNM candidate for West Grand Bahama and Bimini Omar Isaacs, and Central Grand Bahama candidate Frazette Gibson. He also said the party expects to name its Pine Ridge candidate shortly.

Mr Thompson said Grand Bahama is in serious trouble, blaming the Davis administration for allowing conditions to deteriorate over the past fve years.

The Grand Lucayan, he said, remains a symbol of government failure. He noted that the PLP announced a deal, claimed the hotel was sold and said funds were secured, yet has provided no updates while workers continue to be sent home without pay.

With Prime Minister

Philip Davis expected to hold a Cabinet meeting on Grand Bahama this week, Mr Pintard questioned the timing and intent of the visit, suggesting it was driven by political pressure rather than tangible progress.

“A speech is not progress. A press event is not progress. A cabinet trip alone is not progress,” he said. “Progress is jobs. Progress is investment you can see and feel.”

Mr Pintard said uncertainty surrounding the Grand Lucayan has now dragged on for more than eight months.

“Two hundred and ffty-fve days have passed with no clear redevelopment timeline, despite government claims that $120 million was collected

from the property’s sale.”

“If the money was collected, show the proof. If it was not collected, tell the truth,” he said. “This property is too important to be treated like a political prop.”

He said when the PLP took ofce in 2021, an FNM-negotiated redevelopment deal involving Royal Caribbean and ITM Group was already in place — a deal he said the Davis administration abandoned. Subsequent plans announced by the PLP in 2022, including a proposed $100 million sale and $300 million redevelopment, later collapsed.

“The result is what we see today — a property that continues to sit idle while Grand Bahama waits,” Mr Pintard said.

Turning to the Grand Bahama International Airport, Mr Pintard criticised delays in the redevelopment, noting that the PLP had promised Phase One — including the domestic terminal and US pre-clearance — would be completed by April 2025. He said those commitments remain unmet well into 2026, with no visible construction, fnalised design or public timeline.

“To this day, the Bahamian people do not know what the true cost will be, who will manage the airport, or even whether it will be rebuilt on the same footprint,” he said.

He also questioned the government’s decision to shift $100 million in Saudi development fnancing originally earmarked for

Family Island airports to Grand Bahama, describing the move as “money shifting instead of dirt moving.”

Mr Pintard warned that prolonged uncertainty is undermining investor confdence, hurting small businesses and draining hope from young Grand Bahamians. He cited national tourism data showing stopover arrivals down 3.9 per cent as evidence of broader economic fallout.

He also took aim at healthcare services, describing Rand Memorial Hospital as dangerously under-equipped and understafed. He said MPs routinely pay out of pocket to send constituents to New Providence for diagnostic services unavailable on Grand Bahama, despite repeated government promises of a new hospital.

“They are out to lunch when it comes to lifeand-death issues like the hospital,” he said, adding that delays in completing the Rand morgue further demonstrate what he described as a lack of urgency.

Mr Thompson echoed those concerns, saying the state of the Grand Lucayan mirrors conditions at the airport, which he said is worse now than when the PLP took ofce. He added that unemployment — particularly youth unemployment — remains high, and that no major developments have materialised despite repeated promises. He also raised concerns about chronic medication shortages at public facilities and private pharmacies, calling the situation unacceptable. He said constituents have been forced to travel from pharmacy to pharmacy searching for basic medication, and in at least one

case, a family member died while medication could not be located.

While the government continues to speak about constructing a new hospital, Mr Thompson said immediate needs are being ignored, urging ofcials to ensure medication is readily available now at hospitals, clinics and pharmacies across the island.

On labour issues, Mr Thompson said unpaid National Insurance Board contributions for Grand Lucayan workers and late payments to security staf at the resort were not surprising. He described it as “unfair” that workers are denied benefts while government ofcials continue to receive salaries and insurance coverage.

Responding to government claims of low unemployment, Mr Pintard said the FNM does not believe those fgures.

While acknowledging the opening of Celebration Key, he rejected PLP claims of sole credit for the development, noting that groundwork was laid under the FNM. He said more must be done to ensure cruise passengers spend money beyond the port, including empowering Bahamians to develop attractions and ensuring transparency in tourism-related contracts.

Calling for an end to announcements without results, Mr Pintard said any Cabinet visit to Grand Bahama must be accompanied by proof, timelines and accountability. Mr Thompson also described what he called a historic opportunity for the island, saying Grand Bahama now has a chance, for the frst time, to elect a prime minister who lives on the island and understands its challenges.

Thompson: Grand Bahama in ‘serious trouble’ as promises fail

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

EAST Grand Bahama

MP Kwasi Thompson said Grand Bahama is “in serious trouble,” accusing the Davis administration of failing to deliver on key promises and allowing conditions on the island to deteriorate over the past fve years.

Speaking during a Free National Movement press conference held outside the idle Grand Lucayan Resort, Mr Thompson said the property is at the center of the challenges facing the island.

the employees go without pay.”

Mr Thompson said that despite those announcements, there has been no update on the airport.

“They have had fve years and the airport is in a worse state than they met it. Unemployment is high, youth unemployment is high in Grand Bahama, we have seen any major development in Grand Bahama from east to west we have not seen any major developments from the east to the west,” he said.

According to Thompson, repeated promises made by the government when it frst took ofce have gone unfulflled.

engaged in debate with the Minister of Health in the House of Assembly while simultaneously receiving messages from constituents reporting that essential medications were unavailable.

“There are too many Grand Bahamians going from pharmacy to pharmacy trying to fnd the medication they need,” he said. “I visited a constituent this week who lost a family member after driving all over this island searching for medication. That should never happen.”

Mr Thompson said medication shortages are not the result of global supply issues, but rather a failure of local management and political will.

“That is not an international problem,” he said. “That is a problem this government has the power to fx.”

“The people of Grand Bahama has had enough,” he said.

“For the frst time in our history, we have a chance to have a prime minister from Grand Bahama — someone who lives here, understands these issues, and has the heart and capability to do something about them,” he said. STALLED

“The PLP came to ofce fve years ago, and today this hotel is in a worse state than when they met it,” Mr Thompson said. “The PLP came right to this place and sold a dream to the people of Grand Bahama. They told us that they had a deal. They told us that the hotel was sold. They told us that money was in the bank yet today they have not said a word on the development. And worse, they have let all

Turning to healthcare, the Grand Bahama MP expressed deep concern about ongoing shortages of medication at public healthcare facilities and pharmacies on Grand Bahama, describing the situation as unacceptable and dangerous.

He said he recently

While the government continues to speak publicly about plans to build a new hospital on Grand Bahama, Mr Thompson said immediate needs are being ignored, urging the administration to ensure that medication is readily available now.

“You can talk about a new hospital all you want,” he said. “But while you are talking, put the medication in the pharmacy in the hospital, in the clinics, and throughout this island so people can get what they need now,” he demanded.

Despite his criticism, MP Thompson said Grand Bahama stands at a pivotal moment in its history, pointing to what he described as a rare opportunity for the island to be led by someone who understands its challenges frsthand.

Aspirants pitch vision for island’s growth

Dr Andre Rollins, former FNM deputy chairman Brad McPhee and former FNM treasurer Michael Turnquest.

Each outlined his vision for the constituency, addressing issues such as senior citizens’ care, youth development, infrastructure and airport-related concerns. Dr Rollins and Mr McPhee presented in person, while Mr Gibson and Mr Turnquest appeared virtually. None of the aspirants were present for their rivals’ presentations, this newspaper understands.

Party insiders described the meeting as orderly and informative, but said anxiety about Mr Gibson’s ongoing legal battle dominated private discussions among supporters.

“The biggest concern is this case hanging over his head and the PLP would use that to the very end, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to finish in time for him to nominate,” said one Long Islander who attended the meeting.

Supporters said Mr

Gibson would otherwise have been a strong candidate, but many now appear to be leaning toward Dr Rollins, who is widely regarded as the frontrunner.

Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Dr Rollins said he wants to be a strong voice for Long Island and advance the community’s concerns, stressing his respect for residents and the importance of party unity.

He said he would seek to maintain a constructive relationship with Mr Gibson if selected.

“I do believe that if we’re going to be strong as an organisation, that being the FNM, we have to try as best we can to be a united front, and if Adrian Gibson is a true supporter of the FNM, then I believe he’ll be part of our effort going forward,” he said.

“I’m not going to have anything negative to say about Mr Gibson. I’m not going to speculate about his political plans. That’s not my call.”

On Mr Gibson’s legal case, Dr Rollins said everyone is entitled to due process.

“In that regard, I have my thoughts as it pertains to his case, but will reserve comment on it at this time,” he said.

Mr McPhee said he believes he is the best candidate because he lives on Long Island and understands the island’s needs, pointing to the lack of banking services as a key issue. He added that regardless of the outcome, he would remain loyal to the FNM.

Party officials reportedly told supporters that a candidate for Long Island would be ratified soon, with another ratification expected on Thursday.

Contacted for comment, FNM secretary general Serfent Rolle, who also sits on the party’s candidates committee, declined to discuss details of the meeting but said he was encouraged by the turnout.

“It was a very fruitful exercise,” he said. “I thank everybody who was able to come and who contacted us before and afterwards with their views, their opinions and their concerns and pledging their support.”

Dupuch-Carron pledges MICAL support despite withdrawal

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

ROBERT Dupuch-Carron says he will continue working to improve the MICAL constituency, including plans to deploy ambulances and expand emergency medical services in the Family Islands, despite withdrawing from the Progressive Liberal Party nomination race.

Mr Dupuch-Carron reiterated that his support for the MICAL constituency will continue, stressing that he is not going anywhere but will instead serve in a diferent role.

He had been touted as a heavyweight pick for the Progressive Liberal Party nomination in the Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay constituency. Earlier

this month, however, he ofcially withdrew his nomination application, citing concerns about a potential confict of interest with the company he founded, The Bahamas Aviation, Climate & Severe Weather Network (BACSWN). However, many MICAL residents and Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) members have expressed disappointment with his withdrawal.

Speaking during an interview on Beyond the Headlines with Shenique Miller on Thursday, Mr Dupuch-Carron elaborated on his decision to step away from seeking the nomination. He said he had to consider whether there would be a confict of interest if he represented the government while holding his position at his company.

The Tribune president said his work to improve

MICAL has not stopped. He highlighted plans to outft the islands with ambulances, noting that the frst six aviation-specifc ambulances earmarked for the Family Islands arrived in New Providence last month. The initiative was facilitated through BACSWN’s strategic alliance with Response Plus Medical, the largest pre-hospital care and emergency medical services provider in the Middle East. He said his team recently returned from Abu Dhabi, where negotiations were held for additional helicopters. He added that the six ambulances should be deployed to the islands soon and that 53 more ambulances are expected. He also said he is working on an outreach programme to help enhance the constituency.

Health unions urge work stoppage as overtime budget exhausted

Public Service Union president Kimsley Ferguson quickly urged members not to work beyond their scheduled shifts until outstanding overtime is paid, describing the situation as unacceptable and disrespectful.

PHA ofcials said the directive was necessary to preserve funding for urgent priorities, including critical hires, and to tighten oversight after the authority exhausted its overtime allocation.

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville yesterday acknowledged the seriousness of the situation, calling the depleted budget a “great concern” and confrming that emergency meetings had been convened to “get a grip” on overtime gaps across healthcare facilities.

He said he could not yet say how much money is owed, blaming the backlog on acute staf shortages — particularly within the PHA’s fnance department — caused by retirements and departures to the private sector. He said diffculties in replacing those workers had compounded the problem.

“I have taken this as a degree of urgency,” he said.

“I’m of the view from those preliminary meetings that these outstanding overtime payment not only must be paid, but will be paid.”

Mr Ferguson, whose union represents PHA support staf, clerical workers,

laboratory technicians and morgue employees, said the authority’s action contradicts the agreed overtime policy and breaches the industrial agreement.

In a voice note to members, he said the union was not consulted on the fnancial challenges and criticised management for failing to provide staf with certainty.

“While the managing director spoke, she gave no defnitive date or time when payment will be made. This is disrespectful and unacceptable and will be met with every resistance,” he said, advising members not to work overtime until the matter is resolved.

Ms Lightbourn said the situation suggests management is attempting to decide after the fact whether staf should be paid for overtime already worked, describing it as a “slap in the face” to nurses.

“It’s management. It’s how you manage your funds. You already know that you have a shortage of staf. You already know that it’s going to be costing you over time,” the nurses union president said, confrming that nurses had also been advised not to work beyond scheduled shifts.

She said the delays are the latest example of the government’s failure to prioritise healthcare workers, pointing to ongoing backlogs in paying nurses double-time holiday wages and promotion adjustments.

Dr Lockhart echoed those concerns, accusing

the government of fscal irresponsibility and failing to treat healthcare as a priority.

She said the CPSA would not instruct doctors to stop working, but warned that younger physicians are increasingly unwilling to tolerate poor treatment.

“I could use a colloquial term for the government — dog eat their lunch. They are in trouble because the new set of physicians, the new set of consultants

coming in, are not going to put up with this crap, which is why they’re so shortstafed,” she added.

Dr Lockhart said doctors are leaving “in droves”, not because they do not care about patients, but because they feel abandoned by leadership.

She said she was not surprised the overtime budget had been exhausted, noting that emergency and paediatric departments rely daily on sessional staf

— employees working beyond standard hours — because there are insuffcient personnel to operate 24-hour services without them.

“The upper government, I think they really need to take stock of what’s happening in medical care,” she said. “They have a grenade that the pin has been pulled, and it’s just being waiting to be thrown and I’m afraid for them when the grenade gets thrown.”

Dr Darville said it is not unusual for healthcare budgets to be depleted, citing unforeseen pressures such as high admissions, outbreaks and infectious diseases that can quickly drain resources. Meanwhile, in a memo circulated to staf on Friday, PHA managing director Dr Rolle acknowledged the inconvenience caused by the delayed payments and said a further update would be provided today.

Tarmac delays and terminal chaos for travellers due to bomb scare

where the ticket counter is located,” he said.

“Police were everywhere. Task forces were out in full force, and people had to scatter, even outside the airport. The only thing I was worrying about is if we had to change our date to another departure.”

As the situation unfolded at the terminal, multiple passengers aboard a Bahamasair fight arriving in Miami were forced to

remain on the aircraft for hours until clearance was given.

Flight data showed the aircraft departed New Providence shortly after 5.30pm and arrived 40 minutes later but passengers said it had not deplaned as of 8pm last night. “It was a 7.45pm fight departure. Now it looks like we’ll be leaving out here around 9 to 9.30pm,” the passenger said, adding it appeared to be a full fight. According to international reports, authorities

in Miami responded to reports of unattended luggage deemed a “suspicious item” at a terminal on the departures level shortly after 5pm. US ofcials identifed the luggage and evacuated everyone in the surrounding area out of an abundance of caution.

The all-clear was reportedly given around 7.40 pm, and airport operations later returned to normal.

Bahamasair ofcials did not return calls or respond to messages seeking comment up to press time.

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter

The Tribune Limited

NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI

“Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972

Contributing Editor 1972-1991

RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.

Publisher/Editor 1972-

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Money for a new hospital, but not enough for essential staf?

Last week, the heads of agreement was signed for the planned new hospital in New Providence, to be built at a cost of $283m.

Yet on January 13, the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) was circulating a memo warning that its overtime budget had been exhausted within three months of the fscal year – and that all future overtime payments had to be approved by the managing director before they would be paid out.

One of these things is not like the other.

And now there are warnings that doctors, nurses and support staf are facing delayed pay and unions are urging workers not to take on extra shifts.

Meanwhile, the president of the Consultant Physicans Staf Association, Dr Charelle Lockhart, has warned that doctors are leaving “in droves” and the past year has seen repeated instances of NHI providers not being paid for months.

It is hard to see how the government plans to fll the stafng for the new hospital when it cannot seem to manage to pay the staf it already has.

Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville admitted that acute stafng shortages are playing a part in the troubles the healthcare system is experiencing at present, pointing to retirements and departures to the private sector.

Those departures ought to be factored into government planning, of course. There should be an expectation of a certain level of staf turnover. If there has been a spike in departures, the question is why that would be.

Dr Darville said he was tackling the issue “as a degree of urgency”. He said that outstanding overtime payment “not only must be paid, but will be paid”, which ofers no timeline and is hardly reassuring to staf to tell them that they will be paid for work they have already done.

Overtime is, of course, part and parcel of the healthcare sector. If a medical professional’s shift ends in the middle of an operation, a childbirth, an emergency room situation, would we expect them to

down tools and go punch their card? Of course not. Would we expect wards to be left short-stafed because recruitment hadn’t flled the vacancies left by people leaving? Again, no.

And if people are departing and have not yet been replaced, are their salaries not going into the pot to pay the people having to work extra to cover for their absence?

None of this seems to add up, especially when you consider how much recruitment is going to need to be done to staf a whole extra hospital. Exactly how much spending can the government aford when that is up and running if it cannot aford to pay for the staf it has now?

Dr Darville talked about unforeseen pressures that can drain resources, such as outbreaks and infectious diseases. We do not recall seeing any press release having been issued in the past few months from Dr Darville warning that the plague had broken out in The Bahamas, so we take that explanation with a pinch of salt. Bahamas Nurses Union president Muriel Lightbourn put it succinctly: “It’s management. It’s how you manage your funds. You already know that you have a shortage of staf. You already know that it’s going to be costing you overtime.”

Meanwhile, Dr Lockhart said doctors are leaving because they feel abandoned by leadership. Now of course there are two sides in every debate, but it is hard to argue against the claims of poor management when the overtime fund is depleted so fast and staf departures are apparently escalating to the stage where it becomes a problem.

An update is promised from the PHA today. Unless it says something meaningful, such as exact dates when overtime will be paid and details of what the plan is going forward, that update will not be worth much. Specifcs are needed. Meanwhile, Dr Darville is going to need to lay out how the grand plan to staf an extra hospital is going to work when workers are already in short supply.

PLP backbenchers non-existent in House of Assembly

EDITOR, The Tribune.

BACKBENCHERS in the House of Assembly have traditionally played an important role in assisting the official Opposition in keeping the government laser focused and its feet to the fire. Backbenchers bring nuance and balance during debates, as they lean more towards representing their constituents than attempting to avoid upsetting their parliamentary benefactors in the executive. The role of backbenchers cannot be overstated in the Westminster system. Bahamians witnessed the powerful role backbenchers played during the Pindling administration between 1972 and 1977 when a PLP caucus led by Coconut Grove MP Edmund Moxey and Cat Island MP Oscar Johnson refused to tow the party line for whatever reason after being summarily dismissed from their executive positions. Both were subsequently denied nominations ahead of the 1977 general election.

I am guessing that Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis is well aware of the events that transpired decades ago in a PLP National General Council meeting, famously dubbed the Night of the Long Knives. As a senior member of the last Christie administration, Davis

LETTERS

letters@tribunemedia.net

had the luxury of a front seat to the chaos caused by former Fort Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins. He also witnessed internal dissent within the Free National Movement government under former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.

I believe Davis has made a strategic decision to avoid dissent within PLP ranks by taking preventative measures by appointing nearly the entire PLP Parliamentary caucus to his Cabinet. There were 32 PLPs elected to the House of Assembly. Twenty PLP MPs were appointed to the Davis Cabinet in 2021. Since then, two have died, Obie Wilchcombe and Vaughn Miller. Two Senators were also given Cabinet posts, Ryan Pinder as Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General and Michael Halkitis as Minister of Economic Affairs, bringing the total to 22. The number of Cabinet Ministers now stands at 21. What’s more, Davis has appointed six PLP MPs as Parliamentary Secretaries. That’s 27 in the executive branch. Patricia Deveaux is House Speaker and

Sylvannus Petty is Deputy Speaker -- the latter stepping down as executive chair of the Water and Sewerage Corporation. So technically speaking, they are not backbenchers. And while Leslia Miller-Brice isn’t a Cabinet member, she does hold the post of CARICOM ambassador. McKell Bonaby is chair of the Bahamas Public Parks and Beaches Authority and Darron Pickstock (Golden Isles) is chair of BAIC.

Of the 32 PLP MPs, only Kirk Cornish (North Abaco) and Leroy Major (Southern Shores) do not hold any position other than their Parliamentary seats. Yet the former was Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister in Abaco while the latter was BAIC chair. The two are the only backbenchers in the PLP. This then means that 30 of the 32 PLP MP have executive or Cabinet positions in the Davis administration. This underscores my initial point that backbenchers are virtually non-existent in this administration. And this was not by accident. With a lopsided executive, the two backbenchers are in no position to flex their parliamentary muscles.

KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama January 21, 2026.

Succession planning and the erosion of merit-based promotion

EDITOR, The Tribune.

FOR decades now we have been rehiring people whose tenure with the Bahamas government had come-full-cycle, expired, tipping them to double dip as it were, pension, plus salary from the public treasury that perhaps has seen better days, just saying! And the reasoning claiming that there was a defciency in the system, coming out of a specifc job set, but why?

This belief held faithfully your forefathers thought to set aside money for rainy days, is a key point ponder, I think, and this principle is akin to much of the incompetent taking place the public service of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, sorry to say, but let us allow truths to prevail, to overcome all of the lies, deceptions in the system, otherwise?

As my friend has said, it appears that we in the Bahamas doesn’t believe in **succession planning to use his words, and ask the authorities to address it, because it does decide the quality of those baton exchanges and with the fervent desire to not fumble,

or drop the stick on the way to the fnish line, speaks volumes. In the Royal Bahamas Police Force, for an example, and during my time in the service, even though the bar was raised to, once an ofcer had passed his police profciency examination, came to work clean, on time and did what he, or she was told, and if there was a discrepancy about an instruction, an order given the ofce by superior, to comply and then complain was the mantra of earlier policemen women), these principle were regarded as stepping stones to being promoted, but you know, many ofcers went without the promotion to corporal six, seven, eight, even 10 years before being granted the frst promotion, was it fair, the jury then was still out, undecided on that ruling. What that did was, whilst some became disgruntled, others continued to study his job description and when it came, they were better for it.

Now a days, I see some young ofces with big ranks, and I wondered whether or not they had had six (6) months walking the beat, on foot patrol because it is this

that help to sharpened the suspicions, detection which is a policeman’s greatest power of arrest (only that it must be well-founded). How does this translate into an avenue to cause succession planning to come about? Well, at the core of the query it has its foundation. If the latter was given prominence, the not rush to elevate, but to labor in the trenches, does build competences in policing etcetera. And therefore, the superiors can take the chance and elevate, knowing that the ofcer (s) will have acquired all of the necessary wisdom, knowledge & understanding of policing, without fail. Can my friends emulate all secret societies of the country, rejecting the friends, lovers and whatever else that have infltrated the norms of elevating workers based on merits, not favorite ism, or any such thing? I once heard a story of a police constable who was holding down desk duties at one of the main uniformed police stations in New Providence but when it was his time to get of work, they couldn’t fnd relief for him. The eforts continued

to locate a relief, as nature would have it, they located a woman police corporal who reported to relieve the constable, but the corporal, I was told, told the constable that she didn’t know what to do, because she had never worked on a police station desk before? As the story goes, she was told that once you have a good available, assistant, who will be taking the notes, all she had had do was read up and down through the diary and she will get the gist of what, was what and many of the other stuf came with forms that gave way to the simplicity of it all. I do hope that the take away nowadays is that before elevation, one must at least be able to handle a police desk at a uniformed police station, which does make sense. In conclusion, come on authorities like us prepare people to take over from us, by training them, showing them the knots and bolts of the job, whether in our parliament or otherwise?

FRANK GILBERT Nassau, January 22, 2026.

30 months jail for man who attacked a GB school principal with iron bar

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

SCHOOL princi-

pal Simone Butler-Cornish

wept tears of relief after the man who brutally attacked her with an iron bar in her classroom was sentenced to 30 months in prison on Friday.

Ms Cornish only escaped further injury after running outside, collapsing and pretending to be dead after the vicious and unprovoked assault by Kenneth Farrington at McLean’s Town School in East End, Grand Bahama, last June.

After the sentence was delivered, surrounded by colleagues from the Bahamas Educators Managerial Association, who flled the courtroom in support, Ms Cornish broke down in tears.

She expressed relief that the matter had fnally come to an end, surprise at the short prison sentence – but still said was able to forgive her assailant.

“I forgive him, but I am relieved it was not in vain and he will not be able to hurt anyone else,” she said.

“I think you know, given the circumstances and the nature of the crime, you would feel that more time would have been necessary for him,” she added.” The judgment has already been given, and I’m just grateful that this chapter has ended. And I can try to pick up the pieces knowing that this person is unable to harm anyone else.”

She said the attack is an indication of the growing

lack of respect for educators nationwide.

It was the second time

Farrington was jailed for a similar ofence, having been convicted of assault in 2022, when he served 18 months in prison.

Farrington was arrested and charged with causing grievous harm to Ms Cornish, who was struck in the head while in a classroom. She was retrieving a student’s report card for Farrington when he attacked her.

During the continuation of the trial, Farrington was expected to present his defence by taking the stand. However, when asked by magistrate Charlton Smith if he wished to say anything to the victim, Farrington initially said no. Instead, he turned to his fancé seated in court and told her he loved her.

When pressed twice

more, he apologised and asked for forgiveness.

“Yes, I'm sorry. I don’t know what got into me,” he said. “I don’t know if it will ever be alright. I don’t know if you will forgive me.”

The prosecution presented fve witnesses, including the virtual complainant, a school custodian, two police ofcers and a medical doctor. According to the evidence presented in court, on Friday, June 20, 2025, Ms Cornish was inside her classroom at McLean’s Town School when Farrington entered and requested a student’s report card. While she turned her back to retrieve the card, she felt pain and realised she was being struck. She noticed blood and ran from the classroom seeking help.

Ms Cornish testifed that after running outside she collapsed and pretended

Five years jail for importing over $100k hemp

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was sentenced to fve years in prison on Friday after admitting to importing an estimated $122,600 worth of marijuana into New Providence earlier this month.

Christopher McCartney, 30, conspired to import three boxes containing 61.3lbs of marijuana into The Bahamas on January 16.

Police seized the drugs from SN Freight Logistics on Chesapeake Road and Jerome Avenue. The shipping labels on the boxes bore the names Kirktina Lockhart, 32, and Shawndrika Rolle, 42. McCartney pleaded guilty before Senior Magistrate Raquel Whyms to two counts each of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply, conspiracy to possess dangerous drugs with intent to supply, importation

to be dead so Farrington would stop his attack. After he left the scene, she ran from the school to seek help.

Ms Laing, a school custodian, testifed that she was at home on her front porch when she observed Ms Cornish running from the school shouting for assistance.

Sergeant Saunders and Constable Rolle also provided evidence. Farrington admitted to the ofence and assisted police in the recovery of the metal pipe that was used in the attack. Dr Escobar gave evidence about the injuries to Ms Cornish.

Magistrate Smith noted that Farrington had the opportunity to cross-examine the witnesses, but their evidence was not disputed. He also pointed out that during Farrington’s police record of interview, no

of dangerous drugs and conspiracy to import dangerous drugs.

His co-accused, Lockhart and Rolle, both pleaded not guilty to their respective charges. After McCartney accepted sole responsibility, the charges against the two women were withdrawn.

McCartney was sentenced to fve years in the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Sergeant 2257 Wilkinson prosecuted the case.

Man accused of gunpoint robbery remanded

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN accused of robbing another man at gunpoint earlier this month was remanded to prison last week.

Prosecutors allege Timothy Ferguson, 29, along with an accomplice and armed with a handgun,

robbed Kendlee Meadows of $6,300 in New Providence on January 4. Ferguson was not required to enter a plea to the charge of armed robbery before Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley. He was informed that the matter would proceed to the Supreme Court by way of a voluntary bill of indictment.

The accused was also advised of his right to apply for bail in the higher court.

Ferguson was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until May 28, when his voluntary bill of indictment is expected to be served.

Inspector Deon Barr prosecuted the matter.

explanation was given for the attack.

“She sustained some serious injuries, as well as I’m sure there are some mental scars,” the magistrate said.

Magistrate Smith said after the prosecution closed its case, Farrington declined to present a defence.

“Having considered the evidence, I’m satisfed that the prosecution has proved its case,” Magistrate Smith said.

Before imposing sentence, Magistrate Smith said he considered Farrington’s antecedents, noting his 2022 conviction for assault as an aggravating factor.

“Having been convicted within less than fve years, actually three years, of a similar assault on another person, I fnd it necessary to convict you on the evidence and I sentence you to 30 months at the Bahamas Department of Corrections,” he said.

The magistrate also recommended that Farrington receive counselling while incarcerated.

Farrington turned and kissed his fancé before being led out of court by police.

Steven McPhee, president of the Bahamas Educators Managerial Union, said the outcome was difcult to accept given the seriousness of the attack and Farrington’s prior conviction. He said the union’s focus is now on ensuring Ms Cornish receives continued psychological and mental health support, including counselling and any necessary fnancial assistance.

“As you can imagine,

she would be traumatised going back to her school at this point, and I don’t even think in the near future it’s going to be an option,” he said, adding that the union would work to ensure she can continue her livelihood in a safe environment.

Mr McPhee also noted that the union has been working closely with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to improve school safety protocols.

“We have actually drafted some protocols for school safety for persons coming on premises and leaving premises,” he said, noting that the proposals were submitted to the minister, director, and permanent secretary, and were well received.

Mr McPhee also expressed concern, noting that meetings have been held with school police ofcers, and that the government is seeking to employ more school resource and security ofcers to help prevent similar incidents.

District Superintendent for Grand Bahama, Bimini, and the Cays, Maneica Pratt, was relieved by the conviction.

“I’m relieved that it is over. I’m relieved because it has been very mentally draining,” she said, adding that while she felt the sentence was “a bit lenient,” she recognised that Farrington needs help.

“I’m just happy for her now that she can get back to some sense of normalcy,” Ms Pratt said.

Superintendent Veron Rolle was the prosecutor.

11 years prison after guilty plea to accessory after-the-fact in shooting

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was sentenced to 11 years in prison last week after pleading guilty to three counts of being an accessory after the fact in connection with a 2014 shooting.

Raven Cooper received the sentence under a plea deal before Justice Neil Brathwaite.

Cooper and Eric Stuart were at the then

Hammerheads Bar and Grill on East Bay Street on February 22, 2014, when Stuart became involved in a fght with another man.

Although Cooper attempted to defuse the situation, both men were escorted from the premises by security.

Prosecutors allege Stuart returned a short time later armed with a gun and fred three shots into the crowd, injuring two people.

After the shooting, Cooper and Stuart fed the

scene together in Cooper’s blue Toyota Yaris. It was alleged that Stuart handed Cooper the gun during their escape.

Police pursued the vehicle, but the pair managed to evade capture.

Cooper was arrested the following month and found in possession of a Smith & Wesson .357 revolver. Stuart was charged with three counts of attempted murder.

Kristin Butler-Beneby prosecuted the case.

Man reverses guilty plea in Coral Harbour gun case

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who spent four days in prison last week denied having a loaded firearm and marijuana in his vehicle after police stopped and searched him in the Coral Harbour area

earlier this month. Prosecutors allege Doug Gardiner, 36, was found with a black Austrian Glock 9mm pistol, 25 rounds of ammunition, a black firearm magazine, and more than one ounce of marijuana when his white Nissan Clipper was stopped by police around

2am on January 15. Last Monday, Gardiner pleaded guilty before Deputy Chief Magistrate Shaka Serville to charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of ammunition with intent to supply, possession of a component part of a firearm, and possession of

dangerous drugs.

However, after spending four days in prison, Gardiner reversed his earlier position and pleaded not guilty to the charges on Friday.

His co-accused, Carlinda Daniels, 38, maintained her not guilty plea to the charges. She was granted

bail on Monday. Gardiner was granted bail in the sum of $7,500 with one or two sureties.

As part of his bail conditions, he is required to sign in at the Western Police Station every Monday and Thursday by 7pm. He must also surrender his travel documents and will be

Dr K

and Nicholas

ell represented the accused. Inspector Cordero Farrington was the prosecutor.

Law enforcement seize $3m worth of Cocaine at Bimini Abaco man dies after being struck by truck at night

A JOINT law enforcement operation in Bimini on Saturday night led to the seizure of approximately 150 kilograms of suspected cocaine valued at about $3m.

Preliminary reports indicate that shortly after 9pm, ofcers acting on information conducted marine inquiries at Buccaneer Point Canal in South Bimini. There, they observed several men ofoading coolers near a grey vessel. The men fed the area in a black truck when ofcers approached. A subsequent search of the vessel and a nearby bushy area resulted in the discovery of the

suspected cocaine. No arrests have been made as investigations continue. The Royal Bahamas Police Force acknowledged the assistance of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and United States law enforcement counterparts, including the DEA and Customs and Border Protection Airwing.

A 58-YEAR-OLD man was killed Saturday night after being struck by a vehicle on Forest Drive in Abaco.

According to preliminary reports, shortly after 8pm,

A 31-YEAR-OLD man remains in hospital after he entered the water from a bridge on East Bay Street on Saturday night in what is being treated as a suspected suicide attempt.

Preliminary reports

ofcers were alerted to a trafc accident involving a vehicle and a male pedestrian. When they arrived, they found the victim lying unresponsive on the southern side of the roadway,

indicate that shortly before 8pm, members of the public saw the man enter the water and assisted in removing him. He was taken to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Harbour Patrol Base before being transported to

along with the driver of a white Jeep Cherokee. Emergency Medical Services examined the victim and confrmed there were no signs of life. The driver is assisting with investigations.

hospital for further medical evaluation.

Further inquiries revealed that the man has an underlying medical condition and is on prescribed medication. He is listed in stable condition.

MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2026

SECRETARY ofStateMarcoRubio makesastatementtore-

porters while meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mir zoyan at the State Department in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026.

AP Photo/Cliff Owen

Countries affected by recent pause in US Visa processing

Afghanistan, Albania,Algeria, Antiguaand Barbuda,Armenia, Azerbaijan,Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia,Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala,Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast,Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan,Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia,Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro,Morocco, Nepal,Nicaragua,Nigeria,Pakistan, Republicofthe Congo,Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincentand theGrenadines, Senegal,Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.

As migration closes, CARICOM must start to build jobs at home

ONJANUARY 14,2026, the U.S.Department ofState announced that,effective January 21, it would pause the issuanceof allimmigrant visas for nationals of 75 countries, including 11 in the Caribbean Community(CARICOM), deemed tobe at “high risk ofpublic benefits usage. Applications may still be submitted, butno immigrant visas willbe issued during the pause.

The noticesets outthe policylogic plainly.President Donald Trumphas directed that immigrants mustbe financially self-sufficient and must notbecome a public charge. Visas aredescribed asa privilege,nota right,and admissions asnational-security decisions. Implemented bya departmentled bySecretary ofState MarcoRubio, the language is deliberate and categorical. It signals a shift in doctrine, not a temporary pause awaiting reversal.

For the Caribbean, this matters because fordecadesoutward migration absorbed part of theregion’s internaleconomic pressure unemployment, low wages,limited domestic markets, and frustrated professionals. Thatoutlet has now narrowed.The pressure, therefore, will intensify at home.

The compositionof the75countrylist revealstheunderlying logic.The countriesare drawn overwhelminglyfrom the Global South Africa, Latin America andthe Caribbean,the MiddleEast,and partsof CentralandEastern Europe and Asia.What links

By SIR RONALD SANDERS

them is notpolitics or proximity, buteconomic structure: highyouth populations,weak labour absorption,persistent underemployment, andlong relianceon outwardmigration to relieve domestic pressure. Thepausethus functionsasa broad structuralscreen, signalling that the United States will no longer accept migrants it does not actively seek.

It is nowincumbent on the 11 CARICOM states to build conditionsthat attractinvestment, expandenterprise, and generate employment.The alternative is clear and costly: higher unemployment,deepeningpoverty, risingcrime, social instability, and declining economic prospects. This warning isnot speculative.

Research bythe International Monetary Fund, the WorldBank, andtheInterAmerican Development Bank shows a consistent pattern across LatinAmerica andthe Caribbean. Persistentunemployment especially among youth drives poverty, fuels crime, weakenssocial cohesion, and detersinvestment. Stronger labour markets and rising real earnings, by contrast,are amongthe mostreliabledrivers ofpovertyreduction and stability.

Addressing these challenges,however,is nottheresponsibility ofgovernments alone. It requiresa collective national effort.

Governments must create conditions forgrowth but they do not create jobs on their own.The privatesectormust invest, expand, innovate, and take calculated risks at home, not merelyextract rentsor waitfor incentives.Trade unions must defend workers, while engagingseriously with productivity, skills upgrading, and enterprisesustainability. Political parties especially those that aspire to govern must treat economic reform asa nationalobligation, not a partisan weapon.

If this collective effort fails if no nationalplan is jointly devised,implemented, and monitored Caribbean economies will fracture under the weightof unemployment, accompanied by familiar cycles of bickering and fingerpointing amongactors unwillingto placenationalinterestabove sectionaladvantage.

The region s difficulties are compounded by a self-inflicted handicap. World Bank and IDB assessments show

that manyCaribbean economies operate withhigh costs of doing business slow approvals, overlappingregulation,expensive logistics,and especiallyhigh energyprices. Electricity costs in some states

decades afterthe Treatywas signed.

Similarly, the Caribbean SkillsCertificate andregional labour mobilitywere intended to create a genuine internal market for skills. They have yet to deliverat scale. Initiatives to deepen capital and financial-market integration such asthe long-promised regional stock exchange championed by the CARICOM Private Sector Organization remain worthy causes deserving urgent support.

Too often, reform is postponed because it’s inconvenient. Governments fear backlash. Businesses resist competition. Unions resist change. The political cost of reform is exaggerated. The economic cost of delay is discounted.

aretwo tothree timeshigher than in North America. Regulationis oftencumbersome, miredin redtape andinstitutional inertia, and in some cases distortedby practices that extract private gain for favourable treatment.

Toooften, reformispostponedbecause it s inconvenient. Governmentsfear backlash. Businessesresist competition. Unions resist change. Oppositionscalculate advantage. Thepolitical cost of reform isexaggerated. The economic costof delayis discounted.

Thatmiscalculation isno longer theoretical. It s urgent. If unemploymentremains high whilemigration outlets narrow, the resultwill not be patience.It willberising poverty, highercrime, social strain,and adeterioratinginvestment climate. Investors will withdraw. Insurance costs willrise. Bankdepositswill shrink and interest rates will increase.Tourism willfalter. Public finances will weaken. Social cohesion will fray. This is why responsibility mustnow beshared and openly acknowledged as such.

CARICOM mustalso take itsown commitmentsseriously. The RevisedTreaty of Chaguaramasenvisaged aregional industrial policy under the CSME. Headsof Government areexpected toconsider a CARICOM Industrial Policy Frameworkat their50th meetingin St.Kitts andNevis next month more than three

If external doors are narrowing, the region must make its internal space work or accept the costof fragmentation. What s required now is a new compact. Governments mustlower thecost ofdoing business decisively. The privatesector mustcommit capital and creativityto domestic production. Trade unions must champion skills, productivity, andfair wages together. Political parties must accept that economic reformisnot optional,andthat sabotagingit forshort-term gain undermines everyone’s future. The State Department s noticedoes notsingle outthe Caribbean, butits consequences shouldrivet regional attention. Itremoves the long-standing illusion that migration will always be available asa safetyvalve. That era is all but over. The door to migrationto the United States isno longer ajar.Ithas beenclosedelsewhere for years. Either Caribbeansocieties governments, businesses, unions,and political movements alike accept shared responsibilityfor building opportunity at home, or they continueto defer and allow unemployment, crime, and instability to exact a far higher price.

As migration closes, there is onlyone viableresponse: build opportunities for investment andjobs athome together.

Equadorian gang violence ramps up as police find five human heads on beach

QUITO,Ecuador (AP) Five human heads were found hanging from ropes on a beach in southwestern Ecuador, police said on January11, as thecountry reelsfromawave ofviolence related to drug trafficking.

Images publishedby Ecuadorian media outlets showed the bloody scene. Next tothe headswas awarning sign directed at alleged extortionists of fishermen inthesmall fishingportofPuertoLopez. Theropeswere fixedto wooden poles on the beach.

A police report attributed the incidenttoa conflictbetweencriminal groups. Drug-trafficking networkswith links to transnational cartels are active in the area and have used fishermen and their small boats for their illicit activities, according to authorities.

A dispute for territory and control of drug-trafficking routes has triggered violent episodes across the Manabi province,where PuertoLopez islocated.

Police on Saturday said that they had

carried out control and surveillance operations in Puerto Lopez amid an ongoingstateof emergencyenforcedin nineofthe Andeancountry’s 24 provinces, including Manabi. The state of emergency seeks to contain the spiral of violence, especially in coastal areas, and restricts certain civil rights.

Police controls inPuerto Lopez increased after a massacre left six people dead two weeks ago. A second armed attack three days laterleft the same numberof deadin Manta,also inthe province of Manabi.

Ecuador has been engulfed in a wave of violence for more thanfouryears after becoming alogistical centre for the storageand distributionof drugs that enter mainly through the northern border with Colombia and the southern border with Peru. 2025 was Ecuador ’smost violent year on record, withmore than 9,000 homicides according to official figures, surpassing the record set in 2023 with 8,248 deaths.

The strong case for filming cops

By Malcolm Strachan

ANOTHER fatalshooting by police officers took place in theUSover theweekend,and amid all theoutrage, one thing is certain:without thevideo footage captured by phones, thestory aswe understandit might be very different. That s an important lesson here in The Bahamas too, where there have been frequent caseswhere officershavedemanded that citizens stop recordingwith theirphones,and have sometimeseven seized the phone from an individual. Let’s take a brief look at two recent fatalshootings inMin nesota. In both cases,video footage has been shared widely and analysed closelyby newsor ganisations.

The first case was the shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agentas she drove away fromofficers on January 7. She was shot three times by an of ficer whoinitially positioned himselfin front ofher vehicle. She wasnot armed,but her attempt to drive away was characterisedby USPresident Donald Trumpand othersas having “run over” the agent and that theshooting was self defence. Vice presidentJD Vance called the incident classic terrorism and the Homeland SecuritySecretary, KristiNoem,called it an act of domesticterrorism. As videos emerged, it looked very differentfrom thoseclaims. Perhaps more tothe point, those claims came very quicklyrather thanallowing time fora properinvestigation. Over the weekend, a second fatal shooting tookplace, of 37-year-old AlexPretti, an ICU nursewho workedat a VeteransAffairs facility,who was out on the streets recordingofficers. Prettiwas armed,he hadagun inhis waistband, thoughhe hada licence and it s legal tocarry a weapon in somestates in the US.Imay notthinkthat s

wise, butthat’s thelaw over there.

Again, Noem has been quick todescribe whathappened, which does not stack up with the video footage that emerged after the event.

She said Pretti had been “brandishing” agun ashe approached federalagents and that he “approached US border patrol officers witha 9mm semi-automatic handgun

cidentswhere ithas beenreported that officers have demanded that peoplestop recording with their phones.

of-

a bribe from a tourist on a scooter.

Greg Bovino,a seniorborder patrol commander, also said that Pretti “violently resisted” and that he “wanted to do maximum damageand massacre law enforcement”

The videos are very different.He doesnothave agun in his handwhen approached by officers, but a phone. He is seen to be helping two women who werebeing pushedby officers, then thereis a pile-on and then the shooting happens.

There are many aspects of theseshootings thataredisturbing, but each shows the importance ofhaving recordings tobe ableto compareagainst the official statements.

Onmany occasionsinThe Bahamas, there have been in-

InApril lastyear, onespecific case saw a video circulate onsocial mediawherefour uniformed officers entered a yard, and oneofficer approached the manfilmingand said: “Iletting youknowright now don t recordmewithout my consent. He seized the device – eventhough theman was in his own yard. The man couldbe heard give me my phone” It was later announced by Deputy Commissioner Kirkwood Andrews that no disciplinary action would be taken against the officer, while National Security Minister ayne Munroe said there is “nothing fundamentally wrong” with recording police officers aslongas footageisnotused to alert others to officers presence. Not only is it not fundamentally wrong, it is notwrong in the slightest torecord officers, and the incidents in the US demonstrate exactlywhy it’s important.

Inthe aftermathof twocontentious shootings, where claimsare beingmade thatdo notmatchup totheevidence on video,the recordingslet us see with our own eyes what took place.

If that s something that involves wrongdoing by officers, we can see it. If it is something that vindicates officers, we can see it.

Beyond that, though, there’s nothinginthe lawtoprevent you fromphotographing or filming law enforcement in the execution of theirduties –whether thatis police,immig-

Ad free ChatGPT coming to an end

By MATT O'BRIEN AP Technology Writer

OpenAIsaysitwill soonstartshowingadvertisementstoChatGPT userswhoaren't paying for a premium version of the chatbot. The artificial intelligencecompany said Fridayithasn't yetrolledoutads butwillstart testing them in the coming weeks. It'sthelatesteffort bytheSanFranciscobasedcompanyto makemoneyfrom ChatGPT's morethan 800million users,most of whom get it for free.

Thoughvaluedat $500billion,thestartup loses more money than itmakes and has been looking for ways to turn a profit. “Most importantly: ads will not influence the answersChatGPT givesyou, said FidjiSimo, the company sCEOof applications,inasocial media post Friday. OpenAI said the digital ads will appear at the bottom of ChatGPT's answers “when there’sa relevantsponsored productorservice basedon your current conversation.” The ads “will beclearly labelledand separatedfromthe organicanswer, the company said. Two ofOpenAI s rivals,Google andMeta, have dominated digitaladvertising for years and already incorporate ads into some of their AI features. Originally founded as a nonprofit with a mission to safelybuild better-than-human AI, OpenAI last yearreorganised its ownership structure and converted itsbusiness into a

public benefit corporation. It said Friday that itspursuitofadvertising willbe always in support” of its original mission to ensure its AI technology benefits humanity. But introducing personalisedads starts OpenAI down a riskypath previously taken bysocial mediacompanies, saidMiranda Bogen ofthe Center for Democracyand Technology.

“People are using chatbots for all sorts of reasons,including ascompanions andadvisors," said Bogen, director of CDT’s AI Governance Lab. “There’sa lot at stakewhen that tool triesto exploit users trust tohawk advertisers’ goods.” OpenAImakessome moneyfrompaidsubscriptions but needs more revenue to pay for its more than $1 trillion in financial obligations for the computer chips and data centresthat power its AIservices. The risk thatOpenAI won’t makeenoughmoney tofulfiltheexpectations of backers like Oracle and Nvidia has amplified investor concerns about an AI bubble It is clearto us that a lot ofpeople want to use a lot of AI and don’t want to pay, so we are hopefula businessmodel likethis canwork, said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in a post Friday on social platform X. He added that he likes the ads on Meta's Instagrambecause they show him things he wouldn't have found otherwise.

OpenAIclaims itwon'tusea user'spersonal information or prompts tocollect data for ads, but the question is “forhow long,” said Paddy Harrington,an analystatresearch groupForrester.

ration or defence force of-

ficers. Anything that’sin plain view ina publicspace canbe recorded.(Note that “public space element. You might be on land thatbelongs to someone elseand theymight object, for example. But if you’re in public? Nothing at all to stopyou, nomatter whatan officer might say. Sometimes officers have told peopleto deletetheir recordings.They can t do that. They haveno powerto do that.

And this is nothing new.

Backin 2021,SuptMarlon Fulfordspoke onthepolice force’s own show, Cop Talk, to tellpeople thatofficers didnot have the right to take away anyone s cellphone. Headded “if you are professional in your dealings, you do not have to worry aboutwhat isrecorded” and by allmeans, allowthem to record.” He saidthere had beencases ofphonesbeing takenaway andmembersof thepublic beingassaultedas officers had been trying to take the phones away. Backbefore hebecame commissioner, then Deputy

Commissioner Clayton Fernander said the same thing. If someoneis recordingyou, why areyou afraidof that,because you aredoing your job? Just stand and show that level ofrespect tomembers ofthe public. That doesn’t meanyouhave the right to interfere with an officer intheir duties.But ifyou aresimply standingthereand recording, you are not interfering. We have seen cases in recent timeswhere recordingshave led to furtherinvestigations –whether it was the woman in a policestation beingdeniedaccess to a bathroom, recorded by an officer, or the cases where officerswere allegedly caught soliciting bribesfrom a tourist or amigrant. Those cases may well have gone nowherewithout theevidence to back them up. The cases in the US also demonstrate the other reason why the right to make recordings is so important, even under thebest governments. Governments change,and no matterhow goodwemight think a current commissioner

mightbe, ora currentminister of national security,having the right protects you against those who mighttell youone thing while arecording showsanother. What happens thenin the caseswhere thereis novideo evidence to contradict such claims?

The ability to photograph or record officers in their interactions with the public is nothing new. It has been a recurring partof lifethatevery nowand then thereare incidentswhen officersare caughttelling people to stop recording and hand overphones. Eachtime it’s wrong. The incidents in the US showwhy preservingsuch recordings – andthe abilityto do soon each newoccasion –is important. Two differentjurisdictions, but the principle is the same: if somethingis happeningin public,thereis noreasonwhy you can’t record it. Ifyou everhear anofficer sayotherwise, justremember that their bosses disagree.

China donates $280k in eye equipment as Brightness Action Initiative mission concludes

THE Chinese government on Friday handed over approximately $280,000 worth of ophthalmology equipment to the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA), marking the conclusion of the Brightness Action Initiative.

The programme, a collaboration between the Chinese government and The Bahamas, aimed at

providing free cataract surgeries to Bahamians, has already performed more than 203 procedures, including complex cases.

“So no matter how the international and regional situation changes, China will continue to develop the friendly relations with Latin America and Caribbean countries, including The Bahamas,” she added.

Prime Minister Philip Davis, for his part, expressed gratitude to the

Chinese Ambassador Yan Jiarong highlighted the challenges involved, praising the partnership between Chinese and Bahamian doctors and nurses. She said their joint eforts demonstrate that no challenge is insurmountable.

Chinese medical team and government, praising their professionalism, precision, and compassion.

“Your contribution refects a deep sense of responsibility and respect for those you served, and your work will be remembered by the individuals and families whose lives you have touched,” he added.

POLICE INVESTIGATE ALLEGED DROWNING OF AMERICAN MAN AT ATHOL ISLAND

POLICE are investigating an alleged drowning incident that left an American man dead yesterday.

Preliminary reports indicate that the 65-year-old man was snorkelling near Athol Island around 2 pm when he became unresponsive in the water. He was assisted from the

water by an employee of a local tour boat company. Despite eforts to revive him, he remained unresponsive and was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Police said an autopsy would be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.

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Federal and state officials both claim moral high ground in immigration crackdown after shooting

By SARAH RAZA, JACK BROOK and STEVE K ARNOWSKI Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) In duelling newsconferences, federal andstate officials offered starkly different messages Sunday aboutthe immigration crackdown that has swept across Minneapolis and surrounding cities, with both claimingthe moralhigh ground inthe wakeof another shooting death by federal agents.

"Which side do you want to beon?"Gov. TimWalzasked the public. "The side of an allpowerful federal government that couldkill, injure,menace andkidnap itscitizens offthe streets,or ontheside ofa nurse at the VA hospital who diedbearing witnesstosuch government," areference to the shooting of Alex Pretti on Saturday in Minneapolis.

At thesame time,in afederal officebuilding about20 milesaway, BorderPatrol Commander Gregory Bovino, the public faceof the crackdown,again turnedblamefor the shooting to Pretti.

"When someone makes the choice to come into an active law enforcementscene, interfere, obstruct,delay orassault law enforcementofficer and and they bring a weapon to do that. That is a choice that that individual made,"hetold reporters.

The competingcomments emerged as local leaders and Democrats across the country demanded federal immigrationofficers leaveMinnesota after Pretti'sshooting, which setoff clasheswithprotesters in a city already shaken by anothershooting deathweeks earlier.

Video contradicts administration statements

Video shot by bystanders andreviewed byTheAssociatedPress appearstocontradict statementsby President Donald Trump's administration, which said agents fired "defensively" againstPretti, a 37-year-old intensivecare nurse, as he approached them.

Prettican beseen withonly a phone in his hand as he steps between an immigration agent and a woman on the street. No footage appearsto showhim with a weapon. During the scuffle, agentsappear to disarmhim afterdiscovering thathewas carryinga9mm

semiautomatic handgun, and then opened fire several times. Pretti was licensed to carry a concealed weapon.

In the hoursafter the shooting, HomelandSecurity SecretaryKristi Noemsaid Pretti attackedofficers, and Bovino saidhe wantedto "massacre law enforcement."

Bovino was more restrained Sunday, saying hewould not speculate aboutthe shooting and that he planned to wait for the investigation.

Relatives say they are heartbroken Pretti's family said they were "heartbrokenbut also very angry" atauthorities. Relatives were furious at federal officials' description of the shooting.

"The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensibleand disgusting.Alex isclearlynot holdinga gunwhenattacked by Trump'smurdering and cowardly ICE thugs.He has hisphone inhis righthand, and hisempty lefthand is raised above hishead while trying to protect the woman ICE justpushed downall while beingpepper sprayed," thefamily statementsaid. "Please getthe truthout about our son."

Prettiwasshot justovera milefrom wherean ICEofficer killed37-year-old Renee Goodon Jan.7,sparking widespread protests.

A federaljudge hasalready issued anorder blockingthe Trump administrationfrom "destroyingor alteringevidence" related to the shooting, after state andcounty officials sued.

Minnesota AttorneyGeneral Keith Ellisonsaid the lawsuitfiled Saturdayis meant topreserve evidence collected byfederal officials that state authorities have not yetbeen ableto inspect.A court hearing isscheduled for Mondayinfederal courtinSt. Paul.

A full,impartial, and transparent investigationinto hisfatal shootingat thehands of DHS agentsis non-negotiable," Ellisonsaid ina statement.

Drew Evans, superintendent of thestate'sBureau of CriminalApprehension, which investigates police shootings, toldreporters Saturday that federal officers blocked hisagency fromthe scene of theshooting even after it obtaineda signed judi-

cial warrant. On Sunday morning,bureau officerswere working at the scene.

Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin dismissedthe lawsuit, saying claims that the federal governmentwould destroy evidence are "a ridiculous attempt todivide the American peopleand distract from thefact that ourlaw enforcement officerswere attacked and their lives were threatened."

The MinnesotaNational Guard temporarily assisted local police atWalz's direction, officials said, with troops sent to the shooting site and a federalbuilding whereofficershave squaredoffdaily with demonstrators.

But MinneapolisPolice ChiefBrian O'Harasaid Sunday morning on CBS' "Face the Nation"that "it's back tojust theMinneapolis police responding to calls."

No evidence that Pretti brandished gun O'Harasaid hehad seenno evidence thatPretti brandished thepistol, andthatthe crackdown was exhausting his department.

"This is taking an enormous toll, tryingto manageall this chaos on top of having to be thepolice departmentfora majorcity.It's toomuch,"he said. Rep. AlexandriaOcasioCortez of NewYork was among severalDemocratic lawmakers demandingthat federal immigrationauthorities leave Minnesota.

In astatement, formerPresident BarackObama called Pretti'sdeath a"heartbreaking tragedy"and warnedthat "manyofour corevaluesasa nation are increasingly under assault."

Heurged theWhiteHouse to work with city and state officials.

"This has tostop,"Obama said.

Federalofficials haverepeatedly questionedwhy Pretti was armed during the confrontation. But gun rights groupsnoted thatit's legalto carry firearmsduring protests.

"Every peaceableMinnesotan has the right to keep and bear arms including while attendingprotests, acting as observers, or exercising their First Amendment rights,"the MinnesotaGun Owners Caucus said in a statement.