Caribbean Roundup: Cuba, Haiti, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago

“What are you afraid of?” he asked. “If you are so convinced that the Cuban government is an incompetent government, why do you need to implement almost every two weeks new sanctions?”

The US has imposed further sanctions on Cuban mining, metal, and construction companies, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning that additional measures will continue.

The sanctions, combined with the longstanding US embargo and oil blockade, have worsened Cuba’s economic crisis, causing power outages, transport disruptions and shortages of food and medicine.

Guzmán said the measures are the biggest obstacle to economic growth, discouraging investors and tourists.

Several companies, including Spanish hotel chain Meliá, have also withdrawn from the country due to worsening operational and financial difficulties.

Guyana

Guyana’s government has welcomed the arrival of the Errea Wittu, its fifth and largest FPSO vessel, which is expected to push national oil production beyond one million barrels per day.

The US$12.7 billion project is targeting more than 800 million barrels of recoverable oil, with Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat describing it as a major milestone in Guyana’s oil and gas development.

“With first oil expected in the fourth quarter of 2026, production is poised to cross the one-million-barrel-per-day mark. This is a major development for our country and one that brings with it greater responsibility to ensure Guyanese continue to benefit from the sector,” Minister Bharrat said.

President Irfaan Ali said the new FPSO is Guyana’s largest and is expected to increase oil production by about 250,000 barrels per day.

“Currently our four operating FPSOs-Lisa Destiny, Unity, Prosperity and One Guyana-produce roughly between 900 to 920,000 barrels per day,” he added.

The Errea Wittu, built by Japan-based MODEC for the Uaru development in Guyana’s Stabroek Block, is expected to begin oil production in September.

Bharrat said the government would maintain transparency in managing petroleum revenues and ensure Guyanese benefit from the growing oil industry.

“The government will continue to disclose petroleum revenue receipts through the National Assembly, ensuring people of Guyana are kept informed about the revenues earned from their resources.”

“We will also continue to push for greater local content opportunities so that more Guyanese workers and businesses can participate in and benefit from the growth of this industry,” he added.

Haiti

OAS Secretary General Albert Ramdin said Haiti needs greater international support to combat gangs and regain control of territory ahead of its first general elections in more than a decade.

Following meetings with Haiti’s prime minister and other officials, Ramdin said the UN-backed gang suppression force requires more personnel, equipment, and funding to effectively address the crisis.

“The efforts of the (force) are essential to improving security and public safety, and to creating the conditions for a safe electoral process,” he said. “Progress must be visible and measurable as soon as possible.”

Ramdin said Haiti’s immediate security priorities include securing key routes to the main international airport, maintaining access to the airport and seaport, and restoring safe passage to the southern region, much of which is controlled by gangs.

He also urged Haiti to accelerate voter registration and identification ahead of the Dec. 13 general election.

The country has been without a president since Jovenel Moïse was killed in 2021, while worsening gang violence has displaced about 1.5 million people.

Ramdin has promised to keep “mobilizing political, technical and financial support” for Haiti.

He said the OAS will partner with the Pan American Health Organization to establish trauma centers for Haitian police officers injured while confronting gangs that control large parts of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas.

He also plans to form a delegation of business leaders to explore investment opportunities in Haiti, as the country faces worsening poverty, hunger and unemployment.

“Haiti is at a decisive point,” he said. “The future of Haiti belongs first and foremost to the Haitian people.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is in talks with Taiwan to ease its heavy public debt, with Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday saying Taiwan has shown a genuine willingness to help. The country’s debt-to-GDP ratio currently exceeds 113 per cent.

During his recent visit to Taiwan, Friday discussed the US$345 million owed to Taipei and stressed that his government would not allow the country to become a failed state.

He warned that debt could rise further without corrective action, while limited fiscal space is restricting spending on social programs and development.

“We inherited that on November 27. I’m not going to pass this on to a next generation. We have to fix the problem now. St. Vincent and the Grenadines will not be a failed state. We will take whatever measures are necessary to correct that problem.”

Friday said his delegation directly raised the country’s debt concerns with Taiwan, one of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ key lenders.
“We have had very serious conversations with all parties…the International Monetary Fund. World Bank, our friends in the region…and our own team here, because we’re earnestly looking for solutions,” he said.

“Of course, Taiwan…It’s necessary for us to engage with them as well, to seek to find ways in which we can manage the debt better going forward,” Friday said. “To our great satisfaction…we were greeted with real interest in seeking to understand our situation, and a genuine willingness to work with us to find ways in which we can resolve this.”

“A lot of this is still in discussion, but…the goodwill is there, and there are measures that have been performed which I think will very much help our situation in the near term,” he added.

Trinidad and Tobago

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is financing a US$27.1 million initiative to strengthen hydrometeorological services and multi-hazard early warning systems in Belize and Trinidad and Tobago.

Funded through its partnership with the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the project aims to improve the countries’ ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to climate-related hazards and extreme weather events.

It includes a US$24.1 million GCF grant, US$1.2 million from the CDB and US$1.88 million in counterpart funding from both governments. The initiative will be implemented by the Caribbean Meteorological Organisation (CMO), alongside national meteorological and disaster management agencies.

The CDB said the initiative will improve Belize and Trinidad and Tobago’s ability to detect, monitor, analyze and forecast weather, water and climate-related hazards, while strengthening disaster risk management and climate information services.

It will also enhance institutional capacity and provide timely warnings to vulnerable communities, helping reduce losses from increasingly severe climate events. The two countries face growing threats from hurricanes, floods, droughts, heatwaves and sea-level rise, making stronger early warning systems essential for protecting lives, livelihoods and infrastructure.

CDB Projects Department Director L. O’Reilly Lewis said the initiative reflects the CDB and GCF’s commitment to building climate resilience across vulnerable Caribbean countries.

“This investment, made possible through the Green Climate Fund’s support, represents a critical step in strengthening climate resilience in Belize and Trinidad and Tobago,” Lewis said. “As climate-related hazards become more frequent and severe, robust early warning systems are essential to protecting communities, safeguarding key economic sectors and preserving development gains.

“The project advances CDB’s strategic focus on accelerating climate action, strengthening institutions and building social and environmental resilience, while creating a model that can inform similar investments across the Caribbean,” Lewis added.

The project supports the CDB’s 2026–2035 strategic priorities, particularly social and environmental resilience, stronger institutions and accelerated climate action. It also contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 11 on sustainable communities and 13 on climate action.