April 6, 2026 • 2 min readTrini Brief
Auntie Cheryl writes from Chaguanas, Trinidad, where she has lived her entire life, voted in every election since 1986, and has very strong opinions about doubles, governance, and people who do not vote.
Oh gosh. OH GOSH. People, Auntie Cheryl so happy she could buss.
Kamla win. KAMLA WIN. After all the years of suffering under PNM — the crime, the cost of living, the gas price, the empty talk — the people of this blessed twin-island republic have risen up and said: ENOUGH.
Read More → April 6, 2026 • 3 min readBajan Brief
Miss Violet writes from St Philip, Barbados, where she taught primary school for 34 years, knows everybody’s business, and has voted BLP since she was old enough to hold a pencil.
Good morning, Barbados. Miss Violet speaking.
Well. Three terms. Thirty seats. Three times. If you did not feel something when those results came in, then you were not paying attention. Mia Mottley has done what no Caribbean leader has done before her — three consecutive clean sweeps — and she is now the longest-serving female head of state or government in the world. Let that settle. Let it settle properly.
Read More → April 6, 2026 • 3 min readUncle Ramesh
Uncle Ramesh writes from Queens, New York, where he has lived since 1987 and has strong opinions about a country he visits every three years.
Hello everybody, good morning and God bless.
Well I calling from Queens this morning to tell all you naysayers that this government doing things, and if you can’t see it you need to clean your glasses.
First thing: the airstrip at Karasabai. One point five BILLION dollars, people. That is not small thing. That is Region Nine getting real infrastructure, real access, real development. When last any government build airstrip in the hinterland? Uncle Ramesh remembers the old days when you had to pray to reach them places. Now the President commissioning modern facilities and also setting up border patrol to protect the frontier. This is leadership. This is vision. Some people want to complain about everything but when your President commissioning airstrips in Region Nine, that is progress, full stop.
Read More → April 6, 2026 • 3 min readBajan Brief
The Bajan Bugle — Little England, big opinions, and zero patience for spin.
THE THIRD 30-0: HISTORIC, AND SLIGHTLY CONCERNING
Mia Mottley’s BLP has won a third consecutive 30-0 clean sweep of Barbados’s 30 parliamentary seats, making her the first Caribbean leader to achieve three successive clean sweeps and, as of 2026, the longest-serving sitting female head of state or government in the world. These are real achievements and the Bajan Bugle acknowledges them without reservation.
Read More → April 6, 2026 • 3 min readDaily Brief
Your 5-minute guide to what’s happening in Guyana — plain talk, no spin.
SURINAME CHARGES BY THE RIVERFULL
The Suriname river fee saga continues to produce strong language and diplomatic protest letters that Paramaribo appears to be filing directly in the bin. Guyanese vessel operators in the Upper Corentyne are now facing “pilot licence” fees of up to US$2,500 per trip, plus broker charges of US$1,000 to US$1,500, which is an impressive number for a river that Guyana has legal navigation rights on under customary international law. The Berbice Chamber and the GCCI have both called for the government to freeze the Corentyne Bridge project until Suriname gets its act together, which is roughly equivalent to refusing to build a fence with your neighbour until they stop letting their cow into your yard. President Ali lodged a formal protest. Suriname has not responded. The word “reciprocity” has now been invoked by every arm of Guyanese government except the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority, and give them time.
Read More → April 6, 2026 • 3 min readTrini Brief
The Trini Dispatch — oil, Carnival, commess, and whatever else falls out of Port of Spain this week.
KAMLA IS BACK. LET THE COMMESS BEGIN.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar is the next Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, with her United National Congress winning the parliamentary election in a result that represents a remarkable comeback for the 73-year-old, who previously served as Prime Minister from 2010 to 2015. The snap election was triggered after former PM Keith Rowley resigned amid a surge in the cost of living, Trump’s trade wars, and soaring crime rates. Stuart Young held the seat briefly after Rowley left, called the election, and lost it. Young had described himself as prepared to negotiate with anyone on trade. He will now have plenty of time to negotiate with himself.
Read More → April 6, 2026 • 3 min readDe Boys Seh
De Boys Seh — Speedeet and Wilar from Pike Street with their Sunday take on the week.
WILAR: Speedeet. You know dey say de government announcing a digital registry for drivers?
SPEEDEET: Yeah. Track all yuh tickets and violations.
WILAR: You think they doing one for kite flyers too?
SPEEDEET: (pause) For kite flying?
WILAR: Our kite hit a woman roti today.
SPEEDEET: That was an accident.
WILAR: An accident that could be in a registry.
Read More → April 6, 2026 • 5 min readSpeedeet & Wilar
Speedeet and Wilar — two boys from Pike Street, Kitty, Georgetown. Every Sunday.
De argument start before dey even reach de seawall.
“A kite need a tail,” Wilar say. He was carrying de bamboo frame, holding it careful like it was something important. Which it was. Dey had spend two hours building it.
“A kite don’t need a tail,” Speedeet say. He was carrying de string and de extra plastic bag material. “A tail is just showing off.”
Read More → April 6, 2026 • 4 min readSpeedeet & Wilar
Speedeet & Wilar: two boys, one friendship, Pike Street, Georgetown. Every Sunday.
De kite string cut at exactly de wrong moment.
Speedeet had been holding it for forty-five minutes. His hand was cramping. De kite — a big diamond-shape one he and Wilar had built from bamboo and plastic bag material de night before — was flying good. Real good. Better than either of dem had expected.
Den de string cut.
Read More → April 3, 2026 • 4 min readCaribbean Brief
The Guyana Daily Brief looks across the Caribbean on this Good Friday. The region has a lot to reflect on.
TRUMP TARIFFS LAND ON THE CARIBBEAN — 10% BASELINE, 38% FOR GUYANA
The most significant economic story across the entire Caribbean this week: President Trump announced sweeping global tariffs effective April 5, with a 10% baseline imposed on most Caribbean nations and a punishing 38% on Guyana. The tariffs are framed as “reciprocal” under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, targeting countries with trade imbalances with the United States.
Read More → April 3, 2026 • 3 min readPatriots Portfolio
The Patriots Portfolio — for Guyanese who care where the money goes and where it comes from. Every Friday.
THE WEEK IN GUYANA’S ECONOMIC PICTURE
The 38% Tariff: What It Actually Means
Let’s be precise. The Trump administration’s “reciprocal” tariff imposes 38% on Guyanese exports to the United States. The baseline for most Caribbean nations is 10%. Guyana’s higher rate is almost certainly driven by the US trade deficit with Guyana — which exists because the US buys significant volumes of Guyanese oil.
Read More → April 3, 2026 • 2 min readDJ Roadblock
DJ Roadblock on the ones and twos. Good Friday edition. The vibes are complicated but the music still sweet.
EHHH! Good Friday morning Guyana! DJ Roadblock here, and listen — we have a LOT to process this weekend. So Roadblock going give you the playlist to process it with.
🎵 TRACK 1: “Pressure Drop” — Toots and the Maytals
Because 38% tariff just drop on we head. Pressure drop indeed, bai. Pressure. Drop.
Read More → April 3, 2026 • 2 min readUncle Ramesh
By Uncle Ramesh, steadfast PPP/C supporter, proud Guyanese, and man who is having a complicated Good Friday.
People, Uncle Ramesh going to be honest with you today. It is Good Friday. A day for reflection. And I have some reflecting to do.
First — the tariff. Thirty-eight percent. On Guyana. From the United States. That is a lot. Uncle Ramesh was not expecting that. The Ambassador was just here telling us the oil deal is fine and Exxon is great and everything is win-win. Now her boss put a 38% tariff on we exports. Uncle Ramesh notes the contradiction without further comment at this time.
Read More → April 3, 2026 • 5 min readDaily Brief
Friday, April 3, 2026 — Good Friday. Things are getting crucified out there.
TRUMP HITS GUYANA WITH 38% TARIFF — HIGHEST IN THE CARIBBEAN
In what is arguably the biggest economic news of the year so far, President Donald Trump announced sweeping global tariffs effective April 5, imposing a baseline 10% on most Caribbean nations — but a punishing 38% on Guyana. The tariff is framed as a “reciprocal” trade measure, though analysts note Guyana’s trade deficit with the US is driven almost entirely by oil imports, not an imbalance that typically invites retaliation. CARICOM’s private sector body CPSO says credible analysis is needed before a full response can be given. Guyana’s private sector is reportedly closely tracking developments. The US Ambassador spent last week telling Guyana not to renegotiate its Exxon contract. This week, her government slapped Guyana’s exports with a 38% tariff. You really cannot make this up.
Read More → April 2, 2026 • 4 min readCaribbean Brief
The Guyana Daily Brief surveys the wider Caribbean. The region never sleeps.
JAMAICA: ENTERING WORLD CUP PLAYOFF AS FAVOURITES
Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz enter the inter-confederation World Cup playoff as favourites following the appointment of a new head coach. The Boyz will face New Caledonia for a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup — their first appearance since 1998. With Haiti already qualified outright, the Caribbean Football Union is having an historic qualification cycle. Jamaica’s football public is cautiously optimistic, which for Jamaican football fans is essentially unbridled euphoria.
Read More → April 2, 2026 • 3 min readDe Boys Seh
De boys liming on the corner of Robb and Hincks. What deh say? Well…
On the tint crackdown:
“Bai, deh pull over every man except the one in de blacked-out government SUV. Dat one just drive straight through.”
“De minister say ‘don’t call me.’ She know exactly who does call.”
“Listen, meh tint was 24% — one percent too dark. Deh fine meh thirty thousand dollars. Meanwhile de man who thief fourteen million in aircraft parts get bail in four hours.”
Read More → April 2, 2026 • 2 min readUncle Ramesh
By Uncle Ramesh, loyal PPP/C supporter, road-safety enthusiast, and man who has never once owned a tinted vehicle.
People, today I feel vindicated. You know why? Because this government is SERIOUS.
The tint crackdown start. And I, Uncle Ramesh, have been saying for years that these dark-glass criminals hiding behind tinted windows needed to be dealt with. Now Minister Walrond say “don’t call me” and Traffic Chief Singh deploy the tint meters. EXCELLENT. This is what law and order looks like. If your car legal, you have nothing to fear. Simple as that.
Read More → April 2, 2026 • 5 min readDaily Brief
Thursday, April 2, 2026 — Grab yuh coffee. Today in Guyana: dark glass, darker dealings, and at least one happy homecoming.
TINT CRACKDOWN BEGINS — “DON’T CALL ME,” SAYS MINISTER
The Guyana Police Force launched its nationwide tint enforcement operation Wednesday, the first day of actual enforcement after a three-month grace period. Motorists with window tint darker than 25% visible light transmission are being pulled over, fined $30,000, and directed to court. Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond has made her position plain: “Don’t call me.” Traffic Chief Mahendra Singh has deployed calibrated tint meters at checkpoints across the country. In Berbice, several drivers were already pulled in on day one. The only question Guyanese are asking: will it be applied equally to the tinted SUVs with government plates?
Read More → April 1, 2026 • 4 min readCaribbean Brief
The Guyana Daily Brief extends its gaze across the Caribbean. The region is complicated. We try to keep up.
TRINIDAD: NURSES WALKING SLOW, MANAGEMENT MOVING SLOWER
A sick-out by nurses at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Trinidad has entered an extended standoff. The Trinidad and Tobago National Nurses Association says the action will end if management simply speaks to nurses “respectfully.” Management has not done this. Former medical director Dr. Anand Chatoorgoon is urging nurses to reflect on compassion and duty. The nurses, one presumes, are reflecting on being talked down to and underpaid simultaneously. Meanwhile, the public is reflecting on how long emergency waits are getting.
Read More → April 1, 2026 • 3 min readRumour Mill
What the papers can’t print, the Mill will grind. All rumours are unverified. Some are implausible. A few might be true. We’ll never tell.
🌀 Word on the street is that when the Digital Identity Card Act commencement was announced, at least three senior civil servants had to quickly Google what the Data Protection Act actually says. Just to check. You know. For completeness.
🌀 A little bird at City Hall whispers that the list of ratepayers being taken to court is, shall we say, politically diverse. One name allegedly on the draft list called in a favour. The name has since been reviewed. Nothing confirmed. The Mill just grinds.
Read More →