Technology Goes Green - STAR Businessweek

THE STAR BUSINESSWEEK JUNE 9, 2018

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TECHNOLOGY GOES GREEN

How talented entrepreneurs are finding climate-smart solutions to Caribbean problems

BY CATHERINE MORRIS, STAR BUSINESSWEEK CORRESPONDENT

An artist from Jamaica who is developing construction material from recyclables. Farmers from Saint Lucia pioneering a ‘climate smart’ greenhouse. A designer from Trinidad turning coconut husks into eyewear. These entrepreneurs are part of the growing ‘GreenTech’ movement in the Caribbean, as talent and technology come together to tackle the region’s most pressing problems.

Continued on page 4

Barbados braced for tough measures to clear debt burden

Barbados must prepare for a long and painful journey back to financial and economic health, after announcing a radical plan to tackle the fourth-biggest debt burden in the world, according to the country’s new premier.

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Deaths mount in crackdown on Nicaraguan protesters

At night, paramilitary forces and progovernment gangs cruise the streets in white Hilux pick-ups, shooting at people and buildings, in plain sight of the police Page 7

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HOLDING GEORGETOWN ‘OVER A BARREL’

BY ED KENNEDY, STAR BUSINESSWEEK CORRESPONDENT

The STAR Businessweek

BY CHRISTIAN WAYNE – EDITOR AT LARGE

Our lead stories this week are somewhat at odds with one another. Green technologies, otherwise known as GreenTech, are being adopted

by more and more segments of the global agriculture industry and it seems the Caribbean is finally starting to catch on.

STAR Businessweek correspondent Catherine Morris has begun a two-part series on highlighting the movements in this space and has even caught up with a few trailblazing entrepreneurs who are operating at the frontiers of this vital Caribbean industry.

Read more in Technology Goes Green starting on the cover page.

At the other end of the spectrum is an industry that’s a little less green—well, depending on who you ask! Correspondent Ed Kennedy’s piece this week explores the realities of petro-wealth and how, despite almost US$1billion in promised annualized revenue for the government of Guyana, the country may still be getting bent over the proverbial barrel. This story and more commencing here on page 2.

The Financial Times has contributed heavy reporting from Nicaragua and the deadly internal conflict that has erupted over recent weeks.

In what is becoming a troubling global trend, Nicaragua’s civil unrest has been sparked by one of Latin America’s last remaining revolucionarios President Daniel Ortega, a

Sandanista gueriilla fighter turned national leader turned despot. Reminiscent of a horrible chapter in Latin American and Caribbean modern history, pro-government death squads have reportedly begun operating in Nicaragua with impunity. Read more on page 7.

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World Bank experts will help Guyana in the development of its oil and gas industry

uyana has struck oil, and oil is worth a lot of money. Yet in many ways Guyana’s future has never been more uncertain. This is because history shows that the line between generating wealth from oil, and that wealth being passed onto John or Joan Citizen, is rarely direct. Once upon a time the prospect of a ‘smoke and mirrors’ deal was almost a fait accompli.

At the heart of this new landscape is the question: What history does Georgetown need to know, lest history be repeated? And what will the future of the oil industry locally and globally offer it?

OPPORTUNITY AND RISK

Within our Caribbean family, Guyana is not among the most affluent nations. In fact it’s one of the least affluent. News that it has a reserve in excess of 2 billion barrels is surely welcome for the potential it offers to deliver a new profitability to the nation.

Moses Nagamootoo, the prime minister of Guyana, has compared it to finding ‘the road to El Dorado’.

All agree that reaching El Dorado is desirable but such journeys can be dangerous, even not worth it. At heart, the risk comes when that opportunity is not optimised. In such a scenario, news of ‘new oil’ could be not only a double-edged sword, but a new danger.

The thought of such an outcome is not a pleasant one.

It would be far more agreeable to not mention this at all, to suggest it’s all sunshine and rainbows. But this scenario is regrettably a realistic one; one that history shows has the potential to become all too real, and gives pause for the future of the find in the Stabroek area, where the crude resides across nearly 27,000 square kilometers of the coast of Guyana.

The history of oil in the Caribbean and beyond shows that a surge in oil wealth can create a whole new level of problems for its owners. Even nations that have had a longstanding exposure to the oil industry, and would otherwise be considered a safe pair of hands, can become embattled.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY INDUSTRY There is also the risk that a boom can have generally on an economy. When money is suddenly awash in one sector of the economy, the migration of many people to it is a natural progression.

There’s no question the rapid expansion of an oil industry can see it drive forward like a race car. The danger occurs when the wheels of the sector aren’t stable and enduring.

Today Guyana faces this equation in oil. But Japan’s real estate bubble of the late 1980s, the dot-com bust in the late 1990s in Silicon Valley, USA, and the end of the mining boom in parts of Australia throughout the 2000s have become textbook examples of economic busts. The dangers are more pronounced for developing nations but it can happen in any nation.

The consequence of these busts is always the same. Many resources are directed there in boom times, a bust happens, and then not only is the primary industry impacted but also many secondary (support industries) as well. Industries that are often unable to be restarted.

LIKE OIL AND WATER

Oil has a unique history in this sector, and the Caribbean in 2018 finds itself with unique considerations when it comes to fossil fuels. A century ago such a find would have been heralded and celebrated without reservation. The growth of the oil industry in Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba and now Venezuela could also be championed with a view to the future.

There is surely something to celebrate in Guyana but it must come with the recognition that oil is ultimately no longer a ‘future asset’, especially for the Caribbean. The Caribbean not only faces the threat of climate change as a whole, but there are also threats to our local economy in numerous areas.

Global oil profits and offshore banking have long held an intimate link but these ties will be tested anew by the growing global pressure on nations that harbour tax havens. It’s important to note these issues are complex, with shades of grey, and there’s every reason to have optimism that our tourism industry can evolve in this era.

So, too, that new growth and innovation in our local finance industry could deliver new value, and do away with some of the more odorous elements of an industry that has attracted global ire. But just as many in offshore banking recognise change ahead will be necessary, so must a 21st century nation treat an oil find differently than it would one in the 20th century.

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© The Financial Times Limited [2018]. All Rights Reserved. Not to be redistributed, copied or modified in anyway. Star Publishing Company is solely responsible for providing this translated content and the Financial Times Limited does not accept any liability for the accuracy or quality of the translation

BARBADOS BRACED FOR TOUGH MEASURES TO CLEAR DEBT BURDEN

PM Mia Mottley says she had no choice but to put in place financial restructuring

BY FT CORRESPONDENT

B

Mia Mottley, prime minister of Barbados, has called in the IMF to ‘stabilise the country and stop the bleeding’

arbados must prepare for a long and painful journey back to financial and economic health, after announcing a radical plan to tackle the fourth-biggest debt burden in the world, according to the country’s new premier.

The Caribbean island is still reeling from prime minister Mia Mottley’s revelation on Friday that it had discovered previously undisclosed financial liabilities, which lifted the country’s overall debt from 137 per cent of gross domestic product to more than 175 per cent. This is the fourthhighest debt-to-GDP ratio in the world after Japan, Greece and Sudan.

Given the precarious fiscal situation — the central bank’s reserves are down to just $220m, or seven weeks worth of imports — looming debt payments due this month and the upcoming hurricane season, Ms Mottley said she had no choice but to act quickly by calling in the International Monetary Fund and putting in place a debt restructuring.

“We needed to stabilise the country and stop the bleeding,” the new prime minister said in her first interview with international media. Ms Mottley, a former lawyer, became the country’s first female premier last month, when her Barbados Labour Party won a thumping victory to claim all 30 seats in the lower house of parliament.

Barbados is the latest Caribbean statelet to stumble into financial distress. Since 2010 St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Grenada and Jamaica — twice — have had to default on and restructure their debts, in what Moody’s in 2016 called a “silent debt crisis” for the region.

Its slide into sovereign insolvency has been a long time coming. Barbados was long one of the better-run countries in the region, helping its GDP per capita grow to about $17,000 in 2016. But fiscal discipline started eroding after the global financial crisis, when the economy was hit hard by the resulting tourism drought.

The country’s annual economic output is about $5bn, which means its overall bonds, loans and other financial liabilities currently stand at nearly $9bn. Over two-thirds is domestic debt owed to local investors and banks, which raises concerns that a tough restructuring could imperil the

solvency of the domestic financial system.

But the prime minister is promising to exercise “a careful touch” to avoid bankrupting its local banking sector in the process.

“We are going to look at each creditor carefully, and make sure that the integrity of the local banking sector will not be impaired,” Ms Mottley said. “They will be hurt, but they will not be made bankrupt.

We don’t want to bankrupt anyone.”

However, that means that much of the debt relief Barbados is seeking will have to come out of international creditors, which would also lessen the drain of dollars from the central bank’s coffers.

Barbados has issued three international bonds worth over $600m — all of which had coupon payments due this month — and their prices plunged from about 90 cents on the dollar to under 50 cents on the dollar

by Tuesday, as investors digested the news of an immediate payment moratorium. That equals an annualised yield of over 33 per cent for the bond due in 2021.

Ms Mottley estimated that the government now spends more on interest payments than it does on all government salaries, and warned that “the burden of adjustment has to be fairly shared”.

The biggest fiscal drain in Barbados has been transfers to state-owned enterprises that provide services such as utilities, health, education and waste disposal.

The IMF warned in its latest report that a “comprehensive restructuring” of these bloated bodies was “critical” to restore the government’s financial health.

Government payments to SOEs, subsidies and retirement benefits have been increasing despite a government austerity programme, and last year reached nearly $600m in a country with just 280,000 citizens, according to the IMF’s latest numbers.

Ms Mottley said her government wanted to “protect the most vulnerable people and areas that are critical to growth”. This means raising minimum pensions and dealing with the disposal of waste on a scenic island where garbage has become a problem. But the prime minister promised this would not imperil the overall belt-tightening that had to take place.

“We are not being profligate, but if you want people to embark on a long march then you have to make sure they don’t do it on an empty belly,” she said.

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TECHNOLOGY GOES GREEN

How talented entrepreneurs are finding climate-smart solutions to Caribbean problems

Continued from page 1

WHAT IS GREENTECH?

Technology is rapidly evolving, providing policymakers and entrepreneurs with creative tools to meet longstanding challenges. This so-called ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ blends concepts such as the Internet of Things, big data, cloud computing and AI with traditional industries and services.

Green technology is simply technology that is being used to address environmental concerns. Its application in the region is extremely diverse. From solar energy to biofuel, there is almost limitless potential for GreenTech to contribute to the Caribbean’s economic, social and environmental stability.

Dwindling agricultural capacity, inefficient and expensive energy consumption, unsustainable waste management practices, threats to biodiversity—GreenTech has a key role to play in many issues.

“GreenTech covers a pretty broad sphere,” says Cashyaka McDonald, Marketing Officer at the Caribbean Climate Innovation Centre (CCIC), creators of the region’s first GreenTech incubator. “It is a niche but it encompasses a lot. Everyone is becoming more conscious of the impact their actions have on the environment [so] GreenTech is growing. It is very exciting. The time is now.”

GreenTech investment in developing markets is set to hit US$6.4tr by 2025, and an estimated US$1.6tr of that funding will go to small businesses, according to the CCIC. McDonald believes that the region can capitalise on this enthusiasm for climatesound solutions, saying: “The Caribbean will get its fair share. We are some of the most creative people in the world. We are always innovating and creating. A lot of donors and investors are looking to be a part of the Caribbean.”

BARRIERS TO GROWTH

But there is no GreenTech industry without GreenTech entrepreneurs. While the Caribbean is rife with raw talent and innovation, the business environment is unforgiving and many start-ups fail before they can even open their doors.

Having a good idea is one thing, but generating a business plan around that idea is

With financial backers unwilling or unable to help, small businesses often struggle to monetise their ideas. And GreenTech businesses typically require more financial backing than those in traditional sectors. The initial outlay is high - not just for facilities and equipment, but also in terms of finding and training the necessary staff.

McDonald says the key to finding funding is to have a well-developed business model.

“A lot of entrepreneurs cannot communicate their revenue structure and educate potential investors. You cannot get funding if you don’t know your data. You have to speak their language; you need to explain how great your company is in terms of dollars and cents.”

Once in business, start-ups shouldn’t be too eager. Some companies try to scale up too quickly, trying to run before they can walk.

“Premature scaling is a real concern,” says McDonald. “A lot of ideas are specific to their communities, and businesses fail to assess how they can be sustainable or they don’t get the kinks out before they scale up.”

SAINT LUCIAN INNOVATION

Solar has become one of the least expensive options for new power generation and is lower than the cost of most fossil fuel-powered generators, enabling solar installed capacity to expand faster than any other fuel

often easier said than done. Many entrepreneurs fail to do their due diligence, according to McDonald who works with fledgling firms through the CCIC’s bootcamp and accelerator programmes. The CCIC encourages wouldbe businesses to identify the need in the market, understand their customers and have a comprehensive plan for generating revenue and then, if appropriate, scaling up. They bring in mentors and experts to advise entrepreneurs who are at the start of their journey.

Aside from the usual difficulties in getting a small business on its feet, those in the GreenTech space have to deal with their own set of

challenges. McDonald says the prevalence of ‘green fatigue’ can dampen interest among consumers. “Many start-ups fail because consumers are hearing all about this amazing green technology day in and day out, and they become sceptical. They go with what they are used to, and what’s cheaper.”

And it’s not just consumers. Start-ups have to also convince potential investors or financial institutions. Making a successful pitch is difficult even with mainstream products, but it’s even more challenging with new and emerging tech. Investors may not fully understand the proposal or, worse, distrust it.

To date, the CICC has trained over 1,000 entrepreneurs, helped form over 100 start-up teams and enlisted more than 70 mentors to provide invaluable advice, opportunities and support.

The organisation held a successful bootcamp in Saint Lucia last year and McDonald says the response was “amazing”. Around 40 firms joined the event, from which three were awarded cash prizes. The overall winner was Patrick Eze, of Eze Green renewable energy company which generates biodiesel fuel from waste edible oil and animal fats, as well as providing solar hot water systems, solar-powered air conditioning units and other renewable energy solutions.

The CCIC works with hubs across the region and hosted the bootcamp in partnership with the Saint Lucia Coalition of Services.

McDonald says the CCIC views Saint Lucia as an important area for GreenTech development. “The Saint Lucia bootcamp was a great success. Saint Lucia is one of our most active groups.

“We have a lot of entrepreneurs coming out of Saint Lucia, there are a lot of great things happening and a lot of creativity and innovation.”

SECURING THE FUTURE

There are many ways to support GreenTech development in the Caribbean, but they all have one goal: to make the region more resilient to the devastating effects of climate

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HOLDING GEORGETOWN ‘OVER A BARREL’

Entrepreneur Darceuil Duncan from Trinidad and Tobago came up with her business idea when looking for a solution to the growing amount of waste produced in urban centres.

Continued from page 2

Green technology is simply technology that is being used to address environmental concerns. Its application in the region is extremely diverse

change. As one of the most vulnerable regions in the world, it is especially important that the talent, creativity and skills of the next generation of Caribbean entrepreneurs are allowed to flourish.

New and emerging technologies are largely uncharted waters and GreenTech entrepreneurs need adequate support as they navigate them. With Caribbean governments

focusing more on short-term issues rather than long-term solutions, they can often overlook the needs of small businesses in this unique niche. In addition, many policymakers are uneasy in the GreenTech space as the technology outpaces both their knowledge and existing regulatory frameworks.

A collaborative approach is necessary: between the public and private sectors, between international and regional bodies, between established companies and new competitors. “We all have a part to play,” says McDonald. “We are more affected than most places [by climate change] and we know that climate action is not just good for the environment, it’s good for the economy.”

With the economic and environmental future of the Caribbean at risk, governments cannot rely on international agencies such as the CCIC to carry the load. Creating a better business environment starts at the domestic level and is something all Caribbean states need to address. Lifting up entrepreneurs, helping them through the arduous journey from idea to product, will result in sustainable, long-term solutions to issues that have hindered growth in the region for decades.

Next week: How entrepreneurs in Saint Lucia and beyond are using GreenTech to develop ‘climate smart’ agriculture

Guyana has fewer than 750,000 people and a per capita income of $4,300, half the regional average, qualifying it as the hemisphere’s third-poorest nation. That is all set to change. Pictured is a coastal scene from the 2013 Petrotrin oil spill off the coast of Trinidad, an unfortunate but familiar scene for the twin island republic

This even applies on the consumer level. A prediction made by a Stanford start-up in 2017 held that by 2030 only 20% of Americans would own a personal car.

Anybody who just filled up a tank of gas in the past week may at first think that prediction is unlikely. But when it’s recognised that the iPhone was just coming out a decade ago, with the iPad not even released and Netflix just a glimmer in the digital world, then it becomes more realistic.

Especially as each innovation cycle will only decrease more and more as we speed into the future. Such a drop in personal car use will deliver a real blow to the value of oil.

CARIBBEAN FAMILY

Georgetown’s plan is for the first barrel from the newly

discovered oil reserves to be pumped in the early 2020s. If all goes well, Guyana could be seeing $700 million of profit generated per year from its oil industry.

But the potential for it to be closer to ‘all goes wrong’ cannot be overlooked. The wellbeing and future of the Guyanese people are at the heart of this. It’s their territory, and their oil.

Exxon’s deal with the Guyanese government will be a key area to watch here; already the International Monetary Fund has called for Guyana to reform existing tax law to provide a greater share of the profits to the Guyanese people.

For the Caribbean, how this latest chapter in regional wealth is transfused

will be important well beyond Georgetown. For today it is Guyana, but tomorrow it could be another nation. This is an issue that’s national, but also regional; Guyana is a sovereign nation but the countries of the Caribbean are a family.

Like any family we may squabble sometimes and not always agree on the future. But a common history is shared, an aspiration to not only advance individually but together, and to ensure painful memories of exploitation are never revisited, not by military force or economic duress.

There is every reason to be positive about the sunny days ahead for Guyana.

It’s just also necessary to keep an eye out for any storms clouds too.

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ISLANDS IMPACTED BY HURRICANES IRMA AND MARIA RECEIVE FUNDS RAISED BY ‘RALLY ROUND THE WEST INDIES’ T20 CRICKET MATCH

BY THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

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n June 1, 2018, during a small ceremony in Barbados, government representatives of islands impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 received proceeds of funds raised at last year’s T20 Benefit Cricket Match hosted by The University of the West Indies (The UWI) in collaboration with Sagicor and Flow Sports.

Members of the governments of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands and Dominica received portions of the funds raised at the Rally Round the West Indies Celebrity T20 Cricket Hurricane Irma/Maria Relief Benefit which was held last November at the 3Ws Oval at The UWI Cave Hill Campus. The handover ceremony, which returned the hosts and the beneficiaries to the scene of the special celebrity match, was attended by Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles and Dr. Stephen McNamara, Chairman of the Sagicor Financial Corporation, among other senior leadership of both institutions.

In addition to its presence as a major sponsor of the benefit match, Sagicor donated U$100,000 to the fundraising drive. The governments receiving the funding, indicated that the donations will support restructuring and rebuilding efforts in the areas of health and education, with the following projects to be specifically impacted: • Anguilla: the purchase of an Intravenous Infusion Pump and two Vital Signs Monitors for the Princess Alexandra Hospital,

which operates under the Health Authority of Anguilla.

• Antigua and Barbuda: the outfitting of the Holy Trinity Primary School in Barbuda with furniture and other school equipment.

• British Virgin Islands: contributing to the rebuilding and outfitting of the Elmore Stoutt High School, specifically equipment, such as photocopiers, computers, printers, etc.

• Dominica: financing the replacement of ICT equipment needed to re-equip all labs at secondary schools, especially to facilitate online examinations.

Dr. Stephen McNamara, Chairman of Sagicor recognized the partnership between Sagicor and The UWI saying, “The benefits of this partnership have resulted in Sagicor’s donation of US$100,000 which will impact many lives in the Caribbean.”

Dr. McNamara also took the opportunity to encourage individuals and families who are preparing for the hurricane season to include thoughts about insurance to assist in their protection. He said, “As an insurer, it would be remiss of me to not point out that by our estimate a relatively small percentage of properties are insured throughout the Eastern Caribbean.

This risk can be easily planned for by any individual and I urge those not insured to immediately seek out a solution.”

In his remarks, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, the ViceChancellor of The UWI, emphasized the special vulnerabilities of the Caribbean and the need to strengthen its resilience. He reaffirmed The UWI’s commitment as CARICOM’s largest

HANDS

single diversified reservoir of competences and expertise to be on the front line of the charge to resilience, championing the cause of resilient development in the Caribbean, in partnership with all major stakeholders—public and private.

He stated, “Our university, as I have repeatedly said, was not built to serve itself, but rather, to serve the people of the Caribbean. In this regard, The UWI continues to be hands-on in its support to these, our member countries, to assist in their recovery projects.”

Indeed, the university’s hands-on approach was clear from the moment news broke of the devastation, as teams, led by Vice-Chancellor Beckles and Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal, The UWI Open Campus, Dr. Luz Longsworth, were on the ground immediately in Barbuda and Dominica respectively with prime ministers assessing the situations and pledging the University’s support in rebuilding. Following the Vice-Chancellor working with Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal, The UWI Cave Hill Campus, Professor V. Eudine Barriteau and her team, championed for the second time, a benefit cricket match, which focused attention on the crisis.

The Vice-Chancellor continued, “We heartily thank Sagicor’s Board, led by Mr. McNamara, for responding to our invitation and generously agreeing to sponsor the match and pledge this impressive US$100,000 to enable affected countries to get on with the critical recovery and rehabilitation phase.

As an activist university, our priority is to work together to bring the countries of the Caribbean back on a firm, positive development trajectory.”

The 2018 hurricane season began on June 1 and runs until November 30. Already, the season’s first named storm, Tropical Storm Alberto, has reportedly claimed at least two lives as it swept over the southern United States.

Sagicor and The UWI remain committed to supporting the people of the Caribbean in building and strengthening their communities, throughout every eventuality.

The Saint Lucia Government Gazette Company Registration Name: APEX Education Management & Training

Name: 758 Loans Ltd.

Consultancy Services Inc.

Description: Finance company

Description: Education management and training

Directors: Jessica Maicoo; Sheldon Chin

consultancy services

Date Incorporated: May 24, 18

Directors: Wendy Bailey

Chamber: RDM Chambers, Saint Lucia

Date Incorporated: March 22, 18 Chamber: KOBALT Services, Saint Lucia

Name: Temple State University Inc. Description: Education

Name: Jay Upscale Marketing & Promotions Inc.

Directors: Suhas Shrinkant Kotbagi;

Description: Event Management and promotions

Sibi Gopal Alakrishnam

Directors: Walter Joseph

Date Incorporated: May 24, 18

Date Incorporated: May 24, 18

Chamber: SEDU, Saint Lucia

Chamber: Brickstone Law, Saint Lucia Name: Interregional Estates Ltd. Name: Jems Inc.

Description: Land development

Description: Sports, entertainment, media

Directors: John Cenac; McHale Andrew; Keila Bynoe

Directors: Sibi Gopal Alakrishnam

Date Incorporated: May 24, 18

Date Incorporated: May 24, 18

Chamber: Veronica S.P. Cenac Chambers,

Chamber: SEDU, Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia

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DEATHS MOUNT IN CRACKDOWN ON NICARAGUAN PROTESTERS Rallies against pension reform spiral into challenge to Ortega’s autocratic rule

BY FT CORRESPONDENT

A

A protester shoots a homemade mortar in the Monimbo neighbourhood during clashes with police in Masaya, Nicaragua last Saturday. More than 100 have died in clashes with security forces

t night, paramilitary forces and progovernment gangs cruise the streets in white Hilux pick-ups, shooting at people and buildings, in plain sight of the police. By day, protesters — including last weekend a 15 year-old boy and a US citizen — have been shot dead by what human rights defenders liken to “death squads”.

“Our new normal,” says José, an anti-government demonstrator in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua. “They are killing with impunity. Who’s going to protect us now?”

The latest violence erupted with Nicaragua still reeling from a Mother’s Day massacre, when pro-government gunmen opened fire on a peaceful march killing 19. Human rights groups say that attack brought the death toll in more than six weeks of protests to more than 100. At least five more were reported killed last Saturday.

“What you have is almost like death squads,” said Bianca Jagger, a Nicaraguan and president of the eponymous human rights foundation. “This is a dirty war that

is being waged against young kids who aspire to having freedom and justice.”

Daniel Ortega, the last of Latin America’s historic revolutionary leaders, meanwhile, is digging in. News pictures in the past week have shown trucks unloading stone slabs outside the El Carmen residential neighbourhood in Managua where the 72-year-old Sandinista leader lives with Rosario Murillo, a mystic poet who is his wife, vice-president and heir apparent. The slabs were used to reinforce already high security at the entrances.

“They’re so cynical that those sympathetic to the regime say that we are the ones shooting ourselves,” said José, who asked that his real name not be used.

Nicaragua’s protests erupted in midApril when Mr Ortega, who helped fell the dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza in 1978 and is now on his third term as president, bungled a social security reform. The issue has proved thorny for other governments in the region, including Brazil and Argentina.

But the situation rapidly escalated into protests against the autocratic Ortega regime, which is widely seen to be preparing for Ms Murillo to take over in elections scheduled for 2021.

Amnesty International blames the deaths on a shoot-to-kill policy by security forces and pro-Sandinista armed mobs. Erika GuevaraRosas, Amnesty’s Americas director, was in Managua observing the march on May 30, when Nicaragua celebrates Mother’s Day, and witnessed the hail of shots.

“It was a march called by mothers who had lost children in the violent repression [of the past few weeks]. I calculate about half a million were marching,” she said. “We began hearing shots. At the baseball stadium, there were police and paramilitaries with snipers,” she said.

Some of the 19 people who died as a result of the shootings during the march were hit in the neck or chest. “They were shooting to kill,” she said. Amnesty has issued a report documenting a number of previous cases pointing to premeditated killings and what it says were official attempts to block postmortems and investigations into statesponsored repression.

In his Sunday address, Pope Francis declared his “sorrow for the serious violence, with dead and wounded, carried out by armed forces to repress social protests. I pray for the victims and their families.”

Silvio Báez, the auxiliary bishop of Managua who has spoken out strongly against the violence, urged people last Saturday not to go outside in the town of Masaya, near the capital. “The situation is very dangerous. I have had confirmation that there are various snipers ready to shoot,” he tweeted.

A national dialogue process brokered by the Catholic Church has quickly unravelled — but not before students, who have come under attack at Nicaraguan university buildings — treated Mr Ortega to some home truths and demanded his exit.

“Ortega and Murillo are hell-bent on staying in power, whatever the cost,” said Gavin Strong, at Control Risks, a consultancy.

At least one multinational company has begun readying plans to evacuate staff and the US embassy has temporarily closed “due to widespread, unpredictable violence”.

Carlos Pellas, Nicaragua’s richest man with a range of businesses including Flor de Caña rum, called for early elections in an interview with La Prensa newspaper and hoped for a negotiated solution. “From my point of view, and this is something that we share fully in the private sector, we have to find an ordered way out,” he said.

Since midnight on May 31, however, protesters have thrown up round-theclock roadblocks across the country that have been coming under increasing attack. Images on social media showed trucks halted and José said some main routes were cut off with only humanitarian and medical services allowed through.

“At dusk and at night, the turbas come to attack,” said José, using the name for the Sandinista mobs. “They have home-made mortars and guns and attack those on the blockades. The government keeps on trotting out its ‘Nicaragua wants peace’ line — this is the peace they’re offering us.”

The government and Organisation of American States are due to meet on Monday for talks on electoral reform — but officials say that would take at least until the start of 2019. Mr Ortega has refused to negotiate until roadblocks are lifted.

“I don’t see an exit to this,” said one Nicaraguan businessman, who asked not to be named. “Meanwhile, people are being murdered. Maduro has toughed out worse,” he added, referring to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. “Can Ortega do the same?”

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EMPOWERING AND CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH SOCIAL NETWORKING

A new social networking site designed to empower and connect the West Indies community has just launched its new online platform.

W

est Indies Connect opened its online doors just a few days ago and is set to become the leading online social platform for the West Indies community. The social networking site, which prides itself on being a platform for empowerment, growth, and connections, is free for members of the global West Indies community but offers upgrades for businesses.

“WIC is dedicated to catering to all members of the global West Indian community by using the power of the internet to connect people, build networks, empower and uplift,” says founder and CEO Mr. Antoine, “ The ethos of this facility is to have a platform designed by the community, for the community.”

Mr. Antoine was born and raised in Saint Lucia before moving abroad. He is now

The company was launched earlier this year with the motto Live.Work.Play.

living in Canada where he had the idea for an online community that would unite West Indians. His vision was to give the community an online platform to chat with friends, meet new people and be able to make international connections to expand the reach of West Indian talent and entrepreneurs.

Think of WIC as the online community centre for the West Indies. Whether members live abroad or on the islands, they can find events in their area, meet people on community forums, build profiles, showcase their work and find local West Indian-owned businesses.

The WIC community is free to use which means members can access everything the West Indies has to offer right from their computer, tablet or smartphone without breaking the bank.

To learn more about the community, visit www. westindiesconnect.com or contact the WIC team at info@westindiesconnect.com.

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