Anyone who has followed local electronic media for a while would have encountered the voice, if not the image, of veteran broadcaster and presenter, Hans Hanoomansingh.
Today, we have received news that the man named Hansley Hanoomansingh has left us, his familiar voice silenced.
Hans Hanoomansingh was born in Las Lomas and grew up in Cunupia and later Chaguanas.
He started off selling in the Chaguanas market with his father, and spent 6 years as a market vendor there, after his father died when he was 11. During this time, he continued his education at Presentation College, Chaguanas and began teaching in San Fernando after High School and teaching French.
Hans entered the world of broadcasting when he was hired by Radio Guardian (although he grew up in a home that never had a radio or TV). As part of the newsroom, he developed his skills as a journalist covering major national events and conducting interviews with high-profile national figures.
After one such interview with Opposition Leader, Dr. Rudranath Capildeo, Hans was encouraged to enter the world of politics and ran and won the Caroni East seat in the 1966 General Elections. His Parliamentary experience did not last long as he opted to make his contribution to national life in broadcasting. He later became Chairman of Heritage Communications and Radio.
He was a radio and television presenter and figured prominently, making immeasurable contributions in the cultural arena and as a pioneer in promoting Indian culture.
Hans became the first president of the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC) in 1970, overseeing its transition from the National Council for Indian Music and Drama. He was the man who dreamt of the Divali Nagar, the inaugural event of which was hosted at the Mid Centre Mall car park in 1986.
In 1990, Mr. Hanoomansingh received the Hummingbird Gold medal for his contribution to culture and broadcasting.
Hans credited his growing up in Chaguanas with forming his views about the society and culture. In one interview, he said, "I grew up in a mixed community, …and we lived together, speaking to each other, understanding with some limitations the distinct qualities of our traditions … it .. gave me the consciousness of a multicultural society, which I have put into effect by my life."
He regarded the celebration of Indian Arrival Day not as celebrating indentureship, but as celebrating the triumph of our ancestors over terrible conditions from the time of departure from India.
I had the opportunity to be interviewed by Hans Hanoomansingh and enjoyed wide-ranging conversations with him on national issues of politics, culture and history on several occasions.
With his passing, our nation has lost a pioneer in the field of broadcast journalism, a cultural activist, a man who demonstrated what public service means and a champion and historian of Indian culture, never in a chauvinistic way.
Hans Hanoomansingh has served Trinidad and Tobago well. The national conversation has lost a familiar and important voice.
My condolences to his family, friends, and all who were able to hear and be influenced by his voice.
Keep chatting on the universal airways, Hans. (Source: Angelo Bissessarsingh's Virtual Museum of Trinidad and Tobago, July 5, 2025)

Miss Supranational Trinidad and Tobago, Shenelle Ramkhelawan, has been named as one of five continental winners in the modelling competition at the Miss Supranational 2025 beauty pageant.
She outshone contestants from the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Haiti, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, and the US Virgin Islands during yesterday’s competition.
This marks the first time a delegate from Trinidad and Tobago has captured a continental modelling title at Miss Supranational.
Other continental winners included NaMakau Nawa of Zambia (Africa), Marvelous Sanyaolu of the United States (Americas), Eshwin Kaur of Malaysia (Asia and Oceania), and Anna Valencia Lakrini of Germany (Europe).
(Source:  The Loop, June 24, 2025)

Trinidad and Tobago students applying for student visas in the US must keep their social media profiles set to public, or risk having their applications denied.
In an update today via social media, the US Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago said the measure is effective immediately:
“Effective immediately, if you are applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa, you are requested to adjust the privacy settings to ‘public’ on your personal social media accounts. This is to facilitate the vetting necessary to establish your identity and admissibility to the United States. The adjudication of visa applications is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States. ”On Wednesday, the US State Department’s Consular Affairs division shared an update requiring all students applying for F, M or J non-immigrant visas to set their social media profiles to public, to allow for vetting by US officials.“Since 2019, the United States has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on immigrant and nonimmigrant visa application forms. We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to US national security.”
The directive also applies to other CARICOM territories.
In March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said over 300 student visas had been revoked over pro-Palestine activities. (Source:  The Loop, June 26, 2025)

WITH about 25,800 migrants and refugees from 35 nationalities registered with the UNHCR National Office in Trinidad and Tobago, the head of the agency, Amanda Solando Badilla, is emphasising the organisation's continued commitment to supporting refugees, despite the shift in operations.
The office will be closed to the public on July 25, with operations to be managed remotely from the UNHCR Multi-Country Office in Panama.
"After that, we continue to support refugees, and we continue to be committed with the government of TT to provide our support. However, the way in which we support will change," Solando Badilla told Newsday in a phone interview.
"We will continue to cover TT from our multi-country office in Panama."WITH about 25,800 migrants and refugees from 35 nationalities registered with the UNHCR National Office in Trinidad and Tobago, the head of the agency, Amanda Solando Badilla, is emphasising the organisation's continued commitment to supporting refugees, despite the shift in operations.
After a validation exercise that concluded in May, 12,600 inactive records were closed, bringing the total active and affected population to 25,800.
The closed records represented people who were no longer in the country or who have not had any contact with the office in the last six months.
The majority of the migrant/refugee population – about 21,000 – are Venezuelans, along with nationals from Cuba, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, Bangladesh and other countries.
On June 5, the UN Refugee Agency announced that due to financial constraints, its office in Port of Spain will be closed on August 31.
Solando Badilla is a seasoned humanitarian with more than 15 years of experience.
She arrived in TT four years ago and first held the role of protection officer.
In May 2024, she assumed her current role as head of the agency in TT after the departure of her predecessor, Miriam Aertker.
Solando Badilla's career began in her home country of Costa Rica.
She has since worked with several other countries, including a regional office based in Panama that at the time covered seven countries in Central America, Cuba and Mexico.


Reflecting on World Refugee Day, celebrated annually on June 20, she said: "It helps us to honour the strength and the courage of refugees and our solidarity with them."
"It also helps us to shine a light on the rights, needs and dreams of refugees. It helps to mobilise political will and resources so refugees can truly thrive. We have always created opportunities to support refugees in TT."
She recalled that in the past, the agency had partnered with diplomats, businesses, civil society groups, and refugees to organise events like football matches and entrepreneurship fairs. These gave refugees a chance to showcase their talents and products. Cultural activities were also held to raise awareness about refugees' situations.
Despite the physical office closure, two outpost positions will remain in the country to maintain support for local partners: La Casita Hispanic Cultural Center in Arima and the Caribbean Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) in Chaguanas.
​

She explained that La Casita helps victims of gender-based violence and people in vulnerable situations. They also offer a daycare and provide activities to support early development in children.
CCHR, she added, provides free legal services to all refugees in the country.
"We also support the Children's Authority. We actually support with a case worker and with an interpreter English/Spanish to facilitate the case management of children in the country who do not speak English," Solando Badilla said.
"Through these organisations and our multi-country office in Panama, we also stand ready to support the national government with efforts to develop a national asylum framework. That is something that the country is yet to develop," she said.


Solando Badilla highlighted several milestones over the past years.
She recalled a successful vocational training initiative conducted in collaboration with the Pan American Development Foundation and the local and migrant communities in Chaguanas.
Some of the skills training included air conditioning repair, solar panel installation and food handling.
"It was incredible to see how everybody integrated. The skills training sessions were conducted in both Spanish and English. It also helped refugees to practise their English skills and Trinidadians to practise their Spanish skills," she chuckled as she recalled.
Another significant achievement was the inclusion of the first cohort of refugee/migrant children in national schools.
"The numbers are still low. We would like to continue supporting the national government so more children can be included," she said.
"However, this was an important achievement for these children. It was the first time that they were able to access education in the country."
She was referring to the students under 18, whose parents registered in the historic 2019 Migrant Registration Framework (MRF) and continue to register yearly.
As previously reported in Newsday, many Venezuelans have expressed sadness and uncertainty regarding the office's closure.


Asked about the possibility of the office reopening in TT, she replied: It is hard to say at this time, but we are always committed to supporting it in any way that we can."
About UNHCR
The UNHCR website (www.unhcr.org) states that for 74 years, the organisation has protected the rights of refugees worldwide.
The global organisation prides itself on helping people who are forced to flee their homes due to conflict or persecution.
It works to save lives, defend their rights, and help them build better futures.
The UNHCR was established by the UN General Assembly in 1950, following World War II, to support the millions who had lost their homes.
Today, UNHCR works in over 130 countries.
For further info e-mail UNHCR at [email protected]

Textile artist, actor, carnivalist, multi-media artist and writer Christopher Pinheiro has died, leaving the creative and cultural community in mourning yet again.
Reports are the cultural researcher was found dead in his apartment in Toronto recently, with news reaching TT on Saturday. It is said police discovered his decomposing body.
A profile written by the TT Performing Arts Network on March 24, 2017, said Pinheiro was a Trinidad-born "theatrician, carnvalist," multi-media artist, face and fabric painter, writer, curator and cultural researcher who trained with the Trinidad Theatre Workshop under the late Derek Walcott and the Jamaica School of Drama.
It said Pinheiro was a founding member of the Banyan Television Workshop, where he performed in several episodic TV dramas, and the Callaloo Company. It said he has worked with mas-man Peter Minshall and the Toronto Caribana of Shadowland Theatre Inc.
Minshall, in a quote posted by actress Rhoma Spencer, said, upon hearing of Pinheiro’s passing, “'The loss of a brilliant, unique, most gifted brother. My Goodness. There he goes, gliding along the glorious corridors of the Palace of Eternity, trailing along behind him the most fabulous floaty dhoti they have ever seen. Heaven will never be the same again.”
Pinheiro was a past president of the National Drama Association of TT and a recipient of a Commonwealth Foundation Fellowship in Textile Design.
Dominic Kalipersad, in a tribute on his Facebook page, said in Canada, Pinheiro was the founding artistic director of the Swizzle Stick Theatre in Toronto and formed a troupe of stilt performers to showcase their artform outside of the Carnival arena.
The Performing Arts Network said Pinheiro was a studio artist with b current, a small not-for-profit performance arts company in Toronto, where he developed a module titled “Metaphoria”, which draws on his experience to “explashiate the jollification of the nation, through the fine art of "festivation, in the post-colonial diaspora.”
Pinheiro was with this project from 2010 to 2013, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was a founding curator/presenter at the Toronto Island Film Festival beginning in 2009 and curator-programmer at Caribbean Tales Film Festival from 2014.
Pinheiro is remembered with fondness and love by those who knew him, with many crediting him with helping them develop artistically.(Source:  Newsday, June 30, 2025)

IN response to rising concerns about escalating school violence particularly among girls, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Association of Psychologists, Kelly McFarlane, recommends the creation of a national plan to support students’ psychological well-being. Speaking with the Express on Saturday, McFarlane warned that while disciplinary action such as expulsion may have its place, it is far from a solution. “The expulsion approach is one starting point but it cannot be the only or the end point,” she said. “What we need is a national framework for school-based mental health that would help both teachers and students and government ministers manage these issues.”
According to McFarlane, such a framework should include consistent support staff, mental health partnerships, and most critically, training, not just for students, but for the teachers navigating these behavioural challenges on a daily basis.
“Training, training, training,” she emphasised. “Addressing violence requires a whole-school approach, not just punitive measures after the violence has already happened”.
She also advocated for emotional intelligence and psychological well-being to be added to the school curriculum, starting at the primary school level. “We must have mental health on the school curriculum,”


McFarlane stressed, “Just as important as teaching children English and Mathematics, we have to, especially in our environment, teach emotional intelligence.” She added that in the same way sex education and religious instructions are taught to students, emotional intelligence is also needed.
She explained that young people need to be taught not only how to understand and manage their own feelings, but also how to cope when they’re overwhelmed. “This is how you understand your own feelings and other people’s feelings. These are ways to cope,” she said, explaining that a large part of school violence was due to students lacking the appropriate coping mechanisms.


She warned that every act of violence is a cry for help. “Violence signals a deeper unmet need,” she said, adding: “If we don’t take the time to understand and address those needs, schools won’t be safe for the children, the teachers, or the parents.”
She said a national consultation must be the next step. “We have to dig deep to understand what is happening in our cultural context and fix it before it gets worse.”
Role of social media
Within the last two weeks, two violent incidents involving secondary school girls have reignited national concern over school violence and the role of social media. The first took place at South East Port of Spain Secondary School on June 3 and the second at Holy Faith Convent, Couva, on June 10, where a student was dragged outside the school compound and assaulted by girls from the nearby Couva Secondary School. According to reports, both assault had their origin on social media.
The incidents were recorded and widely shared on social media, quickly going viral and drawing hundreds of thousands of views. The videos have sparked public debate about parenting, school discipline, and the online culture where the situation escalates. In the Holy Faith Convent incident, one of the assailants went on social media after the fight justifying her actions while further taunting the victim, as well as the alleged intended target who had escaped. 
In both incidents the victims of the assault had to be hospitalised.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar also weighed in during a recent post-Cabinet news conference, where she vowed to implement stricter penalties for students involved in violent acts. She stated that such students would face expulsion and potentially criminal charges.
In a telephone interview, another clinical psychologist, Denise Jittan-Johnson, pointed out that social media was not just documenting school fights, but was also intensifying them. She warned that the online environment is amplifying aggression among teenage girls, turning ordinary disputes into public performances. 
Social hierarchy
“When they’re posting it online, it really amplifies the drama, the humiliation, and the aggression,” Jittan-Johnson said. She explained that young people are increasingly expressing their emotional distress, insecurities, and lack of healthy coping strategies through both physical fights and online bullying that were often recorded and shared for social validation before and after the violence.
Jittan-Johnson noted that among girls, in particular, the violence is often driven by social hierarchy and the need to maintain status. “Young girls’ conflict resolution is really driven by this social hierarchy,” she said. “It’s that kind of emotional one-upping, and the online posting gives it a longer life.” This, she believes, helps explain the disturbing trend of group attacks, where several girls gang up on one. “You see these group dynamics...group effort kind of bullying,” she said. “It comes from a space of trying to secure your tribe. The ‘us’ against ‘them’ type of mentality”.
But while families often come under fire for the school violence, Jittan-Johnson emphasised that home life is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. “It’s a larger socio-emotional, socio-economic kind of need,” she said, adding that unstable home environments, trauma, and a lack of role models for conflict resolution all play a part.
Also weighing in on the situation, Dr Neemal Gookool, head of the Psychiatry Association of Trinidad and Tobago, says the disturbing trend of schoolgirl violence is being amplified by the digital age—where social media platforms reward aggression with attention, shares, and status.
Speaking via telephone, Gookool said platforms like TikTok and Instagram have created a culture where teenage aggression is glorified. “Social media kind of rewards this aggressive behaviour...students want to go viral,” he explained. “You’re seeing fights not just happening, but being filmed and shared as part of this performative cycle.”
He believes that adolescent girls, in particular, are now using violence to establish dominance and climb social hierarchies within their peer groups. “It’s about securing social hierarchy,” he said. “Many girls are battling for acceptance, and fights are becoming a way to assert that status and be known.”
But while public outrage has led to calls for swift punishment—including expulsions and even criminal charges—Gookool warned against blanket responses. Instead, he urged school authorities and policymakers to assess each case carefully. “Justice doesn’t happen in a single step,” he said. “Each fight needs to be dissected and understood. What exactly led to this? What transpired before the incident? These are questions that need answers.”
(Source:  Daily Express, June 16, 2025)

YOU’VE seen them everywhere – at the side of the road getting people’s attention for businesses, at car shows, in movies, in commercials, on videos on the internet – those inflatable human-like figures with arms and body flailing about wildly.
But did you know the idea was dreamed up by Trinidad and Tobago’s very own artist and masman Peter Minshall?
Very few people do, which is the point of The Tall Boy, the documentary which won best documentary at the 2025 Diversity in Cannes Short Film and Webseries Showcase in Cannes, France on May 19.
It was also one of the two films screened on May 21 at the first ever Caribbean Day, hosted by Pavillon Afriques at the Cannes International Film Festival.
Simon Baptiste, producer of The Tall Boy, said the documentary was an ode to Minshall, whose work was used by major productions around the world and helped put TT on the map.
One of those ways is the tube man, or tall boy as Minshall called it, which he designed for the 1996 summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Speaking to Newsday from Athens, Greece via a WhatsApp call on June 4, Baptiste explained Minshall was hired to be the creative director for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games. He designed the tall boys for the closing ceremony but did not have the time to build them himself. The organisers hired a contractor to build his design and the contractor filed for the patent without his knowledge.
When Minshall’s team discovered this, attorneys were hired to take the contractor to court but learned it would be very costly to fight it. Minshall did not have the funds to do so and so the case was dropped.
“The fact that he created something that is out of pop culture for the last 30 years and now everyone knows it but no one knows his name, was very unsettling for us.
“It’s like seeing something you recognise around the world at huge events, in concerts, in commercials, in TV series and movies, and knowing no one understands the significance of who this originates from or the country whose culture was able to contribute to this space.”
Although Minshall created it, he was never included in the patent so he never earned any royalties from the millions of tall boys or tube men sold or used over the decades.
“Minshall was never interested in revenge, but if we’re able to spread the word so that when people see it they can identify with it, that it is directly tied to our culture, it would be a great tribute.
“When I look at TT and the Caribbean, we are always seen as a tourism destination or associated with Carnival, but there is so little respect given to the massive amount of contributions that come from our islands.
“I felt it was really important that we go on this mission to start giving props to those who have really done so much for our arts and culture. We’ve done so much in terms of literature, artistic works that I think its time we started looking at those things and getting people to really pay tribute.”
He said director Life Garland did a fantastic job with the film and never gave up despite the many challenges and obstacles in his way. He said the various difficulties were disheartening. So much so the team almost stopped the project a few times, but at those points, something always happened to keep them going.
That they continued was fortunate because, not only did The Tall Boy win an award and was screened at the first Caribbean Day, the team was in the process of signing an agreement for the film with a UK distribution firm.
A Caribbean Voice
Independent of the official film festival, Diversity in Cannes is supported by award-winning actress Viola Davis’ company JuVee Productions, along with the British Film Institute and Screen Australia.
It was one of several standalone productions held in Cannes, France around the same time as the official film festival, which took place from May 13-24.
Baptiste said some details of the film were not finalised in time to submit the film to the Cannes Film Festival, but the film team was able to do so for Diversity in Cannes.
“The reason why they exist is because Cannes (film festival) tends to play to a certain audience that isn’t really about diversity. So knowing there’s something out there set up by these partners is great because it means women, minority groups, etc, who are also working hard to produce great cinema are recognised.”
Baptiste said and he was amazed by how focused people were during the screening.
“Everyone in that room hung on every word that was being said. You could tell there was an energy in the room in which people really fell in love with the story and, more importantly, wanted to champion TT and Peter Minshall.”
He said after three years of hard work it was a beautiful feeling and the team was grateful for the win, which felt even better.
Baptiste told Newsday Caribbean Day was championed by Mark Walton and Karine Barclais. It gave filmmakers of the region a chance to grow and improve. He said it was very successful and he was thankful for it.
​Caribbean Day included film screenings, panel discussions and networking sessions, and brought together film professionals, institutional representatives, creators and those interested in Caribbean culture. It was a chance to showcase Caribbean products to agents, distributors and major filmmakers.
“It was so necessary because, in my opinion, there hasn’t really been a voice that represents Caribbean filmmakers at Cannes. This was a chance for us all to be in the same room – TT, Jamaica, Antigua, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, etc – so many of our brothers, sisters and neighbours how had a voice and a lane that we could all travel together and spread the word of who we are, what we’re doing, the advancements we’re making and, more importantly, how we’re working together.”
(Source: Newsday, June 8, 2025)

WHEN it comes to the Caribbean’s energy future, the winds may soon be turning in our favour – quite literally.
Speaking on day two of the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Conference at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre, St Ann’s, on June 3, the experts made it clear: the feasibility of wind power in TT and the wider region is no longer a distant concept but an immediate and pressing opportunity.
From regional wind maps to real-time measurement technology, and from Europe’s offshore wind economy to TT’s hydrogen ambitions, industry professionals laid out a comprehensive case for wind’s role in reshaping the Caribbean’s energy landscape.
The major takeaway was both candid and optimistic: the economics have caught up with the aspiration.
Sheena Gosine, energy international relations and affairs adviser to the Minister of Energy and Energy Industries and vice-chair of the Wind Energy Steering Committee, said, “The Caribbean region benefits from its location.
“The North Atlantic subtropical high regulates the northeasterly trade winds, and these winds are known for their consistency, moving from the east to the northeast.”
Across the region, wind power deployment is gaining momentum. Jamaica has over 40 MW of wind capacity, while the Dominican Republic leads the region with over 200 MW. Barbados has also embarked on a public-private partnership for a 50-megawatt wind farm – the largest in the Eastern Caribbean to date. Geotechnical studies for the site have already been completed.
Gosine noted TT’s onshore wind development has begun in earnest, while offshore possibilities are being assessed concurrently.
“Our region’s geographic positioning allows for average wind speeds of six to nine metres per second, making the Caribbean ideally suited for offshore wind energy.”
A regional offshore wind strategy developed by C3, supported by the European Union, ranked Jamaica and TT as the top two territories for offshore wind development, scoring them out of 85 based on resource availability, infrastructure, spatial planning and market integration.
“The only reason Jamaica led by one point is their higher renewable energy integration. By the end of this year, with the TT Solar Project, we are likely to lead,” said Gosine.
Economics: The deciding factor
While policymakers often cite environmental concerns and climate goals as drivers for renewable energy, Augusto Bonzi, energy specialist with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), was unequivocal about what’s truly moving the market.
“This transition is really being driven by economics,” Bonzi said. “Decarbonisation matters, but most of this is fundamentally driven by cost competitiveness.”
Bonzi presented figures from the latest Lazard levelised cost of energy (LCOE) report, which placed the global average cost for onshore wind between US$27 and US$73 per megawatt-hour – consistently cheaper than fossil fuel options like combined cycle gas plants. Offshore wind costs, while higher, are steadily declining.

“It’s not surprising that project after project is following this trend,” Bonzi added.
Referencing a 13-year trend from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Bonzi demonstrated how both onshore and offshore wind have seen remarkable cost reductions, falling well below fossil fuel generation costs globally.
In the local context, Bonzi noted that the IDB’s assessment for TT positioned the country to become a regional green hydrogen economy leader – provided that large-scale renewable energy projects, especially offshore wind, are deployed. “You have the infrastructure, you have the international trade, the shipping, the port. So it’s really about taking it to the next level.”
Measuring wind
On the technical front, Kevin Atwaroo, power systems engineer at National Energy Corporation of TT, described the country’s ongoing wind resource assessment programme. “Our assessments classify TT’s wind potential into two categories: approximately 2.8 gigawatts of onshore capacity and 32 gigawatts offshore,” Atwaroo reported.
To quantify these figures, National Energy deployed light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology – a mobile, laser-based device capable of measuring wind speeds up to 300 metres above ground.
“We are sampling data from one-second to ten-minute intervals, remotely accessed through a cloud platform,” Atwaroo explained.
The devices, powered by off-grid solar panels and battery backup, are collecting 12 to 18 months of continuous wind data at two pilot sites: Galeota and Waterloo.
The first two resource assessment plans are scheduled for completion by Q3 to Q4 of 2026, with two more starting in mid-2025 at Fishing Pond on the northeast coast and Los Iros in the south.
“Anyone will tell you: empirical data, measured data equals better planning and faster deployment,” Atwaroo said.
The validated data will inform turbine layout, technical feasibility, and bankable energy production estimates for future wind projects.
Ports, human capital and opportunity
Gosine argued that wind energy development must be supported by port infrastructure, an area in which TT already excels.
“TT has the potential to become the logistical hub for Caribbean wind energy deployment,” she said.
The Port of Galeota and Point Lisas Industrial Estate were identified as critical assets for assembling, launching and integrating wind turbine structures, much like European ports that serve as hubs for offshore wind in the North Sea.
She also pointed out that existing industrial capabilities could be repurposed for offshore wind. “Here at home, TOFCO (Trinidad Offshore Fabrication Company) manufactures jackets and possesses the technical capabilities and workforce to support offshore wind — transferable skills already in place.”
Human capital is another decisive advantage. The local energy industry workforce has shrunk from 23,000 in 2013 to just over 8,000 today.
“That tells you we have a cadre of experienced personnel available to staff a future offshore wind sector,” Gosine said.
Regional and Global Examples
Bonzi reminded the audience that successful examples exist within Latin America and the Caribbean. He cited Uruguay’s rapid transition to 98 per cent renewable energy in just 15 years – with wind accounting for 40 per cent – and its ongoing export of clean electricity to Brazil.
In Central America, the 1,800-kilometre SIEPAC electricity line interconnects seven countries, balancing fossil and renewable sources across a regional grid.
Closer to home, Suriname recently completed its wind resource assessment, and Barbados announced a request for proposals last week for a 60-megawatt wind farm.
“These aren’t distant aspirations. They’re happening now,” Bonzi said.
He added that the IDB had also supported Chile’s green hydrogen roadmap, leading to private sector bidding for 5,000 megawatts of wind power within three years.
The outlook: feasible and necessary
The conference’s discussions made it evident that for TT, wind energy is no longer an experimental concept.
The financial case is sound, the resources exist, and the supporting infrastructure and industrial capabilities are ready to be mobilised.
“The opportunities are here,” Bonzi said. “Every country must chart its own path based on its resources and circumstances – but the regional and global trends are clear.”
With capital costs declining, storage solutions advancing, and regional demand for green energy products rising, experts say TT’s window to secure a leadership role in the Caribbean’s renewable energy transition has opened.
Whether for decarbonisation goals, economic diversification, or future-proofing its petrochemical sector, wind power offers a feasible, competitive, and increasingly necessary solution.
As Gosine put it, “We are not starting from scratch. We are starting from experience.”
(source: Newsday: June 5, 2025)

EXPECTATIONS are high as Miss Trinidad and Tobago Anna-Lise Nanton will vie to become Miss World 2025 at the pageant in India being held on May 31 at 9 am (TT time). The pageant will be broadcast "live" on CNC3 Television.
Local franchise co-owner Navin Boodhai told Newsday on May 29 that about 144 dedicated fans of Nanton would be hosted free of charge to watch the event at Imax Cinema at #1 Woodbrook Place, Port of Spain.
"At this point in time, we have our technical guys there at Imax just testing it out to make sure everything will work and by the morning we will be advertising on a first-come registration basis."
Newsday asked his message to TT heading into the final countdown.
Boodhai replied, "I think the message to TT is really one of patriotism.
"Anna-Lise doesn't only represent Anna-Lise; she represents TT and everything that is good of TT."
He said what was being promoted and celebrated were the aspects of TT that stood out on the global stage.
"And that is what she represents for us.
"She has take the best training that she could have and the best trainers in TT, she has taken the best stories of TT, our flora, our fauna, our cricket, all of those things..
"She is representing us internationally. All I ask TT is to lend support.
"Whether she brings home the crown or not, she is our queen."
Boodhai said that fact should be celebrated by the population.
"But as we say that, we do think she has what it takes to bring the crown. And that is what we are looking forward to, second only to Giselle Laronde-West, who actually is one of her trainers as well."
On May 26 Newsday reported that Nanton has qualified for the quarter-finals due to her amazing performance in several early events.
The Miss World Organisation's scoreboard has ranked her in first place with 205 points.
Nanton won the Americas and Caribbean region in the Head to Head debate, where she spoke on women's rights plus climate change.
She placed first in the world the shuttle run, one of the three events in the sport/fitness category, in which she was globally fourth overall.
Nanton was also a “talent finalist” for her aerial acrobatics display.
(Source;  Newsday, May 30, 2025)
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